History of Carroll and Harrison Counties, Ohio, Part 105

Author: H. J. Eckley, William T. Perry
Publication date: 1921
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 678

USA > Ohio > Harrison County > History of Carroll and Harrison Counties, Ohio > Part 105
USA > Ohio > Carroll County > History of Carroll and Harrison Counties, Ohio > Part 105

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On the 22d of Februarv, 1900, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Osburn to Miss Nora Howell, who likewise was born and reared in Harrison County and who is a daughter of James and Margaret (Jamison) Howell, whose marriage was here recorded on the 7th of De- cember, 1843 .. Mr. Howell was born November 2. 1818, in the State of Maryland, and his wife was born February 14, 1825, a daughter of Wil- liam Jamison, who became an early settler in Harrison County. When a young man James Howell engaged in farm enterprise in Stock Township. Harrison County, whence he removed eight years later, in 1851, to Franklin Township and established his residence on the fine old homestead farm now representing the abiding place of Mr. and Mrs. Osburn. Here Mr. How- ell remained until his death, May 25, 1899, and his cherished and devoted wife passed away on the 12th of the following September, their marital companionship, ideal in all relations. having covered a period of more than half a century. Both were earnest members of the Presbyterian Church. Of their children the firstborn, William J., died in early childhood; Mary J. died at the age of eight years; Sarah Belle died in 1897; and Nora (Mrs. Osburn) and Ardena are the surviving members of this honored family. Mr. and Mrs. Osburn have no children.

WALTER A. HOLLIDAY is a scion, in the fourth generation, of a family whose name has been identified with the annals of Harrison County since 1815. and here he is well maintaining the prestige of the name which he bears-both as a citizen and as an exponent of farm industry, of which his great-great-grandfather, Robert Holliday. Sr., was one of the earliest represen- tatives in this county. The lineage is traced back to Arthur Holliday, who was a native of Scotland and a member of one of the Scottish

families that removed to the north of Ireland to escape religious intolerance in their native country. Robert Holliday, Sr., son of Arthur, was born in Ireland, where he was reared to manhood and where he married Rebecca Ram- sey, five of their nine children having there been born and two of them having died there. The other four were born in America, and the last survivor was Mrs. Nancy Cooper, who was a resident of Henry County, Indiana, at the time of her death. In 1793 Robert Holliday, Sr., came with his family to America and es- tablished a home in Cumberland County, Penn- sylvania, whence he later removed to Westmore- land County, that state. In 1805 he came from the latter county to Ohio and became a pioneer of Jefferson County, where he remained until 1815, when he came to what is now the western part of Harrison County, where he secured land and. with the aid of his sons, reclaimed a farm from the forest wilds, besides which he here followed his trade, that of weaver, and found ready demand for the products of his primitive loom. He was a veritable patriarch at the time of his death, in 1851, when ninety-three years of age. his wife having died in 1826.

Robert Holliday, Jr., was born in Ireland, August 1, 1792, and thus was about one year old at the time of the family immigration to America, in 1793. He was reared to manhood on the pioneer farm in Harrison County and remained with his parents until he was twenty- five years of age, when he married and estab- lished a home of his own, on the same tract of land that had here been secured by his father. He had in the meanwhile enlisted for service in the War of 1812, but was not called into active service. March 25, 1817, recorded his marriage to Fannie Melton, who was born No- vember 22, 1795, and who died December 22, 1818, leaving one child, Fannie M .. born on the 28th of the preceding month. March 29, 1821, Mr. Holliday wedded Miss Eliza White, who was born December 25, 1800, and of their thir- teen children-seven sons and six daughters- eleven attained to maturity, ten of the number having married and reared children and one of the sons having met his death in the Civil war, while serving as an officer on the staff of Gen. William T. Sherman. Robert Holliday re- mained on his farm until 1830, when he engaged in the general merchandise business at Freeport. where also he conducted a hotel. There he died July 5, 1855, and his widow died August 16. 1872, when nearly seventy-two years of age. both having been members of the Calvinistic Baptist Church and he having been first a demo- crat. later a whig and finally a republican in political allegiance.

Eldred G. Holliday, son of Robert and Eliza (White) Holliday, was born in Freeport Town- ship. Harrison County, January 19, 1822. and received the advantages of the pioneer schools. When a young man he was for several years engaged in the work of the trade of plasterer, in Harrison and Belmont counties, and in 1851 he established his residence on a farm in Moore- field Township, Harrison County, where he re- mained until 1883, when he removed to Cadiz, but still retained ownership of his farm. Janu-

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ary 10. 1850, recorded his marriage to Miss Mary Cunningham, daughter of John and Nancy (Sharp) Cunningham and a granddaughter of David Cunningham, who came from Fayette County. Pennsylvania, and settled in the pres- ent Harrison County. Ohio, in 1810. They became the parents of five sons and two daugh -. ters: John became a clergyman of the Presby- terian Church : Robert, father of Walter A., of this review, was the next in order of birth: George became a representative farmer of Har- rison County : David became a prominent lawyer in the State of Kansas; Thomas E., a clergy- man of the United Presbyterian Church, became a missionary in India ; and the daughters were Laura May and Nancy Bell. The entire family held to the Presbyterian faith. Eldred G. Holli- day was first a whig and later a republican, and he was one of those actively concerned in repelling the Ohio raid of Gen. John Morgan in the period of the Civil war. Both he and his wife were venerable in years at the time of their deaths.

Robert Holliday, son of Eldred G. and Mary (Cunningham) Holliday, was born and reared in Moorefield Township. and his educational ad- vantages were those of the common schools of the locality and period. As a young man he gained place as one of the successful farmers of that township, where he continued his ac- tivities until the spring of 1884. when he went to the State of Kansas. About one year later he returned to the old home farm upon which he was born, and there he remained until the spring of 1886. and then he came to the old farm in Moorefield Township and remained un- til 1901. after which he passed a year in Co- lumbiana County. He then returned to his former farm in Moorefield Township, and there he continued its management until the spring of 1919, since which time he has lived retired in the village of New Athens. His first wife. whose maiden name was Elizabeth J. Dunlap, passed to eternal rest on the 7th of May, 1907. she having been a devoted adherent of the Pres- byterian Church, of which Mr. Holliday like- wise is an active member, his political alleg- lance being given to the republican party. Of the four children the eldest is Chloe, who is the wife of Dewitt Scott, of Harrison County : Walter A .. whose name initiates this article, was the next in order of birth; Flora became the wife of Bertram Koonce and is now de- ceased : and Eldred is engaged in the practice of medicine at Cambridge, Ohio. In 1910 the father contracted a second marriage. when Mrs. Louisa Kirkpatrick became his wife.

Walter A. Holliday was born in Moorefield Township. on the 5th of December, 1879, and his early education was obtained in the district schools of Moorefield. Cadiz and Athens Town- ships, and in the public schools of Cadiz, the "ounty sent. As a young man he initiated in- dependent farm enterprise in Moorefield Town- ship, but a year later he removed to the ances- tral Holliday homestead farm, in Cadiz Town- ship, where he remained until November, 1919, when he returned to his father's farm in Moore- field Township, where he is now conducting his successful activities as an agriculturist and

stock-grower. He and his wife now own a well improved farm of 167 acres in Cadiz Township, but the title to the place on which they now maintain their home is still vested in his father. He is one of the loyal supporters of the cause of the republican party and both he and his wife hold membership in the Nottingham Pres- byterian Church.

On the 14th of February, 1911, was solemn- ized the marriage of Mr. Holliday to Miss Mary J. Smith, who was born in County Tyrone. Ire- land, a daughter of Walter and Christina ( Bar- ton) Smith. Mr. and Mrs. Holliday have six children-John C., Laura May, Helen Elizabeth. Alfred Wayne. Margaret Virginia and Robert S.

As a matter of historic interest, it is worthy of record that representatives of the Holliday family were the first to bring sheep into Harri- son County. The original flock comprised twelve or fifteen head, and each night they had to be placed in an enclosure, to guard them from depredations by wolves, besides which it was frequently necessary to maintain guard with rifles when the prowiing wolves were particu- larly insistent in their sanguinary intentions.

SAMUEL A. GUNNING. A visit through the rich agricultural sections of Ohio and acquaint- ance with the leading farmers of such localities as Harrison County is an interesting experience. It proves that careful old-time cultivation of the soil is still a great and prosperous industry and that the quiet, busy owners of the hun- dreds of productive acres are men of high in- telligence, well equipped to carry on their enter- prises in a progressive way. One of these prac- tical and enterprising farmers is found in Sam- uel A. Gunning, whose splendid farm of 265 acres, lies in Washington Township, Harrison County.

Samuel A. Gunning belongs to an old and sub- stantial pioneer family of Harrison County that was established in Franklin Township by his grandfather, Alexander Gunning, who was born in Pennsylvania. He married a member of the McGill family and they came to Harrison County, lived as farmers in Franklin Town- ship and reared the following children: John. Thomas, Martha. Nancy and Jane. They were worthy people and assisted in founding the United Presbyterian Church in their section.

John Gunning, father of Samuel A., was born in Franklin Township. Harrison County. and spent his life there as a general farmer and died August 14, 1901. He married Elizabeth Boyd. who was born in Coshocton County, Ohio, and died May 11, 1919. Her parents were Samuel and Nancy Boyd, both of whom were born in Ireland, came early to Ohio and were members of the United Presbyterian Church. Mr. and Mrs. Boyd had children as follows: Samuel. Robert. William, Allen, David, Sarah, Agnes, Martha, Mary, Alice and Elizabeth. Five children were born to John and Elizabeth Gunning, as follows: Nancy Jane, who died in October, 1911. was the wife of Simeon Rose: Samuel A., who is a representative citizen of Washington Township: Allen S., who lives in Franklin Township: Thomas W., who lives at Bench City, Stark County, Ohio; and Mattie

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Alice, who is the wife of Frank Knisley, of Philadelphia, Ohio. The parents of the above family were faithful members of the Presby- terian Church.

Samuel A. Gunning was born in Franklin Township, Harrison County, Ohio, April 9, 1874, and obtained his education in the Brownsville Public School. He grew up on the farm, where his training was thorough and practical, and remained in his native township as a farmer until his marriage, which took place on March 8, 1900, when he was united to Miss Bertha Irwin, daughter of Oscar and Emma (Riley) Irwin, and granddaughter of Ninian and Sarah Ann (Carpenter) Irwin, who came to Franklin Township, Harrison County, among the early settlers. The Irwins have all belonged to the Methodist Episcopal Church. In the grandfa- ther's family there were five children, namely : Oscar, Albert, Mary, Alice and Demaris.

Oscar Irwin, father of Mrs. Gunning, was born in Harrison County, Ohio, and is a lead- ing citizen and substantial farmer in Franklin Township. He married Emma Riley, who was also born in Harrison County. Ohio, daughter of John and Catherine .(Suddett) Riley, and they have the following children: Bertha. Charles D., George August, Iona Maud and Jesse H.

Since their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Gunning have lived on Mr. Gunning's farm in Washing- ton Township. It is a fine property, well situ- ated and well watered, and Mr. Gunning is suc- cessfully carrying on general farming and stock- raising. Mr. and Mrs. Gunning have one son, Noble Edmond, who was born June 26, 1906, and is attending school. The family belongs to the Methodist Episcopal Church at Westchester. Mr. Gunning has never been very active in poli- tics, but he is a thoughtful and well informed citizen, and casts his vote intelligently. He be- longs to the Order of Knights of Pythias, attend- ing the Lodge at Tippecanoe, and in that order as in other connections with his fellow citizens he is held in respect and esteem.

GEORGE H. JOHNSTON made in earlier years an excellent record in connection with productive farm industry in his native county, but he has found his potentiality equally effective in the lumber business, in which he has been success- fully established at Bowerston, Harrison Coun- ty. since 1905.

George Harry Johnston was born in Monroe Township, within whose borders the Village of Bowerston is situated, and the date of his na- tivity was July 26, 1868. He is a son of Joseph E. and Hannah S. (Smith) Johnston, both like- wise natives of Harrison County, where the names of both families have been prominently identified with civic and industrial affairs since the pioneer days. Joseph F. Johnston was born in Monroe Township. August 11. 1832, and the place of his birth was a log cabin of the char- acteristic pioneer type. His father. Samuel R. Johnston, was born at Baltimore. Maryland. De- cember 3. 1798. of Irish parentage, and Samuel R. was a child when he accompanied his widowed mother to Charleston. South Carolina, where he was reared to manhood and gained his

initial business experience. In 1824 he came to Harrison County, Ohio, and purchased a tract of land in Monroe Township. Here he even- tually reclaimed a productive farm from the forest wilds, and he was one of the venerable and highly honored pioneer citizens of the county at the time of his death. November 10. 1883. Of him the following consistent estimate has been written : "He was an exemplary man, quiet and unassuming, reserved and dignified, firm and unwavering in his opinions. His re- ligious belief was free thought, the universal brotherhood of mankind, and his precept the Golden Rule, guided by reason. His Integrity was like his character. unimpeachable. and in his daily life among his fellow men he never suffered himself to lapse from his chosen stand- ard. He was a man of more than ordinary attainments and education, and became a deep thinker, a close observer and a careful

reasoner."

Samuel R. Johnston commanded unqualified respect and confidence and was a leader in com- munity thought and action. He served in vari- ous local offices, including those of township trustee and clerk, was a staunch democrat and was significantly generous, loyal, liberal and public-spirited.

July 20. 1826, recorded the marriage of Sam- uel R. Johnston to Miss Rebecca Barnhill. who was born and reared in Harrison County, where her parents, William and Mary Barnhill, natives of Ireland. settled in the pioneer days, the re- mainder of their lives having been passed in Monroe Township. Mr. and Mrs. Johnston be- came the parents of three sons and eight daughters, and those who lived to mature years were: William B., Mary ( Mrs. Joseph McKel- Teen). Joseph E., Margaret (Mrs. Jacob Nor- rick). Rebecca (Mrs. Simeon Smith), Eliza- beth ( Mrs. Daniel Smith), Cecelia (Mrs. Jona- than Manbeck). The loved wife and mother died August 23, 1873, and Mr. Johnston survived her by ten years, his death occurring in 1883, as previously noted in this context.

Joseph F. Johnston owned the old homestead farm on which he was born and reared. and there he continued to reside until 1907. when he retired from the arduous labors that had long been his portion in connection with farm Industry and removed to the Village of Bowers- ton, where his death occurred August 4. 1914, ind where his widow still maintains her home. Mr. Johnston gained his youthful education in the pioneer schools and passed his entire life in Harrison County, with the exception of four years devoted to pioneer farm enterprise in Iowa. to which state he removed in 1855. Thereafter he remained with his parents until their death. except for the period of his loyal service in defense of the Union at the time of the Civil war. 'In 1864 he enlisted in Company B. One Hundred and Seventieth Ohio National Guard, in which he was commissioned sergeant of his company, and with which he participated in engagements at Snicker's Gap. Harper's Ferry and Winchester. After receiving his hon- orable discharge he returned to the home farm. and on the 26th of January, 1875. he married Miss Hannah S. Smith, who was born near

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Laceyville, Harrison County, a daughter of the late William P. Smith, a sterling pioneer of the county. In addition to the old home place, of 153 acres, Mr. Johnston owned a farm of eighty-three acres in North Township. He served nine years as justice of the peace, was a democrat in politics, was called upon to serve also as township trustee, and was a valued mem- ber of R. M. Lyon Post, No. 405, Grand Army of the Republic, at Bowerston. He had deep reverence for the verities of various religions, but, like his father, was a free-thinker and ad- nered to no religious dogmas. Of the four chil- dren the eldest is Melvin S., who resides in the City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the maiden name of his wife having been Eyler Eurilla and their one child being a daughter, Hannah Grace. George Harry was the next in order of birth. Anna N. is the wife of Robert H. McGuire. of Harrison County, and they have three children-Nina Dean (Mrs. Eugene Bowers), Verne and Samuel. Samuel R .. the youngest of the four children, is individually mentioned on .other pages of this volume.

George Harry Johnston made good use of the advantages offered in the district schools of Monroe Township and thereafter continued his alliance with the vigorous activities of the home farm until his marriage, August 15, 1895, to Miss Jessie M. Betts, daughter of Brice E. and Isabelle Betts, of Monroe Township. After his marriage. Mr. Johnston engaged in independent farm enterprise in North Township, where he continued his successful enterprise as an agri- culturist and stock-grower until 1903, when he established his residence in the Village of Bow- erston. Here he followed the carpenter's trade for the first two years, and then, in 1905, he here engaged in the lumber business, with which he has since been actively identified and in which he has developed a prosperous enterprise in the handling of all requisite types of lumber and building materials. He is a democrat in political adherency. served for a number of terms as clerk of Monroe Township, is a mem- ber of the Bowerston Lodge of Knights of Pythias, and vice president of The Tope School of Phrenology. In religion he is a free-thinker, being a member of the Columbus Rationalist So- ciety of Columbus, Ohio. He and his wife are popular factors in the representative social life of Bowerston. They have no children.

SAMUEL R. JOHNSTON, youngest son of the late Joseph E. Johnston, resides upon and has the active management of the fine old home- stead farm which was the place of his birth, in Monroe Township, Harrison County. and of the honored pioneer family of which he is a popular representative adequate data are given on other pages, in the personal sketch of his older brother. George Harry Johnston. of Bowerston.

Samuel R. Johnston was born on his present farm, October 7, 1875, and the educational ad- vantages which were his in his youth were those of the district schools of Monroe Township and the Bowerston High School, in which he was graduated as a member of the class of 1896. Later he completed a course in the Duff Mer- cantile College, in the City of Pittsburgh, Penn-

sylvania. This practical business course did not, however, cause him to withdraw his alleg- lance to the great basic industries under whose Influence he had been reared, and he remained on the old home farm for three years after his marriage, in the autumn of 1899. He then pur- chased a farm about one-half mile distant from the old family homestead, and after residing on the place four years he returned to his father's farm, which comprises 153 acres and which has been in the possession of the family since the pioneer days. Here he is a vigorous and suc- cessful exponent of modern agricultural and live-stock enterprise, in connection with which, as well as in loyal and liberal citizenship, he is well upholding the honors of the family name. He takes lively interest in community affairs and gave four years of effective service as a member of the Board of Education of Monroe Township, his political allegiance being accorded to the democratic party.

October 12, 1899, recorded the marriage of Mr. Johnston to Miss Sadie B. Thompson. daughter of Andrew J. and Elizabeth (Betts) Thompson, of Monroe Township, and the two children of this union are Sadie Revelle, who married Roy C. Baker, of Monroe Township, Harrison County, and Joseph Andrew.

SAMUEL S. BETTS was born in Monroe Town- ship, Harrison County. September 17, 1861, and is a scion of a sterling pioneer family of east- ern Ohio. The genealogy is traced back to staunch German origin and representatives of the name settled in Pennsylvania prior to the war of the Revolution. In the old Keystone state Adam Betts was born and reared, and in 1802 he came from Reading, that state, to the wilds of Jefferson County. Ohio, where he pur- chased Government land and reclaimed a farm from the forest. There he passed the re- mainder of his life, and records show that he was a man of superior intellectuality and abil- ity. He retained at the time of his removal to Ohio the original orthography of the family name, Betz, and the name is thus entered on the patent to the land which he obtained in Jefferson County, this deed bearing the signa- ture of President Madison and being preserved as a family heirloom of historic interest and value. Adam Betts was twice married, three children having been born of the first marriage and nine of the second. William, eldest child of the second marriage. was born at Reading, Pennsylvania. October 9, 1787, and was thus about fifteen years old at the time of the family immigration to Ohio. He was reared to man- hood on the frontier farm in Jefferson County, where he married Miss Elizabeth Viers, who was born and reared in that county. He and his brother George served as soldiers in the War of 1812, and he continued as a farmer in Jefferson County until his death. which: nc- curred in April, 18$3, his wife having passed away in 1862. They became the parents of two sons and five daughters: Rebecca. (Mrs. William Powell). Eliza ( Mrs. William H. Rar- rett), Permelia (Mrs. Samuel Scott), Margaret (Mrs. John Dunlap), Brice E. (father of Sam- uel S), McCourtney, and Lucinda (Mrs. George

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M. Gault). The parents were active members of the Presbyterian Church.

Brice E. Betts was born on the old homestead farm in Jefferson County, where, in the little log house of the true pioneer type, he made his initial appearance June 13, 1824. He received his quota of opportunity in connection with the subscription schools maintained by the early . settlers of the locality and that he improved these advantages is shown by the fact that as a youth he became a successful teacher in the rural schools. In 1846 he engaged in business as a general merchant at Salem, Jefferson County, where he remained until 1859. when he went to Missouri and purchased land, but the outbreak of the Civil war caused him to change his plan of removing with his family to that state. He accordingly resumed his asso- ciation with mercantile business at Salem, but in the autumn of 1860 he sold his interest in this general store and the spring of 1861 marked his removal to Monroe Township, Harrison County, where he purchased the farm on which he continued to reside until 1894, his death hav- ing occurred February 20. 1904. and his widow passing away on the 24th of March, 1909. In May. 1864, Mr. Betts enlisted in Company B. One Hundred and Seventieth Ohio State Guards, with which he served in the Potomac and Shen- andoah Valleys of Virginia and took part in various engagements, including the battles of Snicker's Gap. Harper's Ferry, Winchester and Maryland Heights. He received his honorable discharge, in the City of Columbus, Ohio, Sep- tember 21, 1864. He was a stalwart advocate of the principles of the republican party, and in Monroe Township he was called upon to serve as township trustee and member of the School Board, besides which he held for twelve years the office of justice of the peace. He be- came the owner of a valuable farm property of 260 acres and was a leader in community senti- ment and action, with secure place in the esteem and confidence of all who knew him.

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History of Carroll and Harrison Counties, Ohio, Part 105

Author: H. J. Eckley, William T. Perry Publication date: 1921 Publisher: Number of Pages: 678

Author: H. J. Eckley, William T. Perry
Publication date: 1921
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 678