USA > Ohio > Harrison County > History of Carroll and Harrison Counties, Ohio > Part 106
USA > Ohio > Carroll County > History of Carroll and Harrison Counties, Ohio > Part 106
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September 26, 1849. recorded the marriage of Brice E. Betts to Miss Isabel N. Guy. who was born in Wheeling, West Virginia, March 19. 1829, a daughter of Robert and Sarah Ann (Clarke) Guy, the former a native of Pennsyl- vania and the latter of Ireland, she having come with her parents to America in 1810 and her marriage having occurred in the following year. Robert Guy was a brass founder by trade and vocation, and finally removed with his family from Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania, to Wheeling, West Virginia, where he followed the work of his trade, in an independent way, until his death in June, 1864, his wife having died April 10. 1843. They had four children, James. Margaret, Isabel and Robert, Jr., all of whom are deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Brice E. Betts were active members of the Presbyterian Church. They became the parents of nine chil- dren, of whom three died in early childhood : Elizabeth A. became the wife of Andrew Thomp- son, of Monroe Township, and is now deceased : William L., who was a representative farmer of Monroe Township at the time of his death, mar- ried Samantha Conaway and they became the parents of four children-Myrtle, Isabel, Harry
and Margaret: Eliza M. is the wife of John Turney, of North Township, Harrison County ; George is a farmer in Stock Township, this county ; Samuel S. is the subject of this review ; and Jessie M. is the wife of George H. Johnston, of Bowerston, Ohio.
The school in District No. 1, Monroe Town- ship, afforded to Samuel S. Betts his early edu- cation, and he thereafter continued his active association with the affairs of the home farm until his marriage, on the 2d of September, 1894, to Miss Lora E. Fisher, daughter of James and Martha (Hendricks) Fisher, of North Township. After his marriage Mr. Betts as- sumed the active management of the old home farm, his parents having at this time removed to the Village of Bowerston, where they re- mained until their deaths. Mr. Betts is one of the resourceful and successful exponents of farm industry in his native county and his farm estate comprises 196 acres. He is a re- publican in political allegiance, is a member of the Baptist Church at Beaver, and his wife was a member of the United Brethren Church. in the faith of which she was reared, her death
having occurred on the 4th of February, 1919. Of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Betts the first- born. Guy H., died at the age of four years: Nellie M. and Mabel L. are successful and popu- lar teachers in the public schools of Harrison County : Ralph E. and Wayne F. remain at the paternal home; Ruba F. and Rhoda F. are stu- dents in the Bowerston High School; and Ross C. and Martha I. are the youngest members of the home circle.
WILLIAM L. ROWLAND has shown naught of indirection or faltering in connection with his vigorous enterprise as an agriculturist and stock-grower in his native county. and his well improved farm, of 105 acres, in Freeport Town- ship, gives the patent evidences of thrift and good management that mark him as one of the successful farmers of Harrison County.
Mr. Rowland was born in Nottingham Town- ship, this county, on the 25th of August. 1850. and is a son of the late Philip Rowland, whose death occurred May 13, 1914. Philip Rowland was born in Nottingham Township on the 25th of May, 1825, a date that denotes that the fam- ily was founded in Harrison County in the pio- neer period of its history. John and Rachel (Engle) Rowland, grandparents of Philip, were born and reared in Maryland, where their mar- riage occurred and whence they soon afterward removed to that part of Virginia now constitut- ing the state of West Virginia. There they re- mained until 1801, when the husband and fa- ther set forth on a prospecting journey into Ohio. He came to what is now Harrison County and selected a tract of wild land in Moorefield Township as now constituted. He then returned for his family, who accompanied him on the eventful overland trip through the wilderness to the new home. transportation having been by a team and covered wagon and many hard- ships having been endured on the journey. On one occasion the wagon was overturned while crossing a river, and members of the family narrowly escaped drowning. Arriving at their
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destination the members of the family took possession of the little log house that had been .erected for them. Here John Rowland, a true frontiersman and resourceful pioneer, reclaimed a goodly portion of his land and here he re- mained until his death, in 1848, at the patri- archal age of ninety-three years, his widow sur- viving him but a short time. Their children were: William, James, Mary, Levi. Betsy, John. Cyrus and Rebecca. John Rowland. founder of the family in Harrison County. has served as a soldier with the patriot forces in the war of the Revolution, and after its close he served three years as a government Indian spy, along the Ohio and Muskingum rivers. In this hazardous frontier service he encountered many dangers and hardships, including those incidental to suppressing invasions on the part of hostile Indians.
William Rowland. son of John and grand- father of William L., had his full share of ex- perience in connection with the development of the frontier farm, his birth having occurred in Maryland and he having been a boy at the time of the family removal to Ohio. After his mar- riage to Jane Fulton. daughter of Philip Ful- ton. another sterling pioneer of Harrison County, he settled on a farm in Nottingham Township, and there he and his wife passed the remainder of their earnest, worthy and useful lives, secure in the respect of all who knew them. They became the parents of the follow- ing children : John. Levi, Philip, James, Sarah. Rachel. William. Hannah. Rachel, Mary (Mrs. Elihu Petty). and Alexander. All of the chil- dren are now deceased.
Philip Rowland was reared in Nottingham Township, where he received the advantages of the common schools of the period. and in that township he was associated with farm industry until 1861, when he removed to Freeport Town- ship. where he became the owner of a valuable farm of 250 acres, about two miles distant from the village of Freeport. Here he remained. one of the substantial and honored citizens of his native county. until his death. on the 13th of May, 1914, his first wife having passed away in 1893. In August. 1847, was solemnized the marriage of Philip Rowland to Miss Piety Ann Ford, daughter of Lewis and Ann Ford, and she passed to the life eternal in 1865. Of this union were born six children-William L., Em- ily J .. Slemens. Rebecca. Arizona and John Newton. Of the number William L. and Slem- ens are the only survivors. For his second wife Philip Rowland married Julia, daughter of Ben- jamin and Myrtilla Hart. of Harrison County, and she lives in Freeport. Five children were horn of this marriage-Benjamin. George, Myr- tle. Philip. Jr .. and Burton. Mr. Rowland was a staunch supporter of the prohibition party for a time but always a republican. He and the members of his family held the faith of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
William L. Rowland acquired. his early educa- tion in the district schools of Nottingham and Freeport Township, and he continued his ac- tive association with the work of his father's farm until his marriage. August 5, 1880, since which time he has resided continuously on his
present farm, upon which he has made good improvements of a permanent order, besides keeping the place up to high standard in every way. His political allegiance is given to the republican party. and he and his wife hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal Church at Freeport.
On the 5th of August. 1880, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Rowland to Miss Clara V. McCave, who likewise was born and reared in Harrison County and who is a daughter of Levi and Delilah (Martin) McCave. Mr. and Mrs. Rowland have six children: Charles O., a prosperous farmer in Moorefield Township, mar- ried Miss Odessa Baker and they have six chil- dren-Florence. Lucille. Denver. Vivian, and Leona and Iona, twins. Oliver F .. a representa- tive young lawyer at Athens, judicial center of the Ohio county of the same name. married Miss Louise Wooley, and their one child is Don Edwin. Roy D .. who is now a resident of Guernsey County. married Miss Winifred Golden and they have three children-Clara, Granville and Mildred. Minnie May is the wife of Forrest L. Perkins, of Wheeling. West Vir- ginia. and they have two children-Rodney I .. and Dorothy Ilene. Bryce Martin, whose rec- ord in connection with service in the World war will be more definitely mentioned in an append- ing paragraph, is a student in Valparaiso Uni- versity. at Valparaiso. Indiana, and in the same institution his younger brother. Halley H., is a student in the law department.
Bryce Martin Rowland entered the nation's military service April 1, 1918, and at Camp Sherman he soon won promotion to the office of corporal of Company K. Three Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Infantry, which became a part of the Eighty-Fourth Division. Early in July. 1918, he sailed with his command for France. and while the regiment was there stationed at Le Mans he was promoted to sergeant and as- signed to the headquarters company of another regiment. He remained in service at LeMans until he was given the privilege of entering the University of Montpelier. France, where he con- tinued his studies about three months. He then returned to his native land and shortly after his arrival in July. 1919. he received his honor- able discharge, at Camp Sherman.
JESSE MARSHALL, who for many years has been well known in business and the public life of Carroll County. was born in Washington Township, October 14. 1853.
This branch of the Marshall family lives for several generations in West Virginia. His grandfather Joshua Marshall came from West Virginia to Carroll County at a very early day, spending the rest of his active life on a farm in Washington Township. Ell Marshall, father of Jesse Marshall, was born in Washington Town- ship in 1830. He married Sarah Jane Ronde- bush, who was born in Carroll County in 1835. The Roudebush family is one of long and hon- orable distinction in this section of Ohio. The ancestry goes back to two brothers, Abraham and Jacob, who came from Holland to New Amsterdam in 1650. the early colonial period. Later the family was established in Maryland,
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1666, and also in Pennsylvania and they became people of large resources and many business enterprises. The first of the family came to Carroll County in 1816, and other followed In subsequent years, and the history of Carroll County makes frequent reference to many of the name. The father of Sarah Jane Roudebush was Jesse Roudebush who was born in York County, Pennsylvania, in 1795. He died at Car- rollton in 1868. He and his brothers and other members of the family founded the Church of Christ at Mount Olive in Carroll County.
Eli Marshall spent his active life on a farm in Washington Township where he died in 1883, and his wife is still living at the age of eighty- six. She was the mother of three children : Jesse. Levi and Anna M. who is the wife of James N. Lawrence of Carrollton.
Jesse Marshall attended the country schools and made good use of his opportunities. For fifteen years he was a successful teacher, and in 1888 removed to Carrollton where for thir- teen years he was engaged in the wool and grain business. He was elected county treas- urer on the republican ticket and served two terms. For the last fourteen years he has been in the monument business.
In 1878 he married Miss Catherine A. Den- nis, a native of Jefferson County. Ohio. Her father Christian Dennis spent the last twenty- three years of his life in the Marshall home and died at the age of ninety-one. Mr. and Mrs. Marshall who are members of the Church of Christ have three sons: Elmer G .: Clayton L .. who lives at Canton. Ohio, and married Hazel Hines; and Cecil Dwight who married Exa Mills on June 18, 1919.
THOMAS' S. BIRNEY has had the circumspec- tion and judgment that have enabled him to appreciate the advantages offered for success- ful farm enterprise in his native township and is here numbered among the representative agri- culturists and stock-growers of the younger generation of Washington Township in Harrison County. Aside from his admirable personal achievement he has the further distinction of being a representative of one of the honored and influential pioneer families of this county.
Thomas Simpson Birney was born in Wash- ington Township. Harrison County. on the 17th of May, 1883, and is a son of Robert M. and Martha J. ( Simpson ) Birney. Robert M. Bir- ney was born in Washington Township. this County, on the 10th of January. 1849, and was a son of John and Hannah ( McKee) Birney. John Birney was born and reared in Green Town- ship, this county, where his parents settled in the early pioneer days, and soon after his mar- riage be removed to Washington Township. where he eventually accumulated and developed a fine farm estate of 50 acres and where he remained until his death. September 9. 1885. His first wife died in 1872. their children hav- ing been six in number-Rachel (Mrs. Henry Pittis), Nelson, Robert M., James N .. Rebecca J. ( Mrs. Matthew Simpson), and John T. For his second wife John Birney wedded Sarah Eaton, who survived him by a number of years. He was prominent in the local councils and ac-
tivities of the republican party and was zeal- ous in support of the Methodist Episcopal Church. of which he was an active member for- many years prior to his death.
Robert M. Birney continued his successful as- sociation with farm industry in Washington Township during his entire active career. and also developed a prosperous business in the buying and shipping of live stock. He was the owner of a valuable farm property in his na- tive township at the time of his death. Novem- ber 29. 1888, his wife having passed away on the 17th of July. 1883, and both having been earnest members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. On the 28th of May. 1868. was solemn- ized the marriage of Robert M. Birney to Miss Martha J. Simpson, who was born in Stock Township. Harrison County, October 4. 1842, a daughter of John and Margaret (Law) Simp- son. John Simpson was born in Stock Town- ship, this county. in 1814. and was a son of John and Mary (McElroy) Simpson, whose marriage was solemnized in the state of Penn- sylvania. the father having come from Ireland to America in 1798. John Simpson. Sr .. con- tinued his residence in Washington County. Pennsylvania. until about the opening of the nineteenth century. when he came with his fam- Ily to Harrison County. Ohio, where he eventu- ally developed a productive farm in the midst of the forest wilds and where he continued his residence in Stock Township until his death. In 1836. John Simpson, Jr., was reared under the conditions and influences that marked the pio- neer epoch in the history of Harrison County and continued to be identified with farm indus- try in Stock Township until his death. in 1877. He achieved substantial prosperity through his own well directed endeavors and his character was shown in his high sense of personal stew- ardship in all of the relations of life. He was a stalwart republican and both he and his wife were zealous members of the Methodist Episco- pal Church. They became the parents of seven children-Mary Ann ( Mrs. Joseph Patterson). Martha (Mrs. Robert M. Birney). Margaret (Mrs. Frank Welch). Matthew, William. Frank. and Ella. Mr. and Mrs. Robert M. Birner he- came the parents of three children. of whom Thomas S. of this sketch is the youngest and the only survivor. Etta L. was born May 16. 1869. and died on the 12th of March. 1878: and Clarence M. died on the same day as did his ouly sister. he having been eight years, seven months and twenty days of age at the time of his demise.
Thomas Simpson Birney was but two months old at the time of his mother's death and but five years old when his father died. He was there- after reared in the home of his father's sister. Mrs. Rachel Pittis, of Deersville. Harrison County. where he was afforded the advantages of the village schools. He has resided on his present farm since he was twenty-one years of age, and under his ownership the place is maintained at a high standard as a center of successful agri- cultural and live-stock enterprise. The place comprises 19712 acres and is well improved. Mr. Birney is a republican in . his political pro- clivities and he and his wife are active mem-
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bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Tip- pecanoe.
May 22, 1913, recorded the marriage of Mr. Birney to Miss Mary Belle Mccullough, who was born in Archer Township, Harrison County, and who is a daughter of Joseph M. and Eliza- beth (Birney) Mccullough, her father being in- dividually represented in a personal sketch on other pages of this volume. Mr. and Mrs. Bir- ney have a winsome little daughter, Eva Eliza- beth, whose advent in their home came on the 16th of December, 1919.
RICHARD H. GORDON, who with his brother, Claude O. Gordon, owns the most efficiently managed and well equipped garage in this part of Ohio, is one of the dependable business men of Bowerston, Harrison County. He was born in Stafford County, Kansas, August 28, 1889, a son of Dr. Johnson Wier and Louisa J. ( Host) Gordon.
Dr. J. W. Gordon was born in Belmont County, Ohio, and his wife was born in Frank- lin Township, Harrison County, Ohio, a daugh- ter of James and Margaret J. Host. James Host was a stock buyer and dealer of Franklin and adjoining townships in Harrison County. Mrs. Gordon is still living, and she and her husband had the following children : Nora, who married R. W. Bowers; Margaret, who married A. E. Bowers; Bertha, who married L. B. Tim- merman; Florence, who married W. L. McQuean; Sadie, who married T. P. Cunning- ham; Richard H., whose name heads this re- view ; Claude O., who is mentioned at length further on in this article; Hallie J., who was eighth in order of birth; and Nellie, who is deceased.
Doctor Gordon was graduated in medicine at Columbus, Ohio, and in Surgery at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and he also was a graduate of an ear, eve. nose and throat college at Dayton, Ohio, and of an eclectic course. Later on in life he took up post graduate work, and five or six years before his death he was graduated in a steam electrical engineering course from the Scranton Correspondence School. Doctor Gor- don began the practice of his profession at Bowerston, Ohio, but later went to Kansas, and from that state moved on to Missouri. He then returned to Bowerston, Ohio, where he con- tinued to practice until his death, which event occurred March 2, 1917. He was a student of untiring energy and kept constantly busy, de- voting all of his spare moments to study.
Richard H. Gordon attended the public schools of Bowerston, and when he completed his school days he learned the blacksmithing trade and worked at it for three years, and then for four years was employed as a machin- ist. In 1914 he and his brother, C. O. Gordon, opened a garage at Bowerston, and are still in partnership. They have the agency for the Overland, Reo and Ford cars, and handle farm light plants, and have a battery service station. They do repair work of all kinds and carry a complete line of auto parts and acces- sories. Like his father he is a Blue Lodge Mason, the younger man maintaining member- ship with the lodge at Leesville. Doctor Gor-
don also belonged to the Grotto. Richard H. Gordon is a member of Bowerston Lodge, Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, and is popular in his fraternities, as he is socially.
Claude O. Gordon, brother of Richard H. Gor- don, was born June 26, 1891, and was reared at Bowerston. He and his brother had just begun to get their garage business in first-class shape, when he responded to the call of his country and entered its service, March 9, 1918, in the aviation branch, at Cadiz, Ohio, and was sent to San Antonio, Texas. He was at Kelly Field but two days when he was transferred to Camp John Wise, Texas, where he was assigned to the Forty-third Balloon Corps, and remained with it until the close of hostilities.
On May 2, 1918, his organization left Camp John Wise for Morrison, Virginia, where it ar- rived May 8, 1918, and remained there until June 19, 1918, at which time his company sailed on the "S. S. American" from Newport News, Virginia, for France, and arrived at Brest July 13, 1918. Two days later the company left Brest for a baloon school, where the men were in training until August 6, 1918, when they were sent to Tours, France, and after seven days there, moved on to Toul, France. They were in the Saint Mihiel sector, arriving there August 19, and on August 31 were under fire, and were on the front line under fire constantly from then on until the signing of the armistice. At 1:00 A. M., September 13, the historic Saint Mihiel drive started, and Mr. Gordon's company participated in it until September 20, when it was transferred to the Argonne Forest front. On September 21 Paris was reached, and the following day the company arrived on the Ar- gonne-Meuse front. On September 25, at 11:30 P. M., the drive started and the company re- mained on that front until November 11, 1918. On August 1, 1918, Mr. Gordon was made a chauffeur of the first class, which grade he held until he was discharged. During the time the company was on the front its members did ob- servation balloon work all the time, and lost a balloon which caught on fire while in the air.
On April 19, 1919, Mr. Gordon went aboard the "Susquehanna" at Genecort, France, and the following day set sail for the United States, arriving at Newport News, Virginia, May 3, 1919. On May 9 the company marched to Camp Stewart, and there took boat for Camp Lee, ninety miles down the James River. On June 13, 1919, Mr. Gordon left Camp Lee for Camp Sherman, and he was there discharged from the service, June 17, 1919, and returned home.
The Forty-third Balloon Company has the dis- tinguished honor of being the only organization in the American Expeditionary Force, or of the whole American army, to have a standard and completely equipped band within itself. Mr. Gordon played a melaphone in this band from the time of the organization of the company until it was mustered out of the service.
Both these young men are held in high esteem by the people of Harrison County, and many traveling through this district have good cause to remember them on account of the splendidly efficient service they are rendering in their garage at Bowerston.
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JAMES COONS LYONS has enviable standing in connection with financial affairs in his native county and is the efficient cashier of the First National Bank of Bowerston, which village. in Harrison County, figures as the place of his na- tivity, his birth having here occurred on the 26th of December. 1887.
James Coons Lyons is a son of John C. and Sarah (Coons) Lyons, the former of whom was one of the representative farmers of Harrison County at the time of his death. February 8. 1901, and the latter of whom still maintains her home in this county. John C. Lyons, the second in order of birth in a family of six sons and four daughters, was born in Butler County. Pennsylvania, and was a son of Thomas Lyons, who likewise was a native of the Keystone state and who was a son of William Lyons. William Lyons was born and reared in Ireland and after immigrating to America he showed his loyalty to the land of his adoption by serv- ing as a patriot soldier in the war of the Revo- lution. The conflict left him with a rifle ball in one of his hips, and this momento of the Revolution be carried until his death. the sur- geons having been unable to extract it. He passed the closing years of his life in Morgan County, Ohio, and was for a time a resident of Harrison County. Thomas Lyons became ex- tensively engaged in lumbering operations in Pennsylvania, where he floated his lumber down the Allegheny River to Pittsburgh, which was at that time but little more than a village. He married Menie Lowrie, who was born in Scot- land and who was a child at the time of her parents' immigration to America. She was a sister of Walter Lowrie. who is supposed to have been the one of this name who served as secretary of state in the cabinet of President John Quincy Adams and who resigned to accept the post of secretary of the Foreign Missionary Society, of which position he continued the in- cumbent until his death. About the year 1820 Thomas Lyons came with his family to Ohio and took up a tract of land on which the Vil- lage of Tippecanoe now stands, in Harrison County. Later he was a pioneer farmer in North Township. and both he and his wife passed the closing period of their lives in Car- roll County.
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