History of Carroll and Harrison Counties, Ohio, Part 51

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 51
USA > Ohio > Carroll County > History of Carroll and Harrison Counties, Ohio > Part 51

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In 1882 Mr. Braden was united in marriage with Elizabeth Mitchell, a daughter of Rudolph Mitchell. They have no children of their own. but in 1903 they took into their home and hearts Nell McPeek, then eight years of age. She is now a teacher of East Liverpool, Ohio, and a source of great pride to them. Mr. and Mrs. Braden belong to the Presbyterian Church. For the past four years Mr. Braden has been one of the trustees of the Childs Home of Har- rison County, and he also is a member of the

Board of Control of Jewett. The Odd Fellows of Jewett have in him a faithful and valued member. He is one of the hard-working, thrifty men of the county who, while not going into public life to any spectacular degree, yet exert considerable influence among their associates, and fortunately for all concerned always follow sound, dependable and constructive lines.

TAYLOR S. MATSON. The remarkable accuracy of the memory of this well known native son of Harrison County came into effective play in furnishing the data from which this review of the family history is compiled, and in gathering material for the publication there have been few instances where the person interviewed did not have to refer to written records for data and names. Mr. Matson proved a distinct exception. He was able to enlist his splendid memory in supplying the information concerning an hon- ored family whose name has been worthily linked with the history of Harrison County for more than a century.

Taylor Scott Matson was born in Short Creek Township, Harrison County, on the 20th of April, 1847, and until his death lived retired in the Village of Georgetown, after years of pro- ductive association with farm industry. He is a son of Thomas C. and Loretta M. (Close) Matson, the former of whom was likewise a native of Short Creek Township, where he was born September 28, 1816, and the latter was born in Belmont County, this state, January 18, 1818, she having been a daughter of Henry and Magdalene (Neete) Close, who were sterling pioneers of Belmont County. Henry Close, who had been a successful farmer in Belmont County, was eighty-seven years of age at the time of his death in 1858, his wife passing away the same year, at the age of seventy-seven years, and both having been members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. They became the parents of eight children-John, George, Josiah, Loretta, Mary, Eliza, Lucinda and Harriet.

John Matson, who was born in the year 1784, was the paternal grandfather of Taylor S. Mat- son. John Matson and his wife, whose maiden name was Parthenia Cooper, were numbered among the earliest settlers in Short Creek Township, Harrison County, where he reclaimed a farm from the forest wilds and where he re- mained until his death, May 9, 1857, his widow having passed to eternal rest on the 15th of June. 1870, her religious faith having been that of the Methodist Episcopal Church. These hon- ored pioneers became the parents of six children -Sarah, Rachel, Prudence, Naomi, Thomas C. and John.

Thomas C. Matson was reared under the con- ditions that marked the early pioneer period in the history of Harrison County, and in Short Creek Township he passed his entire life. He became one of the substantial exponents of farm industry in his native township, and it is inter- esting to record that in that township two ex- cellent farms remained in the possession of the Matson family for 109 years. Mr. Matson was a man of earnest and upright character, loyal in community affairs and imbued with a fine sense of personal stewardship, both he and his

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wife having held membership in the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Matson's death occurred March 26, 1879, and his widow passed away on the 24th of March, 1891. Of their children the first born. Henry N., died at the age of fifteen years; Taylor Scott was the next in order of birth: Thompson still resides in Harrison County. as does also Emma, who is the wife of John G. Lewis.

The district schools of his native township afforded to Taylor S. Matson his youthful edu- cation, and he early gained practical experience in connection with the activities of the home farm. As a young man he began independent enterprise on one of the old Matson homesteads, and he remained on this farm until January. 1898, when he and his wife removed to the Village of Georgetown, and though he retired he continued to give his general supervision to his fine farm until 1916, when he sold the property. He never sought political preferment, but was always ready to do his part in supporting meas- ures advanced for the general good of the com- munity.

July 10, 1889, recorded the marriage of Mr. Matson to Miss Julia Ellen Kerr, daughter of James and Julia Kerr, and she passed to the life eternal on the 24th of March, 1892, the only child of this union having been Ella Louise, who died at the age of five months. On the 21st of October, 1896, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Matson to Miss Sarah Eleanor Douglas, daughter of Robert and Clarissa (Hulta) Doug- las, but no children were born to this marriage.

Robert Douglas was born in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, April 5, 1820, and in the same county his wife was born April 8, 1839. their marriage having been solemnized September 11, 1866. In 1878 Robert Douglas came with his family to Harrison County, and in the following year he engaged in farming in Short Creek Township, where he passed the remainder of his life, his death occurring January 7. 1900, and his widow being still a resident of this township. They became the parents of three children : Mary Louisa, born December 13, 1867: Sarah Eleanor, born June 17, 1869; and Abner C., who died when about two weeks old.

THOMPSON MATSON, who is now living retired in the village of Georgetown, Harrison County, continued to give his personal supervision to bis farm in Short Creek Township until 1916, when he sold the property. the same having been continuously in the possession of the Matson family for more than a century. Mr. Matson has maintained his home at Georgetown since 1897. but. as previously stated, he continued to manage his farm until 1916. with frequent trips back and forth between the farm and his home village. He is a representative of a sterling pioneer family of Harrison County, and con- cerning the history of the family adequate data is given on the preceding pages. in the sketch of the career of his older and only brother, Taylor 8. Matson, deceased.

Thompson Matson was born in Short Creek Township, this county, on the 15th of August. 1848. He gained his early education in the rural schools of the locality and period, and his

entire active career was marked by close and successful association with farm industry in his native township.

The year 1882 recorded the marriage of Mr. Matson to Miss Lydia Shields, daughter of Jack- son Shields, and the one child of this union was Estella, who died in 1897. Mrs. Matson died on the 24th of July, 1909, a zealous member of the Presbyterian Church. July 1, 1911, Mr. Mat- son was united in marriage to Miss Mary R. Shields, a sister of his first wife. She is a member of the Presbyterian Church.

JOHN W. HAVERFIELD has the distinction of being a substantial and prominent exponent of agricultural and live-stock industry in Stock Township, Harrison County. and is a scion of a family whose name has been prominent in con- nection with civic and industrial affairs in Har- rison County for more than a century. He was born in Cadiz Township. this county, on the 17th of October, 1871. and is of the fourth gen- eration in descent from Nathan Haverfield who, in the year 1800 settled in what is now Har- rison County, where he took up a tract of heav- ily timbered land and instituted the develop- ment of a frontier farm. Nathan Haverfield was born near the present city of Wheeling, West Virginia, and was a son of James and Nancy Haverfield. the former a native of Ire- land. In Pennsylvania Nathan Haverfield mar- ried Miss Harriet Barnett, and from that state they came to Ohio in 1800, the remainder of their lives having been passed on their pioneer farm, in what is now Harrison County. Mr. Haverfield died at the age of seventy-six and his widow at the age of eighty-six years. Their children were eleven in number. John N. Hav- erfield, son of Nathan, was born in Cadiz Town- ship. Harrison County, May 17, 1820, and who was reared under the conditions of the pioneer days. October 27. 1842, recorded his marriage to Emeline, daughter of John and Annie (Gor- such ) Lavely, and they became the parents of four children. of whom the eldest was Henry L., father of him whose name initiates this sketch. John N. Haverfield developed one of the fine farm properties of Stock Township. was for six years a director of the county in- firmary, was a director of the Farmers and Me- chanics National Bank of Cadiz and was one of the honored and influential men of his native county. He was a republican in politics and both he and his wife were most zealous mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he held official position for many years.

Henry I. Haverfield was born in Cadiz Town- ship on the 29th of July, 1843, and he was reared on the home farm. In August. 1862, shortly before the nineteenth anniversary of his birth. he enlisted for service in the Civil war. He became a member of Company F, Ninety-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he served three years. in the Army of the Cumberland and with which he took part in the Atlanta campaign and Sherman's historic march from Atlanta to the sea. He remained with his command until the close of the war and received his honorable discharge on the 10th of June, 1865, later years having found him

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actively affiliated with the Grand Army of the Republic. After the war Mr. Haverfield re- mained on the old home farm until 1885, and for a number of years thereafter and until his death was engaged in the hardware business at Cadiz. His death occurred on the 27th of Oc- tober, 1802. He was a man of sterling char- acter, commanded unqualified esteem in his na- tive county, was a staunch republican and was an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, as is also his widow, who maintains her home in the city of Cadiz.

Henry L. Haverfield was married to Miss Mary Elizabeth Barrett, who likewise was born and reared in Harrison County and who is a representative of another of the honored pio- neer families of the county. Mrs. Haverfield is a daughter of William H. and Eliza V. (Betz) Barrett, the former of whom was born in Cadiz Township, this county, June 10, 1812, and the latter was born in Jefferson County, Ohio, in 1817, their marriage having occurred in 1837. William H. Barrett was a son of Arthur and Mary (Huff) Barrett, and the former was a son of Arthur Barrett, Sr., who came to the present county of Harrison in 1803 from Vir- ginia, where he was born in 1743. Arthur Bar- rett, Sr., obtained nearly 1,000 acres of wild forest land in Cadiz Township, and became one of the earliest settlers of the county. Here be remained as a pioneer citizen until his death, in 1828. Arthur Barrett, Jr., was born in Vir- ginia, in 1780, and accompanied his father to Ohio, where he married Mary, daughter of Will- iam Huff, a pioneer and a famous Indian scout of Ohio. Arthur and Mary (Huff) Barrett be- came the parents of four children: Meredith. Lewis, William H. and Mary. Mrs. Barrett died in 1814, and later her husband married Eliza- beth Wolf, four children having been born of this union. Mr. Barrett died in 1845, and his widow passed away in 1887. both having been earnest members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, as was also his first wife.

William H. Barrett passed his entire life in Harrison County and was one of the most sub- stantial farmers and venerable citizens of Not- tingham Township at the time of his death. Both he and his wife were active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Henry L. and Mary E. (Barrett) Haverfield became the parents of six children: Brice is a manufacturer of store fixtures in the city of Chicago, Illinois, and resides at LaGrange, one of the beautiful suburbs of that metropolis. He married Miss Grace Huff, and they have three children, Helen Beatrice, Elythia May and Sarah Virginia. John William, the next in order of birth, is the immediate subject of this review. Earl, who is a resident of Los Angeles, Califor- nia, married Miss Emma Kearney, and their one child is a daughter, Dorothy. Eugene L .. a resident of Cadiz, Harrison County, married Miss Edna Blanche Bidwell, and they are the parents of three children, Melvin, Madeline and John Henry. Raymond B. died in infancy. Cora Ethel is the wife of George H. Miller, of Cleveland, Ohio.

John William Haverfield passed the period of his childhood and early youth in Cadiz

Township and in addition to receiving the ad- vantages of the district schools he attended also the public schools of Cadiz, for one year. He has given virtually his entire independent ca- reer to farm industry and is now operating a finely improved and productive farm of 223 acres, his valuable farm estate being one of the best equipped and most capably managed in Stock Township, and his energy and ability hav- ing gained him place among the representative agriculturists and stock-growers of his native county. In politics he is a republican, and he served six years as trustee of Stock Township, besides which he is at the present time a mem- ber of the township school board. He is af- filiated with the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows and the Knights of Pythias at Cadiz, and both he and his wife are members of the Bethel Chapel of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in the faith of which they were reared.

April 21, 1895, recorded the marriage of Mr. Haverfield to Miss May Chaney, who likewise was born and reared in Harrison County and who is a daughter of Nathan and Jane (Kirby) Chaney, the latter having been the eldest of the five children of John and Maria (McMillan) Kirby and her death having occurred December 27, 1916. Nathan Chaney, for many years a prosperous and highly esteemed citizen of Ca- diz Township, died on the 22d of December, 1918, his entire life having been passed in this county, where his parents, Nathaniel and Cath- erine (Steele) Chaney, were early settlers. Na- than and Jane (Kirby) Chaney became the par- ents of seven children : McMillan is a resident of Beloit, Ohio; Ida, who became the wife of Samuel McFadden, died in 1884; Jennie died in childhood; Albert resides at Jewett, Harrison County ; May is the wife of Mr. Haverfield, of this sketch; Leota is the wife of Edward O. Adams, of Canton, Stark County; and John resides at Toronto, Jefferson County. Mr. and Mrs. Haverfield have two children, H. Hayes and Ethel Leota.

SAMUEL M. DICKERSON. In view of American nomadic tendencies and the general spirit of unrest that marks the present day, it is spe- cially pleasing to find a sterling citizen of Har- rison County, Samuel M. Dickerson, residing on the fine old homestead farm which was the place of his birth and which is to him a haven of peace and prosperity as the shadows of his life begin to lengthen from the golden west. On this farm in Athens Township Mr. Dickerson was born April 13, 1844, a son of Joseph and Mary (Jones) Dickerson. The parents were both natives of Fayette County, Pennsylvania, where the father was born May 30, 1796, and the mother on the 7th of April, 1802, she hav- ing been a daughter of Thomas and Rebecca

(Smith) Jones. Thomas Jones was born in Wales in the year 1750, and was a child when he was left an orphan, in the state of Dela- ware, where he was reared to manhood and where was solemnized his marriage to Rebecca Smith. He served as a soldier in the War of the Revolution, and finally he removed with his family to Pennsylvania, where he passed the remainder of his long, worthy and useful life

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and where he died at the patriarchal age of 104 years, in 1854. He was an earnest member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Thomas and Rebecca (Smith) Jones became the parents of five sons and two daughters, and before his death he had become the grandsire of forty-six children, with numerous representatives also of two younger generations.

Joseph Dickerson's grandfather, Joshua Dick- erson, was born in Monmouth County, New Jer- sey, in 1728, and the maiden name of his wife was Susanna Whitten. About 1748 he accom- panied his parents on their removal to Mary- land, where the home was established not far distant from the present Harper's Ferry. There Joshua Dickerson married and there his first child, Thomas, grandfather of Samuel M. Dick- erson of this review, was born on the 19th of May, 1764. About the year 1771 Joshua Dicker- son removed with his family to Fayette County, Pennsylvania, where he and his wife continued to reside until their deaths. Their children were twelve in number: Thomas, William, Eli, John, Joshua, Jr., Levi, Sarah (Mrs. Samuel Dunlap), Mary (Mrs. John Dunlap), Susan (Mrs Josiah Allen), Ruth, Elizabeth and Rachel.

Thomas Dickerson was, as previously noted, born in the year 1764, and he was reared to manhood in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. The maiden name of his wife was Mary Currey and her birth having occurred January 16, 1766. In the year 1800 Thomas Dickerson set forth on foot and alone from Fayette County, Pennsyl- vania, to make his way to the frontier wilds of Ohio. On the night of the 8th of Novem- ber, while en route, he stopped at a lone cabin and requested accommodation for the night. The owner of the cabin stated : "We have but two rooms, but if you can put up as we do you are welcome." A little later in the evening another man appeared and asked for similar entertainment, with the result that the two so- journers found sleeping quarters in one of the two rooms of the pioneer cabin. The other guest was Joseph Huff, the pioneer Indian fighter and surveyor in Ohio, and when he learned that Mr. Dickerson was a mechanic he persuaded the latter to continue his journey by way of the Huff cabin in Athens Township, Harrison County, ere he continued onward to his destination, the White Plains of Ohio. The next day-November 9, 1800-the two men ar- rived at Mr. Huff's cabin, and Mr. Dickerson became so favorably impressed with this county that he abandoned the plan of continuing his journey. At the suggestion of Mr. Huff he set forth the following day to file entry at Steuben- ville on Government land in what is now Har- rison County. His financial resources were lim- ited, and Mr. Huff insisted on lending fifty dol- lars, for which he would accept no security. Mr. Huff took the money from his improvised "safe," which was an iron frying-pan buried beneath the dirt floor in one corner of the cabin. Mr. Dickerson entered a section of land in Har- rison County, which became Cadiz Township when the county was organized. Here he es- tablished his home, reclaimed a productive farm and here remained until his death. His wife joined him in the pioneer home and there they

reared their children, thirteen in number, namely : Eli, Levi, Joshua, Joseph, William, Ruth, Elizabeth, Rebecca, Sarah, Susan, Mary, Rachel and Nancy. No name has been more closely or honorably linked with the develop- ment and progress of Harrison County than that of the Dickerson family, in each successive gen- eration of which the sons and daughters have well upheld the honors of the name.

As a young man Joseph Dickerson engaged in independent farm enterprise in Athens Town- ship on what is now the home farm of Hiram and Elizabeth Dickerson. On the place, as a veritable landmark, is still standing the pio- neer log house in which Joseph Dickerson and his wife began housekeeping, the building hav- ing been erected by him and being retained as a relic of the past, though it is no longer oc- cupied. Joseph Dickerson was a man of energy and spirit, was successful in his farm enter- prise, and was the pioneer in the operating of a saw mill with steam power in Harrison County. He remained on his old home farm during his entire active career. In 1865 he retired from the farm to the village of New Athens, and there his death occurred on the 10th of May, 1877. His first wife died March 10, 1857, and later he married Mrs. Sarah A .. Mills, who survived him by several years. Jo- seph and Mary (Jones) Dickerson became the parents of twelve children, whose names and respective dates of birth are here recorded : Joshua, March 25, 1822; Rebecca, January 1, 1824; Mary Jane, October 23, 1825; Baruch, September 4, 1827; Hannah, September 4, 1828; Thomas, May 4, 1830; William, August 13, 1832; Joseph, September 11, 1834; Susanna, Febru- ary 12, 1837; John Allen, May 6, 1839; James W., July 6, 1841; and Samuel M., April 13, 1844. Samuel M., youngest of the number and the im- mediate subject of this sketch, is now the only survivor.

On the old home farm which was the place of his birth Samuel M. Dickerson has always resided, and it may well be understood that the place is endeared to him by gracious memories and associations, even as it has afforded an ad- mirable stage for his successful achievement as an agriculturist and stock-grower. His early education was acquired in the common schools and has been supplemented by the experiences of a long, busy and useful life. He has always taken deep interest in everything pertaining to the welfare and advancement of his native county, has had no desire for public office but is a staunch supporter of the principles of the republican party. Both he and his wife are zealous members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which the Dickerson family has been notable for liberal support from the earliest pio- neer days in Harrison County, where they were active in founding what became known as the Dickerson Church of this denomination in 1804. Samuel M. Dickerson's grandfather organized the first church meeting held in the county, said to be the oldest church organization in the state of Ohio.

On the 8th of March, 1870, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Dickerson to Miss Mary Ellen Holmes, daughter of Asa S. and Mary

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(McCoy) Holmes, of Athens Township. In con- clusion is given brief record concerning the chil- dren of Mr. and Mrs. Dickerson: Lucy, born September 30, 1871, is the wife of Dr. George R. Grose, the distinguished president of DePauw University at Greencastle. Indiana. Dr. and Mrs. Grose have five children: Mary Frances, Wilbur D., Helen, Virginia and William Edwin. Oliver H., only son of Mr. and Mrs. Dickerson, was born November 19, 1873, and is a civil en- gineer by profession. He resides in the city of Duluth, Minnesota. He married Miss Alice Os- burn, and they have three children, John O., Joseph H., and Samuel. Gertrude Dickerson. born January 23, 1878, is the wife of Rev. Frank- lin Kerr, a clergyman of the Presbyterian Church of Logan, Ohio, and they have two children, Marcus and Samuel W.

ROBERT F. RAMSEY is found numbered among the representative farmers of his native town- ship, and that he has secure place in popular confidence and esteem in Harrison County needs no further voucher than the fact that here he served four years as county recorder. As a young man he gave five years of effective service as a successful and popular teacher in the schools of Cadiz and Nottingham townships, and since that time, save for the period of his in- cumbency of county office, he has given his at- tention to vigorous and successful farm enter- prise in Nottingham Township, where he is the owner of a well improved and productive farm of 136 acres-a center of propressive agricul- tural and live-stock industry. He is a repub- lican in politics, has been active in the local councils and campaign work of the party, and his service as county recorder continued from September, 1910, to September, 1914, with an ad- ministration whose efficiency was attended with marked popular approval. Both he and his wife hold membership in the Christian Church at Cadiz.

Mr. Ramsey was born in Nottingham Town- ship, this county, on the 6th of October, 1861, and is a son of John C. and Sarah J. ( Hines) Ramsey, the former of whom was born in Wash- ington County, Pennsylvania, on the 24th of No- vember, 1823, and the latter of whom passed her entire life in Nottingham Township, Har- rison County, where her parents, Isaac and Sarah (Patterson) Hines, stood as representa- tives of honored pioneer families. John C. Ram- sey was a son of William and Mary (Ander- son) Ramsey, and was sixteen years of age at the time when the family home was established in Harrison County. Here he learned the trade of cooper, but the major part of his active ca- reer was given to constructive farm enterprise in Nottingham Township. His marriage to Miss Sarah J. Hines was solemnized March 16, 1847, and her death occurred in the year 1865. They became the parents of eight children, namely : Isaac IA (dead), Mary E. (dead), William B., John T. (dead), James P. (dead), Harvey C., Robert F., and Martha A. (dead). For his sec- ond wife John C. Ramsey wedded Miss Emily Ford, who was born in Harrison County in 1825, a representative of another of the honored pio- neer families of this county. and she passed to

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History of Carroll and Harrison Counties, Ohio, Part 51

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