History of Carroll and Harrison Counties, Ohio, Part 56

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 56
USA > Ohio > Carroll County > History of Carroll and Harrison Counties, Ohio > Part 56

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Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hudson Dickerson be- came the parents of ten children also, namely : Granville M., born March 9, 1855, died February 13, 1882 : Ella M., born November 4. 1856; Mary Bell. born October 2, 1858: Cleora, whose birth occurred November 26, 1860, and her death in March, 1919; Ira E., born April 14. 1863, died January 12, 1864; Everett B., born January 26, 1865: Gilbert, born November 24, 1866; Pres- ton H., the special subject of this brief sketch ; Lillian, born April 11, 1871, died June 29, 1901; and Alfred, born February 19, 1874. The par- ents were both trustworthy members of the Dickerson Methodist Episcopal Church, and reared their children in the same religious faith.

Acquiring his early education in the rural schools of his native township, Preston H. Dick-

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erson began when young to perform his share of the manual labor incidental to farm life. Becoming familiar with the theory and practice of agriculture, he has made farming his life occupation. In 1911 he bought his present farm of sixty-six acres in Short Creek Township, and in its management has met with excellent suc- cess, being numbered among the more prosper- ous farmers and stock raisers of his community.

On February 9, 1898, Mr. Dickerson was united in marriage with Iva Grace Singer, a daughter of Albert and Cynthia (Shields) Sin- ger. Active in public affairs, Mr. Dickerson served during four years as a trustee of Short Creek township, and for two years was presi- dent of the board. Both he and his wife are valued members of the Presbyterian Church at Adena.

JAMES E. WALLACE. Washington County, Pennsylvania, has contributed a good many families to the population of Harrison County, Ohio, and James E. Wallace, of Athens Town- ship, was born there February 7, 1891, a son of Beverage Wallace. His mother is Elizabeth (Richmond) Wallace. They were farmers in Pennsylvania until 1903, when they removed to Green Township, Harrison County. Ohio.

For five years Mr. Wallace farmed near Unionvale, when he sold the land and bought again in Cadiz Township, where he died Janu- ary 4, 1912. He had two sons: James E. and Archie Joseph Wallace. Mrs. Wallace later be- came the wife of William Patterson, one of the commissioners of Harrison County, who lives near Jewett.

The Wallace boys went to school in Pennsyl- vania and in Ohio. Until his marriage, May 15, 1913, to Anna Watson, James E. Wallace had farmed the homestead in Cadiz Township. Mrs. Wallace is a daughter of Adam and Mary (Cobbs) Watson. After his marriage Mr. Wal- lace lived on a farm in Green Township until November, 1918, when he moved to the farm in Athens Township where he lives today. The farm is owned by Adam Watson.

Mr. and Mrs. Wallace have two sons: Arthur and Russell. The family are members of Dick- erson Methodist Episcopal Church, a rural church near them. Adam Watson, father of Mrs. Wallace, was born March 24, 1850, and is a native of Harrison County. He is a son of John W. Watson. He married Mary Ann Cobbs, a daughter of Dr. Charles Cobbs. For many years Mr. and Mrs. Watson lived on the farm, but when Mr. and Mrs. Wallace came to it they retired to New Athens.

WILLIAM I. STARR, of Green Township, had not lived in Harrison County until 1917, when he came from Wayne Township. Jefferson County. He was born July 24, 1844, and had always lived in one community. His father, William Starr, was a native of Fayette County. Pennsylvania, and the mother, Matilda (Her- ford ) Starr was also born in Pennsylvania. William Starr was a pioneer in Jefferson County. He settled on a quarter section of tim- ber land and reclaimed it, and always lived

there. The farm is still owned by the Starr family. It so often happens that an old home- stead passes out of the family ownership when there is a division necessary. The following children were born to William and Matilda Starr: John F .. Eliza, Joseph, George, Mary Ann, Asenath, Matilda, Hannah, William I., and Louisa. The family are Baptists. They all had the common school advantages of the time, the district school of Jefferson County.

As a young man W. I. Starr worked for his father and later farmed the home place him- self. With the exception of two years he lived in Unionport he always lived at the old home- stead. In 1917 he removed to Harrison County, locating on the farm in Green Township. How- ever, he still owns the old homestead in Jeffer- son County.

In 1876 Mr. Starr married Sarah M. Cole. She is a daughter of John T. and Margaret Ann (Blackburn) Cole. Their oldest daughter, Lou- isa M., is the wife of Ira Stringer. Their other children are: Anna C .. John T., Roscoe, George and Mary. John and Roscoe own a farm of 148 acres together. The family lives on it. Mrs. Starr belongs to the Presbyterian Church in Hopedale.

ELZY MCFADDEN is a representative of the fourth generation of the McFadden family in Harrison County and owns and resides upon the fine old homestead farm in Cadiz Township that figures as the place of his nativity. Here he was born August 26, 1858, and on the same an- cestral farmstead was born his father, Alexan- der J. McFadden, the date of his birth having been September 9, 1818. and his early experi- ences having been those of the pioneer farm in the midst of a semi-wilderness. He attended school in the old log schoolhouse in the vicinity of his home, and his first teacher, John Welch, later became a judge of the Supreme Court of Ohio. Alexander McFadden was a son of Sam- uel and Mary (Milligan) McFadden, the former a native of County Cavan. Ireland, and the lat- ter of Adams County, Pennsylvania. Samuel McFadden was a son of Joseph McFadden and was eight years of age at the time of the fam- ily immigration from the Emerald Isle to Amer- ica, Joseph McFadden having first engaged in farming near Middletown, Pennsylvania, and eventually he came with his family to Harrison County, Ohio, and obtained land in the present township of Cadiz, where he reclaimed a farm from the forest and where he and his wife passed the residue of their lives.

Samuel McFadden secured eighty acres of land near Cassville, Harrison County, but with- in a short time purchased 160 acres in Cadiz Township-the farm now owned by his grand- son Elzy McFadden. of this review. He made this one of the productive farms of the county and here he remained until his death, on the eighty-fourth anniversary of his birth. He died in 1870, his wife having passed away at the age of sixty-seven years. Samuel McFadden erected on his farm one of the first brick houses in Ca- diz Township, and he was one of the substantial citizens and honored pioneers of the county at the time of his death. He and his wife were

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devout members of the United Presbyterian Church, in which he served as an elder for many years. Of their six children Jane be- came the wife of James Love, of Archer Town- ship; Elizabeth married John Mehollin and like- wise remained in Harrison County until her death ; Alexander J. was the father of the sub- Ject of this review; and Mary, George and Jo- seph died in earlier life than did the other three children.

Alexander J. McFadden continued to reside on the old homestead farm-the place of his birth-until the close of his long and useful life, and was a man who commanded unqualified popular esteem. June 29, 1846, recorded his marriage to Miss Elizabeth Barger, daughter of the late Valentine Barger, another of the ster- ling pioneers of Cadiz Township, and within a short time after their marriage they moved into the new house which he had built on the home farm and in which they passed the gracious evenings of their lives, though for a few years they resided in the village of Cadiz. Both were zealous members of the United Presbyterian Church. Mr. McFadden passed to the life eter- nal in 1905, his loved wife having preceded him in death. They became the parents of four chil- dren : Joseph, who died when young; Mary Jane, who has never married and resides in Cadiz; Martha A., who became the wife of J. Law McFadden and now resides at Cadiz, her husband being deceased; and Elzy, whose mame initiates this sketch. The father was "originally a whig and later a republican in poli- tics, his first presidential vote having been cast :for Gen. William Henry Harrison.

IBizy McFadden is indebted to the district schools of Cadiz Township for his early educa- tional training, and on the old home farm he early gained practical knowledge of the most approved methods of agriculture and stock- growing. It is a source of enduring satisfac- tion to him that he retains as his home the old farm, which is endeared to him by many gra- cious memoirs, and here he has made an admir- able record in his independent activities as an agriculturist and stockraiser. His landed estate now comprises 277 acres of the valuable land of Cadiz Township, and here he gave special attention for fully a quarter of a century to the breeding and raising of the finest type of Amer- ican merino sheep, his exhibition of sheep at the county fairs having gained many premiums. He has not been engaged in the raising of this pure- blood type of sheep during the past several years, the farm being given more specifically to diver- sified agriculture at the present time. Mr. Mc- Fadden is liberal and progressive as a citizen, is a republican in politics and he and his wife hold membership in the United Presbyterian Church at Cadiz.

On May 17, 1881, was solemnized the mar- riage of Mr. McFadden to Miss Elizabeth Jami- son, who was born and reared in Cadiz Town- ship, a daughter of William and Sarah Jamison. Mr. and Mrs. McFadden have two children, Rhetta, the wife of Alexander W. Kirkpatrick, of New Philadelphia, Tuscarawas County, and . they have two sons, Edwin Elliott and Dale

Sherwin; and Mabel Jeanette, the wife of Rob- ert E. McDowell, of Ashtabula. Ohio, now re- siding in Cleveland.

JOSEPH R. PATTON is one of the progressive representatives of farm industry in his native township and is a member of an old and hon- ored family of Harrison County. He was born in Rumley Township, this county, on the 23d of November, 1860, the place of his nativity hav- ing been the farm now owned by Sampson Shearer. He is a son of Robert T. and Eliza- beth (Markley) Patton, the former of who was born in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, and the latter in Rumley Township, Harrison County, Ohio, a daughter of Daniel and Katherine (Everhart) Markley. Mrs. Katherine Markley was a daughter of John Everhart, and the fam- ily name of her mother was Miller. Her ma- ternal grandfather enlisted at Woodstock, Vir- ginia, for service in the war of the Revolution. Rev. Peter Muhlenburg, while preaching from his pulpit one Sunday morning finally threw aside his clerical vestments and called for vol- unteers to serve in the revolutionary army, and Miller was one of those who responded to this vigorous call of patriotism, and he served in the command of General George Washington. Dan- iel Markley was a son of Mathias and Catherine (Arnold) Markley, who were born in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, where their marriage was solemnized and whence they came to Har- rison County, Ohio, in 1806. Mr. Markley be- came one of the earliest settlers in German Township, where he obtained 320 acres of Gov- ernment land and began reclaiming a farm from the forest wilds. He eventually removed to Holmes County, where his death occurred about the year 1845. His son Daniel was born at Glade, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, in 1796, and was about ten years old at the time of the family removal to Harrison County, Ohio, where he was reared to manhood on the frontier farm in German Township. In 1823 he took posses- sion of eighty acres of Government land in Rumley Township, and there he developed the productive farm which continued his place of residence until his death in 1842, as a result of injuries received while he was assisting in the raising of a barn on his farm. His wife sur- vived him by a number of years, both having been communicants of the Lutheran Church. They had seven children-David, John, Mary, Eva Anna, Mathias, Sarah and Elizabeth.

Joseph and Anna (Gallaway) Patton, paternal grandparents of the subject of this review, were born and reared in Pennsylvania, where their marriage was solemnized. About the year 1830, with team and wagon, Joseph Patton came with his wife and their five children from Fayette County, Pennsylvania, to Harrison County. Ohio, where he established a home on a farm in Rumley Township. There he continued as a substantial farmer during practically the re- mainder of his active career, but the last few years of his life were spent in German Town- ship. He and his wife held membership in the Presbyterian Church. Their children were six in number-John W., Robert T., Mary, Samuel G., Nancy and Ross Joseph. Joseph Patton was

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a son of John and Patsie (Woodrow) Patton, who were born in Ireland and who became pio- neer settlers in Fayette County, Pennsylvania.

Robert T. Patton was a lad of about ten years at the time when the family home was estab- lished in Harrison County, and he was reared and educated in Rumley Township, where he continued his alliance with farm enterprise un- til about the year 1892, when he removed to Jefferson County and engaged in the operation of a saw mill. He there remained until his death, which occurred in 1908, and his widow died December 26, 1920. Of the two children Joseph R., of this review is the elder. Robert J., a resident of Jefferson County, married Miss Lillie Wood, and they have three children- Clarence S., Jesse Earl and Harry.

The "Possum Hollow" School in district No. 4, Rumley Township, afforded Joseph R. Patton his early educational advantages, and in this township he continued his association with the work of the home farm until his marriage in 1886. Thereafter he here devoted five years to the operation of the farm of his father-in-law, and during the ensuing five years was engaged in lumbering enterprise in Jefferson and Carroll counties. In 1905 he returned to Rumley town- ship and located on the farm which has since continued the stage of his successful activities as an agriculturist and stock-grower and which comprises 142 acres. He is a loyal supporter of the cause of the republican party, and he and his wife are communicants of the Lutheran Church at Germano.

On the 28th of December, 1886, Mr. Patton wedded Miss Ellen N. Sawvel, daughter of Michael and Elizabeth Ann (Slates) Sawvel, of Rumley Township, and of this union have been born five children: Carl E. S., who now re- sides in the City of Canton, Stark County, mar- ried Miss Margaret Spence and they have one son, Walter S .; John L., who is associated with his father in the management of the home farm, married Mrs. Ethel Turner, and they have one child, Marie; Vera B. died at the age of sixteen years; and Nina and Frederick died in early childhood.

WILLIAM B. LAW, JE., has developed in the village of Bowerston, Harrison county, a sub- stantial insurance business, in connection with which he gives special attention to the handling of high-grade securities, as local representative of the well known Giger & Jones Company of Canton, Stark County. Aside from his personal standing as one of the representative citizens and business men of Bowerston, Mr. Law has the distinction of being a scion of an old and honored pioneer family whose name has been identified with the history of Harrison County for nearly a century. The genealogy traces back to John Law, who was born and reared in Ireland, of Scotch ancestry, and who became a physician, school teacher and civil engineer in his native land. In Ireland was solemnized the marriage of John Law to Miss Elizabeth Lynn, and they became the parents of two sons and seven daughters, the son Matthew, grand- father of him whose name initiates this review, having been about twenty years of age when he

accompanied his parents and the other children of the family to America. It was in the year 1826 that John Law arrived with his family in Harrison County, Ohio, where he took up 360 acres of Government land in Monroe Township, and instituted the development of a farm in the midst of the forest wilds. With the aid of his two sons he gradually extended the area of cul- tivated land about the pioneer log house, the while his high intellectuality and progressive ideas made him a leader in community affairs. This sterling pioneer was ninety-four years of age at the time of his death in June, 1862, and his widow passed away in the spring of 1864, in her eightieth year, the names of both meriting enduring place on the roll of the honored pio- neers of Harrison County.

Matthew Law was born in Ireland in 1806, and was a young man of vigor and high pur- pose when he came with his parents to the pio- neer home in Harrison County, where he did effective service in the clearing and developing of the frontier farm. He continued his active association with farm enterprise in Monroe Township until the close of his life. March 31, 1836, recorded his marriage to Miss Rebecca Birney, a member of one of the prominent pio- neer families of Green Township, this county, and they settled on the old homestead farm of his father. They became the parents of four children : John, father of the subject of this sketch ; William B., who became a representative farmer in North Township, as did also Robert B .; and Jane, who died in infancy. The loved wife and mother passed to the life eternal in October, 1868, at the age of forty-eight years, and Matthew Law passed the closing years of his life in the home of his son Robert B., where he died on the 9th of September, 1878, both he and his wife having been zealous members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Law was a man of influence in community affairs, and was called upon to serve in various local offices of public trust.

John Law was born on the ancestral home- stead farm in Monroe Township, and the date of his nativity was August 26, 1837. His early education was obtained in the pioneer schools, and with the passing years unqualified success attended his well ordered activities as a repre- sentative of agricultural and live-stock industry in his native township, where he still remains on his fine farm estate of more than eighty acres and where he is held in high honor as one of the venerable native sons of Harrison County. He is a democrat in politics, is affili- ated with Centennial Lodge No. 94, Knights of Pythias, of Bowerston, and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, as was also his devoted wife, who passed away on the 18th of November, 1902.

On the 26th of February, 1862, was solemn- ized the marriage of John Law to Miss Sarah Jane Trimble, who was born in Monroe Town- ship and who was a daughter of Robert and Sarah (Evens) Trimble, natives of Jefferson County, Ohio, where the respective families settled in the early pioneer days. Robert Trimble came to Harrison County about the year 1833, took up Government land in Monroe

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Township, and there developed the farm on which he and his wife passed the remainder of their lives. Mr. and Mrs. Law became the par- ents of four children: Robert Elmer, whose death occurred in 1913, is survived by his widow, whose maiden name was Laura McDev- itt; Forbes J. married Miss Sadie Palmer and they reside at Scio, Harrison County; William B. is the immediate subject of this review ; and Matthew, who is still a bachelor, remains with his venerable father on the old home farm.

William B. Law found the period of his childhood and early youth compassed by the influences of the home farm and after having availed himself of the advantages of the district schools of Monroe Township, where he was born on the 26th of November, 1866, he was for two years a student at Hagerstown Academy. Thereafter he continued his association with the work and management of his father's farm until August 1, 1893, when he established his residence at Bowerstown and purchased a well established general insurance business pre- viously conducted by S. S. Foutz. He has con- tinued this business during the intervening years, has greatly extended its scope and im- portance and is known as one of the representa- tive insurance underwriters in his native coun- ty, besides which, as previously noted, he gives attention to the handling of approved securities of the better grade. Mr. Law gives his support to the cause of the democratic party and is essentially a broad-gauged and progressive citi- zen. He served four years as treasurer of Monroe Township, two years as township clerk, and several terms as a member of the village council of Bowerston. He is an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Bowers- ton. and his wife is a communicant of the Lutheran Church, in the faith of which she was reared.

Christmas day of the year 1903 was marked by the marriage ceremony that united the life destinies of Mr. Law and Miss Maude A. Ar- baugh. Mrs. Law likewise was born and reared in Harrison County and is a daughter of Wil- liam and Emily Arbaugh. Mr. and Mrs. Law have one child, Helen J., who was born March 19, 1908.

SAMUEL G. SHOTWELL, whose death occurred at his home in Carrollton June 11, 1919, passed the major portion of his life in Carroll County, where he not only became the owner of a valu- able farm property but also followed the carpenter's trade as a contractor and builder for a term of years. His influence in the com- munity was that of a broad-minded, loyal and upright citizen. and he commanded the unquali- fied esteem and confidence of his fellow men.

Mr. Shotwell was born in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, August 23, 1848. and was a son of Jacob and Mary (Carlyle) Shotwell, who were early settlers in that county. whence they finally came to Carroll County. where they passed the re- mainder of their lives. The father was a stone- mason by trade. but the greater part of his career was marked with close association with farm enterprise. He was a republican in poli- tics and served a number of years as justice of

the peace in Carroll County. His death oc- curred in 1887, and his wife passed away in 1882.

Samuel G. Shotwell found the period of his childhood and early youth compassed by the influence and activities of the home farm, and after having profited duly by the advantages of the common schools he learned the trade of carpenter, in which he became a skilled artisan. He became the owner of a valuable farm in Union Township, Carroll County, and there he continued his successful activities as an agri- culturist and stock-grower until 1905, when he sold the property and removed to Carrollton. Here he erected a modern and specially attrac- tive residence on Lisbon Street, where he lived virtually retired until his death and where his widow still maintains her home. Mr. Shotwell took a lively interest in public affairs. espe- cially in his home community, was a republican in politics and served two terms as county commissioner. He was affiliated with the Masonic fraternity and was a zealous member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, as is also his wife.

On the 13th of December, 1887, was solemn- ized the marriage of Mr. Shotwell to Miss Angeline Hanlin, who was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania, a daughter of Grant and Sarah (Fink) Hanlin, both likewise natives of that county. The father was a miller by trade but devoted the greater part of his active life to farm industry. He died in 1913, at the patriarchal age of ninety years, and his widow passed to the life eternal in 1915, aged eighty- eight years, both having been earnest members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and his political allegiance having been given to the republican party. Mr. Hanlin was a son of Alexander Hanlin, who was a pioneer farmer of Washington County, Pennsylvania. where he remained until his death. Grant Hanlin was next to the youngest son in a family of nine sons and one daughter. Alexander Hanlin was born in Ireland, as was also his wife. whose maiden name was Elizabeth Scott, the family name of whose mother was Grant. Mr. and Mrs. Shotwell became the parents of five chil- dren, concerning whom brief record is given in conclusion of this memoir: Harry died in in- fancy. Frank H. continued his studies in the public schools until his graduation from the high school at Carrollton, and he is now em- ployed in the office of American Railway Ex- press at Massillon, Stark County. In 1917 he entered the nation's military service, and after being for a time at Camp Sherman, Ohio, he was assigned to duty at Fort Bliss. Texas. where he remained until the close of the World war. when he received his honorable discharge. Grant Scott Shotwell was graduated from the Carrollton High School, and when the nation became involved in the late World war he entered service at Camp Sherman, where he received his preliminary training. He later went to France, where he served as draftsman in the department of the head quartermaster of the American Expeditionary Forces, where he remained until after the signing of the his- toric armistice. He returned to his old posi-

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History of Carroll and Harrison Counties, Ohio, Part 56

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