USA > Ohio > Brown County > History of Clermont and Brown Counties, Ohio, from the earliest historical times down to the present, V. 2 > Part 51
USA > Ohio > Clermont County > History of Clermont and Brown Counties, Ohio, from the earliest historical times down to the present, V. 2 > Part 51
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After marriage Mr. Pence located near Sardinia, on the farm where his wife was born, which was the gift of her father. They remained on that place seven years, then purchased the present home of the family, which was known as the Colonel Loudon farm, where they now reside. They have built the barn and other outbuildings and in many other ways have im- proved the appearance and value of the farm. Mr. Pence died three years after locating there, leaving his wife with three small children and an encumbrance on the home. There were one hundred and eighty acres of land, which Mrs. Pence has divided among her children, and she has one hundred and twenty acres in the place where she resides. Mr. Pence was a Democrat in politics and he and Mrs. Pence were Methodist. He had made a good start in life, was industrious and energetic in farming, and was held in high respect by all who knew him.
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He left many warm friends to deplore the loss from their midst of this upright, estimable man.
Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Pence: Plymouth Worth, of Pleasant township, who married Miss Annabel Clark, of the same township, and they have a daughter, Martha Imogene ; Alice Delura is at home ; Daisy Annis taught school in Brown county two years, being well fitted for this profession, by inclination and training, but because of poor health and the fact that she is very fond of her home, she re- mains at home with her mother. Mrs. Pence is a remarkably bright woman, although modest and retiring in demeanor. She was left with a large debt, which she and her children paid off in a comparatively short time, and by her unaided efforts she reared them to useful manhood and womanhood, so that all are a credit to her. The daughters are doing very well as farmers and her son is mentioned at some length in a sketch under his own name, which appears in this work. The daugh- ters are Methodists. The home is one of refinement and culture.
LOUIS LYON.
Louis Lyon, a retired farmer residing in Georgetown, Brown county, has spent his entire life in Pleasant township, and is one of the substantial citizens of the community. He comes of an old family of that region and one that has always been identified with its best interests. He was born on his father's farm in that township, February 8, 1845, son of Robert and Rachael (Printy) Lyon. Robert Lyon was born in the same place, in 1803, and died in 1854. He was a son of William 'Lyon, who came to pleasant township in 1796. Robert Lyon became the owner of nine hundred and twenty-one acres of land in Brown county, part of it on what was known as "Free Soil." In 1841 he married Rachael Printy, daughter of Jesse Printy, who came to Lewis township in 1810, and died in 1882, thus being able to watch the progress and growth of the region from a dense wilderness to a beautiful, prosperous country. Jesse Printy's father, William Printy, was born in Ireland and served in the Revolution. Mrs. Lyon was born in Lewis township, Brown county, in 1819, and died in 1912. Mr. Lyon was a farmer and large land owner and he and his wife had six children, all born in Brown county: William, a
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retired farmer of Higginsport; Louis, of this sketch; Mary, wife of Col. Charles D. Thompson, of Georgetown; Dan, who died at the age of twenty-eight years, some thirty-three years ago; Ruth, the wife of U. G. Rese, of Georgetown ; and Anna, the fourth child, died in early childhood.
Mr. Louis Lyon attended the public schools of his native township, spent one year at Fulton, Ill., and a short time in school at Athens, Ohio. He then engaged in farming and after the death of his father took great interest in what he was able to do on the home farm. After marriage he settled on part of the home place, and about thirty-three years ago went to live with his widowed mother, remaining with her until her death. He managed the large place of three hundred and ten acres of choice land to excellent advantage. In November, 1912, he purchased the old Henry Loudon plate, on North Main street, Georgetown, a beautiful brick house, with all modern conveniences. Mr. Lyon taught school with success in early youth, in Brown county, and has always kept himself well informed on general topics and issues. He showed energy and foresight in conducting his farm and made a spe- cialty of raising tobacco. He is Democratic in politics and took great interest in township affairs. He and his wife be- longed to the Christian church at Higginsport. He is a man of quiet habits and simple tastes, and he and his wife have a large circle of friends.
On January 28, 1868, Mr. Lyon was united in marriage with Miss Rachael Amanda Daugherty, who was born in Union township, Brown county, March 12, 1847, daughter of Rev. J. P. Daugherty and his wife, Jane (Barnes) Daugherty. Rev. Daugherty was born in Brown county in 1819, and died in 1903, and his wife was born in Tennessee in 1810 and died in 1889. He was a minister in the Christian church in Brown county and remained in active ministry until his death, being a man who did much for the upbuilding of the community, He was highly regarded and did a noble work among his fellows. He and his wife had six children: Martha, wife of Carey Mitchell, deceased; Sarah, widow of John Pangburn, of Rip- ley ; Lucinda, deceased, who was the wife of Dr. D. S. Guthrie, of Mt. Orab; Amanda, Mrs. 'Lyon; Emma L., deceased, who was the wife of A. P. Cahall, of Georgetown; Ella, wife of Lewis Miranda, of Hamersville, Ohio. Mrs. Daugherty, by a former marriage with William Denniston, had two children- William Maxwell and Mary Ann. William Maxwell Dennis-
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ton married Elvina Savage, and both are now dead. Mary Ann Denniston married Josiah Richey, now deceased, and she lives on Pisgah Ridge, near Ripley. Mrs. Louis Lyon has been a temperance worker for many years, and was one of the Ohio crusaders.
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Mr. and Mrs. Louis Lyon have had two children, born in Pleasant township: Ira J., born November 30, 1868, died De- cember 10, 1868; Jesse Daugherty Lyon, born April 10, 1870. Jesse D. was married, February 5, 1896, to Miss Mary Hervey Moore, and he is a mechanical engineer and he and his wife are now living in Cincinnati, on Walnut Hills. They have a daughter, Dorothy, born December 16, 1897.
A brother of Mrs. Lyon, William Maxwell Denniston, served in the Civil war, as a member of the Eighty-ninth Ohio volun- teer infantry, and served in all over four years, being dis- charged after the war was over and having spent seventeen months in Andersonville and Libby prisons. William Lyon, grandfather of the subject of this sketch, a native of Ireland, was with Gen. Masse when the latter made several important surveys, and in 1802 came with him to Brown county, so he was in this region before a county was organized, and was one of the oldest settlers here. He bought one of the surveys from General Massie and his grandson has in his possession the deed made out to him by General Massie. Mr. Lyon prizes this document very highly, as well he may.
PLYMOUTH WORTH PENCE.
Plymouth Worth Pence, an enterprising and successful farmer and stockraiser of Brown county, belongs to an old family if this region. He was born in Washington township, Brown county, November 24, 1869, son of Michael and Martha (Nevin) Pence, who are mentioned at considerable length in connection with the sketch of Michael Pence, also appearing in this work. Michael Pence was born in Adams county. Ohio, in 1844, and died on his farm in Pleasant township, in 1879. Mrs. Pence was born near Sardinia, Brown county, in 1837, and now resides on the home farm in Pleasant township. which her two daughters operate for her. Mr. Pence served three years in Company E, Ninety-first Ohio volunteer in- fantry, and took part in several important battles, seeing much
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active service. He lived in Pleasant township some four or five years before his death and made many friends there. He was highly respected for his worth and upright dealings and was a man of industry and good habits. He and his wife had three children : Plymouth W .; Alice Delura, at home; Daisy Annis, formerly a teacher in Brown county. The two daugh- ters manage the home place for the mother. The parents were both members of the Methodist church, to which the children also belong. Two brothers of the father, Peter and John Pence, served in the Civil war, the former in Com- pany H, One Hundred Seventy-fifth Ohio volunteer infantry.
Mr. Pence remained at home, receiving his education in the local schools, until his marriage, in October, 1901, to Miss Anabel Clark, who was born in Adams county, Ohio, April 3, 1875, daughter of Abner R. and Eliza (Fulton) Clark. Mr. Clark was born in Adams county, in 1844, and the mother was born there in 1844, and they now reside in Pleasant town- ship. He is a farmer and he and his wife had six children, four born in Adams county and the two youngest in Brown county, namely: John, of Franklin township; Cora, wife of Albert Boehn, of Pleasant township; Mrs. Pence; Lou, wife of Al- fred Henize, of Jefferson township; Helen, deceased wife of Charles Sickles, of Columbus, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Cark be- longed to the New Light church.
After marriage, Mr. and Mrs. P. W. Pence located on. their present farm of sixty acres. He is a self-made young man, having begun as a very young boy to help his mother in her operations. In this way he gained a steady self-reliance early in life and has kept up his early habits of industry and energy. He is a progressive farmer and follows modern methods in his work. His farm is a model of good care and he and his wife are held in high esteem by all. They are broad and liberal in their views and take great interest in public affairs. They have one daughter, Martha Imogene, born May 9, 1907, a prom- ising little girl, who now attends school. Mr. Pence is a Democrat in politics and has served as township assessor and supervisor of roads. He belongs to the Knights of Pythias and Masonic fraternities, and he and his wife both are Meth- odists, he having served as trustee of the church. St. Clair Fulton, an uncle of Mrs. Anabel Pence, served in the Civil war and came from an .old Virginia family. Both Mr. and Mrs. Pence belong to old families of Brown county and they have a large number of friends.
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ABRAHAM PENNINGTON CAHALL.
Abraham Pennington Cahall belongs to one of Brown county's old families and is one of the most successful farmers of Pleasant township. He was born on the farm adjoining his present home, March 26, 1845, son of Thomas and Rachel Elizabeth (Kilpatrick) Cahall. Thomas Cahall was born in Union township, Brown county, September 22, 1819, and died July 22, 1875, and his wife was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, in 1822, and died in April, 1886, both being buried in Union cemetery, Mt. Pisgah. They had twelve chil- dren, all born in Brown county, six sons and six daughters, and of those now living Abraham P. (the third in order of birth) is the eldest, the others being: Augustus, of Pleasant town- ship; Ella, wife of Charles Henry, of Georgetown; Perry, Jr., of Georgetown; Flora, wife of David Carrigan, of Aberdeen, Brown county; Edna, wife of William Kinnett, of George- town.
James Cahall, great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, served in the Revolution. He died from frozen feet at the age of one hundred and one years, she from being scalded at the age of ninety-nine years; and the grandfather, Thomas Cahall, Sr., served in the war of 1812. The Cahalls were among the earliest families to settle in Brown county, coming before 1812. The grandfather came from Londonderry, Ireland, and came from a family of weavers. The name was then spelled Cahill, but has been perverted to its present spelling. They have always been a money-making family, and wherever they have located have been able to accumulate property.
Mr. Cahall, of this sketch, was educated in Brown county, Meadville, Pa., and Merom, Ind., and before he attended col- lege taught school in Brown county, where he taught one year after leaving college. On August 3, 1869, he married Miss Emma L. Daugherty, who was born in Union township, March I, 1849, daughter of Rev. J. P. and Jane (Barnes) Daughterty. Her father was born in Union township, May 5, 1819, and died in 1904, and her mother was born in Brown county, in 1812, and died in 1889. Mr. Daugherty was a minister of the New Light church and preached in Brown county over fifty years, from the time he was twenty-five or thirty years of age. He and his wife had six children, four of whom are now living: Sarah, widow of John H. Pangburn, of Union township; Amanda, wife of Louis Lyon, of Georgetown; Mrs. Cahall; Ellie, wife of Lewis Meranda, of Clark township.
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After marriage, August 3, 1869, Mr. Cahall and wife located on a farm owned by his father, adjoining his present home, and he has never voted outside of Pleasant township, where all but one year of his life has been spent. He purchased his present farm in 1880, becoming possessed of one hundred and thirty-three acres of land, to which he has added, until he has two hundred and ninety acres of good farm land. In 1889, he erected the pretty home still occupied by the family, and he has also erected all of the present farm buildings. He has been very successful as an agriculturist and devotes considerable at- tention to stock raising. He is a Democrat in politics, has served as township assessor twice; and is always ready to support any worthy cause for the advancement of the general welfare and progress. Fraternally, he is a Mason and he be- longs to the Farmers' Alliance. He and his wife belonged to Higginsport Christian church. The family have a high stand- ing and have a large number of friends.
Six children have blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Cahall, all born in Pleasant township, namely: Zua is at home with her father ; Mattie L., wife of William E. DeVore, of Pleasant township, has one child, Louise; Lois married Albert Trout and both died within eight hours of diphtheria, twenty-two months after their marriage; Callie Gertrude died at the age of eleven months, in 1873; Ida L. is the wife of Hugh Tweed, of Union township, and they have two children, Amber and Es- ther ; Homer E. married Miss Alberta Singer, daughter of Rev. C. L. Singer, and they have three children, Leavitt Pennington, Alice Rosalin, and the baby, and live in Plain City ; Homer E., a graduate of the Georgetown High School, has taught school since he was seventeen years of age, a period of seventeen years, and is superintendent of the schools at Plain City. For the past five years he has been superintendent of the Felicity schools, Clermont county, Ohio.
Mr. Cahall is well informed on general topics and issues and is a pleasant and genial man to meet. He has a witty turn of mind and is very popular. He is proud of what his children have done and the promise they give for the future and all are a credit to their parents. Mr. Cahall died January 29, 1913, after a long illness. Both she and Mr. Cahall are descended from good old stock. Mrs. Cahall was a devout member of the church and died in the triumphs of the Christian's faith. She was a loving wife and mother, and devoted to her husband
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and children. Although a long-time sufferer, she bore her sufferings patiently to the end of life. The finest of eulogies, that "she was a good woman," was given to her by those who knew her.
GUSTAVUS KAUTZ (Deceased).
In the death of Gustavus Kautz, Brown county lost a valua- ble and enterprising citizen and the community an honored and highly respected member. He was a very industrious and ambitious worker, as a carpenter and farmer, and was ready to take his part in any public movement which he believed would benefit his township or county. He was born at Arnheim, Brown county, August 2, 1839, and died at his home in Pleasant township, August 3, 1898, at the age of fifty-nine years and one day. He was a son of Sebastian and Wilhelmina Kautz, both natives of Germany, who came to America in early youth. The father came as a young man with his sister and his mother and was married in Brown county. They had four children. the only survivor being Christopher, of Arnheim, Brown county.
Mr. Kautz was educated in Franklin township, Brown county, and remained at home on the farm until he enlisted and served three years in Company G, Fifty-ninth Ohio vol- unteer infantry, during the Civil war. After his return from the front he married Miss Sarah Brady, who was born near Arnheim, in 1839, daughter of Benjamin and Abigail (Shaw) Brady, natives of Brown county and farmers, and both now deceased. They had ten children, all born in Jackson town- ship, and eight of whom now survive: William A. died at the age of seventy-two years, some eight or nine years ago; Mary Jane married Thomas Shaw and they live in Des Moines, Iowa ; Thomas L .; Homer is deceased; Mrs. Kautz; Nancy Ellen, of Eagle townshp; ---; Thursy Elizabeth, wife of Henry Perrine, of Jefferson township; Arminda, wife of George Da- vison, of Sardinia; Joseph K., of Mason City, Ky .; Benjamin D., of Lexington, Ky .; George I., of New Richmond, Cler- mont county, Ohio.
For five years after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Kautz lived on his father's farm. Then they came to the place where she now resides. They have fifty acres of excellent farm land and he erected a very pleasant house, as well as substantial
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tarm buildings. He engaged in general farming and also found stock raising profitable. He followed his trade of carpenter in times when he did not have much to do on his farm. He was entirely self-made and had a good helper in his good wife. He was a Republican in politics and belonged to the German Reformed church, whose building is now used by the Presby- terian denomination, and Mrs. Kautz belongs to the New Light church. Both were kind neighbors and true friends to those who were admitted to their friendship, and tried to do their duty in all relations of life. Mrs. Kautz's brother, Thomas L., served in the Civil war. The grandmother of Congressman Matthew, of Denver, was a sister of Grandfather Kautz, and both came to America from Germany.
Five sons and one daughter blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Kautz, namely: Ulysses S., and Homer Franklin, at home, run the home place for their mother ; Emma Jane is also at home; Lewis Ed, living near Russellville, married Miss Sarah Drake, and they had six children, Lola M., Mamie, Sadie, Dwight, George Gibson, and one deceased; Benjamin Ells- berry, of Pleasant township, married Flora Mills and they have two sons, Loren Gustavus and James Richard; L. V. married Lizzie Frost and they live at Feesburg, Byrd township. The two elder sons are active in local affairs and are Republicans in politics. Homer F. is a member of the Masonic order. The father fell and was severely injured, dying ten weeks later. Mrs. Kautz finds her children a great comfort and all have done credit to their parents. The family is held in high regard in the community.
August, Albert and Capt. Fred Kautz, brothers of each others and cousins to Gustavus Kautz, served in the Civil war from Ohio, the latter in the Fifty-ninth Ohio infantry. Two others of the family served in the navy.
WILLIAM L. JOHNSON.
William L. Johnson is one of the two oldest settlers of Brown county now surviving, the other being Amos McKin- ley, a sketch of whom also appears within these pages, and few men in the county are better known than he. He was born on the outskirts of Cleveland. on Euclid avenue, now a part of the city proper. December 1, 1838, and is a son of .
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William and Sarah (Lambert) Johnson, both of whom were born in Scotland (or Ireland), about 1782, and both died about 1872. They came to America in youth and settled in Adams county, Ohio. The father had worked at his trade of tailor in his native country until he had to find other occupa- tion on account of failing health. He was very fond of travel and crossed the ocean thirteen times in a sailing vessel. He knew the principal ports of most of the earth and could re- count many interesting reminiscences of his travels and the places he had visited. At one time he joined an Arctic ex- ploring party, which was frozen in for thirteen months. He settled down after marriage, however, and became an influ- ential and respected citizen of Brown county. He became a man of very simple diet and habits and lived to the age of ninety years, held in affection by all. He and his wife had several children, and at their death the mother and father of these children were taken back to Ripley, where they had lived before making their home in Russellville. Their sons were: William L., of this sketch; Andrew is a hotel keeper of Cin- cinnati; George, a retired carriage painter, lives in Ripley ; James, also retired from active life, was a blacksmith and carriage maker.
Mr. William L. Johnson attended school in Highland and Brown counties, and worked at farm work for three years, after which he began learning the trade of carriage painter in Rip- ley, and later in Cincinnati, spending two years in the former town and three years in the latter. He worked as a journey- man for a time and then, with his two brothers, started a car- riage factory. This arrangement continued for many years. About 1862 Mr. Johnson enlisted in Company E, Tenth Ken- tucky cavalry, and continued about one year with the com- pany. He was in active service much of the time and, although he took part in no very important engagements, he saw some hard work, especially in scouting where the infantry and cavalry could not go in force. He won a very good record.
On October 5, 1864, Mr. Johnson was united in marriage with Miss Cindora Shaw, who was born July 11, 1845, in Rus- sellville, Ohio, daughter of Merritt and Levinna (Brockway) Shaw, and granddaughter of George Brockway. Mr. Brock- way was a very old settler of Brown county, coming there in 1802, and he settled in a different part of Russellville than the Shaws, although all had to clear land for their farms and homes. He was a farmer all his life, a hardy pioneer, and had
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a large family of children. Merritt Shaw was born in Russell- ville in 1810, and died July 17, 1886, and his wife was born in 1812 and died February 3, 1885. His father, Russell Shaw, was born in Rensselaer county, New York, April 19, 1781, and died July 21, 1864, at the age of eighty-three years. He mar- ried Miss Rosanna Reynolds, a native of the same county as himself, born November 22, 1781, on February 16, 1800, and after their marriage they decided to settle on the frontier, reaching Brown county June 15, 1802. Mrs. Shaw died April 30, 1864, aged eighty-two years. Russell Shaw was a large landholder, purchasing large contracts from the government in the vicinity of Russellville, and letting the sun first shine on it. He became successful as a farmer and also for many years run a flat boat, carrying various provisions and com- modities for the Southern market. He became a man of wealth for his time, and his sons cared for his farms. He laid out the town of Russellville, the name being first spelled with a single "1" in the middle of the word (Russelville), but it has now come to its present spelling. He gave ground for the public square and for the cemetery where his dust now re- poses. He was one of the charter members of the first Ma- sonic lodge in the county and was popular with everyone. He became successful as a merchant and his son conducted that business many years. He and his wife had thirteen children, all now deceased.
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For a number of years Merritt Shaw drove an omnibus be- tween Ripley and Russellville. There were ten children in the family, all born in Russellville, and all now deceased except Mrs. Johnson. Five of these children grew to maturity. Mr. Johnson had two brothers in the infantry and artillery, re- spectively, during the Civil war, and two half-brothers, John and Joseph Reed, also served during that war. Two brothers of Mrs. Johnson, Wesley and Elmer Shaw, also served, the latter in the Thirty-fourth Ohio infantry.
After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Johnson lived in Russellville, where he was engaged in business. He was entirely self-made and earned his start in life by industry and thrift. He and his wife worked hard in their more youthful days, but now they are able to take life easy. Mr. Johnson was an expert car- riage painter and built up a lucrative business, from which he was retired several years ago. He is a Republican in poli- tics, and served six years as school director, and six years as a member of the city council. For a number of years he was
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