USA > Ohio > Delaware County > History of Delaware County and Ohio : containing a brief history of the state of Ohio biographical sketches etc. V. 2 > Part 63
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LOUIS BUSH, farmer ; P. O. Delaware; born on the same farm he now owns, May 10, 1836; the eighth child of David and Elizabeth ( Wilson) Bush ; David was a native of New York State at the age of 12 years ; at a very early period of this country's history, first located in Marion County ; the Wilsons are natives of New Hampshire ; she emigrated with her parents at the age of 16, and settled in this county. After the marriage of David Bush, he settled in Troy on the west side of the Olentangy where he bought quite a large quantity of land about the year 1832 and settled oo the same, remaining on the same until his death, 1867 ; his wife survived him until 1877. Louis enlisted in Co. D, 20th O. V. I., in October, 1861, for three years and served his time ; his first battle
was Fort Donelson, afterward Atlanta, Bolivar, Kenesaw, Jackson, Raymond. Inka, Champion Hills, Jonesboro, Port Gibson, Vicksburg and Shiloh. At Vicksburg, he was wounded in the shoulder with musket ball ; after serving his time. he received an honorable discharge and returned home; in December, 1866, he was married to Mary E. High, born Sept. 14, 1443, in this town- ship; daughter of John and Elizabeth High ; after their marriage they located on the place they now own and have since remained on ; he has 335 acres of land, which he owns, is engaged in farm- ing and stock-raising ; they have the following chil- dren : Lulu, May, Orris. Bessie, Burton and Edna.
JOHN COONFARE, farmer, Sec. 25 ; P. O. Radnor; is a son of Peter and Eve ( Fester) Coon- fare ; his parents were born in Schuylkill Co., Penn .. and emigrated to Ohio about 1817, and settled in Fairfield Co., and came to Delaware Co. in 1831. His father was a farmer, and one of the noted hunt- ers of the early pioneers. His parents had nine children by their marriage-Peter, John, Catha rine, Elizabeth, Magdalena, Lydia, Sarah A .; two dead-Mary and Rebecca. Mr. Coonfare was born May 5, 1824, in Fairfield Co., Penn .; his younger days were engaged in farming and attend- ing school. He has cut the timber and split rails for 37 cents per hundred, and worked by the day at 25 cents. Was married in 1840, to Sarah Darst, by whom he has nine children- Stephen (married Hettie Worline), Ephraim ( mar- ried Lizzie Robertson), Nettie, Eliza H., Nora, Carrie, Donia, Frank and Harry. He settled ou his present farm of 100 acres in 1849, and in 1850, he went to California, where he mined for eighteen months, and, not meeting with excellent success, he returned to his old native home, in 1852, where he has since remained, and now pos- sesses 240 acres of fine arable land, the fruit of his own labors. He has always been identified with the Democratic party. Hepaid off his share of the township draft. He takes great interest in the educational department of the district in which he resides. He never loses an opportunity to assist his children in the improvement of their minds, believing that a mind well filled with use-
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ful knowledge is worth more than the finest rubies. We could mention many pioneer hardships connected with the history of Uncle Johnny's pilgrimage here, but we will hear of them through the township his- tory, and will then count him one of those, who gained their education within the walls of the old log cabins.
HUGH CARTER, farmer; P. O. Delaware ; is a son of Philip and Jane (Carr) Carter. His parents were born in Ireland, and emigrated to Pennsylvania when his father was 11 years old and mother 9. They moved to Guernsey Co., about 1817 ; his father died in Ross Co., and mother in Guernsey Co. They had ten children -- William, Hugh, Martha, Andrew, Jane, James, Thomas, Philip. Two died when children. Mr. Carter was born in 1812, in Washington Co., Penn .; when 16 years old, he began driving a stage line, from St. Clairsville to Wheeling, Va., continuing the same eleven years. He was married to Nancy, a daughter of Hamon and Ann Cash ; she was born in about 1809, in Harrison Co., Ohio ; by her he bas eleven children-William, John, Keziah, Martha, Ellen, Helen, Alice, James ; three de- ceased. In 1843, they came to Delaware Co., and bought 100 acres, a part of the present farm of Sam- uel Cunningham ; he bought seventy five acres of the Wolfe heirs, and afterward he and his sons bought 500 acres in Marlborough Township, which he has sold to his sons, and now owns 175 acres, well improved, all of which has been attained by his own labors. He now makes a specialty in buying and selling horses, for which he pays regular mar- ket prices. When Mr. Carter settled on his pres- ent farm, it was then a thick woods ; he started in a log cabin, and cleared about two hundred acres. His father was in the war of 1812. Mr. Carter has hauled wheat from here to Sandusky City, a distance of seventy-seven miles, to get money to pay his tax ; has worked by the month at $4. He votes the Republican ticket.
WILLIAM DOWNING; retired farmer Sec. 16 P. O. Radnor. Perhaps no one is better known to the people of Troy Township than the gentleman whose name heads this article: everywhere we can hear him spoken of as jolly old Uncle Billy, and it is justice to say that his mind is a history of itself, we hear him speak of chasing the fleeting deer, of the early pioneers, of the times when he would climb the bushes in fear while his brother would slay the deer with his knife, of the jolly times attending the pioneer schools, which are fully noticed in the township history. He was born
April 13, 1818, in Troy Township, where he has always remained; at the age of 14, he cut his ankle, which crippled him for two years; at 17, he began farming in partnership with his brother John. He was married, in 1840, to Catharine, a daughter of Peter and Elizabeth Coonfare; her parents were from Pennsylvania; she was born in 1815, in Pennsylvania, and emigrated to Ohio in 1816, settling in Delaware Co., in 1832 or 1833. They settled on the present farm of 663 acres, which they have attained by their own labors. He started life with nothing but one fatted pig ; perseverance has brought him to prosperity in his old age, which he enjoys like a boy. He has worked at carpentering for thirty years, commen- cing in 1842; he also followed shoemaking to some extent for twelve years. The Creator has given him seven children-Eli, Oliver C., Gabriel, Sarah C., Rufus W., Louisa I., Adaline. Mr. Downing has served as both School Director and Supervisor for twenty-one years, and has also been Constable. He paid out considerable money for the Union cause; his son Eli enlisted from Van Wert Co. Our hero once belonged to the Sons of Temperance; he has taken great interest. in reading; has a compilation of almanacs from 1807-1814-quite a novelty, considering their date. . ITis wife's father was in the war of 1812.
JOHN DOWNING ; farmer, Sec. 17; P.O. Del- aware; is a brother of Samuel Downing, whose sketch appears elsewhere ; was born Sept. 10, 1822, in this county, on the farm where he now lives ; was mar- ried, Aug. 1, 1847, to Margaret, a daughter of Jesse and Mary Foust, who are mentioned very prominently in Oxford Towoship; her mother was married to Mr. Lowther, prior to her marriage with Mr. Foust; by the first she had two children - Samuel and William, and by the last union she had four-Christina, Margaret, Jacob and Emily ; she was born Dec. 28, 1828. They have no children of their own, but have raised three-two of his sister's children and one for Mr. Morris. They have 148 acres, valued at $60 per acre, at- tained by buying out the heirs ; he has been Trustee for several terms and held other small offices. They are members of the Presbyterian Church at Radnor; he always voted the Democratic ticket- cast his first vote for James K. Polk; he paid his share of the township draft. Lowther, spoken of in this sketch, was a trumpeter in the cavalry in the war of 1812, under Col. Crawford.
SAMUEL DOWNING, farmer, Sec. 17; P. O. Delaware; is a son of Samuel Downing, born Aug. 23,
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1785, and Elizabeth (Giffin ) Downing, born in July, 1784, the former in Lancaster Co., Penn., and the latter in Ohio; they were married in Belmont Co., and moved to Virginia, and from there they emi- grated to Delaware Co., Ohio, in 1816, and lived one summer in Radnor Township, and in 1817 they finally settled in Troy, where the father died in 1823, and the mother in 1846, having blessed the world with nine children -Samuel, Mary, David, Elizabeth, Jane, Ann, William, Nancy and John. Our subject was born Sept. 17, 1805, in Ohio Co., Va., in which county the five first children were born. His younger days were de- voted to attending school-his first place of that resort, in this county, was in an old log house in Radnor Township; the second was in a similar one, now the present site of Judge Norris's or- chard. He was married, Oct. 11, 1832, to Marga- ret, a daughter of Henry and Elizabeth Willey ; she was born April 14, 1814, in Washington Co., Penn., and emigrated to Ohio early with her parents; they had eight children-Maria, Henry, David, James, Elizabeth, Harriet, Mar- garet J. and Esther A .; they settled the pres- ent farin in 1832, buying 84 acres of the Govern- ment, getting the patent from President Jackson. He has, by strict economy, been able to purchase some land for his children ; Mr. Downing was once Captain of militia. for many years after the close of the war of 1812; he has been Township Trustee and Justice of the Peace; has always voted the Democratic ticket-casting his first vote for Jackson. A part of the family belong to the Presbyterian Church. His grandfather, Robert Giffin, came over from Scotland before the Rev- olutionary war, and helped to build a block-house where Wheeling, Va., now stands.
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of Ashford Barnes, paying $70 per acre; it is well improved and finely adapted to stock-raising. Mr. Downing was drafted and hired a substitute ; he takes great interest in educating his children, and in all township and county enterprises.
DAVID DIX, farmer, Sec. 4; P. O. Delaware; is a son of David and Mary (Main) Dix. His father was born in Vermont in 1771, and moved to Wayne Co., Penn., when 10 years old : in 1807, he came on horseback to Delaware Co. and bought some land, and in the same year returned to his old home, and in the following year married Mary Main, and moved by team to this county ; he farmed the first summer in Liberty Township, and then in the fall began erecting a log cabin on the land he bought in Troy Township in 1807; this was the first house built in this township. A man by the name of Cole had been living in the town- ship in his wagon, for a short time, when Mr. Dix's father settled in his cozy little cot; his father died on this farm in 1834, after having made many improvements and experiments, of which we mention boring for salt a distance of 365 feet, but failed to meet his object. A man by the name of Jackson now enjoys a beautiful spring, the effect of this boring. His father was once Cap- tain of a militia company, Major, and Justice of the Peace for eight years. Mr. Dix was one of eight children-Matilda, Drusilla, David, Polly, Peres M., Elijah, Stantou, Stephen; was born Dec. 1, 1814, in Delaware Co., on the farm he now owns, the pioneer home of his father; he was married Jan. 19, 1837, to Margaret A., a daughter of John and Catharine ( Wise) Pool; her parents were born in Pennsylvania, and emigrated to Belmont Co., Ohio, among the pioneers, where they reared seven children to call them blessed-Philip, George, Mary, Nancy, Jane, Louisa and Margaret A. : the latter was born April 21, 1820. Her union with Mr. Dix blessed them with twelve children -Mary A., married Albertus MeNeil, now of Carson City, Nev .; Alfred J., married Jane Sher- man, living in Chillicothe, Mo .; George N., mar- ried Esther Wallace, living in Cumberland Co .. Ill .; Sarah J., married Moses W. Pettey (she is now dead, leaving one child-Maggie E.); Amer-
JAMES DOWNING, farmer, Sec. 18; P. O. Norton ; is a son of Samuel and Margaret Dow- ning, whose sketch appears in this work ; he was born Nov. 3, 183S, in this township. He re- mained at home with his parents until Oct. 24, 1867, when he was married to Mary E., a daughter of John and Madaleen ( Haggerty) Long. Her parents were born in Washington Co., Penn., and came to Ohio in 1864, and settled in Morrow Co .; they have five children-Mary E., William C., ica, married Elisha Bishop; Clark A., married Emma, James, John; Mrs. Downing was born July 12, 1845, in Pennsylvania. The fruit of this union was four children-Jennie, born Aug. 17, 1868; John H., July 19, 1870; Mary M., March 18, 1874; Emima A., Nov. 19, 1876. In 1876, they bought the present farm of 169 acres
Amanda Bishop; Louisa, married Reuben Watt- ring ; Charles D. F., married Sarah Price ; Peres. married Mary A. Wallace; Clarence, at home : two infants died unnamed. Mr. Dix has 156 acres of well-improved land, 140 of which was given him by his father. He has served a full
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share of township offices-as Township Clerk fif- teen years, Justice of the Peace two terms, Trustee one year, and other minor positions ; he paid about $600 for the war ; has always voted the Democratic ticket. His wife is a member of the M. E. Church, to which he once belonged. His two grandfathers, Dix and Main, were Revolutionary soldiers, and were in the siege of Yorktown, which terminated in the surrender of Cornwallis; his father was First Sergeant in the Light Horse Company of the war of 1812.'
THOMAS FULTON, farmer, Sec. 2; P. O. Delaware; is a son of Charles and Jane (Brown) Fulton. His parents were born in Ire- land, and emigrated to Belmont Co., Ohio, about 1835, where they always lived; his father was a shoemaker and a farmer. They were blessed with eight children-William (dead), George (de- ceased), Walker, Robert, James, Thomas ; Isabel, married George Creamer ; Mary, married Andrew M. Boyd. Mr. Fulton was born Aug. 31, 1849, in Belmont Co., where he remained and assisted his father in farming; was married Nov. 25, 1874, to Eliza A., sister of Milton and Henry Warren, whose sketch appears elsewhere. In Feb. 15, 1877, they inherited 75 acres from her father, where they now live and enjoy the pleasure of a fine little farm. They are members of the Presbyterian Church at Delaware; he votes the Democratic ticket, casting his first vote for Horace Greeley. His brothers, William and James, are ministers ; the latter is now preaching in the Fourth Presbyterian Church at Allegheny City ; Brother George was a blacksmith; Robert read medicine in Harrison Co., but gave up his intended profession on account of ill health; Isabel taught school for four years.
JAMES FEASTER, farmer, Sec. 18: P. O. Delaware; is a son of George and Sarah ( Hinton) Feastor. His father was born in Virginia, and came to Ohio at an early day, and had a family of nine children-George, William, James, Sarah A., Catharine, John, Permelia (two deceased) ; Mr. Feaster was born Nov. 3. 1828. in Troy Town- ship, where he has spent a useful life. He was mar- ried, Sept. 16, 1850, to Elizabeth, daughter of Philip and Eleanor : Ellot) Wolfe : her parents MRS. ELIZABETH HIGH, farmer ; P. O. Delaware; was born in Berks Co., Penn., Aux. 22, 1812; is a daughter of Isaac and Elizabeth ( Fegely) Warner, both of Pennsylvania : in May. 1832, was married to John High, born March 27, were born in Pennsylvania, and had five children by their union-Jefferson. John, Samuel, Henry, Elizabeth, all of whom are dead but the last; her father was married a second time, by which he was blessed with four children-George W., Will- : 1810; emigrated to this State in 1836, locating iam W. and two deceased. Mrs. Feaster was born | in this county two miles north of Delaware City.
Nov. 29, 1834, in Troy Township ; she settled with her husband on their present farm in 1852, then in the green woods; they now own 78 acres of well-improved land, obtained by buying out the heirs of his father. Mr. and Mrs. Feaster have six children by their union-Sarah, married M. Neumoyer ; Emma, married John McGee ; Henry, Lovina, James, Mary E. (deceased). He has been School Director and Supervisor. Members of the M. E. Church ; votes the Democratic ticket. Paid $500 for the war; takes great interest in educating his children.
TIMOTHY KICKLE. farmer; P. O. Dela- ware; was born Feb. 5, 1802, in Hampshire Co., Va., and emigrared to this State in 1805, his par- ents locating in Ross Co. Mr. Hickle's grand- parents on his father's side came from Germany and located in the Old Dominion, where Timothy was born ; at the age of 22, he embarked for him- self, had nothing but his hands and firm resolu- tion ; worked out by the month, up to the time of his union with Sarah Cutchall, when he farmed for himself, renting land; bought ave acres of' land, and, after improving the same, lost it through a defective title ; in 1833, he came to this county and settled in Troy, two miles and a half north of Delaware City, where he bought sixty-five acres of land ; at this time there was but one saloon in Delaware, two dry-goods stores and one hardware; he cut wheat with a sickle on the ground lying west of the depot, between that point and the river ; he enjoyed many happy days in his cabin home ; his wife died Feb. 25, 1851 ; they had seven chil- dren, but four are living-Wilson ; Jane, now Mrs. Judson ; Mahala, since Mrs. Batch; Delilah, married Mr. Halbrook, all of whom are located in Illinois. Was married a second time, to Mahala Waters, born in Maryland; she died Aug. 19, 1859. June 10, 1861, was united in marriage to Charlotte Meeker, born February, 1820, in Fair- field Co., daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth Meeker: they have no children. Mr. Hickle for several years has been in total darkness ; in June, 1873, he lost the sight of his eyes, and has been unable to see since. Has been a member of the Presbyterian Church over thirty years.
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where he bought 125 acres of land, settled on the same, and engaged in farming, being identified with the interests of the county up to the time of his death, Dec. 31, 1874; they have had seven children, but three are living --- Mary, now Mrs. Louis Bush ; Albert and Edward at home; Mrs. Bush is a member of the Lutheran Church, also Mr. Bush during his lifetime ; they have now 225 acres of land in three shares; Albert was born Nov. 7, 1847 ; Edward, Nov. 27, 1855. Albert was married, Jan. 29, 1874, to Alma Graham, born in Marlborough Sept. 29, 1855, daughter of Lewis and Ellen (Swartz) Graham, of Pennsylvania ; have two children-Clara and Newton. Demo- cratic.
JAMES J. INSKEEP, farmer, Sec. 18 ; P. O. Norton ; was born Sept. 6, 1806, in Ross Co., Ohio; is the son of Job and Patience ( Bishop) Inskeep ; his parents were born in Virginia, and emigrated to Ohio in 1805, and had seven children-Eliza, Matilda, James J., William, Joel, Mary and El- bert ; his father was of English descent, At the age of 21, Mr. Inskeep began learning the smith trade with Ambrose Lumption, of Champaign, with whom he continued two years, and then worked at Pittsburgh, Penn., in a manufacturing establishment of all kinds of iron utensils ; in nine months, he again began smithing at Champaign. He was there married, in 1835, to Maria, a daugh- ter of William and Sarah (Newton) Downs; her parents were of English descent, and were born in New Jersey, and had four children-Sarah, Isabel, Maria and Abigail; her father was a manufact- urer of woolen goods; she was born in 1817, in Champaign, Ohio ; her union with Mr. Inskeep blessed her with ten children-James (deceased), Augustus, Job ( deceased ), Matilda A. (deceased), Gustavus L., Patience A., Mary E., Joel, Olive, Alice A. and Charles. Our worthy representative remained in Champaign, continuing his trade, until 1842, when he moved to Marlborough Township, where he still continued blacksmithing, and in addition to which he farmed; during the same year, he bought 300 acres of land where he now resides, of S. Thomas, F. Case, Joel Inskeep, John and Joseph Daniels ; by strict attention and hard labor, they have made it one of the finest farms in the township; he and his amiable wife have almost realized the allotted span of life, and ISAAC M. JONES, farmer, Sec. 2 ; P. O. Dela- ware ; is a son of Robt. C. and Jane (Glena) Jones ; his father was born July 30, 1805, in York Co., Penn., his mother in the same in 1804; his father have settled upon their children the most of their property ; however, retaining enough of the fruits of their early days' labors to keep them through the remainder of life here. He has always been i emigrated to Belmont Co., Ohio in 1830, where he
active in the interests of the township; has been Trustee three years; was a Director of the Troy pike during its existence as a company's resource ; he paid his share of the township draft ; his son Job enlisted in Co. D, 20th O. V. I., and died in the service. The family belong to the M. E. Church ; his parents and grandparents were raised Quakers.
WILLIAM JONES, farmer, Sec. 2; P. O. Dela- ware; was born in 1806, in Wales, where he remained until 36 years old, when he came to Dela- ware Co., and soon bired out to Caleb Howard for one year, and then worked at gardening for Judge Williams. Was married in 1849, to Hannah, a daughter of Edward and Mary (Davis) Humph- reys ; her parents were born in Europe; she was one of seven children, all of whom came to Ohio-Elizabeth (buried in Cleveland ) ; Thomas, David, and Edward (buried in Radnor) ; Richard (buried at Granville) ; Mary married Richard Pritchard, living in Cincinnati, where her father is buried. Mrs. Jones was born in 1816, in Wales; she has had five children by her mar- riage with Mr. Jones-Elizabeth (dead), two infants (dead), Titus K. and Ruth A. They set- tled on this farm in 1849, buying at that time +3 acres from her father, who had settled the same at an early day, when no roads could be seen, nor a stick of timber could be missed; she picked brush while her father would go to mill, which were only hand-power. The C. & T. R. R. runs across his farm, which company built him a nice little cottage as a part of the damage. Mr. Jones belongs to the M. E. Church at Radnor ; his wife and daughter are members of the Welch Congre- gational Church. Mr. Jones' father and mother had three children-Thomas, Davy and William. His father joined in war against France, and was taken to the West India Islands, where he died. His mother was again married, to William Mor- gans, by whom she had Richard, Jane and Han- nah. Mr. Jones has always voted the Republican ticket. His son, Titus K., has taught three terms of school, and some of penmanship, all with good success ; he attended school at Worthington in 1877, and the Ohio Business College in Delaware. in 1876; is now reading medicine with Dr. S. W. Fowler, of Delaware.
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married Miss Glenn in 1832, who had come to that county in 1829. They had five children- Thomas, who married Elizabeth McMaster, and is engaged in the loan branch of the Treasury Department at Washington ; Isaac M .; John J., who married Maggie Smith, and is cashier of the Exchange Bank. at Wheeling, Va .; Robert A., married Mary Davis, lives at Bridgeport, and is a painter ; J. P., married Ruth Crosby, and is a carpenter at Bridgeport. Mr. Jones' father was captain of a military company in Pennsylvania ; his grandfather Jones and brothers were all Revolutionary soldiers ; the father of our subject was a member of the Presbyterian Church, and died, in 1871, in the triumphs of that faith. Mr. Jones was born July 3, 1835, in Belmont Co .; at the age of 17, he began boating from Wheeling to Cincinnati and Louisville, continuing the same about five years. He was married Sept. 27, 1860, to Mary, daughter of James and Elizabeth (Nesbit) Tarbet; her parents were natives of Pennsylvania ; her mother emigrated to Belmont Co. in 1817 ; her father died in 1857, in Belmont Co .; her mother is living with our subject, and is hale and hearty at 83 years; Mrs. Jones was one of eight children-John (deceased), James (de- ceased), Elizabeth (deceased), Jane (deceased), David (living in Belmont Co.), Margaret (de- ceased), Mary, and Harvey (living in Jefferson Co., Iowa); Mr. Jones' wife was born Feb. 4, 1834, in Belmont Co .; they lived in that county for some time after marriage, and, March 25, 1879, they bought 75 acres where they now reside, of John Evans, who had bought the same of Robert Pool, it being part of what is known as the " Porter section." Mr. Jones was blessed with eight children by his marriage-Glennie, Annie, Ross (deceased), Maggie, John, Helen, infant (deceased), and Harry. He was commissioned Second Lieutenant of Co. A, militia, Belmont Co .; is a member of Lodge No .- , A. F. & A. M., at Bellaire ; they are members of the Presbyterian Church ; he votes the Republican ticket, and takes great interest in informing himself on the issues of the party.
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