History of Delaware County and Ohio, Part 138

Author: O. L. Baskin & Co; Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 818

USA > Ohio > Delaware County > History of Delaware County and Ohio > Part 138

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HENRY WEISER, farmer, Sec. 1; P. O. Delaware; is a son of Peter and Mary (Reed) Weiser ; his father was born in Pennsylvania in 1801, and emigrated to Ohio in 1806, settling in Pickaway Co., and came to Delaware Co. in 1816 or 1817, and finally settled on the present farm in 1818 ; his parents had five children-Mary J., Daniel, William, Henry and Albert; his par- ents are both living in the same house with him, and are hale and hearty, he at 79, and she at 71 years. Our subject was born in 1841, in this county, and was married in 1865 to Matilda, a daughter of Jacob and Lidy Miller ; her parents were born in Northampton Co., Penn., and emi- grated to Ohio about 1833; her father died in Delaware Township March 11, 1870, and her mother in the same on Feb. 13, 1873 ; they had the following children : Henry, Wilopy, Maria, Nathan, Matilda, Susan and Caroline ; the latter was born in 1832, in Pennsylvania ; was married Oct. 9, 1857, to William Weiser, a brother of the subject, by whom she has had three children- Charlie, Mary and Willie ; her husband died June 18, 1876, and was a member of the Reform Church, of Delaware, to which she also belongs. Her husband held the office of Deacon in the same, and has been Township Trustee; he was a kind and loving husband; but something like the heart disease ended his career almost instantly. Mr. Weiser has no children ; they own 290 acres

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of finely improved land, 100 acres of which was bought of Col. Byxbe, and 129 of the Porter tract. They belong to the German Reform Church at Delaware ; they paid out $415 for the war and always voted the Democratic ticket. To mention the hardships connected with the life of the father of whom we write, would fill an ordinary volume ; let the reader imagine all the pioneer hardships and then count this industrious old man among them all.

JOSEPH YEATS, farmer ; P. O. Delaware ; is a son of John and Nancy (Shields) Yeats. His father was born in Virginia, and emigrated to Ohio in 1824, settling in Kingston Township; he afterward removed to Berkshire, and subsequently to this township, where he died ; his mother, was also born in Virginia; they were the parents of eight children-William, Samuel D., James, Dolly J., Joseph, Thomas, Elizabeth and Nancy E. Mr. Yeats was born June 24, 1820 ; he remained with his parents until 40 years old; he was married, Oct. 1, 1861, to C. Jane, a daughter of Moses and Mary (Stenbeck) Gardner; her father was born about 1793, in New Jersey, and emigrated to Ohio at an early day ; her mother was born in

1807, in Essex Co., N. J., and moved to Ohio in 1820, settling in what is now Delaware Co .; her marriage with Moses Gardner occurred in 1836; the mother of Mrs. Yeats was one of three chil- dren-Mary, Charles and William; her grand- father Stenbeck died in 1858, and was of German descent; Mrs. Yeats' father was mar- ried twice, the first union blessed him with nine children-Mary, Benjamin, John, Thompson, Susan, Bolivar, George, Alfred and one deceased, and by the last marriage but one-C. Jane ; after marriage Mr. Yeats settled in Scioto Township, buying 103 acres of land of S. Prongh, and in 1864 sold the same to William Warren, and in the same year bought the present farm of 100 acres, of Michael Deppen, where he has since resided. They have had two children, both of whom are dead-George F. and Mary F. He paid out over $200 for the war; has always voted the Republican ticket ; he is industrious, and takes great interest in improving his farm. Mrs. Yeats began teaching school when 17 years old, and taught four terms in the country and three years in the public schools of Delaware.

OXFORD TOWNSHIP.

ELIJAH T. BISHOP, farmer ; P. O. Ashley ; was born July 1, 1818, in Oxford Township; he was the son of Elisha and Pheraby Bishop, who came from Powell Valley, Tenn., to Ohio, and built them a cabin on the banks of the Whetstone, in Marlborough Township, where they lived about six years ; they then bought a farm in Oxford Town- ship, where they lived at his father's death, Aug. 11, 1854. Elisha Bishop, Sr., was born April 9, 1789, and Pheraby Bishop was born Feb. 24, 1790. Elijah T. Bishop lived with his father until he was 22 years of age, when he was married, Sept. 6, 1838, to Melinda Burch, daughter of Adriel Burch, of Meigs Co., Ohio ; he then bought a farm in that part of Oxford Township now Westfield Township, Morrow Co., on the Whetstone River; two years afterward, he went to Old Eden, Brown Township, Delaware Co., and engaged in the ash- ery business for three years, when he moved back to his farm ; in 1847, he sold his place on the Whetstone, and bought the farm of 110 acres

where he now lives, one and one-half miles west of Ashley ; he sold fanning-mills for six years after buying this place, receiving $30 and $40 per month wages, and in this way finished paying for his farm. He has been Supervisor and School Director, and has been a member of the Old School Baptist Church since he was 17 years old ; Mrs. B. has held membership in the same church for thirty-seven years. They have had born to them seven children-Minerva, born July 24, 1839 ; Mary G., Aug. 11, 1844; Elisha A., Sept. 1, 1846; Amanda E., Nov. 23, 1849 ; Elmer H., Feb. 6, 1853; John L., Jan. 8, 1857; Lily M., May 21, 1864-all living in Delaware Co., and four of whom are married.

ELISHA A. BISHOP, dealer in agricultural implements (Bishop & Owen) ; P. O. Ashley ; was born Sept. 1, 1846, in Oxford Township, on the Whetstone River, in what is now Morrow Co., but then Delaware ; at 21 years of age, in the spring of 1867, he took a trip to Central Iowa, and

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bought 40 acres of land ; his father becoming dan - gerously sick, he sold the land, returned home, and remained until he was 23, when he was mar- ried, Dec. 30, 1869, to Miss America Dix, daugh- ter of Squire David Dix, of Troy Township; sbe was born Sept. 16, 1849, in Troy Township ; they had one child, which died in infancy. Mr. B. built a house on a farm which he bought, adjoin- ing his father's place; he at length engaged in the agricultural implement business, and has made it a success ; in 1876, he formed a partner- ship with H. F. Owen, under the firm name of Bishop & Owen ; this firm is well known over the county. Mr. and Mrs. B. are members of the Old School Baptist Church, in which they have held membership seven years.

MARY BELL, widow, Sec. 4; P. O. Ashley; is a daughter of Jesse and Mary Miller ; her par- ents had seven children-Martha, Mary, William, Elizabeth, Sarah, John A., Catharine. Our sub- ject was born in 1812, in Zanesville, Ohio. Was married in 1831, to Henry, a son of John and Nancy Bell. His father was born in England, and emigrated to Pennsylvania when a boy, and raised a family of three children-Henry, John, Mary A .; her husband was born in 1804, in Del- aware, and emigrated to Ohio about 1828 or 1829, and settled at Zanesville, and there married our subject ; they settled after marriage on a farın of sixty acres owned by her which they sold to Prosper Rich, and bought sixty-three acres where she now lives; they added to it and have 163 acres in Oxford Township, and have also forty acres in Henry Co., all of which has been obtained by their own labors; they had twelve children-John, Martha, Sarah, Henry, Mary, Stanley, Elizabeth, Robert, David, William, Celia E. (infant); her husband died May 5, 1867, and was a member of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, in which he had been steward; he was the leader of the Wesleyan organization of this place; he was a temperance man in every respect. Mr. Bell's father died when he was young, and he was raised by his grandfather Clifton; their son John served in the war nearly four years, and Stanley served nearly one year. The Bell family have always been Republicans; the father, however, was once a Democrat; they have generally been healthy, and have passed a pleasant life, and have done their part in the interests of the county.

JOHN BRINES, farmer, Sec. 3; P. O. Leon- ardsburg; our subject is a son of Catha- rine and William Brines ; his father died when

he was 3 years old, and he was thrown into the poorhouse; he was taken by Philip Miller, at the age of about 4, and was with him, attending school and working on the farm, until 18, when Mr. Miller put him to learning the blacksmith's trade in Pennsylvania, with a man by the name-of Shultz, with whom he worked over three years ; he then worked on a farm for Martin Shellebarger at $18, with whom he continued about one year ; he next came in 1844, by stage, to Sunbury, Ohio, and from there he came to Oxford Township and worked for Joseph Cole, with whom he continued but a short time, and then worked for Elijah Main, and next for James Main. In 1847, was married to Elizabeth, a daughter of John and Jane McCleary; her parents were born in Virginia; her mother died there, and her father again married Polly Siford, and emigrated to Ohio in 1833; she was born June 6, 1826; she was one of seven children-and is the only one living; they settled after marriage in Troy Town- ship, on land which he bought of Elijah Main, and in 1858, he sold the same to James Main, and bought fifty acres of the present farm of 100 acres, where he has since been located; it was mostly timber land, probably worth $60 per acre ; his father was in the Revolutionary war; he helped to build the first schoolhouse in the south part of the township; in 1850, he went in company with Dr. White, of Delaware, and many others, to the West, and Mr. Brines spent the winter at Salt Lake City among the Mormons ; he then went to California, working his passage driving an ox team for Augustus Bray; while there he worked at mining, and in three years re- turned by water to his home.

ELDER J. H. BIGGS, farmer, Sec. 3; P. O. Ashley; son of John and Sarah (Wright) Biggs. His father was born in Virginia, and died in 1829, in the same State. His mother emigrated to Ohio in 1835, settling in Alexander, Licking Co., and, in 1843, she was married again to Christian Kauf- man; she died in 1876. Our subject was born in 1819 in Virginia ; his educational advantages were as good in his younger days as could be, con- sidering the chance; at the age of 19, he began working on a farm at $10 per month. Was mar- ried, in January, 1831, to Rebecca, daughter of Andrew Kreager, of Fairfield Co., Ohio. She was born in January, 1816. After marriage they settled in Fairfield Co., renting for some time, and then moved to Delaware Co. (now Morrow); rented for some time, and then bought land and

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lived some five years on it, and sold to Isaac Pipes, and bought the present farm of George Housworth ; it then contained 50 acres, to which he has added, and now has 94 acres, well improved, attained entirely by their own labors. He joined the Baptist Church when 19; was ordained as a minister in 1845, and still continues the work for the Master; he has the regular care of four churches. They have eleven children-Washing- ton, Sarah, John (is a Baptist minister, as is also Washington), Andrew, James (deceased), Rachel, Rebecca and Christian (twins, the latter dead), Mary, Benjamin and an infant. Mrs. Biggs is also a member of the Baptist Church. His suc- cess in the ministerial department has been excel- lent. Mr. Biggs was one of the first Directors of his present school district, serving the people for fifteen years ; he helped to lay off the district and helped to build the first schoolhouse; he mostly superintended the hiring of teachers during his career for the public district. Mr. Biggs has been a hard worker ; to illustrate this, we mention that, when they started housekeeping, they had one horse, saddle and bridle, cow, bed and chest ; he soon began work at making sugar to buy dishes and household articles ; he got 5 cents per pound for the sugar ; they began in a log cabin, and en- joyed the comforts of a pioneer fireplace ; he once cleared three acres of land and fenced the same for $30, taking for pay a colt, which died soon after ; he has generally been stout, and would work for other people during the spare time from his own home duties ; his amiable wife has always lent a helping hand ; she received about $400 from her father at one time ; she once bound wheat after him, for which she received in compensation a new dress; her grandfather Kreager was a Revolutionary soldier .. Some of Mr. Biggs' mother's brothers were in the war of 1812. He is a Democrat; he was one of seventeen voters of the party in this township at his time of settlement, and has since continued in the party. Mr. Biggs remembers seeing the President drive the last spike on the C., C., C. & I. R. R., when it met near his house, and on that road he took his first ride on the cars. Mr. Biggs has in his house a clock which was ordered by Dr. Kauf- man, of Fairfield Co., which changed from him to Elder Kaufman, and then fell into his hands; it has seen ninety winters, and is yet a faithful servant.

H. N. COOMER, M. D., Ashley ; was born in Ontario Co., N. Y., March 6, 1817 ; he came to Ohio with his parents, Jonathan and Amanda

Coomer, in 1834, and settled in Marlborough Town- ship, Delaware Co. He was married, in 1837, to Miss Joanna Roberts, of Marlborough Township and soon after went to Western Indiana, where he be- gan teaching school, and, at the same time, study- ing medicine with Dr. Samuel Butler; on com- pleting his medical course, he commenced prac- ticing as a partner with his preceptor ; he built up a good practice, which he held for seven years ; in 1852, he returned from the West and began practicing medicine in Ashley. April 8, 1852, he lost his wife. He was married again, Jan. 5, 1855, to Mrs. Nancy Pennell. Dr. Coomer had by his first wife six children, three of whom died in infancy ; his sons, Jerry E. and George W., and his daughter, Ervilla, returned with him from the West. He had by his second wife one child, Harry, now 15 years old. Dr. Coomer is a member of the Medical Association of Delaware Co., of which he is now Secretary, having held the office of Treasurer ; he was an old member of the Delaware Co. Medical Institute, before it joined with the Medical Association. He has now à good practice in Ashley, and goes a good distance to visit his old-time patients. His son, Jerry E. Coomer, was born Sept. 23, 1843, at Perrysville, Ind .; received his early education at Ashley ; at the age of 18, he enlisted in the 26th O. V. I., and served as a private till discharged to enter the service as a veteran in East Tennessee ; after the battle of Nashville, he was appointed Captain of Co. D, of his regiment, and served until June, 1865, when he came home and began the study of medicine ; after graduating, he commenced prac- ticing at Scottown, Marion Co .; he practiced there three years, and in Westfield, Morrow Co., three years ; in 1878, he came to Ashley and practiced with his father. He died of consumption Sept. 27, 1878, leaving a widow and three small girls.

HUGH COLE, farmer; P. O. Ashley ; was born in Washington Co. Va., June 16, 1807 ; he was the son of Joseph and Mary Cole, and came with his parents and landed in Delaware Co. in 1808, in the month of December. His father bought a farm of 640 acres on the Whetstone River, in Troy Township; he remembers the war of 1812, distinctly, and saw Harrison's army pass through to Fremont; his father joined a company under command of one Wm. Drake, an account of which is given in the general history. At the time Mr. Cole's father settled in Delaware Co., there were not more than a dozen houses in Dela- ware, and not a house between his father's and that

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place ; there were a great many friendly Indians in the county, who came in parties to trap and hunt ; Mr. Cole, at the age of 16 years, began to carry the mail between Delaware and Mansfield, Ohio, and continued for four years, going on horseback ; at the age of 20, he took a trip down through the State on horseback to Cincinnati, thence to Indi- ana and into Kentucky, and thence to the place of his birth ; after returning home, he went to milling with his father in Troy Township and remained in this business about six years. He was married, Feb. 10, 1830, to Mary Main, daughter of Timo- thy Main, Sr., of Troy Township; they had four children, three of whom died in infancy ; a sen, Elias, only reached manheed, and is now living in Marlborough Township, this county ; his first wife died in September, 1837 ; he was married again in December, 1839, to Patience Main, daughter of John Main, of Troy Township, and this union was blessed by the birth of three children, John, James and Amanda; James was killed by an ac- cidental discharge of a musket in Western Vir- ginia ; he was a member of Co. C, 26th O. V. I .; John died near Washington, D. C., Aug. 12, 1862, a member of Co. C, 145th O. N. G .; Mr. Cole's second wife died Sept. 30, 1855. He was married, Nov. 8, 1860, to Miss Sarah Trindle, of Merrow Co., Ohio; they have no children of their own, but have befriended a number of orphans, and given them hemes with them. Mr. Cole's business has been that of a farmer since his abandoning the mill- ing business ; he bought 153 acres of land in Marl- borough Township, and lived on that until 1873, and in April of that year, he came to Ashley and bought the property where he now lives. He has held the office of County Commissioner for nine years, and was Justice of the Peace of Marlborough Township, for twenty-one years; was real estate appraiser in 1860 and 1870. He and his wife are members of the Baptist Church.

JONATHAN M. COOMER, railroad and express agent ; P. O. Ashley, was born at New Fane, Niagara Co., N. Y., Feb. 17, 1826, the sen of Jonathan and Amanda Coomer, who came to this county in June, 1834, and settled en a farm in Marlboro Township ; Jonathan, in 1841, went to Delaware, to learn the tailer's trade, at which he afterward worked in Newark, Ohio; in the spring of 1845, he went to Michigan and worked one year at his trade; then to Park Co., Ind., where he remained till June, 1851, then came to Ashley, which has since been his residence; in 1852, he, with Jas. P. Clark, opened a grocery store, and

afterward succeeded J. S. Broomback, in the dry- goods business, which they continued till 1856 ; he traveled for a Philadelphia house during the years of 1857-59. Mr. Coomer was one of the incorporators of the village of Ashley ; has served a number of terms as Mayor, and held the office of Township Clerk and Assessor ; was the second Postmaster of Ashley, serving under three differ- ent commissions a term of fourteen years, and was I and Appraiser for 1870; in 1869 he was ap- pointed freight and ticket agent for the C., C., C. & I. R. R. Co., having previously held the agency fer the American Express Co., which he continued. He was married, Feb. 17, 1848, to Miss Margaret Holaday, daughter of Wm. Heladay, of Portland Mills, Ind .; they have three children, Alma Alicc, Allen Usher and William Ashford, all living; Al- len Usher is with his father in the depot and freight office ; William Ashford has charge of the railroad office at Eden Station. Mr. Coomer has always been an ardent opposer of intemperance, both in his official capacity and from principle ; he was one of the founders of the M. E. Church at Ashley, and is now a member.

T. CHAPMAN, tinner, Ashley; was born in Benningten Co., Vt., in 1818; he lived with his parents until he was 20 years of age, when he went to New Jersey, and learned the tinner's trade with his brother. He came to Ohio in the fall of 1848, and settled at Twinsburg, Summit Co., and engaged at his trade. Mr. Chap- man came to Delaware Co., and lived two years in Sunbury, working at his trade; he remained in the county two years at this time, when he re- moved te Stark Co .; two years afterward he returned and engaged in business at Ashley, keep- ing a stove and tin store. He was married in 1844 te Miss H. A. Lippincott, of Burlington Co., Vt .; they have had five children, three of whom are living-John Chapman, now County Clerk of Delaware Co .; O. T. Chapman, a jeweler at Ashley; Hiram Chapman, a farmer in Liberty Township. Mr. and Mrs. C. are members of the Presbyterian Church.

J. C. CHADWICK, farmer, Sec. 2; P. O. Ashley; son of James and Catharine (Slack ) Chadwick ; his father was born in 1792; emigrated to Amer- ica when about 30 years old ; settled finally in Oxford Township, where he died in 1854; mether . was born in Ohio July 17, 1812, and died May 10, 1859; they had ten children -Sarah, John, Margaret, Mary, James, Joseph, Nancy, Maria, Charlotte, William W. They were church mem-

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bers. Our subject was born .in 1834, in Oxford Township, and at the age of 20 he began working by the year, at $162 to $200, working in a saw and grist mill ; continued for two years. In 1858, was married to Irene, a daughter of Lewis and Martha Page; they settled finally in Oxford Township, on the old homestead, near Ashley, and remained there until 1862 ; he enlisted in the 85th battalion, for one year, which was then filled up into a regiment ; having remained three years, he returned from the war, and in 1865, bought his present farm, now comprising 44 acres, of Henry Foust, and has since lived on the same ; it is probably worth $60 per acre ; he bought the land while in the green woods, and by his labors im- proved it greatly. They have four children- Oscar, Mattie, Dow, one dead and Ellmore. Mr. Chadwick has been Township Assessor two terms, and connected with schools. They attend and help to support the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Chadwick's father was in the war in the old country. Her father was from New York, and mother from Vermont. He has taught school.

HENRY COLEMAN, farmer ; Sec. 2; P. O. Ashley ; is a son of John and Catharine (Snyder) Coleman; his father was born in Pennsylvania about 1787, and emigrated to Ohio in 1827, set- tling in Crawford Co., and, in 1837, came to Delaware Co., where he died Dec. 17, 1873; his mother was also born in Pennsylvania, and died in 1827, just before he emigrated to Ohio ; they had four children-Valentine, Elizabeth, Henry and Ellen .. His father again married Barbara C. Criss, by whom he had seven children-John, Barbara, Susan A., Fred., Lettie ; the rest died unnamed ; she died about 1864. Henry was born Feb. 9, 1817, in Pennsylvania, and came by team to Ohio with his father. He was married, Dec. 14, 1841, to Sarah, a daughter of Peter and Theresa Schultz; her parents were born in Penn- sylvania, and emigrated to Ohio about 1831, and had the following children-John, Susan, Mary M., Elizabeth, Sarah, Peter, George P; she was born in 1821. They rented for some time ; in 1852, they bought fifty-five acres, a part of the present farm of 166 acres ; he has in all 191 acres, mostly im- proved, and the greater portion attained entirely by his own labors. They have seven children- Alcina A., married George Bergstresser ; Absalom, married Sarah J. Willey ; Theresa, married Ed- ward Houseworth ; James S. E., married Nancy A. Holt, whose father's sketch appears elsewhere ; Lucinda J., married ; Sarah, married John S.

Waddle; Eva C. Mr. and Mrs. Coleman are members of the Lutheran Church in Delaware Co., in which he has been Deacon. He cast his first vote for Martin Van Buren, and has voted the Democratic ticket since. Mrs. Cole- man's grandfather Schultz owned the team that drew the cart which bore Braddock off the battle- field at Fort Du Quesne. Mr. Coleman's father was pressed into the war of 1812, and served as a teamster. The Coleman family will be found prominently identified with the history of Oxford Township.

JOSEPHUS F. DOTY was born March 16, 1843, at South Woodbury, Morrow Co., Ohio ; in the spring of 1857, he went to Ashley to learn the blacksmith trade with S. B. Morehouse ; in the winter of 1858, and until the fall of 1860, he at- tended school at Mount Hesper, in Morrow Co .; the following winter taught school in Delaware Co., Ind. In the spring of 1861, he returned to Ashley, and upon the first call for troops enlisted as a private May 1, 1861, in Co. C, 26th O. V. I., under Capt. Jesse Meredith, and was made Cor- poral at the organization of the company, and pro- moted to Sergeant after the battle of Stone River, where he was slightly wounded. On the 20th of September, 1863, at the battle of Chickamauga, he received two wounds ; one of the balls he still carries in his body ; being unable to perform serv- ice in the field, during the winter of 1863-64, he was on recruiting service at Todd Barracks, at Co- lumbus, Ohio. In April, 1864, he joined his reg- iment, when he was made color-bearer, and served as such during the Atlanta campaign. July 25, 1864, he was discharged, having served three years and three months, lacking five days. On the 11th of April, 1865, he again enlisted in the 9th U. S. V., under Maj. Gen. Hancock, and on the 16th, arrived at Washington, D. C. On the 8th of the following June, he was appointed First Sergeant of Co. B, and on the 10th day of July, Sergeant Major of the regiment, and on the 17th day of same month was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the regiment, and promoted to First Lieutenant the 1st of the following Novem- ber. The 24th of March, 1866, he was appointed by the Secretary of War Regimental Quarter- master of the same regiment, having served as such from the December previous by special order. The 2d of May; 1866, he was mustered out of the United States service, and settled at Ashley, Ohio. On the 20th day of August, 1865, while in the service, he was married to Miss Millie Baxter.

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History of Delaware County and Ohio, Part 138

Author: O. L. Baskin & Co; Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Chicago, O.L. Baskin & Co. Number of Pages: 818

Author: O. L. Baskin & Co; Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 818