History of Greene County, Ohio, Part 10

Author: Robinson, George F., 1838-1901
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: Chicago, S. J. Clarke Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 934

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GEORGE WATT, SR.

This grave is of more than usual inter- est. and as we take our place in front of the stone that marks the last resting place of this hardy old pioneer. George Watt, listen to the story of his life.

In the year 1820 he left his home in Bel- fast. Ireland, with his family. His destina- tion was the United States of America, state of Ohio, county of Greene, where they ar- rived the same year. His brother, Hugh. had preceeded him to this country. Hugl. who was six years younger, and who was the father of the late Dr. George Watt, of Xenia, had settled in 1817 not far from Cedarville, whilst George, the elder. settled in 1820 on the hilltops west of the Little Miami river between what is known as the "Indian Riffle" and the old Eureka mill. George Watt, Sr., was the father of George Watt, Jr., who lived in the house on the southwest corner of Market and West streets ( present home of Mr. Collins, the car- penter ). whilst two other sons. Hugh and Andrew, removed to Indiana. James Watt. the fourth son. died in Xenia : he never mar- ried. James and Andrew made applications to become citizens of the United States in 1840, which were granted. He had also four daughters: Mrs. Betsey Dodd, wife of John Dodd. Sr .: Mrs. Samuel Smeigh : Mrs. Jane Mcclellan, wife of William, of

ROBINSON'S HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.

Sugarcreek ; and Margaret, who was single. Of his children, 1 think, Mrs. Samuel Smeigh, mother of Mrs. George Kendall, is the only one living. Mr. Watt, who was born in 1765. came to America in 1820, and died in 1845. aged eighty years.

THE GOWDY FAMILY.

Not far from the grave of George Watt, Sr., is the grave of John Goudy, as the name is spelled on the tombstone. Along side of him is buried his good wife, An Gowdy. What time Mr. Gowdy came and settled in Sugarcreek township is not known. This much is known: He was there previous t) 1803, as his name and that of his son, An- drew Gowdy, appear on the first enumera- tion taken of the aforesaid township in 1803. Mr. Gowdy died November 15. 1807. at the age of seventy-seven years. His son, An- drew Gowdy, was married to Mary Mc- Connell. February 7, 1805, by the Rev. Rob- ert AArmstrong, and from his tombstone we learn that he was born April 2, 1777, and died September 25, 1818, aged forty-one years. There are living in Xenia ( 1900) one son and one daughter of Andrew Gow- dy, namely, our venerable and respected townsmen who has spent so many years of his life in our midst, Alexander Gowdy, now in his eighty-seventh year. living on West Main street, and his sister, Mrs. Jacob Miller, residing on East Main street, mother of Mrs. Joseph M. Milburn. John Gowdy, Sr., was a native of Pennsylvania, removing from there to Kentucky, and thence to Ohio at the date given. Other children he had be- side Andrew : One son, John, who was a soldier from Greene county in the war of 1812, and William Gowdy, who went to

Kentucky, and removed Rev. Armstrong to this place in 1804. John removed to Frank- Jin, Indiana, as did two other sons, Robert and Thomas. His daughter, Ann, Novem- ber 8, 1804, was married to Mr. James Bull. and it was an event that was made his- torical by our old pioneer friend, Hugh Andrew, who was one of the guests at the wedding. He says: "They were there from Dan to Beersheba." AAnother daugh- ter of John Gowdy, Nancy, born August 14. 1817, was married to Jesse Law, a well known pioneer of Greene county. The chil- dren of Andrew Gowdy were John, Jane, Adam, Susanna, Alexander, Mary Ann and Eliza.

But to mention all of the illustrious dead that are buried here would make this article too long, so we pass these graves and go to the next and last that we shall mention, which is the grave of Captain Nathan Lamme, a gallant soldier of the Revolution, and by his side his son, David, a soldier of the war of 1812. A brief sketch of both: will be found elsewhere in this book.

THE HUTCHISON FAMILY.

One of the early settlers of Greene conn- ty was John Hutchison. He came from Bourbon county, Kentucky, in 1806. He and Mr. Frazier had married sisters by the name of Finley in Rockbridge county, Vir- ginia, and because of slavery they only re- mained in Kentucky some ten years. John Hutchison bought a farm one mile southeast of Bellbrook, the east line along the Miami. now known as the Morris farm. He was a weaver and while he worked at his trade his sons George, John, Andrew, Samnel and William cleared and cultivated the farm.

ROBINSON'S HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.

George and Sarah, John and Andrew, Will- iam and Martha ( Sterrett ) were twins. Samuel, May ( Jobe ) and Jane ( McClure ) were "not in it." John cultivated the farm after marriage to Ellen Clancey, April 24. 1822, until he bought one hundred acres near Xenia, a half mile northwest of the fair grounds, now the "Shoup farm," which he sold in 1835 and moved to Shelby county. near Sidney, and died in Sidney at the age of eighty-six years. His father and mother died in the same week of fever and are buried in the "Upper graveyard," he at the age of fifty-five years. He belonged to the first board of trustees of the First United church of Xenia, and the family came on horseback to church. And what a task in the absence of conveniences must have been the rearing of such a family. The mother dare not leave one of a pair by itself when she went to the spring to carry water, but carried one on the back. another under one arm, leaving one hand for the bucket. An- drew came to Xenia to learn the tailor trade with Mr. Currie, and pursued it until the last day of his life. He died in 1865 at the age of sixty-nine years. He was the fa- ther of W. C .. the merchant, Mrs. George Ebright and Miss Emma, who are still liv- ing in Nenia.

SAMUEL LOG.I.V

Died at Bellbrook, Ohio. November 21. 1873. at the age of sixty-eight years. Ile was an old bachelor, and had made his home with Mr. Samuel Pogue for a long time past. He was one of the most eccentric and pe- culiar men of our age. One of his oddities that we have no record of any one else copy- ing was that he would not accept any more ment, Captain Askew's company, of the

than seventy-five cents per day from any one for doing work. He was a good workman, and made a good hand at carpenter work. But he always said that seventy-five cents was all that a day's work was worth, and would not accept any more. He began life a poor boy without a dollar, was always in- dustrious, made a good living, wore good clothing and saved six thousand dollars, which he earned by a day's work at seventy- five cents per day. In the western and south- western part of this county are still stand- ing in fair condition houses that he built years ago. He would go to some of the farms where the residents were living yet in their cabins, cut down the trees and hew the timbers for the frame of a house, and in the fall would have the aforesaid families living in their new homes. The old maxim would hold good in his case, "It is not what we make, but what we save that makes us wealthy." "Old Honesty" would be a fit in- scription for his monument. In his will he gave Mrs. E. Pogue seven hundred dollars ; William Duck five hundred: Miss Kate Hawkins two hundred dollars : and one hun- ched dollars to Miss Bell : and the remainder to the Parker heirs.

JOIN TORRENCE, A SOLDIER OF THE REVO- LUTION.

He was a pensioner under the act of June 1. 1832. Application was made for same September 15. 1832. he being then seventy- four years of age. The pension was granted May 3. 1833. He was a native of Cumber- land county, Pennsylvania. AAt the outbreak . of the war of the Revolution in this country he was a member of Colonel Dunlap's regi-

ROBINSON'S HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.

Pennsylvania militia. He was then a pri- vate soldier in that regiment. July 28. 1777, the United States government called his regiment into actual service: he was then promoted to the position of orderly ser- geant of his company, which position he filled with honor for seven months and fif- teen days. After the war was over he emi- grated to the state of Kentucky, locating near Lexington, and from Kentucky he re- moved to Ohio, where he arrived in 1804. settling in Sugarcreek township. Greene county. The old records of the county show that he was a useful man both in church and state, and lived to a good old age, when he died and was buried in the Associate church yard. West Market street, Nenia, the site now covered by the school house of thit name. He was afterward taken up and buried on the lot of his son, Aaron Tor- rence, in Woodland cemetery, Xenia. Ilis oldest son, William, was a soldier in the war of 1812. He had beside William three sons, Aaron : John, who was the father of Henry Torrence, ex-recorder of Greene county : and David, who was the father of Finley Torrence, of the firm of McDowell & Torrence: also four daughters, namely : Elizabeth, Ann, Mary and Clarissa.

JESSE SANDERS, A SOLDIER OF 1812.

He was born on the 3d day of Septem- ber. 1704. in Stokes county, North Caro- lina. His parents were Jesse Sanders and Sarah Reddick. They were both natives of North Carolina. On the 15th day of De- cember, 1804, the father of Jesse with his family and household goods departed from old Carolina in wagons via Virginia and

Lexington. Kentucky, to Cincinnati, arriv- ing in Greene county on the 13th day of February, 1805, and immediately settling in Sugarcreek township (now Spring Valley township) on what was then called military lands. He bought his land (two hundred and forty acres ) of Colonel Nathaniel Mas- sie, one of the first settlers of Ross county, Ohio. In 1806 he died. In December, 1807, his wife followed him. The oklest of the children, Forace, died in Laporte, Indiana, in 1869, having been through life a farmer and mechanic. John died in 1812 in Spring Valley township. Jemima married Jeffrey Saulsbury, a farmer of Warren county, Ohio, and died in 1814. Jane married Isaac Beason, a farmer of Wayne county, Ohio, and died in 1809. Susanna never married. and died in 1809 in Wayne county, Ohio. Jesse, the subject of this sketch, died at his home in Spring Valley township, May 21, 1880, aged eighty-eight, and is buried in Woodland cemetery. Nenia.

During the war of 1812 Mlr. Sanders performed a conspicuous part as a member of Captain John Clark's company. He had through life followed farming. He was married, on the 5th day of November, 1840. to Elizabeth Simerson, a native of this coun- ty. Her parents were natives of Maryland, and very early settlers of Greene county, coming in 1801. They were the parents of four children. Politically he was a Demo- crat : voted first for General Jackson. Re- ligiously he was by birth and carly training a Quaker, but on account of joining the army was expunged, and ever afterward pre- ferred to have a creed not circumscribed by the doctrines of any church. Mr. Sander's name will forever live as one of the pioneers of Greene county, Ohio.

ROBINSON'S HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.

JOSIAHI ELAMI, A SOLDIER OF THE REVO- LUTION.

Josiah Elam and his wife, Sarah .1. ( Porter) Elam, settled in what is now known as Spring Valley township in the spring of 1803. Mr. Elam was a native of Culpeper county, Virginia, and was born in 1753. He had in 1801. previous to his set- tling in Ohio come out and selected a place for his future home, entering one thousand acres of land on Caesar's creek. He was a soldier in the war of the Revolution, and in the French and Indian war held a captain's commission under General St. Clair in the Indian campaign of 1791. He died Feb- ruary 28, 1821, aged sixty-nine years, and is buried in the Elam graveyard in the orchard in front of what was known as the Ambrose Elam farm. The old home is sit- uated five miles south of Xenia near the Burlington pike. His family consisted of six sons and four daughters; one of his sons, John, was a soldier in the war of 1812. The wife of Josiah Elam died September 25. 1850, aged seventy-nine years, and is buried at his side : also his wife's mother, Susanna Porter, who died October 21, 1821, aged eighty-four years.

THE THREE ORIGINAL FOUNDERS OF BELL- BROOK, HENRY UPDYKE, JAMES CL.1.N- CEY AND STEPHEN BELL.

Henry Updyke was the eldest son of Captain Albert Updyke, a soldier of the Revolution, from New Jersey. Henry was born in Bethlehem, New Jersey, November 16. 1774, and came to an untimely death by an accident in 1825. While digging a well on the Steele farm a mattock fell on him

while he was down in the well. He was buried in what was known as the Methodist Episcopal church yard, which was on the southwest corner of Thomas White's farm. Afterward his body was removed with other deceased members of the family to the cem- etery at Dayton, Ohio.

He built the brick house on the farm and owned the land on which the west part of Bellbrook now stands. He, with Stephen Bell and James Clancey, laid out the town in 1815. In another place in this book is a notice inserted in the "Vehicle," a paper published in Xenia in 1815. Samuel Pel- ham, editor, in which notice is given of the sale of the aforesaid lots. It is said there was some trouble in selecting a name for the place, but at length Mr. Updyke suggested the name of Bellbrook, which was at once agreed upon and adopted. As can be seen, the town takes its name in part from the name of one of its founders, Stephen Bell. and the latter part of it from the numerous streams and rivulets in that vicinity.

JAMES CLANCEY.

In tracing the history of the old pioneers of the county it is a source of regret that our records do not extend farther back than 1803. James Clancey's name appears on the roll of the first enumeration that was taken of the free white male inhabitants over the age of twenty-one. He was a native of Vir- ginia, and had located in what is now known as Sugarcreek township. Greene county, and on the present site of the vil- lage of Bellbrook some time previous to 1803. It might be truthfully said of him that he was a tavern keeper from "away back." As has been said elsewhere he had

ROBINSON'S HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.

purchased the first cabin that had been erect- ed by Joseph C. Vance, in 1797, to be used as a kitchen to his new tavern, which he had completed, to accommodate his large and growing trade. Ilis bar-room was the re- sort of the choice spirits, in more senses than one, of the surrounding country. On the long winter evenings they would con- gregate around the huge fireplace and after sundry visits to the bar would while away many hours in recounting their adventures with the Indians and bears as the case might be. Many a weary traveler slaked his thirst and found a comfortable bed beneath their hospitable roof. Captains Robert McClel- land, Ammi Maltbie and Captain John Clark had each recruited and taken from the town- ship full companies of men, and during the war of 1812, and after. Clancey's tavern was made "headquarters," they would often meet here with the rank and file of their com- panies and fight over their battles again and again. So much can be gleaned and gath- ered here and there even after so long a time of this historic old township that one hardly knows when to stop. One petition of cur subject, Mr. Clancey, to keep tavern in Bellbrook, the original of which the com- piler of this sketch has in his possession as custodian of the county, we will here copy : "To the honorable judges of the court of common pleas of Greene county. The peti- tien of the undersigned free holders of Sugarcreek township humbly represent to your honors that we conceive a public house of entertainment in said township would conduce to the public convenience. We therefore recommend James Clancey, one of our citizens, as a man of good character and in every way calculated to keep a public house. We therefore pray your honors

would grant him a license for that purpose and your petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray. Signed, January the 22d. 1816, John Hutchison, Andrew Bird, Joseph Gil- lispie, James Gillispie, David Lamme, Will- iam Standley and Alexander Armstrong."

Rev. Robert Armstrong, on his first ar- rival from Kentucky in answer to a call to become pastor of the Associate or Seceders, as they were then called, preached first at the house of James Clancey, present site of Bellbrook, to he following families: Esq. John and his brother, Joseph McKnight, John and Joseph C. Vance, whose son was afterward governor of Ohio; Captain Na- than Lamme: William and James Tanner; the three Snodgrass brothers, William, James and Robert: two Snowdens, James and Jacob : Abraham Van Eaton and others. A few of these were members of the Asso- ciate Reformed and Presbyterian churches, but were glad to listen to Mr. Armstrong.

About 1820 Mr. Clancey removed to near Flat Rock, Indiana, with his family, all but his son, Dr. James Clancey. Jr., who had about one year previous formed an alliance for life with the daughter of Dr. William Frazier, which event reads as follows: "Au- gust 12, 1819, married at the home of the bride, Mr. James Clancey, Jr., to Miss Sarah Frazier, daughter of Dr. William Frazier."

James Clancey, Sr., on his arrival at his new home, Flat Rock, Indiana, purchased eighty acres of land. and not far from the creek erected his cabin, where he continued to reside near two of his former Greene county nighbors. Mr. Van Pelt and Mr. Avery, until 1822, when his life's work was done and he was called home, and was buried in the graveyard not far from his home, where Conn's creek empties into Flat Rock.

ROBINSON'S HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.

Back from the month of Com's creek in the fork thus formed was the graveyard in which was put away all that was mortal of James Clancey, Sr. After his death his two sons. George and William, returned to their old home. Rev. J. F. Hutchison, of Xenia, is a grandson of Mr. Clancey, and many other citizens here and elsewhere are the de- scendants of this grand old pioneer. The first election ever held in Sugarereck town- ship was by order of the court held in the house of James Clancey, and it was for years the voting place of the township.

STEPHEN BELL.

Stephen Bell was born in New Jersey. August 18, 1774, and was married to Miss Hannah Scudder in Lycoming county, Penn- sylvania. in 1795. Of this union there were born eleven children, viz. : John S., Will- iam. Charles, Aaron, Rebecca. Mary, Naomi, Permelia, Casander, Benjamin and Franklin J. Little is known of his early days except that he learned the trade of a millwright in the east, and there being a demand for that kind of skilled labor in the west he with his family moved to Ohio in the early part of 1812, stopping for a short time on the James Towler farm west of Venia.

About 1813 or 1814 he bought out and moved on the farm now owned by Jacob Haines, living on that property at the time of the marriage of his five daughters, so you can imagine the old property has seen some fun within its walls. He worked at his trade while living there and helped to buill several mills on the Miami river, and als > built a mill for Henry Updyke on Sugar creek just above the Esq. Ferguson prop- erty. The older Bellbrook "boys" can yet

remember the old frame where so often they have played "hide and seek" after it played out as a mill. About the year 1815 Stephen Bell and Henry Updyke purchased of James Snowden the southeast of center of section 2 (2.6) ; the lands embraced all of east part of the above section, being then all the west- ern part of Bellbrook. The town had been surveyed and laid off in lots and a notice sent to Mr. Samuel Pelham, editor of the Vehicle, a paper published in Xenia, calling attention to the new town, and also to the date when the sale would take place.

THE VILLAGE OF BELLBROOK.

Taken from the "Xenia Vehicle," a pa- per published in Nenia. 1815, owned by James Galloway, Samuel Pelham, editor :

NOTICE.

The subscribers having laid out the town of Bellbrook in the county of Greene, Sugar- creek township, on the great road that leads by James Clancey's tavern, leading from Lebanon to Urbana, and where the road crosses leading from Franklin to Wilming- ton. The lots in said town will be sold at public sale to the highest bidder on Satur- ciay, the 7th day of October, ensuing. The terins of the sale will be made known on the day of sale. The situation of the town is healthy, and convenient to springs which can be easily conveyed through the town. Saw and grist mills within a mile. Adjoin- ing the town lands is a stream of water on which all kinds of machinery may be erect- ed. Signed, September 19. 1815.

STEPHEN BELL. HENRY UPDYKE. JAMES CLANCEY. Sale to be October 7. 1815.

ROBINSON'S HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY

The limits of the town as then laid out extended north to the alley that runs be- tween the properties of George Webb and Samuel Willoughby. On the west to the street that runs from this alley south. On the south to what is known as the lower street. And on the east to the street that rins from the southeast corner of David Rape's lot north to a large rock that still is to be seen a little west of the two apple trees on "Hopkin's Hill." The lots were in Ne. 84. each four reds wide and ten rods long on each side of Main street. The first sale of lots on the date above stated took place; Aaron Nutt, an old pioneer of Centerville. Montgomery county, Ohio, was the auction- cer on this occasion.

Mr. Bell about the year 1832 or 1833 sold this farm where his children had grown up to manhood and womanhood and bought a farm across the road (reaching from the south line of the new cemetery to the north line of the Lewis Kemp farm, and on which is built all that part of the town cast of North Main street ) from the venerable Judge John McLane, on which stood the tavern then kept by William Edwards, where the young men and maidens often met to while away the evening hours in the coun- try dance.

In 1838 Mr. Bell had a severe attack of western fever, and lowa then being the El- dorado of North America he sold his farm to Captain John C. Murphy, intending to move there, but his wife dying in May, 1839. changed his plans for his future course in life. He served one term in the legislature of Ohio as a representative from Greene county. From 1822 to 1828 he served Greene county as one of her county com- missioners. In 1839 he married the widow

Daughterty, of Springfield, Ohio, and made that place his home, where he was an hon- ored citizen, serving as the first mayor of the city, and afterward living a quiet, unassum- ing life until the time of his death, May 14. 1852. It is said that Mr. Bell in his okl age, knowing that time with him would soon close, and having a mental dread of being laid away in the cold, cold ground, where no kindly eye of loving friends could ever see him again, he had a vault built in the Green Mount cemetery east of the city, corner of Main street and Green Mount avenue, Springfield, Ohio. He was placed therein and there he is to day resing to all appearances as natural as the day he fell asleep. One of his great-grandsons visited the vault a few days ago, and on coming home remarked, "How much grandfather looks like Uncle Benedict." The body was petrified. Mr. Bell was also a soldier in the war of 1812. under Captain Robert Mc- Clelland.

EX-ASSOCIATE JUDGE JOHN MC LANE.

John McLane entered the land on which William Huston now resides. Hlis cabin. which was erected near the site of the pres- ent residence, was rudely constructed of rough logs. He was a bachelor, and here with no other companion but a dog and his rifle he lived. Often at night, while repos- ing on his lonely couch, he heard coming from the depths of the forest solitude around him the piercing scream of the wild cat and the hungry bowl of the wolf. To protect himself from these beasts he each night made and kept a large fire in front of the en- trance to his abode. Even at that day he was known as a "queer genius," and many

ROBINSON'S HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.

are the anecdotes told of his eccentricity. One of these we will relate. While at vari- ous log rollings in the surrounding country he had heard the settlers boasting much of the prowness of their dogs in fighting wild cats. This made McLane feel a little en- vious, and one day while out hunting his dogs treed one of these animals. Nothing could have pleased John better, and he im- mediately set about to see what kind of wild cat dogs his were. Setting his gun by the side of a tree he began to climb the one "onter was the cat," but he had not climbed within more than ten feet of the "varmint" when it rolled up its back, set its hairs all the wrong way and looked him right in the eye. He tried to draw off its attention, but no, said he, "No whar would it look but right in me eve." He began to descend the tree slowly and cautiously at first but more rapidly as he neared the ground. Once again ou solid earth he grasped his rifle and. after quieting the "buck ager" that had ta- ken possession of him, brought it to his shoulder and sent the ball crashing through the brain of his foe. Ile used to say when relating this adventure that it was the only time in his life that he was "skared," and that it was the first and last time that he ever tried to shake a painter "offen" a trec.

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History of Greene County, Ohio, Part 10

Author: Robinson, George F., 1838-1901 Publication date: 1902 Publisher: Chicago, S. J. Clarke Publishing Company Number of Pages: 934

Author: Robinson, George F., 1838-1901
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: Chicago, S. J. Clarke Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 934