USA > Ohio > Greene County > History of Greene County : together with historic notes on the Northwest, and the state of Ohio, gleaned from early authors, old maps and manuscripts, private and official correspondence, and all other authentic sources > Part 83
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trace, as they were called. It was the first road of any kind, how- ever, in that section of the county, and a section of one of the trees being taken, and the rings counted, show the trail to have been blazed before 1786. We are indebted to Samuel McKnight, son of William, for this information. This trace extended from Waynesville to Old 'Chillicothe, and between these two places he saw no white man, but on the east side of Cæsar's Creek he found
. vacated log cabins, left by the white men because of anticipated Indian troubles. Although he heard firing, he saw no Indians. He reached Augusta County in 1803, and went to work in the dis- tillery which he and his brothers, Samuel and Robert, had started prior to his visit to Kentucky. In the winter and spring of 1804-5 he with his brother Samuel came to Ohio to purchase land, and after locating what they wanted, they found the owners lived in
Richmond, Virginia. They then returned home, and the same year William went to Richmond and purchased the land, one thousand acres, of Pickard, Pollard & Johnson, Robert Gibbons'
survey. In September, 1807, they sold their distillery interests, and with their brother David and others, forming a colony, they set out for Ohio, by way of Harper's Ferry, through Pennsylvania, and by that way, as they could not cross the mountains to come in a direct line. In 1808, he went back to Virginia, and married Jane Fulton, and started for Ohio immediately, three horses serving to transport themselves and personal effects. The result of this union was three sons and three daughters: Hannah, John, Margaret, Mary, Samuel, and David; the daughters are now deceased, but the three sons are living, two of them married; John to Sarah B. Davis, and David was married to Emma J. Adams, Rappahannock County, Virginia, April 23, 1868. They have four children, Han- nah, William, Mary, and Robert, aged, respectively, eleven, nine, five, and two years. David lives on part of the tract origi- nally owned by his uncle Samuel. Samuel, the other son, is yet unmarried, and in his sixty-fourth year, but looks no more than fifty. Mrs. McKnight died August 6, 1825, and the house work then devolved on Hannah, the eldest daughter. She never mar- ried, and remained at the old homestead until her death, September 22, 1868. Mr. McKnight never married again, but lived there with Hannah until his death, which occurred July 16, 1853. Prior to his death, however, he made a will, and gave his land jointly to his sons and daughters, leaving their share in money. ITis sous lived
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
thus amicably together until 1861, when they divided the land. They had before this, however, purchased more land together as partners, and in the division John took the homestead, with two hundred and twenty-six acres, and Samuel two hundred and twen- ty-six acres; this took all originally willed by the father, and David got the farm they had all purchased together, after paying the dif- ference of twenty-four acres, which was in the new farm. All these men occupy enviable places in society, and are loved and re- spected by their neighbors. .
John McKnight, retired farmer, was born on the old homestead farm, April 17, 1811, and is a son of William and Jane (Fulton) McKnight, the biography of his father appearing in this work. Our subject's opportunities for an education were limited to the usual subscription class of schools of that day, and his chances for a more thorough education were materially lessened by the death of his mother, which occurred in 1825, when he was in his four- teenth year. This also made his father's task more heavy in bring- ing up his family of six children. Our subject, with his brothers, remained at home on the farm, and assisted their father in clearing the forest until the latter's death, which occurred in 1853, in his seventy-sixth year. Prior to his death, his father had willed his property (real estate) to his three sons, jointly, who lived together and farmed it amicably until 1861, when they divided, the other two allowing John to retain the homestead. He remained here, with his eldest sister, Hannah, as housekeeper, until September, 1868, when she died. After that he tried various housekeepers, and at last tried boarding. After tiring of all, he concluded to marry, if he possibly could, and in pursuance of this laudable pur- pose, he united with Miss Sarah Belle Davis, a daughter of H. L. Davis, who lives on an adjoining farm. The marriage was con- summated June 12, 1876. His wife is a member of the Spring Valley Methodist Episcopal Church, and has been for more than a score of years. Mr. McKnight has been a Republican since the inception of the party, and cast his first vote for Henry Clay, in 1832. He was too old for the war of the rebellion, but his father, with two brothers, was in the war of 1812, and served in the three months' service, under Captain John Clark, grandfather of W. J. Alexander, whose biography appears in this work. Mr. McKnight lives in a fine, commodious brick house, built by his father in 1828, and remodeled by himself in 1876, just after his marriage. He is
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a gentleman whom to meet is a pleasure, and to know is an honor ; and the same can truthfully be said of his brothers, Samuel and David, whose names appear incidentally in the biography of Wil- liam McKnight, their father.
Miss Margaret MeKnight, farmer and stock raiser, was born at the old homestead, where she now resides, May 9, 1808. Her father, Robert Mcknight, was a brother of William McKnight, whose- biography appears in this work, and her mother, Elizabeth (Fulton) MeKnight, was a sister to the wife of William MeKnight, all of whom immigrated to this state in the fall of 1807. This union re- sulted in the birth of three children : Margaret, already mentioned, James, and Mary. James was married to Anna MeKay in Novem- ber, 1838, and became the father of four children. He died July 8, 1844, and was interred in the old Mcknight burying-ground, whose first interment bears date of May 1, 1809. His widow was afterward married again to Elijah Spark. In April, 1839, Mary was married to James Lyon, by whom she had two children, one of whom, Martha, is married to W. H. Hopping, and Elizabeth, the other child, is yet unmarried, and is living with her aunt Margaret. Mrs. Lyon died November 19, 1844, in her thirty-fourth year, and her husband followed August 16, 1849. At the marriage of James and Mary, Mr. McKnight gave decds to each of them for one hun- dred and fifty and one hundred and forty-five acres of land respect- ively, but to Margaret, who never married, he gave, at his death, the old homestead and the remainder of his land, one hundred and forty-five acres. Although the original tract purchased by the brothers was one thousand acres, as per Gibbon's survey, an actual and careful survey made it one thousand three hundred and twenty . acres ; in consequence, Robert's share was four hundred and forty acres. Margaret did not have an opportunity to attend school un- til she was nine years old, as the distance to school was over two miles, and she was thought too young to walk that distance prior to that time. She improved her time, however, when the oppor- tunity offered. She is a consistent member of the First Presbyte- rian Church of Xenia, and has been for more than a score of years.
She yet remains on the farm, attending to all the duties pertain- ing to it, and the stock and buildings show as much, and more, thrift and energy than is generally given by men to such details. None excel her in the crops she raises, and her live stock compares favorably with any in the township. She is kind and benevolent,
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and is loved by all who know her. She shows, with pardonable pride, a three-pound note, created and made legal tender by act of assembly of Virginia, July 17, 1775. The note is indorsed by Phil. Johnson and John Tazewell, and signed by the treasurer, Robert Carter Nichols. The note bears the inscription on one end, and running at right angles to the face, "Death to counterfeiters." Elizabeth McKnight, her mother, died July 29, 1854, aged eighty- three years. Her father departed this life February 27, 1856, in the seventy-sixth year of his age.
William McPherson, farmer and stock raiser, was born in Xenia, Ohio, February 16, 1816, of John II., and Margaret (Hivling) McPherson, who came from near Hagerstown, Maryland, and set- tled in Xenia when it was but a clearing in the wilderness. His grandparents on his father's side were from Scotland, and his grandfather was the first sheriff in this county. On his mother's side, his grandparents came from Germany. In his youth, Mr. McPherson had few educational advantages, but as he grew older, he attended school for some time under Prof. Thomas Steel, and later under the Rev. Mr. Hugh McMillan, except one year's absence in Dayton to commence the trade of saddler, and was. at home until his marriage. He learned his trade, and worked at it until the spring of 1840, when he went to farming and raising stock, at which business he has since continued. His first farming venture, was on land rented from his grandfather, but his uncle, John An- keney, noticed the shrewdness of young William, and purchased him the farm on which he now resides. He was married in the autumn of 1839, to Miss Mary A. Rader, by whom he has had nine children, six living : John H., Adam R., Willie, Ann Eliza, Sophia, and Georgiana ; of these, three are married. Adam to Ellen Hap- man, and living near DesMoines, Iowa; John to Lizzie. Given, and living in Xenia Township; and Eliza to E. S. Barrett, who lives on his father's farm in this township. Those deceased, are Robert E., Joshua and an infant. Mrs. McPherson is a member, and has been for more than forty years, of the German Reformed Church of Xenia. Mr. McPherson has been school director for nine years, and has been a director in Greene County Agricultural Society for more than twenty years, and was this year again elected to serve two years. For over twelve years, he has been superintendent in the cattle department of the Ohio State Agricultural Society. He is a member of the Xenia Lodge No. 52, Odd-fellows, is also Mas-
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ter of Walnut Grange No. 25, P. of H., of Spring Valley Town- ship, and has always been a Republican, but cast his first vote for General Harrison, in 1840. Two of his sons participated in the late war. John was in Company C, Seventy-Fourth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served all through the war, and was honorably discharged and without a scratch. His son Joshua, was also a member of the Seventy-Fourth Regiment, but he died at. Nashville, Tennessee, from a sickness contracted while on his way to join the regiment. Mr. McPherson has one hundred and eighty- three acres of land in Spring Valley Township, with about twenty acres of woodland included. His buildings are all in good order, and his stock shows the care that denotes the thrifty farmer. Aside from this, he is a half owner in one hundred and sixty acres of land in Indiana, which lies about four miles from Muncie, and about one hundred acres of which is under cultivation. Mr. McPherson is a man well spoken of by his neighbors, and enjoys the confidence of all with whom he comes in contact.
Mrs. Hettie Mendenhall, relict of Ivy Mendenhall, was born in Highland County, Ohio, June 28, 1805. She was the daughter of Jacob Medtsker, and Margaret Hamilton, who were married about the year 1793, in Pennsylvania, near the Juniata River. Her father originally came from Germany with his parents, when he was a mere lad. Her parents came to this state about 1800, and first set- tled where Highland County now is, when Hettie was born. They remained there until about 1812, when they removed into Cæsar's Creek this county, where he remained quite awhile. He then went to Pine Creek, Indiana, where he remained until his death, which found him ready and prepared at the advanced age of ninety- three years. Meantime, Hettie had on the 23d of November, 1826, united herself in marriage to Ivy Mendenhall, who was born Nov- ember 8, 1802. She lived with him and performed all the duties pertaining to her station, when after nearly a half centuary, death stepped in and she was left a widow. Ivy Mendenhall died Sep- tember 20, 1875. Miss Hettie was the fifth child, and on account of her extreme good nature, she was frequently made to mind the other children when she should have been at school. In this way her education was sadly neglected. Since her marriage however, she has learned to read the Bible with great case and although not attached to any church, she takes great delight in the perusal of its pages. She has never had any children of her own, but has
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HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
been quite successful in the raising of one neice, who is happily married and well settled in life, and has one other with her now, who will not probably suffer in the coming future.
Jonas Peterson, sr., retired farmer, Xenia, was born in Hardy County, Virginia, September 8, 1800. His great-grandfather, John Jacob Bidert, afterward corrupted into Peterson in the translation into English, was born in Barenville County, Basol-of-Laugenburg, Switzerland, January 7, 1706, of Christian parents, who were de- voted to their adherence to church discipline. The early school advantage of young Hans or John were such as the poorer classes received at that day in Switzerland. August 13, 1728, he was mar- ried to Sarah Mohlerin, a near neighbor girl, and by her had nine children, four of whom were born in Switzerland: Jacob, John Martin, Michael, and Sarah. July 23, 1736, he sailed for America. Ilis passport was made out in due form, and on it his destination was marked as the " Island of Pennsylvania." Prior to sailing, he was presented by his pastor, N. John- Fredrick Westein, with a letter recommending him and his wife and four children to the kind mercies of the people on this side of the Atlantic; asking the blessing of the Ruler of all upon them, both spiritually and tem- porally, and the prayer of this divine man seems to have been answered in all respects, for the family is noted for piety, and their temporal wants are fully supplied. He landed in Phildelphia, and remained in Pennsylvania some few years, and then removed to Augusta County, Virginia-this county was afterwards divided, and their home was in Hardy County. In this country they had born to them five more children : Anna Maria, Trina Bettie, Annie Maria : Barbara, and two children who died in infancy. In Virginia he took an oath of allegiance to Our Sovereign Lord, King George III., by the grace of God, King of Great Britain. This instrument was signed in the presence of Frau Fauquire, November 20, in the fifth year of the aforesaid sovereign's reign. The records do not give the date of the death of either John Jacob Peterson or his wife, Sara (Mohlerin) Peterson, but judging from the longevity of the subject, they cach lived to a ripe old age.
John Martin Peterson was born in Switzerland, as already stated, May 20, 1730, and came to this country with his parents July 23, 1736. After they had been in this country some time, he was taken prisoner by the Indians, as were also his three step-sisters and a Mr. Moser, and his wife, formerly Eve Elizabeth Harper.
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The others who had been in the party were killed by their captors, but John M., managed to escape. He made his way back to North Carolina, and then married Miss - Tecter, by whom he had three sons and three daughters: Jacob, John (father of the subject of our sketch), Joseph, Elizabeth, married to Garrett Boots; Bar- bara, married to Peter Hoffman, and Rosanna, married to David Hoffman. To return to our captives a short time : Mr. Moser was- killed by an Indian with a tomahawk, while he was sitting on a log with his wife; she was kept six years a prisoner and slave, and then exchanged by the French and Indians at Upper Sandusky. She afterward was married to Jacob Peterson. After fourteen years, Anna Maria was delivered to her brother, Jacob. She went back to Virginia, and afterward to Ohio, where she died in Ross County, and was buried on the north fork of Paint Creek. The other two girls were given to the French. Annie Maria Barbara married a Frenchman named Lewis, and it is thought Lewis, the Rocky Mountain explorer, was a son of hers. Trina Bettie was taken to France, but afterward returned to Philadelphia, where she died of the measels. The period of the death of John Martin Pe- terson and Teeter Peterson is also lost, but we have assurance they lived to quite a good age.
John Peterson was born in Hardy County Virginia, in June, 1867, and was married to Miss Mary Harper in 1789. By her he had six children: Solomon, Elizabeth, Martin, Phebe, Jonas, the subject of the original sketch, and John. John remained in Vir- ginia until October 18, 1806, when he came to Ross County, near Chillicothe. He remained at this place about four years, and then went to Franklin County, within seven miles of where the city of Columbus now stands. IIe only remained there over winter, how- ever, and returned to within two miles of where he had come from in Ross County. At about this time his wife died, May 26, 1811. In -, 1813, he was again married, to Miss Elizabeth Wells, by whom he had eight children : Sarah, Delilah, Susan, Margaret, Mary, Jessie, Abram, and David. Of the first children Jonas is the only one alive; of the latter Abram, David, Susan, and Margaret are alive. John remained in Ross County until July 17, 1817, when he came to the place where Jonas resides. This land at that time, with little exception, was in woods, and all manner of game was yet plentiful. Here he remained for quite a while, but eventually went west into Indiana, and then to Illinois, where he died in
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March, 1839. His wife had previously died March 26, 1837. Jonas' birth has already been recorded. He came to this state with his parents, and shared in all the hardships incident to the wild state of the country. His schooling was neglected to a great extent; in fact, when he first went to school he was so Dutch in his language that his schoolmates could not understand him, so he had to learn English before he could advance at all in his studies. But even
after that his education was slow, as the schools were kept up by subscription, and the terms were necessarily short, as the patrons of them were, as a class, poor. He drove team when he was less than fifteen years old to Cincinnati, and hauled flour, etc. When he was thirteen years of age, he and a companion named James Shepherd, were sent out with horses to bring in some sick soldiers. They had very little money with them, and had to go further than they expected, and had to go without food themselves, so as to procure food for their horses. They rode thus more than ninety miles before they got anything to cat at all. It shows considerable energy and endurance in one so young. But a greater feat yet he performed when he killed a mad dog when he was eight years of age. Jonas learned the blacksmith trade by working after night, and became quite an artist in his line. When he was out of iron, he would take the team and go to the iron works and haul long enough to earn a load of iron, and would then come home and work it up. Was married December 16, 1821, to Susanna Coyner (Kiner), by whom he had eleven children : John, married to Eliza- beth Peterson, living in this county; David, married to Mary J. Armintrout, moved to Indiana, thence to Illinois, when he died near Champaign City in April, 1871 ; Parris H., married to Amanda Tresler, lives in Xenia; Martin, married to Catharine Shooke, who died, and he then married Hannah Evans; Jonas, jr., married to Vina Bush, living near Spring Valley; Christian C., married to Mollie Bush, living with his father; Jane married John Hupman, but died; Hannah, married to John Mallow; Elizabeth, to Phillip Pagett, and Sarah to Silas T. DeWitt, and one died in infancy. With his wife he also got a copy of the Bible printed in German, and published in 1776.
Mr. Peterson and his wife joined the German Reformed Church in Xenia, in 1834. Before the meeting closed, there were thirty- five accessions, and the next year Jonas welcomed forty-nine more to the church. He has been deacon and elder in the church
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until his declining health compelled him to give up. He was one of the building committee in 1844, when they erected their first church on Cæsar's Creek. The foundations gave away a few years ago and since then they have erected another church building near the site of the old one. The money for the last one was mostly donated by the Petersons, or their connections. He served as en- sign, orderly sergeant, and first lieutenant in the second regiment home militia, under Colonel Mallow. He served in all fifteen years. More frequently he served in the captain's place than his own, as the captain, Joel Peterson, was generally tardy. He was born a Democrat, and never but once did he vote outside of the party, and that was in 1840, when he voted for General Harrison; he re- pented that, and never repeated the offence. His first vote was cast in 1824, for General Jackson, when the House of Representa- tives put in John Quincy Adams. Mr. Peterson at one time paid taxes on one thousand four hundred acres of land, but he has since sold and divided it around. To pass away the time he now resorts to many pleasant methods, one of which is sewing patches for quilts. Within five years he has sewed patches and put together fifty quilts. He shows them to visitors with pardonable pride. He has cight children living, forty-seven grandchildren, and twenty- six great grandchildren. He took quite a lively interest in all things, until October 2, 1878, and then his wife died. She was over seventy-seven years of age at her death, having been born March 26, 1801. Mr. Peterson loves to go back over old times, and can interest any one who will listen to him. He is kind at heart, and social in his habits. He is devout in his manner of life, but is os- tentatious in nothing.
Elizabeth Rohrbaugh, Spring Valley, was born in Hardy County, Virginia, of Fredrick and Eva E. (Bergdoll) Rohrbaugh. They were born in 1773 and 1780, respectively, and came to this state with their family about the year 1815, and settled on the farm where Elizabeth now resides. They came as much for bettering their fortune as anything else, as they were without the wealth in Virginia that makes people gentlefolks. Mr. Rohrbaugh lived long enough after coming to this state to build up a nice compe- tency for his family, and died in 1833, aged sixty years. His wife survived him until 1865, and then departed this life in her eighty- fifth year. Elizabeth is one of two living of a family of ten chil- dren. Her sister, Clarissa Rohrbaugh Strong, resides in Delaware
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County, Indiana. Elizabeth had few opportunities to improve in her youth, so far as educational advantages were concerned, and in consequence has not the brilliant education within the grasp of ladies of the present day. She never married, and always remain- ed at home and devoted herself to the welfare and comfort of her parents. She now lives at the old homestead, a stately brick man- sion, surrounded by all the comforts necessary for the decline of a life spent in usefulness. There are one hundred and ninety acres of land attached, and although rented, it returns a very good in- come. She is a member of the Zore Methodist Episcopal Church, which she joined in 1830, and although not attending regularly ever since, she has always been a consistent and devout member. She is kindly spoken of by her neighbors, and has a host of friends.
John W. Smith, grocer, Spring Valley, was born April 7, 1844. John Smith, sr., was born in this state, January 9, 1817. Miss Sophia Needles was born in the State of Delaware, in 1824, and came to this state with her parents when she was about fifteen years old. She and John Smith were married January 12, 1842. The result of this union was three children, of whom John, the subject of this sketch, was the second. While the school advan- tages in his youth were not so good as they are now, he was en- abled by close application to his studies, and an attendance at school of the three winter months, to get more than a common education. At the age of twenty-four he attended one term of the Lebanon (O.) Normal School, and this practically finished his edu- cation. His chances for a superior education would have been good, but his father died in 1848, when John was only four years old, and he had his own way to make in the world. In 1870 he was united in marriage to Miss Frances M. Bechtell, by whom he has had five children, three living : Effie, Jessie, and Willie, aged four, and one nine years of age. Those deceased are Georgie, and and infant, unnamed. The carly period of Mr. Smith's life, with the exception of school time, was spent on a farm until his twenty- third year, when he started to learn the carpenter trade. This was interrupted a short time by his normal school experience, after which he finished and worked at his trade until 1878, when he went into his present business at Spring Valley, corner Main Street and the railroad. In 1866 Mr. Smith united himself with Spring Val- ley Lodge No. 302, Odd-fellows, and has ever since been a faithful member and exponent of its beneficent teachings. Politically he
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