History of Greene County, together with historic notes on the northwest and the state of Ohio, Part 82

Author: R. S. Dills
Publication date: 1881
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1037

USA > Ohio > Greene County > History of Greene County, together with historic notes on the northwest and the state of Ohio > Part 82

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Calvin Vanaman, farmer, Bowersville, is a son of Benjamin and Sophia. His father was born in Pennsylvania, September 17, 1795 ; his mother in this county, in 1802, and died November, 1846; he died August 9, 1879. They were married in this county in 1817. There were thirteen children of this marriage, of whom five are living; two died in infancy, and the others lived to be married and

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JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP.

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have families. Mr. Vanaman married Miss Sophia, daughter of Christopher Hussey, whose father was the first settler in this town- ship. The subject of this sketch was born in this township, Sep- tember, 1837, where he was reared, educated, and married to Mary A. Ellis, of this county. They are members of the Methodist Prot- estant Church of Bowersville. He has a farm of four hundred and three acres, well improved, on which he lives, and which brings him an annual income of about $2,000. IIe has never voted any but the Republican ticket when a national question was in view. Benjamin Vanaman owned, at one time, about one thousand two hundred acres of land in this county. He hauled his grain and drove his stock to Cincinnati to market. He would haul oats to Cincinnati and sell them for fifteen cents per bushel. The nearest mill was at Oldtown, to reach which it would take two days.

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SPRING VALLEY TOWNSHIP.

Spring Valley Township was organized in December, 1856; being composed of the eastern portion of Sugar Creek Township. The petition was filed with the county commissioners on the 1st day of December, 1856, signed by R. D. Poague, Robert Evans, and Am- brose Elam, all since deceased. Washington Alexander, Ambrose Elam, and Jason M. Neeld, were the first trustees elected; Joseph Mason the first clerk, and also first justice of the peace.

In 1857, a portion of Xenia and Caesar's Creek townships. were added to Spring Valley. W. J. Alexander was successor to Joseph Mason in the office of justice of the peace. Robert Evans, Am- brose Elam, and W. J. Alexander were elected trustees for seven or eight years, and until the death of the two first-named gentlemen; and the latter has held the position almost continuously until the present date.

The township is Republican in polities, generally giving a Re- publican majority of from twenty-five to fifty votes on county and state elections. Township officers are generally selected from each of the parties.

The financial affairs of the township have been well, although liberally, managed, the taxes having been lighter than in any other township in the county, excepting Caesar's Creek, and a part of the time in Sugar Creek.

There are cleven sub-school districts in the township, each of which is provided with a good school building.

All the principal roads are graded, graveled, and well bridged.

There are four Methodist Episcopal churches, one Friends' and one Methodist Protestant Church in the township.

There are three flouring, and two saw-mills, one woolen mill, one oil-mill, one tow-mill, and one beer saloon.

The people are generally industrious, frugal, sober, and moral; largely the descendants of South Carolina and Virginia people.

Spring Valley Township was the home of the late Hon. J. G.

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SPRING VALLEY TOWNSHIP.

Gest, and is the home of the Hon. I. M. Bassett, both of whom have represented Greene County in the state legislature.

It was also the home of Hon. J. E. Hawes, now common pleas judge; Levi Riddell, Esq., present county surveyor; T. R. Schnebly, Esq., a prominent member of the Greene County bar.

Among the old citizens who were prominent in their day, might be mentioned the names of Hon. John Clark, who was common pleas judge for twenty-one years; Robert Evans, Washington Alex- ander, R. D. Poague, and Jesse Sanders, who were leading and thrifty farmers, and George Barrett, an enterprising manufacturer, all of whom have passed away.

Michael Daugherty and Moses Walton, two of the pioneers, and the only two remaining among us, have reached a ripe and honor- able old age, both having been active and enterprising business men, the former having run the first oil mill ever built in the county. Each of them has, in the past, been engaged largely in the pork and cattle business.

TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION.

At the date of the organization of the township, Joseph Mason was justice of the peace, having been elected in the old organiza- tion of Sugar Creek Township. Mr. Mason served, in all, as justice, twenty-one years. He was also clerk of the township of Spring Valley a number of years, and was a competent officer. He died in the year 18-, at the age of about seventy-two years. Ilis widow still survives, having been several years his junior.

W. J. Alexander was the first justice elected in the new town- ship, but owing to some supposed irregularity in its organization, his office was declared vacant by the order of the common pleas court; a new election was ordered, and Mr. Alexander and A. T. Craig were elected, the former having been elected four terms, and before the expiration of his last term, resigned. Esquire Craig has held the office until the present date. IIe also held the office of trustee for a number of years, and yet holds the position, and has served in each of said capacities with credit to himself and to the acceptance of his constituents.

George Turner held the office of justice of the peace for one term, Joseph G. Gest for two terms; W. J. Alexander has been trustee for nineteen years, Lewis Smith for four years, Esquire

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Craig for eight years, John Morris for three years, Isaac Evans for two years, Robert Evans eight years, Ambrose Elam three years, A. D. Williams three years, Smith Babb one year, N. L. Davis one year.

SPRING VALLEY VILLAGE

Was laid out in 1845, by Edward and Moses Walton, and is situ- ated at the crossing of the Little Miami Railroad with the Cincin- nati, Lebanon and Xenia Turnpike, and on the bank of the Little Miami River. Just opposite is a village known as Transylvania, laid out by Jeffrey Truman, about 1820; now owned, except three lots, by W. J. Alexander, the old houses all being torn down, ex- cept one which is used as a shop.

Claysville, two miles south of Spring Valley, was laid out by Elias Adrit and John Speer, in the year 1845; situated on the rail- road, and has a grain house owned and operated by Mr. A. Alex- ander. There are five dwelling houses in the village.

The village of Spring Valley has a population of about four hundred souls, and is the voting place for the township.

Moses Walton, one of the proprietors of the village, still resides there, and has been a very enterprising and active business man- for many years. selling dry goods, etc., and packing pork, besides farming on a very extensive scale. His sons have for several years past been manufacturing buggies on a very extensive scale, until during the past winter, when their factory was destroyed by fire.

In 1844 Mr. George Barrett, father of IIon. I. M. Barrett, erected a woolen mill, and managed it successfully until his death, which occurred about three years past, since which time his son, I. M. Barrett, has managed the factory, together with his extensive flouring mills and grain and pork house.

There is a flourishing school in the village, composed of three grades, with a very imposing and commodious school building, sit- uated on an eminence just east of the village.

EARLY SETTLERS.

Michael Daugherty, the oldest citizen now living in the township, was born in Philadelphia, in 1801, of Irish parents. Moved to this . township and engaged in the manufacture of linseed oil on Glady

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Run in 1829. In 1832 he built a mill where Spring Valley now stands, and manufactured oil and woolen goods for a number of years; was also extensively engaged in the dry goods business, pork packing, and driving cattle to the eastern market; and by his in- dustry and perseverence, contributed largely to the prosperity of the county. Mr. Daugherty reared a family of ten children, all of whom are respectable business men and women, some being quite wealthy. Mr. Daugherty has reached a good, ripe old age, and moves among us an honored relic of a generation past and gone.

Josiah Elam, Edward Mercer, Jesse Sanders, William, Samuel, and Robert MeKnight came to the township about 1802-1805, and settled on the waters of Caesar's Creek, and made the first settle- ment in the township. All lived many years, and were honorable and useful men in their day.

Mr. Elam was a revolutionary soldier, and raised a family of ten children, one of whom was a soldier in the war of 1812. Mr. Elam's family were all respectable men and women, and lived and died without a stain against the character of any. Three daugh- ters still survive, and are models of integrity and virtue. One lives in Logan County, one in Logansport, Indiana, and the remain- ing one, Mrs. Truman, relict of Jesse Truman, lives in Transylvania, in this township.

CHURCHES.

In 1818, the Murser's Run Baptist Church was organized by Aaron Lambert, - Hanby, and a few others, near Caesar's Creek, about four miles east of Spring Valley, who built a log meeting- house, which was used until it burned down, a few years ago, after which the church was removed to a new building, in Caesar's Creek Township, where it still exists, with about thirty members.

The Spring Valley Baptist Church was organized in 1844, by Judge Clark and family, Washington Alexander and family, Elias Adair and family, and others, in a log school house, two miles west of Spring Valley, who held their meetings in the school house dur- ing the winter, and in the grove during the summer, until the spring of 1848, when they built a frame meeting-house in the vil- lage. This church prospered until 1860, when, by death and re- moval, its organization was abandoned.

The Friends or Quaker Church was organized in 1808, by Ed-

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ward Walton, William and John Mendenhall, and William Stan- field, and their families. They built a log meeting-house about three miles east of Spring Valley, where they continued to worship until 1844, when they built a frame house near Spring Valley. This house was occupied until 1877, when the society purchased the Baptist meeting-house in Spring Valley, and reorganized and changed their name from " Richland " to the "Spring Valley Pre- parative Meeting of the Society of Friends." They number about one hundred members, and are in a flourishing condition.

The Sardis Methodist Episcopal Church was formed at the resi- dence of William Davis, who settled in the township in 1817. The society was organized by William Davis and Thomas McCool, both local preachers, Jacob Medscar, James Lyle, and others, in 1820. The church held its meetings at William Davis' until 1828, when they built a log house on the farm of Mr. Davis. In 1850, they moved to Spring Valley, and built a frame house. It has a mem- bership of sixty.

The Glady Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1835, by James Schnebly, James Baldwin, and others. They held their meetings at Mr. Schnebly's residence until 1864, when they built a frame house, about four miles north of Spring Valley, on the Xenia and Bellbrook road. The society is small.

The Protestant Methodist Church was organized in Spring Val- ley, in 1849. The principal organizers were Michael Daugherty, M. A. Gest, and Mrs. Johanna Morris.

BIOGRAPHICAL.

William J. Alexander, attorney, was born in this township, June 10, 1827. His father, Washington Alexander, was born in South Carolina, in 1800, and came to this county with his parents, in 1802. In 1823, he was united to Miss Rachel Clark, who was born in this county, in 1805. William J., was one of the results of the mar- riage. His grandfather, John Alexander, was born in 1777, and died in 1849. His grandmother, Isabella (Adair) Alexander, was born in 1783, and departed this life in 1841. His grandfather on on his mother's side, John Clark, was born about the year 1777, and died in July, 1850. His grandmother departed this life seven years after. ITis grandfather, Alexander, as a Democrat, was elect- ed, and served two consecutive terms in congress from Xenia district,

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commencing in 1812. He was, also, for a while in the latter part of the war, a private in the war of 1812. Ilis grandfather Clark, also en- listed at the same time, and by the unanimous voice of the company was made captain. They both served until the close of the war. In Mr. Alexander's youth, the chances for an education were not so good as at the present date, but by close application at the district schools, and five months at Prof. Thomas Steele's school, in Xenia, he received more than an ordinary education. On the 28th of Feb- ruary, 1850, he was united in marriage to Elizabeth Weller, daughter of John and Margaret Weller, who removed from New Jersey to Montgomery County, Ohio, about 1820. The result of this union, was three children, two of whom are living: Perry A., aged twenty-five years, and Charlie F., twenty-two years old. The one deceased, was named Rachel. His son, Perry, is.married to Miss Ella Elgin, daughter of Dr. Elgin, of Spring Valley. They have one child, a girl, named Laura. They live in Spring Valley Township and carry on farming. Mr. and Mrs. Alexander are both members of the Little Run Baptist Church, and have been for more than thirty years. IIe has been justice of the peace twelve years, and township trustee more than twenty years, and for more than seventeen years he served as one of the district school board. From the time he left school, up to 1857, he carried on farming in all its branches, but in this named year, he commenced to study law at home, but under the instruction of Judge C. W. Dewey, of Xenia, and was admitted to practice law in the courts of Ohio, in 1860, before the district court of Xenia, Judge Sextou, Captain Nesbitt, and Hon. John Little, being the examining board. In 1877, at Cincinnati, he was examined by Hon. R. F. Howard, ex-judge, E. H. Munger, and Hon. John Little, and admitted to practice in the United States courts. ITis law knowledge is hereditary, as his father and grandfather were both lawyers. His grandfather was for twenty-one years associate judge for the court sitting at Xenia. He is a Master Mason, and belongs to Warner Lodge, No. 410, F. and A. M. Politically, Mr. Alexander is a pronounced Democrat. He was one of the delegates to Cincinnati, that nominated General W. S. Hancock for the presidency. In 1872, he was also a delegate to Baltimore, when Horace Greeley was nominated. In 1868, when Hon. Horatio Seymour was a candidate for the presidency, Mr. Alexander was one of the district electors. He cast his first vote for Gen. Lewis Cass of Michigan, who won such fame and re-

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nown in the Mexican war. At present, he owns six hundred and forty acres of land in Spring Valley Township, andwith the exception of about one hundred and forty acres woodland, it is all under good condition. This is farmed principally by his sons, Perry and Charlie, as his large law practice with the firm of Alexander and Spencer keeps him generally busy. Socially, Mr. Alexander, is a gentleman to win friends wherever his lot in life is cast.

John Anderson, retired farmer, and stock raiser, was born Nov- ember 6, 1813. His parents, and grandparents came to this state about 1807, and settled where John now lives. They formerly lived in North Carolina. The chances for an education in the early youth of Mr. Anderson, were limited to the usual subscription class of that period, but before his school days were entirely over, he had the pleasure of the free school system for a short time. De- cember 29, 1837, he was married to Miss Charity Stanfield, by whom he had thirteen children, seven living: William, Preston, Harmon, Zero, John, Levina R., and Charley. The deceased are Nathan, Cicero, Eli, Albert, James L., and an infant not named. Of those living, all are married except Preston and Charley. Mr. Anderson and his wife have been members of the Methodist Church for more than thirty-five years, and during that time he has filled several offices of honor and trust, and is now one of the trustees. IIe was superintendent of the Sabbath-school connected with the church, until his failing health compelled him not to accept it any longer. For more than twenty years he has been a sufferer with the rheu- matism, and sometimes to such an extent as to incapacitate him even for walking. Ile is, and always has been a Republican since the inception of the party. His father was a Whig, as was also John, until the Republicans came in vogue. One year after his marriage he went to Fayette County, when he remained about ten years, then came back, and in about one year purchased the home place of the heirs and since resided there. All the property he has, three hundred acres of good first class land, he and his wife made by hard work and economy, except about twelve hundred dollars each, which they got from their parents at their death. He is yet industrious, but is unable to work very much. Mr. Anderson was not in the war of the rebellion, but has furnished three sons. Wil- liam, who was in the One Hundred and Fifty-Fourth, Ohio Volunteer Infantry in Virginia, and Preston, and Harman who

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went into the One Hundred and Tenth Regiment, Ohio Volun- teer Infantry, They were in all, or nearly all the battles of the regiment, principally among them being, Winchester, Battle of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, and Cedar Creek. They entered the service August 22, 1862, and remained until the surrender of Gen. Lee to Gen U. S. Grant, in April, 1865, Although having some very narrow escapes neither of them were wounded, the nearest to it being Harmon, who was hit on the ankle with a spent ball. They both served with distinction, and each has an honorable discharge.

James C. Collins, farmer, was born in York County, Pennsylva- nia, in 1812, and came to this country with his parents, William and Lydia (Manifold) Collins, in 1816, with other families, forming a colony. When James was brought across the mountains he was put into a feed trough for safe keeping, but it would be an exceed- ing hard matter to squeeze him into such a place now. His parents settled near the place upon which he now resides, where his father carried on the business of distiller, when it was not in such bad re- pute as at present. In 1823 his father died, when James was nearly twelve years of age, and he remained with his widowed mother until 1847, when he was married to Miss Martha Ander- son, a daughter of William and - (Kyle) Anderson, the latter a sister of Judge Samuel Kyle. He lived with her very pleasantly until she died, in 1858, at the age of thirty-seven years. He was again married, to his present wife, Miss Catharine Anderson, a cousin of his former wife, in 1869. He is the father of six children, three living: Lydia J., William A., and John H. The deceased are James P., Robert, and an infant, not named. Both himself and wife are members of the United Presbyterian Church. He has been a farmer all his life, and cares to be nothing else, even for added wealth. Is a Republican in politics, and his ancestors, with- out exception, were opposed to slavery. Mr. Collins is a gentle- man, respected by all who come in contact with him.

John Q .. Collins, farmer, was born in Xenia Township, this coun- ty, April 4, 1841, of Samuel and Rebecca (McClellan) Collins. Samuel Collins came with his parents from Pennsylvania, about the year 1816, and remained with them until his marriage, which oc- curred in 1836. He then bought out some of the heirs to his father's estate, and carried on farming until his death, in 1858. Miss McClellan was born near Wooster, in this state, and removed

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to this county with her parents a short time previous to her mar- riage. The educational advantages enjoyed by John were of the best in his youth; and up to the age of seventeen, when his father died, he had made considerable headway, and even attended one term at Westminster College, Wilmington, Pennsylvania, in the year in which his father died. His father's death, to a great ex- tent, curtailed his advantages for an education. After his father's death, in 1858, he, with his brother William H., rented the home- stead from his widowed mother and the heirs, and farmed it until October 9, 1861, when he thought it his imperative duty to enlist in the war of the rebellion, which he did, by joining Company D, Seventy-Fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He served with distinc- tion through all the battles in which his regiment was engaged, until he was wounded, in front of the enemy, at the battle of Stone River, December 31, 1862. Almost immediately he was taken prisoner, and paroled. His wound was of such a nature, however, that he had to remain in the hospital, and on Monday he was re- captured by our forces, when they took the town. He received his discharge January 21, 1863, and started home; but prior to this, his brother William II. joined the company as a recruit, so the name was yet carried on the company rolls. William served about one year, when he was discharged on account of sickness. John's object in accepting a discharge and returning home, was the better to recruit his shattered health, so as to enlist again; but although the wound healed, he was never again in a condition to rejoin his comrades on the tented field. The scar of the wound is yet visible, and will always serve as a memento of the late war. IIe used his means and influence, however, for the furtherance of the cause, for which he had fought, and was the direct cause personally of quite a number's enlisting. All the time after the healing of his wound, he attended the farm as best he could with the limited help pro- curable at that time. He ever reverts, with pardonable pride, to his experience in the war. March 6, 1866, he was united in mar- riage to Miss Hattie Farquer, of Xenia, by whom he has had three children: Pearl and Mabel living, aged respectively cleven and eight years, and an infant son deceased, not named. Both he and his wife are members of the Second United Presbyterian Church of Xenia, and have taken an active part in all its duties since their joining, which occurred in 1861. Is a Republican in politics, and cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln. Never sought for, and

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consequently has never held office. He does not alone labor for the accumulation of wealth, for personal adornment, or the prospective future of his children. While, of course, he labors that they may not be indigent when he dies, he also labors for the advancement of religion, not alone of denomination and a few, but of the heart . and the world, the advancement of the interests of state, and the great interests of his fellow-man. May he live to accomplish his ends.

John Compton, retired farmer, New Burlington, Ohio, was born on the old homestead, near New Burlington, March 1, 1807; was the son of Amos and Rebecca (Millhouse) Compton, who were both born in South Carolina. They came to this state in 1804, or 1805, and settled where our subject now resides. They left their former home for the two-fold reason of escaping to some place where there was no such thing as traffic in human flesh, and to better their con- dition financially. They came in wagons, and on horseback; and with streams to ford, and mountains to cross, they were indeed pioneers; and all their woodcraft stood them good service in the clearing of the forests to build their homes. Getting an education in the youth of our subject was a matter attended by considerable trouble. They had no system of common schools at that time, and the teachers were paid by a subscription raised by the different peo- ple who had children to send. Our subject's first school experience was in the usual log hut. The chimney was made on the inside, of huge logs, open in front, and made with sticks and mud on the out- side. The hearth was of large stones, brought from the neighbor- ing brooks. A log was taken out one side, and greased paper in- serted for glass. There was a puncheon floor, and heavy slabs for seats, and smoother slabs fastened to the sides of the hut, at an an- gle, to serve as writing-desks. Quite a contrast this to our modern model little brick structure in the country. Our subject, being in- genious, had made himself a squirt-gun of elder, and this being the only one in the school, he was promoted to the position of fireman -that is, he was to put out the fire when it caught the logs that constituted the fire-place. It is hardly necessary to say he rather enjoyed it than otherwise. IIe lived at home until his marriage, working on the farm in the summer, and going to school in the winter. In 1832, he was married to Miss Rebecca Steddom, of Warren County. The result of this marriage was three children, all living: Eunice, Alice, and Amos S. They are all married-

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History of Greene County, together with historic notes on the northwest and the state of Ohio, Part 82

Author: R. S. Dills Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1037

Author: R. S. Dills
Publication date: 1881
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1037