USA > Ohio > Guernsey County > History of Guernsey County, Ohio, Volume II > Part 40
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Mr. and Mrs. Pryor have one little daughter, Pauline, a bright, winsome child. Mr. Pryor is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Pleasant City and the Knights of Pythias at Byesville. He belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church and his wife to the German Lutheran church.
JAMES G. COMBS.
From small beginnings James G. Combs, well known citizen of Byesville, Guernsey county, has gradually attained a prominence in this locality which entitles him to be regarded as one of our progressive citizens and therefore worthy to rank among them in a biogaphical compendium of the nature of the one at hand.
Mr. Combs was born near Winterset, Guernsey county, Ohio, in June, 1855. and he is the son of William and Delilah (Kimble) Combs. The father was born in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, in 1820 and he there grew to maturity and received his education, coming to Guernsey county, Ohio, in 1838. He followed farming and here he was married to Delilah Kimble, a native of Jefferson township, this county. She was the daughter of Adam and Mary (Huffman) Kimble, the father a pioneer here, having taken up land from the government. Their family consisted of four children : George WV., who lives near Winterset ; Martin, deceased; James G., of this review, and Mary Catherine, wife of George Lanning, who is engineer of the rolling
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mills at Cambridge. William Combs and wife lived near Winterset until about 1900, then moved to Cambridge and lived with the daughter, Mrs. Lanning. The death of William Combs occurred in March, 1910, and he was buried on Easter Sunday. He would have been ninety years of age the 16th of the following May. He was a grand old man whom everyone re- spected and admired, becoming a man of good standing in his community. He was for many years school director and trustee of his township two or three terms. He was a deacon in the Baptist church for many years, holding this office at the time of his death. He was a good and useful man in his com- munity. The death of Mrs. William Combs occurred in August, 1906. She was a woman of many praiseworthy characteristics, like her husband.
James G. Combs grew to maturity on the farm near Winterset, and he devoted his attention to farming, also worked a great deal at the carpenter's trade. He was married on April 4, 1878, to Allie J. McColley, daughter of William and Sarah (Saviers) McColley. She was born and reared near Antrim, this county. Her father was born in Washington county, Pennsyl- vania, in 1825, and there he grew to maturity, locating in Antrim about 1841 ; her mother was born in Madison township, this county. Her grandfather. John Saviers, came here at an early date and took up government land and figured prominently in the early history of this locality.
After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Combs continued to live on the farm in their neighborhood until November, 1908, when they moved to Byesville. where they still reside, but still retain their farm near Winterset, where he farms and keeps stock. Like his honored father before him, he has taken the part of a broad-minded citizen in local affairs. Politically, he is a Demo- crat, and is a member of the Baptist church, while his wife belongs to the Presbyterian church. They have three sons and two daughters: William Delno is a dentist and is located at Kenton. Ohio; Harry L. is in the Adams Express office in Columbus; John is in the drug business with his father in Byesville ; Kittie May and Pearl are both in Byesville and assist in the drug store, which is a neat and model one and where a large trade is carried on at all times. Fraternally, Mr. Combs is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America.
When Adam Kimble and John Saviers came to this county they both located near where the town of Winterset is now. It was the virgin forest, through which Indians and wild beasts roamed. These gentlemen located on adjoining farms, which they purchased direct from the government. They were great hunters and found deer and other game abundant. They found a white deer which they protected from other hunters, making a pet of it.
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Like their fellow pioneers, they built log cabins in the woods, and they were molested by the wolves, which kept up their howlings by night. They spun flax and made their own clothing, some of which the subject still remembers. Grandmother Kimble had a loom and did her own weaving.
ERASTUS F. MEEK.
The Meek family is eminently deserving of representation in a work of the province of the one at hand, for many reasons too obvious for specific mention, as will be seen from a perusal of the following paragraphs, and one of.the best known members of the present generation is Erastus F. Meek, of Byesville, who was born on the site of this city on July 13, 1844. The major part of his life has been spent in this vicinity, so that the history of Byesville and his own record are, in a way, one and the same. He is the youngest son of Jacob and Hannah ( Hastings) Meek, who came to what is now Byesville as early as 1831, the land then being in primitive woods. The ancestry of the Meek family is traceable by the genealogist back through nearly three centuries, to Guy Meek and others of this family who were of Welsh descent ; but they came to America from Shrewsberry, England, with Charles Calvert, the third Lord Baltimore, and received a grant of land in Maryland, between 1661 and 1670. Guy Meek was the father of Isaac, and he in turn also had a son Isaac, and the latter also named one of his sons Isaac. The third Isaac Meek was born in Annapolis, province of Maryland, on October 14, 1746, and his death occurred on his farm near Mt. Pleasant, Jefferson county, Ohio, December 12, 1840, at the advanced age of ninety-four years. He married Mary Robinson and eleven children were born to them, of whom the fourth was Joshua, who became the father of Jacob, and Jacob was the father of Erastus F. Meek. Isaac Meek, the great-grandfather of the subject, was a prominent man in his day. He settled in Brooks county, West Virginia, about 1770. The region was known at that time as West Augusta, Virginia, and was later incorporated in Ohio county and later was a part of Brooks county. During his residence there and while the territory was known as Ohio county, he was, for a number of terms, a member of the county court. In 1778 he was commissioned a lieutenant in the Virginia militia. He took an active part in the Indian wars of his day and, according to family tradition, he was with John McCulloch in his gallant dash to the rescue of Fort Henry in 1777. and accompanied the expedition of General Broadhead into Ohio in
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1781. At the formation of Brooks county in 1796 he became a member of the first county court of that county. In 1798 or 1799 he moved to Jefferson county, Ohio. and settled on Short creek near the present town of Mt. Pleas- ant. He was elected a member of the first Legislature of Ohio in 1803, and was a prominent factor in the political and religious circles of Jefferson county. He helped found the Holmes meeting-house, the first Methodist church in Ohio. His fourth son, Joshua, was born at Buffalo Creek. Ohio county, Virginia, on March 20, 1773, married Elizabeth Hedge, daughter of Silas Hedge, their wedding occurring in Brooks county, Virginia, on October 31, 1797, and his death occurred at Byesville, Ohio, on September 4, 1847, his widow surviving him until November 2, 1862. Her brother. Joseph Hedge, was in the war of 1812 and was killed by the Indians. Eleven children were born to Joshua and Elizabeth Meek, namely: Joseph, Mary, Margaret. Love Pumphrey, Elizabeth, Ruth, Isaac, Susan. Jacob, Solomon and Rebecca. Their son, Jacob Meek, was born in 1810, and about 1831 he married Hannah Hastings, who was born in Jefferson county, Ohio, and was the daughter of James and Martha (Black) Hastings. The parents of James Hastings came from Ireland. Soon after their marriage Jacob Meek and wife came to where Byesville now stands, and there bought one hundred acres, contained in Military Lot No. I, that ran west from what is now Depot street, south of Main street, paying the sum of four hundred dollars for the same. It was nearly all covered with woods, only a small part having been cleared and on the land was a log cabin. Later he bought Military Lot No. 16, one hundred acres, west of and adjoining the first tract. for which he paid seven hundred dollars. Still later he bought Military Lot No. 3, of one hundred acres, also adjoining and twenty-five acres off of Military Lot No. 2, at what is now the southwest corner of Main and Depot streets in Byesville. He also had a large farm in Jefferson county, to which he removed in 1847, remaining there six years, then returning to Byesville. He also owned a number of other tracts of land at different times in Guernsey county. He was industrious and an excellent manager, was a strong Republican, well known in both Jefferson and Guernsey counties. His death occurred in 1859, his widow surviving until 1877.
Erastus F. Meek, the immediate subject of this review, grew to maturity on his father's farms and assisted with the farm work until the Civil war. On August 8, 1862, when only eighteen years of age, he enlisted at Mt. Zion church in Company B. Ninety-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Fourth Army Corps. as a private and was promoted to corporal. He was on special duty as orderly at General Wagoner's headquarters about nine months, from July,
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1863. While in Kentucky in 1862 he had typhoid fever and was left by the roadside. He was taken to a private house by Robert Butler, a civilian, and was ill three months. He rejoined his regiment at Stone river. He was in the battles of Perrysville, Missionary Ridge, Charleston, Rocky Face Ridge, Dalton, Resaca, Adairsville, Dallas, New Hope Church, the first and second battles of Kenesaw Mountain, Lavergne, Peach Tree Creek, Atlanta, Jones- boro, Lovejoy Station, Columbia, Spring Hill, Franklin, Nashville and was in many skirmishes ; after much hard service and a record of which anyone should be proud, he was honorably discharged on June 10, 1865. Three of his brothers were also in the war, Joseph, Joshua and James.
On March 16, 1867, Mr. Meek married Jane Wilson, daughter of John C. and Mary Ann ( Burt) Wilson. She was born and reared near Byesville, and during her girlhood lived a few years in Iowa. Her father was a native of this county and was a cousin of Henry H. Wilson, whose sketch appears herein. The Wilson family was of Irish descent and was well known in Guernsey county.
After his marriage Mr. Meek continued farming until 1889. From that date until 1893 he was postmaster of Byesville. He performed his duty in a most faithful and conscientious manner, so well, in fact, that Postmaster- General Wanamaker wrote him a letter of thanks. After that he was notary public and engaged in the real estate business in Byesville, which he continued successfully until the latter part of 1908.
Ten children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Meek, of whom only four are living, namely : James H. died when three months old; Louie B. was the wife of Dr. A. B. Clark and they resided at Joplin, Missouri; her death occurred on November 22, 1891 ; Jacob Homer died on December 8, 1893, from an injury received in the mines ; Melinda died when four years old; Hannah M. is the wife of E. D. Corrin and lives at Colorado Springs, Colorado: Blanche I. is the wife of Charles Albert Orr; the seventh child, an infant daughter, died of whooping cough ; Leroy W., who is a dentist at Soda Springs, Idaho, married Emma Doty, of Mt. Vernon, Ohio; Bessie E. is the wife of Harry Heed and lives in Byesville; Vera Zoe died when ten months old. The mother of these children died on November 7, 1908. She was a member of the Protestant Methodist church, of which Mr. Meek is also a member. He is now living in Byesville looking after his real estate interests. Politically, he is a Republican, and he was township assessor for four years. He was also justice of the peace at Byesville and was trustee of Jackson township for six years, also township clerk for six years. He belongs to the Knights of Pyth- ias and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He was a charter member
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of David Kimball Post, No. 662, Grand Army of the Republic, of which he was post commander. He was a member of the Byesville city council for six years, and was a member and secretary of the Guernsey county soldiers relief commission for two years, resigning on August 1, 1907, when he went to Colorado for his health. It is safe to say that Mr. Meek is one of the most highly esteemed men in the vicinity of Byesville, and this is as it should be, considering his exemplary life.
WILLIAM S. STAGE.
Among the well known residents of Byesville is the gentleman whose name heads this sketch, who has always taken his full share in the activities of the neighborhood, and who is the descendant of a family of pioneers and soldiers long identified with the interests of Guernsey county, in which some of the members were among the early settlers, and whose share in its history has been such that this volume would be incomplete without their mention.
William S. Stage was born in Center township, Guernsey county, Ohio, on March 10, 1865, the son of William M. and Isabel ( Arbuckle) Stage. William M. Stage was born in Center township, and was the son of John and Elizabeth Stage. His parents came from New York state, in the early part of the last century, and settled in Center township. Among their children were John, who died young, and five daughters. William M. was the only son who lived to maturity. After the death of his first wife, he married Elizabeth Foy, by whom he was the father of six children, Cornelius. Jacob, George, James, Samuel and Phoebe.
William M. Stage grew up in Center township. During the Civil war he was a soldier in Company G, Seventy-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was in the service over two years, taking part, among other campaigns, in Sherman's march to the sea. He married Isabel Arbuckle, a daughter of James A. Arbuckle and a sister of Alexander Arbuckle, whose sketch see. Some time after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Stage moved to Jackson town- ship and lived there the rest of their lives, until his death, on March 26, 1882, and hers on April 4, 1908. Their children were Joseph, Freeman. Lucy, Cephas, William S., Thomas and Marion. Mr. Stage was a farmer during the greater part of his life, and successful. In politics he was a Republican, and in religion a Baptist, a member of Mt. Zion church. He was a man esteemed and respected by his neighbors.
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William S. Stage grew up on his father's farm, and farmed during the early portion of his life. He was married on November 19, 1881, to Mary E. Galbraith, who was born and reared in Spencer township, near Cumber- land, and is the daughter of Henry P. and Frances E. ( Evans) Galbraith. After marriage, William S. Stage lived on a Jackson township farm for some time, and also worked in the mines. Then he moved to a farm in Spencer township, where he lived for about a year. Selling this, he removed to Byes- ville, and for three years carried mail on a rural route. In 1906 he went into the livery business in Byesville, and has since continued this very successfully and profitably. Mr. Stage was born and bred a Republican, and has been active in township and county politics. He served one term as trustee of Jackson township, and is now serving as a member of the school board of the Byesville school district, and takes his share in the work of the party organization, being one of the workers on whom his party can always rely.
Mr. and Mrs. Stage are the parents of three children, Hazel, Emma, Herschel Marion and Frances Isabel, all at home. Both are members of the Mt. Zion Baptist church. Mr. Stage is known to many people in his region of the county, has many friends, gained by his geniality and agreeability of nature, and has never been known to refuse to a friend anything in reason.
H. P. Galbraith, father of Mrs. Stage, was born on a farm in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, and was the son of William and Margaret Galbraith. In his boyhood, his parents moved to Washington county, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh, where he grew to manhood, his occupation being that of a farmer. On February 21, 1859, he was married to Frances E. Evans, of Guernsey county. Ohio. They lived in Pennsylvania a year, then came to Guernsey county, where they spent the remainder of their lives. Frances E. Evans was born in Loudoun county. Virginia, and when a small child she came with her parents to Guernsey county, Ohio. Her parents purchased a farm near Claysville, Westland township, where she grew to womanhood. She was for some years a teacher in the country schools. She was the daughter of A. and Frances E. Evans, whose six children were Alcinda, Elizabeth, Frances, John. William and Mortimore. Her paternal grandparents came from Wales, and her mother's people were slave-holders at the time of the Civil war. To H. P. and Frances Galbraith were born seven children, namely: William, Ells- worth, Idella, Mary. Charles, Viola and Calvin. Mr. and Mrs. Galbraith were members of the Bethel Methodist Episcopal church. Mrs. Galbraith died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Stage, in Byesville, September 20, 1907, and was buried at the old Zion cemetery, near Claysville. Mr. Gal- braith, who now makes his home with Mr. and Mrs. Stage, is of Scotch-Irish
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descent. He was drafted during the latter part of the Civil war and served one hundred days at Gallipolis under Captain Coleman. He was eighty-six years old on November 22, 1910.
REV. EBENEZER FINLEY THOMPSON.
It would indeed be quite impossible to give even an approximate review of the great good done in the locality of which this history treats by the Rev. Ebenezer Finley Thompson, long since a pilgrim to the "city not made with hands, eternal in the heavens," for, during a long and laborious career, he sought to spread the gospel of peace and service among his fellow men, and aid them in any way possible, deeming it his mission in this sinful, benighted. evil-cursed world to expend his energy and devote much effort in making those better and happier with whom his lot was cast, consequently his light will continue to shine among them, growing brighter "unto the perfect day." As a preacher he was earnest, forceful, logical and often truly eloquent.
Reverend Thompson was born December 25, 1807, in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, near New Salem, the son of Judge William and Elizabeth (Finley) Thompson. The Thompsons and Finleys are of Scotch-Irish de- scent. Jacob Thompson, the great-grandfather of the subject, was the first Thompson coming to America a few years later than 1700, and landed at Battumon. His wife was Ann Downard. He was a farmer. His son, James, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born in 1758, in Maryland, and married Mary Jackson, in Chester county, Pennsylvania. Some years later the family went to Fayette county, Pennsylvania, and was engaged in farming. His son, William, was born in Fayette county, Pennsyl- vania, in October, 1783, and was married to Elizabeth Finley, who are the parents of the subject. There were in the family of William Thompson the following children: Ebenezer Finley, of this review; James, who became a lawyer ; Jane, who became Mrs. Rev. George Richey; William ; Harriet J. and Elizabeth J. Evans.
William Thompson came with his family to what is now Guernsey coun- ty, Ohio, in August, 1810, and settled in Possum valley. A few years later he bought land two miles east of Senecaville and built a grist mill, one of the very earliest of its time. He was a large land owner and was active in the affairs of the new country. A few years following this he bought lands upon which a large part of Senecaville is now built, owning about three hun-
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dred acres in this one piece of land. He was a very prominent man, served as a member of the Ohio Legislature, and also as county judge. He died from cholera in June, 1833. and is buried beside his father and mother, in the ceme- tery at Senecaville. He died in the prime of life and in the most active years of his life, aged forty-nine years. His widow died in 1860 and is also buried at Senecaville.
His son, Ebenezer F., was at the time of his father's death engaged in the mercantile business and continued in this for some years in connection with his brothers. Soon after his father's death he became converted and decided to enter the ministry. He closed out his business and prepared for a college course. He had accumulated considerable property prior to this time. He had attended the public schools of Senecaville and prepared for the min- istry at Uniontown, Pennsylvania, and at Ohio University at Athens, Ohio, and, finishing his education, was ordained by the Cumberland Presbyterian church and immediately began his ministerial work in Guernsey county.
Reverend Thompson was married May 20, 1845, to Louisa Halley, daughter of Edward and Mary (Wartenbee) Halley, of near Byesville, Guernsey county. Mr. Halley was of English descent and both the Halleys and Wartenbees were large land owners and mill operators from Wheeling to Zanesville.
To Reverend and Mrs. Thompson were born three daughters and two sons : Mary E., who is Mrs. James Kaho, of Senecaville ; Nellie T., now Mrs. Robert P. Burns, of Senecaville ; Hattie L., now Mrs. Jacob S. Mowery, of the state of Oregon; William H., of Senecaville; and Ebenezer D., of St. Louis, Missouri.
Mr. Thompson spent the entire years of his ministry in Guernsey county and vicinity. His health was such that he was not capable of constant work and he retired to his farm near Senecaville. He was a Republican in politics and a man very active in public affairs, a public-spirited citizen and every effort calculated to improve conditions and uplift the people had his hearty support. He was a splendid man, highly respected and a man of wide influ- ence. His death occurred on January 21, 1884, his widow surviving until December 27, 1903, and both are buried in the Senecaville cemetery.
The daughter, Nellie T., was married July 25, 1876, to Robert P. Burns, of Jacksonville, Greene county, Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Burns lived in Senecaville, Mr. Burns being a traveling salesman. To Mr. and Mrs. Burns the following children were born: Halley A. is married and resides in Senecaville: Arthur married and lives in Senecaville: Mary A., now Mrs. Raymond Lowry, of Senecaville; Robert, at home.
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Mr. and Mrs. Burns were both music teachers and each of the children have very marked musical ability and have musical educations. Mr. Burns passed to his rest July 28, 1895, and is buried in the Senecaville cemetery.
WILLIAM M. MOSER.
One of the honored veterans of the great war of the Rebellion is Will- iam M. Moser, of Richland township, a man who, like a true patriot, gave up the pleasures of his own fireside and the emoluments of business and unself- ishly went forth to defend the old flag. He has lived to see and take part in the great development of Guernsey county, having always been a hard worker and ready to do his full share in furthering all laudable local interests.
Mr. Moser was born September 9, 1839, in Richland township, Guernsey county, Ohio, on a farm three miles northwest of Senecaville, the son of John and Sarah ( Anderson) Moser. The father was born in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, and the mother in Belmont county, Ohio. The father came to Richland township, as a young man, about 1833, and bought a farm in the woodland and owned it until his death, the farm where his son was born. The father was married in 1837 and engaged in farming all his life, becoming a large land owner and prosperous. He was a large stock raiser and feeder and was always active in public matters, being especially interested in good schools and good roads. He served as a member of the school board and in various township offices. He raised a family of eight children, who were: William M., the subject of this sketch ; James H., on a farm in Richland town- ship: John C., deceased; Amanda, now Mrs. Elijah Millhone, of Byesville ; Mary E. is single; Sarah E., now Mrs. William T. Gibson, of Pasadena. California ; Julia A., now Mrs. P. A. Walker, of Columbus, Ohio; Mathias C., deceased. The parents were members of the Presbyterian church and de- vout church people. The father died October 30. 1876, and his widow died in July, 1893. Both are buried in the cemetery at Senecaville.
William M. Moser spent his youth on his father's farm and remained with the parents until his father's death and then with his mother as long as she lived. He obtained his education in the district schools of the township. Mr. Moser has been always a farmer and has prospered. Has large land holdings, besides several pieces of town property. Mr. Moser enlisted in the army on February 2, 1862, as a member of Company B. First Ohio Cavalry. and served about two years, when he was discharged for disability. He was
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