USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > History of Hamilton County, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches > Part 75
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY, OHIO.
in 1800, and lived in Colerain township until March, 1879. He was married to Miss Anne Tate, daughter of John Tate, of Pennsylvania. She was born in Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, June 16, 1792. She came to Ohio in June, 1818, and on the seventh of March, 1822, mar- ried Horace Willey. They lived together until her death, January 7, 1879. There were seven children-Sarah J., John, Lewis, Lavinia, Marshall, Rachel, and Andrew J. Rachel and Marshall are dead. Since Mrs. Willey's death, her husband made his home with his son, John Willey, and subsequently with his son-in-law, Jeremiah Butterworth, where he died March 3, 1880. John Wil- ley, the second son of the preceding, was born in this county, March 30, 1824, and has been a resident of the same all his life. He was married to Miss Roxy A. Buell, daughter of Clinton D. Buell, October 16, 1880. Their children are Lottie A., Aurelia E., and Emily. The last named has died; the others are still living at home. Mrs. Willey is a member of the Presbyterian church; her husband has no connection with any church organization, but is an industrious and respected citizen. He served as trustee for Crosby township between 1870 and '73. He has also filled the place of treasurer of the school board, in the district where he lives, for the last nine years.
Judah Willey, a pioneer of the county, and a native of New Jersey, emigrated to Ohio and settled in Hamil- ton county, where he continued to live at the time of his death, August 16, 1854. His wife, Miss Caroline Buell, was the daughter of Israel Buell. The children were Amanda, Roxy, William, Anne B., Samuel, Israel, and Mary. Of these, but three-Roxy, Israel, and Mary- are now living. Israel was born in Hamilton county, January 14, 1834, and has been a resident here all his life. He married Miss Amelia Hedges, daughter of Stephen O. Hedges, April 6, 1859. They have five chil- dren: Anna, Stephen, Amos, Dora, and David, all living and at home. Mrs. Willey is an excellent member of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Willey has never joined a church, but among the farmers of Hamilton county he is a most exemplary and respected citizen.
Jeremiah Butterfield, one of the early pioneers, was born in Massachusetts March 4, 1776, just four months before the signing of the Declaration of Independence. When he was twelve years old his father moved to New York, and in 1797 he left his home to seek his fortune in the west. He was married to Miss Polly Campbell in the year 1800, came to Cincinnati the same year, and was a resident of the county to the time of his death, which occurred June 29, 1859. He was the father of eight children. Jeremiah, the fourth child, was born in Hamilton county March 6, 1811, and has remained there ever since. March 14, 1844, he was married to Miss Sarah Willey. They have had nine children: Anna M., La- vinia, Emma, Josephine, Horace W., Lydia, John, Ella, and Jennie. Josephine, Horace, Lydia, John, and Jen- nie are still living, and three are still at home. Josephine married Henry Brown, and lives in Butler county; Hor- ace married Miss Wilhelmina Stephens, and remains in this county. Mrs. Butterfield is a member of the Pres-
byterian church, but her husband has never become a professing Christian.
Elijah Whipple was born in Vermont in the year 1781. He was married to Miss Elizabeth Comstock, of Hamil- ton county, about 1807. They had eleven children- Seneca, James, Sarah, Joab, Rebecca, Ruth, Elizabeth, Jerry, Daniel, Ennis, and Samuel. But four of this number are still living-Seneca, Elizabeth, Daniel, and Samuel. Daniel, the ninth child, was born in Butler county, December 22, 1821 ; moved to Hamilton county about the year 1845, and has been a resident of the latter county ever since, with the exception of two years spent in California. On the nineteenth of October, 1848, he married Miss Susan Pottinger, daughter of John Pottin- ger, who was born in this county in May, 1823. There were five children belonging to this family-Sarah, Aus- tin, Ella, John, and Joab. Austin only is not living. Mr. and Mrs. Whipple are both active members of the United Brethren church in their vicinity. The older Mr. Whipple died in 1830. His wife died seven years after that date.
Josiah Bartlett was a native of the State of Connecticut, but emigrated from New York into Ohio. He settled in Crosby township abour the year 1838. In business he was a farmer all his life; as to politics he was a Whig until the Republican party started, after which time he was an active Republican. His religious sym- pathies were with the Methodist church, of which he was a member. He married Anna Latham, a native of Vermont. Six children constitute their family, four sons and two daughters-Sarah, who married Robert Brown, and is now a resident of New York State; Latham S., who married Nancy Comstock and afterward Hannah Marsh, and is now living in this county; Lucy, who married Abner Phelps, and has her home in Indiana; William, who married Eliza Andrews and then Matilda - Winter, and is a resident of Hamilton county; David married first to Eunice Comstock and afterward to Phœbe Ellsworth; and Laurentine, who is also married and living in Indiana. The fourth child, William H., was born in New York in 1806, where he received a common school education. In 1823 he came to Ohio and settled at first in New Haven. The same year he began the study of medicine with Dr. Comstock. He continued his studies four years, and then began the prac- tice of medicine in company with Dr. Comstock. He stayed in New Haven two years, when he went to Miami township, and remained nine years in the same profes- sion. Then he moved to Cheviot, Green township, where he passed another nine years, when he sold his practice to Dr. Cruikshank, and from there he returned to New Haven, where he still resides. In August, 1880, he sold his practice to Dr. Shields. While engaged in full duty he had the largest practice of any regular phy- sician in the southwest part of Hamilton county. When he began business he had very little capital, but he has .. now accumulated a fine fortune. He was an old line Whig until the birth of the Republican party, since which time he has belonged to that organization. His first wife was a native of Ohio. She died in 1835, leav-
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY, OHIO.
ing him three children. His second wife was from the State of New York. His children, Horace B. and Euphemia, are both residents of Hamilton county ; Amanda married Nathaniel G. French and lives in But- ler county.
John Blackburn, a native of Ireland, emigrated from Pennsylvania to Ohio in 1796, and settled at North Bend. He worked at farming all his life. His death occurred in Butler county in the year 1814. His children are Catharine, a resident of this county; John, who was killed in Kentucky by the Indians; Agnes and Robert, residents of Hamilton county; Margaret, now in Penn- sylvania; and McConnel, Bryson, Hamilton, and Patter- son, are still belonging to this county. Patterson Black- burn was born in Pennsylvania in 1780, and, coming to Ohio with his father, first settled at North Bend. He learned the trade of a carpenter, and followed it during his life. In 1815 he went to Davis county, Indiana, where he stayed fourteen years; then he returned to Ohio and settled on the farm now owned by R. H. Blackburn, in Crosby township. He held the office of clerk in the township for a number of years. In politics he was a Democrat. He married Mary Ball, a native of Maryland, who died in 1843 at the age of fifty-two. He always took great interest in educational matters. Not a professed member of any church, still he always gave liberally for the support of the gospel. He died in Crosby township in 1843 at the age of sixty-two. He was the father of four children-Robert H., who married Catharine Chrisman; Hannah, who became the wife of Oliver March, of Indiana; Mary, who married Joseph Kendall, of Indiana; and one that died in infancy. Robert H., son of Patterson and Mary Blackburn, was born in the year 1813 in Hamilton county. He gained a good common school education, and learned the car- penter trade with his father. At the age of eighteen, giving up his trade, he turned his attention to farming,- in which business he is now engaged. Two years he has held the office of assessor of Crosby township. He is a liberal supporter as well as member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and gave liberally toward the erection of the literary institution at College Hill. In 1838 he was married to Catharine Chrisman, who bore him six children-Sarah and Rebecca J., both residing still in Hamiton county; Mary S., who married William W. Powell, of Missouri; Hannah A. and Catharine S., both of this county at the present date; and Elizabeth, who became the wife of Charles Butts, also of this county.
Daniel Wilkins was born in Pennsylvania, December 23, 1773. He left his home and came to Hamilton county about the year 1792, and was a resident of this county at the time of his death, which occurred October 17, 1841. He was married to the Widow Vantrees May 23, 1809. The children are Daniel, jr., John, Susannah, Michael and Sarah. Three are yet living. Daniel was born in Hamilton September 30, 1810. He was married to Miss Eliza Shields, daughter of James Shields, of But- ler county, March 6, 1834. Nine children have been born-James S., Clarinda, Sarah, Elizabeth, Maria, Ann, Parthena, John, and George-all living but Maria, who
died in 1864. James married Miss Emma Miller, and now resides in Iowa; Elizabeth married James M. Tweedy, and is now living in Georgia; Clarinda married John Langridge, and they are in Alabama. The others are at their father's home. Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins are members of the Congregational church in their vicinity.
Emanuel Butterfield was born in Hamilton county in 1795, where he lived during his entire life. He was married to Miss Hannah Mow, and to them were born eight children-Charlotte, Amelia, Permelia, Hannah, Isaac, Daniel, Emanuel, and Hartman. Hannah and Permelia only are living. The former married Nathaniel Butterfield, but lost her husband October 11, 1857. Permelia lives with her sister Hannah. Mr. and Mrs. Nathaniel Butterfield have had seven children-Cum- mins, Jonathan, Quincy, Marshal, Celeste, Florence, Se- bastian. The last named alone has died. Two are mar- ried. Cummins married Phœbe Demming, and is now living in Butler county. Jonathan married Miss Sarah Brown, and is also living in Butler. Marshal is a prac- ticing physician in Venice, Butler county. The remain- ing three children are at home. Mrs. Butterfield still lives on the old farm, and manages the business with the assistance of her son. She and her daughter Celeste are members of the Presbyterian church.
David Smith was born in Northampton county, Penn- sylvania, September 23, 1808. He was of German ex- traction, and belonged to a family of nine children. He came to this State with his father in 1822, crossing the mountains in wagons. They settled on a farm in Butler county, near Mill creek. In 1832 the family moved to Crosby township, where Mr. Smith lived to the time of his death, which occurred September 11, 1879. His wife was Miss Susanna Wilkins, and they had born to them eight children, who were all present at the time of the death of their father. He was a man well and favor- ably known throughout the county-honest, generous and kind. S. Newton, the youngest child, was born in this county January 9, 1853, and was married to Miss Frances Bevis, daughter of Jesse Bevis, October 9, 1873. Three children have been given them-Olive, Leonard W., and one infant child.
John J. Sater, sr., was born in Crosby township, June 13, 1812, and has been a resident of the county all his life, excepting about four years, when he lived in Butler county. In January, 1832, he was married to Miss Nancy Larison, daughter of J. Larison, of Colerain township. They had thirteen children, Amos, William V., Mary, Jonathan J. L., Martin V. B., Jared, Hannah E., Milton, Jasper N., John E., Ira, Anson, and one not named. Eight of the thirteen are yet living. Mr. Sater died on the fourth of April, 1864. His wite had died the year previous. They were both members of the Baptist church. Martin, the fifth child, was born in Crosby township, November 16, 1843. He was married to Mary E. McHenry, daughter of Joseph H. McHenry, on November 1, 1865. Their children are Mattie, Low- rie, Pearley M., Nellie, Daisy D., Milton, Clinton, and one that died unnamed. Four are living. Mrs. Sater belongs to the United Brethren church. Mr. Sater has
SO RES. OF THOSE. SATER, CROSBY TP. HAMILTON Co. O. C
F.M.C. DEL
RES. OF JOS. SATER
CROSBY TP. HAMILTON COUNTY, O. CTO
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY, OHIO.
served as justice of the peace for six years. He has also been a trustee for the township for the past five years, and is a member of the executive board of the Agricul- tural Society of Hamilton county. In the late war he was a member of company C, Sixty-ninth Ohio infantry, and was honorably discharged.
CROSBY VILLAGE.
Next below Butterfield & Company's tract, on the west side of the river, a large piece was bought by Joab Comstock the same year. In 1803 he laid out a town site in what appeared to be an eligible place near the Great Miami, below the famous bend, about two miles south of the county line, and gave the new town the name of Crosby, for the reason before given. For a time settlement was attracted thither, and its fortune was decidedly hopeful. A number of cabins and other houses were built ; a blacksmith shop and store began operations; other shops were opened; and many lots were sold. The ground selected proved too low, how- ever, for permanent occupation; and the great freshet of 1805 thoroughly inundated the town site and invaded the buildings upon it. After this untoward event the place ran down, and was ultimately vacated altogether, not a single house remaining to mark the spot. In later times the property has been owned by the heirs of Judah Willey, son of Noah Willey, of the Butterfield Land com- pany.
Joab Comstock became the chief founder of villages in Crosby township. He was one of the original pro- prietors of
NEW HAVEN .*
This village dates from 1815. It was laid off upon twenty acres of a hundred acre tract in the southwest corner of section eleven, bought from Robert Benefield by the proprietors of the new town-our old friend Joab Comstock, sr., and Major Charles Cone, another old settler in the township. Joseph Sater, another pioneer and father of some of the most prominent citizens of the township and county, served as surveyor, Major Cone carrying the flag-pole and Mr. Comstock himself notch- ing the trees for landmarks. The site was probably de- termined, in large part, by its natural advantages, it be- ing at the junction of Howard's creek and the Dry Fork of Whitewater, with a picturesque distribution of high lands in every direction in the near view. It took its name from the birthplace of Comstock in the "land of steady habits." When, however, it became desirable to establish a post office at this point, it was found that there was another New Haven in the State, and ac- cordingly it became necessary to designate this office by another name-that of Preston being selected.
Main street intersected the town site from east to west. Parallel with it was a street on the south, through which ran the road from New Baltimore to Harrison; and an- other on the north, which was not opened for a long time. There was also a West street, on which ran the road to the Shakers' town. A small piece of ground to
the north of the plat, and outside of it, was reserved for a burying-ground; but there were no other reserva- tions.
The progress of the place was slow. Mr. Bevis says:
During the ten years following 1815, the proposed village was only made larger about once every six months or one year by the addition of a cabin, ox-shed, or log barn.
The first frame building was erected in 1826, eleven years after the town was founded. It is still standing on Main street, second dwelling west of A. T. Hawk's shop, and was recently occupied by the Rev. Mr. Rode- baugh. The first log cabin was put up long before, on the north side of Main street, near the centre of the village plat. Mr. Bevis humorously remarks:
It would defy the skilled Samuel L. Clemens [Mark Twain] to tell what New Haven resembled at that early day. Seven or eight log cabins were strewn up and down Main street, without sidewalks and numbers. The fragrant dog-fennel and jimson-weed grew luxuriantly beside the cabin doorstep; Main street and Shaker avenue were soon lost among the paw-paw bushes and Spanish needles a few rods from Dr. George Little's tavern.
The first tavern in New Haven was opened by Dr. Little. The first storekeeper had his place alongside of this-Mr. William Wakefield, whose grandson, Amos Wakefield, occupies a store upon nearly the same site. David Goshom and Wesley Thompson were the first blacksmiths. William McGuire, of whom Thompson was a son-in-law, was one of the first school-teachers in the place. Mr. William Ellsworth, a widower with two daughters, was another professional school-teacher resid- ing in town. Thomas Makin, a bachelor, and his two maiden sisters, early opened a dry goods store. Dr. George Little was the first physician. Others among the earliest were Dr. James Comstock, who lived just south of the village; Noah Comstock, his brother; Ed- mund C. Archibald, wagon-maker; John Shrozer, cabi- net-maker and undertaker; Leonard Hathaway, and Lathan S. Bartlett, shoemakers; and Lot Day, tanner, whose factory was in the southeast corner of the place, near Howard's creek. Mr. Bartlett had also an early tannery. Among the younger men were Drs. Hiram and Thomas Ball, students of medicine with Dr. Comstock. This pretty nearly or quite exhausts the list of the earliest settlers.
The date of the first brick house is fixed at 1832-the dwelling now occupied by Mr. G. W. Milholland. It was early used as a saloon and residence by Enoch Hay- den. Other saloonists of that pioneer time were named Welloson, Gibson, and Hyatt. Some of the old grog- geries are now used for stables, and one is occupied by Dr. J. H. Duncan, as an office. In 1840 a large frame building was put up for a hotel, but left uncompleted by the owner for lack of means, and in time became much dilapidated. It was repaired, however, and is now occu- pied in part by the post office.
The first school-house was built of green, unhewed buckeye logs, on Howard's creek, south side of the street, at the southeast corner of the town. Elijah Thompson, father of Thompson the blacksmith, was first teacher in it. The second school-house which served the village, a plain frame building, was built half a mile
*This account has been mainly abridged from the entertaining papers contributed to the Harrison News in the fall of 1879, by Mr. M. L. Bevis, of New Haven.
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY, OHIO.
north of town, also on Howard's creek and on "Shaker avenue." The frame of this academic structure after- wards did duty as a stable upon Mr. A. T. Hawks' place in the village. The present school building was put up in 1860, on a slight eminence north of town, by Mr. James Williamson, upon property leased from Phebe Wakefield and A. McCoy. Its cost, exclusive of furni- ture, was one thousand three hundred dollars. A north wing, for another school-room, was added four or five years afterwards, by Edward Dunnick.
The post office was established in 1826. The petition of citizens for an office named Alexander Preston Cav- ender for first postmaster, and when the necessity for a name other than that of the village became evident, his middle name was chosen. The office was opened in a house now the residence of Mr. D. Clinton Buell. The mail was received in saddle-bags by horseback post from North Bend once a fortnight. John Carter, F. Opper- man, and Francis Milholland are in the succession of local postmasters, the last named being now in charge of the office. The mail is received twice a week, besides what is obtained almost daily by visitors to Harrison, five miles distant.
Of late years a literary and dramatic society in New Haven added considerably to the interest of living in the place. In the year 1874 its receipts from public enter- tainments amounted to eighty-five dollars, which were given to the church of the United Brethren in Christ, in that place.
Dr. Jason F. Brevoort was one of the old practitioners in New Haven. He went there a boy of fourteen, with his parents, and eight years afterwards began reading medicine with Dr. Comstock. He had previously re- ceived some academic education at Oxford and at Augusta, Kentucky. Although he had no diploma of any kind, he practiced successfully here for twenty years, then for a time at Harrison, and finally removed to a farm near Columbus, Indiana. He was the second physician in New Haven.
Dr. William H. Bentlett came from New York State to New Haven, via Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, in 1825. He was then in his twentieth year, and at twenty-three began practice, after a studentship under Dr. Comstock. He has been a practitioner in New Haven for more than half a century, save nine years at Miamitown, and as many at Cheviot.
Two of the oldest ladies of the community-Miss Mary Cavender, of 1818, the third year of the village, and Mrs. Lavina Wright, of 1825-are still living in New Haven.
Moses Carpenter was the first superintendent of a Sunday-school in New Haven, and Joab Comstock, jr., first secretary.
M. Bevis gives the following picture of the first church near the village, and perhaps the first in Crosby township:
A little hickory house, about fifteen by thirty, with the bark hanging loose from the logs, a small low door that swung with a creack, seats made of blue-ash trees split once and legs put in the outer side, turning the wide, flat surface upward to sit on, a rude table or stand for a pul- pit, and the first church in the community was completed. It stood on the bank, in the Baptist cemetery, one mile southwest of the village.
Moses Hornaday, one of the early circuit-preachers in the Miami val- ley, led the services. Since the erection of that church, two others have been built-one a frame and the other a brick, standing there now.
The church building now occupied by the Methodist Episcopal society was erected in 1830, although not in its present shape, it having since been greatly improved. Mr. Bevis says that "the old building, as it was forty- nine years ago, would be a queer specimen of architec- ture compared with its present appearance. With doors on both the east and west side, portable seats of the old district school-house kind, stoves of mammoth propor- tions, minus shutters and curtains, without bell or belfry, it was certainly a unique structure."
The building was dedicated in January, 1831, and a Sunday-school organized therein immediately after. An- other, a union school, had been kept in Mr. Comstock's barn, but was now transferred to Sater's school-house. Both schools were afterwards united on the union foun- dation, Mr. Robert H. Blackburn being the first super- intendent of the united schools. He was born March 12, 1813, in an old frame house still standing on Mr. John Hyatt's farm.
The United Brethren church in New Haven originated with Rev. William Sturr, a young minister of that denom- ination, one of the oldest settlers in that township, and John Myers. A subscription was made for a house of worship, in April and May, 1850, signed liberally by Mr. Myers, Amos Atherton (who gave one hundred dollars), and others, and the house was put up in due time by Mr. John Shroyer. "At first," says Mr. Bevis, "the United Brethern church resembled our common country barns, square and upright, without the ornaments which add so much toward its beauty to-day." In 1866 a belfry and bell were added; and in 1874 the whole building was remodelled, new carpet put down, and an organ purchased.
In the spring of 1877 the Union Sunday-school was divided, the Methodist people taking their own from it. Since 1873 the Sunday-school concert has been an inter- esting feature of the summer Sabbath afternoons.
New Haven had a population of one hundred and twenty-eight in 1830, which had grown to one hundred and forty-one in 1850, and one hundred and sixty-one in 1870, each time leading any other village in the township in proportion.
Some interesting mounds, quite certainly ancient works, are found on the hills south of New Haven.
WHITEWATER.
This village, more commonly known as the Shakers' town, or Shakers' Society, is situated on the Dry fork of the Whitewater, on the dividing line between sections two and three, about half a mile south of the county line, something more than a mile from the west township line, and a mile and a half north of New Haven. It had its ori- gin about the year 182-, with the United Society of Be- lievers, commonly called Shakers. Mr. Ezra Sherman, a trustee of the society then and now, obliges us and the readers of this work with the following particulars:
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