History of Knox County, Ohio, its past and present, Part 134

Author: Hill, N. N. (Norman Newell), comp; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-; Graham, A.A. & Co., Mt. Vernon, Ohio
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Mt. Vernon, Ohio : A. A. Graham & Co.
Number of Pages: 1096

USA > Ohio > Knox County > History of Knox County, Ohio, its past and present > Part 134

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John Gower died in 1877, in Iowa, of hemorrhage of the brain. His remains were brought to Ohio.

Amy Gower married William Giffin in 1864. They reside in Berlin township.

William married Elizabeth Munaw in 1867. They reside in Mt. Vernon.

Nancy married T. Scoles in 1868. They reside in this town- ship.

Martha married Ira Umphreys in 1876. They reside on the home place.

Samuel Gower's father, Jacob Gower, deceased, was born in Virginia, in 1785, emigrated to Maryland, and was married to Mary Swope in 1815. They had three children, viz: Samuel, Martha and an infant child. Mr. Gower settled in Pike town- ship in 1840, and remained there until his death in 1869. Mrs. Mary Gower died in 1871. They were among the earliest set- lers. Mr. Jacob Gower was a soldier in the War of 1812.

GOWER, WASHINGTON, Pike township; farmer; post office, North Liberty, born in Pike township, Knox county, Ohio, in 1849, and was married in 1879, to Mary E. Cutman, who was born in Switzerland. They have one daughter: Alice Ardella, born in 1879.

Mr. Gower is a farmer by occupation, was raised on a farm, and was brought up with all of the habits of a farmer.

GRAHAM, SAMUEL,, Mt. Vernon, deceased, a native of Pennsylvania; was born September 23, 1794, and came to Ohio in company with two of his brothers in 1808 and located near Newark, Licking county. On the eleventh of September, 1817, he married Miss Eliza Curtis, daughter of Zarah and Phalley Curtis and sister of our worthy townsman Henry B. Curtis. Miss Curtis was born in the State of New York June 30, 1794, and came to Licking county, Ohio, with her parents in 1810, who located near Newark. Mr. and Mrs Graham set- tled on a farm in Newark township, same county, where he followed farming for many years. They had eight children. The oldest child, Marion, deceased when very young; Maria died at the age of sixteen years. In 1839 he, with wife and six children, moved to this county and located on a farm in Clinton township, where he deceased June 21, 1842, with what was then known as milk sickness. Three of the children, William H., Ralph O. and Curtis G., died with the same disease within one week after their father's death, leaving the mother and three children, Samuel H., Sarah J. and Eveline C., to mourn their loss. Mrs. Graham remained in the county until 1854, when

GEORGE GANN.

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

they removed to Mt. Vernon where she now resides, enjoying good health for a woman of her years.

Samuel H. Graham died at Chicago, Illinois, April, 1877; Sarah J. married Roland Beach, and is now living near Mt. Vernon in Clinton township; Eveline C, married William Carey and now lives in Liberty township, this county.

GRANDLE, MANUEL, farmer, Milford township, was born in Licking county, in 1833. Jacob Grandle, his father, came from Virginia about 1824, and settled in Licking county. He married Elizabeth Conard, and they had a family of eight children, five of whom are living. The subject of this notice was reared on a farm, and has always followed farming as his occupation.

In 1859 he went to Iowa in a two-horse wagon, and located in Linn county, where he remained twelve years, and then re- turned to Ohio, settling in Milford township, where he has re- sided ever since. He is one of the leading inen of the town- ship. His farm is well improved, and gives evidence of careful management. He married Miss Rachel Ann Jaggers, in 1859, who was born April 30, 1834. She is the daughter of David and Ann Jaggers.

David Jaggers was born in New Jersey, September 20, 1803. He married Anna Brown August 3, 1833. She was born in Knox county, August, 1809. Mr. Jaggers died in 1844, and Mrs. Jaggers died in December, 1876. They had five children, Mrs. Grandle being the only child living. Mr. and Mrs. Gran- dle had three children born to them, two of whom are dead. Frank A., a promising boy, born November 9, 1867, is their only living child.

GRANT, BENJAMIN, general business agency, Weaver block, Mt. Vernon. Mr. Grant is a native of Orleans county, Vermont, where he was born January 2, 1823, and resided there thirty years, during which time he received a good education in the Derby Literary institute, and was engaged in the mercantile business.

In the year 1853 he emigrated to Ohio, and located in Mt. Vernon, where he engaged in the grocery and dry goods busi- ness, which he followed for three years. From 1856 to 1861 he was engaged in general business, travelling in most all parts of the country. He was appointed, August 19, 1861, assessor of internal revenue, in which he was retained until October 1, 1866. He then engaged in the boot and shoe trade, which he con- ducted until 1870, and was also appointed deputy collector and assistant assessor in 1866, in which he remained until 1873. Since then he has been engaged in general business up to the present.

Mr. Grant has the necessary talents and judgment to enable him to successfully conduct or transact any kind of business without an extended experience; but, in addition to these ad- vantages, he has had about thirty-three years of practical busi- ness experience in an unusual variety of different kinds of busi- ness, many of which were of the most difficult and complicated kind. But he has invariably succeeded in rendering entire sat- isfaction to the parties interested. His natural abilities and past experience in various business operations in the country are a sufficient guaranty that any business entrusted to him will receive prompt attention, and will be in safe and competent hands.

Mr. Grant was married April 29, 1860, to Miss Elizabeth Ann, daughter of William Willey, of Lancaster, Fairfield county, by whom he has three children, two sons and one daughter.

GRAY, REV. J. H., pastor of the Methodist Protestant church of Mt. Vernon, was born June II, 1854, in Zanesville, where he was educated. He is a son of Rev. H. L. Gray. He became a member of the church when fifteen years of age; at seventeen he was licensed to exhort, and at the age of twenty- one years was licensed to preach, and was appointed by the conference at Zanesville to the Page circuit in Morgan county , where he rema ned one year. He then went to Attica, Seneca county, Ohio, where he organized a congregation and erected a house of worship; remained three years and then came to Mt. Vernon and took charge of the Mulbery Methodist Protestant church, where he is now located.

GREAR, SILAS, Union township, farmer, post office, Gann, born July 25, 1822, in Jefferson township. In 1849 he was married to Amanda Bradfield, and settled in Coshocton county, Ohio, where he was engaged in the mill business until 1856, when he sold the mill property and bought one hundred and twenty acres of land near the same place, and lived here until April 1, 1860, when he moved to Mt. Holly and engaged in the mercantile trade until 1865. Then he bought a farm in Union township, where he now lives. He had the following children: Winfield, born in 1849; Cecelia, 1852; Clementine, 1855; Francis, 1857; Clifford, 1860; Newton, 1863; Charming, 1866, and Murtilla, 1869. Francis died December 10, 1862; Clementine November 9, 1861.

GREAR, E. D., Howard township, farmer, post office, Howard, was born in Maryland, July 31, 1842. He went to Stark county, Ohio, in 1855, and worked at farming five years, but not liking it changed his occupation and engaged in the sale of agricultural implements. After three years he left this busi- ness and commenced herding cattle on the Mexican plains for Mr. Jacob Sager at sixty dollars per month, expenses paid. But this was connected with much exposure and many hard- ships, and he began to think that the old farming business, though slow, was sure, and so, December 25, 1866, he married and settled in Knox county, Ohio, on a rented farm, and in 1869 he came to his present home. He had three children, two of whom are now living, Mary and Johnny.

GREGG, ISSACHER, farmer, Berlin township, post office, Shalers Mills, was born in Loudoun county, Virginia, in 1832. He came to Ohio with his parents when a child, and was mar- ried to Abigail Gibson, who was born in Richland, near the line of Knox county. Her mother died when she was two years of age; she then went to live with her grandparents, Samuel and Ruth Gibson. Mr. and Mrs. Gregg have two sons, Charles Allen and Albert Sherman. Mr. Gregg was a resident of Rich- land county for about two years, at the end of which time he came to Berlin township. He is a farmer by occupation.

GREEN, WILLIAM, farmer, Monroe township, is a native of England, and was born in Kent county, July 13, 1810. In 1830 he engaged in butchering in London, and continued in it for about five years. In 1835 he emigrated to America, locating in Rochester, New York, where he again engaged in the butch- ering business, which he continued about six months, after which he engaged in farming. In 1837 Mr. Green returned to England for the purchase of some Southdown and Leicester sheep. He remained in England about six months, when he returned to America with the sheep he had purchased while ab- sent. He settled at Rochester and engaged in sheep raising. In September, 1837, he was united by marriage to Miss Mary

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

Ann Barker, daughter of Lyman and Mary Barker. Mrs. Green was born in Monroe county, New York, May 10, 1817.

Mr. and Mrs. Green remained in Monroe county, New York, for two years. In 1839 they came to Ohio and located in Mon- roe township, Knox county, on the farm now owned by Thomas Harris. He still continued at sheep raising, having brought with him thirteen of his Southdown and Leicester sheep, they being the first sheep of the kind ever brought into Knox county. Mr. Green remained on the Monroe township farm for about two years, when he purchased and removed to a farm in Dela- ware county, Ohio. On this last named farm he remained about six years. In 1847 Mr. Green purchased the farm in Monroe township now owned by him, where he and his family have re- sided ever since. Their first residence was a hewed log house, twenty-four by thirty, which stood on the north side of the road from where his present residence stands. The old log house served them as an abode until 1859, when he erected his present frame residence.

Mr. Green continued in the sheep raising business until 1867, when he sold his sheep and gave his attention to feeding cattle. This business he has since followed in connection with farming. He owns about two hundred and fifty acres of land in Monroe township. He has cultivated his land, and enriched it so highly, that he can raise forty bushels of wheat, and seventy bushels of corn to the acre. He has everything arranged for convenience on his farm. He has an engine, a corn-sheller, a French burr, on which he grinds his own feed for his cattle. He also has a saw mill, which he runs by the same engine, and it is so arranged that it furnishes the power for threshing his grain. In fact it is one of the most convenient arrangements that can be found in the county for farm use.

Mr. Green is known all over the county as being one of the eading farmers. He is the father of four children, William H., " 'a Mary and Charles, all of whom are living and married. GREEN, CHARLES, fariner, Berlin township, post office, Fredericktown; was born in this county, May 26, 1827, and was married in 1854, to Emily Ewers, who was born in Virginia, A1 1 15, 1826. Her parents emigrated to Ohio when she was ive years of age. They have one son (Wilson), who was born April 3, 1857. He is married to Laura White, and lives in Paimyra.

GREENLEE, ARCHIBALD, notary public, Fredericktown; was born in Belmont county, Ohio, July 3, 1807 ; was married in April, 1832, to Margaret E. Bonar, who was born in Knox county, February 3, 1812. They had the following family, viz: Mary A., born May 21, 1834; James, born November 16, 1838. Barnett B., born December 5, 1842; Charles, born September 11, 1846 ; Margaretta, born October 5, 1849.

Mrs. Margaret Greenlee died December 25, 1852, in Mt. Vernon. Mr. Greenlee was again married to Catharine Beaver, who was born in Union county, Pennsylvania, January 25, 1819. They had the following family, viz: Thomas B., born December 29, 1855; Lizzie, born November 15, 1861 ; also two deceased children.

Mr. Greenlee came to Knox county in 1833. He was en- gaged in the furniture business for some years. He afterwards became an attorney at law. He has been a justice of the peace in Wayne township over thirty years. He stands fully identi- hed with the public interests of Knox county, and has done much to promote the advancement and improvement of society. He is one of the active men of this county, although he is now

living a more retired life, and commands the confidence and esteem of the community. He has been a member and elder of the Presbyterian church forty-eight years.

GREER, ROBERT (deceased), Jefferson township, born in the county of Antrim, Ireland, March 12, 1806; when at the age of twenty years he sailed, in company with his mother, two brothers, and four sisters, for America, landing in BaltinTore, Maryland, August 22, 1826, where they remained until 1827, when they moved to Jefferson township, Knox county, locating on the place now owned by Thomas Greer. Here he remained with the family two years. On the sixteenth of April, 1829, he united in marriage with Sarah Severns, daughter of Joseph and Mahala Severns, born in Monongalia county, Virginia, April 14, 1803. After his marriage he moved on the farm now owned by Levi Butler, where he remained about five years, during which time he purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres southwest of and adjoining the village of Greersville, where he then moved, and remained until 1841. During that time he laid out the village of Greersville, which was in 1836, from whom it derived its name. In the spring of 1841 he opened a dry goods store in Greersville, and continued to do business, and farming in connection, until 1857; he then moved back on the farm, where he remained until his death, which occurred March 13, 1865, aged fifty-nine years ten months and one day. Sarah Greer, his companion, died in 1869, aged sixty-six years six months and twenty-seven days.

Mr. and Mrs. Greer became the parents of one child, a son, Alexander W., born February 7, 1830, who now lives on and owns the old farm formerly owned by his father.

Robert Greer was the first clerk elected in Jefferson township, and served as justice of the peace for fifteen years.

GREER, ALEXANDER W., farmer, post office Greers- ville, son of Robert and Sarah Greer, was born in Jefferson township, Knox county, February 7, 1830, where he was reared and educated. On the eighteenth of May, 1856, at the age of twenty-six years, he was united in marriage with Miss Caroline Baker, a daughter of Philip and Sarah Baker, who was born in Jefferson township, Knox county, December 26, 1835. In 1857, after his marriage, he located in the town of Greersville, where he engaged in the mercantile business, in which he continued about three years, when he sold his store to A. C. Tuttle. He still remained in town and farmed his home place for his father until 1863, when he purchased a new stock of dry goods and opened a new store in the town of Greersville, where he contin- ued to sell goods eleven years, in connection with farming, when he sold the store to J. J. Freiermuth. Mr. Greer is at present giving his attention to farming. He is a good farmer, and now resides on and owns the old farm formerly owned by his father, and is among the most desirable farms of Jefferson township.

Mr. and Mrs. Greer are the parents of seven children, viz: Emma Z., born April 29, 1857; Ella A., October 29, 1859; El- mer C., April 7, 1862; Ellsworth B., September 10, 1864 (died September 23, 1864); Edith J., March 14, 1866; Edwin B., Oc- tober 10, 1868; Eldon P., November 22, 1873.

Mr. and Mrs. Greer are members of the Wesleyan Methodist church of Jefferson township.

GREER, RICHARD, Jefferson township, deceased, was born in 1810, October 10th, in county Antrim, Ireland, near Belfast. In 1827 he came to America, and was married Sep- tember 20, 1838, to Lydia Remmington, who was born Novem-

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

ber 27, 1814, in Coshocton county, Ohio. Richard and Lydia Greer becanie the father and mother of three children, viz: Wil- liam E., Thomas E., and Robert A. Thomas E. is the only child who yet survives. Robert A. enlisted in the late war, No- vember, 1861, and died near Corinth, Mississippi. He be- longed to company K, Forty-third Ohio volunteer infantry.

Richard Greer was sick for years with inflammatory rheuma- tism, of which he died December 14, 1878, in his sixty-eighth year. His companion survives him in her sixty-sixth year, living with her son Thomas, on the farm formerly owned by her hus- band. Mr. Greer held the office of township treasurer. Mr. Greer was a member of the Wesleyan church, of Greersville. Mrs. Greer is also a member of said church.

GREER, THOMAS, farmer, post office, Greersville, a son of Richard and Lydia Greer, born in Jefferson township, Knox county, January 5, 1842, where he was reared and received a common school education. After he became of age he still re- mained at home and farmed for his father. This he continued until May 2, 1864, when he enlisted in the One Hundred and Forty-second Ohio volunteer infantry, company F, under A. B. Cummings, of Jelloway, where he served until the second day of September of the same year, when he was honorably dis- charged and mustered out of service at Columbus, Ohio. He then returned home and assumed his old business of farming, which he has since continued. In 1867, January 20th, he married Miss Minerva Shrimplin, daughter of Absalom and Priscilla Shrimplin, born in Knox county, Butler township, December 6, 1840. Their marriage resulted in three children, viz: Robert A. Greer, born January 9, 1868; Charles E., September 8, 1869; Fordyce F., June 5, 1876; all of whom are living. Mr. Greer has held the office of trustee of said township.

GREER, ALEXANDER, deceased .- Mr. Alexander Greer was one of the pioneers of Jefferson township. His parents were natives of Antrim county, Ireland, and about the year 1800 emigrated to America and settled in Washington county, Pennsylvania, where, on the eleventh of March, 1805, the sub- ject of this sketch was born. In 1811 John Greer, father of Alexander, moved to Knox county and located in its eastern portion, at or very near the site of the present village of Ross- ville, in Union township. There they remained a few years and then settled upon an improved tract of land situated about two miles north of the present village of Danville, where Alexander spent the years of his minority, working industriously in clearing land and in farm labor generally. He attended school in win- ter and managed to secure a limited education. He was a young man of good mind and excellent habits. Of quick per- ceptions, he early became familiar with the practical affairs of life. He was of studious habits, a careful reader and close ob- server; his mind was soon stored with useful knowledge, and an unusual fund of information for one of his years and limited opportunities.

In August, 1826, Alexander Greer entered into the married relation with Margaret Robeson, who is still living. He settled upon a tract of woodland he purchased of the Government, sit- uated a little more than a mile north of the present village of Danville, and had there the usual experiences, hardships and privations incident to pioneer life. Here, being industrious, frugal and temperate, he made life a success, and acquired more than a competency. He had the well merited reputation of a man of integrity, and of one who favored educational enter- prises and whatever tended to promote good morals, religion,

and the welfare of the people, physically, mentally and morally.

Mr. Greer served as justice of the peace of Jefferson township for twelve years, deciding about one thousand cases. Few ap- peals were taken from his decisions, and none were reversed. In 1859 he was elected treasurer of Knox county, but his health failed him and he had to discharge its duties by deputy, conse- quently he was not a candidate for reelection.

Alexander Greer's death took place March 24 1868, at the age of sixty-three years, his widow and some children surviving him. He reached the end of a well spent life in philosophic compo- sure and Christian resignation, and was mourned by many sur- viving neighbors, friends and acquaintances, who knew him as one who had been faithful in all the varied relations of son, brother, husband, father, magistrate, friend, neighbor, patriot, and Christian.

GREER, HENRY HARRISON, Mt. Vernon, lawyer, was born in Knox county, Ohio, [uly 22, 1837. He spent his youth on a farm. He attended school at Millwood, Haysville, and Dennison university, and commenced reading law with Messrs. Delano, Sapp & Smith. The firm dissolving, he finished his course of reading with Walter H. Smith, esq. He was admit- ted to the bar May 8, 1860. His father having been elected treasurer of Knox county, he (Henry) entered the office as deputy treasurer.

In 1861 young Greer was nominated by the Republican party as their candidate for treasurer, and was elected. He continued in that position until 1864. He declined nomination for another term. He commenced the practice of law with the Hon. W. R. Sapp in 1865, and continued with him until April, 1869, when he took charge of the Hon. W. H. Smith's practice, and found about one hundred cases on the docket. Since that time he has practiced alone.

Mr. Greer was married to Miss Josie E. Gaines, of Knox county, September 18, 1860. Two children are the issue of this union-a daughter and a son. The daughter, Millie G., was born September 12, 1863, and the son, Robert, was born April 15, 1867.

The great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch was . Major Alexander Greer, who emigrated to America from County Antrim, Ireland, about the year 1785. He settled in Washing- ton county, Pennsylvania. He had three children, one of whom was Colonel John Greer, the grandfather of Henry. Alex_ ander Greer (Henry's father) who was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, in 1805. He came to Knox county, Ohio, in 1810 or 18rr, and settled in Union township, and was one of the very early settlers of the county. He remained in Union township two or three years, when he removed to Jeffer- son township, where he resided up to the time of his death, which event occurred in 1849. Mr. Alexander Greer had been twice married.

GRIFFITH, B. L., farmer, Pike township, post office, North Liberty; born in Chester county, Pennsylvania, in 1839, and was married in . 1867 to Rachel Hiner, who was born in Ashland county, Ohio, in 1844. They have two sons: William M., born November 22, 1868; and Calvin J., born May 23, 1870. Mr. Griffith came to Ohio with his parents when he was young. He is a farmer, enterprising, and active; he is making a success of farming, and is now classed among the leading citizens of Pike township.

GRIFFITH, WILLIAM, farmer, Pike township, post office, North Liberty; born in Chester county, Pennsylvania, in 1848,

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY

and was married in 1870 to Mary E. Mishey, who was born in this township in 1851. They have one daughter, Ella Lizzie, born December 24, 1874. Mr. Griffith emigrated with has parents to Wayne county, Ohio, in 1855, and remained there one year then removed to Pike township, this county. He is a farmer, and an active and honorable citizen.

GRUBB, DANIEL H., retired, post office, North Liberty, was born near Hagerstown, Maryland, in 1799; his parents emigrated to Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania, and remained there until 1830; he then came to Ohio and located in Pike township. He was married in 1823 to Elizabeth Broombaugh, who was born in Woodbury township, Bedford county, Penn- sylvania, February 25, 1807. They had thirteen children, viz .: Anna, born in Pennsylvania February 19, 1826; Samuel, No- vember 8, 1827; Elizabeth, September 11, 1829; Mary Ann, born in Pike township December 13, 1831; Henry, December 4, 1834; Daughter, November, 1836; Daniel B., December 13, 1838; Esther, December 5, 1844; Levi, April 14, 1843; Catharine, April 4, 1845; Joseph, May 26, 1847; Lncinda, June 2, 1849; Isaac, June 7, 1851; and Lavina, August 1, 1853. Mrs. Eliza- beth Grubb died June 25, 1870, aged sixty-three years, three months and twenty-nine days. Anna died in Pennsylvania August 8, 1830, and Mary A., December 9, 1832.

Mr. Grubb learned the tanner trade in the east; he built the first tannery in this part of the county; he tanned by the old process, which made the very best leather; his reputation as an honest man was extensively known. He and his wife were members of the German Baptist church. He is a pioneer of this township, and has reared a large and respectable family, most of whom are married and have left the paternal roof. He still survives, has a good memory and health; he resides with his son, Daniel B.

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History of Knox County, Ohio, its past and present, Part 134

Author: Hill, N. N. (Norman Newell), comp; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-; Graham, A.A. & Co., Mt. Vernon, Ohio Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Mt. Vernon, Ohio : A. A. Graham & Co. Number of Pages: 1096

Author: Hill, N. N. (Norman Newell), comp; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-; Graham, A.A. & Co., Mt. Vernon, Ohio
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Mt. Vernon, Ohio : A. A. Graham & Co.
Number of Pages: 1096