History of Knox County, Ohio, its past and present, Part 170

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 170

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John F. was married in 1874 to Semantha Beach, who was born in Illinois in 1857. They had two children, Freddie L., deceased, and Myrtle M.

Mrs. Ruth Ann Smith's father, David Barnhard, deceased, · was a native of Maryland; he was married to Margaret Walker; she was born in Maryland. They had the following family: Mary, John, Rosanna, and Ruth Ann.

Mr. Barnhard emigrated to Knox county in 1833. He came to his death through an accident; he was engaged in pressing tobacco, when the lever of the press flew back and struck him, and killed him almost instantly.

John F. was a soldier in the late war, a member of company 1, Ohio heavy artillery; he was in a number of skirmishes; he was engaged in the service for two years, and was honorably discharged.

The deceased children of the Smith family are: Sheldon, died in 1848; Mary, died in 1857. They both died in Berlin township.

SMITH, JACOB, Pike township, farmer, post office, North Liberty, born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, in 1821, and was married to Maranda Kairger, who was born in Berlin township, this county, in 1825. They have four children: Mary A. was born in 1848; Howard, in 1852; Esther, in 1857; John, in 1862.

Mr. Smith came to Ohio with his parents when he was five years old. They located in Stark county, and forty years ago came to Knox county. Mr. Smith is a farmer and stock dealer.

SMITH, M. D., H. W., was born in June, 1826, in Litch- field county, Massachusetts, and came to Ohio with his parents in 1839; received his preparatory education in Mt. Vernon; read medicine with Drs. Russell and Thompson, and graduated at a medical university in New York city, after which he prac- ticed in that city for twelve years; was also engaged in the drug business. He married Miss Cornelia, daughter of Charles Bax- ter, 'of New York city, and has a family of six children.

In 1861 he came back to Mt. Vernon and formed a partner- ship with Dr. Thompson, which continued until the death of Dr. Thompson, after which he continued the practice alone, and also engaged in the drug business, in which he continued until his death, December 15, 1875. He was a deacon in the Con- gregational church for several years.

SMITH, GEORGE L., Liberty township, farmer, was born in New Milford, Litchfield county, Connecticut, October 15, 1827. When he was about three years old his parents, Pre-

serve and Amelia Smith, came to Ohio and settled in Milford township. A notice of them will be found under the biography of F. S. Rowley, of that township.

George L. Smith was the second child. His youth was spent on his father's farm at the Five corners in Milford township, where he also attended school. In 1850 he was seized with the "gold fever," and to the land of gold he went by the overland route, which means he rode and walked alternately. He re- mained in California five years. The first eighteen monthis he was engaged in the mines, the remainder of the time he was em- ployed with a pack-train taking provisions to the mines in the mountains. He came home by the way of Nicaraugua, and re- sumed farming. While in California he saved some money. He commenced poor in life, but he has succeeded in making for himself considerable property. He is a good farmer and an estimable citizen. He enlisted in company A, One Hun- dred and Forty-second regiment, Ohio National guards, and served out the term of his enlistment. March 5, 1857, he mar- ried Miss Mary W. Pitkin, daughter of Rev. John Pitkin, and shortly after moved to his present home.

SMITH, WILLIAM W., farmer, was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, September 16, 1816. On the twenty- fourth of April, 1849, he married Miss Elizabeth Guy, born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, October 11, 1828, daughter of John and Mary Guy. They settled in Washington county, Pennsylvania, where they lived until 1854, when they emigrated to Licking county, Ohio, remained there until 1860, when they moved to Clinton township, Knox county, Ohio, and located on a farm three miles from Mt. Vernon, on the Granville road, where he is now living. His wife died January 12, 1873. They reared a family of four children, two sons and two daughters. Farming has been his vocation.

SMITH, EBER, Milford township, physician, post office, Lock, was born in Delaware county, Ohio, August 30, 1821. His parents were pioneers in Delaware county, locating there about 1810. They were Pennsylvanians by birth.

Dr. Smith is the only son of seven children, was reared on a farm and his early education was that of the common schools. At about the age of twenty years he obtained sufficient educa- tion to teach a common school, and he taught several terms, then attended an academy at Westerville, Ohio. He decided to enter the medical profession, but being poor he was obliged to teach in order to obtain funds with which to attend lectures, receiving fifteen dollars per month.

He read medicine with Dr. J. R. Clapp, of Galena, attended the Starling Medical college at Columbus, and graduated there February, 1849.

He first located at Lock, where he has since practiced, and has been successful in his practice.

He was assistant surgeon at the Post hospital'at Springfield, Illinois, for seven months.

Dr. Smith married Miss Cordelia Stoughton, daughter of B. P. Stoughton, of Licking county, in 1850, and they have one son, Willie A.

SMITH, WILLIAM K., farmer, post office, Pipesville, son of William J. and Elizabeth Smith, born in Holmes county, May 17, 1831, where he continued to reside most of the time until 1860. On the twenty-first of June, 1860, he married Susan Kinsey, a daughter of Samuel and Susan Kinsey, born in Coshocton county, December 27, 1835. After his marriage he

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY

purchased eighty acres of land in Harrison township, Knox county, where he then moved and at present resides.

Mr. Smith is an industrious and enterprising farmer; at present the owner of one hundred and forty-six acres of land. He is the father of two children, one of whom is living, Norris D., born November 24, 1874.

SMITH, MRS. SARAH, was born December 27, 1835, in Franklin county, Ohio, and came to Knox county in. 1864; was married to A. R. Funk in October, 1856, from whom she has lately been divorced; has seven children-Mary Jane, Julia C., Finley, Elliott H., Franz F., Allison R., and Lyman B. Mrs. Smith is owner of the new seminary building.

SMITH, WILLIAM H. Liberty township, justice of the peace and stock and wool buyer, Bangs post office, was born in Milford township, June ro, 1836. His paternal grandfather, Henry Smith, was a captain in the War of the Revolution. William H. Smith, his father, was born in Ohio county, Vir- ginia, October 17, 1799.

T 1 1823 Mr. Smi ( me to Ohio and bought a tract of land in Milford township. In 1828 he married Esther J. Dill, of Ohio county, Virginia, who was born September, 1811. They had a family of eight children, six of whom are yet living. He worked at tanning for some years. In 1843 he was nominated by he Democrats of Knox county and elected to the legisla- ture, and reelected in 1845. In 1847 he was defeated for the nomination for senator by one vote. This concluded his active political life. He remained on the farm the remainder of his days. He died May 9, 1871.

The subject of this notice was reared on a farm and received the education of the common schools. He taught for several terms. He moved to Bangs, Ohio, in 1873. In April, 1858, he married Hannah J. Milligan. They have had eleven children, seven of whom are living, Mr. and Mrs. Smith are estimable people.

SMITH, ROBERT R., farmer, Berlin township, postoffice, Fredericktown, was born in Coshocton county, Ohio, December 24, 1837, and was married first to Eliza E. Gouser, who was born in Knox county. They had one child, John Henry, deeeased. Mrs. Smith died in Harrison township, this county, May 22, 1864. Mr. Smith's second marriage, in 1867, was to Ellen E. Lybarger, who was born in Harrison township in 1846. They had two daughters-Rosa May, born June 30, 1868; and Della R., November 25, 1870. Mr. Smith has been identified with this county since 1853. He united with the Presbyterian church at Millwood, October 6, 1866, and was a ruling elder while he remained there. He is now a member of the Presby- terian church of Fredericktown, and is one of the official members of that society. Mr. Robert Smith was elected justice of the peace of Berlin township in 1878.

His father, John Smith, (deceased) was born in Jefferson county, Ohio, September 17, 1809, and was married October 6, 1836, to Sarah Crouch, who was born in Harrison county, Ohio, March 30, 1813. When they started housekeeping they located in Coshocton county, and remained there until September 14, 1853, when they moved to Knox county, settled in Harrison township, and moved from there to Union, and to Berlin town- ship in March, 1875, where he died February 2, 1880. He was a worthy member of the Presbyterian church, and attended church in Fredericktown.

They had the following children, viz .: Robert P., Nancy jane, Mary E., John M. (deceased), Simon S., now a resident

of Grundy county, Iowa; Rebecca A. and Sarah E. (married to J. M. Cliffton). They reside in Danville, Knox county. During his membership he was a ruling elder at Millwood, this county.

SMITH, JOHN T., farmer, post office, Howard. He was born in Howard township, September 16, 1849. In 1870 he went to Brown township, and lived there two years. In 1873 he married Sarah Jones, who died in 1874. He then went to Franklin county, Ohio, clerked in a store two years, then mar- ried Olive Jones. After a year he came to Howard township, where he has remained. He has one child, Dortha.

SMITHHISLER, MICHAEL, farmer, Union township, was born in France, May 15, 1824, and was brought to America by his parents, Philip and Mary Smithhisler, in 1828, who located in Baltimore, Maryland, remained until 1835, then emigrated to Holmes county, Ohio, and settled in Knox town- ship, two miles northeast of Greersville, where Michael's father died, January 4, 1873. Mrs. Smithhisler survived her husband until May 1, 1874. She died in Knox county, Ohio, near Dan- ville, at the home of her son, Michael. They reared a family of four children-Magdalene, Michael, Anthony, and Philip.

Michael married Mary Milless in 1844, who was born in . Alsace, France, June 11, 1827, emigrated to America in 1835, daughter of Jacob and Catharine Milless. After his marriage to Miss Milless they settled in Knox township, Holmes county, Ohio, remained until 1847, then moved to Knox county. He now owns a farm near Danville, Union township, on which they are living. They have a family of eleven children, eight sons and three daughters.

SMITHHISLER, GEORGE, Howard township, farmer, post office, Howard, was born in Holmes county, Ohio, March 18, 1850, moved to Knox county with his parents in 1855.

He was married June 27, 1871, and moved to his farm on which he now lives.

SMOOTS, HARRISON K., Miller township, farmer, was born in Shenandoah county, Virginia, May 26, 1822. His parents came to Licking county about 1824, and purchased a farm, where he lived and died. His wife survives him. The subject of this sketch is the oldest child of the family, and was reared on the farm, and worked, as boys usually do, in the summer and attended school during the winter. About 1852 he moved to Miller township, where he has since resided, being exclusively engaged in farming. Mr. Smoots is an enthusiastic advocate of any principle which he espouses; is a leading Dem- ocrat of the township. He is affable and pleasant, and es- teemed for his many good qualities.

He married Miss Christiana Smith, daughter of Benjamin Smith, of Miller township, born May 13, 1857. They had seven children, one of whom died in infancy. The living are Joseph Willard, Nancy E., married to Hiram Fishburn; George Franklin, Charles W., Mary Emily, and Justice Douglass.

SNIDER, CONROAD, Jefferson township, farmer, post office, Greersville, son of Peter Snider, born in Pennsylvania, April 29, 1813; was brought to Ohio when a child by his parents, they locating near Marietta, and afterwards removed to Mus- kingum county, where he grew to manhood. In 1841, October 18th, he married Miram Watson, of Knox county, a daughter of George Watson, born in Miltontown, Indiana, and brought to Knox county when a child. After his marriage he located in Zanesville, Ohio, where he remained three years, and then moved

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

back to Knox county, locating in Jefferson township, purchas- ing a farm of forty-one acres, near Danville, where he remained until 1847, when he sold his farm and purchased another of one hundred acres, in Jefferson township, adjoining Ashland county, where he then moved and now resides, owning one hundred and twenty acres. Mr. and Mrs. Snider are members of the United Brethren church.

SNIDER, JONATHAN, Howard township, farmer, post office, Howard, was born in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, June 27, 1817. In 1850 he removed to Howard township. In 1845 he was married to Sarah Johnson, who was born in Knox county in 1816. They had three children-Hannah Jane, born in 1848; Samuel, in 1853; Angelina, in 1858. She died in 1876.

SNIDER, CHRISTIAN E., Brown township, farmer, was born on the seventeenth day of June, 1840, in Richland county, Ohio. His father, Philip Snider, was a native of France. His mother, Mary Snider, was a native of Stark county, Ohio. In 1850 he came to this county with his parents, and located on the farm in Brown township now known as the Snider home- stead. In 1864 he married Miss Ann Hall, daughter of James Y. and Lydia Hall. They located in Brown township and have since resided in the same township. At present they are living on Solomon Workman's farm. He ownes a half interest in the old Snider farm. They have six children-three sons and three daughters.

SOCKMAN, H. A., Fredericktown, physician, post office, Dunkirk, Hardin county, is the son of Washington and Esther Sockman, of Green Valley, Knox county, Ohio, and was born May 26, 1854. After having completed his common school education, he attended college at Mt. Union, Ohio. After leaving college, he commenced the study of medicine with Dr. S. B. Potter, of Fredericktown. After his office course he at- tended lectures at the Jefferson Medical college, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and graduated at that institution in 1879. He commenced the practice of medicine in Dunkirk, Hardin county, Ohio, and is regarded as one of the leading physicians of that place. He was married to Miss Lura Marple, of Frederick- town, Knox county, Ohio, August 9, 1880. She was born in Fredericktown February 8, 1856, and is the daughter of Hiram and Martha Marple, who are still residents of Fredericktown.

SPEARMAN, WILLIAM, Liberty township, farmer and boiler-maker, was born in Devonshire county, England, May 16, 1835. His father, William Spearman, was born in 1799, came to the United States in 1844, and remained in Mt. Vernon seven years. In 1821 he married Ann Brock. They had ten children, five of whom are living. Mrs. Spearman died on the farm.

The subject of this notice spent his youth attending school. He learned the blacksmith trade and boiler-making, which trade he has followed for a number of years. He married Anna Moore, with whom he had two children. His second wife was Mary Maginnis, who had three children.

Mr. Spearman is a good citizen, an industrious man, and is much estesmed.

SPEELMAN, DAVID H., Milford township, farmer, was born in Licking county, Ohio, August 23, 1835. His father, William Speelman, was born in Frederick county, Maryland, March 26, 1806. He came to Greene county, Pennsylvania, with his parents, about 1817. They moved to Fayette county,

the same State, where they died. He remained in l'ennsylvana until he was twenty-six years of age.

March 18, 1832, he married Letitia Long, and shortly after- ward came to Ohio, locating three miles west of Homer. He remained there about seven years, and in 1838 he purchased a tract of land in Milford township, which was unimproved, but is now a comfortable home. By his marriage he had a fam- ily of nine children, seven of whom are living.

Mr. D. H. Speelman was raised on a farm, and assisted his father He enlisted in company B, One Hundred and Forty- second Ohio National Guards, and served his time. At the same time he had a substitute serving in the army, and was not, therefore, obliged to serve.

He is a hard-working, honest, npright man, and has the es- teem of the public. He commenced poor in life, but by indus- try and economy he has made for himself a good farm and home. He married Miss Deborah B. Kinsey, December 11, 1858. They had a family of three children: Ida Alice, wife of J. H. Ncible; William Lewis; and Eliza Effie.

SPERRY, ISAAC N., farmer, a son of Jacob and Mary Sperry, was born in Morgan township, Knox county, Ohio, on the sixth day of October, 1819. He was brought up on a farm, and has made farming and stock raising his vocation. On November 5, 1844, lie was united in marriage with Miss Louisa Letts, born in the county, September 14, 1827, daughter of Caleb and Maria Letts. They settled on a farm in Morgan township, in this county and remained until 1870, when they moved on the farm in Clinton township, where they are now living. The farm is located on the Newark road one mile and a half from Mt. Vernon. They reared a family of ten children, two sons and eight daughters, all living.

SPINDLER, N. J., Howard township, farmer, post office, Howard. He was born in Howard township October 12, 1850. His father came from Pennsylvania in 1812, and lived and died in Howard township. He was sixty-three years of age at the time of his death. His business was farming and cattle deal- ing. Mr. Spindler's mother was sixty-one years old at the time of her death. He was married to Miss Isabella Dorta in 1872, and settled on their farm. They have one child, Mary.

SPRAGUE, E. H., general manufacturer, and repair shop, corner of Chestnut and Mulberry streets, Mt. Vernon. Mr. Sprague is a native of Attleborough, Bristol county, Massa- chusetts, and was born May 31, 1807. He afterwards resided at Hampshire, where he learned the machinist trade, and then at Berkshire, where he worked at his trade on cotton machinery. In the year 1834 he went to New York city, where he was engaged in manufacturing, which included an endless variety of tools, implements, fixtures, instruments &c., in which he was engaged about two years; after which he went to Allegheny City, where he engaged in the manufacturing of iron fencing, railing, ballustrading, cresting, and erecting doors for safe vaults, to which was added a general line of jobbing and repair- ing. He continued in this until the year 1872, when he went to Columbus, where lie engaged with Peter Hayden, contractor at the Ohio State prison, where he took charge of prison labor, in manufacturing, and in which he continued until 1846, then entered the employ of J. Ridgeway & Co., builders of steam engines, with whom he wasengaged on the contract for weights and measures for the different counties of the State of Ohio. In 1849 he went to McConnelsville, and engaged in the machine shop of James L. Gage, as superintendent, in the manufacture

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

of engines; after this he served the firm of D. Rolf & Co., manu- factures and builders of engines, of Harmar, Washington county, one year. He then went to Beverly, where he engaged in the general manufacturing and repairing of engines, in which he continued until 1853. After this, he went to Zanes- ville, working for the Central Ohio road (now the Baltimore & Ohio), the firm of H. F. Blandy & Co., builders of locomotives and the firm of Douglas Smith & Co., builders of cars. He then came to this county and engaged at Fredericktown with the firm of J. & T. Craven, manufacturers of saw-inill engines, where he remained until 1859, when he came to Mt. Vernon, where he has been engaged in various ways, and with different "ms, and was engaged with the firm of C. & G. Cooper & Co. at different times, until the year 1866. He then established his Fresent shop, where he is engaged in the manufacturing of and pairing of all kind of novelty work, which consists in part of gunning, filling, and repairing all kinds of saws, and all kinds of light mach ery, manufacturing of all kinds of patent and light ty erab ... including everything that mecahical skill can accomplish. Mr. Sprague is a mechanic of fifty-eight years' experience, and as has been noticed has had practical experience in all kinds of mechanical work, in ad- dition to his great natural mechanical talents, which warrant us in saying, that he is one of the most proficient mechanics in . the State.

SPROULE, JOSEPH, grocer, Mt. Vernon, was born in county Fermauagh, Ireland, in 1834, came to America in 1852, and settled in Mt. Vernon, then being about eighteen years of of age, under the firm name of Sproule & Watson engaged in the grocery business. By the judicious use of printer's ink and the use of an unique advertisement that attracted the at- tention of the reading public, the firm soon built up a lucrative trade. By square dea'ing and attractive goods they retained all their first customers and gained many new ones, which they re- tained. Said partnership being dissolved Mr. Sproule continued the business, all of which he, in time, sold, and engaged in farming in Liberty township, which he continued for two years. On his return to the city he entered into partnership with Mr. Samuel A. Trott, and opened a new and extensive grocery store in connection with the shipping business, and purchased the block on the northwest corner of the public square, part of which they occupied. When the partnership dissolved Mr. roule retained the business, and has since continued it alone.

Mr. Sproule has been married twice, his first wife being Miss Maria, daughter of john Craft, of Green Valley, this county. By this union three children were born-two sons and one daughter. The two sons are both dead, dying within a short ume of each other, aged respectively nine and eleven years. The daughter, Miss I-a, a young lady of fine mind, is now fin- ishing her education at Oberlin college.

He married for a second wife Miss Mary, daughter of the late Rev. John Mitchell, of this city. They now reside on East Gambier avenue.

SQUIRES, OLIVER, Miller township, pioneer farmer, was born in the town of Pittsford, Rutland county, Vermont, Janu- ary 20, 1812. His parents, Phineas and Esther Squires, nec Rowley, came to. Ohio with a family of six children, in the fall of 1812, and settled near Dresden, where they remained bout two year., ord. then came to Miller township, being among the early pioneers. About the year 1834 they removed to Chesterville, Morrow county, where he died. During the time

of his residence in Miller he was engaged in farming and clear- ing land. He would purchase a piece of land in the wilderness and erect a cabin and commence clearing a farm, when he would sell and purchase another piece in the wilderness, and com- mence again to make a farm; and this he continued during the time he lived in this township, performing as much hard labor as any man living in this country. They had twelve children, all of whom are now dead, except the subject of this notice. Eleven of these children lived to the years of manhood.

Oliver Squires was reared to hard labor. As soon as old enough he was put to work picking brush and other hard labor- His advantages for education were limited. The old log school. house, with its puncheon floor and clapboard roof, with weight- poles, its window of six lights, eight by ten, and the log fire, was the kind he attended for a few months each winter. He remembers their old home in what is now the village of Bran- don. The huge log house; the large fireplace; are distinctly re- membered. After he left home he learned the cooper's trade, which he followed for several years, but farming has been his principal business.

He was married to Mary Colopy, daughter of William Col- opy, an early settler, October 18, 1841, and in 1842 he removed to his present home, where he has resided to the present time. They have five children, viz: Earl O., farmer; Timothy C., far- mer; Ellen, who married Jasper Hall; Emma, who married R. Shepperd; Fulton, and Douglas.

Mr. Squires is a man who acts honestly and independently when he is conscious that he is right, he trusting to his own judgment, and acts without fear or favor. In politics he was for- merly a Democrat, but when he became fully satisfied that the measures advocated by that party would beinjurious to our pub- lic welfare, and having no confidence in the Republican party, he became an honest advocate of the principles held by the Greenback party. In religion he is Liberalist, freely grant- ing to others the rights and privileges he claims for himself. He is a kind and affectionate husband and father, and a kind neighbor and worthy citizen.

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History of Knox County, Ohio, its past and present, Part 170

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