History of Knox County, Ohio, its past and present, Part 173

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 173

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John L. Teeter, the father of George, was born in Bedford county, Pennsylvania, February 26, 1824. His parents remained in Pennsylvania until 1830, when they emigrated to Ohio and located on the farm now owned by the Wallace family, in Pike township.

On the second day of September, 1851, John L. Teeter was united in marriage with Elvina Cramer, who was born near Phil- adelphia, May 30, 1831, being the daughter of George L. (de- ceased) and Elizabeth (Henry) Cramer, late of Worthington township, Richland county.

Jacob Teeter, grandfather of George, was born in Maryland in the year 1782. In 1863 he died, and his remains were interred by the side of those of his wife in the Wallace graveyard, Pike township. John Deeter, great-grandfather of George, was born in Maryland, as was also his father.

The original surname of the family was Deitrich. Near the beginning of the eighteenth century a family of the last men- tioned name emigrated, some say from Ireland, while others as- sert that they came from Switzerland, and located in the present State of Maryland. The family, if not German speaking when they came to America, became so afterward. The name Dei- trich became corrupted into Deeter in some localities, Deetery in others, Teeter in some places, while a large number of the descendants of the family still retain the original name. The above mentioned facts render it extremely difficult to obtain any accurate information concerning the family.

TERRY, WARNER, deceased. Mi. Terry was born in Cecil county, Maryland, November 18, 1796. During the War of 1812, he served six months, being stationed on Chesapeake bay. Early in the fall of 1826 he removed with his family to Gambier, and during Bishop Chase's absence acted as his agent, and superintended the clearing of the land and making arrange- ments for the foundations of Kenyon college and other buildings on the college lands. When the ground on which Kenyon col- lege now stands was prepared for digging to lay the loundation, Mr. Terry threw out the first shovel full of earth, the bishop de- siring him to take a hand in the great work. Shortly after this he removed to a farm nine miles north of this city, where he re- mained until the year 1831, when he moved his family and per- sonal effects to the house on East Chestnut street, where he re- sided up to the hour of his death, a period of nearly half a century. Mr. Terry was not a professional man, but since his residence in Mt. Vernon, turned his attention purely to mercan- tile pursuits, having been engaged the greater part of the time in the grocery trade. Three years since he was obliged to give up his business on account of an affection of the kidneys, which disease has kept him closely confined to the house. The de-

ceased reared a large family of children, six of whom are still living, viz: Mrs. Emily T. Shipley, residing near Portland, Ore- gon; Mrs. M. L. Hood, formerly postmistress of this city; Miss Johanna Terry, of this city; Mr. Edwin W. Terry, of this city; Mr. Brook L. Terry, of Columbus, Ohio, and Miss Caroline Warner Terry, of this city. Mr. Terry was taken suddenly worse on Sunday with hemorrhage of the kidneys, and at an early hour on the morning of July 13, 1880, breathed his last. The funeral services were held in St. Paul's Episcopal church.

THOMAS, HON. JESSE BURGESS, deceased. The Hon. Jesse B. Thomas was born in Hagerstown, Maryland, in the year 1777, and came west in 1799, and studied law with his brother, Richard Symmes Thomas, of Bracken county, Ken- tuckv. During his stay there he married, but was so unfor- tunate as to lose his wife within a year after their marriage.

Mr. Thomas was full six feet high, florid brown complexion, dark hazel eyes, brown, nearly black, hair, muscular system well developed, and sometimes weighed over two hundred pounds, and was very particular in his personal appearance, having much of the mode and manners of a refined gentleman of the last century.

On the organization of Dearborn county, Indiana territory, March 7, 1803, Jesse B. Thomas located in Lawrenceburgh, the county seat of said county, as a practicing lawyer. The first election of members to the Territorial legislature was held Janu- ary 3, 1805, and Jesse B. Thomas was elected a member for Dearborn county. The Territorial legislature was called to- gether by proclamation of the governor (General William H. Harrison, elected President of the United States in 1840), to meet in the town of Vincennes, on the first day of February, 1805, to choose members of the legislative council. They chose ten persons and sent their names to Congress, which body se- lected five of the ten named to serve as members of the Terri- torial council. After the council was chosen, and the legisla- ture having been elected as above stated, they were called, by proclamation of Governor Harrison, to meet at Vincennes (the seat of government of the territory), on the twenty-ninth of July, 1805, to discharge their duties as legislators.

At this first session of the legislature of the Indiana territory, Jesse B. Thomas was elected speaker of the popular branch, and Benjamin Chambers, also of Dearborn county, was elected speaker of the council. On the twenty-fourth of August, 1805, Governor Harrison appointed Hon. Jesse B. Thomas as a cap- tain of a portion of the militia of Dearborn county.

Hon. Jesse B. Thomas served as speaker of the first and sec- ond sessions of the first general assembly, closing his service as speaker October 24, 1808, having served as such more than three years, when he resigned to accept the position of delegate to Congress, to which he had been elected by the Territorial legislature.

During his term of service in the Territorial legislature, he made the acquaintance of the young and accomplished widow of the late Colonel Hamtramck, whom he subsequently married. He then removed to Vincennes, but remained there only a short time. After serving as Territorial delegate a year, he was ap- pointed in 1806, upon the organization of the Illinois territory, one of the judges of said territory, by the President of the United States, and then removed to Kakaskia, thence to Cakokia, and afterwards to Edwardsville, and served nine years as a Territorial judge.

On the formation of a State government in Illinois, in 1818,

Sylvanus. P. Brooks

HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

819

Judge Thomas was elected a member of the convention to form a constitution for the new State, and was chosen president of said convention. He was elected in the same year, by the first legislature of Illinois, one of the members of the United States senate, and being reelected served ten years in said dignified body, retiring in 1828.

Judge Thomas introduced into the United States senate, the once famous Missouri Compromise, (see Journal of the United States senate of 1820), which he regarded as one of the most prominent members of the celebrated caucus which nominated William H. Crawford for President of the United States in 1824- Att he close of his term of service in the United States senate in 1828, Judge Thomas and his wife, (they had no children), removed Vernon, Knox county, Ohio, where they had large property to interests. Colonel Hamtramck, who died in 1803, left a son, bearing his father's name, John Francis, born at Fort Wayne in 1797, and who also acquired his father's title, having com- manded the First Virginia regiment in the Mexican war. The elder Hamtramck had acquired title to four thousand acres of land, adjoining the tract on which Monnt Vernon was after- wards located, and after his death some years, General Har- rison and Judge Thomas became trustees for the management of said land, and it has been alleged that they were in no small degree instrumentral in securing the location of the Knox county seat of justice at Mount Vernon.

In this connection it may be stated that the elder Colonel Hamtramck was born in Canada, in 1757, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, came out of it a captain, remained in the United States army, reached the position of major in 1789, was lieutenant colonel commanding the first sub-legion in 1793, com- manded the left wing under General Wayne, in the battle of the Fallen Timbers, in August, 1794, and became a colonel in the United States army in 1802, having sustained until his death, April 11, 1803, at Detroit, the reputation of a gallant soldier and patriot.

His son graduated at West Point Military academy in 1819, remained in the army serving on the frontiers under General Taylor, and as Indian agent; and commanded a brigade in 18.47, in Mexico, though holdiug only a colonel's commission. He afterwards resigned his position in the army, was mayor of Shepherdstown, Virginia, from 1850 to 1854, and served as one of the justices of the Jefferson county court from 1853 until April 21, 1858, when his death occurred.

. In 1829 Judge Thomas took an active part in the organiza- tion of St. Paul's Episcopal church in Mt. Vernon, and was a member of the congregation from its inception until his death. He made large additions to Mt. Vernon, laying out lots in the eastern and northern parts of the city.

Judge Thomas, in 1830, took the preliminary steps to make the canvass for a seat in Congress, in the district of which Knox county was a part, but finding that Hon. William Stan- bery had a strong hold upon the voters that year, he declined the candidacy before the time of election.

In 1840 Judge Thomas took a lively interest in bringing about the nomination of his old time friend, Governor Harri- son, for President, attending the great convention held at Co- lumbus that year, to secure that object, and labored zealously afterwards to effect his election.

Judge Thomas died at his residence in Mt. Vernon, in June, 1853, aged seventy-five years.

He was twenty-five years of age when he began the business of life in Lawrenceburgh, as a lawyer, passing through the

various positions of captain of a military company, member of the territorial legislature, speaker of said body more than three years, delegate in Congress, United States judge in Illinois territory, delegate to a constitutional convention, and its pre- siding officer, and United States senator from Illinois for ten years, which closed his service of twenty-five years of public life, after having held many positions of responsibility, honor, and dignity.

Mrs. Thomas was a lady of marked and distinguished charac- ter. She was a Mackenzie, and her early life was spent in Montreal. When she married Major Hamtramck she was the belle of Detroit, where the major was then stationed in com- mand, and where he died some few years later.

THOMAS, DANIEL, Liberty township, farmer, born in Liberty township, July 7, 1812. His father, Jacob Thomas, was a native of Pennsylvania; he married Betsy Kile, a native of Maryland; he came to Ohio about 1810; they had a family of six children, viz: John, Peter, Sallie, Rosanna, Daniel and Polly. Of these John was drowned at Gains mills, on Owl creek; his father also was drowned at the same time. Jacob Thomas was a soldier of the War of 1 112. 'The subject of this notice married Celina Sisk, a native of Virginia, born in 1818. They had four children. Henry was a member of company F, One Hundred and Twenty-first Ohio volunteer infantry; he died while in service. Mary E., wife of Cornelius McElroy, of Union township; Morgan S., farmer in Milford township; Francis M., born May 21, 1846. He married Miss Anna Belle Davis, February 27, 1879. She was born January 18, 1851, and is the daughter of John and Susannah Davis, residents of Mil- ford township. They have one child, Walter, born September 15, 1880.

THOMPSON, FRANKLIN P. (deceased), Middlebury town- ship .- Abner Murphy (father of Mrs. Thompson) was born in Pennsylvania, in 1777, and was married to Sarah Gattern. They had the following children: Hiram, born in 1800; Rob- ert, in 1802; William, in 1804; Jane. in 1806; Mary, in 18c8; Eleanor, in 1810; Basil, in 1812; Rachel, in 1814; Sally, in 1817; and Elias, in 1820.

Abner Murphy died in 1826, and Sarah Murphy, February 19, 1854; Sarah died August 17, 1840; Albert L., April 19, 1842; Abner E., April 19, 1849.

George T. enlisted in the late war in 1862, was a member of the Ohio volunteer infantry; James F. was also in the war, a member of the Ohio National guards, and served his time of enlistment.

Ella O. Murphy was married November 23, 1872, to Frank- lin P. Thompson, who was born in Richland county. They had the following family, viz: Ora Belle, born November 4, 1874; Alice Belle, February 5, 1876; Karloss, November 4, 1877; and Mabel, August 7, 1879.

Mr, Thompson died February 13, 1879.

THOMPSON, ENOCH, Miller township, pioneer, was born in Hampshire county, Virginia, April 17, 1808. His parents, Cornelius and Rebecca Thompson, nee Baker, came to Ohio in 1809, remained one year in Licking county, and settled in the southern part of Miller township, a short distance west of the Vance settlement. Mr. Thompson died here. His widow sub- ' sequently married John Row, and died in the township.

The subject of this notice has always resided in the township, except a very few years. He married Rachel Tush in 1830, who was a native of Virginia. They had eight children, two

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

daughters and six sons. Two died while young. The living are Virgil, Elizabeth (wife of D. W. A. Cunningham), John, Lewis, James, and Thomas.

Virgil was born April 16, 1831, in Miller township. He went to Iowa in 1856, and remained about five years. He subse quently removed to Indiana and remained until 1869, when he again returned to Miller township, where he has since resided, being engaged in farming. He is successful in his undertakings and reliable in his business.

THOMPSON, ROBERT, president of the Knox County Mutual Fire Insurance company, Mt. Vernon, Ohio, was born in county Fermanagh, Ireland, May 5, 1814. His youth was spent on a farm. His parents came to the United States in 1831, when the subject of this sketch was about seventeen years of age. When about twenty-one years of age he commenced working at the carpentering business, which he followed until about 1850, when he went into the grocery business in Mt. Vernon, and followed that until 1863, when, on account of failing health, he sold out his business. He was very successful in the grocery line. In 1862 he was appointed internal revenue collector of the thirteenth district, (Knox county) Ohio which he held until 1867, when he resigned. He dealt quite exten- sively in agricultural implements between 1867 and 1876. In July, 1876, he was elected president of the Knox Mutual, and was also a director of the same company for ten years previous to his election as president. He also travelled for the same company three years as travelling agent. He travels still for the company during the winter season. He was married to Miss Sarah Ney, August 13, 1840, by whom he has had two children, both daughters.

THOMPSON, MATHEW, M.D., Mt. Vernon, was born in Ireland May 10, 1816, emigrated to the United States with his parents in 1831, and located in Knox county. He made a profession of religion, and united with the Methodist Protest: ant church in 1837. He graduated from the Medical university of New York in 1842, and entered upon the practice of his pro- fession in 1844 in company with Dr. J. W. Russel, with whom he remained until 1861, when he engaged in practice for him- self, having established a high reputation as a physician and gentleman. He associated with him in practice, Dr. Smith, deceased, with whom he continued until his death which oc- cured June 19, 1867.

He was married May 15, 1851, to Miss Phebe Veach, of this county, by whom he had a family of four children. Mrs. Thompson was the third daughter of Peter Veach, one among the early settlers of Knox county.

Doctor Thompson, as a physician, was highly proficient and successful, and had the universal esteem and confidence of his brother physicians, and as a man he, in his daily life and con- duct, exemplified the Christian character, and was profuse in his liberality to the church in all her various benevolent enter- prises, for the advancement of religion and for the amelioration of the condition of man. He was beloved and esteemed by all who knew him.

THOMPSON, JOHN D., of Mt. Vernon, treasurer of the Cleveland, Mt. Vernon & Delaware railroad company, was born in the county Fermanagh, Ireland, in 1821, the fourth son of Irvine Thompson, a farmer.

Having emigrated to the United States in 1831, the family proceeded to Ohio and settled in Mt. Vernon. Although far from being a wealthy man, Irvine Thompson had each of his

five sons well educated, the 'e of them being fitted at his expense for the several professions of their choice -the ministry, medi- cine and the law.

The subject of this sketch, having received a fair education, and contented to work on his father's farm, did so until he be- came a farmer on his own land.

In 1852 he went to California, and returned to this county in 1854, and continued to cultivate his farm. While thus engaged he was nominated and elected county auditor in 1862, a posi- tion he filled with credit to himself and profit to the State. He was the first Democrat that had been elected in the county for the previous ten years. He was nominated to this office without his knowledge, and in like manner he was nominated and elected in 1869 to represent the county in the Ohio legislature. In the same year he was appointed to the office he yet fills. At the close of his legislative term he declined a second nomination, and devoted himself to the interests of the company whose treas- urer he is.

Something may be learned of Mr. Thompson's activity in business from the number of responsible positions he held. For while he was treasurer of the railroad he was also treasurer of the Knox County Savings bank, the Mt. Vernon Savings Loan and Building association, the Knox County Agricultural society, the Eagle Mutual Fire Insurance company, and president of the Ohio Mutual Aid association.

He was a delegate to the National convention at St. Louis of 1876, also a delegate to the Cincinnati convention of 1880.

His great modesty of bearing has caused him to decline nom- inations for various offices his friends and neighbors sought him to fill, including nominations to represent his district in Con- gress offered him in 1876, and again in 1878, as one of the staunch supporters of the Democratic party.

Although not a professor of religion, he practices the precepts of Christianity in his daily life, being to all objects and enter- prises a liberal contributor, and the true and substantial friend of the weak and of the oppressed.

In 1864 he married Miss Priscilla, second daughter of James S. Banning, of Mt. Vernon, and whose family is one of the oldest and most substantial of the county.

THOMPSON, M. D., SAMUEL C., was born in Cadiz, Ohio, January 21, 1824. His father, Robert C., and his mother, Ann Cochran, were born and married in Washington, now Alle- ghany county, Pennsylvania. They came to Ohio about 1823. They subsequently returned to Pennsylvania and died in their native county.

The subject of this notice attended the common schools, and several ternis at Du Quesne college, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was clerk on a steamboat on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. At about twenty-one years of age he began reading medicine. He was taken sick, and while confined to his room, his physi- cian, Dr. Sheldon, of Mckeesport, Pennsylvania, furnished him with books, which he read. After his recovery he continued reading until he was about twenty-four years of age, then entered the university of Louisville, Kentucky, and graduated in 1849. After he finished his course of lectures he practiced in Louisville; Kentucky, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and New Philadelphia, Ohio. In 1864, he came to Mt. Vernon, Ohio, where he has since practiced. In r854 he changed his practice from allopathic to homeopathic. He is one of the trustees and the examining physician of the Mt. Vernon Mutual Aid association. In April, r869, he married Miss Malinda Ward, daughter of Dr. Truman

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

Ward, of Mt. Vernon. They had a family of six children, five of whom are living.

THOMPSON, THOMAS, Wagonmaker. He was born in Clearfield county, Pennsylvania, in 1830, and came to Holmes county, Ohio in 1834; remained there till r855, then came to Brownsville, Knox county, where he engaged in working at wagonmaking. In 1868 he moved to Frederick- town. He married Sarah Robinson, who was born in Mus- kingum county in 1837. They have two children: Lavisa J., born July 7, 1858, and Hattie B., born September 10, 1863. Mr. Thompson is engaged at present in the carriage shops of W. E. Gibson, of Fredericktown, and is a skilful workman. His father, Benjamin Thompson, was born in Union county, Pennsylvania, November 30, 1801, and was married to Sarah Ligget, who was born in Centre county, Pennsylvania, October 5, 1798. They had the following family: James, born Decem- ber 20, 1825; Lavisa, March 17, 1827; George, February 17, 1828; Thomas L. and Davis (twins), December 5, 1830; Mar- garet, December 28, 1835; Cyrus, deceased, and Mary M., the last of whom was born June 15, 1840.

Mr. Thompson came to Holmes county, Ohio, in 1835, and remained there sixteen years, then moved to Ashland county, remaining there sixteen years. In 1867 he came to Frederick- town, where he now resides.

THOMPSON, REV. WILLIAM, was born in county Ty- rone, Ireland, in 1834, where he resided and received his prepar- atory education, until about fourteen years of age, when he emigrated with his parents to America and settled at Circleville, Ohio, where he attended school. In 1853 he entered the pre- paratory department of Kenyon college, at which institution he graduated in 1858. He then entered the seminary, and gradu- ated in 186r. Shortly after he was ordained a deacon and ap- pointed by the bishop to a mission in northern Ohio, where he remained two years. In 1862 he was ordained priest, and in the fall of 1863 was called to the rectorship of St. Peter's church, Gallipolis, Ohio, where he remained three years, when he was called to Kewanee, Illinois, as rector of St. John's church, where he remained three years, when he received a call to Grace church at Galesburgh, Illinois, where he remained two years, when he went to Cincinnati and took temporary charge of Trin- ity church one year. In 1872 he came to Mt. Vernon and took charge of St. Paul's church.

He was married September 18, 1865, to Miss Gertrude A. Menager.

THRIFT, ABSALOM, Fredericktown, retired, is a native of Loudoun county, Virginia, came to Ohio in 1808, and was mar- ried to Amanda Brown, who was born in Charlotteville, Vir- ginia. They had nine children. He has been longer in busi- ness here than any other person. For several years he con- ducted the leading dry goods trade of the place. In March, 1875, his store, building and contents were consumed by fire, by which he sustained a loss of ten thousand dollars, having no insurance. He was elected sheriff of Knox county in 1842, and reelected in 1844. He filled the office with ability and credit. While filling this position he was also deputy United States marshal, and held this position for eight years.

A. B. Thrift, son of Mr. Absalom Thrift, now occupies the same store room, in which he carries on the merchant tailoring business. He is a workman of experience and skill and keeps a full line of cloths, cassimeres, suitings, vestings, gents' furnish- ing goods, ladies' hosiery, cuffs, collars, etc. His goods and

styles will always be found up with the times, and his prices will compare favorably with any similar merchant tailor in this section of the State. He does the leading business of this sec- tion, giving employment to three experienced hands, and gnar- anteeing perfect fits in all cases. His store room is twenty-five by fifty-five feet in size, and located on the corner of Main and College streets.

Absalonı Thrift, though advanced in years, is an active busi- ness man, and takes a lively interest in all matters promising public improvement. His father, William Thrift, was born in Fairfax, Virginia, came to Ohio, Knox county, in 1808, and was one of the pioneer Baptist ministers. He preached in Licking, Coshocton, Muskingum and Knox counties, and con- tinued his labors in the ministry until his death. He was a sol- dier in the Revolutionary war, entering it at the age of sixteen years.

TILTON, REV. A. H. is the son of Warren Tilton, of Easton, Washington county, New York, and was born March 17, 1808. He remained at home until his twentieth year and received a good school education. At the age of twenty he went to Oneida county and engaged in cabinet-making, which business he followed three years. During this time he determined to devote himself to the ministry, and engaged in the regular course of theological reading prescribed by the bishops of the Methodist Episcopal church. In 1831 he was licensed to preach, and travelled on the Westmoreland circuit.

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History of Knox County, Ohio, its past and present, Part 173

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