History of Licking County, Ohio: Its Past and Present, Part 142

Author: N. N. Hill, Jr.
Publication date: 1881
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 826

USA > Ohio > Licking County > History of Licking County, Ohio: Its Past and Present > Part 142

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WILLIAMS, JOHN, was born in Shire Bativie, South Wales, on the twenty-sixth of November, 1801. Mary Williams was born in the parish of

Handysul, Cardiganshire, South Wales, June 11, 1797. They left their home (near Flanddervie brefi) on the tenth day of April, 1832; left Liver- pool May and; landed in America near New York May 23rd; arrived in Newark July 4th, and camped on the commons of Granville the same night; came to Harrison township on the fifth of July, 1832. Evan William, their oldest child, was born June 16, 1824; David D. born March 25, 1826; Jane E., born May 19, 1828; Thomas and Benjamin died in infancy (no record); Margaret P., born August 3, 1833; Benjamin E., born January 29, 1835; Mary R., born October 5, 1837; Ann S., born January 2, 1839; John Y., born September 16, 1841. Mary, the wife of John Williams, died on the seventeenth day of December, 1868; aged seventy-one years, six months and one day. John Y. Williams was the tenth child of John and Mary Williams, and was united in marriage to Miss Sarah A. Elliott, of Harrison township, on the thirteenth day of February, 1868. Miss S. A. Elliott was born on the fifth of July, 1849. Elias S. Williams, the eldest child of J. Y. and S. A. Williams, was born on the first day of January, 1870. Mary J. Williams was born on the fifth of August, 1872. Margaret A. Williams was born on the tenth of September, 1875.

WILLIAMS, ELIAS, deceased, a native of New Jersey, was born May 9, 1775. He was a shoe- maker by trade, and followed shoemaking as his avocation a number of years. He then turned his attention to farming, which he made his business during the remainder of his days. December 3, 1797, he married Miss Sarah Tomkins, of New Jer- sey, who was born August 14, 1778. In 1818 he with wife and eight children migrated to Ohio, and located in Jersey township, this county; remained about two years, and in 1822 they moved to New- ark township, near Newark, where they lived about fifteen years. In 1837 they removed to the farm in Harrison township, now owned by their son, Stephen C., where they passed the remainder of their days. His wife died September 15, 1860. He died January 26, 1871, aged ninety-five years, eight months and seventeen days. They reared a family of nine children-Abby, Marcus, Allen, Roslinda, Phebe T., Zophar, Elias, Stephen C., and Samuel E. Abby, Marcus, and Roslinda are dead.

WILLIAMS, STEPHEN C., farmer, son of the afore- said Elias Williams, deceased, was born in New Jersey, June 5, 1817, and was brought to this county by his parents in 1818. In 1844 he mar- ried Miss Eleanor Evans, daughter of Thomas Evans. Miss Evans was born in Wales, Septem- ber 26, 1820, and came to this county in 1831, with her father. Mr. and Mrs. Williams settled on the farm in Harrison township, where he now re-

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sides. His wife died September 24, 1872. They reared a family of nine children, five sons and four daughters. He served as infirmary director about six years. In 1873 he was elected justice of the peace of Harrison township, and has since been filling the office.

HARTFORD TOWNSHIP.

WEYANT, GEORGE, retired farmer, born in 1828, in this county. His father, David Weyant, was born in 1800. David Weyant's wife, Elizabeth Baker, was born in 1798. They were both born, raised, and married near Peekskill, New York. They came to this county in 1821. David died in 1850, and his wife in 1858. They were the par- ents of seven children-William, born in 1820; James, born in 1822; Andrew, born in 1823 (died in 1843); David, born in 1825; the subject of this sketch comes next; Thomas, born in 1832 (died in 1846); Cordelia, born in 1836. George Weyant was married in 1853 to Miss Cynthia Rogers, of Knox county. She was born in 1833, in that county. She died in 1875. They were the parents of one child, Alice A., now the wife of Charles Coleman, of Hartford. She was born in 1858. They were married in 1876. George Wey- ant, in 1876, built the finest residence in Hartford, and removed to the village, leaving the farm, and now lives at his ease. His son-in-law lives with him. His house is situated northeast of the pub- lic square.

WILLISON, MADISON, farmer, born in 1829, in this county. His father, Jeremiah Willison, was born in 1792, in West Virginia; came to this county in 1806 with his father, Elisha Willison. Elisha died in 1842. His wife died in Lancaster, Ohio. They were the parents of eleven children; Jeremiah was the fifth child. Jeremiah was mar- ried in 1815 to Miss Sarah Stymets, of this county. She was born in 1794, in Pennsylvania. Jeremiah died in 1872. They were the parents of ten chil- dren. Madison was married in 1850 to Miss Sta- tira Conklin, of this county. She was born in 1829, in this county. They are the parents of six children-Sally A., Chloe, Kirk, John, Jerry, Nelly.

JERSEY TOWNSHIP.

WARD, SAMUEL H., born in Newark, New Jer- sey, in 1809. His father, Josiah L. Ward, came to Muskingum county in 1818, and in 1819 came to this county. His boyhood days were spent on his father's farm, and from him he learned the carpen- ter trade, which business he followed for a number of years. In 1851 he moved to Illinois and after- wards to Iowa, where he was engaged in saw-mill- ing, carpentering, farming, etc. The years 1860- 63 were spent in this county, and in 1875 he re-

turned permanently. He was married in 1830 to Ann C. Whitehead, by whom he has four children -Timothy Harris, Samuel Lawrence, Mary (Proc- tor), and Lucinda (Proctor), all of whom hawe homes in the west. Both of his boys were in the army; Timothy enlisted in the Forty-sixth Ohio volunteer infantry, and was afterwards commission- ed lieutenant of the first colored regiment raised in Tennessee; Samuel was a lieutenant in the Third Iowa cavalry. In 1875 Mr. Ward married as a second wife Mrs. Elizabeth A. Whitehead, daughter of Orin and Abigail (Cornwall) Barnes, both of whom were natives of Connecticut, but moved to Massachusetts, from which State they emigrated to St. Albans township, at a very early date. Mr. Barnes organized the first Sabbath- school held in St. Albans township.

WHITEHEAD, EZEKIEL, born in Seneca county, New York, November 28, 1800, and came to Jer- sey in July, 1826, his parents, Isaac and Elizabeth, having come the year previous. He had read law in New York and continued his studies in this county under William Stanbery, of Newark, and was admitted to the bar in 1827, at Lancaster, Ohio, his examination having been conducted by Hon. Thomas Ewing. He was obliged to desist from his chosen profession on account of ill health, and turned his attention to medicine; attended a course of lectures in Cincinnati, at the Ohio Med- ical college in 1829-30, and was licensed to prac- tice in 1830 by the First Medical district of Ohio. Attended another course in 1842, and graduated The doctor has now practiced fifty years in Jersey, and though he has retired from active life, and is an old man of eighty years, he never refuses to make a professional call. He married, in 1833, Hetty Thompson, of Morris county, New York, by whom he had three children: William Wirt. Electa T., and Helen S. (deceased).

WHITTEN, WILLIAM, born in Monroe township. January 12, 1842, son of John and Ruth (French) Whitten. His father came to this county a poor orphan boy from Pennsylvania, and by his own unaided efforts acquired a competency here. In 1854 they moved to Delaware county; there, in 1861, William began an apprenticeship to a carpen- ter, but the following year enlisted in the One Hundred and Twenty-first Ohio volunteer infantry. company H; was in the battle of Perryville, Ken- tucky, October 8, 1862, and Chickamauga Septem- ber 20, 1863. In this latter engagement he was wounded in the left elbow, and, in consequence, confined in the hospital thirteen months; he was mustered out in October, 1864. His crippled am not allowing the resumption of his trade, be re- turned to the farm in Delaware county; kom there he came to his place in this townchip, abert

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1870. He married, September 30, 1866, Mary Cook, born April 20, 1846, daughter of Bnajah Cook. Her grandfather, Bnajah Cook, sr., was one of the first settlers in Harlem township, Dela- ware county, emigrating from Connecticut. Shortly after his arrival here he frequently traded with the Indians for venison, etc. Mrs. Whitten's brothers and sisters surviving at this writing are: 'Selina (Henderson), of Galena, Ohio; Calvin T., an at- torney at Wapakonetta, Ohio; Eli D., Albert, and Ella (Huff), of Delaware county. Mr. Whitten's father died February, 1876, from dropsy of the heart, having been affiicted with rheumatism for eight years.

WILLIAMS, J. N., born July 14, 1813, in Cald- well, New Jersey, the son of Swain and Frances (McFarlan) Williams. His mother emigrated from Ireland when seven years old. His father having died when he was yet an infant, he was adopted by his uncle, Samuel Williams, with whom he came to this township in 1816, when but three years old. At ten years of age he began an apprenticeship of four years with a carpenter and has followed his trade in connection with farming during his past life. He married, April 27, 1836, Martha, daughter of Amos and Sarah Park; she was born February 27, 1816, in Hampshire county, Virginia, and came to this county when six months old. Eight children were born to them: Samuel, Sarah (deceased), Rebecca, Amos (deceased), George, John, Bertram, and Henry Willie. Amos enlisted in the Seventy-sixth Ohio volunteer infantry, com- pany H., winning laurels in all its hard fought bat- tles by his bravery, until he received his death wound at Ringgold, Georgia, dying at Chattanooga hospital. George and Samuel both served in the one hundred days service; George in the One Hun- dred and Thirty-fifth Ohio national guards, and Samuel, as Captain in the One Hundred and Thirty-third Ohio national guards, organized in Columbus.

WIRTZ, HENRY K., born in Logan county, Jan- uary 21, 1855, son of Matthias and Sarah (Swarz) Wirtz. His father, born in Wurtemberg, Germany, about 1830, emigrated to America in 1851, against his father's wishes, settled and married in this county, then living four years in Logan county, he returned to this county, engaged all the while in coopering. In 1861, at Newark, he enlisted as bugler in the Forty-fifth Ohio volunteer infantry, and served forty-five months, returning to Newark, he again moved to DeGraffe, Logan county. He died October 13, 1867, on a small island in Lake Erie above Toledo, where he had gone to plant a vineyard for a friend. His wife died in Logan county, November 18, 1867, leaving three helpless children: John C., Robert B., and Melinda, all

of whom are now doing well, in Logan county. Henry K., the oldest child, had, in January, 1863, secured a home in this township with George W. Patterson, thereby supporting himself, and has lived here most of the time since. He began teaching school at seventeen, and has taught every winter since, having been variously engaged in summer. March, 18, 1880, he married Ella M., daughter of Thomas Dickerson, of this township, and is at present engaged in farming.

LIBERTY TOWNSHIP.

WRIGHT, WAIT F., farmer, was born July 20, 1808, in Cornwall township, six miles from Mid- dlebury, Addison county, Vermont. In the fall of 1816, his parents, Simeon and Susannah Wright, emigrated to St. Albans township, locating on what is commonly termed "Wright's Corners," about one mile south of where he now resides. He remained with his parents on the farm until he was twenty-one years of age. About 1828 he with his brother, Seth S., contracted to build one mile of the Ohio canal, at the rate of eighteen cents per square yard. They worked on the canal about three years. He married Mary Hults, October 10, 1830; she was born Jnne 7, 1812, on the banks of the Scioto river, in Ross county, and near the present town of Waverly. Her parents, William and Elizabeth Hults, were born, the former in Kentucky, the latter in Virginia. John Pancake, the father of the latter, emigrated to Ross county among the very early settlers in the county, and participated in the War of 1812, with William Hults, father of the present Mrs. W. F. Wright. Captain Simeon Wright, father of the subject of this sketch, enlisted in Addison county, Vermont, under Colonel Fosset, during the War of 1812. After serving as captain for some time, he was brevetted major, serving through the entire war. Wait F. Wright, subject of this notice, purchased a little over one hundred acres of land in an un- broken forest, about 1829, and has cleared, fenced and placed it under a high state of cultivation, adding later near three hundred acres. They had eleven children, ten of whom are living. John P. enlisted under General Steel, in an Iowa regiment, at the beginning of the late war, and participated in many hard fought battles, among the most hotly contested of which was that at Helena, Arkansas. He received his discharge at the close of the war, and married Kate Camble; residing at present in Taylor county, Iowa. Simeon S. married Ellen Linsey, and lives in Taylor county, Iowa; William H. married Margaret Ruster, and lives in Monroe township, this county; Susannah Amanda married Joseph White, grain dealer, of Gibson City, Illi- nois; Milton J. is at home with his parents; Jane E. married John F. Denver, and resides in Taylor

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county, Iowa; Mary D. married Newton M. Willi- son, and resides in Monroe township, this county; Mary E. married Gilford H. · Warden, grocer, in Columbus, Ohio; Bettie L. married Delano H. Warden, general dealer in merchandise, Columbus, Ohio; Elnora K. is residing with her parents. October, 10, 1880, Mr. and Mrs. Wright wit- nessed the fiftieth anniversary of their marriage. They are respected by the entire community.

LIMA TOWNSHIP.

WHITE, R., farmer, post office, Columbia Cen- ter. He was born in Fairfield county, March 2, 1838, and is a son of Joseph and Elizabeth White, who came from Virginia about 1830, and settled in Fairfield county. In 1841 they moved to this county, and settled in Lima township. The sub- ject of this sketch is the fourth of the family, and he remained at home until he was married in 1861 to Sarah Gilbert, of this township. After his mar- riage he moved to Wood county, where he lived until the spring of 1864, when he moved to his present. farm. He has been honored with the of- fice of trustee by the citizens of the township.

WICKLIFFE, JOSHUA, post office, Columbia Cen- ter. Mr. Wickliffe was born June 6, 1818, in Maryland, although he might claim either the State of Maryland or Pennsylvania as his, as the house he was born in stood on the State line. He moved to Ohio with his parents, George and Isa- bel Wickliffe, about the year 1826, who settled in Fairfield, removing to this county in 1835. Mr. Wickliffe married Miss Sarah Huntwork, daughter of Henry Huntwork, of Fairfield.

MCKEAN TOWNSHIP.

WIMER, SARAH, was born in 1818, in Green county, Pennsylvania, was the daughter of Jacob and Margaret Bowers, who located in Mckean township in 1826. She was married in 1839 to John Wimer, of this county, a farmer, who was born in 1816, in Pennsylvania. They had six children: Martha, Henry, Margaret, Mary, John and Ezra; all living except Henry and Ezra. John was born September 15, 1853, and was married March 14, 1880, to Agnes Dinsmore, of this county, who was born in 1856. They are at present living at home with Mrs. Wimer; Ezra was born July, 1858, is single and lives at home. Mr. Wimer died March 13, 1873, aged fifty-seven years. Mrs. Wimer, his mother, died April 16, 1873, at Sarah Wimer's home. Mr. Wimer was a member of the Brethren (better known as Dun- kard) church, of Knox county. Sarah, his wife, is also a member of the same church.

WHITSON, JACOB, was born in 1843, in Will county, Illinois, and was the son of Benjamin and Leah Whitson, who were natives of Ohio. Benja-

min Whitson was born in 1811, and died in 1878 Leah Whitson was born in 1813, and died August 2, 1873, aged sixty years. They were the parents of nine children, all living. Jacob, the subject of this sketch, was married in 1871, February 5th, to Mattie Tilton, of this county, who was born in 1847, in' this county. They have two children: Helen, born in 1872, and William J., born in 1874. Jacob Whitson located in this county in 1872, and is now living west of Fredonia, Mckean township. ' Eliza I. Tilton was born in 1837, m this county, and is now living with her sister, Mrs Whitson.

WILLARD, G. W., a farmer, was born July 29, 1847, in this county; is the son of William D. and Naomi Willard. He enlisted in 1862 for three months, at Columbus, in company K, Eighty-sev- enth regiment Ohio volunteer infantry. He was taken prisoner at Harper's Ferry by Stonewall Jackson; was exchanged, and returned home; re- enlisted the latter part of 1862, in company A, Tenth Ohio cavalry, at Newark. He went as a substitute; was under General Kilpatrick, in the Third division, Second brigade, but was subse- quently transferred to General Sherman's com- mand. He was in all the battles of General Sherman's army, and received a slight wound in the arm; had two horses shot from under him, and one lost. He returned home the latter part of 1864. He was married October 4, 1874, to Lucy Woodberry, of Lorain, who was born in 1854. Re- sult of this marriage, one child, William D., born February 9, 1878. Mr. Willard gives a great deal of his attention to fruit growing and gardening

WILSON, PHILIP, was born in 1811, in the city of London, England; came to New York in 1833; was married in 1834 to Jane Dorkin, of Newart, New Jersey, who was born in 1819, in Durham, England, and came to the United States in 1831 with her parents. Result of this marriage, six chil- dren-Mary Ann, born 1835, died 1840; Philip, jr., was born in 1844, enlisted at Newark, Olio, October 19, 1861, in company C, Seventy-sixth regiment, Ohio volunteer infantry, under captain Coman; was in the battles of Fort Doncleon, February 14, 15, and 16, 1862; Shiloh, April 6 and 7, 1862; Siege of Corinth, April 7 to May 28, 1862; Milliken's Bend, August 18, 1862; Haines' Bluff, August 19, 1862; Green- ville, August 23, 1862; Bolivar, Mississippi, August 25, 1862 ; Chickasaw Bayou, December 28, 1862; Arkansas Post, January 11, 1863; Deer Creek, April 7, 1863; Fourteen MGle Creek, May 14, 1863; Siege of Vicksburg from May 18 to July 4, 1863; Siege of Jache July 10 to July 16, 1863; Canton, July zy 3843; Lookout Mountain and Mission Ridge

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HISTORY OF LICKING COUNTY.

with General Sherman on his march to Atlanta, and was shot dead at the battle of Taylor's Ridge, Ringgold, Georgia, Thanksgiving morning, No- vember 27, 1863. It was said he never shirked his duty; went as a private soldier, was promoted to color corporal. His remains were buried at the Soldiers' cemetery of Chattanooga. He was in his seventeenth year when he enlisted, and was killed in his twentieth.

" Soldier, rest, thy warfare's o'er, Sleep the sleep that knows not breaking. Dream of battle-fields no more, Days of danger, nights of waking."

Eliza A. was born in 1842; was married to W. C. Smith, of this county, now a lawyer of Holden, Johnson county, Missouri. Robert was born in 1850, is single, and lives at home. Edward was born in 1854, is single and a physician at Mt. Ver- non. He is a graduate of Long Island city Med- ical college, of Brooklyn; is preparing himself thoroughly for the profession he has chosen. Mary Jane was born 1857, died in 1860. Mr. Wilson came to Newark in 1843, went to Chatham in 1847, located in Mckean township in 1852, where he now lives. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Fredonia. He is a tanner by trade.

WILSON, SAMUEL, was born 1813, in New York; was the son of Hugh and Elizabeth Wilson, was married in 1838, to Angeline Peaslee, of New York, came to this county in 1838 and located in Madison township; moved to McKean township in 1844; is a blacksmith by trade; carried on busi- ness at the cross-roads, two miles south of Fredo- nia. They have three children-Hannah, born in 1839, married to F. M. Brooks, of this county, in 1836, dead; Hugh, born in 1844, is a blacksmith by trade and worked a number of years with his father, at the corners-was married to Mattie Carrico, or this county, is now living in Illinois, and is a far- mer; Alice, born in 1846, was married to F. M. Brooks In 1878. Mrs. Wilson died in 1852, aged thirty-two years. Samuel was married again in 1853, to Nancy Ware, of this county. They are now liv- ing two miles south of Fredonia.

WRIGHT, ABRAHAM, farmer, came to this county in 1802, with his wife and five children. He lo- cated at Newark, and in 1809 removed to McKean township, where he built a log cabin, west of Chat- ham, for himself and family. At that time the township contained only twelve or fifteen families. In 1812 Mr. Wright and his family, with the rest of the neighbors were obliged to go into camp every night at Chatham, on account of troubles with the Indians at that time. Mr. Wright enlisted at Chat- ham, under Colonel Samuel Dunavan, in 1812, to march against the Indians that were causing trouble at Upper Sandusky. He was on the march with

General Beall. He returned home in 1814. There are at present only two of Abraham's children liv- ing. Ada, who was born April, 1799, is now living in Kansas. She was married in 1823, to Johnson Abbot, of this county. They had three sons and. four daughters.

WRIGHT, JACOB, was born April 10, 1802, in Washington county, Pennsylvania, and is the only old settler left in Mckean township. He was mar- ried November 10, 1825, to Sarah Conard, of this county, who was born March 31, 1808, in Loudoun county, Virginia, and came to this county in 1812. They had nine children, seven living at present- James C., Matilda, Abraham, Elizabeth, Jonathan I., Jennie N. and Mitchel. They are all married and living in this township, except Abraham, who is living in Delaware county. Jacob's wife, Sarah, died February 14, 1876, aged sixty-eight years. He was married again November 27, 1879, to Mrs. Alcinda Hollingsworth, of Muskingum county, who was born March 11, 1833, in Loudoun county, Vir- ginia. She had four children by her first husband. Carrie R., the youngest, lives with her parents at present. Mr. Wright cast his first vote for John Quincy Adams. He has voted the Whig and Re- publican ticket ever since. Mr. Wright, when first commenced doing for himself, had but two hundred dollars, but by his own industry and econ- omy he at one time owned and worked one thou- sand acres of land, having eight hundred acres in one body, but he has divided his property among his children, and at present he has only three hun- dred and twelve acres left for himself. His educa- tion consisted of three winters' schooling, and then he was obliged to go three miles through the woods to school.

WRIGHT, J. I., farmer, was born July 4, 1837; remained at home on the farm until November 21, 1861, when he enlisted in the Seventy-sixth regi- ment Ohio volunteer infantry, company C, for three years. He was under Captain Coman; was in General Sherman's division in the early part of the war; was in the battles of Fort Donelson, Pitts- burgh Landing, Corinth, Yazoo River and Arkansas Post. He took sick February 22, 1863, was taken to Memphis, Tennesee; remained until January, then returned to the regiment. Was in the battles of Kenesaw Mountain and Jonesborough. Re- turned home in the autumn of 1864. He enlisted as private, was promoted to corporal, then to ser- geant. He was married December 29, 1864, to Anna E. Mckinney, of this county, who was born in 1843. Result of this marriage, five children: Dellman H., born January 8, 1866; Earnest G., born August 16, 1867; Edison C., born June 20, 1869; Martin L., born February 10, 1872; Lottie . M., born January 14, 1876. 9

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MONROE TOWNSHIP.

WILLIAMS, A., farmer, Johnstown, was born De- cember 16, 1828, in the southern part of Munroe township, in what is commonly termed the David Williams homestead; here he has spent his entire life, with the exception of about one year, which he spent in Pennsylvania. He married Mary Stewart, January 27, 1857. She was born in Vir- ginia about 1828. They had four children: Frank, born December 21, 1857; Ida, born July 24, 1859; Sanford, born December 8, 1861; Ella, born Au- gust 25, 1863. Mrs. Williams died May, 1872. Mr. David Williams and wife, Charlotte, parents of the subject of this sketch, purchased the present Williams farm in the unbroken wilderness, and now it ranks among the best farms in the township. About the year 1850, he, David, with his brother, Thaddeus Williams, started to California, but only reached Panama, where he sickened with the pre- vailing fever, and soon after boarding the vessel for California, died, and was buried in mid-ocean. Mr. A. Williams is one of those quiet, pleasant men who make one feel at home in their presence. Politically, he is a Republican.

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History of Licking County, Ohio: Its Past and Present, Part 142

Author: N. N. Hill, Jr. Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Number of Pages: 826

Author: N. N. Hill, Jr.
Publication date: 1881
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 826