USA > Ohio > Noble County > History of Noble County, Ohio: With Portraits and Biographical Sketches of some of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 45
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who bought the land on which the town of Summerfield now is, and a few years later laid off some lots where the road from Zanesville to Sunfish on the Ohio River and the Barnesville and Marietta road crossed each other. Hle prophesied that it would become a large town. "Yes," said William Earheart, deeming his ideas rather visionary, "when the Ohio River comes to it." Though Mr. Horton's hopes have not been fully realized, the town is now second in the county, and has a railroad instead of a river connecting it with larger places.
About the same time with Ilorton came Joshua Craig, George Acred, Hugh O'Neill, Thomas Franklin, Patrick Peppard, William Osborne,
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Samuel Osborn and James Osborn with their mother and their sisters, Mary, Kitty and Betsey ; William Mc- Clintock, John Franklin, Alexander Franklin, James Lemmax, Eliza Large and five sons and one daugh- ter came in February of 1829. Hugh Waybrant, John Waybrant and Thomas Tackaberry. Later came William Craig, Wyndham Sparling, John Cleary, Edward Cleary. Thomas Burns, Anthony Kilroy, Crumlin Ferris and Joseph Mitter.
A few of the early settlers became discouraged and left, but the most of them stuck bravely to their work and made good homes for themselves and their families. George Acred, Patrick Peppard. Thomas Tacka- berry, Thomas Burns and John Way- brant, of the Irish settlers, became disgusted and returned to Pittsburgh.
It is difficult to understand how men and women, accustomed as many of them had been to the ways of luxury and civilization, could patiently endure the hardships of pioneer life and withal enjoy them- selves therein. But that they did there is abundant evidence. They were industrious and diligent work- ers, and wielded the axe or the grub- bing hoe with sturdy hands, inspired and encouraged by the hope that in this way only could they win for themselves a farm and a home.
The Irish were looked upon with a good deal of suspicion by their neigh- bors, who came from Maryland, Vir- ginia and other Eastern States. This caused them to cling closely together and to render all possible assistance to one another. Their characteristic --
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energy, enconomy and thrift were displayed in such a manner as to con- vince the native Americans that they had come to stay, and were able to hold their own in the struggle for existence. They were all Protestants and friends to religion and educa- tion. They early established and maintained subscription schools, and as far as they were able, gave their children the advantages of education. The work of improvement went for- ward rapidly and almost without exception the Irish settlers thrived and prospered. Their influence is still felt, and their descendants' are a most worthy class of citizens.
Moses Horton early started a small store for the sale of ammunition and tea. Powder and lead (which was molded into bullets), were indis- pensable articles. Squirrels were so abundant that boys and men were obliged to turn out and shoot them to prevent the total destruction of their cornfields. Louis Wetzel, the noted pioneer hunter, is said to have patronized Horton's store on one occasion: Tea was about the only luxury in which the Irish indulged.
Among the early comers were a few Scotchmen - William Calland, Robert Calland and Matthew Woods. They were rugged, sturdy men, and prospered well. Robert, James and Elizabeth Calland, wife of James Brown of Summerfield, and Kitty C. Swain, children of these Scotch pioneers, are still living.
The pioneers after a few years began raising wheat, which they marketed in Zanesville, forty-five to fifty miles distant. Many a load was
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sold there at forty cents per bushel, but better prices soon prevailed, and the farmers engaged more extensively in raising it. At one time in the town of Summerfield, it took a bushel of wheat to purchase a pound of coffee.
The Irish settlers of Marion Town- ship were excellent citizens. They were men of intelligence, thrift and enterprise. One of their number, Hugh O'Neill, was a school-teacher, and organized a subscription school soon after the settlement began. He taught successfully for many years, winning the esteem and love of his pupils. He was one of the best of the early teachers. The school-house was on the land now owned by Fawcett Craig.
Another early school-house stood on Moses Horton's land. Dr. John Banford was the first teacher in Summerfield. Stephen F. Miner, son of Rev. John Miner, then pastor of the Methodist church in Summer- field, was one of his pupils. IIe has since been a presiding elder, and is now located at Chardon, Ohio.
Among the early settlers was one Frenchman, a man named TeRhodes, a stout, strong man, rather eccentric in his ways. It is said that he built a tobacco house about thirty feet square and dove-tailed others on to it until it had a large capacity. After a few years he removed with his family.
Eliza Large, a widow with a fam- ily of five sons and one daughter - Robert, Thomas (step-son), Samuel, Henry, Richard and Ann (Craig), came from Canada in 1828. The
family were originally from Queens County, Ireland. Mrs. Large bought 160 acres of land, which is now owned by her son Henry and John Lemmax. Henry is the only one of the family living in the county. She was a lady of ordinary ability and a kind Christian woman. She died in 1863.
Richard Large, a cabinet-maker, and Samuel Johns, a blacksmith, were among the early residents of Freedom.
Some of the old settlers of the township who are still living, are Samuel Osborne, aged eighty-six, and his wife, nee Martha Horton, eighty- three; Wyndham Sparling, eighty- two; Thomas Horton, seventy ; Henry Large, seventy-one; John Cleary, seventy eight; Ilenry Craig, seventy-eight. Jonathan Hamilton came to this county from Belmont very early and died soon after. Ilis widow is still living, aged eighty- nine, active and in good health.
Of Lexington little now remains except the memory. Yet it was a trading-point of some importance long before Summerfield came in to being, and was probably the oldest projected village in the county. In early years, a man named Finch had a store there; John Wolf, a black- smith shop, and John Miller a tav- ern.
In 1833 the owners of " town lots " in Lexington were Martin Crow, William Caldwell, John Miller, David Rose, William G. Shankland, David Sutton, William Sutton and William Sutherland.
James W. Shankland, who had
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previously been in the mercantile business for a short time in Sum- merfield, started the first store of importance in Lexington. John Rownd was in business with him for awhile, first as clerk and then as partner. Shankland kept store at Lexington many years and dealt ex- tensively in tobacco. After quitting the mercantile business (about 1850), he converted all the town lots into a farm, and "Lexington " ceased to be.
An old resident states that Lexing- ton was projected as early as 1818 by Thomas Emery and Jacob Young. They were unable to pay for the land, and some years later James W. and William G. Shankland bought a half section, including the site of the town, and kept store there, moving their goods from Summerfield.
Jesse Moseley, a brother of Charles Moseley, was an early settler. IIe was a native of Tennessee, and for a time lived in the family of the father of Andrew Johnson. Ile was born in 1866 and died in 1885. Ile was a mechanic, and was favorably known to many of the old settlers of the region.
William Kent on the Stevens' farm, near the Monroe County line, had an early grist-mill run by water. Many of the early settlers had hand-mills. Kent was one of the earliest settlers in the county, and was contemporary with the Enochs and Archers, on tlie East Fork of Duck Creek. His house was a favorite stopping place for travelers in early years, it being the only improvement for many miles.
It was also a rendezvous for hog dealers for miles around; here they received their droves, and weighed them, if they were not successful in "lumping them off," as it was called. The manner of weighing hogs in those days was to put them singly into a sling and get their weight with steel- yards.
Sylvanus Baldwin was an carly Yankee settler about a mile from Summerfield. The Baldwins did much weaving for the neighbors. Sylvanus was a shrewd, keen little fellow who was an adept in butcher- ing, and prided himself upon his skill in that line. A little farther on, a small improvement was made by a man named Plumer, who sold out to the Osborns, who still occupy the farm.
James Lemmax came from Pitts- burgh in 1818, and bought 160 acres from William and David Sutton. In 1820 he located upon his land and remained four years, then rented it and returned to Pittsburgh, where he remained until September, 1830. He then came back to his farm and there remained until his death. Ile worked hard and so managed as to secure a piece of land for each of his children. Hle was a man of more than ordinary ability and energy, accomplishing what he undertook ; a man of rather peculiar mechanical genius, a worker in either wood or iron; would imi- tate in either stone, leather, wood or iron anything he saw or took a notion to do.
Hosea King came about 1816. He had seven sons, all of whom are dead. Some prospered well and the others
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made a living. Robert Crawford, who came about 1818, was called " the squatter." It was his custom to begin an improvement, erect a cabin and then sell out his right to some new-comer. Land was then $2 per acre. A settler could enter 160 acres to be paid for in three payments. If he found himself unable to pay for the whole, he could take eighty acres instead.
Digging and marketing ginseng or "sang," as it was called, was one of the chief industries among the early settlers. This article and wolf- scalps were their main sources of revenue. Catching wild turkeys in pens afforded an easy method of sup- plying the family with game. One side of the log pen had an opening sufficiently high to allow the turkeys to pass under, following up a trail of corn scattered both outside and inside the pen. The birds, when inside, looked upward for means of escape, and seldom crawled out as they came in. It is said that Mrs. Capell once undertook to get some turkeys out of a pen, taking two in each hand. When she had secured them, they undertook to fly, but she pluckily hung to them until they became entangled in the bushes, and her husband came to her assistance.
On one occasion a hunter named McBride, who lived five or six miles away, was chasing a deer past the house of James Lemmax. Mrs. Lem- max saw it, and sent a bulldog in pursuit. The dog caught it as it was attempting to leap a fence, and with the assistance of Mrs. Lemmax, kept the deer down until her son came
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with a butcher knife and dispatched it. Mrs. Lemmax was considerably bruised and her dress torn by the struggling animal. When the hunt- ers came up she tendered them the deer, but they refused to accept it, saying she deserved the prize for her pluck.
Henry ('raig, still living, says he helped to raise the first cabin in Sum- merfield.
Of Ilugh Waybrant, an early jus- tice of the peace, the following anec- dote is related: Soon after being commissioned, he was called upon to perform a marriage ceremony. Being somewhat nervous and not fully posted as to the necessary form, but still with an idea that some form of grearing was necessary, he got through with the marriage some- thing after this style: "Do you take this woman for your wife!" "I do." " Do you take this man for your hus- band?" "I do." "Then - if you ain't married !"
The Danfords of Noble County are very numerous, and also very worthy citizens. They are descended from three brothers - Samuel, Will- iam and Ambrose Danford, who came from New Jersey to Belmont County, and thence to what is now Marion Township very early. William was a soldier of 1812, and died in the service. Samuel was a prominent and influential man among the early set- tlers. He was a successful farmer and acquired a comfortable property. He was the father of fifteen children -Morris, Michael, Peter, William, Samuel, Benjamin, Rachel, Rebecca, Sarah, Elizabeth, Lucretia, Nancy,
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Mary, Hannah and Ruth. Samuel Township in 1840. He remained at home until 1862, when he married Jane D. Cleary. By this union he has five children, all living-Lorenzo C., Alice M., John E., Hiram R. and Dempsey R. The family are mem- church. Mr Danford is a prominent and successful farmer. Danford, Jr., was born near Summer- field, in 1818, and is now one of the prominent farmers of Sharon Town- ship. He married, first, Jane Adair, by whom he had three children - C'atharine, James W. and John S. [ bers of the Methodist Episcopal Rev. James W. Danford, of the Methodist Episcopal Conference, is now stationed at Dexter City. He Peter H. Danford was born in 1847. In 1872 he married Rosana Cleary ; children : Luella M., Ann E., Irene and Edgar R. He is a farmer and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. was born in Belmont County, whither his father had removed soon after his marriage. Ile learned the carpenter's trade in early life, but became a minister of the Methodist Episcopal church. He married Mary Mitten, and is the father of four chil- dren.
Samuel Danford, his wife and four
children came to the farm now . married John H. Martin. Six chil- owned by Peter R. Danford, in 1806. ' dren were born to them - Silas,
In 1812 they left and returned to Belmont County, not wishing to be so far from civilization during the war. The family returned to the old place about 1817. The father died in 1845, and the mother in 1871. She was a member of the Methodist Epis- copal church, and the Danford resi- dence was the preaching place for the neighborhood. Lucretia Danford was born in Belmont County in 1817. She lived on the home farm until about fifteen years ago, when she bought the place on which she now lives. She has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church since she was twenty years of age. Thad- deus Shepherd's wife is a niece of Lucretia Danford, and has lived with her from infancy.
Peter R. Danford, son of one of the early settlers, was born in Marion
Charity Martin (nve Danford) was born in Belmont County in 1823, and in 1825 came to Marion Town- ship with her parents. In 1842 she
Rheul, Morris D., Peter, John A .. and Simeon F. Four are still living, three on the homestead. John II. Martin died in 1855. The family are members of the Christian church.
Michael Danford was born in Belmont County, October 9, 1802. Ile was the son of Samuel and Nancy Danford. Ilis father came to Bel- mont County in 1798, and there married Nancy Metheney, August 20, 1800, and came to what is now Noble County in 1807. In 1813 he was compelled to return to Belmont County on account , of Indian troubles, returning to Noble County in the year 1817. Michael never married. lle came in his child- hood to what is now Noble County and lived and died there. He com- menced first in teaching school, investing his very small wages in
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government lands, which he would lease for improvements. These lands became valuable in after life. Own- ing a large amount of lands, he was more or less interested in farming, but his principal business was loan- ing money, discounting paper, etc. His entire life from early childhood was strictly moral. Ile had no well- defined Christian faith. At one time in early life he joined the Methodist Episcopal church, but did not feel at home and soon withdrew, and never joined any other church or society of any kind. IIe was a man of strong and logical mind, and had many eccentricities. He died in his sixty-seventh year, possessed of a considerable amount of wealth, of which he made no disposition. His last sickness was short and his death unexpected. Ile never held any very important offices - never seemed to have any desire or anxiety for what he terined trifles.
Samuel Danford, son of Peter Danford, a resident of New Jersey, was born December 29, 1774, and on the 20th day of August, 1800, was united in marriage to Nancy Math- eney, in Belmont County, Ohio. Their union was blessed by the birth of seven sons and nine daughters, all of whom, with one exception, lived to the estate of manhood and woman- hood. About the year 1813 Mr. Danford removed to what is now Marion Township, this county, the country then having only here and there a cabin. After a short sojourn here he was compelled, on account of the Indians, to move back to Bel- mont County, where he staid until |
the Indian trouble was passed; then returned to this county, where he was an extensive farmer and land- owner, and where he died in 1845.
Morris Danford, the oldest son of Samuel and Nancy Danford, was born in Belmont County, August 18, 1801, and, being the old- est of the family, had to brave the hardships and privations incident to frontier life. When but twelve years old he traveled from Captina Creek in Belmont County, to their home on Glady Creek, this county, alone and through the unbroken forest, the dis- tance being twenty-five or thirty miles. When fourteen or fifteen years old he and a younger brother staid alone all winter in the cabin on Glady, to take care of the stock, while the family were in Belmont County. Under these sturdy influ- ences he grew up to manhood, and married, on the 2d day of January, 1823, Amney S. Alford, of Monroe County, who bore him three sons and two daughters, two of whom are now living - Simeon, in Jackson Township, and Charity (Martin), in Marion. Mrs. Danford. died on the 8th of January, 1835. Ile was after- ward united in marriage to Eliza Hinton, on the 26th of January, 1837, which union was blessed by three sons and three daughters. Three of these children are living - Sarah, Samuel T. and Peter H. Seven of his children lived to the age of maturity, four sons and three daugh- ters, six of the number being school- teachers, notably the eldest son, Silas, who made teaching a business for eight years. Three of the sons
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have been class-leaders in the Meth- odist Episcopal church.
Morris Danford was a plain man of honesty and integrity, unassuming in manner and quiet in disposition. His counsels were much sought after, and his precept and example always tended to do good and keep peace. IIe was much interested in public education, and for many years the burden of the school business of the township fell on him. For many years he performed the duties of jus- tice of the peace, for twenty years was trustee of the township in which he lived (Marion), and was chosen infirmary director, and helped to institute the present County Infirm- ary.
In politics he was a Whig, until the formation of the Republican party, after which he was a stanch Republican and abolitionist. In religion he was of the Disciples' or Christian faith. A kind husband and father, he always tried to incul- cate in the minds of his family that a good character was more to be desired and sought after than any other earthly attainment. Ilis name was a synonym for honesty and purity; his word was regarded equal to his bond, and he acquired a repu- tation for correctness and painstak- ing in the details of business which is equaled by few and excelled by none. He was cautious to a fault, and has been heard to say that he never paid one cent of law costs or one cent of interest in his life. Ile died on the 22d day of March. 1872, at the age of seventy-one, after a very energetic and useful life.
Captain John Brown, whose biogra- phy appears in Chapter XV, was born in Dumferline, Scotland, in 181S. At the age of sixteen he enlisted in a regiment of Scotch Highlanders, and then received the military education which he utilized to such good advantage in after time. In 1836 he came to this country and settled in Poughkeepsie, N. Y., where he fol- lowed his trade, that of a linen weaver. He married in Philadelphia Pa., a Miss Farlow. She died in Steubenville, Ohio. In St. Clairs- ville he made the acquaintance of Miss Matilda McConnell, a native of that village, whom he married for his second wife. About 1852 he came to Noble County and purchased a farm near Summerfield. In 1862 he joined the Ninety-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and upon its organization was commissioned first lieutenant. June following he was promoted to a captaincy. At the battle of Chickamauga. he was se- verely wounded in the foot and died in Nashville, Tenn., October 5, 1863. IIad he lived he would have distin- guished himself. He was brave to rashness, and one of the most thor- oughly drilled officers in the service.
The Kings, from Pennsylvania, were among the first settlers. John King lived and died in this town- ship and reared a family of ten chil- dren.
William Kent and family came from Greene County, Pa., settling in 1815 on the farm now owned by Samuel Stevens. The place was par- tially cleared earlier. They were the parents of nine children, four of
Morris Danford
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whom were born here. Three are still living - Sarah (Reed), John, who lives in Monroe County, and Mary A. William Kent was a promi- nent man, and held the office of justice of the peace. He died in 1856; his wife, Ann, in 1846.
Moses Horton, with his wife and nine children, came from the city of Dublin to what is now Marion Town- ship in 1817. They afterward had two children. Of their sons, Thomas and William are living. The latter is a physician in Southern Indiana, near Cincinnati. The daughters were Ann (O'Neill), deceased; Martha (Osborn), Susannah (Crow), Jane (Graham), and Rebecca (McWill- iams). The two oldest sons, Joshua and John, after coming here, re- turned to the east on foot. On their arrival in New York City they wrote to their parents, stating that they were well and had enjoyed the trip, but that they did not expect to remain in the city long. No other word was ever received from them, and to this day the family are igno- rant of their fate. Mrs. Horton died in February, 1863, and Moses Horton in March, 1863. They were among the most prominent of the pioneer settlers. Thomas Horton, the only son now living in Noble County, was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1816, came to America with the family, and resided on the home place for a series of years in the first brick house erected in the county, now replaced by a frame. In 1843 he married Miss Marinda Todd, for- merly from New York, and is the father of eight children, seven living:
Thomas A. (deceased), John (a mem- ber of Company D, Forty-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in the late war), Dorothy A. (Roberts), Weathea M. (Nowell), Cenioretta (Haines), O'Neill and William J. The family are members of the Free Methodist church.
Robert C. Horton, son of Richard Horton, was born in Marion Town- ship in 1843. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and a farmer. In 1870 he married Mary Barnes, of Summerfield; children : Alberta, Eugene, Robert E., Hubert B. and William C.
Hugh O'Neill and family were among the early settlers, locating on the farm now owned by Samuel Crawford. John O'Neill, born in Ireland, came to this township with his parents, married Ann Horton in 1824, and died in 1864. He was the father of nine children, two of whom still live in the township. He was an upright, honorable man, whose word in business transactions was all that was required; a successful farmer, and accumulated some prop- erty.
The Osborns of this township were among the early Irish settlers, com- ing originally from County Donegal. The family consisted of Samuel Osborn, Sr., and six children - Mary, William, James, Samuel, Catharine (Crawford) and Elizabeth (Fearus). Of these, two are living, both in this township. The family left Ireland in 1817. The father died in 1820, six weeks after coming to this coun- try.
James Osborn, born in Ireland in
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1798, came to America with the fam- ily, and located with them in what is now Marion Township, when all was wilderness. In 1830 he married Eliza Lingo. Their children now living are Samuel M., Archelaus and Hester A. (Calland) in this county, and Ellen (Wilson), Kansas. The father died in 1883. His widow is still living, with her son Arche- laus. The latter was born in 1840, and in 1862 enlisted in Company D, Ninety-second Ohio Volunteer In- fantry, and was mustered out at the expiration of his term of service. He was in the battles of Chickamauga, Mission Ridge, the Atlanta cam- paign, through the Carolinas, etc. In 1867 he married Eliza M. Hamil- ton. Six children-tive living, viz .: Anna L., Luella, James H., Charles E. and Hattie II.
Samuel Osborn, Sr., was born in Ireland in 1800, and came to this country with the family. In one fall he walked from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, and thence to Ohio, where he entered the land on which he afterward located; then back to Pittsburgh, and again to this town- ship. Such feats of pedestrianism would be considered marvelous in these days, but the pioneers were a hardy race and not afraid to encoun- ter hardships. In 1829 he married Martha Horton. His children were Ruth (Barnes), Dorinda (Lemmax), living, Ann J. (Taylor) and Mary E. (Anderson), deceased ; Susannah (Peyett), William and Rebecca. William Osborn was born in 1843. In 1862 he enlisted in Company D, Ninety-second Ohio Volunteer In-
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