USA > Ohio > Noble County > History of Noble County, Ohio: With Portraits and Biographical Sketches of some of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 57
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68
The following item was published in the Republican in 1871:
" An old log barn standing on Alex- ander McKee's farm, one mile north of Caldwell, was erected in 1811, by Daniel Bates and George Dye. Many of the hands who helped to raise it came up from the Marietta settle- ment, thirty miles distant. After the barn was completed, Bates and Dye both enlisted and served through the War of 1812-14. Dye was badly wounded in an engagement with the British and the Indians."
Samuel Noble was born in Lycom- ing County, Pa. He came to Ohio in 1805, and afterward to the farm
where he passed the remainder of his life. He died in 1875 at the age of seventy-eight years. He was an honest man and led a useful life.
Miss Mary F. Brown, a native of Rhode Island, taught the first school near Hoskinsville in 1820, where she settled with a brother and a sister in 1818. She died in 1883 in the ninety- seventh year of her age. She taught school a number of years and was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church for sixty-four years.
According to the recollection of an old resident, the first school in the vicinity of Caldwell was taught by Walter Stevens on the McKee place. A space .between a couple of corn- cribs served as the school-room in fair, warm weather; but when the open air became unsuitable, the school adjourned to the house.
Josiah Burlingame was an early settler and a prominent citizen, a surveyor by profession. He came to Ohio from Rhode Island, and in 1814 located in this township. In 1815 he married Sarah Noble, a sister of the venerable John Noble. IIe was county commissioner of Morgan County from 1827 to 1832. IIe reared a large family, all of whom are now widely scattered. A re- union of the Burlingame family at Belle Valley, in the fall of 1886, was an interesting occasion.
George Burlingame, one of a fam- ily of nine brothers, all living but one (Samuel), was born January 21, 1829. In 1860 he married Miss E. J. Coffee of this county. They have one child, Alta, now Mrs. Frank L. Green, of Belle Valley. Mr. Bur-
.
490
HISTORY OF NOBLE COUNTY, OHIO.
lingame was formerly a Whig, and is now a Democrat. He has served as county surveyor, and was town- ship assessor six terms. He has been engaged in the mercantile business at Belle Valley since 1884.
Sylvester Westcott is among the oldest residents of the township. He was born in Providence, R. I., in 1815, and has resided in Noble Township since 1817. He married Mary A. Wheeler in 1840, and is the father of three daughters. He has a vivid rec- ollection of the early days, and of the difficulties under which the early settlers labored.
Rev. David Gorby was born in Ohio County, W. Va., in 1810, and has resided in Noble County since his parents settled here in 1824. His maternal grandfather took part in the Revolutionary War, and after- ward assisted in suppressing the "whisky insurrection " in Pennsyl- vania. Mr. Gorby is a farmer, mill- wright, and minister of the Free Methodist church. He has recently been engaged in developing a fine mine of carbonate iron ore, which, with coal, renders his land valuable. He married, first, Mary Mason, and second, Eliza N. Hunter.
Robert R. Danford, a representa- tive of one of the early and prom- inent families of Noble County, was born in this county in June, 1828. In 1850 he married Mary A. Grove, of this county. Their children are Ellis J., Eliza A. and Arizona R., living, and Osceola C., deceased. Mr. Danford is a Republican. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. He
served as justice of the peace of Morgan County six years, and, although living in a Democratic town- ship, was chosen township assessor by seventy-five majority. Mr. Dan- ford was in the late war as first lieu- tenant of Company F, Eighteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, resigning in 1862, on account of rheumatism. In 1864 he was in the One Hundred and Sixty-first Ohio Volunteer In- fantry, in the one hundred days' service.
David D. Jennings, who for fifty years was a prominent citizen of this township, was a pioneer on section 31, Center Township. He was orig. inally from western Pennsylvania. where he married Miss Ruth Wright. He was a successful farmer and ac- cumulated a fine competency, under rather adverse circumstances. It is related of him that the first win- ter after his arrival in Center he was obliged to thresh grain with a flail for one-half the straw, in order to provide food for his only cow. He was one of the pioneers of the Methodist church of the county. For many years the "meetings " were held at his house, and all religious projects had in him a firm friend and patron. He died April 22, 1879, aged eighty-three years. He reared a family of ten children - four boys and six girls.
John McCleary was born in 1839. in this county, as now constituted. His father was a drummer boy in the War of 1812, and his grandfather was killed in the same war. John McCleary enlisted September, 1861, in Company K, Thirtieth Ohio Volun-
491
NOBLE.
teer Infantry, and was discharged in September, 1865. He participated in the battles of Carnifex Ferry, Vicksburg, Jackson, Mission Ridge, Chattanooga, and the engagements during the "march to the sea."
William P. Willey, one of the early settlers of what is now Noble Township, was a native of Penn- sylvania, and came to this county about 1870. His first location was on a small tract of land which he bought from his brother-in-law, George Dye. He was identified with the township as a pioneer farmer, and was one of the early and prominent members of the Protest- ant Methodist Episcopal church and helped to build one of the first churches of this society. He mar- ried Sarah Dye, and had a family of thirteen children, eight of whom were born in Pennsylvania.
William, one of the sons, was born in 1822; he married in 1849 Miss Ruth, daughter of Daniel Belford ; they have had five children.
George Willey was born in Penn- sylvania, in 1804, and came with his parents to Noble County about 1817. He was a carpenter by trade, and several years after his immigration bought a mill near Belle Valley, which he operated until 1848, when he removed to Hoskinsville, and en- gaged in trade. He died in 1856. In 1828 he married Miss Nancy Westcott. They had seven children. Sylvester, one of the sons, was born in 1835. In 1864 he enlisted in the Twenty-Second Ohio Light Artillery and served until the close of the war. He and his wife, nee Ellen Moore,
are members of the Protestant Epis- copal church.
J. W. R. Newton, a prominent farmer and a leading citizen, is the son of an early settler. His father, a native of Maine, came to this township in 1818. Mr. Newton was born in 1834. In 1856 he married Miss Mary McKee, and is the father of two sons and one daughter. His wife died in 1880; in 1885 he married Mrs. Elizabeth Sipe. Mr. Newton is a Republican.
J. C. Campbell was born in Noble Township, in 1832, and is by occu- pation a farmer and merchant. His father, a native of Ireland, settled near Philadelphia, in the latter part of the last century, removing thence to Ohio. He died in Noble Town- ship in 1847. On his mother's side Mr. Campbell is of German descent. J. C. Campbell was married in 1860 to Martha Noble. He has always been a Democrat. For six years he served as postmaster at Hoskinsville under a Republican administration.
Samuel McFerren was born in Pennsylvania in 1776. In 1836 he settled in Noble Township, where he died about 1866. He married a Miss Needham, whose father, J. Need- ham, settled in Morgan County. Mr. Needham was the only survivor of a family of several members. The rest were killed by the Indians on their way from Pennsylvania to Ohio.
Richard C. McFerren is of German and English descent. IIis father, a native of Pennsylvania, settled in 1808, in Jefferson County, Ohio, where Richard was born in 1821. In
492
HISTORY OF NOBLE COUNTY, OHIO.
1835 he came to the vicinity of Hos- kinsville, where he has since resided, engaged in farming. Mr. McFerren was married in 1841 to Louisa Jen- nings, and is the father of two sons and three daughters, all living and all married. He is a Democrat in poli- tics, and a member of the Methodist church. He served as township treasurer fourteen years.
Harrison Jones is of Irish and Welsh descent. His father, an 1812 soldier, was born in Pennsylvania. He was an early settler in Muskin- gum County, Ohio, where the sub- ject of this notice was born in 1821. In 1840 Mr. Jones settled in Noble Township, where he has since resided. He married Anna McKee, a native of this township, in 1845. They have have had four children, two of whom, Joseph and Margaret, are still living, both married. Mr. Jones is a Methodist and a Democrat. He has held some township offices. His maternal grandfather was a soldier of the American Revolution.
Joseph W. Jones, son of Harrison Jones, was born in Noble Township, October 6, 1846, and has resided in this vicinity. He was educated at Sharon College, and was a teacher for some years. He is now engaged in the mercantile business at Ilos- kinsville. Mr. Jones is a prominent Democrat. Ile has served thirteen years as justice of the peace. In 1870 he married Tryphena R. Walters, daughter of the late John B. Wal- ters, of this county. They have two daughters living and one deceased.
Elijah Fogle, a descendant of one of the old families of this county,
was born in Noble Township in 1842. In 1861 he entered the service of his country in the Seventy-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was in the engagements at Fort Donelson and Pittsburg Landing. In 1862 he was honorably discharged by reason of poor health. In 1865 he married Maria Oliver, of Center Township: six children living, one deceased.
Peter J. Walters was born in No- ble Township in 1838. His father was born in Belmont County, and came to this township quite early. The family consisted of nine chil- dren, six of whom are living. In 1865 P. J. Walters married Miss Teresa A. Brown, of this township. They have one child, a son. He is a mem- ber of the Baptist church, and of the Republican party. He enlisted in June, 1863, in Company I, First Ohio Heavy Artillery, and served for two years, being honorably dis- charged at Knoxville, Tenn.
L. W. Palmer was born in Chester County, Pa., October 14, 1835. His parents were natives of the same county ; came to Harrison County, Ohio, in 1838, and to Noble County in 1839. The subject of this notice has always followed farming. He was married to Nancy Harkins in 1836, and has had seven children, all living, except one-Lydia J. He is a Republican and has held several township offices, although the town- ship is Democratic.
L. C. Westcott was born in 1820, on the farm where he now resides. His father was among the early set- tlers, coming from Rhode Island, and settling here in 1816. L. C. West-
1
James leave
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS
L
493
NOBLE.
cott married Cordelia F. Howland in 1844, and is the father of five chil- dren, all living. He is a farmer and a Republican.
W. F. Jordan is a descendant of one of the pioneer families. Both his father and his mother were born in this county. Mr. Jordan was born in 1854. In 1877 he married Mary E. Glass, who died in 1878. In 1881 he married Maggie L. Archibald. They have had three children, two of whom are living. Mr. Jordan is sta- tion agent and telegraph operator at Belle Valley.
Thomas Racey is of English and German descent. His father, Lan- don Racey, was born in Frederick County, Va., and his mother, nee Susannah Barnhouse, in Loudoun County, Va. They were married in Harrison County, Ohio, and came to Noble County in 1828, settling on Duck Creek. Landon Racey was a farmer and school-teacher. He died in this township in 1855. Of his children six sons and two daughters are living; George A., Arthur W., Thomas and Rosanna (Cain) live in Noble County; Rachel (Engle), in Morgan County ; James F., in Mis- souri ; Peter A., in Kansas ; and Sam- uel, in Iowa. Thomas Racey was born on the line of Jefferson and Har- rison Counties in 1826, and has re- sided in Noble County since 1828. In early life he followed teaching. He is now engaged in farming and the insurance business. He is a Democrat, and a deacon in the Pres- byterian church. Ile has served as justice of the peace. He was mar- ried in 1847 to Matilda A. Marquis,
and is the father of seven children, four of whom are living.
P. D. Jordan is a descendant of one of the early families and is a son of John Jordan, of Brookfield Town- ship. Mr. Jordan has resided at Ava since 1877 and is engaged in mercan- tile business and farming. He was married in 1867 to Sarah A. Fair, of Washington County, and has three children living, one deceased. He is a member of the Baptist church and a prominent merchant at Ava.
B. W. Clark was born in Washing- ton County in 1843. His father was a native of Pennsylvania, and his mother of Guernsey County. His grandfather was an 1812 soldier. B. W. Olark came to Noble County at the age of three years. He is a Republican and a prominent farmer. In 1863 he married Sarah A. Buckey. They have six children, all daugh- ters. In 1864 he volunteered in the One Hundred and Sixty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served until honorably discharged in September, 1864.
Elijah Davis, second, was born in Virginia in 1810, and came to Noble Township with his parents in 1822, and has since resided here. In 1831 he married Mary Buckey, whose father lost his life in the War of 1812. They have had two daughters and nine sons. Six of the children are yet living. Five of the sons en- listed in the Union army in the late war. Eli Davis, son of Elijah, was born November 2, 1846, on the place where he now lives. Ile enlisted when seventeen years of age, and served until 1865. He was first with
494
HISTORY OF NOBLE COUNTY, OHIO. .
the One Hundred and Sixty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and after- ward with the One Hundred and Ninety-fourth, until the close of the war. He was married in 1873 to Mary Russell. They have had five children; four are now living. In politics he is a Republican.
Bartholomew Davis was born in 1821 on the place where he now lives. He married Hannah Cox, and is the father of eight sons and four daughters. Benjamin F. and Thomas J. were in the service in the late war, the former in the Twenty- second Ohio Battery, and the latter in the Sixty second Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Benjamin was captured, and died of starvation after seven months in Libby prison.
Benjamin Clowser was born Oc- tober 29, 1827, on the farm where he now resides. His parents were from Virginia, and came to this township about 1820. In 1853 Ben- jamin Clowser married Sarah An- derson. They have had two sons and six daughters. Five of the daughters are still living. Three of them are married-to E. C. West- cott, I. L. Archer and W. L. Archer, respectively. Mr. Clowser was in the service in the late war as first lieutenant, in Company H, One Hundred and Sixty-first Ohio Vol- unteer Infantry. He is a Republi- can and a member of the Methodist Protestant church.
John Russell was born in Belmont County, February 2, 1813. His parents were Virginians, and emi- grated to Ohio about 1800. In 1820 the family came to Noble County,
settling on the farm where John Russell now lives. The latter was married in 1837 to Nancy Anderson, who died in 1851. In 1853 he mar- ried Rachael Anderson. He is the father of ten children, seven of whom are living. Two sons, Joseph and Ezra, were in the late war. The former enlisted in the Seventeenth Illinois Infantry, and served in that and other organizations until the close of the war. Ezra served in the One Hundred and Sixty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Mr. and Mrs. Russell are members of the Baptist church. He is a Republican, and a man of excellent reputation.
W. B. Secrest was born in Hart- ford, Guernsey County. and his parents were natives of the same county. The family came to Noble County in 1854, and settled in Noble Township. W. B. Secrest married Fannie Westcott in 1870, and is the father of three sons and one daughter. Ile is a member of the Methodist Protestant church, and a Republican in politics. He has held the offices of township clerk and church trustee.
W. H. H. Burlingame is of New England descent, and was born in Noble County in 1838. His father came from Rhode Island to the vicin- ity of Hiramsburg in 1818. W. H. II. Burlingame has followed farming and mercantile business. He enlisted in October, 1861, in the Sixty-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served four years. He was wounded at Fort Wagner, and saw much active service.
John R. Gorby, son of David
495
NOBLE.
Gorby, an old resident, was born January 23, 1848. His father set- tled in Noble County in 1823, being then fourteen years of age. J. R. Gorby has been engaged in farming and the lumber business. He spent some time in Illinois and Alabama. He married Rebecca Davis, in Illinois. Mr.Gorby is a Republican, and a mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal church. He has held several township offices, and is now serving as a county com- missioner.
John Preston, of Belleville, was born in Belmont County in 1837, and came to Morgan County in 1840. In 1861 he enlisted in the Seventy- seventh Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was in the engage- ments at Pittsburg Landing, the battle and siege of Corinth, the bat- tle of Holly Springs, and many others of less note. In 1864 he set- tled at Sharon, and engaged in shoemaking. In 1875 he came to Belle Valley, where he still follows his trade. Mr. Preston is a Demo- crat in politics, and in 1867 was a candidate for the office of county auditor.
V. E. Harkins, of the firm of Harkins & Co., merchants, Belle Valley, was born in Noble County in 1856, and has followed mercan- tile and other occupations in Belle Valley and vicinity since attaining his majority. He married Miss Emeline Ginn, of Noble Township, in 1880. In politics he is a Demo- crat. He is the present postmaster at Belle Valley.
James Stevens, ex-clerk of courts of Noble County, is the son of Elijah
Stevens, formerly of Morgan County, and was born June 4, 1836. The family, consisting of James and five sisters, settled in Sharon Township in 1847. In 1857 James began the mercantile business. IIe is at present a member of the firm of Harkins & Co., Belle Valley. In 1857 he mar- ried Miss Mary McMahon, and in 1870 was again married, to Miss Sarah A. Tolbert. One child was born of this union, and is now deceased. Mr. Stevens is a Methodist, and a Democrat. He was elected county clerk in 1862.
Joseph Parmiter was born in Bris- tol Township, Morgan County, in- 1818. His parents came from Maine, and were among the pioneer set- tlers of that locality. In 1885 he came to Belle Valley, where he fol- lows his trade, carpentry. He mar- ried Elizabeth Shuster in 1841, and is the father of two sons and two daughters. He is a Democrat, and a member of the Christian church.
J. B. Perry is of Scotch descent. His grandfather was a brother of the father of Commodore Oliver H. Perry, of naval renown. Both his grandfathers were in the Revolution- ary War, and his father served in the War of 1812, and was on board the brig " Enterprise" when she captured the English vessel, "Boxer." J. B. Perry was born in Phippsburg, Me., January 10, 1816, and is one of a family of five sons and five daugh- ters. The sons all became sea-faring men. One of Mr. Perry's brothers was a celebrated sailor, and twice circumnavigated the globe. . J. B. Perry came to Noble County in
496
HISTORY OF NOBLE COUNTY, OHIO.
1846. In 1848 he married Olive Blake, of Olive Township, a repre- sentative of one of the early fam- ilies. They had a son and a daugh- ter, both of whom are dead. Mr. Perry is by occupation a farmer and a mason. He is a member of the Congregational church. He served fifteen years as clerk of Olive Township and the same length of time as postmaster at South Olive.
VILLAGES.
The villages of Noble Township, although numerous, are small and un- important. They are Hiramsburg, Hoskinsville, Rochester, Belle Val- ley and Ava.
Hiramsburg was named for its founder, Hiram Calvert. The survey was made by John F. Talley, Novem- ber 5, 1836. The original plat con- tained twenty lots. An addition was made by the same proprietor in 1838, and another in 1858.
Samuel Stevens was a merchant here before the town was laid out. Harrison P. Larry built the first house in the village, and kept store here a number of years. The building remained standing un- til 1886. He was succeeded by Wakefield & Shankland, Hiram Knight, Fortune Galbreath, Asa Burlingame and others. Charles Lukens established an early store. Asa Burlingame kept the first hotel, and was the first postmaster. The office was established about 1845, and supplied with a weekly mail from Cumberland.
Stevens & McClure engaged in the mercantile business in 1847. The
firm consisted of John Stevens and George McClure. George McClure and his son, George A., have continued the business up to the present. .
Jacob Jordan was the pioneer blacksmith of the village. There was, however, a blacksmith here long be- fore the village was projected. His name was Jacob Stoneking. He owned the land on which the village is, and sold it to Calvert.
Among the early settlers of Iliramsburg was Reason Calvert. He bought wood ashes at five cents per bushel, from which he made pot- ash. The potash was sold to refiner- ies and converted into pearl-ash. He also manufactured castor oil and linseed oil.
In 1886 the business interests of Hiramsburg were as follows : George A. McClure, J. W. Murphy, general stores; Henry Shadlow, blacksmith; Eli Covert, cabinet-maker.
The village of Hoskinsville, E. E. Parrish, proprietor, was platted by John F. Talley, in February, 1839. The plat was placed upon the Mor- gan County records October 22, 1840. The place was named in honor of Colonel Erastus Hoskins. IIe was the first postmaster. Hos- kinsville postoffice was established prior to 1830. In that year it was supplied with a weekly mail from McConnelsville and Barnesville.
The first house in Hoskinsville, after the projection of the town, was erected by James Needham, a shoe- maker. The first store was started by a man named Saveall. As a vil- lage the place never realized the am- bitious expectations of its founders.
9:00 Leader
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS R
L
1
497
NOBLE.
Hoskinsville now contains about ten houses and two stores. The merchants are J. W. Jones and J. C. Campbell.
Rochester was laid out as a village by Samuel Aikens, surveyor, May 4, 1841. Robert Hellyer was the pro- prietor. In September, 1845, he made an addition to the town plat. The growth of the place has been so slow that no other enlargement of its boundaries has been necessary. There is scarcely enough of the place to warrant its being dignified by the name of a village. It contains one small store and a postoffice which goes by the name of Nobleville.
Belle Valley is a hamlet of about a dozen houses, and owes its origin to the Cleveland & Marietta Railroad. It was laid out on the farm of Ben- ton Thorla. The first store was started by Mr. Thorla in 1872. The postoffice was established in the same year, with Mr. Thorla as the first postmaster. The business of the place is represented by Harkins & Stevens and Burlingame & Green, general merchants; Manly Parmiter, grocer; John Preston, shoemaker; and Newton Bros., proprietors of a steam flouring-mill, erected in 1886. There are two hotels, kept by George Burlingame and Greenberry Davis, and one church, Methodist Protest- ant. Belle Valley is a telegraph station on both the Cleveland & Ma- rietta and the B., Z. & C. Railroads.
The village of Belle Valley (Ben- ton Thorla, proprietor) was surveyed and divided into lots in 1875, by William Lowe.
Ava, a railroad station in the 32
northern part of the township, has also been built since the completion of the C. & M. Railroad. It con- tains three stores, kept by P. D. Jordan, Amos Pryor and D. F. Stottsbury. H. Burlingame has a cooper shop, and Albert Davis, a blacksmith shop. A steam grist-mill is being erected by George Stewart. There is one church - Methodist Episcopal.
Ava was laid out as a village of twenty-two lots, April 10, 1873. The survey was made by William Lowe for Levi Glover, the proprietor.
CHURCHES.
Regan's Chapel Methodist Protest- ant Church .- This church is situat- ed at Hoskinsville. The Methodist Protestant congregation was organ- ized in 1829. Previous to that time the Methodist Episcopal denomina- tion had organized a society and held services in the neighborhood. In 1829 Revs. Cornelius Springer and Jacob Myers organized a Methodist Protestant circuit. The first preach- ers on the circuit were Jacob Myers and Daniel Gibbons. The Hoskins- ville congregation met in dwellings and in the school-house until 1836, when a brick meeting-house was erected on the site of the frame church in which the congregation now worships. Among the original members of the church were Erastus Hoskins, Edward Parrish, Francis Scott, William Willey, Lambert Newton, Mary Brown, Sylvester Westcott, Hugh Nickerson, and others, most of them belonging with their wives and families. The pres-
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.