History of Pickaway County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, Part 46

Author: Aaron R. Van Cleaf
Publication date: 1906
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 923

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CHAPTER XXXI

SOME REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE COUNTY

James Renick, the first sheriff of the county, who held the office from April 21, 1810, until 1814, was the son of John Renick, who came to Jackson township, from Hardy County, Vir- ginia, prior to 1805, and a brother of Jon- athan Renick, the first settler of Jackson town- ship. Sheriff Renick was a general in the War of 1812, and a brave officer. He was elected Representative in the General Assembly of Ohio, in 1814, serving one term. For many years he was in the mercantile business in Cir- cleville. He was a bachelor. His death oc- curred in 1844, at the residence of Jacob Van Meter, in Jackson township.

James Denny, the first clerk of the courts, was a native of Pennsylvania, of Scotch-Irish descent, and one of the prominent pioneers of this part of Ohio. In the War of 1812, he was major of a regiment raised in the Scioto Val- ley, of which Duncan McArthur was colonel, and was mustered in May 12, 1812, and did some efficient and active service in and about Detroit, but was included in General Hull's ignominious surrender at Detroit, on the 16th day of August, 1812, and was paroled and sent home. The year following Major Denny raised a regiment, in the valley counties, of which he was made colonel, and again entered the service, and was promoted to major gen- eral before the close of the war. He died in Philadelphia, on the 23rd of November, 1815, leaving a widow, who was the sister of John and Thomas Barr, prominent men of the county. The children were three daughters

and a son. The eldest daughter married Dr. Daniel Turney, and became the mother of Nel- son J. Turney, Dr. Samuel Turney and Mrs. Isabelle McCrea, the wife of Adam McCrea- all deceased for a number of years. After the death of Dr. Turney, she married Ralph Os- born, and of the children born of this marriage. one is living-Mrs. Catharine Ruggles, of Cir- cleville. The second daughter of General Denny married Henry Delano, and was the mother of Lincoln G. Delano, James C. De- lano and Mrs. Flora McCrea, the first wife of George McCrea-all three deceased. Mrs. De- lano survived her husband, and some years after his death married the late William Renick, who survived her. The third daughter married Francis S. Muhlenberg, who lived on the Muhlenberg estate, near Darbyville, and had prominence in public affairs. He lived but a few years after the marriage and his widow afterwards married R. H. Hopkins, a mer- chant of New York, subsequently a resident of Cincinnati. General Denny's only son was Samuel S. Denny, who served for a while as clerk of the courts and also as county auditor, and in his latter years was a local celebrity.

David Shelby, who was one of the pioneers of the Scioto Valley, coming to Chillicothe, with Gen. Nathaniel Massie and party in 1791, some time prior to 1800 located in Pickaway township, then part of Ross County, and in 1809 was elected one of the Representatives for the county in the General Assembly, convened on the first Monday in December, 1809, in

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which the bill creating the county of Pickaway was passed. This bill originated in the Senate and after passing that body was sent to the House of Representatives for concurrence, and after the House had passed the bill, Mr. Shelby was appointed to inform the Senate of the action of the House, neither branch then having, as in after years, a sergeant-at-arms to carry the messages. In 1812 Mr. Shelby was elected Senator from Pickaway County and served eight years in succession; in 1823 was again elected Senator for Pickaway and Hocking counties and served two years. He was justice of the peace in Pickaway township before the formation of the county. Mr. Shelby and his wife, Mary Williams, were natives of Rockingham County, Virginia. They were the parents of eight children. John Shelby, their eldest son, represented Logan and Wood counties in the Ohio House of Repre- sentatives from 1820 to 1827, and was Senator from Hardin. Madison, Union, Logan and Shelby counties from 1830 to 1833. Another son, Benjamin Shelby, who lived on the family homestead in Pickaway township, was a lead- ing farmer and stock dealer, in his active life owning about 1,600 acres of land in Ohio and the West. He died May 4, 1876. Of their children but one, Mrs. Melinda Stage, is now living. Winton D. Shelby, ex-marshal of Cir- cleville, is a grandson.

Valentine Keffer, who has a leading place in the early history of Pickaway County, com- ing to the territory now included in the county limits, in 1805, five years before the formation of the county, accompanying his father-in-law, Jacob Zeiger, whose daughter he married in Pennsylvania in 1802. Mr. Zeiger located sec- tion 19, on part of which the town of Circle- ville was laid out; Mr. Keffer located the frac- tional section adjoining that located by Mr. Zeiger, on the west to the river. His land originally was on a line from the corner of High and Canal streets, running to or beyond Huston street, comprising all the land west of that line to the Scioto River. He settled on the part between the creek and the Scioto River now owned by the Miller heirs and lived there until about the year 1838. Mr. Keffer had re-

ceived a good education and was well qualified for public affairs. On the breaking out of the War of 1812, being identified with the militia of the county, he was appointed major, and ac- companied Gen. James Renick on an expedi- tion to the northern part of the State. After his return to the settlement, he was promoted to the rank of colonel, and at the election in October, 1813, was elected Representative in the General Assembly; was also elected in 1815, 1819, 1821, 1822, 1827 and 1828, serv- ing eight years in the House of Representa- tives. During these years his popularity was very great and he was invincible when a candi- date. He usually made the trips to and from Columbus on horseback, regular stage lines not having been established. Colonel Keffer was twice chosen presidential elector-in 1828 and 1832. He voted for Andrew Jackson. He was one of the original proprietors of the Cir- cleville Watchman, the first Democratic paper established in the county, and for two or three years had editorial charge of it, following its first issue in 1837.

Colonel Keffer died at his home in Circle- ville March 9, 1852, in the 75th year of his age. The Circleville Herald, the Whig paper, in a sketch of Colonel Keffer, said : "During a long term of public and private life, his honesty of purpose was never doubted; and though strictly democratic in his political faith and rigidly conservative in his public and private relations, we give him credit for unyielding perseverance in what he believed the right, and spotless integrity in the discharge of every official or social duty."

Augustus L. Perrill was one of the fore- most men in the county, in business, social and political circles, for over 30 years. He was born in Hardy County, Virginia, January 20, 1807. His parents, Nathan and Christena Per- rill, came to Pickaway County in 1816, settling upon a tract of land in Madison township. "Gus" Perrill, as he was commonly known, having obtained better than the average educa- tion in those days, upon reaching manhood taught school in the winter months, and worked on the farm in the summer season. In Janu- ary, 1833, he entered public life under Sheriff

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Jonathan Ellis, elected at the October election, 1832, who appointed Mr. Perrill as deputy sheriff, giving him the entire control and man- agement of the office for the two years. In 1834 Mr. Perrill was elected sheriff ; no party nominations were made and the race was a "free for all;" the vote was as follows: A. L. Perrill, 1,217; Michael H. Alkire, 602; Jacob Leiby, 276; William Winstead, 83. At the close of the term, Mr. Perrill was not a candi- date for re-election. In 1839 he was the can- didate of the Democratic party for Representa- tive in the General Assembly, and was elected by 192 majority over Andrew Huston, one of the most popular Whigs in the county. He declined re-election. In 1844 the Democrats of the congressional district, of which Pick- away County was a part, selected Mr. Perrill to run for Congress, against Col. Elias Flor- ence, also of Pickaway, who had beaten Hon. William Medill, of Fairfield, two years before, and was thought by the Whigs to be invinci- ble. never having been defeated before the people. Mr. Perrill was elected after an excit- ing contest, having 732 majority in the dis- trict. Two years later Mr. Perrill was de- feated for re-election, by Dr. Thomas O. Ed- wards, of Lancaster, the Whig candidate, who had a small majority.

At the close of his term in Congress, March 4, 1847, Mr. Perrill gave his attention wholly to his farm in Madison township. In 1857 he was nominated for Senator in the Franklin- Pickaway district by the Democratic conven- tion, the nomination being unsought by him, and was elected, being re-elected in 1859 and 1861, defeating John Walke, of Pickaway, in 1857; George M. Parsons, of Franklin, in 1859, and R. B. Warden, of Franklin, in 1861 -all strong men. In 1865, when the political status of the county was to be determined at the first election after the close of the Civil War, Mr. Perrill was nominated by the Demo- crats, for Representative, and was elected by 306 majority ; he served one term, which closed his official career. He was a prudent, well-in- formed and influential legislator, strong in committee work and always popular with his fellow members.

On the 24th of December, 1833, Mr. Per- rill was married to Mary Seymour, daughter of Judge William Seymour, one of the first settlers of Muhlenberg township. She died December 5, 1881, in het 74th year. Mr. Per- rill died June 2, 1882, in his 76th year. Of their family, two are living-Nathan W. Per- rill, of Madison township, and a married daughter residing in Iowa.

William Doane. No man, who ever lived in Circleville, did more for the material inter- ests, in the way of substantial improvements and financial management, with less cost to the city for his work as supervisor, than William Doane, whose death occurred on the 9th of September. 1888. The Circleville Democrat and Watchman in its issue following his death. published a correct sketch of his life, which was as follows :-

Mr. Doane was born at New Milford. Litchfield County, Connecticut, in November, 1820, and was the eldest of the nine children of Noble Doane. The family removed to Ohio and settled in Pickaway County, in 1836, and soon thereafter William went to Greenfield, Ohio, where he learned the trade of coach and carriage maker. After the termination of his apprenticeship, he came to Circleville and en- tered the employ of John Morgan, carriage manufacturer, and a short time thereafter, on the 6th of March, 1844, married his employer's daughter, Paulina Morgan, and subsequently bought the business of the late John P. Bolin, who had bought out Mr. Morgan and had taken Mr. Doane first as foreman and then for a short time as partner. Mr. Doane con- tinued in the business until 1856, his manufac- tory being located on Franklin street, near the present site of the engine and market houses. He was afterwal 's engaged in several other business enterprises-from July, 1862, to No- vember, 1863, was the manager of the Circle- ville Democrat and Watchman, afterwards for a while was a partner in the jewelry business with Freeman Dunkin, and in-1867 formed a partnership with J. D. Delaplane in the dry goods trade, continuing until May, 1885.

In the summer of 1850, when Circleville

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was scourged with the cholera, and the inhabi- tants were panic stricken, hundreds fleeing from the town, Mr. Doane was one of the two or three persons who bravely faced the danger ; ministering to the sick and burying the dead, never shrinking for a moment, and the older citizens all remember his noble heroism during those direful days of sickness and death. When the epidemic had apparently subsided, Mr. Doane and his wife were both attacked by the swift disease, and she died on the 23rd of Au- gust, 1850, aged 22 years. She was a woman of lovable character, beautiful in mind and person. Their only child, Charles Edwin, died of scarlet fever, on the 19th of October follow- ing, in the fourth year of his age.

The public and official life of Mr. Doane covered nearly 40 years. His first official posi- tion was as a member of the City Council, to which he was chosen in 1851, to fill a vacancy ; was elected for a full term in 1852, and 12 times successively re-elected, serving 27 years, and was president of the body for 24 years,. from 1854 until his retirement from the Coun- cil, in 1878. During his long service as coun- cilman, he gave the closest attention to the affairs of the city, its finances and general con- ditions, and was instrumental in the city hav- ing such fine streets and other excellent im- provements. No man ever served any munici- pality with like assiduity and gratuitious, for so great length of time.

In 1856 Mr. Doane was the Democratic candidate for treasurer of Pickaway County ; he was elected and in 1858 was re-elected, both times by large majorities, running ahead of his ticket. In 1861 he was the Democratic candi- date for Representative, but the war upheaval elected Col. Isaac N. Ross, of Darbyville, a hitherto Democrat who ran as the Union Re- publican candidate. In 1870 he was elected county commissioner, served three years, and declined a re-election.

In October, 1860, Mr. Doane was chosen a member of the Circleville Board of Education, serving in that capacity until his death, close to 28 years, and from 1861 was treasurer of the board. He gave special care to the finan- cial interests of the schools, and superintended

the erection of new buildings and necessary changes and repairs.

He was one of the original members of the Forest Cemetery Association, and was elected a member of the board of trustees, July 30, 1857; he continued as a member the rest of his life and had a leading part in the arrange- ment and beautifying of the cemetery grounds. He was president of the Pickaway Fair Com- pany, and a member of the city Board of Health, for several years prior to his death.

In every official position, he exhibited supe- rior ability, administering every trust with the utmost fidelity, and retained the public confi- dence to the end of his life. .

Mr. Doane was one of the oldest members of Columbia Lodge, No. 32, I. O. O. F., passed all its chairs, and was its property trustee from 1861 to his death, having the control and su- pervision of the Odd Fellows' Block, and the investment of the income derived therefrom. The success of his management is shown in the increasing surplus. He was a charter mem- ber of Philos Lodge, Knights of Pythias, was one of the first members of Indianola Tribe, I. O. R. M., and a member of the Independent Order of Mechanics.

Mr. Doane possessed mechanical genius and knowledge of a high order, and had he been educated to the profession of an archi- tect, would have been one of the foremost. In the last 25 years of his life he acquired an ex- tensive knowledge of architecture, and was quite proficient in the drawing of plans. He superintended the construction of the present school buildings of the city, the County In- firmary, the Strawboard Works, the Water Works, other public works and private build- ings, and at the time of his death was a mem- ber of the Court House and Jail building com- mittee, and superintendent of construction. All these will stand as a monument of his skill as builder. His was a busy life. He was a con- tinuous worker, his time always engrossed with some local enterprise, improvement or public duty.

Mr. Doane was a man of firmly settled opinions, and in politics a radical Democrat, who never varied, always in line. For years

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he was prominent and influential in the party councils, and was chairman of the county com- mittee during the fierce political contests of the war neriod.

Mr. Doane was a thorough common-sense man, frank and outspoken, devoid of sham and pretense; a man of inflexible integrity and the highest sense of honor; a courageous, just and generous man, who never shirked a public or private duty, or refused to assist a friend; social and genial, he won and kept a great many friends. Imbued with large public spirit, he was the zealous supporter of what- ever would promote the prosperity of the city and county. and advance the interests and wel- fare of the people. Circleville may well de- plore his death, for not soon will we have in our midst another man of such practical use- fulness to the community as William Doane. He has spent an eventful and useful life, and goes to the grave esteemed by all. Long will be his name borne in memory by this city and county.

Gen. William Sooy Smith was born at Tarlton, Pickaway County, on the 22nd of July, 1830. His father was a captain in the War of 1812, and his grandfather was a Revo- lutionary soldier. Both belonged to the So- ciety of Friends, but they severed their con- nection with their sect to fight for their coun- try.

In September, 1844, the father, yielding to the desires of his son, gave him two shillings and his blessing, and permitted him to go to Athens, the seat of the Ohio University. The young student attended a select school for one year and then entered the preparatory depart- ment of the college. He rang the bell, swept the halls, carried coal, attended to the grounds, in short, was a veritable "professor of dust and ashes," and received sufficient salary to pay his expenses. He graduated in 1849, and through the influence of the faculty and other friends he obtained an appointment as cadet in the West Point Military Academy. Mc- Pherson, Sill, Scofield, Terrill and other dis- tinguished officers were classmates, and the two first mentioned were his roommates. Dur-

ing two years out of the four which he spent at the academy, Cadet Smith was reported as one of the distinguished members of his class; and upon graduation he was assigned as brevet 2nd lieutenant to the Third Artillery. When he became full 2nd lieutenant, he was trans- ferred to the Second Artillery; but finding army life in time of peace rather monotonous, he soon resigned.

Buffalo, New York, then became his resi- dence, and for two years he taught a select school, and then commenced civil engineering. In this he was very successful; he traveled through almost all the States, Canada and the West Indies. When the war broke out. he was engaged in the construction of a bridge over the Savannah River, where it is crossed by the railroad leading from Savannah to Charleston; but, 10 days before the attack upon Sumter, he escaped to the North, and entered the volun- teer service as assistant adjutant-general. with the rank of lieutenant-colonel. He was very soon made colonel of the 13th Regiment. Ohio Vol. Inf., and he immediately moved with the regiment to West Virginia, where he partici- pated in the campaigns of the summer and fall of 1861, under Mcclellan and Rosecrans. In the reports of the batatle of Carnifax Ferry. he was specially mentioned for gallantry, and in the pursuit of Floyd he led the advance, and three times engaged the enemy's rear-guard. for which he was again honorably mentioned in official reports.

His regiment was transferred from West Virginia to Louisville, Kentucky, and was as- signed to the Army of the Ohio under General Buell. Colonel Smith participated in the ad- vance on Bowling Green and Nashville, and in the battle of Pittsburg Landing commanded the 14th Brigade, on the 7th of April, being engaged from 8 o'clock in the morning until the close of the battle. The same ground was fought over three times. The brigade captured Stanford's Mississippi battery twice, and fin- ally held it; many prisoners also were captured, among them Colonel (afterward General) Bat- tle, of Tennessee. Six hundred and ten dead Rebels were counted in front of the brigade, but some of these were killed the day before.

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The brigade lost one-fifth of its number killed and wounded, but none was captured. Colonel Smith was again mentioned in official reports for gallantry and meritorious conduct, and was promoted to Brigadier-General, to rank from the 7th of April, 1862. General Smith was in active service the two years following;

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was at the battle of Perryville and the siege of Vicksburg. Afterwards was assigned to duty on General Grant's staff, as chief of cav- alry, and directed several successful raids. He resigned in July, 1864, because disabled by in- flammatory rheumatism. General Smith for some years has resided in Chicago.

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VAUSE FOX DECKER.

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Representative Citizens

AUSE FOX DECKER, deceased, the father of Hannah Catherine Decker. who now occupies the fine old home- stead of 380 acres on Walnut creek, Madison township, was one of the leading farmers, stock-raisers and pioneers of his day. For a few years, when quite a young man, he was engaged in the tanning business, but with this exception was a lifelong agricult- urist. 7

V'ause Fox Decker was born November 12, 1814. and died June 2, 1891. He was a son of Luke and Ivea (Fox) Decker, who were among the first settlers of this portion of the State.

Luke Decker, the father, was born in Vir- ginia, April 17, 1774, and in 1806 migrated to Madison township, Pickaway County, and pur- chased the section of land upon which his de- scendants still reside. At that time the tract was a portion of Ross County. Although sin- gle at that time, Mr. Decker was accompanied by Ezekiel Groom and family. After building a house, improving some of his land and resid- ing in the new country for two years, he re- turned to Virginia and married Ivea Fox, daughter of William and Sarah Fox. Soon afterward, with his wife, he located permanent- ly on his farm, and lived there until his death. Ivea Fox, his wife, was a native of Hampshire County, Virginia, as was her husband; she was born January 6, 1787, and died March 22, 1872. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Luke Decker, as follows : John, born De-

cember 28, 1808, who died December 3, 1875; Hannah (wife of Andrew Platter), born March 28, 1810, who died at the home of her daughter in Texas, April 27, 1879; William Thornton, born October 7, 1812, also de- ceased; and Vause F., the special subject of this sketch. The parents of Luke Decker were John and Hannah (Harness) Decker. long residents of the Old Dominion, of which they were probably natives. The Harness family has a most substantial standing in Virginia. and its genealogy may be traced to the colo- nial days.

Vause F. Decker was united in marriage, October 21, 1840, to Jemima Williams, daugh- ter of Joseph and Eliza Ann (Fox) Williams, both natives of Virginia. An ancestor of Mrs. Decker, a Vincent, was a brave frontiersman and was finally killed and quartered by the In- dians, not, however, until he had sent four or five of the dusky savages to their reward. Mr. and Mrs. Decker had a family of three chil- dren-Eliza Ann, who died after reaching ma- turity; Hannah Catherine, who was born on the old homestead where she now resides; and John Williams, who also occupies part of the old home farm on which he was born. John Williams Decker married Hannah Millar, daughter of Michael Millar, and became the father of four children : Clifford Harness, who married Mary Fisher Duvall, daughter of Vic- tor R. Duvall; Annie Millar, wife of Harley H. Duvall; Georgia Williams, who died on

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Thanksgiving Day, 1897; and Michael Millar, who resides at home with his parents.

Vause F. Decker always took an active in- terest in public matters and served as township treasurer several years and also as township trustee. He was also prominent in county af- fairs and might have held county offices had he chosen, but he had no inclination for holding public office. He was an excellent man in every respect. His portrait accompanies this sketch.

ON. ISAAC N. ABERNETHY, A. B., A. M., formerly judge of the Court of Common Pleas of the Third Sub- Division of the Fifth Judicial District of Ohio; is the senior member of the prominent law firm of Abernethy & Folsom, at Circleville. Judge Abernethy was born August 9, 1844, near Chillicothe, Ross County, Ohio, and is a son of James and Rhoda (Conner) Abernethy.

The Abernethy family is of English extrac- tion and the family has long been a leading one in Virginia, where William Abernethy, the paternal grandfather of Judge Abernethy, was born. He died in Ohio. James Abernethy, father of Judge Abernethy, was also born in Virginia and married Rhoda Conner of the same locality. He spent over 50 years as a farmer in Pickaway County, where he died in 1890, aged 80 years. His estate comprised 258 acres of valuable land. He was prominent both in the Methodist Episcopal Church and also in the Democratic party. He had four children.

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History of Pickaway County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, Part 46

Author: Aaron R. Van Cleaf Publication date: 1906 Publisher: Number of Pages: 923

Author: Aaron R. Van Cleaf
Publication date: 1906
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 923