History of Preble County, Ohio, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Part 33

Author: H. Z. Williams & Brothers
Publication date:
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 559

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Joseph F. Creager was born in Washington township, in 1847. He is the third son of Ezra and Delila C. Creager, who were early settlers of Preble county. In 1870 he married Elizabeth Ann, daughter of Buckner and Mary Ann Deem; by whom he had one child. He has a farm of one hundred and three acres of land in section ten, township eight, of Washington township, about five miles north of Eaton.

Samuel Weist was born in Camden, in 1849, where his parents now reside. In 1875 he was married to Eliza- beth Lewellen, born in 1858. They have had no chil- dren. Mr. Weist lives on the farm in Washington town- ship now owned by his father. His wife's parents reside in Dixon township.

John Tyler Sloan was born in Preble county, in 1840, and in 1871 married Hannah Woodring, who died soon after her marriage, leaving no children. Mr. Sloan has since remained a widower. He is a huckster by trade, and is extensively engaged in buying butter, eggs, etc., which he ships to Cincinnati.

Jonathan Switzer was born in Virginia, in the year 1808. He afterwards came to Ohio, and in 1839 mar- ried Nancy H. Dooley. Four children were born to him by his first marriage, three of whom are still living. His

wife dying in 1849, he married in 1852, Susan, daughter of John Fisher, born in 1820. By this marriage he had four children, all of whom are living. Mr. Switzer has a farm of one hundred and thirty acres in this township, which he purchased in 1861. He has held several offices in the township. His son, George H., was in the war of the Rebellion, during the hundred days service.

Marks Deem, son of W. T. and Susan Deem, was born in 1846. He married Alvina Flora, who was born in 1851, and whose parents were old settlers of Jackson township. To Mr. and Mrs. Deem have been born two children, both living. Mr. Deem owns fifty acres of land and resides about three and a half miles west of Eaton, in Washington township.

M. B. Keely came to Preble county about 1830, from Butler county. His wife, Nancy S., was from Campbell county, Kentucky. Nine children were born to them, seven of whom are still living: Sarah H. (Winters), in Eaton, J. C., in Washington township; Jeremiah D., in Gasper; Francis M., in Dixon; Nancy S. (Campbell), in Gasper; George H., in Eaton, and Mary A. (White), in Gasper.

J. C. Keely was born in the year 1833. His wife was Barbara Jane, daughter of Jonas Crumbaker, born in 1836, and whom he married in 1856. They have no children. Mr. Keely owns a farm of one hun- dred and fifty-nine acres.

Robert Myler was borr in Virginia in 1799, and came to Ohio in 1835, where he settled on section nine, town- ship seven, of Washington township. When he came to Preble county his only possessions were a pair of horses. He entered the service of John Gardner as a teamster, and by saving what he could out of his wages of three dollars a day, he finally was able to purchase a farm. In 1825 he married Deby Athens, who was born in Mary- land in 1800. Five children were born them, four of whom are now living in Preble county. His farm con- tains over sixty-three acres, and is situated two miles southwest of Eaton.

John I., son of William and Mary Bailey, was born in Pennsylvania, in the year 1807, and from that State emigrated with his parents to Ohio. In 1840 they moved from Perry county to Preble county. In 1843 he married Marry Ann Lehmer, daughter of Henry and Catharine Lehmer, natives of Pennsylvania, both of whom are deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Bailey were born ten children, nine of whom are still living. Mrs. Bailey is the owner of over one hundred and sixty acres in sec- tion nine, of Washington township. She is now a widow, her husband's death occurring in 18 -.

Arthur Riggs, son of E. and Jane (Homan) Riggs, was born in Warren county in 1833, and in 1844 moved to Preble county, where he settled on section twenty- one, of Washington township. His wife was Eliza, daughter of Jacob and Julia Chrisman, early settlers of Preble county. Two children have been born them, both of whom are now living. He owns a farm of one hundred and thirty one acres on section six, township seven, of Washington township, about two and a half miles west of Eaton.

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Jacob Franklin Ridenour was born in Union county, Indiana, in 1841, and in 1842 came to Preble county with his parents, who located near College corner. In 1861 he enlisted in the Eighty-first Ohio volunteer in- fantry, and served until 1864, at which time he was dis- charged, on account of a wound in the left arm, received while in Georgia in 1864. His arm was amputated, and he left for home. In 1866 he was married to Miss Mary Ann Cotterman, who was born in this county in 1847. Elmer Ellsworth and Franklin Otto are their children's names. Mr. Ridenour owns sixty-six acres of land in section twenty-one.

Charles Collins was born in Wales in the year 1793. In 1812 he came to America and settled in Washington county, Ohio. In 1841 he moved to Preble county and settled in Dixon township. His wife was Mary Gavin, born in Ireland, who came to America with her parents in 1812, and settled in Butler county, Ohio. Four chil- dren were born them, all of whom are living in Preble county. Mr. and Mrs. Collins are both dead. He died in 1880, having outlived his wife three years.

Absalom G. Collins was born in the year 1835, and in 1869 he married Martha Harvey, who was born in 1848. In the year 1866 Mr. Collins served a term as township assessor of Dixon. During the war of the Rebellion he served two years in Ohio volunteer infantry and one in the cavalry. He was wounded in action in the right leg. He owns a farm of eighty-six and a half acres, in section twenty-nine of Washington township.

John Halderman, now residing in Eaton, came to Preble (then Montgomery) county with his parents from Virginia in 1806. The family settled in Lanier town- ship, in section thirty-two, and a sketch of their settle- ment may be found in the history of that township. Mr. Halderman was born in Virginia in 1805, and conse- quently was only about one year old when his parents re- moved to this county, which was then inhabited principally by Indians and wild animals. He married, in 1829, Jemi- ma, daughter of Jacob Shidler, who settled about four- teen miles north of Eaton about the same time as the Haldermans. Mrs. Halderman was born in 1811, and is the only survivor of twelve children. Of ten children born to Mr. and Mrs. Halderman, only three are living, viz .: Furguson, in Wabash county, Indiana; Mrs. Eman- uel Lick, in Fayette county, Indiana; and Mrs. Dayton Kelley, on the old farm in this township.

Henry Young moved from Maryland to Ohio about the year 1805, and settled on Aukerman's creek. His wife was Elizabeth Woods. His death occurred in 1844. Eight children were born to him, of whom two only sur- vive, viz .: Henry, living in Gasper township, and Mary (Hickman), in Lanier. His son, Adam Young died about the year 1865. He was born in 1803, and mar- ried Catharine Brubaker. Seven children were born to them, of whom six are living. Levi Young his son, was born in 1824, and in 1843 married Huldah Barnhart. He had eleven children, ten of whom survive. Mr. Young owns three hundred and forty acres, part of which lies in this county, and part in Indiana. He moved to his present farm, about three miles northeast of Eaton,

soon after his marriage, and has resided there for thirty- two years.

CHURCHES IN WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.

The earliest church of which we have any information was one located in the Shidler neighborhood, in 1823, by the Christian denomination, but made a free church, because assistance was solicited and received from peo- ple of all faiths and people of none. An interesting relic of this church has been preserved, and we here present it. It is a subscription paper circulated to secure the completion of the church edifice, and reads as follows:

"We, the undersigned subscribers, obligate ourselves to pay David V. Stephens the sum annexed to our names, in wheat, rye, corn, and pork, if paid by the tenth of January next ; or in good sugar, to be paid after sugar-making, at the cash price, delivered in Eaton; or in good whiskey, to be paid by the first of February next, at cash price, deliv- ered at the place above mentioned, in payment to aid said Stephens for a job of joiner work done by him, amounting to twenty-five dollars, in a meeting house on a certain lot of land obtained from George Shid- ler and Thomas Woolverton. Said house to be free for all Christians to worship God in,-December 3, 1823: Alvy Swain, seventy-five cents, paid.

Silas Frame, one dollar.

Joseph Snodgrass, fifty pounds of pork.

James Frame, sugar, fifty cents.

John Bloomfield, one dollar.

Daniel Melling, sugar, seventy-five cents.

Jesse Long, twenty-five cents.

Tobia Whitesell, twenty-five cents.

James Melling, twenty-five cents in sugar.

Daniel Strader, one dollar.

George Hoffle, thirty-seven and a half cents.

George Laird, sr., eighteen and three-fourth cents.

Adam Whitesell, thirty-seven and a half cents.

Nathan Meroney, eighteen and three-fourth cents, paid in cash.

John Meroney, two bushels of wheat.

John C. McManus, sixty-two and a half cents.

John Caughey, five bushels of corn. Meneck Tafree, three bushels of corn.

Thomas Tomlinson, one dollar in sugar.

Conrad Bonebrake, twenty-five cents in sugar.

Peter Bonebrake, one bushel of corn.

George Thompson, twenty-five cents.

David Brower, two dollars and thirty-four cents.

John Frame, two dollars and thirty-four cents."

Although whiskey was one of the articles which the paper stated would be received, it will be observed that not one of the subscriptions was paid with it. Some progress has been made since those days, for now no church would agree to take whiskey in payment for sub- scriptions or other obligations.

The active men in this church were Jacob Spacht, after whom the building was called "the Spacht meeting house;" George Shidler, and Thomas Woolverton.

ZION EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH.

This church, located about five miles north of Eaton, was organized by Rev. Lewis Morgan, in the year 1819. A small log cabin answered the needs of the congrega- tion a portion of the time for some years. Services seem, however, to have been more frequently held in private houses and barns than in this little cabin. The first trus- tees were John Kayler and Henry Kisling, both of whom have gone to their heavenly reward. There is no account of the organization having any other church of- ficers than the two named above. Neither have we any account of the length of time this little band of believers

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was served by Rev. Morgan, but after his resignation, ser- vices were occasionally held by Revs. Man and Espich, both of whom, of course, were Lutheran ministers.

The next regular supply we meet with is in the person of Rev. Jacob Gruber, who, to the best of our knowl- edge, is yet living on his farm near Ottawa, in the State of Illinois. He took charge of Zion congregation about the year 1829, and closed his pastoral duties in the year 1855, since which time it has been under the care of the present encumbent, Rev. George Baughman, with the ex- ception of two years and five months, namely, from July 1861, to December, 1863, during which time it was served by Rev. George W. Busby.

In 1840, during the pastorate of Rev. Jacob Gru- ber, this congregation erected a small brick church, then considered a large one, being, in the order of time, the third brick church in the county. On the second day of October, 1875, the congregation resolved to supplant it by the erection of the present large and commodious church building.

The church was completed the following year, and dedicated to the service of the Triune God on the twentieth of May.

The congregation numbers some over one hundred communicants. Its standing, financially, is good. G. Baughman, pastor.

The German Baptist church in the western part of this township was built in 1868. It is popularly known as the Beech Grove church. No facts concerning its first organization can be ascertained.

CEMETERIES.

Besides the cemetery at Eaton there are three burial places in the township, some of which are under the charge of the trustees, and are open to the public. They are named and located as follows: The Sherer cemetery which was used as early as the year 1810 or 1812, is located near the center of section seven in township eight. It is in charge of the township trustees. Zion cemetery is situated near the Lutheran church of that name, in section eleven. It is under the charge of the Lutheran church, and is used by that body exclusively, unless special permission is given for burial. The Bone- brake cemetery, which is under the charge of the town- ship trustees, is located in the northwestern quarter of section nineteen. It is open to the public.

The first burials in the township are currently reported to be somewhere in the northeastern part of the town of Eaton. At an early date some interments were made there. These were forgotten as the town increased until at present only a few of the oldest citizens can recollect anything about them. The names of the persons buried there cannot be obtained, and even the exact locality is a matter of doubt. It is supposed that they were two chil- dren of some early settler, whose absence from the town- ship caused the name to be forgotten.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

WILLIAM BRUCE, THE FOUNDER OF EATON.

A high type of pioneer life and character was exempli- fied in William Bruce, the founder of Eaton. He was of Scotch descent, and in him were preserved many of the distinguishing and admirable traits of the people to whom he belonged. His father and five brothers, High- landers, came to America during the Scottish rebellion of 1746, and located upon the waters of the Potomac in Virginia. Here the subject of our sketch was born on the twentieth of September, 1762. When he was nine years of age his father removed to Redstone, Pennsylva- nia, near Fort Pitt (now Pittsburgh). Young William Bruce sought employment and was engaged while a mere boy as packer of goods across the mountains. In this vigorous and perilous occupation he developed that phys- ical vigor and fearlessness as well as the sturdiness of character which fitted him for the life he was to lead. When of age Bruce abandoned the toilsome vocation at which he had for several years labored, and, with a brother-in-law, emigrated to Kentucky, where he settled in the famous Cane Ridge locality, included in the civil division of territory now known as Bourbon county. In Kentucky William Bruce married, about 1791, Frances Lewis, born in 1771. They emigrated in 1793 to War- ren county, Ohio, and for six years lived near Shakertown. They then moved into Butler county, and from there to Montgomery county, from which locality they moved to Eaton, their permanent place of residence, in June, 1806. Prior to this time Mr. Bruce had prospected for lands along Seven Mile, and, doubtless, had then conceived the idea of founding a town, for he purchased three sections, or nearly two thousand acres of land, including the site of Eaton, the "Old Garrison," and all of the ground be- tween, being led to this measure, very likely, because of the general attractions of the lands and the particularly fine mill site which the falls of the creek afforded.

Mr. Bruce built a cabin on the hill south of the site of Eaton, laid out the town, and built a saw- and grist-mill, which proved of great convenience to the settlers in the surrounding country. The village fast gained population under the proprietor's generous scheme of management, and, in a few years, almost entirely through his influence, it excelled in good morals and in true prosperity many of its young rivals which had better natural advantages. Mr. Bruce made liberal donations of land for public build- ings, churches and schools, and also gave lots to a num- ber of settlers, besides encouraging the worthy poor by various other methods. It is related of him that he sel- dom took any "toll" for grinding the poor man's grist, and that he frequently gave outright to those who needed it, quantities of flour, meal, and the other simple pro- visions which were in use among the pioneers and early settlers. He was a very humane man, kind-hearted and, if such thing is possible, generous to a fault. His life was a long and constant exercise of a very unusual ener- gy, and his labors redounded as much to the good of the

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general public as to himself or immediate family. With all his earnestness of purpose, his unswerving devotion to the right and scrupulous regard for morality, he was orig- inal in his ideas, and refused to be governed by popular opinion-a trait of independence which gained for him in some quarters the reputation of being eccentric, and in others created positive ill-will.

He was once a member of the Christian or "New Light" church, and a very consistent one indeed, with the exception that he could not be persuaded from the idea that it was not wrong to grind corn on Sunday for the poor, and in some cases absolutely destitute settlers. Being remonstrated with by some members of the church he withdrew from their fellowship. His creed was that the great practical good to be obtained was superior to the harm of nominally infringing a law of the church, and he continued to run his mill down by Seven Mile on Sundays as well as week days, when there was necessity for so doing, and the water was high enough. This cir- cumstance served well as an illustration of the character of William Bruce. He was a plain matter-of-fact man, a utilitarian, very decided in his views, and direct in giv- ing them expression. He wished to infringe upon the rights of no man, and would allow no man to infringe upon his. He preferred to do good in his own way, and always unostentatiously. His donations were usually ac- companied by some provision enjoining the recipient to perform some work for himself, and thus he secured to the community and individuals the fullest benefit, both directly and indirectly, of his benevolence.

Mr. Bruce's sterling traits of character gained and maintained for him the universal and unqualified respect of the people, a fact that was evidenced when he was made the first treasurer of Preble county, and in later years by the number of private trusts reposed in him.

The subject of our sketch was a jovial man, of high spirits, enjoyed life, and was very fond of association with his fellow-men. He was good humored, fond of conversation, and a man of far more than ordinary mind.

His personal appearance was prepossessing, at once commanding and benign.

Mr. Bruce died in 1832, and was buried in Mound cemetery, where an appropriate monument, formed in part of the grinding stones of the old mill, marks his resting place.

Mrs. Bruce's death occurred prior to that of her hus- band, in 1827.

This pair of pioneers were the parents of nine chil- dren, nearly all of whom grew to maturity and reared families, whose members have, as a precious legacy, the good name and fame of the patriarch William Bruce. All but three are now deceased, viz: George, who for the past fifty-three years has lived in Indianapolis; Washing- ton and James, residents of Preble county. The eldest of the family, Hannah, married Jacob Spacht; Charles, the second child, born January 15, 1796, married Eliza Lease; Hardin was born July 1, 1798. He married for his first wife Jane Cook, and for his second Susannah Danforth (Swihort). Mary (familiarly called Polly) was first married to James Holliday, and after his death, to

Levin T. McCabe; George, born July 27, 1802, married Dove Regan; John L., born November 4, 1804, died unmarried; Washington, born in 1809, married Sarah Redmond; James and Alexander, twins, were born April 15, 1815. The latter died in infancy, and the former is now living in Washington township.

Charles Bruce was the father of nine children: George, a physician, in Winchester, Indiana; Jerusha (Morgan) in Eaton; William, deceased; William C., in Eaton; Melvina (Avery) in Indiana; Mary (Danford) in Eaton; Josephine (Williams) in Indiana; Julia (Minor) deceased; and John H., physician in Eaton.

Hardin Bruce had several children by his first wife, of whom Margaret A. (Redmond) in Cincinnati, is the only one living. By his second wife his children were: John, Ervin, Mary (Deem), Frances (Deem), Catharine, Emma and Laura, all resident in Eaton.

Mary Bruce, wife of James Holliday, had four chil- dren by her first husband, viz: Sarah, deceased; Caro- line, wife of the late W. H. H. B. Minor, M. D); and Frances, wife of Alfred Denny, both resident in Eaton; and James P., deceased.

George Bruce had three sons: William, deceased; John W., and James, in Indiana.

Washington had one son, Charles W.

DAVID E. HENDRICKS.

Captain David English Hendricks, the first permanent settler of Eaton and the builder of the second house in the village, which is still remaining, had a large experi- ence of frontier life, and the story of his career even told as briefly as is necessary in such a work, as this can not fail to be of interest to those of that fast narrowing circle who remember him, and to all of the younger generation who have respect (and who among them has not?) for the brave and self-sacrificing pioneers.

Captain Hendricks was born at Middletown Point, Monmouth county, New Jersey, June 15, 1765. His father, grandfather and several others of the family, emigrated from Holland to the British colonies in America early in the eighteenth centry, and through energy and foresight acquired property and position in their adopted home. At the time the Revolutionary war broke out, the father of the subject of this sketch, a large shipper and extensively engaged in mercantile pur- tuits, had become quite wealthy, and for the purpose of saving his property from confiscation, took sides with the British, though two of his brothers espoused the cause of the revolting colonists. Young Hendricks' mother dying about this time, he was temporarily under the care of these uncles, and so strongly did he become imbued with the American feeling, that he refused afterward to join his father in resisting the rebellion. This conduct on the part of the boy so incensed his father that he threatened to disinherit him, but he still persisted in his conviction of right and justice. When, after the battle of Trenton, the cause of the patriots began to brighten, many of the tories, at that time called refugees, sought

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safety in Canada and Nova Scotia. To the latter coun- try went the father of David E. Hendricks, accompanied by two of his sons. David refused to accompany him in his exile, and remained true to the cause of the revo- lutionists to the end of his life. When his father de- parted he left a large landed and personal estate in New Jersey, which was confiscated by the Colonial govern- ment. His patriotic uncles had spent their means in the cause of the colonies, and when the war was ended David found himself a penniless boy, with no prospect of success save through his own exertions. A few years later, led by love of adventure, and longing to take a part in the stirring affairs of the day, to have a hand in quelling the evil feeling in the west, which resulted largely from the action of British emmissaries in keep- ing alive among the Indians that hatred which had grown out of the war, young Hendricks made his way to Pittsburgh. There he met, and became well ac- quainted with Lewis Wetzel, the famous borderer and Indian fighter. He descended the Ohio with him and came to the American settlement at Marietta in the first or second year of its existence, 1788 or 1789. There he met Generals McMahon and Josiah Harmer and many others, who were either already celebrated or destined to be, as frontiersmen and pioneers. Although still quite young, David E. Hendricks was well ad- vanced physically, was active and at once began to per- form valuable services as ranger and spy. He was with Generals Harmer and Arthur St. Clair in their disas- trous campaign, and afterwards with "Mad Anthony Wayne," who already crowned with the laurels won in the east in the struggle against the British was still fresh and eager for further glories in the western border.

It was late in the fall of 1792, when, after consolidat- ing at Fort Washington (or Cincinnati), the army took up its march northward into the Indian country. Hen- dricks was a volunteer in this expedition, which was destin- ed to avenge St. Clair and to secure a lasting peace. He was at Fort Hamilton (on site of Hamilton, Butler coun- ty), under Major Rudolph, when the deserters were hung, and afterwards was with the advance when Fort Green- ville (Danube county), was built. While stationed at this fort, during the winter of 1793-94, General Wayne desired to send an important despatch to Fort Washing- ton, which was about seventy-five miles distant. It was necessary that the service should be performed immedi- ately and with all possible haste. General Wayne re- quested that some man should volunteer for the dangerous duty. There was not a man in the ranks who did not know that the country was full of hostile Indians; that the chances of capture overbalanced those of getting safely through, and that whoever undertook the mission did it at the peril of his life. For a time it seemed as if no one could be found who was willing to assume the terrible risk. Finally, however, young Hendricks stepped forward and volunteered his services. His offer was ac- cepted. The best horse in the fort was brought out, and after he had received the message to be conveyed, our hero mounted and galloped away, General Wayne calling after him, "God bless you and preserve you on your

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History of Preble County, Ohio, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Part 33

Author: H. Z. Williams & Brothers Publication date: Publisher: Number of Pages: 559

Author: H. Z. Williams & Brothers
Publication date:
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 559