USA > Ohio > Preble County > History of Preble County, Ohio, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches > Part 79
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SETTLEMENT.
As in other townships, the majority of the settlers in this part of the county were southerners, from Kentucky, Virginia, Georgia, and North Carolina, with some from New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
In the early days of settlement the land, which was owned by the Government, was sold in parcels of not less than a section, at two dollars per acre. Of course, many of the early settlers were unable to take so much
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land, and it became necessary for some one man to buy a section of land, and, after sub-dividing to suit the pur- chaser, sell it to settlers; or a number of men would club together, appoint one of their number treasurer, and au- thorize him to buy a section of land. This was done by many of the early settlers of Twin township. This plan gave abundant opportunities for land sharks, but there is no instance of any fraud of this kind in Twin township.
Among the first settlers who entered land in the town- ship, were the Van Winkles, the Millers, and the Kes- lings, who came in 1804; and the Nisbits, Quinns, Ban- tas, Whitesells, Rapes, and Ozias, who came about 1805.
The first permanent settlement in Twin township was made by Simeon Van Winkle. He was born in Georgia, June 5, 1768, and his wife, Phebe, was born in the same State, October 3, 1766. They emigrated to Kentucky, and in February, 1804, came to Ohio and entered sec- tion twenty-seven, on which the village of New Lexing- ton now stands. They afterwards sold a portion of this land, and retained the northwestern corner, now known as the Ozias farm. They were parents of ten children, five boys and five girls. Mr. Van Winkle gave each of his sons eighty acres of land, upon which each one finally settled. David, the eldest, owned what is now the Copp farm. He lived there for several years, and went to An- derson, Indiana, where he died, in 1872. He is buried in the Baptist graveyard at New Lexington. John, who was active among the early members of the New Light church, used to live on the Solomon Meekley farm. He afterwards emigrated to Missouri, where he died. James, Robert, and Jesse followed David to Anderson, Indiana. Jesse is dead, but James is living in Anderson, Indiana, and Robert is living in that vicinity. Susan, now the widow Robinson, is living in West Alexandria. Louisa is living, and Phebe, Tirza, and Hannah are dead. The Van Winkles were very prominent in the early affairs of the township, in the commuity, and in the Baptist church, of which they were members. Simeon Van Winkle was one of the first township trustees. He donated the ground on which the Baptist church was built, and he and his wife were buried in the adjoining burying-ground. He died in 1831, aged sixty-three years. His wife nearly completed her centennial year, dying September 12, 1866, aged ninety-nine years, eleven months, and nine days. There is now none of the name living in Ohio.
Frederick Miller was the next settler in Twin town- ship. He was a native of Virginia, born in 1761. His wife, Elizabeth, was born in 1762. Mr. Miller was a soldier of the Revolution, having served under Washing- ton, and was present at the surrender of Cornwallis, at Yorktown. He subsequently removed to what is now Anderson county, Tennessee. In the fall of 1803 he emigrated to Ohio with his family, which he left at Leb- anon, Warren county, while he searched for a suitable location for his new home. In March, 1804, taking with him his daughter Abbie, aged thirteen, and his son, Jacob F., aged eleven, he left Lebanon, and brought a portion of his goods to the place he had chosen for the location of his wilderness home. The way was ob- structed by the heavy timber, and the road had to be cut
out as they advanced. After several days' weary travel- ling they arrived on the land whereon their new home was to be built. They built a pole shanty against a cof- fee-bean tree, which is still standing on the farm of the late James H. Curry, about one hundred yards east of the pike from Lexington to West Alexandria. After see- ing that the children were comfortably fixed, Mr. Miller left them in charge of the camp, and returned to Leb- anon for the remainder of his family and goods. The brave little guards were not molested by anything, although wild beasts and Indians were plenty at that time.
Frederick and Elizabeth Miller had three sons and two daughters: Sarah, wife of Robert Davidson, died in July, 1880; Abbie lived in Indiana; Jacob F. lived near Lewisburgh, and was at one time county commis- sioner; he died in 1849; John died in West Alex- andria, and Solomon, the only one living, emigrated to Elkhart county, Indiana, where he founded Millersburgh, of which he is at present the postmaster.
It was at the house of Frederick Miller that the wounded soldier, Sergeant Henry Riddle, died, in 1813. Frederick Miller and family were among the original members of the old Lexington Presbyterian church.
In the spring of 1804 quite a number of other families settled in Twin township.
Albert Banta settled on the Peters farm, at the cros- sing of the Eaton and Lexington road with the branch of Twin creek, that took his name, and is now known as Banta's fork.
Henry Kesling located on the land selected for him by Frederick Miller, where the farms of John Bare and George Sauer are, and the part of . West Alexandria which is in Twin township. Mr. Kesling died about 1837, and is buried in the cemetery at West Alexandria.
In the year 1805 William Nisbit and his three sons, William, James I., and Thomas, emigrated from Ken- tucky to Ohio. William Nisbit, the father, was born in Pennsylvania in 1734, and afterwards emigrated to Ken- tucky. His three sons were born in Kentucky. William located on what is now the Trick farm, and for several years carried on the tanning business. His tannery was at the foot of the hill.
Thomas settled on the place now owned by J. H. Markey, in section twenty-seven.
James I. located on the land on which New Lexington was afterwards built by him. In 1806 Judge Nisbit laid out the town which he designed for the county seat. He built the first house in Lexington, the first frame house on the turnpike, and the first brick house in the county, all on the same site. He kept the first store and was the first postmaster, and one of the first members of the old Presbyterian church. When the court of com- mon pleas was established at Eaton he was made one of the associate judges. Of him it may be said that he was the soul of all the enterprise New Lexington ever had. He is buried at Lexington.
Robert Patterson, known as "Pat," and John Jackson, called "Jack," were sons of Judge Nisbit. Both became good physicians. Their history is given under the head
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of early physicians of West Alexandria. They are buried at Lexington. Dr. John J. Nisbit, their cousin, is also buried there.
Harriet, daughter of Judge Nisbit, is living in West Alexandria. She is the last survivor of the family who lives in Twin township.
About this time Aaron Torrence, of Cincinnati, a large land speculator, bought land formerly owned by Thomas Nisbit, west of where Alexandria now stands. He was very much afraid that the Indians would destroy him, though at this time they were peaceable. He sat up nights and slept in the day time. After a time this manner of life became monotonous and he sold out and fearfully departed. Whether the Indians ever got him or not has not been ascertained.
Henry Whitesell was one of the earliest settlers in Twin township. He emigrated to Ohio from North Car- olina at a very early day, and came to Twin township, locating on Banta's fork. He married Miss Strader, of North Carolina. He sold out before the War of 1812, and removed to Eaton, where he remained one year. Thence he moved north of Eaton, in Washington town- ship, and located on Seven Mile creek. He was a blacksmith by trade. In the War of 1812 he served faithfully in the company of Captain David E. Hend- ricks. Two of his sons were also in the war. Mr. Whitesell's sons, George, Adam and Tobias, are dead.
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John Rape, sr., was born in France, and came to this country with General Lafayette. He served in the Re. volution nearly five years. After the close of the war he deserted from his command, and refused to return to France. He was so infatuated with Virginia that he con- cluded to remain there. In Loudoun county, Virginia, he married Eva Catharine, daughter of John Dickard. He subsequently settled in the Shenandoah valley, and in 1803 emigrated to Ohio. He came by wagon across the mountains to Wheeling, thence on a New Orleans flat-boat down the Ohio river to Cincinnati, and then by wagon to Warren county, Ohio. In 1805 he emigrated to Preble county, settling in Twin township, on the spot of ground now occupied by his son, John. He was a natural mechanic, although he never learned a trade, and was very useful in aiding the settlers to build their homes. The hewed log house which he built in 1811, is still standing, and is used by John Rape as a wash house. He died in 1831, at the age of eighty-six. His wife died in 1823. They raised a family of six children: Mary, widow of Frederick Wikle, in her eighty-seventh year; John, born October 17, 1797, and Jacob; the other three are dead. .
About the year 1748 John Quinn emigrated from the north of Ireland to the State of New Jersey. He mar- ried Miss Crooks, of New Jersey. They have four sons, of whom Jonn, Robert and James were born in New Jersey, and Joseph in Maryland. John died in Maryland.
In 1788 Robert Quinn was married to Elizabeth Lacey, who lived near the site of Washington city. Her father was General Lacey, of Revolutionary fame. The Laceys came from the Isle of Wight in 1699.
The first child of Robert and Elizabeth Quinn was
Jane, who was born in Maryland, and married Phineas Hart. Robert Quinn lived for a short time in Virginia, and in the fall of 1789 moved to Georgia. Here were born: John in 1790; James in 1792; Robert in 1795; Margaret, who married Peter Aten, and now lives in Texas; Elizabeth, wife of Samuel P. Wilson, of Muncie, Indiana; Lacey, who died in infancy, and Mary Ann, who died about 1830.
In the year 1805 Robert Quinn, sr., emigrated to Ohio, and lived for two years near Germantown, Montgomery county. In 1807 he came with his family to Preble county, and settled in section thirty-one in Twin township.
His brothers, John and James, came about the same time, and Joseph several years afterwards:
John settled in 'Twin township, on the farm now owned by George Kline, and lived there till 1830, when he moved to Delaware county, Indiana, where he died in 1840.
James who settled near Brennersville, Twin township, left Preble county about the year 1837, and died on the road to Iowa, where his family still resides.
. Joseph who was a bachelor, purchased land in Lanier township, and died in 1837.
Robert Quinn, sr., died April 10, 1844.
His son, John, married in 1831, Mary Ann Pottenger, who was born in Butler county in 1804. They lived during the most of their lives on the old home place on the Dayton pike.
In the War of 1812 he served in Captain Joseph E. Hawkins' company. After the war he was made brigadier general in one of the early day military organizations. During the years 1831 and 1835 he served the county as sheriff. He represented Preble county in the general as- sembly of Ohio, in the sessions of 1837 and 1838, and at one time was a member of the State board of equali- zation.
To Mr. and Mrs. John Quinn were born five sons- Thomas P., born July 6, 1832, graduated at Farmers col- lege in 1853, and died in Eaton, of cholera, in 1854, while studying law; Robert W., born September 28, 1835, attended Farmers college at College Hill, Ohio, for three years, graduated at the Cincinnati Law school, practiced before the war in Cincinnati, and since 1867 has been practicing in Eaton. January 10, 1861, he married Jose- phine M. Palmer, of Cincinnati, by whom he has had two children, Edmund F. and Caroline B.
John W. Quinn was born July 25, 1838, lived on the farm most of his life, and enlisted in the company of Colonel Harris, in the fall of 1861, and died at Monte- rey, Virginia, in 1862.
James L. Quinn was born September 21, 1844, and after attending the Miami university at Oxford for one year, graduated first at Bartlett's Commercial school, in Cincinnati, and afterwards at the Miami Medical college, in Cincinnati. In 1873 he married Elizabeth, daughter of Joseph Quinn, by whom he has had three children --- Charlotta M., Ruth Eleanor, and John William.
Samuel Quinn, born February 5, 1844, attended Farm- ers college one year, and graduated at the Cincinnati Law school about 1870. He is practicing in Cincinnati.
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James Quinn, the brother of General John Quinn, was born in 1792, lived in Washington township for a while, afterwards settling in Twin township, just east of his father's farm. In 1817 he married Sarah Glines, by whom he had seven children: John Lacey, of Eaton; Eliza Ann, married George Irvin, and lives in Randolph coun- ty, Indiana; Robert M., lives in Eaton; James Harvey, lives in Illinois; William D., who for several years was clerk of the county of Preble; Joseph, who died when a young man; and Sarah, the wife of Sylvester Irvin, of Randolph county, Indiana.
Colonel Robert Quinn is the son of old Robert Quinn, who settled in Twin township. He was born February, 1795. His wife was Sarah Wasson, by whom he has had two children: Joseph W. lives near his father, in Wash- ington township, and Nancy Jane is the wife of D. W. Chrisman, of Indiana. Everybody knows " Uncle Bobby" Quinn. He well remembers the "cold Friday" of 180-, which was spent by the Quinn family in open camp. For many years he was an honest tiller of the soil. He also worked at the blacksmith trade. He was an active sol- dier in the War of 1812. He now resides on the Lex- ington road just north of Eaton, in Washington township.
John Ozias, and his sons, Jacob, John, and Peter, came to Ohio from the State of North Carolina as early as 1803 or 1804. After living for about a year in War- ren county, the family removed to what is now Twin township, where the father purchased a tract of land two miles square on Twin creek, in sections three and ten. He settled east of the creek, near the middle of this tract, where W. W. Geer, now lives, and his three sons around him. Jacob, born in 1775, married Susannah Christman, and located where Jacob Riley now lives. He died in 1849, from the result of an accident by a horse. He left to his heirs some seven hundred acres of land. His widow survived him many years, and died at the age of seventy-eight. Their family consisted of four sons and four daughters, two of whom are deceased. The names of the survivors and their places of residence are as follows: Jesse, Mrs. John Beem, and Thomas, in Iowa; Mrs. Unger in Dayton; Eli and Mrs. George Werhley in this township. Eli, born in 1810, married Elizabeth Wikle, and resides in section ten.
John Ozias, the second of the three brothers men- tioned, was married in Montgomery county, to Elizabeth Higgins, and died in Twin township in 1869, at the age of eighty-nine years and eleven months. His wife died in 1847. Five of their nine children are still living, namely: Mrs. Phebe Weakly, in Peru, Indiana; J. W., Mrs. David Kumler, and William in Harrison township, and Susan, wife of George T. Potterf, in La- nier township.
Peter Ozias settled where his grandson, Washington, now lives, and died there. Jacob, his son, who lived on the old Ozias homestead, was born in North Carolina in 1797, and was married in 1823 to Sarah Potterf, who was born in 1790. They died in 1867 and 1879, respectively. They left surviving them seven children, who are all still living, as follows: Mrs. Elizabeth Rohr in Montgomery county; Anderson and Joseph in Missouri; Washington;
Mrs. Eliza Moots; Mrs. W. W. Geer and Wesley in this township. Washington was married first to Nancy Gregg, and, after her death, to his present wife, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Shafer. Wesley was married to Elizabeth Jane, daughter of Christian Markey, and now resides on the old Van Winkle place.
John Hart, sr., emigrated from Augusta county, Vir- ginia, to Preble county, Ohio, in 1808. He settled near what is now Brennersville, on the farm now owned by Jesse Royer. He lived there some ten years and then moved on to Price's creek, and in 1849 removed to Car- roll county, Indiana, where he died in 1856. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1773, and moved, when young, to Augusta county, Virginia, where he was, subsequently, married to Elizabeth Sellers. His wife died in Twin township, and he was afterwards married twice. He was one of the pioneer preachers of the Dunker church in this county, and faithfully followed the calling for many years. He assisted in organizing the first Dunker society in Twin township. He was a tailor by trade, and worked at it, as was then the fashion, from house to house. His children were-William, John, Jacob, Sam- uel, Isaac, Benjamin, Nancy, Elizabeth, Phebe, and Sarah. Of these, John, Isaac, Benjamin, and Elizabeth are now living.
John Hart, now residing in West Alexandria, was born August 30, 1801, in Augusta county, Virginia, and was married to Catharine Brower in 1827, who was born in 1804. They first settled in Twin township on Price's creek, on a part of the farm his father had purchased, and moved into West Alexandria in 1880. Isaac Hart resides in Elkhart, Indiana, and Benjamin in Huntington county, same State. Elizabeth (Martin) lives in Darke county, Ohio. Samuel Hart (deceased) resided in Twin township, where he died in 1866, aged sixty-one years. His wife, Ari Ann, died in 1873, aged sixty-two. She was the daughter of Daniel Sayler, an early settler of Gratis township.
John Vance emigrated to Montgomery county, Ohio, from Somerset county, Pennsylvania, in the year 1807. Two years after (in 1809), he came to Preble, and settled in what is now Harrison township, and resided there until his death, which occurred at the age of a little over seventy, in 1845. . His wife died shortly afterwards. They had a family of eleven children, but only four of them are now living. Jacob, the oldest, was born in 1803, and, in 1827, was united in marriage to Elizabeth Judy, and settled where he now lives, commencing in the woods. His wife died in 1870, and Mr. Vance still occupies his farm, his son Isaac; and family, living with him.
Philip Wikle settled in Dayton, Ohio, in 1808, having emigrated from Virginia. In 1809 he removed to Twin township, and settled where his grandson, Lewis Wikle, now lives, in section fifteen. He died there seven years afterward. He was the father of eight children, of whom Frederick occupied the old homestead after his father's death. . He and his brother George, who were both natural mechanics, erected for Daniel Miller, a flouring mill, on Wolf creek, in Montgomery county. Frederick
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was born in Berkeley county, Virginia, in 1788, and was married, in 1816, to Mary, daughter of Jacob Rape. She was born 1792, and is now living with her son Lewis, her husband having died in November, 1866. She has five children now living, viz: Lewis, now aged sixty, in this township on the old homestead; William, in Indiana; Alfred and Elizabeth, wife of Eli Ozias, also in this town- ship; and Jackson, in Alabama.
Nicholas Coleman was born in Somerset county, Penn- sylvania, in the year 1789. He removed from that State to Ohio, about the year 1810 with his family, then con- sisting of his wife, and one child. He began in the woods, where his son, John, now lives, cleared up a farm, and died there. His wife survived him several years. Her maiden name was Anna Mary Vance. They had three children, as follows : Catharine, Salome, and John. Catharine became the wife of Daniel Diefenbaugh; Solome married William Hapner. Both of the daughters are deceased. John Coleman was born where he now lives, in Twin township, in 1815, and has occupied the place settled by his father, for sixty-five consecutive years. He was married, in 1839, to Tryphene Diefenbaugh, and has five children living, and one dead.
Lewis Utz was born in Virginia, about the year 1792, and died in Twin township, Preble county, in 1822. About the year 1810, he married Elizabeth House, who was born in Virginia in 1790, and died in Euphemia, in 1872. Six children were born him, four of whom are now living, namely: Nancy, Mary Ann, Susan, and William. Mr. Utz came to Preble county, in the year 1810, and settled on the farm in Twin township, where his son, William, now resides. William Utz was born in Twin township, in 1822. In 1843 he married Catharine Hubler, born in Pennsylvania, in 1822. Fourteen chil- dren were born to them, nine of whom are now living. This son, Lewis, served for three years, during the war of the Rebellion, in the Ninety-third Ohio volunteer in- fantry.
Isaac Enoch came to this county from Butler county in the year 1805. He first settled in Gasper township, where he lived until 1811, when he removed to Twin township, and lived here until his death in 1838. Sam- uel Enoch, son of Isaac, is still living in Twin township at an advanced age. He was born in Butler county, Ohio, in 1798, married, in 1817, Eliza Hewitt, whose father, Israel Hewitt, was among the first settlers on Seven Mile creek above Eaton.
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Jacob Bare moved to Preble county, Ohio, from War- ren county in 1816, and settled in Twin township, at the mouth of Price's creek. He lived there on the old Van- Winkle farm until his death, which occurred in 1822, in his fifty-fifth year. He was born in Pennsylvania, and moved to Warren county in 1805. His wife, Mary, died many years after her husband's death. Six of their nine children are living.
Henry Bare was born near Lebanon, Warren county, in 1805, and in 1826 married Ann Foreman, who was born in Virginia in 1811. Her father was formerly a hatter in Lexington. Henry Bare was at one time a cooper, but is now a farmer. They have been members
of the German Baptist church for over forty years, and Mr. Bare has been a minister for thirty years. Ten of his fifteen children are living.
Nathaniel Benjamin was born in Morris county, New Jersey, June 25, 1795. He served an apprenticeship at the carpenter trade, and in the fall of 1817 came to Cin- cinnati on foot and with his knapsack on his back. He engaged there at his trade until the following January, when he was induced to come to New Lexington, this county, by John Ayres, whom he had formerly known, and who had established a store in that then promising town. Mr. Benjamin's employer in Cincinnati offered him lots on Sixth street in that city at one hundred dol- lars a lot, with the privilege of paying for them out of his wages at one dollar and seventy-five cents per day. Mr. Ayers, however, set forth in such a glowing manner the wonderful capabilities and prospects of New Lex- ington, believing that it would, in the near future, become a place of considerable importance, that he communicated a large share of his enthusiasm to his young friend. It is probable, however, that a young lady then living in Lex- ington-Miss Hannah Johnson, sister of the wife of Abi- jah Hayward-had something to do in attracting him hith- er, for on the seventh of the following November he made the said young lady his wife. For the subsequent thir- teen years he resided in Lexington, eleven of which he kept a public house. The only persons now living be- tween Lewisburgh and Winchester who were married at time of Mr. Beujamin's marriage are the widow Winkle and widow Robinson of this township. Mr. Benjamin was for twelve years justice of the peace at Lexington, during which time he officiated at ninety-seven weddings. When he removed from Lexington he settled on a farm on the hill above John H. Markey's, where he lived until 1851, when he removed to West Alexandria, and has since resided in that village. He is the father of two children, one living and the other dead. The oldest is Catharine, now widow of Dr. A. W. Dewey, and living in Cicero, Indiana. The other daughter, Mary Ann, died in October, 1879. She was the wife of Charles B. Dewey, brother of her sister's husband, who is also de- ceased.
Charles Wysong was born in Franklin county, Virginia, in 1802. His father removed from that State, with his family, to Montgomery county, Ohio, in 1817. Charles was married in 1825 to Margaret Gustin, of Warren county, Ohio, and shortly afterward settled in Twin town- ship, Preble county, on the east county line, where he re- sesided until he moved into West Alexandria, some seven years ago. He has raised a family of eleven children, ten of whom are now living. The grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Mr. and Mrs. Wysong number nearly one hundred.
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