History of Richland County, Ohio : (including the original boundaries) ; its past and present, containing a condensed comprehensive history of Ohio, including an outline history of the Northwest, a complete history of Richland county miscellaneous matter, map of the county, biographies and histories of the most prominent families, &c., &c., Part 116

Author: Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Mansfield, O. : A. A. Graham & co.
Number of Pages: 968

USA > Ohio > Richland County > History of Richland County, Ohio : (including the original boundaries) ; its past and present, containing a condensed comprehensive history of Ohio, including an outline history of the Northwest, a complete history of Richland county miscellaneous matter, map of the county, biographies and histories of the most prominent families, &c., &c. > Part 116

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EAKIN, R. J., merchant, Adario; he was born in Pennsylvania, Oct. 22, 1840, and is a son of James and Hannah Eakin ; he remained at home until he was 21 years old, when he entered school at Coolville, Athens Co., Ohio, and was in different parts of the State until 1871, when he went to Savannah, where he acted as steward in the boarding halls until 1876, when he went into the mercantile trade in Adario ; he is now doing a thriving business. Mr. and Mrs. Eakin have one child-John.

FACKLER, HENRY, farmer ; P. O. Adario ; he was born in Dauphin Co., Penn., July 8, 1805, and is a son of Abram and Elizabeth Fackler : he is the eighth of a family of twelve children; he remained at home until he was 23 years old, when he went to learn the tanner's trade, and, in 1829, came to Ohio and traveled back, by the way of York State, to Dauphin Co., Peun .; in 1831, he came to Richland Co., Ohio, and bought a tract of land in Weller Township. In the fall of 1831, he mar- ried Catherine Crall, who was born in Dauphin Co., Penn., and moved, with her parents, Mathias and Eliza- beth Crall, to Richland Co. in 1819, and settled in Franklin Township. Mr. Fackler lives on a highly improved farm about one mile west of Adario, in But- ler Township. Mr. and Mrs. Fackler have ten chil- dren, all of whom, but oue, are married; their names are Abram, Hiram, Mary, Joshua, Mathias C., Cath- erine, Henry, Elizabeth, Louisa A. and Alice E. Mathias and Henry were in the war of the rebellion ; Mathias served in the 1st Ohio Battery; he went out in the summer of 1862, and was mustered out the 26th of June, 1865.

FORD, G. W., farmer; P. O. Adario ; he was born in Richland Co. Sept. 24, 1836, and is a son of Joshua and Elizabeth Ford, who came to this county in the

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES:

winter of 1827 and settled in Butler Township, on the farm where the subject of this sketch now lives. Joshua lived there until the fall of 1865, when he moved to Ashland Co., where he still lives. The sub- ject of this sketch remained at home until he was mar- ried, in 1858, to Jennie Griece, of this county ; she died in 1873 ; after his marriage, he settled on a farm adjoining the old homestead, where he lived about eight years, and then bought and moved on a farm at Shiloh ; about eight years after, he moved on the old homestead, where he still resides. He has been married about three years to Sarah J. Deilh, of Blooming Grove Town- ship. Mr. and Mrs. Ford have five children-H. H., Catherine E., Sarah S., Carrie A. and Charles L.

FUNK, JACOB M., farmer; P. O. Adario ; he was born in Franklin Co., Penn., Sept. 22, 1812, and is a son of Tobias and Mary Funk ; he is the third of a family of twelve children. He remained at home until 1833, when he was married to Susan Wheeler ; after his marriage, he went to a place near Nashville, Tenn., where he followed his trade, millwrighting. At the commencement of the Mexican war, he entered Gen. Taylor's army as scout, where he did some very valu- able service, and was with Gen. Scott when he entered the City of Mexico; at the close of the war, he moved to New Orleans ; when the cholera broke out, he took boat for Pittsburgh, and, his wife and two children dying on the way, he remained at Pittsburgh until 1854, when he married Catherine E. Canly, of Frank- lin Co., Penn., when he moved to Ohio, and, at the begin- ning of the rebellion, entered as Provost Marshal and scouting service, and served during the whole conflict ; he was always doing valuable service, and ran some very narrow escapes in penetrating the rebel lines ; he was at Gen. Lee's headquarters while at Chambersburg ; he was wounded several times, having had his left arm and right leg broken by minie balls ; he has lived in different parts of the State since the close of the war, and has been living on the present farm since the spring of 1878. Mr. and Mrs. Funk have three children- Upton T., Anna E. and David H .; of these, Anna is married.

HANNA, T. WILSON, farmer ; P. O. Savannah ; he was born in this county June 26, 1826, and is a son of William and Rachel C. Hanna. William Hanna came to this county about 1824 or 1825, from Harrison Co., Ohio, and settled on a tract of land in Blooming Grove Township, that his father had entered some time before. HIe was married in 1835, and in 1851 he moved to the farm that T. W. Hanna now owns and lives on, in the northeast part of Butler Township, where he lived until 1874. The subject of this sketch is the eld- est of a family of three children. He remained at home until the fall of 1857, when he married Amauda M. Gault, of Washington Co., Penn., whose father, Samuel Gault, came to this county in an early day. After Mr. Hanna's marriage he settled on his present farm. Mr. Hanna has held the office of Justice of the Peace five years, and other various offices in the township. He is at present engaged quite extensively in raising fine-wooled sheep. Mr. and Mrs. Hanna have two children ; Dwight C., who is a member of the Fresh- man Class, at Wooster University, and J. C., who is attending the academy at Savannah, Ashland Co.

HETLER, CHRISTOPHER, farmer ; P. O. Green- wich ; he was born in this county July 6, 1842, and is a son of Andrew and Mary Hetler, who came from Pennsylvania and settled in the south part of Weller Township. He is the fourth of a family of seven chil- dren. He remained at home until he was married, Jan. 17, 1863, to Margaret J. Keller, of Franklin Town- ship. After his marriage he settled on his father-in- law's farm, where he remained two years, when he emigrated to Southern Illinois, where he remained one year; he then removed to Franklin Township, where he remained six years, and then to Weller Township, and in the spring of 1878, bought and moved on his present farm in the north part of Butler Township. Mr. and Mrs. Hetler have three children, Amos M., Mary E. and Sadie M.

HETLER, SAMUEL, farmer ; P. O. Shenandoah ; he was born in this county Oct. 19, 1839, and is a son of Philip and Catherine Hetler. who were of German descent, and who removed from Pennsylvania in 1832 or 1833, and settled in the south part of Weller Town- ship. Mr. H. is the eldest of a family of seven chil- dren. He remained at home until he was married, in the fall of 1860, to Sarah A. Wolf, of Franklin Town- ship, daughter of John C. and Hettie Wolf. After his marriage he settled on his father-in-law's farm, where he lived a few years. In 1869, he bought and moved to his present farm, in the west part of Butler Town- ship. He is an industrious and thriving farmer, and works at his trade in winter, making grain cradles. Mr. and Mrs. Hetler have eight children-Verona E., Ann E., Sarah J., William E., Oliver J., Rosella M., Verona E., is married.

HUNTER, C. C., farmer; P. O. Adario ; he was born in Richland Co. Aug. 3, 1852; he is a son of Joseph P. and Angeline Hunter, of Blooming Grove Township ; he is the fourth of a family of ten children ; he re- mained at home until he was married, in 1874, to Linda Kirk, daughter of M. Kirk, of Butler Township; in the spring of 1875, he settled on the present farm. Mr. Ilunter is a thorough farmer and a gentleman, and be- lieves that it is to the interest of all farmers to be a member of the grange, Mr. and Mrs. Hunter have two children-Lucinda and Lena A.

KIRK, MICHAEL, farmer ; P. O. Adario; he was born in Brook, Va., Nov. 30, 1814 ; he removed with his parents, when he was about 2 years of age, to Jef- ferson Co., Ohio, where they spent the rest of their days. Michael remained at home until he was 30 years old, when he moved to Richland Co., in what is now Clear Creek Township, Ashland Co., where he lived about eighteen years ; he then bought where he now resides, in Butler Township, about one-half mile west of Adario. He was married on the first day of the year 1845, to Lucinda Hickman, of Columbiana Co., whose parents were formerly of Pennsylvania ; Mrs. Kirk is a daughter of Jeremiah Hickman, one of the old pioneer Methodists, and a sister of Judge Hickman, of Minnesota ; Mr. and Mrs. Kirk have a family of seven children, some of whom are graduates of the Berea University. Mr. Kirk has been honored with a great many offices of the township, and is also a good, faithful granger. He is a pleasant gentleman to meet, and has a fine family.

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BUTLER TOWNSHIP.

KIRK, JAMES, farmer; P. O. Adario; he was born in 1842; he is a son of the late Edward and Mary Kirk, of Butler Township, who came to Richland Co. in 1841, from Jefferson Co., Ohio, and settled where Mr. Kirk now resides, about half a mile southeast of Adario. The subject of this sketch remained at home until his marriage, in 1864, to Miss Sarah Ford, of Butler Township ; previous to his marriage, he had en- listed in the 16th N. Y. V. C., and served nine months, when he was discharged on account of dis -. ability ; after his marriage, he settled on the old home- stead until 1871, when his wife died, after which he went to Kansas, where he married his second wife, and where he lived until 1876, when he returned to Richland Co. and settled where he now resides, with his mother, on the largest farm in this part of the county, which is under a good state of culti- vation.

MCKIBBEN, W. C., farmer; P. O. Adario; he was born in Beaver Co., Penn., Aug. 20, 1827; he is the son of Hugh B. and Isabella Mckibben, who moved to this county in the spring of 1828, and settled in what is now Ashland Co., where they spent the rest of their days. The subject of this sketch lived at home until the spring of 1853, when his father bought a tract of land about three-quarters of a mile northeast of Adario, in Butler Township, and where he partly made his home until March 31, 1863, when he married Cordelia Smith, of Huron Co. In the fall of 1863, after his mar- riage, he settled on the farm where he now resides. Mr. Mckibben tried hard to get an education, when a young man. He was an ardent admirer of Gen. Fre- mont, and has taken a very active part in politics. Mr. and Mrs. Mckibben have eight children-Albert A., William, Francis, Amanda M., Ernest D., Mary E., John H., Nettie J. and Perry.

McWILLIAMS, J., farmer ; P. O. Savannah ; he was born in Richland Co. Jan. 17, 1848; he is a son of Charles and Agnes McWilliams, who came from Scot- land in 1843, and settled in Butler Township, where they lived about three years ; they then moved to Ash- land Co., where they still live. The subject of this sketch lived at home until the spring of 1875, when he married Nettie Farquahonson, of Ashland Co .; after his marriage, he settled on the farm where he now resides, in Butler Township, about two miles northeast of Adario. Mr. and Mrs. McWilliams have two children -James B. and Agnes Irene.

MORRIS, B. F., lumber dealer ; P. O. Shenandoah ; he was born in Beaver Co., Penn., Oct. 18, 1841 ; he is a son of Benjamin Morris, of whom mention is made elsewhere in this work. The subject of this sketch re- mained at home until the call was made for men by Presi- dent Lincoln. He enlisted in MeLaughlin's squadron of cavalry in Mansfield, and held the office of Sergeant Dis- patcher in the brigade ; while serving in that capacity he was wounded by a ball entering at the elbow, and coming out at the wrist ; the shot was supposed to have been fired at Gen. Stoneman, while forming in line of battle ; the wounded were taken prisoners by the rebels at that battle, and when the rebel doctors were exam- ining them to send all that were able to travel to Rich- mond, he called the Union doctor, and told him to save him if he could. Mr. Morris crawled in an old

house that stood near, and pulled some old clothes over him, and when they came to him the rebel doctor asked the Union doctor what was the matter with this fellow. He said he was almost dead. " I expect he'll die this blessed minute." They passed, and thus he saved himself from going into a rebel prison ; he finally reached home, and got his discharge in the summer of 1865. He was married on the 27th of November, 1865, to Miss Mary Oberlin, of Butler Township. Mr. and Mrs. Morris have four children, whose names are Will- iam A., Della W., Chester and Orphia R. Mr. Morris is an energetic business man, and is at present living about one-half mile east of Shenandoah. He partly owns and operates a steam saw-mill where he lives, and has a half-interest in 218 acres of coal land in Colum- biana Co.

MORRIS, G. B., farmer; P. O. Shenandoah ; he was born in Beaver Co., Penn., Feb. 10, 1845 ; he removed with his parents, Benjamin and Jane K. Morris, to Richland Co. in 1847. He remained at home until he was 24 years old, when he married Eliza J. Urich, of Weller Township, Jan. 21, 1869. After his marriage. he bought and settled on a farm adjoining the old homestead, where he has since lived. Mr. Morris be- lieves that the best in the way of stock and farming implements is the cheapest, and has a pleasant home. They have one child-Charley E., who was born Oct. 26, 1869.

MORRIS, BENJAMIN, farmer; P. O. Shenandoah ; he was born in Washington Co., Penn., Nov. 13, 1811. He is a son of Jonathan and Sophia Morris, who moved, about 1831, to Beaver Co., where they lived about twenty-five years, and then sold out there and moved to Columbiana Co., Ohio, where they lived about seven years, and moved to Mahoning Co., where they lived twelve years. Getting too old to work on a farm, Mr. Morris divided his property among his children, intend- ing to come to Richland Co. to live with his son, Benja- min, but died at his daughter's, in Mahoning Co., at the age of 84 years. The subject of this sketch re- mained at home until he was 29 years of age, when he married Jane R. Black, of Chester Co., Penn. After his marriage, he settled in Beaver Co., where he lived about six years, when he moved with his wife and four children to Butler Township, in the spring of 1846, and settled on the farm where he now resides. They have raised five boys, whose names are Barcella F., Jonathan T., Gideon B., William H. and Isaac P .- all of whom are married. Mrs. Morris died Feb. 22. 1871, and in 1876 he married Cynthia Spohnhour, of Shelby. This has been a remarkable family for longevity ; Jon- athan and Sophia Morris, at the age of 80 years, had a family gathering of their eleven children, who were all living: aggregate time of life in the family, 668 years 3 months and 18 days. They have been a very patri- otic family ; five of the family fought in the rebellion, and also five in the Revolutionary struggle, some of whom lost their lives in both wars. William H. Morris lives with his father on the old farm; he has been in California twice, and can recall many stirring scenes ; he was born March 22, 1847. When he was 26 years old, he married Neotia Cline, Feb. 20, 1873. Mr. and Mrs. Morris have three children, whose names are Ada J., Effie C. and Hattie P.

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES:

MURRAY, EDWARD, farmer; P. O. Adario; he was born in what is now Ashland Co. Nov. 7, 1824; he is a son of Edward and Rebecca C. Murray, and is the fifth. of a family of six children. He remained at home until he was married, Dec. 23, 1847, to Mary E. Colman, of Ashland Co. After his marriage, he settled on his father's farm, where he lived six years, and then bought and moved where he now resides, in Butler Township, about two and a half miles northeast of Adario. IIe is a thriving farmer, who believes that the best in the way of stock and farming implements is the cheapest, and has his farm under a good state of cultivation. Mr. and Mrs. Murray have four children -John, Diadem, Joseph and William.

NELSON, ELMORE, farmer; P. O. Olivesburg; he was born in Wayne Co., Ohio, April 3, 1839; he is a son of Andrew and Rachel Nelson, who came to this county in 1853, from Wayne Co .; he remained at home until he was married, Jan. 26, 1860, to Angeline Ward, of Richland Co .; after his marriage, he settled on the old homestead, where his wife died June 15, 1861, and on Aug. 24, of the same year, his little boy, Charles, died. On the 9th of September, 1861, he enlisted in the 15th O. V. I., Company G, and was taken prisoner Sept. 20, 1863 ; he was in the Richmond and Ander- sonville prisons, and experienced all of the horrors of those pens until the 10th of November, 1864, when he and four of his comrades made their escape by giving the guard $100 and a silver watch ; while in prison, hc helped many of his comrades in distress, so that many will bless him as long as they live ; he finally reached home on the 10th of December, 1864, and on the 28th of March, 1865, he married Mary A. Rutt, of Ashland Co .; after his marriage, he settled on his father-in-law's place, where he lived about three years, and then bought the farm where he now resides, of M. Kirk, in Butler Township. Mr. and Mrs. Nelson have six chil- dren, whose names are Henry S., Cora, Alice, Myrtie, William A. and Edward T.

RICHARDSON, JAMES M., farmer; P. O. Adario ; he was born in Vermont in 1819, June 29, and is a son of Josiah and Anna Richardson, who came to this State in the spring of 1834, and settled in Lorain Co. The subject of this sketch is the third of a family of six children ; he remained at home until he was married, in the summer of 1849, to Maria Grimes, of Ashland Co .; after his marriage, be moved to Litchfield Co., where he lived three years, and in 1853, he moved to this county, Butler Township, and has lived on the present farm about twenty-six years. Mr. Richardson's father, Josialı Richardson, served under Brown about three years in the war of 1812. Mr. Richardson has four children-Vianna C., A. Clark, Emma and Charles A .; of these, Emma is married.

ROBISON, G. W., farmer; P. O. Adario; he was born in Juniata Co., Penn., Oct. 4, 1832 ; he is a son of James and Rebecca Robison, who came to this State in 1835 and settled in Ashland Co., where they lived about two years, and then moved into Richland Co. and settled on the farm where Jackson White now lives, in Butler Township, where they resided until the fall of 1868, and then they moved to Indiana. The subject of this sketch is the tenth of a family of thirteen children ; he lived at home until the spring of 1861, when he set-

tled on a farm in Butler Township, where he lived about three and a half years, and then moved on the old homestead, where he resided until the spring of 1872, when he emigrated to Virginia ; he lived there ten months, and not liking the society, he came back to Butler Township, and still resides here. Mr. Robi- son was married in 1855, to Mary E. Stratton, whosc mother is still living, at the advanced age of 85 years ; Mr. and Mrs. Robison have one child-Thomas R.

SAMSEL, JACOB, farmer; P. O. Shenandoah ; he was born in Olivesburg Aug. 6, 1836, and is a son of Peter and Mary Samsel, who came from Germany in 1836; he remained at home until he was 16 years old, when he went to learn the cabinet-making trade, which he followed one year, and then had to give it up on ac- count of his health ; he then went back on the farm at home, where he remained until he was married, June 7, 1858, to Sarah J. Oberlin, of this township; after his marriage, he bought where he now resides and has since lived. In May, 1872, his wife died, and left him two children, whose names are Franklin B. and Emma J. After several years, he was married to Eliza A. Glenn, of Weller Township; they have one child- Bertha C. Mr. S. has held the office of District Clerk nine years in succession, and other minor offices in the township, and has, by his industry and strict attention to business, made for himself and family a fine home ; he believes that the best, in the way of stock and farm- ing implements, are the cheapest.

SECHRIST, GEORGE B., farmer; P. O. Shenan- doah ; he was born in Dauphin Co., Penn., June 10, 1827; he is a son of Peter and Mary Sechrist, who came to Richland Co. in the spring of 1839, and bought a tract of land in what is now Butler Township, where Mrs. Sechrist still resides. The subject of this sketch is the second of a family of six children ; he lived at home until he was 22 years old, when he married Anna L. Taylor, of this county ; after his marriage, he moved to Blooming Grove Township, along the Huron Co. line, where he lived about one year, when he moved to his present home. Mr. S. has never paid much attention to politics, but has held some of the minor township offices. Mr. and Mrs. Sechrist have two children, whose names are Silas P. and Otto P .. both of whom are married; Otto has been married about eighteen months, and lives on the farm with his father; Silas lives in Cleveland. Mr. Sechrist is a breeder of fine Spanish sheep, which he expects to make a specialty in the future.

SIIELLER, H. B., farmer; P. O. Adario; he was born in this county Feb. 14, 1837 ; his parents came to this county in 1824, from Pennsylvania, and settled on a farm in what is now Ashland Co., where his father died when he was quite small ; he was the only child, bnt, his mother marrying again, he had three half- brothers, one of whom was lost in the war of the re- bellion ; the other two are living in the West. The subject of this sketch lived at home until he was 20 years old, when he went to learn the mason trade, at which he worked three years ; then he followed thresh . ing for seven falls, part of the time in Michigan ; in the spring of 1863, he went to Williams Co. and bought a farm, where he lived about three months, and then came back to Butler Township. He was married in the

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BUTLER TOWNSHIP.

fall, and moved on his father-in-law's place, where he resided about two years; he then moved back to his farm in Williams Co., where he lived about two years, when he sold his farm and bought where he now resides. He is at present living with his second wife; he has four children, whose names are Charles Oscar, Perry Thomas, Marretta and Addie Eveline. Mr. Sheller is an industrious and hard-working man, and has a nice home and a good and highly improved farm.

STARR, ELIZABETH, MRS. She was born i Huntingdon Co., Penu., Sept. 12, 1787; she is a daughter of Robert and Ann Mitchell, and removed with her parents, in 1797, to Beaver Falls, and was married, Aug. 27, 1810, to Robert Starr; in the spring of 1818, she removed to this county, and settled on her present farm in Butler Township. She is of Irish de- scent, her grandfather coming from Ireland when he was 18 years of age ; she comes of a remarkable fam- ily, both for their longevity and patriotism, some of her uncles serving in the Revolution under Gen. Wash- ington. Mrs. Starr has lived beyond the allotted time of mankind ; she is in her 93d year, and has a remark- able memory for one of her age; she has been blind for the last fifteen years, yet she can tell any one by their voice whom she ever kuew before she lost her eyesight.

TUCKER, THOMAS, farmer ; P. O. Savannah ; he was born in Washington Co., Penn., Jan. 12, 1812 ; he is a son of John and Catherine Tucker, and removed with his parents to Richland Co., in what is now Ash- land Co., Orange Township, in 1815. Mr. Tucker is one of a family of nine children, of whom he is the eighth ; he remained at home on the farm until he was married, in December, 1831, to Sarah Vananken, who was born in Pike Co., Penn., in 1810, July 24. After his marriage, he entered 80 acres of the present farm, and moved the May following his marriage into a cabin that was very poorly built. They lived at the mercy of the musquitos about a month, until they could get their cabin finished. Mr. Tucker can recall many inci- dents of pioneer life, and has cleared a great deal of land in his time. Mr. and Mrs. Tucker have raised eight children, seven of whom are living-James L., T. A., Sarah J., J. C., Margaret M., D. V., Martha and Nancy A. D. V. Tucker was born Jan. 7, 1846 ; was mar- ried in December, 1877, to Miss A. C. Fackler, daughter of Henry and Catharine Fackler, of Butler Township. Mr. and Mrs. Tucker have one child-F. Tucker. After D. V. Tucker's marriage, he settled on the old home- stead, now a highly improved farm.

TUCKER, THOMAS A., farmer; P. O. Savannah ; he was born in Richland Co , in 1836, June 26, and is a son of Thomas and Sarah Tucker, of Butler Town- ship ; he remained at home until he was married in August, 1870, to Elizabeth Mc Millen, of Butler Town- ship. The next spring he settled on his present farm, in the northeast part of the township. Mr. Tucker has paid the most of his attention to farming, although he has been to the West a few times to buy stock for the market. He has paid some attention to raising heavy draft horses, and has some at present that will rank among the finest in the county. Mr. and Mrs. Tucker have two sons-Charles M. and Robert H.

VIERS, Q. D., farmer; P. O. Greenwich ; he was born in Jefferson Co., Onio, Nov. 22, 1806 ; he is a son of Bazil and Anna Viers, and is the fifth of a family of twelve children ; he remained at home until he was married, in the spring of 1830, to Jane Parker, of Sum- 'mit Co., near Akron. After his marriage he settled in Summit Co., where he lived four years. In the sum- mer of 1835, he emigrated to this county and settled on his present farm in the north part of Butler Town- ship. He has had eight children, seven of whom are living-Elizabeth M., Lorain, Martin, Thomas, Nancy, Margaret J. and L. Milton.

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Author: Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848- Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Mansfield, O. : A. A. Graham & co. Number of Pages: 968

Author: Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Mansfield, O. : A. A. Graham & co.
Number of Pages: 968