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 117

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 117

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VIERS, T. P., farmer; P. O. Greenwich ; he was born in Summit Co., Ohio, Feb. 22, 1831, and is a son of L. D. and Jane Viers ; he is the third of a family of eight children ; he remained at home until he was 24 years of age, when he married Miss Maria Hall, of Huron Co .; after his marriage, he settled in Greenwich Town- ship, Huron Co., where he lived two years, when he moved to Wood Co., where he lived seven years, and then came to Richland Co. and settled on his present farm. Mr. and Mrs. Viers have two children-Jacob L. and Henry T.

WHISLER, NATHAN, tile and brick manufacturer ; P. O. Shenandoah ; he was born in Richland Co. June 26, 1846 ; he is a son of Jacob and Nancy Whisler, who came from Berks Co., Penn., about the year 1835, and settled in Franklin Township, where they still reside. The subject of this sketch is the youngest of a family of fifteen children ; he remained at home until he was married, in 1867, to Margaret E. Hammond, of this county ; after his marriage, he moved to Hancock Co., Ohio, where he followed farming and lived about three and a half years, when he moved to Allen Co., where he resided two years, when he moved back to Richland Co., and is at present living about three-fourths of a mile east of Shenandoah and engaged in the tile busi- ness. Mr. and Mrs. Whisler have five children-Jacob, Cora A., Allen, Elva R. and Willard.

WHITE, MILTON, farmer; P. O. Adario; he was born in Columbia Co., Penn., Feb. 15, 1833, and is a son of John and Elizabeth White, who came to this county in the spring of 1838 and settled in what is now Cass Township, where they lived until 1867, when they moved to Butler Township, where they spent the rest of their days. The subject of this sketch is the fourth of a family of ten children; he remained at home until he was married, in 1857, to Mary A. Mil- ler, daughter of Samuel and Catherine Miller, who came from Cumberland Co., Penn., in 1839, and settled in Blooming Grove Township ; after Mr. White's mar- riage, he settled in Cass Township, where he lived about seven years, and then he moved, with his family, to Michigan, and, in 1866, moved back to Richland Co. and at present live in Adario. Mr. White has followed farming and milling as a general thing. Mr. and Mrs. White have six children-Samuel J., Lily M., Charles Grant, Elnora K., Jennetta and John E. Mr. White served in Co. H, 163d O. N. G .; he enlisted May 2, 1864.

WOOD, NAMAN; farmer, P. O. Adario; he was born in Ashland Co. June 26, 1844, and is a son of the late John and Maria Wood, of Butler Township ; he re- mained at home until June, 1862, when he enlisted in

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Co. H, 84th O. V. I., where he served about three months, when he came home, and in April, 1864, he re-enlisted in Co. A, Mclaughlin's squadron, and re- turned home in November, 1865. He remained in the county until 1873, when he married Elmira Van Horn, of Rome, Blooming Grove Township ; after his mar- riage, he settled on the present farm, about one and a half miles north of Adario, where he now lives.

WOOD, MARIA, MRS .; P. O. Adario; wife of the late John Wood ; she was born in Richland Co. Oct. 2, 1818, and is a sister of Jacob Clayberg, of Butler Township. John Wood was among the first settlers in this township ; he came with his parents, in 1817, from Beaver Co., Penn. A short time after John Wood and Maria Clayberg were married, they settled in Ash- land Co., where they lived about two years, and then bought and moved to the present farm, about two miles

north of Adario. Mrs. Wood has raised seven children -Maman, Mary, Coridan, William, John J., Hulbert H. and Lorian ; Hulbert and Lorian are at home yet ; the rest of the family are married.

ZEIGLER, JOHN M., was born in Butler Township July 21, 1840 ; he is the oldest child of Henry and Margaret Zeigler, of whom mention is made elsewhere in this work. He was married, Feb. 14, 1866, to Eliz- abeth Jane Cleland, who was born in Blooming Grove Township April 23, 1846 ; they have had two children ; one is still living, named Effie M .; the other one died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Zeigler have always lived in the county ;' Mr. Zeigler has paid the most of his at- tention to farming, although he is by profession a car- penter, and has worked at it some; he now owns a farm in good repair.

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ADAMS, DANIEL, pioneer, farmer and stock-raiser, was born in Bedford Co., Penn., March 10, 1824 ; his father and mother, with their family of seven children, came to Ohio about 1828, and settled in Wayne Co., where they lived about ten years, and then moved to Blooming Grove Township ; they settled in the woods. The subject of this sketch remained at home until he was married, and then moved to Huron Co., where he stayed two years ; he then came to Cass Township, and moved on a farm near Planktown, where he lived two years ; he then moved to Planktown, where he lived one year, and then moved to where they now reside, in the spring of 1855 ; his parents had nine children, five of whom are living. He was married to Miss Sarah A. Nelson Feb. 21, 1850; she was born in Perry Co., Penn., Aug. 22, 1822; her mother died in April, 1829 ; her father then left Pennsylvania with a family of five small children, and came by wagon to the then new country of Ohio ; he came to where Shelby now stands, at which time there was no town there. He married there during the winter, and, in the spring, he moved to Blooming Grove Township, where he died in 1866; his children are all living but one. Mr. and Mrs. Adams have five children, all of whom are living ; Catharine J., married to E. B. Rose ; Annie Mary, mar- ried to George O. Dickinson ; Elizabeth, Sarah Alice and Charles Ellsworth are at home.

BACKENSTO, HENRY, pioneer and retired farmer, was born in Dauphin Co., Penn., Oct. 31, 1825; his father came to Ohio about the year 1830; brought his family by wagon, and settled in Franklin Township, Richland Co., where he remained until he died in 1851. Henry was the fourth of eight children ; he received his education in the subscription schools of the county ; at 16 years of age, he took charge of a thrashing ma- chine, which he followed for six years ; his father gave him an 80-acre tract of land, which was covered with timber ; he built a cabin on it, and moved into it in the fall of 1847 ; he, in a few years purchased several other tracts ; bought a tract of land near Shiloh, and then

sold his farm in Blooming Grove Township; in the year 1863, he moved to Shiloh, where he now lives ; in 1873, lie built a brick block in Shiloh, which he still owns. He came of a thrifty stock of Pennsylvania farmers ; when he paid for his dwelling where he now resides, he had $15, which he earned when a boy be- tween 8 and 12 years of age, making broom-handles and whipstocks. He was married to Miss Sarah Clay- burg Oct. 28, 1847; they have nine children, four of whom are living.

BEELMAN, CHRISTIAN, retired farmer ; he was born in Cumberland Co., Penn., Dec. 10, 1806; his parents belonged to the class of thrifty people known as the Pennsylvania Germans. He spent bis boyhood days on the farm ; at 21, he went to learn the trade of carpenter with George Beelman, of Pennsylvania ; after learning the trade, he worked at it while he remained in Pennsylvania. Was married to Fannie Beelman in April, 1831; had three children; John A Beelman and Eliza Ann are still living ; his wife died in Penn- sylvania ; he, with a number of his friends and rela- tives, viz .: John Beelman and his three sons ; George Beelman, wife and two children and Joseph, his brother ; Andrew Sheely and his wife, Mrs. Rebecca Sheely, and two daughters, started in the year 1836 for Ohio ; they embarked in wagons for the wilds of the new country, coming via Pittsburgh, and crossing the Ohio River at Steubenville : the journey was by way of Massillon, Canton, Wooster and Mansfield, thence to Bucyrus ; stayed three weeks, but not liking the county, they left, John Beelman purchasing a tract of. land in Huron Co., north of Plymouth, where they settled ; he still follows his trade ; worked in Plymouth, where he lived about eleven years ; in the year 1846, he purchased the farm he now lives on, and, in 1848, moved to it ; he had the usual experience of those who purchase in a new country ; he built the present build- ings, and otherwise improved the farm, until now it is under a high state of cultivation, and a comfortable place to enjoy the remaining days of his declining

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years. He was married a second time, to Sarah Sheely, in June, 1837, who had six children, viz .: Rebecca J. Beelman, living at home ; Henry A. Beel- man, now in Michigan ; Ann A., married to William Douglas, lives in Shiloh ; Emma A., married to La Fayette Davis, lives at home ; Charles and Edward, in Michigan. Mrs. Rebecca Sheely, mother of Mrs. Beel- man, now lives with her daughter; she was 85 years old Nov. 18, 1879.

BEVIER, LEWIS, farmer and stock-raiser; he was born in Richland Co., Ohio, Jan. 31, 1825; his father, Andries Bevier, came from Cayuga Co., N. Y., town of Owasco, in the year 1824, and settled on the farm on which his son now lives ; the farm at the time was but little improved, having about 10 acres cleared. The subject of this sketch spent his young days on the farm with his father, and, after his father's death, which was in February, 1846, he and his brother, Jeremiah E. Bevier, took the farm and kept the family together on the old homestead; he bought out the heirs as they be- came of age; he came in full possession of the farm in the fall of 1858, and has put the principal part of the buildings on the farm and has it under a good state of cultivation. His father came to Ohio with his family in a two-horse wagon, and endured all the hardships of a new country ; had to go many miles to market, but by industry and economy he succeeded in making for himself and family a comfortable home. Lewis was married to Miss Amanda Condon Jan. 18, 1859; they have had four children, three of whom are living and one dead; John P. was born Aug. 24, 1860; Annie Annette, June 21, 1862; Fredric Lewis, Oct. 2, 1864.

BRIGGS, MARIA, widow of William Briggs, was born in Lincolnshire, England, Oct. 2, 1829, and emi- grated to America in 1849. Was married to William Briggs March 23, 1854. William Briggs was born in Lincolnshire, England, March 31, 1823, and emigrated to America with his father, he coming while William was young : settled in Richland Co., Plymouth, now Cass Township, and was one of the pioneers. William Briggs died May 22, 1868; had one child-William R. Briggs, born June 2, 1863. The subject of this sketch deserves much praise, as she has taken care of the farm and raised her boy almost to manhood and has been successful to a marked degree.

BUSHEY, JACOB, farmer and stock-raiser ; he was born in Cumberland Co., Penn., Oct. 6, 1824, and came to Ohio with his father, who emigrated with his family in 1835; he remained with his father helping him to clear up the farm until he was 16 years of age, when he learned the carpenter trade with his father and worked at it most of the time for nineteen years, and then worked at the saw-mill business some nine years ; he sold out to his partner, S. Wentz ; he bought the farm he now lives on in 1860; moved to it the fol- lowing year ; remained nine years, then moved to Lon- don : lived there eight years, following his trade, and again, in 1878, he moved on the farm where he now lives. Was married to Miss Elizabeth Fireoved Nov. 25, 1845; they have nine children, all of whom are living, showing that they have inherited the sound con- stitution of their parents ; in fact, it is remarkable to see a family of so many and all living and enjoying excellent health.

CRAWFORD, T. &. J. & CO. (Taylor Crawford, John Crawford and Porter Crawford), millers and proprietors of Shiloh Steam Flouring, Saw and Planing Mills, were born in Huron Co., Ohio ; they moved to Richland Co., Ohio, when they were boys; they were all raised on a farm and received their education in the common schools of the county. Taylor Crawford was born Nov. 28, 1846; John Crawford, Sept. 19, 1848 ; Porter Craw- ford, Dec. 20, 1853. Taylor and his brother John, see- ing an opening for a flouring-mill in Shiloh, purchased the ground and built the present mill in the fall of 1872; they carried it on for ten years; they then traded it for land in Huron Co .; they purchased the saw-mill at Shiloh and removed it to the flouring-mill furnishing power for the mill; in the mean time they took in their brother Porter as partner; in the fall of 1878, they purchased the flouring-mill, since which time they have been doing business under the firm name of T. & J. Crawford & Co.

CLOWES, JOHN Q. A., M. D .; born in Allegheny Co., Penn., May 18, 1845. His mother was of Irish and his father of French extraction. He spent his boyhood days with his father in the cabinet-shop, going to school in the winter, and reading medicine and phrenology at intervals, and often gave lectures to his school com- panions on the science of the mind; his father and mother dying when he was about 17 years old, he then devoted his entire time to the study of the "healing art," first with B. F. Reynolds, M. D., of Harmarville, Penn., then with Dr. G. F. Jacoby, Jr., of Pittsburgh, Penn., attending the St. Franciscus Hospital, and did all the dispensing of the hospital and Dr. Jacoby's private practice, and often, as the Doctor said, won laurels for himself in dispensing physic ; in the fall of 1867, he attended his first course of lectures at the Philadelphia University of Medicine and Surgery ; the following spring of 1868, he returned from Philadel- phia to the city of Pittsburgh, and resumed the study of medicine with Dr. Jacoby, and again, in the follow- ing fall, he returned to Philadelphia and attended his second course of lectures, and graduated on the 23d of February, 1869; he also, while attending lectures, was a constant attendant at the Blockley Hospital, of West Philadelphia, and the Pennsylvania Hospital Clinics ; after graduating, he returned to his former home at Harmarville, and remained until June, 1869; got the Western emigration fever, and went West as far as Bloomington, Ill., and stopped a few days at Normal, Ill .; but not being impressed with the idea of success, considering the climate of Illinois, he returned East to Ohio, landing in the city of Mansfield on the morning of the 3d of July, 1869; started on foot for the north part of the county, stopping frequently at farmers' houses, making inquiries what the prospect would be for a harvest hand, but, taking his dimensions and his general appearance, the farmer's reply would invari- ably be, " We don't want hands at the present ;" that evening found him at the hotel at Olivesburg, supper ordered and lodging for the night; next morning, walked to Rome, Ohio, and located there for six months, and became discouraged at not making more than a living practice ; he sought a new field in the eastern part of this State ; dissatisfied with the prospects, re- turned to Rome, and thence to Dunkirk, Ohio; worse

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than dissatisfied, returned again to Rome, Ohio. He

finally took the advice of Mr. Amon Chew, Sr., after the fashion of the old legend-

" Stick to your farm and you'll suffer no loss ;

For a stone that keeps rolling will gather no moss."

This advice was taken as from one whom he respected as a man and a father, and from 1870 to 1874 he had a successful career as a country practitioner of medicine. In the mean time, Feb. 22, 1871, he was married to Miss Mary Helen Van Horn, of Rome, Ohio, to whom were born twins, Estella and Rosella, Aug. 3, 1872, and on Jan. 9, 1874, another daughter, Nellie Florence Clowes, was born. Dr. Clowes' biography would be incomplete without mentioning, in connection with his medical career, the organization of the Clear Grits, in Rome, Ohio, a society whose object was the promo- tion of the temperance cause; he being one of eight in number who first organized that society, he received the appellation of one of the " eight bummers," " John, the Doctor," etc., and only through a written prescrip- tion on parchment from him was any member allowed to drink intoxicating liquors; in this connection, a joint-stock company was organized, and commenced the publication of a weekly newspaper at Rome, Ohio, called the Ohio Clear Grit; the publication of this newspaper was removed to Shiloh, Ohio, and in 1874, the Doctor also removed to Shiloh and started the Shi- loh Review, with W. H. Gilmore and H. R. Clowes, his brother, as senior editors. He sold out his interest in the newspaper business, and is giving his · undivided attention to the practice of medicine, making a specialty of chronic diseases.

DELANEY, JACOB, farmer and stock-raiser; he was born in Perry Co., Penn., Jan. 20, 1821; his father came to Ohio about 1828; the subject of this sketch attended the schools of the county, but, as the county was new, his advantages for education were limited ; he was put to work while young, learning the carpenter's trade with James Crawford, working at this business for nineteen years; he purchased his present farm in 1848, where he has since resided ; he started in the world without a dollar, and, by economy and industry, has a beautiful home, with the comforts of life. Mr. Delaney was married to Miss Sarah Craw- ford Jan. 4, 1843; they have had seven children, six living. Mrs. Delaney died March 18, 1876; his son Merit died June 6, 1878 ; he was a bright and promis- ing young man. Mr. Delaney is now married to Mrs. Ellen Jane Douglass.

DELANCY, MARY, MRS., widow of Francis De- lancy and pioneer, was born in Chester Co., Penn., Aug. 18, 1793; when she was about one year old, her parents moved to Perry Co., Penn. She was married in 1810, and remained in Pennsylvania until 1828, when she with her husband and family came to Ohio ; they were two years in Jackson Township; they then removed to where she now lives ; this was about 1831. She lives with her son, Peter Delancy ; she is active, for such an old lady ; she is one of the oldest residents of the township ; she has had nine children, seven of whom are living, the youngest being 51 years of age.

DICK, JOSIAH, farmer and stock-raiser; he was born in Bedford Co., Penn., in October, 1822; his father, George Dick, Sr., emigrated from Pennsylvania

when Josiah was about 5 years old ; his father be- longed to that class known as Pennsylvania Germans, who are thrifty and economical, and his son has inher- ited that characteristic to a large degree ; he lived at home, helping his father, until he was 31 years of age. In the mean time he married Miss Elizabeth Swartz, April 29, 1847. He left his father's farm and rented one for himself, clearing it up for the wood ; lived on this farm seven years and made some money, with which he purchased the farm he lives on, and set to work to clear up and ditch it and extensively improve it ; being successful, he, after a few years, purchased a portion of the adjoining farm, known as the Forbot farm, and, some years after, purchased the balance of the same farm ; he improved it and put it under good cultivation, and raised excellent crops of grain on it ; he was soon enabled to purchase another tract, and now he has some 649 acres of improved dand in Rich- land Co., beside a one-half interest in a farm in Min- nesota ; he still carries on farming quite extensively in Cass Township. Thus starting in life poor, having for his capital perseverance and industry, he has ac- quired a handsome fortune and is one of the solid men of the county ; his family of seven children are all living.

DICK, GEORGE, SR., farmer ; was born in Bedford Co., Penn., Oct. 10, 1796. On the 20th day of March, 1820, he was married to Miss Sarah Nichols, of Bedford Co., Penn., who was born in June, 1797 ; in the fall of 1827, they immigrated to Stark Co., Ohio, where they remained eighteen months, from which place they moved to Wayne Co., Ohio, where they lived three years, and from there they came to their present home, where they have lived forty-eight years ; on the 20th day of March, 1880, their offspring celebrated the sixtieth anniversary of their wedded life; there were born to these parents eleven children, seven sons and four daughters ; there are living six sons and one daughter ; the living are-Josiah (Cass Township), farmer ; Harman, Superintendent of Construction on the C., C., C. & I. Railroad; Lew, a farmer (Cass Township) ; George, a farmer, in Jackson Township ; David, a farmer, in Hancock Co., Ohio, and Hiram, at home ; Jacob is dead ; the daughters, Eliza is the wife of William Boyd, and lives in Seneca Co., Ohio ; Sarah, Mary and Susan are dead ; there were present at the anniversary, children, grandchildren and great-grand- children, including sons-in-law and daughters-in-law. Mr. and Mrs. Dick commenced poor in the world, but, by honest industry, they succeeded in life; they im planted the same principles of honesty and industry in the lives of their children, so that they have all suc- ceeded, and of whom it is often said : " They are a re- markable family."

DICK, LEVI, farmer and stock-raiser; he was born July 3, 1826, in Bedford Co., Penn .; he came of that industrious class of people known as Pennsylvania Germans; his father moved to Ohio when the subject of this notice was young; he remained at home, work- ing on the farm, until he was 21 years of age; he then began the carpenter trade, at which he worked about four years ; he then again went to farming, and in October, 1852, purchased the farm on which he now resides, depending entirely on his own exertions to pay

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for it; he has acquired a handsome competence, and has a pleasant home ; he has the esteem and confidence of his neighbors, and exerts a large influence in the affairs of the community ; he is unassuming in his manners, and is kind and affable to all with whom he comes in contact. He was married to Miss Catharine Ann Swartz Sept. 27, 1849; they had six children, three of whom are living-Mary Jane (living at home), Sarah Ellen (married to D. Malone), and Belle (lives at home). There is now on the farm of Mr. Dick an apple-tree planted by "Johnny Appleseed." It is now seven feet and eight inches in circumference.

FICKES, WESLEY, farmer and stock-raiser ; he was born in Wayne Co., Ohio, May 4, 1834 ; his father, Samuel Fickes, moved from Wayne Co. and settled in Weller Township, Richland Co., where he now lives. The subject of this sketch is the second of five children, his sister, the oldest, being dead ; the others are liv- ing ; being the oldest boy, it naturally fell upon him to help his father on the farm and such work as is usual in a new country ; he moved to the farm on which he now lives in 1858, his father then owning it; he pur- chased it in 1867; the present buildings were erected in 1861, and are beautifully located near the township road ; his farm is well improved, and bears the marks of care and good cultivation ; the farm was entered in 1816 by Joseph Holmes, who sold it to Samuel Caroth- ers, who sold it to Lewis Lybarger, and he to Samuel

Fickes. His parents were of German descent, and he has the characteristics of that class of industrious peo- ple ; honorable in his dealings with his feltow-man, lie has the respect of his neighbors and acquaintances, ex- erting a large influence in his vicinity ; he received a common-school education, and is intelligent, having quite a library. He married Miss Sarah Miller ; they · have two children-Boyd W., born Oct. 13, 1859 ; Aus- tin I. J., born Oct. 29, 1862; they are both bright, in- telligent boys, and promise to be useful and influential men.

FIREOVED, SOLOMON, pioneer and retired farmer ; he was born in Lebanon Co., Penn., March 16, 1791 ; his father came from Prussia; his mother was an American ; when he was about 3 years old, his father left Lebanon and moved to Cumberland Co., Penn., settling near Carlisle; at 16 years of age, he went to Carlisle to learn the trade of harness-making with Joseph Egolf; he stayed two years and a half, and re- turned to the farm; he remained about a year and a half. In the year 1811, he was married to Miss Cath- arine Swartz; they had two children-George and Isaac. His wife dying, he enlisted, March, 1814, in Carlisle, Penn., in Capt. George Hendel's company, 86th Rifles ; soon after, he left Carlisle and marched to Pittsburgh, Penn., via the old stage route, across the Alleghanies ; the snow was quite deep on the mountain, and the march was very tedious ; from Pittsburgh, they marched by way of Erie, Penn .; crossed the Niagara River at " Black Rock," July 5, 1814, and was in the battle of Chippewa the same day ; he was in the bat- tle of Lundy's Lane July 25, 1814 ; he was wounded at the close of the fight by a buckshot, and, on the fol- lowing day, was taken to Buffalo, to the hospital, where he remained until Aug. 26, 1814, when he was discharged. After returning from the army, he fol- 1

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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