USA > Ohio > Shelby County > History of Shelby County, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 86
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HENRY B. VANDEMARK
was born in Shelby County Sept. 19, 1815, near where the town of Sid- ney is now located. He is the youngest of the family of Daniel and Catharine (Bush) Vandemark. He was raised in the wilds of Shelby County, but received a fair common school education. He was an apt scholar, particularly in mathematics. He remained at home on the farm during the lifetime of his parents, and took charge of the farm until the death of his father in 1840. In 1844 he married Susan Boyer, a daughter of Jacob Boyer. She was born in Miami County in 1821. After their marriage he took his wife to the home of his mother and lived with her until her death, which occurred in 1848. After the death of his mother he became the owner of the homestead : this was in Orange Township. In 1855 he traded this place for the one on which he now lives. This farm contained over 400 acres. Since that time he has added to his possessions until he has at the present time over 900 acres, all within three and a half miles of Sidney. Beside this Mr. V. has at least ten thousand dollars' worth of town property. Mr. Vandemark's farm is one of the best grain and stock farms in the county. He sold from his farms the last year $4500 worth of stock, 2500 bushels of wheat, and over 7000 bushels of corn, beside other grains, all the product of the farm. They have raised a family of five children, viz., Arvesta, Daniel, Cly, Jacob N., and Harry. Of these five, only Arvesta, Daniel, and Jacob N. are living. Mr. Vandemark has retired from labor on the farm, having a competence for himself and family. Jacob N., the youngest son, who was born in 1853, has charge of the home place, and resides with his parents.
ALEXANDER FAMILY.
The Alexanders are from Scotland. They were Protestants, and were driven to Ireland, where they remained until 1736, when John Alexander came to America, and settled in Chester County, Pa. Others of the same family soon followed. From here they soon scattered to Western Pennsylvania, Virginia, and North Carolina. It is claimed of them that they became the basis of the Presbyterian Church in America. A whole volume could be written of this noted family. but space will not permit. We will trace a brief genealogy of the direct ancestors of the Shelby County Alexanders.
James, a son of John Alexander, was born in Ireland in 1726. Came with his father to Chester County, Pa., in 1736. From there they re- moved to Cumberland County, where he married Rosey Reed. In 1755 he removed to Mifflin County, and located on the Kishacoquillas. Here he erected his cabin in the dense forest, near one of the Logan Springs. His nearest neighbor was Logan, the chief of the Mingo tribe. Here was his habitation and home, and where he lived long on friendly terms with his neighbor Alexander. His wigwam was long preserved by Alex- ander after Logan had left the valley. The tourist who would visit the celebrated Logan Spring will find it at the head of Spring Run, where some of the Alexanders still live. This mountainous country was in- fested with rattlesnakes. Mr. Alexander had taken with him to his new home an Irishman. One day he sent his son, together with this son of the Emerald Isle, to a meadow to cut some grass. While mowing, the Irishman uncovered a blowing viper. His snakeship, enraged at the intrusion, spread his neck, and hissed loud as a goose. Terrified at the sound and sight, the Irishman leaped back. With scythe raised aloft, he exclaimed, " Bab! bab! here is the devil all coiled up like a screw! Be dad if he stirs, I'll sind his head off him." James Alexander died here at the age of sixty-six years, leaving a very large posterity.
John, the second son of James, was born in Mifflin County, Pa., in 1769. In 1791 he married Ann Taylor. After marriage he located on part of his father's land, near the celebrated Logan Springs, and built Ins house near where stood the wigwam of Logan. The great oak, on which Logan cut the effigy of an Indian with tomahawk in hand, stood near the barn of John Alexander. This tree and wigwamn were long pre- served until the tree died, when it was cut down. This homestead of John Alexander, now occupied by his nephew, is still regarded with great interest for its Important historical associations. At this place was the first meeting of Logan with Judge William Brown, recorded in the Historical Collections of Pennsylvania. John Alexander raised a family of six sons and four daughters .. He died in 1820.
James T., a son of John (last spoken of), was born in Mifflin County, Pa., in 1807. In 1832 he married Mary Sterrett, who was born in Juniata County, Pa., in 1814. In 1837 they emigrated to Shelby County, Ohio, and located in this township on land entered by one of
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY, OHIO.
the McClures. They had four children, but only one lived to grow up. Mr. Alexander and two of his children died in 1839, one having died in 1837. After the death of her husband in 1839, Mrs. Alexander returned to Pennsylvania with her only son, John J., and remained there until 1854, when she and her son returned to Shelby County to their former home. John J., after the return of himself and mother, commenced the improvement of the farm, and has since erected upon it good substantial buildings, and has added to the farm until he has now 325 acres of well improved land. Mr. A. was born in 1833. He remained single until 1874, when he married Mary A. Lenox. the widow of Abraham Lenox. She was a daughter of Michael and Mary Weymer. Mrs. Alexander was born in Shelby County in 1839. Mr. A. is one of the prosperous farmers of his township, and has ever had the esteem of his neighbors. He has filled the more important offices of his township.
MICHAEL G. WEYMER.
The Weymers (formerly written Weinmar) came from Wittenburg, Germany, to America in 1764. They located in New York, and remained there during the Revolutionary War. George Weymer was a son of this first settler in the country. He was born in New York in 1767. He married Mary Strock, and raised a family of five children. Of this family only two came to Shelby County. Michael G. Weymer was born in New York in 1811. In 1836 he married Mary Barnes, and in 1838 came to Shelby County. His father, George Weymer, came with him, and died here in 1851. Mr. W. raised a family of six children, viz., James, Mary A., Peter, Harriet, Caroline, and John. He died in 1977. His widow still survives him, and is living with her son John.
JAMES WEYMER, the eldest of these six children, was born in New Jersey in 1838, and was brought by his parents the same year to this township, where he has lived since that time. In 1869 he married Jeu- nie Johnston. By this union they have three children, viz., Horace, Anna D., and Warren.
DINSMOORE FAMILY.
Prior to 1766 Robert Dinsmoore came to America from North Ireland. He was a young man of liberal education, and was from a family of well- to-do farmers, they having a leasehold of forty acres of land for lifetime. Upon his arrival in the colonies he landed in Baltimore, and first made his home in Maryland. Here, in 1766, he married Jane Gault. He en- gaged in the business of tanning for several years. After the close of the Revolutionary War he sold his possessions in Maryland, took his pay in continental money, then removed to Pennsylvania, but before making a purchase of property his continental script became worthless, and he was left penniless. He remained in Pennsylvania a few years, then removed to Kentucky, where he died, but the date of his death is not known.
MATTHEW DINSMOORE, a son of the above, was born in Maryland April 13, 1773. Was taken by his parents to Pennsylvania, and from there to Kentucky. It was here, in the year 1801, that he married Margaret John- ston. He purchased a piece of land, on which he settled and had made payment, but on account of imperfect title he lost his land. He then, in the year 1807, moved to Ohio, and took a lease on some land. The country was new and wild. Misfortunes came upon him. He was taken sick, and for the space of several years was unable to do much labor. His children being young were of but little help. His wife had to principally support the family. This was in Greene County, Ohio. After regaining his health he worked at his trade, that of a stone and brick mason. A few years later he moved to Montgomery County, Ohio, and from there to Miami County, where he died January 11, 1848.
ROBERT DINSMOORE was born in Kentucky in the year 1802. He was the eldest son of Matthew Dinsmoore, and was his main dependence for the support of his father's family in their early struggle through their pioneer life in Greene and Montgomery counties. He learned the stone mason trade with his father. It was while working at his trade in Montgomery County, in the year 1832, that he married Elizabeth M. Kephart. In 1842 he moved to Shelby County, and settled in Washington Township. They raised a family of eleven children, seven of whom are now living, viz., Mat- thew G., Jolin K., William H., Robert J., Catharine, Sarah E., and Nettie A. He bought 160 acres of land when he first came to the county. He lived to clear this farm, and died August 19, 1875. Mr. Dinsmoore in 1846 was elected justice of the peace of his township, which office he filled for a number of years. He was a man of fair liberal education, and followed the profession of a teacher for many years. He also had the gift of a poet, and used to spend idle time with the muses. Mrs. Dinsmoore since the death of her husband has remained on the homestead with two of her sons.
SAMUEL EWING.
The Ewings are of Scotch descent. Their ancestors were driven from Scotland to Ireland on account of religious persecution. From there they came to the American colonies about 1716. They landed at Phil- adelphia when there was but one shingle roof in the city. The first who
came over was Alexander Ewing, the great- grandfather of Samuel Ewing. He first located in Chester County, Penn., where James Ewing, the grandfather, was born and died. James Ewing, the father of the sub- ject of this sketch, was born in Chester County in 1759. At the age of seventeen years he entered the Colonial army. About 1785 he married Mary Blackburn. By this union there were six children, viz., Samuel, born 1788; James, 1791 ; John, 1793; Mary, 1796; Robert, 1798 ; Jane, 1803; and Martha, 1805. They came to Ohio in 1804 and located in Jefferson County. Here he died in 1815. The widow and part of the family moved to Wayne County, Ohio, about 1830. Samuel was the eldest of the family. He was born in 1788. In 1818 he married Mar- garet Ewing, a distant relative. In 1832 he moved to Wayne County, Ohio, where he remained until 1835, when he moved to Shelby County, Ohio, and settled in Washington Township, where he now resides in his ninety-fourth year, he being perhaps the oldest man in the county. They raised a family of ten children, viz., James, John, Jane, Mary, Samuel, Robert, William, Martha, Margaret A., and Isabel. In January, 1861, Mr. Ewing's wife died at the age of sixty years. Mr. Ewing cast his first vote for President for James Madison, and has voted at every Presi- dential election since that time. During the days of the Whig party he was a Whig. Since that time he has voted the Republican ticket. Mr. Ewing has been a member of the U. P. Church for over fifty years.
SETH L. BURNETT
was born in Montgomery County, Ohio, in 1821. In 1847 he married Elizabeth A. Mellinger. They raised two children, Ida M. and Willis C. Mr. Burnett died in 1877. David Mellinger, the grandfather of Mrs. Burnett, was one of the three brothers who came to Shelby County in 1806. He raised a family of ten children. Of the descendants of these ten children there is not one left in the county except Mrs. Burnett. She is a daughter of David M. Mellinger. He was born in 1:02 and died in 1850. His father died in 1848.
THE MARSHALLS.
This is one of the oldest and most prominent families of Shelby County, as already indicated by the county records. Judge Samuel Marshall was born in Ireland in 1775, but came with his father to the United States in 1784 and settled in Washington County, Pennsylvania. Here Judge Marshall married Margaret Cracraft, and shortly afterward moved to Butler County, Ohio, where he resided until 1808, when he came and located on land now owned by William Marshall, in Washing- ton Township, this county. Here he became one of the most prominent men of his day, and served as one of the first associate judges of the county, a position he held during a number of years. He was one of the first contractors for the old Piqua and Fort Defiance mail route, and the route from Piqua to Bellefontaine. His sons Hugh and C. C. Mar- shall carried the mail over these routes at a very early day. Judge Marshall also served as county commissioner, and in all official capacities, as in the private walks of life, he was greatly respected during his active and influential career. His death occurred February 12, 1838, and he bore with him to the grave the deep and abiding esteem born of that con- fidence reposed by a whole community. His widow survived him until August, 1854, when she laid aside the cares of a useful life to be mourned by a host of devoted friends.
WILLIAM MARSHALL, a son of Judge Marshall, was born in this county January 30, 1819, his age thus corresponding exactly with that of the county. As a boy he commenced life by purchasing furs through the country, in which business he was engaged for several years. Later along he took a contract for the grading of two miles of the C. C. C. and I., or old B. and I. Railroad bed. All this time, in fact nearly all his life, he has been engaged in the live stock trade, and has probably done more horseback riding in this occupation than any other man in the county. He is now the owner of the old home farms of his father and father-in-law, these being two of the earliest settled farms in the town- ship. In 1841 he married Margaret Leighty, who was born in Shelby County October, 1818, with whom he raised a family of five children, four of whom are living, viz., Orlando S., Martha, Samuel C., and Allen L. Mrs. Marshall died February, 1850. In November, 1852, he married Martha A., daughter of Moses and Ann (nee Mccullough) Sturgeon. This family had come to Shelby County in 1816, and it was here that Martha was born in 1820. Her parents were born in Pennsylvania in 1776, and coming to this county reared a family of ten children, of whom four are still living. Mr. Sturgeon died here in 1849, while his wife sur- vived him until 1850.
After his marriage Mr. Marshall continued engaged in farming and stock-dealing, to which his life has been almost wholly devoted. One of his sons, Vincent, moved to Illinois, where he became an extensive stock- dealer, occupying a prominent and respected position up to the date of his death, which occurred in that State in 1873. His loss was lamented by a large circle of relatives and friends. The only child of William Marshall by his last wife is one daughter, Margaret, born in 1854. George died September, 1877.
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GEORGE STURM. PERRY TW'P
MRS. MARY A. STURM . PERRY TW'P
MRS. JACOB RASOR . LOCKINGTON O.
JACOB RASOR. LOCKINGTON O.
THOMAS SHAW. FRANKLIN TWOP
MRS. NANCY SHAW . FRANKLIN TW'P
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY, OHIO.
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ELIJAH LINK
was born in Ashland County. Ohio, in 1853. In 1874 he came to Shelby County, where, in the year 1878, he married Maggie Marshall, a daughter of William and Martha (Sturgeon) Marshall. They have had born to them two children, viz., George W. and John. They are located on the old Sturgeon farm near Lockington.
ISAAC BETTS, EsQ.
John Betts, the father of Isaac, was born in Pennsylvania in 1797; when two years of age he was brought by his parents to Cincinnati, where he lived to grow up to manhood. In 1824 he married Phebe Kelly. Mr. B. was a brickmaker by trade, but for a number of years engaged in the grocery trade. They continued to reside in Cincinnati until 1837, when they removed to Shelby County and located in Washington Town- ship. They raised a family of fourteen children, only five of whom are now living. Mr. Betts died in 1870: his wife died in 1872. The father of John Betts at the time of his settlement at Cincinnati, bought quite a tract of land where the city now stands. This land was held for many years, and some of it is still in the hands of some of his sons. When Mr. Betts came to Shelby County he owned a large amount of real estate in Cincinnati, but owing to his having to pay security debts, he was obliged to sacrifice much of it; but at the time of his death he was the owner of about $100,000 worth of property, principally in Cincinnati. Isaac, the son of Jolin Betts, was born in Shelby County in 1842, and has had his home in the county since that date. In 1862 he married Aurelia R. Wilson, a daughter of Hiram J. and Elizabeth ( Vandemark) Wilson. By this union they have six children, whose names and dates of birth are as follows: Edna A., born 1865; Charlie E., born 1870; Isaac S., born 1872; Anna A., born 1874; Joseph A., born 1877; and James R., born 1880. Mr. Betts is now the owner of the homestead of his father, his farms consisting of 429 acres of well-improved land. Mr. Betts is one of the prominent farmers of his township; he is devoting his entire time to agriculture and stock-raising. As a citizen he is es- teemed, having for a number of years been justice of the peace and trus- tee of his township.
SAMUEL H. WRIGHT.
The Wrights are of Irish origin. We first find them in Juniata County, Pa. It was here that James Wright was born in the year 1800. In 1829 he married Mary A. Jacobs. Their family consisted of eleven children, seven of whom grew up to maturity, viz., George, Nancy, Sarah L., Thomas N., Samuel H., Jane M., and Albert W. They remained in Pennsylvania until 1853, when they came to Shelby County, where he died in 1871 : his wife died the same year. There are only two of the family left, Samuel H. and Sarah. Samuel H. was born in 1841: he was twelve years of age when brought to this county. After arriving at manhood he learned the carpenter trade, followed it a few years, since which time he followed farming. In 1873 he married Virginia Carper. They have no children. They reside on the old home of Frederick Car- per, the father of Mrs. Wright.
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Frederick Carper was born in Pulaski County, Va., in 1788. In 1808 he married Sarah Scyles. In 1831 he brought his wife and ten children to Shelby County. Here he entered eighty acres of land, and cut the first timber and built himself a cabin. They were among the first set- tlers in this part of the township. He lived to clear his farm and make all the improvements that are on it at the present time. He died in 1869: his wife died in 1847. There were two children born after they came to the township. Of this family of twelve children there are only four now living.
JOSEPH STEWART
was born in Shelby County in 1838. He was reared on a farm. During the rebellion he enlisted in the 45th O. V. I. and served almost three years. He was engaged in twenty-seven battles. In 1866 he married Miss Mary Wright, a daughter of William Wright, who was a son of Gideon Wright, one of the pioneers of Shelby County, who entered 160 acres of land in Washington Township in the year 1817 and settled on it with his family the same year. The family consisted of seven children. William Wright, one of.the seven, was born in the State of Vermont in 1801, consequently was sixteen years of age at the time of their settle- ment in the county. In 1829 he married Caroline Broderick. There were by this marriage twelve children. Of this number there are but four living in the county : Aloma, the wife of Robert Fulton ; Charles, of Sidney; Mary C., wife of Joseph Stewart; and Louisa, wife of James McDaniel. Wm. Wright died in 1863: his wife died in 1847. Gideon Wright died in 1863: his wife died in 1844. Gideon Wright was born in 1776: he was married to Abigail Bloomer.
FREEBORN THOMPSON AND ROBERT PATTERSON.
Robert Patterson was born in Ireland in 1781 : married Jane Brown. In 1818 they emigrated to the United States, and immediately located within the present limits of this township, where he entered 160 acres
of land. Their family at this time consisted of three children. Mr. P. lived on this place until the time of his death in 1847: his wife died in 1862. Of this family there is but one left, viz., Margaret, the widow of Freeborn Thompson. She was born in Ireland in 1814. In 1832 she married Freeborn Thompson, who died in 1837. By this union they had two children, Robert P. and Elizabeth E. After the death of her hus- band Mrs. Thompson returned to the home of her father and has lived there a widow since that time. Her daughter, Elizabeth E., was born in 1835, and married George J. Legg in 1852. There were born to them five children, only two now living, viz , Nora B. and Georgiana. Mr. Legg died in 1859. ITis widow now resides with her mother, Mrs. Thompson, where she has lived since the death of her husband.
THE BOTKINS.
This family can be traced to Virginia. where, about the middle of the last century, Thomas Botkin was born. He married Elizabeth Dev- incks. They raised a family of eight children. James Botkin, one of the above, was born in Virginia in 178", and married Mary McCray about 1808. In 1812 he entered the army and served his terin of en- listment. There were born to him by this marriage thirteen children. His wife died in 1844. He afterward married Rebecca Elliott. By this marriage there were eleven children-making in all twenty-four children by both marriages. In 1847 Mr. Botkin moved to Shelby County, but remained but one year, then moved to Illinois; was there four or five years, then returned to Shelby County, where he died in 1855. Sarah A. Wise was the twelfth child by the first marriage of James Botkin. She lived with her father until the time of her marriage. In 1853 she returned to Shelby County, where she has resided since that time. Her family consists of four children, viz., Celina, Mary Frances, Anna, and Tracy J.
JASPER S. BUXTON.
In 1769 two brothers, Thomas and John Buxton, came to the United States from England and settled in Montgomery County, Md. Sir Thomas Folwell Buxton, M. P., who died in 1848, noted for his antag- onism to slavery, and his life-long efforts in Parliament to abolish it from English colonies, was a blood-relation of theirs and descended from the same original stock.
Upon the arrival of the brothers in America, John, the younger, pur- chased a large tract of land and became a planter, being at one time among the largest slave-owners in Maryland. He married a Miss Staf- ford, of Maryland, about the year 1780, and by her had three children, Brock, Elizabeth, and John. Near the latter part of his life he set his slaves free, and moved to Montgomery County, Ohio, where he died at the age of eighty years,
At the age of eighteen years Brock Buxton, his son, married & Miss Ketro, of Maryland, and in 1809 emigrated to Ohio, settling in Mont- gomery County. The result of their union was nine children, four boys and five girls. The only survivor of these nine, all of whom lived to a good old age, is Singleton B. Buxton, the father of Jasper S., of this county. He still lives in Mercer County, this State, where he settled forty-four years ago. In 1830 he married Elizabeth Cox, of Butler County, Ohio. By this marriage there were seven children, all of whom are still living, except Isaac N., who was killed by the bursting of a steam chest in the Lockington paper mill in 1873.
Jasper S. Buxton, a resident for eighteen years of Washington Town- ship, is the oldest of the seven children. He was born in Butler County, Ohio, in 1835, and in 1856 married Miss Abigail R. Wilkinson, of Mercer County, Ohio, and is the father of a family of six children, all living, viz., Lucinda, Albert J., Elizabeth, Frank, Jennie G., and Daisy M. .
DANIEL RASOR.
Daniel Rasor, the grandfather of the above, was born in Pennsylvania about 1740. He married and raised a family of eight children, and came to Ohio at the beginning of the present century and located in Mont- gomery County, ten miles north of Dayton, where he died about 1820. Daniel Rasor, a son of the above, was born in Pennsylvania in 1786, and came to Ohio with his parents, where in 1810 he married Elizabeth Wey- bright. They raised a family of ten children, eight of whom are still living. He died in- 1860. His wife died in 1832. Of this family four came to Shelby County, viz., Daniel, Abram, Jacob, and Susannahr.
Daniel Rasor, the subject of this sketch, was born in Montgomery County in 1811, he being the eldest of his father's family. He lived with his parents until 25 years of age. He worked at milling, in a distillery and woollen mills up to the time of his marriage. In 1832 he was mar- ried to Sarah Anderson: In 1836 they moved to Shelby County and located in Orange Township on the banks of the Miami River, where Joseph Fergus now lives, where he built a saw mill which he ran some nineteen years, then sold and bought a farm in Washington Township, which he lived on some seven years, then sold his farm and removed to Lockington in 1862, where he built a saw-mill on the canal, which he ran until 1873. This mill he sold to the Summit Paper Company, and bought the site of the Lockington Flouring Mills, of which he, together with his son Daniel, are the present owners and proprietors.
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