History of Shelby County, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 88

Author: R. Sutton & Co.
Publication date: 1883
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 427

USA > Ohio > Shelby County > History of Shelby County, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 88

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JACOB CAIN,

a son of James and Elizabeth Cain, was born in Virginia in 1816. His father was born in Maryland in the year 1781. Soon afterward the fam- ily moved to Montgomery County, Va., where in the year 1802 he mar- ried Elizabeth Carper, a daughter of John Carper. She was born February 21, 1785. They raised a family of fourteen children, all to grow up to majority, and all came to Shelby County in 1831, except one . son, who preceded them one year, and one daughter, who followed then the next year. Jacob was fourteen years of age at the time of their lo- cation here. All the education he ever received was prior to this time in a cabin school-house without a floor, without any of the advantages of the present day. His constant companion was his axe, and his home was in the woods. He commenced with empty hands, working for eighteen to twenty-five cents per day, and cleared land for $4.50 per acre. He has cleared three farms for himself besides what he has cleared for others. He has seen and experienced pioneer life in all its phases, and well knows what it is to endure the hardships of life in the woods. In 1842 he was married to Phebe Wymer. By this marriage there were thir- teen children, ten of whom are still living. His wife died in 1866. Hle married for his second wife, Mrs. Stacey, whose maiden name was Gump. This union was not congenial, and they separated. Mr. Cain afterward obtained a divorce, and in 1878 married Margaret E. Van Sky, a widow whose maiden name was Bozarth.

THOMAS GRAHAM

was born in County Donegal, Ireland, in 1779. He was married to Isa- bella Thompson. About the year 1832 they immigrated to New York city, where they lived about eight years. The family at this time con- sisted of four children, viz., Frank, John, Mary, and Ellen. Of this number Frank and Mary are residents of this township. John and Ellen both died here. In 1844 Mary married Joseph Holiday in New York city. They lived there to have born to them six children, three of them now living. In 1861 Mr. Holiday died, and his widow came the same year to Shelby County, and has since that time made her home with her brother Frank. In 1840 Frank, the eldest of the family, came to Shelby County and bought eighty acres of land, nearly all in the timber. He then returned to New York and brought his parents. They lived on this place to improve it, then traded it for one hundred and sixty acres, where he now lives.

It will be remembered that the Grahams came from Ireland, where they knew nothing of the use of the axe, then lived in the city of New York for eight years, never having seen a rail fence, much less having made rails or cleared land. It need not be wondered at that they made very awkward work at their commencement in the woods. Frank relates that one day, shortly after their arrival here, he told his father that if he would cut and split a few rails, enough to make a pen, he would go and buy a few pigs, for an Irishman's home is never complete without pigs. Accordingly the old gentleman started with his axe, and attacked the first nice-looking tree he came to. This proved to be a white elm, which is proverbial for not being very easy to chop or split, but he worked with a will until the return of Frank several hours afterward, when he asked his father how he was getting along. He said very well; he had got four mighty nice rails made, but he thought the bloody things were hard to split. So they thought they would try another tree, and see if that would do any better. They next tried a nice-looking little beech, but this proved as obstinate as the first. They then concluded to go and get the opinion of a neighbor as to what kind of timber he used to make rails. 'The neighbor told them to take ash or hickory, but they said they did not know one kind of timber from another. So their neighbor went with them and showed them the kinds that would split easily. They then went to work and soon had their pen built. Perseverance and practice soon gave them the use of the axe, and it was not long before they un- derstood woodcraft as well as their neighbors.

JOHN J. PECK.

The Pecks are of German descent. John Peck, the father of John J .. was born in Virginia about 1793. When but a child he was left an or- phan, and lived among strangers. When quite a young man he came to Miami County, where he worked and made his home with Col. John Johnston. It was while here that he entered the army and served under General Harrison in the war of 1812. After his return from the army

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he again made his home with Colonel Johnston, and remained there until the time of his marriage. Colonel Johnston had taken an orphan girl to raise by the name of Barbary French, who was born in Pennsyl- vania about 1791. It was at the Colonel's that these two orphans met and were married about 1815. Young Peck, prior to his marriage, had saved of his wages some money ; with this he came to the present limits of Washington Township, and entered one hundred and sixty acres of land, and brought his wife to it the same year he was married. Here they lived to raise a family of six children, viz., Elizabeth, the wife of Esquire J. Johnston, Mary, the wife of Christopher Johnston, John J., Julia, Samuel, and Catherine. Mr. Peck died in 1853. His wife died in 1877 at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Johnston. She had become blind a number of years prior to her death.

John Johnston Peck was born in Shelby County in 1821. He was named in honor of Colonel John Johnston, with whom his father and mother had lived for years. Mr. Peck lived to manhood at the home of his father. In the year 1856 he married Miss Martha Gillespie, a daugh- ter of William and Mary Gillespie. Mrs. Peck was born in Warren County, Ohio, in 1823. They have had born to them two children, viz., Mary M., born 1858, and Emma A., born 1860. Beside these two Mrs. l'eck took to raise a niece, Mattie B. Gillespie, whose mother died when she was but eighteen months old. This adopted daughter is as one of the family. Mr. Peck became the owner of part of the homestead after the death of his father, which he owned for a number of years, then sold and bought part of the Gillespie place, where he has lived since that time.

Dr. GEORGE W. SCHENK

was born in Shelby County in 1843. In April, 1861, when the first call for volunteers was made by President Lincoln, George, although but a boy of eighteen years of age, was among the first to offer himself. He enlisted in the 20th O. V. I. and served his time of enlistment, and was discharged. In 1864 he again enlisted and served his full time. In 1863 he commenced the study of medicine under the instruction of Dr. J. C. Kidder, of Sidney, and graduated at the Miami Medical College of Cin- cinnati in 1867, and commenced the practice of medicine in Mercer County, Ohio, but soon removed to the State of Illinois, where he con- tinued the practice of his profession until 1875, when failing health com- pelled him to quit the practice of medicine. In 1868 he married Miss Fanny Campbell, of Sangamon County, Illinois. By this union they had three children, but in December, 1881, these children were all taken with diphtheria in a most malignant form, and all died within one week. In 1875, the time the Doctor quit the practice of medicine, he returned to Shelby County and located on a piece of wild land he owned. On this he built a comfortable frame house and commenced its improvement, and now has it nearly all cleared and underdrained, and is making for himself and wife a very pleasant and comfortable home.

THOMAS CALDWELL

was born in North Ireland in the year 1800. In 1821 he married Mar- garet Johnson. The following year they set sail for St. John's, New Brunswick, where they stayed a short time, then crossed the Bay of Fundy to Nova Scotia, where they remained until 1834, when they emi- grated to Medina County, Ohio. They remained at this place until 1838, then moved to Shelby County and located below Sidney, where he superintended work on the canal feeder for a time, then took a sub-con- tract on the canal, which he completed in the fall of 1841. The same , fall he bought eighty acres of land in Washington Township and moved upon it. Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell raised a family of nine children, seven of whom are still living, viz., John, Sarah, Mary, Robert, James, Samuel, and Margaret. Of this number Sarah, Mary, and James are in the county.

John, the eldest of the family, went to California in 1850. He worked in the mines a couple of years and was then elected to the State Legis- lature. After filling his term in the Legislature he read law, was elected Judge for the county, and is now on the Bench of Supreme Court as Judge of the State of California. James, who is now on the home place, was born in Nova Scotia in 1834, has remained on the homestead all his life, and is now its proprietor.

Thomas Caldwell died in 1847. Mrs. Caldwell; after the death of her husband, kept her family together and raised them up to man and woman- hood. She still survives and is hale and hearty at the age of eighty years.

ANTHONY S. DAVENPORT, Sr.,

came from Virginia to Ohio in 1798, and located in Ross County. His family consisted of eight children. Abraham Davenport, a son of the above, was born in Virginia in 1790, and was brought by his parents to Ross County in 1798. He lived here to marry Penelope Griffith in the year 1809, and remained in Ross County until 1817, when he moved with his wife and four children to the wilds of Shelby County, and located within the present limits of Washington Township, where he entered one hundred and sixty acres of land. He lived on this farm to raise a famn-

ily of nine children, whose names are as follows: John, Anthony S., Nancy, Robert, Celina, Ira, Elizabeth, Benjamin L, and Abraham S. Mr. Davenport died in 1837. His wife died in 1855. Of this family there are but four living, but not one in the county. Anthony S., the second son, was born in Ross County, Ohio, in 1813. In 1836 he mar- ried Nancy Coon. After his marriage he settled in Turtle Creek Town- ship, where he remained some three years. His father having died in the mean time, he returned to the old home. Mr. Davenport by this mar- riage raised a family of six children, viz., Elizabeth, Martha M., John W., David S., Francis, and Findley. His wife died in 1847. The fol- lowing year, 1848, he married Betsey M. McClintock. By this union there were five children, only one now living, viz., Charles P., born 1851. Mr. Davenport died in 1880, having lived on the one place sixty-three years. Mr. Davenport, after the death of his father, bought the farm from the rest of the heirs, and owned it up to the time of his death. The original patent is the only deed ever given for the farm. The widow still lives on the place, which is farmed by two of the sons. Mr. Davenport had been a member of the M. E. Church from boyhood to the time of his death. The MeClintocks, the ancestors of Mrs. Daven- port, are from Ireland. They came to America in 1763, and located in Pennsylvania. From there they went to Kentucky. It was here that Wm. MeClintock was born in 1786. In 1813 he married Sarah MeClin- tock. In 1824 he moved to Shelby County. They raised a family of twelve children. Mr. McClintock died in 1851. His wife died in 1857. Of this family there is now left in the county but one-Mrs. Davenport.

JOHN ETHRINGTON.

William Ethrington, the father of the above, was born in England about the year 1785. About 1809 he ran away from England to escape the army and came to the United States. Shortly afterward he bought land and located where Dayton '( Montgomery County, O.) now stands. Ilere in 1823 he married Betsy Black, with whom he raised a family of seven children. He came to Shelby County in 1832 and located in Franklin Township. He remained there until 1853, when he removed to Sidney, where he died in 1872. John, his son, was born in Montgom- ery County in 1831, and lived at home with his parents until manhood. His first business for himself was to chop cordwood. This he followed for several years, then worked as a hand in a saw-mill ; finally bought the mill, and owned it up to 1864, when he sold it ; since which time he has spent his life on a farm. In 1860 he married Mary Evans, a daugh- ter of Isaac Evans, one of the pioneers of Shelby County. Their family of children are eight in number, with names as follows: Albert W., George, John, Harry, Minnie, William, Meda C., and Cora M.

THE CAMPBELL AND MONROE FAMILIES.

The Campbells are of Irish descent. They came to America during the seventeenth century and settled in Virginia. It was here in Loudon County that Wm. Campbell was born, about 1707. Here he lived, and died about 1810, at the age of one hundred and three years. Andrew Campbell, his son, was born in 1768, and lived there to marry Jane Carr. They raised a family of eight children. Eliza, the eldest of these, was born in Virginia in 1804, and married Henson Monroe in 1819. They had born to them sixteen children, fifteen of whom grew to manhood and womanhood. Their names are as follows: Nancy, James, Mary, Henson S., Eliza, William, Sarah, Emily, Jonathan, Virginia, Lydia, Amanda, John, Caroline, and Josephine. Mr. Monroe settled in Shelby County in 1834, where he died in 1853. His widow still survives and resides on the old homestead they first bought. Of this large family of children there are still ten living.

COL. HAMILTON S. GILLESPIE

was born in Warren County in the year 1835. When three years of age he was brought by his parents to Washington Township. He is a son of Wm. Gillespie, who is spoken of elsewhere in this work. Hamilton grew to manhood in this township. At the age of eighteen years he commenced teaching school, which he followed four years, then engaged in the mercantile trade in Lockington, but remained in the business only one year; then engaged in buying and shipping grain at Lockington with his brother D. K., which he followed until 1862. In August, 1862, he received an order from Gov. Tod to recruit a company of volunteers, which he did, recruiting one hundred and one men all from his own county, and principally from his own neighborhood. This company were all first-class men, sons of farmers, and all respectable men of standing in the county, and when mustered into the service made as fine an ap- pearance as any company in the regiment. At the time his company was completed, Capt. Gillespie was offered five hundred dollars each by two other parties from other counties for the appointment of the first and second lieutenants' position, which he promptly refused, and let his company elect their own officers. He took his company to Camp Den- nison in Sept. 1862, and was assigned to the 50th O. V. I. A history of this regiment will be found elsewhere in this work. Capt. Gillespie had the command of this company until July 1863, when he was pro- moted to major of the regiment, and again promoted to Lieut .- Colonel in

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August, 1864, and had command of the regiment until the time of its consolidation with the 99th O. V. I. in 1865. After the consolidation of the two regiments Col. Gillespie was mustered out of the service and came home a couple of months before the close of the war. He then again engaged in buying grain, at which he has continued the most of the time since that date. In 1865 he was married to Miss Mary M. Mcknight. They have had born to them six children, viz., George H., Robert W., John H. B., Hamilton S., Roy E., and David K.

HENRY WAGNER.

The Wagners came from Germany to the American colonies in the beginning of the eighteenth century, and settled near Reading, Pa. It was here that Henry Wagner, Sen., was born in 1790. When a young man he went to Harrisburg to work at the carpenter trade. Here, in Dauphin County, about 1812, he married Elizabeth Dick. They raised a family of eight children. Henry, the subject of this sketch, was the "second son; he was born near Harrisburg in the year 1819, and was raised on a farm which adjoined the city of Harrisburg. When a young man he learned the carpenter trade, which he followed until 1847, when he married Isamiah Hocker. The following year (1848) they moved to Shelby County and located in Washington Township, where he bought seventy-five acres of land: he afterwards bought twenty-five acres more; then eighty-four acres; then one hundred acres-making in all two hun- dred and eighty-four acres. This land he has put under cultivation, and has built upon his home place a fine brick house and large bank barn. They have raised a family of six children, whose names and date of birth are as follows: Levi, born 1847; Henry, born 1850; George, born 1852; William, born 1854; Napoleon, born 1857; and John, born 1862.

The Hockers, the ancestors of Mrs. Wagner, are of German extraction. Their first settlement in the United States was in Lancaster County, Pa. It was here that Adam Hocker was born and grew up to manhood, and learned the tanning trade. He married Mary Hershy and immediately moved to Harrisburg. They were among the first settlers of Harrisburg. He started the first tannery in that place. He followed this business for a number of years. It was here that George Hocker was born in 1794. He was partly raised in the city, when his father sold his tannery and moved to the country, some nine miles from the city. Here, in 1819, he married Magdalena Landis and raised a family of two children. Mrs. Wagner was the eldest; she was born in Dauphin County in 1821. Mr. Hocker died in 1873: his wife died in 1824. About 1833 he married Catharine Cocklin, who died in 1881.

JOHN SCOTT.

The Scotts are of Scotch descent. David Scott was born in New Jer- sey in 1798. When but five years of age his mother died, and he was soon afterward bound out and lost all trace of his father until he (David) was about fifty years of age. Thus nearly all trace of his ancestors was lost. He served his indenture, and in 1826 came to Ohio and located in Warren County. Here in 1827 he married Alice Rouse, and in the year 1833 immigrated to Shelby County and located in Orange Township, remained there one year, then removed to Washington, where he remained until 1864, since which time he has made his home in Piqua. Mr. and Mrs. Scott raised a family of six children. Mrs. Scott died in 1860, and in 1864 Mr. Scott married Mary McCandless.

John Scott, the youngest of the above family of children, was born in 1839. In 1862 he was married to Ellen Higgens. By this union they had three children, David W., Samuel HI., and Ellen M. Mrs. Scott died in 1866, and in 1868 Mr. S. married for his second wife Jane Stewart, a daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Ullery Stewart. By this marriage they have one child, Clara M. Mr. Scott is a resident of the old home- stead of his father in section 21.

TURTLE CREEK TOWNSHIP.

Position and Boundary.

Turtle Creek occupies a position in the second tier of townships from the west. It is bounded on the north by Van Buren and Franklin town- ships, on the east by Franklin and Clinton, on the south by Washington and McLean, and on the west by Cynthian and McLean townships.

Streams and Drainage.

All that part of the township which lies south of the Greenville Treaty Line, containing twenty-four full and four fractional sections, is drained by Turtle Creek and its many branches, which extend nearly all over that part of the township. There are also a number of ditches, which have been cut by the citizens for the purpose of draining their farms,

making the land more productive and better adapted to agricultural pursuits. That part of the township north of the treaty line, which con- tains four full and four fractional sections, is drained by the White Feather Creek, or ditch, as it is sometimes called, and its branches; also a number of smaller ditches, which carry the water into the creek, or large ditch.

Surface.

The surface is somewhat broken along Turtle Creek and its branches, especially the southern half of the township. The remainder is level, or nearly so.

Soil.

The soil of Turtle Creek is composed principally of a black loam, which is generally fertile, and under careful agricultural improvement is very productive. In the southern part of the township the soil is of a grav- elly nature, and large beds of gravel are found near the surface.

Pikes.

The township contains about twelve miles of pike. The one running north from Hardin station, on the old Wapakoneta road, six miles, or until within about one-fourth of a mile of the treaty line, is known as the Newburgh or Turtle Creek Valley Pike. The Sidney and Hardin Pike extends across the township from cast to west, passing through Hardin village, four miles of which is in Turtle Creek Township, and the Russel Pike, which leads from the St. Marys Pike in Clinton to the Turtle Creek Valley Pike in Turtle Creek Township, intersecting the latter one mile north of Hardin village, ten miles of which is in Turtle Creek Township.

Railroad.

The C. C. C. and I. R. R. forms the southern boundary of the town- ship, being located on the line between Washington and Turtle Creek townships. The station on the railroad is located one mile south of Hardin village, and is known as Hardin station.

Churches.

There are five churches within the present limits of the township : One Presbyterian, two Methodist Episcopal, one Christian, and one Roman Catholic. A brief sketch of each will be found in subsequent pages.

Initial Events.

First road was the Hardin and Wapakoneta Road, which was laid out about 1816, and partially cut ont by William Davis a few years later. The next road was the one leading from Hardin to Sidney, which was laid out about 1817.

First marriage .- The first marriage in the township was solemnized June 3, 1818, by Cephas Carey, Esq., the contracting parties being Richard M. Cannon and Miss Mary Brodrick.

First brick house was erected by William Davis in 1831, on the west half of the northeast quarter of section 18.

First frame house was erected about 1829, by Joseph Steinberger, on his land near Hardin.

First justice of the peace was James Lenox.

Early Settlement.

So far as a few settlers constitute the settlement of a township, Turtle Creek was one of the first and oldest settlements within the county. True, its boundaries have been changed and modified since the early dates to which we are about to refer, but it must still be claimed that this is an old township, its very records as an organization dating back to the middle of the year 1820. It is true also that this, like most other settlements, advanced slowly, for its growth was tardy until after the year 1818. Let us refer to some of the earlier settlers, and the dates of settlement, without claiming entire accuracy for these dates, which are given sometimes entirely from memory by some of the older resi- dents. Not being matters of record, and many of the parties being either dead or of impaired memory, this list is given with some reserve as the most accurate attainable by even the most painstaking research.

It appears that during or prior to 1812 some five settlers were to be found here. These were John Kennard, who came from Kentucky and settled on the south half of section 31; William Carddingley, who en- tered the northeast quarter of section 18; Cephas Carey, who settled near Hardin ; Thomas McClish, on present site of Hardin; and William Bush, near the same site.

In 1815 it appears Richard M. Cannon moved from the present site of Sidney, and located about one mile east of the Hardin site. Richard Lenox and family located on the northeast quarter of section 31. John Lenox and family just south of Hardin site; and Joseph Steinberger near the same site. In 1816 we have about six settlers, locating as fol- lows: William Davis came from Kentucky, and located on the south-

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RES. OF U. M. STILES , PEMBERTON , SHELBY Co. O.

RES. OF W. W. GINN, LORAMIE TW'P, SHELBY CO. OHIO.

RES. OF JAMES M. CAVEN , ORANGE TW'P . SHELBY CO.O.

LOCKINGTON HIGH SCHOOL H.S. Gillespie Pres. J. C. Althoff, Treas.

SCHOOL BOARD. WT Mellinger. Sect. J. Johnston.

S. Valentine J. L. Mellinger

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west quarter of section 30. John Stephens on northeast quarter of section 28. Jeremiah White on southwest quarter of same section. Ebenezer D. Stephens on southeast quarter of section 18; and William Grooms on northwest quarter of section 29. In 1817 Basil Burton set- tled on the northwest quarter of section 28. David Coon on south part of section 19; and James Davis on part of southwest quarter of section 18. In 1818 we only find two families moving to the township. These were James Thatcher, the old county pioneer, who located on the north- west quarter of section 18; and Joseph Lyons, who occupied the north- east quarter of the same section. In 1821 it appears Thomas Shaw set- tled ou the northeast quarter of section 30; and Edwin Barker on the northeast quarter of section 7. In 1822 we have record of Joshua Cole, who located on section 6; and James A. Graham on southwest quarter of section 25. From this date until the year 1832 there appears to have been but few accessions from without, and those who came at or since the last-mentioned date are so largely represented in the biographical department, that it is not deemed advisable to pursue their settlements in this connection. By this course, too, they will be kept out of the page of mingled history and tradition, and appear in that of authenti- cated history.

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History of Shelby County, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 88

Author: R. Sutton & Co. Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Number of Pages: 427

Author: R. Sutton & Co.
Publication date: 1883
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 427