USA > Ohio > Wayne County > History of Wayne county, Ohio, from the days of the pioneers and the first settlers to the present time > Part 56
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HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO.
with Raymond, meeting with unprecedented success. He trav- eled through England, Scotland and Ireland, then France, Ger- many, Holland, Russia, etc., exhibiting before all the crowned heads and nobles of Europe, and receiving many marks of their personal favor. He returned to the United States about 1840, having established a world-wide reputation and become the fore- most man in his profession. From that time he made annual tours of the States of the Union until 1854, when he united in marriage with Miss Sarah Walter, daughter of John Walter, of Wooster township, and settled down to the peaceful pursuits of rural life. In 1875 he began hotel-keeping at Applecreek Sta- tion. Here, after two days' sickness, on December 5, 1877, he died, leaving a widow and one son. Herr Driesbach was a very remarkable man, and well won the renown he obtained. His life was full of perilous incident, adventure and romance, and inas- much as the history of his life will soon be published, we forbear any presentation of detail of his eventful career.
Joshua Jameson was born in Kent county, Delaware, March 2, 1771. He was a farmer in the State of his birth, and a slave- driver for three months, which period of experience forever satis- fied him. From Delaware he removed to Fayette county, Pa., and there he married Rebecca Mackey, and there all of his children were born, save one that died in infancy. He removed to Wayne county in the spring of 1818, and for a time occupied a vacant house on the old Emanuel Brown farm, until he could build a house on his farm -the south half of section 31, in Sugarcreek township. The cabin he built was 20x28, and into it he moved in September, and here he resided until his death, March 10, 1826, his wife dying October 17, 1860. He had eleven children, viz : Sarah, Mary, Stephen M., John, Alexander H., Joshua M., Re- becca S., Elizabeth, Joseph, Isaac K., and an infant unnamed.
Isaac K. Jameson, son of Joshua, was born in Fayette county, Pa., December 3, 1818, and removed to Wayne county with his father. He worked on the farm until he was about eighteen years of age. He shortly began teaching school, and followed that pro- fession and going to school until he was twenty-seven years of age. He was married November 13, 1860, to Susan Smith, of Smith's Ferry, Beaver county, Pa., and has three children.
John Cheyney was born in Chester county, Pa., three miles east
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EAST UNION TOWNSHIP.
of Brandywine battlefield, June 21, 1765. His father, Thomas Cheyney immortalized himself in the Revolutionary war, and occu- pies a glorious page in American history. It was he that commu- nicated the intelligence to General Washington of the perilous con- dition of his army at Chad's Ford, near Brandywine, and this sim- ple fact, historians agree, saved the army of Washington from destruction. J. T. Headley, in his Life of Washington, p. 250, says :
'Squire Cheyney reconnoitering, on his own responsibility, the movements of the enemy suddenly came upon the advance as he was ascending the hill. He im- mediately wheeled his horse, a fleet, high spirited animal, and dashed away toward head-quarters. Shots were fired at him, but he escaped and reached the American army in safety. To his startling declaration that the main body of the army was on his own side of the stream and coming rapidly down upon him, Washington re- plied that it was impossible, for he had just received contrary information. " You are mistaken, General; my life for it you are mistaken," exclaimed Cheyney, and carried away by the great peril that threatened the Americans, added : " By h-Il it is so. Put me under guard until you find my story true," and stooping down he drew a rough draft of the road in the sand. In a few moments a hurried note from General Sullivan confirmed the disastrous tidings. The army was only two miles from Birmingham Meeting-House, which was but three miles from Chad's Ford. Washington saw at once the fatal error into which he had been beguiled by the false information of Sullivan, and saw, too, that in all human probability the day was lost.
Prior to John Cheyney's emigration to Wayne county he worked at the mill-wright business at old Carlisle, Pa .; he then went to Fayette county, Pa., and was married at Uniontown to Miss Tracy Graves. He there remained for a number of years, following his trade, and living on the river. A freshet occurred and swept away all of his property. He then determined to seek his fortunes in the West, and came to Wayne county with his wife and eight children in 1814, settling upon the present site of Edin- burg. He purchased 160 acres of land from John Miller, and about one year after another quarter east of the first one, from Thomas Mullen, and upon this quarter the Presbyterian church now stands. He had the following family: Mary, Jesse, Thomas, John, Richard, Nancy, John, Elizabeth, William and Hannah (twins), and Hibben.
Richard Cheyney, son of John, was born in Fayette county, Pa., October 6, 1803, and came to Wayne county with his father, in 1814. He was married in East Union township, November 13, 1823, by Rev. Barr, to Elizabeth Stinger, of Columbia county,
40
626
HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO.
Pa., and had eleven children. He began at the age of fourteen working at the mill-wright business with his father, at which occu- pation he continued until he was nineteen years of age.
Mr. Cheyney, although he has passed his three-score years, is still in the vigor of health, with constitution sound and unimpaired. He is a man of great kindness and warmth of feeling and disposi- tion. He is intelligent, hospitable, and is noted for his simplicity and evenness of way. His integrity is beyond challenge, and his private life worthy of imitation. Levi, son of Richard Cheyney, was born July 8, 1836, and though dying in almost boyhood, wrote poems of great beauty and indicative of surpassing genius.
Hibben Cheyney, youngest son of John, was born in East Union township, October 29, 1816, and has been twice married, first to Salomia Shutt, and second, March 14, 1871, to Mrs. Delia Lem- mon, of Attica, Seneca county, Ohio. By the first marriage there resulted the following children : Mary E., Julius C., Lucy, Cyrus H., Linnaeus and Berzelius ; by the second, Ida May and Anson. He now resides in Indiana. Hibben Cheyney is a man of thought, culture and brains. He is self-made, independent, electric, and acts and thinks like lightning, and has a brilliant intellect. Julius C. Cheyney, one of his sons, is a first-class school-teacher, a man of honor, integrity and promise. Linnæus, another son, is a stu- dent of medicine, and, if he is not careful, will soon have an M. D. to his name.
It will be seen that the Cheyney family descends from a gallant old Revolutionary stock, and can boast of an ancestry equal, if not superior, to any other family in Wayne county. Old 'Squire, the father of the subject of this notice, has passed into American his- tory. John Cheyney was a most useful man in the early settle- ment of the county. He built the first mill in East Union town- ship, and in a space of thirteen years built six grist-mills and nine saw-mills in Wayne county, and was past fifty years of age when this work was done. His early neighbors were John Knight, Jacob Tracey, George Basil, and others, and he occasionally re- ceived visits from old Johnny Appleseed, whom Richard Cheyney frequently saw. He donated an acre of land for church and school purposes forever, at Edinburg, and in the graveyard of this church is buried a child of Jesse Cheyney, the first interment. His re- mains lie in the old Edinburg graveyard.
627
MILTON TOWNSHIP.
CHAPTER XXIII.
MILTON TOWNSHIP.
THIS township was organized by order of the County Commis- sioners, October 5, 1818. Jacob Kiefer, one of the earliest of the pioneers of this township, went to Wooster to see about having it named, and suggested to the Board, then in session, to have it styled "Center Swamp Township," from the fact that there was a large swamp in the center of it. Commissioner George Bair objected to this name, saying it would induce odium upon the township, whereupon, at the suggestion of Mr. Bair, it was called Milton township. The population in 1870 was 1,524. The fol- lowing is the list of township officers from the records :
Justices of the Peace-Michael Kiefer, April 23, 1831; Stephen Oviatt, Au- gust 15, 1832 ; Michael Kiefer, September II, 1834; Michael Dague, July 4, 1836; Wiseman Cotton, April 30, 1838; Michael Dague, April 13, 1839; Wiseman Cot- ton, April 16, 1841 ; Michael Dague, April 13, 1842; Wiseman Cotton, April 25, 1844; Michael Dague, April 16, 1845; Wiseman Cotton, April 14, 1847; Michael Dague, April 12, 1848; Wiseman Cotton, April 11, 1850; Michael Dague, April 19, 1851 ; Wiseman Cotton, April 19, 1853; Michael Dague, April 13, 1854; Wise- man Cotton, April 28, 1856; Michael Dague, April 22, 1857; Wiseman Cotton, April 19, 1859 ; Michael Dague, April 17, 1860; Jacob Knupp, April 21, 1862; Michael Dague, April 17, 1863, Jacob Knupp, April 12, 1865; Michael Dague, April 13, 1866; Edward F. Keeling, April 11, 1868 ; George Mellinger, April 13, 1869; Edward F. Keeling, April 10, 1871 ; George Mellinger, April 9, 1872 ; J. S. Hann, April 14, 1874; George Mellinger, April 12, 1875; H. S. Elliott, April 12, 1877.
1833. Trustees-Stephen Oviatt, Samuel McCrory, George Hoff; Treasurer- Samuel Slemmons ; Constables-Daniel McCrory, John Kleckner; Clerk-John Miller.
1834. Trustees -Samuel McCrory, Thomas Dawson, Christian Knupp; Clerk-John Miller ; Treasurer-Samuel Slemmons; Constable-Uriah Dewese.
1835. Trustees-Thomas Dawson, C. Welch, C. Knupp; Clerk-John Miller ; Treasurer-Samuel Slemmons; Constables-James Medsker, Henry Hyde.
1836. Trustees-Thomas Dawson, C. Knupp, D. Flickinger ; Clerk-W. Cot- ton ; Treasurer-Samuel Slemmons; Constables-Henry Hyde, John Dudgeon.
1837. Trustees-Thomas Dawson, C. Knupp, D. Flickinger; Clerk-W. Cot- ton ; Treasurer-Samuel Slemmons Constable-A. Peckinpaugh.
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HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO.
1838. Trustees-Thomas Elliot, Isaac Bessey, M. Dague; Clerk-John Scoby ; Treasurer-George Hoff; Constables-A. Peckinpaugh, S. Watkins.
1839. Trustees-Thomas Elliot, Isaac Bessey; Clerk-C. Knupp; Treasurer- George Huff; Constables-D. Johnston, M. Dague.
1840. Trustees-Thomas Dawson, William Lance, A. Bratten ; Clerk-John Wagoner ; Treasurer-George Huff; Constables-M. H. Clark, M. Dague.
1841. Trustees-Thomas Dawson, William Lance, A. Bratten; Clerk-W. Cotton ; Treasurer-George Huff ; Constables-M. Clark, James Smith.
1842. Trustees-D. Flickinger, John Watkins, James Lance; Clerk-W. Cotton; Treasurer-Samuel Slemmons ; Constables-G. Hay, James Smith.
1843. Trustees-John Watkins, John Kleckner, Dan Kindig; Clerk-W. Cotton ; Treasurer-Samuel Slemmons; Constables-John Templeton, J. Cotton.
1844. Trustees-J. Cotton, Thomas Dawson, John Kleckner ; Clerk-W. Cot- ton ; Treasurer-C. Knupp; Assessor-John Templeton ; Constables-J. Temple- ton, C. Stokey.
1845. Trustees-J. Cotton, Thomas Dawson, J. Swagler ; Clerk-W. Cotton; Treasurer-C. Knupp; Assessor-John Templeton.
1846. Trustees-J. Cotton, J. Swagler, Thomas Elliot; Clerk-W. Cotton ; Treasurer-C. Knupp ; Assessor-John Templeton.
1847. Trustees-J. Swagler, J. Cotton, T. Elliot; Clerk-W. Cotton ; Treas- urer-C. Knupp; Assessor-M. Dague.
1848. Trustees-J. Cotton, J. Swagler, George Huff ; Clerk-W. Cotton ; Treasurer-C. Knupp ; Assessor-M. Dague.
1849. Trustees-J. Cotton, George Hoff, D. Flickinger; Clerk-W. Cotton Treasurer-C. Knupp ; Assessor-M. Dague.
1850. Trustees-J. Cotton, George Hoff, D. Flickinger; Clerk-W. Cotton ; Treasurer-C. Knupp; Assessor-M. Dague.
1851. Trustees-J. Cotton, George Hoff, D. Flickinger ; Clerk-W. Cotton; Treasurer-C. Knupp ; Assessor-M. Dague.
1852. Trustees-D. Flickinger, George Hoff, Thomas Elliot ; Clerk-W. Cot- ton ; Treasurer-Jacob Knupp; Assessor-M. Dague.
1853. Trustees-D. Flickinger, George Hoff, Thomas Elliot; Clerk-W. Cot- ton ; Treasurer-Jacob Knupp; Assessor-M. Dague.
1854. Trustees-D. Flickinger, George Hoff, Thomas Elliot; Clerk-W. Cot- ton ; Treasurer-Jacob Knupp; Assessor-M. Dague.
1855. Trustees-Thomas Eliott, I. Bessey, George Stern ; Clerk-W. Cotton ; Treasurer-Jacob Knupp; Assessor-Jacob Knupp.
1856. Trustees- Thomas Elliot, I. Bessey, J. Swagler ; Clerk-W. Cotton ; Treasurer-Jacob Knupp; Assessor-Jacob Knupp.
1857. Trustees-J. Swagler, A. Dawson, A. McCormell ; Clerk-W. Cotton ; Treasurer-Jacob Knupp; Assessor-Jacob Knupp.
1858. Trustees-J. Swagler, A. Dawson, A. McCormell ; Clerk-W. Cotton ; Treasurer-Jacob Knupp; Assessor-Jacob Knupp.
1859. Trustees-A. Dawson, J. Swagler, I. Kilmore ; Clerk-A. McCormell ; Treasurer-Jacob Knupp ; Assessor-John McDowell.
1860. Trustees-A. Dawson, J. Swagler, I. Kilmore ; Clerk-A. McCormell ; Treasurer-Jacob Knupp ; Assessor-John McDowell.
1861. Trustees-A. Dawson, J. Swagler, John Slemmons; Clerk-A. McCor- mell; Treasurer-Jacob Knupp ; Assessor-Jacob Knupp.
1862. Trustees-J. Swagler, W. Cotton, John SIemmons ; Clerk-A. McCon- nell; Treasurer-Jacob Knupp ; Assessor-W. Cotton.
629
MILTON TOWNSHIP.
1863. Trustees-W. Cotton, James Bratton, John Slemmons; Clerk-A. McConnell ; Treasurer-Jacob Knupp; Assessor-M. Dague.
1864. Trustees-W. Cotton, James Bratton, E. Keeling; Clerk-N. Yoder ; Treasurer-Jacob Knupp ; Assessor-M. Dague.
1865. Trustees-W. Cotton, J. Swagler, John Hammer ; Clerk-H. Elliot ; Treasurer-Jacob Knupp; Assessor-M. Dague.
1866. Trustees-W. Cotton, J. Swagler, John Hammer ; Clerk-H. Elliot; Treasurer-Jacob Knupp ; Assessor-M. Dague.
1867. Trustees-W. Cotton, J. Swagler, F. Amstuts; Clerk-H. Elliot; Treasurer-J. Knupp; Assessor-M. Dague.
1868. Trustees-J. Swagler, S. M. Slemmons, S. Johnson ; Clerk-H. S. El- liot ; Treasurer-Jacob Knupp; Assessor-
1869. Trustees-S. Johnson, S. Swarts, D. S. Spear; Clerk-D. Slemmons ; Treasurer-Jacob Knupp; Assessor-J. Slemmons.
1870. Trustees-John Stone, P. S. Steiner, D. M. Yoder; Clerk-D. J. Slem- mons ; Treasurer-John Slemmons ; Assessor-George Mellinger.
1871. Trustees-John Stone, P. S. Steiner, D. M. Yoder; Clerk-D. J. Slem- mons ; Treasurer-John Slemmons ; Assessor-George Mellinger.
1872. Trustees-H. Elliot, S. M. Slemmons, D. Yoder ; Clerk-D. J. Slem- mons; Treasurer-John Slemmons; Assessor-Sol. Johnson.
1873. Trustees-H. Elliot, S. M. Slemmons, D. Yoder; Clerk-D. J. Slem- mons ; Treasurer-John Slemmons ; Assessor-Sol. Johnson.
1875. Trustees-J. Swagler, W. Cotton, S. M. Slemmons; Clerk-D. J. Slem- mons ; Treasurer-John Slemmons ; Assessor-J. E. Stone.
1875. Trustees-S. M. Slemmons, P. Mougey, W. Cotton ; Clerk-D. J. Slem- mons ; Treasurer-John Slemmons; Assessor-J. E. Stone.
1876. Trustees-S. M. Slemmons, E. P. Wilford, Riley Kindig ; Clerk-D. J. Slemmons ; Treasurer-John Slemmons ; Assessor-Sol. Johnson.
1877. Trustees-A. Kindig, S. M. Slemmons, E. P. Wilford ; Clerk-D. J. Slemmons ; Treasurer-John Slemmons ; Assessor-Sol. Johnson.
FIRST SETTLERS AND FIRST THINGS.
The first settler in the township was Isaac De Courcey, percep- tibly possessed of Indian blood, who, with his wife and two children, was living on the Knupp farm as early as 1813. In seven or eight years he removed to Allen county. He devoted much of his time to hunting and fishing.
The first deaths in the township were Sarah Fritz and her little boy Adam. They were buried in what is now the Knupp grave- yard. They died in 1817. David Trump was the third person who died. The first school teacher in Milton township was Wil- liam Doyle, who taught in a log shanty where the Knupp church stands, in the year 1817. The school-house was 20x24, built of round logs, scutched inside. Mr. Fritz, who attended the school, says: "In the winter it was so cold that the ink would freeze in the bottles while they were writing." To this school went the children of John Coleman, David Trump, John Lance, Jerry John-
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HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO.
son, James Carnahan, William Chambers, James Law, Mr. Riggle- man and the widow Johnson. It was a subscription school.
The old Baptist church at Lancetown was the first built in Mil- ton township, and Elder Freeman and James Newton were the pioneer preachers. Elder Freeman was a Revolutionary soldier, and a sort of missionary, conducting his ministry at private houses. Rev. Newton was the first regular minister, however, in the town- ship. The first saw- and grist-mills were built by Thomas Huff- stetter, on the Little Chippewa. Philip Fritz built the second grist- mill on River Styx. Huffstetter also built the first saw-mill on the Little Chippewa. The first Doctor was a Mr. Donahue, a cat- whipper at tailoring, as well as a medicine man. The first Squire in Milton township was William Doyle, founder of Doylestown ; and the second was John Dawson, the commission of both bearing date April 27, 1819. Hartshorn, Gilmore and John Lance had the first distilleries. The first postoffice in Milton township was at Christian Knupp's, and was called New Prospect.
The first election was held at William Doyle's, and after that at Samuel Slemmons' for twenty years; then at the Oak Grove school-house until the town-house at the Center was built. At the first election held in the township old man Trump had to be car- ried to the polls to make the necessary amount of votes to hold the election.
Martin Fritz was born in Alsace in 1757 and immigrated to America in 1771. On his arrival at New York, not having had the necessary funds to pay his passage he was sold, according to an old custom, to a Mr. Ray, for whom he worked three years, the pro quid exacted for the transit money. At the close of this period of servitude and soon thereafter, the ball of the Revolution was put in motion, and Mr. Fritz enlisted under Washington for five years, being engaged in several battles, prominent among which was Brandywine. After serving out the full term of his en- listment he removed to Pennsylvania, and in Cumberland county married Catherine Wilt. He next went to Venango county and then removed to Milton township in June, 1814, there being but one settler in what now constitutes that township-the. quarter- breed, De Courcey. He had twelve children, John, Jacob, Mar- tin, Peter, Samuel, Philip, Jeremiah, Betsey, Catherine, Sarah, Anna and Susan, but six of whom are living at this time. He died
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MILTON TOWNSHIP.
in 1851, aged ninety-four years, his wife dying twelve years there- after. He was a member of the Methodist church.
Phillip Fritz, his son, is a native of Venango county, Pa., where he first saw light, June 29, 1804, and with his father came to Mil- ton. He was married July 27, 1831, to Mary A. Long, of Penn- sylvania, having had six children, Catharine, Jacob, John, Michael, Elmore and Margaret Jane Fritz. His occupation has been that of miller and farmer, and he has lived longer in this township than any man in it now.
Reminiscences of Phillip Fritz .- When my father removed to Milton township, in 1814, he had to cut out the road to where I now live. Bears, wolves, wildcats, porcupines, wild hogs, deer and turkey were plenty. We often shot the wild hogs, as they made good meat. Porcupines were numerous; the dogs would attack them and we would pull out their quills with bullet moulds. We made sugar by the barrel in our camps, took it to Canton and sold it. The wolves on one occasion chased us all out of the camps. Times looked pretty blue when we came here. We had to go fourteen miles, to Rex's mill, in Coventry, to get our grinding done. I helped to grub out and clear up the Knupp graveyard, and build the school- house, in 1817, where the Knupp church now stands. In the early days I hunted a good deal, and often with the Indians. They would come to our house and get corn, and bring venison to exchange for it. They weighed it themselves, the corn in one hand and the venison in the other.
Samuel and John Fritz, Isaac De Courcey, John Huffman and myself went up to Chippewa lake to hunt, and took our provisions with us. I was left in charge of the eatables, and the balance went to the woods to hunt. While I was watching the provisions eight Indians approached me, and I was terribly frightened. They at once commenced laying off their knives, guns and tomahawks, and advancing to where I had a large fire built, one of them, who could speak English, said, "White man foolish ; makes big fire and sits away off ; Indian makes little fire and sits up close." They then went to the edge of the lake and began jumping on the musk- rat houses, and just as fast as the inmate popped out they popped him, and so they kept on until out of one of these largest mud-houses sprang a beaver, which was instantly killed, and then they whooped and danced and drank. Its hide was worth $16. When our hunting party came in the Indians wanted to buy their dogs. An Indian squaw went into a marsh in Canaan township to pick cranberries. She had her papoose along with her, and tying it to a board set it down. While she was in the marsh a large hog came along and killed it. She lamented and yelled fearfully. When we came here there were a good many Indians about-called themselves Delawares, Shawanese and Wyandots. They had quite a town on the south side of Chippewa lake, probably thirty families. I used to go to the settlement often, saw the little Indian boys roasting gammons of meat and gnaw at them ; saw them shoot pieces of silver out of split sticks, with bows and arrows, and never miss. They captured a good deal of wild honey and carried it in deer-skins turned inside out. They would cut down a tree, carve out the stump, crush their corn in it, and then put it in pots and boil it, and then put in the meat. An Indian never uses salt. Within about ten rods of where River Styx-the north branch of the Chippewa-
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HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO.
empties into Big Chippewa, an Indian was found in the drift, shot through the waist, and it seems about this time the Indians got scared and very suddenly disap- peared.
Christopher Lance, it is supposed, was a native of Germany. After making the passage to America, he located in New Jersey, where he married Sarah Johns, and where for many years he con- tinued to live and raised a family of eleven children-six boys and five girls. He settled in Ohio as early as 1795, buying, on his ar- rival, sixty acres of land, five miles from Steubenville. After his removal to Ohio, he came to Wayne county, and lived on the farm of James Lance, in a house he caused to be built for him, but be- coming dissatisfied, he returned to Jefferson county, where his death took place November 2, 1824. His wife died with her daughter, Sarah Lee, March 10, 1833.
John Lance was born in New Jersey, August 18, 1782, and re- moved to Jefferson county, Ohio, with his father, and there mar- ried Sarah Johnson, August 15, 1809, raising there a family of four boys and two girls. He arrived in Milton township, Wayne county, April 5, 1820, with his brother James, and settled on the farm which he owned until his death, March 16, 1852. His wife, a native of Jefferson county, Ohio, survived until August 28, 1870, aged eighty-one years.
William Lance was born in New Jersey, February 5, 1788, and removed to Milton township in 1818-19 with his brother Henry. He was married in Jefferson county to Clara Johnson, and raised a family of eleven children-eight girls and three boys.
Henry Lance, also a native of New Jersey, where he was born, February 4, 1791, moved with his parents to Jefferson county, and there was married to Lucinda Lee, a native of Virginia. He remained there until 1817, when he visited Milton township, in company with his brother James, to enter land, then went back to Jefferson county, returning in the spring with his family, his brother William coming with him. He brought with him three children, two daughters and his son Christopher, who is still living. He was twice married, the second time to Betsey Hoos- toden, in December, 1834, and by both marriages had ten chil- dren. His first wife died October 16, 1831; the second still sur- vives him, and lives in Medina county.
633
MILTON TOWNSHIP.
Henry Lance was born in New Jersey in 1780, and was married in 1801-2 in Jefferson county. He removed to Chippewa town- ship in 1821, settling upon a farm, which he improved, and where he died, January 25, 1860, aged 80 years. He was twice married, and was the father of ten children.
James Lance, the youngest of six brothers, was born in the State of New Jersey, January 28, 1794, and with his parents re- moved to Jefferson county in 1795. He was married to Fanny Holmes, September 5, 1815, a lady of Scotch descent, born July 3, 1797.
He came to Wayne to make search for lands, his brother Henry with him, and entered the two quarter sections joining on the west and north-west, on what is called the Chestnut Ridge. He then returned and offered the brothers their choice, and they took the lands on each side of him, leaving him in the middle. James then returned to Wayne county, in the fall of 1819, and put up a log cabin, and in the latter part of March, 1820, removed to Milton township with his wife and son, three years old. James Lance had three children born in Milton township by his first wife, one son and two daughters, all of whom are living. His first wife died August 5, 1827. He was again married October 20, 1828, to Mary Johnson, of Jefferson county, born October 10, 1810. By this union there resulted thirteen children, ten boys and three girls. He died May 19, 1866, in his 73d year, his second wife surviving him until May 17, 1875, dying in her 65th year.
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