The History of Miami County, Ohio, Part 70

Author: W. H. Beers & Co.
Publication date: 1880
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1051

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EDMOND D. LEWIS, farmer ; P. O. Casstown ; born in Lebanon, Warren Co., Ohio ; is the son of William C. and Elizabeth (Davis) Lewis ; he was born in New Jersey and came to Ohio with his parents at an early day ; she was born in Warren Co. William Lewis assisted his father during the war of 1812, hauling supplies for the army ; his ancestors were from England, and his wife's from Ger- many. William C. Lewis, the father, followed wagon-making during his life ; he lived to be only about 37 years of age, dying October, 1832 ; his wife died about seven years previous. They were parents of four children, viz., Edmund D., Thomas, Cassie, and Elizabeth, dying in infancy. The subject of this sketch, being only 13 years of age when his father died, was bound out till he should arrive at majority, to Michael McGinnis, a wagon-maker ; here he served his apprenticeship until 21 years of age, partly in Warren Co. and Brown Township, this county. When of age, Mr. Lewis established a manufactory of his own in Casstown, which he carried on for fifteen years, then sold out and bought the farm upon which he now resides. He was united in marriage, Jan. 26, 1843, with Deborah, daughter of Albert and Caroline (Throckmorton) Howland, who were natives of New Jersey, coming to Warren Co. soon after the war of 1812, and thence going to Miami Co. By this union they have had four children, viz., Cassie Ann, now Mrs. D. J. Whitmore; William A. ; Lizzie M., now Mrs. Alonzo Hartley, living in Troy ; and Thomas D. Mr. Lewis has been on the farm twenty-four years. Heis a Repub- lican, has held the office of Township Trustee six or seven terms, and last fall, was elected Real Estate Appraiser for this township, thus showing the confidence reposed in him by the community in which he lives. He has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for ten years, and his wife for eleven years.

DAVID S. LONG, farmer ; P. O. Christiansburg, Champaign Co., Ohio ; born in Blount Co., Tenn., Dec. 20, 1811 ; is a son of James and Sarah Long, who are fully written of in sketch of Moses E. Long in this work. He came to Miami Co. in 1830, and lived with his parents till their death; David has always remained upon the old home farm, has kept up all improvements, and added to his posses- sions by the purchase of another farm, so that now he owns 180 acres of good land, and is one of the enterprising farmers of Lost Creek Township, with excellent pro- vision for all the comforts of life, Mr. Long is a member of Social Lodge, No. 139, of I. O. O. F., of Addison, Ohio ; has been through all the chairs and the Encamp- ment, having been a member for twenty-nine years.

MOSES E. LONG, farmer; P. O. Christiansburg, Champaign Co .; born in Ten- nessee Dec. 26, 1813; is a son of James and Sarah (Mackey) Long, who were born in Ireland, coming to this country in 1783 ; he remained a short time in Penn- sylvania then went to Virginia, where he was married; in 1805, he removed to Tennessee, and, in 1816, came to Ohio, locating at what is now Cumminsville ; November, 1830, he went to Miami Co. and settled on the farm now owned by David S. Long, where he lived till his death, which occurred Aug. 3, 1860, his wife Sarah, departing this life in May, 1864. Mr. James Long was born July 24, 1770 ; was made a Master Mason March 3, 1790 ; received the Chapter and Encampment degrees May 13, 1791, and "declared off" the same day ; when he died, he was over 90 years of age, and for seventy years a Mason, being at his death perhaps the oldest Mason in Ohio ; he was the father of twelve children, of whom four are

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living-Samuel H., David S., Moses .E. and Elizabeth J. (now Widow Overton), liv- ing in Addison, Ohio. Moses E. Long was married July 6, 1837, to Martha Howell, daughter of Daniel and Phoebe Howell, natives of Virginia, who came to Ohio at an early day, but during the Indian troubles were driven out, taking refuge again in Virginia ; after a time they returned, locating in Miami Co., where they lived and died ; they were parents of nine children, of whom five are living- Martha, Andrew, Huldah, Naomi (now Mrs. Bowers, living in Ohio,) and Daniel C. Daniel Howell was strictly a pioneer, opening out in the wilderness, and living in & log cabin, when there was but one road-the old State road opened by Gen. Wayne in the early campaigns-their neighbors being five to six miles distant at Cass- town ; they went to mill on horseback many miles to Mad River, following "blazed paths" through the woods ;- the present generation know but lit le of the hardships these first settlers endured, and future generations can have but a faint conception ; the blessings received from their labors will ever deserve their most grateful praise and remembrance. Moses E. and wife were parents of nine chil- dren, of whom five are living-Isabel E. (now Mrs. J. Johnson), Laura L. (now Mrs. Williams), Phoebe A. (now Mrs. Kennedy), Sarah J. and Volney D .; Mr. Long lived with his father till 1842, removing to the "Thomas farm" for ten years, coming back to the home farm for two years, thence going to Addison for eleven years, where he engaged in the saw-mill and lumber business ; in 1865, he settled on the farm where he has since resided ; this farm consists of 80 acres of good land, which he has improved, and erected good buildings, so that he has & very pleasant and comfortable farm residence. Mr. Long is a member of Social Lodge, No. 139, I. O. O. F., of Addison, Ohio ; has been through all the chairs and Encampment, having been a member for thirty years.

JOHN W. LONG, farmer ; P. O. Christiansburg. He was born in Tennessee in 1807, and is a son of William and Mary Long; Mr. William Long was born in Ireland in 1772, coming to this country with his brother James, who is mentioned in the sketch of Moses E. Long ; they left Ireland, at the time of the rebellion, for the safety of their lives ; Mary, the mother, was born in Pennsylvania, her ancestry coming from Scotland. They were married in Virginia, and in 1804 removed to East Tennessee ; they removed to Ohio in 1816, at what is now Cumminsville, then going, in 1826, to Miami Co., on to the farm where John now resides ; there he lived and died, departing this life May 16, 1857, his wife Mary dying April 3, 1854 ; he was a pioneer of this section, striking the first blow with the ax in the unbroken forests, where he made a home. He was one of the volunteers from East Tennessee in the war of 1812, and served four months for the protection of the frontier settlements ; they were the parents of six children, of whom four are living, viz., John W., Margaret Ann, now Widow Fordyce, living in Piqua; Isabella, now Widow Shidler, with her children, in Cincinnati and Evansville ; and Francis E. ; William was a member of the fraternity of A., F. & A. M., having become such in Ireland when quite young, and continued in the order till his death. John W., our subject, married Mary Shidler March 4, 1832, daughter of John and Susanna Shid- ler ; Mr. Shidler was born in Pennsylvania, his ancestry coming from Germany ; they were parents of twelve children, three now living-Aaron, living in Indiana ; Susanna, now Widow Winters, living in Chattanooga, Tenn .; and Isaac, living in Cin- cinnati ; John and wife are the parents of six children, of whom four are living- Sarah Bell ; Susanna Ellen, now Mrs. Downey ; James Judson and Julius C .; the son, James Judson, was married to Jennie Hill Sept. 30, 1869, daughter of Harry Hill, of Addison, Ohio ; she was born in Piqua, in 1852 ; they reside with the father on the home place ; William P., a son, deceased, lost his life in the battle of Stone River, in the war of the rebellion ; he was a member Co. A, 2d O. V. I. Mr. Long lost his wife by death, Jan. 28, 1874. He has been Township Trustee two years and is, politically, a Republican. He is a member of the Baptist Church, having been connected with it for forty years, and Deacon for thirty-five years.

GEORGE G. McDOWELL, farmer; P. O. Casstown ; he was born in Miami Co. Feb. 26, 1819, and is the son of Alexander and Mary (German) McDowell ;

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he was born in Virginia, and his wife in Maryland ; the grandfather, Mark, was born in Pennsylvania, but the great-grandfather came from Ireland ; Alexander and Mary were parents of twelve children, of whom five are now living, viz., Jane, now Mrs. James Estey, living in Darke Co., Ohio ; George G. ; Alexander ; James D., now in California ; Samuel D., also in California. Alexander, the father, came to this county and located in Lost Creek Township in March, 1818, being one of the early settlers ; he settled right in the woods, and cut out the first stick of tim- ber, built a log cabin and commenced in pioneer style; at the corner of the Mc- Dowell farm, in the early settlement, they erected a block-house for the protection of the families of the neighborhood against the Indians ; he has been a resident here for sixty-two years, constituting him one of the oldest residents now living in the township ; Mr. George McDowell lived with his father till about 24 years of age. Feb. 14, 1843, was celebrated his marriage with Mary Weatherhead, daughter of James and Margaret Weatherhead ; Mr. Weatherhead was born in Kentucky, his wife in Maryland, coming to this county at quite an early day ; they have had eight children, viz., Frances Jane (deceased), Samantha A., William, James A., John N., Henry H., Alice Oniska and Edith Armitta; Mr. McDowell, after his marriage, lived on rented farms for about six years, then he bought the Hatfield farm, upon which he lived fourteen years ; he then went to the farm where he now is and has since resided. Mr. McDowell is, politically, a Democrat, and has been Township Trustee for four terms and Assessor for three terms.

LEWIS C. MANNING, farmer; P. O. Casstown. Among the names of the early settlers of Miami Co. we find that of John Manning, who was born in Maryland in 1742, and was a son of John and Sarah (Hall) Manning, who removed from Mary- land to Loudoun Co., Va., when John, their son, was about 6 or 7 years of age ; soon after their arrival, they died, leaving John and a younger brother, Edmund, orphans ; they were then taken and raised by a Mr. Hutcheson, and, when arriving at majority, were among the first pioneer settlers of Red Stone country, in Penn- sylvania; here John was united in marriage with Sarah Shauhan, by whom he had four or five children, two of whom lived to grow to maturity ; the eldest, Amos, was a teamster in Gen. Wayne's campaign against the Indians ; was taken sick and died at Greenville in 1796; Betsey, the other child, was married to Bethuel Covault ; John, having lost his wife by death, was afterward married to Elizabeth Harnett, by whom he had thirteen children, ten of whom grew up and married as follows : Sarah, married Charles Hilliard ; John, married Jane Berry ; Enos, married Grassel Cox ; Nancy, married Daniel Hilliard; William, married Ruth Julian ; Benjamin, married Harriet Denman ; Edward, married Mary Danford ; Amos, married Rachel Dills; Nathaniel, married Sarah Line ; and Elias, married Sarah Frost. The four first mentioned were born in Pennsylvania, and the others in the " Northwest Ter- ritory." Mr. Manning lost his second wife by death, and was married the third time, to Elizabeth Hamlet, by whom he had one child, viz., Margaret, who grew up to womanhood and married T. J. Larsh, of Preble Co., Ohio; in the establishment of the "Mason and Dixon Line," Mr. Manning was employed, as an axman, in cut- ting through the heavy timbered lands, and, while performing this duty, took observations of this Red Stone country on the Monongahela River, where, a short time following, he settled as above related ; for some time he dealt extensively in furs and ginseng, they being at that time chief articles of export of that country ; afterward, he erected a grist-mill, which was the first one ever in that country, which he ran successfully till 1789, when he sold out, and removed to what was then known as the Northwest Territory, locating at the mouth of the Miami, at a place called Columbia ; here he remained about three years, then went up the river about eight miles to a place called Round Bottom ; here he erected a grist-mill, which was probably the first mill on the Little Miami; this mill he ran till 1799, when he sold out to John Smith, who was one of the first delegates to Congress from this Territory ; afterward, he located at what is now Piqua, in Miami Co., and here he soon erected a saw and grist mill, being the first mill in what is now Miami Co .; in the erection of this mill, the stone was hewn out of a bowlder, and the

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spindles made from old iron hinges taken from the fort at Greenville, after its reduction ; the bolting-cloths he obtained by riding to Lexington, Ky., on horse- back ; under all these disadvantages to obtain materials for the building of the mill, through the enterprise and energy of this pioneer, the work was accomplished, which proved so great a blessing and convenience to this new settlement; their appreciation of the benefits of this mill in the settlement was evidenced by the anxiety manifested for its preservation during the great freshet of 1805, which threatened its destruction, as it was surrounded by water from the overflow of the river ; Squire Caldwell, the first Justice of the Peace of Washington Township, recommended passing a cable around the mill and making it fast, to secure its safety ; but the mill stood unscathed, and remained for many years to serve the community ; Mr. Manning, with the assistance of Armstrong Brandon, in 1807, platted and laid out the town of Piqua, Mr. Brandon receiving, for his services in this work, each alternate lot ; in April, 1817, Mr. Manning's labors were finished, and he was called from works to rewards. Here ended the life of one of the most enterprising pioneers of Miami Co., whose whole life was made up of the greatest activity, and who, not satisfied with the slow routine of old settlements, continually sought wider fields for activity and usefulness; in the opening-out and establishing business in pioneer settlements, like Washington, his name will be handed down to future generations for praise and admiration. Enos, the father of our subject, came to Ohio with his father when only 2 years of age, and to Piqua when about 13 years of age; here he remained with his father till the war of 1812, when he entered the army as a teamster, and was in active service as such during the war ; was at Detroit at the surrender of Hull's army, and there lost his team, his only property, for which he afterward received remuneration from the Government; after the close of the war, he engaged in the mercantile trade in Piqua for several years, but, financially, proved unsuccessful ; he was one of the proprietors, and laid off in lots the North Addition of Piqua; he, like his father, was a very active, energetic business man, and seemed to possess the same proclivities for the milling business, having, during his life, erected three mills in the vicinity of Piqua; though not financially meeting the same success as his father, he lived through the panic, or convulsions of the war times, never wholly prostrated financially, as he had an energy and business tact which enabled him to overcome all obstacles. He was united in marriage May 16, 1816, with Grassel Cox, daughter of Benjamin S. Cox, a native of Maryland; by this union they had nine children, of whom two are now living, viz., Lewis C. and James S. (now living in Dayton, Ohio); Mr. Man- ning lost his wife by death in 1840, and, Oct. 24, 1854, he, too, passed away, with- out one moment's warning, by a stroke of palsy. Lewis C. Manning was born in Piqua March 23, 1817, and remained with his father till his death. In June, 1855, he was united in marriage with Mrs. Elizabeth Williamson, daughter of William and Elizabeth Mendenhall, who were early settlers of this county ; by this union they had two children, viz., William and Harry ; in October, 1870, he lost his wife by death, and, in 1873, was married to Mrs. Melvina Beamer, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Rossiter, who are fully mentioned in the sketch of B. V. Rossiter in this work. After Mr. Manning's first marriage, he located in Piqua, and, like his father and grandfather, engaged in the milling business; this mill he ran till 1864, then going to Shelby Co., where he ran a grist and saw mill for four years ; then back to Piqua, where he served as Justice of the Peace for six years, finally settling on the farm upon which he now resides; this farm consists of 120 acres, and is the old Rossiter homestead farm ; here he anticipates passing the balance of his life in agricultural pursuits, looking upon this occupation as one of the most independent and pleasant pursuits man can engage in. Mr. Manning, in his childhood days, obtained but a limited education ; as he possessed a naturally quick and perceptive intellect, through application and observation, combined with study, he is now a man of more than ordinary attainments, quite well read in law, and possessing & general knowledge of business, political and civil government. We have here made quite an extended sketch of the Manning family, because, as a pioneer family of

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Miami Co. of more than ordinary interest, and of active lives of labor and useful- ness, they deserve special and prominent place in this history.

JESSE MEEK, farmer ; P. O. Christiansburgh, Champaign Co. ; born in Pennsylvania Nov. 18, 1800 ; is a son of Basil and Diana (Evans) Meek, who were also born in Pennsylvania, the grandparents being from England ; the. parents removed to Ohio in the spring of 1804, when Jesse was 3 years of age, locat- ing first in Hocking Co., where they resided about ten years ; then going to Miami Co., locating on a farm near Tippecanoe, soon after the close of the war of 1812; here he continued until his advanced age demanded that he should retire from hard work and active life ; he placed the care and management of the farm with his son John, living with him, and the other children, during the remainder of his life ; in November, 1863, he died, being nearly 88 years of age, and his wife, living till March, 1864, aged 85 years ; both now lie in the family cemetery, upon the farm of Jesse Meek ; they were parents of nine children, of whom three are now living, viz., Jesse, David and Dr. Isaac Meek, of Troy; Jesse lived with his father till 23 years of age. Oct. 23, 1823, he was united in marriage with Sarah M. Dye, daughter of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Jackson) Dye, who were born in Pennsylva- nia, and came to Ohio, becoming among the early settlers of Miami Co. ; were cotemporaries of the Knoops, Gerards, Martins, etc., of pioneer notoriety of Miami Co .; by this marriage Mr. Meek and wife have become parents of nine children, of whom five are now living, viz., Diana (now Widow Morris, residing in Troy), Ben- jamin Dye (living in Indiana), Sylvester, William W. and John L. ; after Mr. Meek's marriage, he located upon the farm where he now resides, which he took right in the thick, heavy timber, his nearest neighbor being two miles distant ; soon others located near him, where they toiled and labored, aiding one another in their log-rollings, etc., being true neighbors in those days ; now, Mr. Meek has a beautiful farm, having by his labor cleared some 90 acres, and erected good build- ings, with all necessary improvements ; he has now made a continued residence here of fifty-seven years, and is nearly 80 years of age; he has given the manage- ment of the farm to his son John, who is married and lives with him on the place. Mr. Meek and wife are members of the Baptist Church, having been such for forty- five years.

REV. ADOLPHUS B. NIXON, minister ; P. O. Casstown ; born in Booths- ville, Marion Co., W. Va., Aug. 6, 1846 ; is a son of Robert P. and Catharine Caroline (Hayhurst) Nixon, who were also born in Virginia, the grandparents coming from the same State, the ancestry originally from England ; the grandfather (Hayhurst) is still living, at the advanced age of 94 years ; he was in the war of 1812, and passed through many conflicts with the Indians ; Robert and Catharine are still residents of West Virginia; he was in the Union army in the war of the rebellion, through its entire service ; they were the parents of thirteen children, of whom ten are now living, viz., Sebastian C., Adolphus, Harman A. (residing in Illi- nois, a minister of the Gospel), William A., Ella C. (now Mrs. Robinson, of West Virginia), John S. (also of West Virginia), Addie M. (living in West Virginia) Alice C. and Harvey R., twins (now living in West Virginia) and Wayland L .; Rev. Nixon lived with his parents till 24 years of age; he engaged in the occupation of farming; having obtained a good common-school education and one year's course at the Academy at Pruntytown, he now entered the Deni- son University, at Granville, Ohio, where he remained three years, when his health failing, he was obliged to desist from further prosecution of his studies ; he came to Miami Co., engaged in the occupation of teaching, which he followed about one year, and during this time was called to preach the Gospel, making his first effort in the Baptist Church at Casstown ; on Dec. 20, 1873, was regularly ordained as a minister of the Gospel. March 26, 1874, was united in marriage with Sarah Alice S. Barnes, a daughter of Abel R. and Mary Barnes, who were born in Ohio, and were parents of four children, of whom two are now living, viz., William Cro- zier and Sarah Alice S. Samuel T., now deceased, was in the war of the rebellion, where, from exposure and hardships, he contracted disease which caused his

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death five months after his return from the army ; his was one of the many lives sacrificed in the defense of our country. Rev. Nixon and wife have had one child, viz., Mamie Pearl, now deceased. Soon after their marriage, they removed to Chicago, and he took a course of study in the Theological Seminary, being engaged there one year. Having retained his pastorate in the church at Casstown and also at Lena, he returned to Casstown and took charge of these churches, remaining their pastor to the present time ; during his pastorate here the mem- bership of the Casstown Church has increased from sixty-eight to one hundred and forty members, and that of the Lena Church from seventy to two hundred and fifty members, showing a remarkable progress, and we may hope that as he is still a young man in the Master's vineyard, that, as a watchman upon the walls of Zion, the great and good work he has done may be but the beginning of a greater work in the future, and at the last great day he may have "many stars in his crown of rejoicing."

ANDREW RALSTON, farmer ; P. O. Fletcher ; born in Miami Co. Jan. 26, 1839 ; is son of Barnabas and Melinda (Welchhans) Ralston. He was born in this county Aug 9, 1807, being probably one of the oldest men now living who was born in Miami Co. His wife, Melinda, was born in Warren Co., Ohio. The grandfather, Allen Ralston, was born in Scotland, and came to this country with his parents when only 3 years of age, arriving in the last ship which was permit- ted to come over prior to the Revolutionary war. The mother of Barnabas was a daughter of Barnabas Blue, of pioneer history in the early settlement of this county. Barnabas and Melinda were the parents of five children, viz., Jacob, David, Catharine, deceased; Mary, deceased, and Andrew. Barnabas, the father, has always from his birth lived upon the same section of land, Sec. 22, and after his marriage he settled, cleared and cultivated the farm from its native woods. Mr. Ralston, our subject, has lived with his father most of his life, being unmar- ried, and having taken charge of and carried on the farm for several years. Politi- cally, he is a Democrat. In August, 1862, during the war of the rebellion, he enlisted in the 110th O. V. I., and served till the close of the war ; he was in the battles of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania Court House, Cold Harbor, Petersburg and several engagements under Gen. Sheridan in his Shenandoah Valley cam- paigns of 1864 ; he was sent back to the Potomac army, with which he remained, taking part in the many engagements that occurred up to the close of the war; in the final engagement at Petersburg it was their 6th Corps, as declared in a speech of Gen. Mead, that broke the rebel lines and caused the evacuation of Petersburg, and, consequently, of Richmond ; then followed the surrender of Gen. Lee, which glorious sight was gladly and fully witnessed by Mr. Ralston.

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The History of Miami County, Ohio, Part 70

Author: W. H. Beers & Co. Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1051

Author: W. H. Beers & Co.
Publication date: 1880
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1051