The History of Miami County, Ohio, Part 87

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

USA > Ohio > Miami County > The History of Miami County, Ohio > Part 87

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WILLIAM H. BARE, farmer ; P. O. New Carlisle, Clark Co., Ohio; was born in York Co., Penn., June 20, 1831, and removed with his parents to Cumberland Co., where they remained about nine years ; they emigrated to Ohio about 1851, and stayed awhile in Clark Co., Ohio; his father then bought 80 acres of land in Bethel Township, Miami Co., where he spent the remainder of his days, departing this life June 9, 1878, in the 70th year of his age. The subject of this sketch has always followed agricultural pursuits, and now owns 50 acres in Sec. 6, adjoining Y

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the home place ; in connection with his farming, he trades in notes, and loans money ; forty-two years elapsed before there was a marriage or a death in his father's family, when, on the 15th of June; 1873, William H. Bare was united in marriage with Almira Thompson, who was born in Miami Co., Ohio, Dec. 16, 1836; she is a daughter of Mark and Rebecca Thompson, natives of New Jersey, who came to this State in 1831.

JOHN BLACK, saw-mill; P. O. Brandt ; born in Bethel Township, Miami Co., March 31, 1832 ; is a son of Adam and Elizabeth Black ; he worked on the farm till 21 years old, when he came to Brandt, and, with A. Uptegraft, built a saw- mill, which he ran for about seven years; he then traded his interest in the mill for land in Shelby Co., but rented the mill and continued the business ; for three or four winters he carried on coopering also ; from the time he commenced in Brandt, in 1853, to the present time, with the exception of about one year, he has worked on a mill, owning different mills, and the same mill at different times; the firm at present is Black & Hower ; besides their custom-work, they handle about 100,000 feet of lumber annually ; in the spring of 1860, he purchased eight acres of land south of town, and located on it in the fall of the same year ; he has made considerable improvement on his lot, and, at intervals, made additions to it, till he has, in one body, 42 acres ; besides his half-interest in the mill, he has also five lots in Brandt. He has been a member of the Board of Education for twelve con- secutive years, Assessor one year, and, at the last spring election, was elected to his fifth term as Township Treasurer. On the 24th of May, 1855, he married Susan Swanger ; she was born in Pennsylvania May 12, 1836, and brought to this State while young ; her father died soon after their arrival here, and she was adopted in the family of Lewis Gearhart, where she grew to womanhood; John and Susan Black are the parents of two children-Luvina, born April 5, 1856, and Charles R., born Jan. 5, 1869. Mr. and Mrs. Black and daughter are worthy members of the M. E. Church.

JOHN W. BLACK, teacher, Brandt ; is a son of Adam and Julia Ann Black, and a grandson of Adam and Elizabeth Black ; she was a native of Virginia, but came with her parents to this county very early, her father having served in the Revolutionary war. Adam Black, the grandfather of our subject, was a native of North Carolina, and came to Bethel Township, at a very early date ; he, in part nership with his father and brother, bought 160 acres of land of Thomas Cora, who had entered it some time previous ; this they afterward divided, the father taking 60 acres, and the sons each 50 acres. They were carpenters, and did some work at millwrighting in connection with the improvement of their homes. Adam Black, the father of our subject, now owns the 50 acres formerly owned by his father. He was born on this place Jan. 23, 1828, and, with the exception of about three years, has made it his home. In 1849, Sept. 20, he was united in marriage with Julia Ann McEffee, who was born in Maryland July 4, 1831, and emigrated to Ohio in about 1839. Adam and Julia Ann Black are the parents of seven chil- dren-John Wesley, born Jan. 7, 1850 ; Albert, born Jan. 14, 1853; Emma E., born July 18, 1854 ; Amanda, born July 28, 1856 ; Adam, born Dec. 31, 1857 ; Clara, born March 24, 1860 ; and William, born July 18, 1869. John W. has been a teacher for several years, and also has an interest in a drug store in Brandt.

B. F. BLESSINGER, dealer in dry goods, groceries, etc., Brandt ; is a son of George W. and Mary (Keting) Blessinger ; they were natives of Berks Co., Penn., but came here in an early day ; at the present time they are residents of Adams Co., Ind. B. F. was born in Brandt, Miami Co., Jan. 8, 1849 ; he worked on farms through the summer, and attended school during the winter seasons, and received a good education ; he carried on farming for several years, and in 1875 engaged in the grocery business in Dayton, handling staple and fancy groceries; in 1878, he located in Brandt, and established a general store ; in connection with this, he runs a branch grocery store at Grange Hall, String Town, which was established in 1880 ; he is doing a thriving business at both places, and carries on farming at the same time. On the 13th of October, 1869, he was united in marriage with

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Zerada Bodiker, who was born in Bethel Township, Miami Co., Ohio, Oct. 7, 1852 ; she is the daughter of William and Catharine Bodiker, old residents of Bethel Township. Mr. and Mrs. Blessinger are the parents of two children-Charles W., born Jan. 24, 1871 ; Blanche Viola, Dec. 6, 1872.

JOHN BROWN, farmer and stock-raiser ; P. O. New Carlisle ; was born in Frederick Co., Md., June 25, 1819 ; his father, Thomas Brown, was also born in the same county and State in 1795 ; he married Susan McAfee, a native of Penn- sylvania ; in 1838, they came to Bethel Township, where his death occurred Dec. 27, 1854 ; his wife having survived him a number of years, died May 16, 1867, in her 78th year. Our subject came to Ohio with his parents in 1838, and followed the occupation of coopering and farming until 1855, at which date. he purchased 300 acres of his present place, to which he has since added until he now owns some 425 acres, nearly all of which he has accumulated by his own hard labor and industry ; he has now one of the best farms in Miami Co., with improve- ments and buildings second to none ; has a fine brick residence, surrounded by a pretty lawn dotted here and there with trees and shrubbery, with neat and even walks leading to and fro, and a beautiful fountain, tossing high its spray ; the arrangement and order of all displaying much taste and labor. The writer, when directed to the farm, was told that he would know it by its village-like appearance, so numerous and nice were the buildings. He now has 350 acres under cultivation, and gives employment to a number of men, one of whom has been in his employ. twenty-three, and another twenty-two years. Mr. Brown, for many years, has dealt largely in stock, shipping extensively to Cincinnati, Boston and Eastern markets ; also, at the same time was engaged in burning lime, which he yet con- tinues, Dayton being his market ; he is also the senior member of the firm of John Brown & Sons, manufacturers of Iron Monitor Wind Engines, etc., etc. In fact, we can say of Mr. Brown, his life has been a busy and successful one, and we trust that he may be spared many years to enjoy the fruits of his labors. He was united in marriage with Catharine Blickinstaff March 28, 1843; she was born in Frede- rick Co., Md., March 4, 1821, and came to Monroe Township with her father, Chris- tian Blickinstaff, in 1836 ; her mother's maiden name was Catharine Hawver. Mr. Blickinstaff died Dec. 1, 1869, in the 86th year of his age, and Mrs. Blickinstaff died April 5, 1859, in her 75th year. The children of John and Catharine Brown were four sons and two daughters, of whom three sons and one daughter survive -L. Tobias (who married Sarah M., daughter of Jacob Shroyer), Hattie L., John O. (married Mary Alice, daughter of John McConnaughey), the two older sons being partners with their brother in the manufacture and sale of Iron Monitor Wind Engines.

HIRAM BROWN, nurseryman ; P. O. Brandt ; is a son of David and Sarah (Giesseman) Brown ; he was a native of Maryland, but came to Ohio at an early day, with his parents, who settled in Bethel Township, north of Brandt. Here he remained till the time of his marriage with Sarah Giesseman, when he moved on his father-in-law's farm, and remained a number of years; in 1855, they moved to Brandt, where they have since resided ; Hiram was born June 9, 1846; he received a good common-school education, and also attended the Academy at New Carlisle two winters ; for about twelve years he has been engaged in teaching, and for ten · years has also followed the nursery business ; he was elected Township Clerk in the spring of 1870, and has held the office ever since ; was also elected in the spring of 1880, for his fourth term as a Justice of the Peace ; has been Assistant Superin- tendent of the schools of the township for two years, and Superintendent four years ; in 1875, he was the Democratic candidate for County Treasurer. In 1869, June 10, he married Hattie S. Gantz, who was born in Bethel Township, Miami Co., Sept. 22, 1848; by this union they have had four children, three of whom are living -- Maud V., Velma I. and Glendora.

JOHN M. C. DEAN, carriage and wagon maker, Brandt; was born in West Virginia Aug. 10, 1828, and came to Ohio about 1839 ; he located in Clark Co., near Carlisle, and worked on farms at different places till, in 1848, he commenced

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learning his trade; he worked as apprentice and journeyman until, in 1850, he moved to Elizabeth Township, Miami Co., near McKendrie Chapel, and com- menced business for himself; two and a half years afterward he bought property in Brandt and started a shop, this has been his home ever since; although left an orphan at the age of 9, he managed to support himself, and at the same time, get a common-school education ; he has served as Magistrate in Bethel Township nearly fifteen years ; was Postmaster from Lincoln's first administration to February, 1879, when he resigned ; served one term as Township Clerk and several terms as Trustee. In 1849, Dec. 31, he married Louisa Giesseman, a native of this town- ship, born Sept. 30, 1832 ; the fruits of this union were two children-Gordon T., born Aug. 26, 1850, and Winfield S., June 16, 1854, and died Feb. 5, 1856.

WILLIAM DINSMORE, farmer ; P. O. Brandt ; born Sept. 25, 1842; is a son of J. J. Dinsmore, of whom mention is made in the sketch of R. G. Dinsmore; his occupation has always been that of a farmer ; in 1871, he and his brother, J. A., bought 162 acres of land in Sec. 13, where he has since resided; he also served in the late war. On the 1st of June, 1871, he married Sallie A. Brenner, of Mont- gomery Co., born Sept. 6, 1850, a daughter of Jacob S. and Sarah Ann Brenner; the fruits of this marriage are two children-Clara Bell, born Aug. 7, 1872 ; and Allen M., Dec. 31, 1874.

ROBERT G. DINSMORE, farmer ; P. O. Tadmor, Montgomery Co., Ohio ; born in Bethel Township Dec. 20, 1837 ; is a son of J. J. and Maria (McConnaughy) Dinsmore ; he was born in Fleming Co., Ky., Dec. 1, 1805 ; at a very early day he was brought to the territory now comprising Greene Co., not more than ten miles from his present residence ; in 1817, he removed to Montgomery Co., and, in 1819, to Brown Township, Miami Co .; his home has been in the county ever since that time, at present residing in Bethel Township; his father was the first Justice of the Peace and one of the first Trustees of Brown Township after its organization. Our subject was bred a farmer, and has followed that business all his life, except four years which were spent in the service of his country in the war of secession. He entered as a private Oct. 29, 1861 ; his first appointment was for Fourth Ser- geant, afterward Second and then First Sergeant ; he served about one year 88 First Lieutenant ; after being mustered out, he received a complimentary commis- sion as Captain ; he was taken prisoner at Clarksville, Tenn., but was paroled immediately and sent home, where he remained a short time ; besides his honorable discharge, he bears the scar of a wound in the arm, that testifies to his participa- tion in the service. In 1870, he bought 80 acres of land in Sec. 19, where he now resides. Oct. 31, 1877, he married Belle E. Murray, born March 1, 1848, who is a daughter of George A. Murray, of Shelby Co., at present, but formerly one of the prominent men of this county, having served as County Treasurer two terms; he was an Anti-slavery man, as well as his father before him, and, in fact, the same spirit is handed down to his daughter ; the fruits of this union are two children- George Murray, born Sept. 20, 1878 (deceased), and Lida Faith, born Dec. 20, 1879.

JACOB R. DUNHAM, retired farmer ; P.O. New Carlisle, Clark Co., Ohio; is a son of Ross and Sallie Dunham, natives of New Jersey, who emigrated to Indiana about 1817, where they remained till, in 1821, they came to Miami Co .; here they spent the remainder of their days, living in different places in the county ; they were among the very early settlers, and commenced right in the woods, when they were obliged to "blaze" trees in order to find a neighbor's house; in those days they had no lucifer matches, and, if the fire was allowed to die out, they would borrow a brand from a neighbor ; Ross Dunham died in 1865, the night after the assassination of President Lincoln, at the age of 78 ; his wife survived till 1870, and reached the age of 86 years. The subject of this sketch was born in New Jersey Feb. 18, 1815, and, being brought up on the farm, was accustomed to all the hardships of pioneer life ; he used to think it recreation to pick brush at night by the light of a large brush-heap fire ; he never enjoyed the privilege of attending school until old enough to pay his own tuition, and then only for a short time; st the age of 20, he learned the shoemaker's trade, which he followed fifteen years, and

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then went to Shelby Co., where he engaged in farming till 1865 ; he then moved to Brandt, Miami Co., but held his farm in Shelby Co. till the next year ; in 1866, he purchased his present farm of 129 acres in Sec. 11, Bethel Township ; this is now in a good state of cultivation, and has fine improvements. Aug. 1, 1839, he mar- ried Anna Black, a native of this township, born April 13, 1820 ; she is a daughter of Adam and Elizabeth Black, of whom mention is made in the biography of John W. Black; by this union they had two children-John B., born June 3, 1840, and Mary E., born April 15, 1843 (now Mrs. Amos P. Aley, and lives in the same house with her parents) ; John B. would soon have completed a collegiate course at Delaware, Ohio, had he not volunteered to serve his country in the war of seces- sion ; he first enlisted for three years, but, being one of Fremont's body guard, he was discharged at the time of Fremont's removal from office; he then served a three-months term, and finally went as a substitute with the 100-day men, but never returned ; his death occurred at Ft. Whipple, Va., near Washington, Aug. 7, 1864; he was a member of Co. E, 145th O. N. G. Mr. and Mrs. Dunham have been consistent members of the M. E. Church for about forty-five years.

JOHN S. FERGUS, farmer ; P. O. West Charleston ; born in Bethel Township, Miami Co., Dec. 4, 1819 ; is a son of James and Rachel (Mars) Fergus ; they were natives of Rockbridge Co., Va., but came to this township in 1807 and bought 160 acres of land, of which 12 acres was partially cleared. The remainder of the farm he had improved, but followed tanning himself. He was commander of the militia in the war of 1812 but was never called to active service, and was one of the County Commissioners in the days when they were the tax collectors. He helped to "lay out" the county, and was its representative for three terms. A short time previous to his death he moved to West Charleston. He was taken ill at his daughter's in Tippecanoe, and was never able to be taken home. His death occurred Dec. 27, 1855, at the age of 71 years 10 months and 12 days. Our sub- ject was raised a farmer and followed that business till he arrived at the age of 29 years. He then bought property in Tippecanoe, and engaged in the grain trade for two years, at which time he bought the farm on which he now resides. He has recently sold 54 acres to his son, but still owns 90 acres in Sec. 26, which is well improved and in a good state of cultivation. In 1844, Nov. 21, he married Susan Black, a native of Clark Co., born Sept. 5, 1823. The fruits of this marriage are three children-James Corwin, born Nov. 28, 1845; Samuel R., Oct. 27, 1848; John Franklin, March 8, 1863.

SAMUEL R. FERGUS, farmer ; P. O. West Charleston ; born Oct. 27, 1848; is a son of John S. Fergus, whose biography will appear in this volume. Our subject was bred a farmer, but has also been a teacher for about seven years. He has recently purchased of his father 54 acres in Sec. 26, where he now resides, and is engaged in agricultural pursuits, but will probably teach a portion of the time. In 1873, Dec. 30, he was united in marriage with Priscilla Freeman, a daughter of R. M. Freeman; she was born Dec. 7, 1850. They have two children-Guy C., born Jan. 7, 1875, Clyde, Aug. 29, 1878.

JOHN FILBRUN, retired farmer; P. O. Brandt ; born in Rockingham Co., Va., Jan. 19, 1826 ; is a son of Peter and Elizabeth Filbrun; they came to Ohio in 1829, and stopped for awhile in Montgomery Co., and then moved to Clark Co .; in a few years, however, they returned to Montgomery Co. and remained there until their children all married and left them ; they then came to Bethel Township, Miami Co., and built a house on their son's farm, where the remainder of life was spent. The subject of this biography had located here in 1848, five years previous to his parents' coming ; his first purchase was 120 acres of land, which was partly improved ; the buildings and most of the other improvements have given place to those of the best quality ; he has a peach orchard of 800 trees four years old, that promise more than an ordinary crop this year, and also an apple orchard of four acres, with a good variety of fruit ; this farm, like many others of this vicinity, has on it a fine spring ; upon the whole, it is a very desirable farm ; besides all the improvements made, he has, at intervals, purchased land until he owned the

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south half of Sec. 9; but has recently sold 5 acres to his son David leaving him 315 acres in one body, and in a high state of cultivation. In 1845, Oct. 23, he married Lydia Heck, who was born Nov. 10, 1827 ; by this union they had nine children, four of whom preceded her to their eternal home; after many years of affliction, and having been an intense sufferer for several months prior to her death, she departed this life April 28, 1880, a consistent member of the German Baptist Church, with which she had been identified for about thirty-six years.

P. B. FISHER, blacksmith ; Tadmor, Montgomery Co. ; born in Clermont Co., Ohio, Aug. 30, 1840 ; is a son of Alexander and Mary (Brown) Fisher; he was also a native of Clermont Co .; at an early age he learned the blacksmith trade and followed it all his life; in 1858, he located in Bethel Township, Miami Co., where his widow and son still reside; she was born in Shenandoah Co., Va., April 9, 1809, and came to Ohio with her parents, who located in Preble Co., Ohio, near Eaton, where she lived at the time of her marriage ; they were the parents of seven children, three of whom are still living-David B., living in Eaton ; Preston B. and Elizabeth J., now Mrs. Warner, residing at North Manchester, Ind. ; Alexander Fisher departed this life April 19, 1875. The subject of this sketch learned black- smithing with his father ; he spent nearly three years in the war of secession and lost his right footand leg to the knee, having been wounded between the ankle and knee, in the battle of Kenesaw Mountain, June 27, 1864; this of course put an end to his service, and he was honorably discharged ; although crippled, he still swings the hammer, by which means and the help of his pension, he supports his feeble mother and himself ; he owns a lot of two acres in Sec. 25, of Bethel Township, and thus far has lived a life of celibacy.

ROBERT M. FREEMAN, farmer ; P. O. Tadmor, Montgomery Co .; born Aug. 29, 1803 ; is a son of John Freeman, who came to Miami Co. in the spring of 1806, and settled in Monroe Township; he and his father, Samuel Freeman, entered a very large tract of land, a part of which they improved. From the proceeds of the part they sold they erected a mill, the second one built in the county ; this mill had but one buhr, and of course all kinds of grain were ground on it. Several years elapsed before they did any bolting, and when they commenced using a bolt, the party whose grist was grinding was obliged to turn the bolt. They suffered three losses by fire, one resulting in the destruction of their grist-mill, and two of their saw-mill on the same race. By perseverance and industry, however, they overcame their misfortunes, and finally built a four-story mill, with three run of buhrs, and did a flourishing trade. Our subject was the oldest of thirteen children, and was brought up on the farm and in the saw-mill ; at the age of 25, he commenced business for himself; in the spring of 1834, he settled on the farm given his wife by her father, David Puterbaugh ; this farm he has cleared up and improved. Elis marriage with Mary Puterbaugh was celebrated March 27, 1827 ; the fruits of this union were ten children-David, Isaac, George, John, Daniel, Hannah (de- ceased), Elizabeth, Minerva, Henrietta and Priscilla. Mrs. Freeman died May 10, 1869 ; and in 1872, Nov. 28, he married Mrs. Ann Winans, a native of England, and a daughter of Henry J. Hyatt, a very early settler of this county. Mr. and Mrs. Freeman are now living a very quiet, happy life on the old farm.

ISAAC FREEMAN, nurseryman ; P. O. New Carlisle, Clark Co. ; born in Bethel Township, Miami Co., Ohio, May 4, 1832 ; is a son of R. M. Freeman, whose biography will appear in this work. He worked on the farm till he arrived at the age of 22, and then attended a select school at New Carlisle two years ; in the spring of 1856, he went to California, and there spent about thirteen months in the northern part on Willow Creek, one of the tributaries of Feather River. From Dec. 1 to the middle of March, the snow was twenty-two feet deep on the level, and for twenty days they were shut off from everything, and then only by means of a tunnel, did they succeed in getting up to view the "beautiful snow," and walk twelve feet above the top of their cabin. The remainder of his stay in California was spent further south, partly in the mines on the Stanislaus River, about 250 miles south, and the remainder of the time in a farming region still further south ;

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he returned in 1858, and lived in Dayton till the next year, when he purchased 7 acres of land in Bethel Township, and in 1861, established a nursery. This was commenced on a small scale, but he learned the business as it progressed, and now the sales from his own growing amount to $3,000 annually. He owns 536 acres of land in this State and in Kansas. On May 5, 1859, he married Sophia S. Staf- ford, who was born in Bethel Township, Miami Co., Aug. 1, 1837 ; she is a daugh- ter of James S. Stafford, an old settler here, and one of the prominent men of the township, having been Squire sixteen years in succession ; in 1864, he moved to Carlisle, and departed this life Sept. 8, 1878, aged 75 years 7 months and 23 days. Isaac and Sophia S. Freeman are the parents of four children-Dayton L., born March 2, 1860 ; Charlie M., born March 7, 1862 ; Walter, born Sept. 17, 1870 ; and Grace, born June 17, 1873.

GEORGE GESSAMAN, farmer ; P. O. Tadmor, Montgomery Co., Ohio ; born in Bethel Township, Miami Co., March 19, 1819 ; is a son of George Gessaman, a native of Pennsylvania, who came to Ohio in the fall of 1805, and entered 160 acres of land in the above-named township. He made his home with his brother- in-law, Simon Shaffer, of whom he afterward purchased 22 acres. While living with Mr. S. he did considerable toward converting the forest into a home. About 1809 or 1810, he married Elizabeth Black, a native of North Carolina, who also came here at an early day. They were the parents of three children-Catharine, Susan, and George, who now owns the home farm in Sec. 25 ; since he owned the farm he has made improvements, in the way of clearing, and erecting the present buildings. In 1839, Nov. 7, he was united in marriage with Melinda Flook, born in Maryland Sept. 22, 1820 ; by this union they have had thirteen children, of whom eight are living, viz .: Margaret (now Mrs. Wolf), Louvina (now Mrs. Curts, in Iowa), Martha (now Mrs. Heffner, near Dayton), Charlotte (now Mrs. Swallow, near Frederickstown, Montgomery Co.), Lewis C., William L., Sylvester G. and Ulysses Grant.

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The History of Miami County, Ohio, Part 87

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