The History of Miami County, Ohio, Part 96

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

USA > Ohio > Miami County > The History of Miami County, Ohio > Part 96

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Order. The third son, Col. Samuel S., volunteered in the regular army, in Sep- tember, 1861, as a private, but was soon after appointed 2d Lieutenant, upon the recommendation of Gov. O. P. Morton ; he afterward rose, by his own efforts, to the rank of Major, and was brevetted Colonel for meritorious conduct ; he is now in charge of mines near Leadville. He married Miss Hill, daughter of John Hill, of Indianapolis. Asenath E., deceased wife of James Kerr, since removed to Illinois, and left a large family of children ; the fifth child of Samuel and Mary, was Nancy D., Mrs. Kerr. Joseph and Charlotte H., were twins ; Joseph was a soldier in the rebellion, a member of the 11th O. V. I. ; he served for more than a year, and was discharged for wounds, for which he draws a full pension. He has since married the only daughter of Jonathan Drake, and reared a very interesting family of six children ; he is a prominent advocate of the cause of temperance. Charlotte H. married Augustus D. Grosvenor, son of Daniel Grosvenor, one of the oldest lawyers in the State, and resides at Clarinda, Iowa.

MRS. ELIZA (WRIGHT) CULBERTSON, retired, Troy; the lady of the above name was born in Niagara Co., N. Y., in 1811. Her parents, Porter and Louise Wright, were born in Vermont, and removed to the above county at an early day, during one of the terrible Indian wars that infested that country ; there they lived a number of years; her mother dying, her father came West, and in the State of Indiana departed this life. She has been thrice married, first with Nathaniel Heywood, in 1830, by whom she had five children, two living, viz., Will- iam H. and Alexander M .; Mr. H. died in 1840, aged 41 years. Her second mar- riage was with Daniel Bates, in 1843, by whom she had two children-Harriet L. and Eliza A. ; Mr. B. died in 1850, aged 38 years. Her third and last marriage was celebrated with Samuel Culbertson in 1857; he departed this life in April, 1876, aged 77 years. She has lived in Troy twenty-seven years. Death has been a fre- quent visitant to her family, but with true Christian fortitude she awaits the call that will again unite the ties that have been severed.

WILLIAM CURTIS, farmer ; P. O. Troy ; Mr. Curtis is a man to whom we gladly give space in our biographical department. He is a self-made man, having started in life with very limited capital ; he is now reckoned as one of the wealthy men of the township ; and his farm is perhaps the equal of any for beauty and fer- tility. He was born in 1824 in this county. His parents' names were Hiram and Jane Curtis. Hiram was born in North Carolina, and came to Ohio when 7 years of age. Jane Sheets, the mother of William, was a native of Pennsylvania. During the war of 1812, Hiram helped supply the army with provisions. This lovely land was then the home of the Indian, wild deer and wolf. To-day it is the model of civilization and prosperity ; the heavy woodland has given way to the ax of the pioneer, and, in its stead, a heavy harvest is being gathered. William was married to Miss Sally Freese June 24, 1849 ; her parents were natives of North Carolina and were of German descent. William and Sally Curtis have had thirteen children, of whom twelve are now living-Sarah A. was born in 1850; Mary J. in 1851; Francis Z., July 25, 1853; William D., April 17, 1854; Martin A., April 5, 1856 ; Elwood J., Jan. 3, 1859 ; Peter H., Oct. 3, 1860 ; Calvin D., June 11, 1862; Lydia B., Nov. 5, 1863; Nannie E., Sept. 3, 1865; Minnie M., May 13, 1867 ; Burnette, Feb. 9, 1869, and Charles H., July 10, 1871. Calvin is the only member of the family that is not living. Sarah A. is the wife of David Stahl, and resides in Darke Co. All the other children live in this county, and have married well, Mr. Curtis has always been noted for his integrity, and has for several years been connected with the public schools in an official capacity. Both Mr. and Mrs. Cur- tis are members of the Christian Church, and live in accordance with its teachings. They have an elegant residence and live well, as Mr. Curtis is a generous provider. He never voted any other than the Republican ticket, but takes very little part in politics.

JOHN W. DEFREES, editor of the Miami Union, Troy ; son of John and Mary Defrees, was born Nov. 4, 1809, in Rockbridge Co., Va .; came with his parents to Piqua, Ohio, in December, 1814; remained with his

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father, who settled in the woods, two and one-half miles south of Piqua, until the fall of 1836, having aided, from the time he was large enough to do even the lightest work, in clearing up and cultivating the new farm ; left home in October, 1836, going to Goshen, Ind., where he took a position with the late John L. Meredith, in a store belonging to Mr. Wm. Barbee, of Troy ; returned home in 1837, and, in March, 1838, accepted a clerkship in the store of the late Win. Scott, where he remained three consecutive years ; left the store in April, 1841, and, in the succeeding fall, purchased the office of the Piqua Intelligencer, remod- eled it, and commenced the publication of the Piqua Register, which he continued to publish uninterruptedly until January, 1857, when he sold out ; during the latter part of the time, the paper was published three years semi-weekly, and then changed to a tri-weekly, and as tri-weekly and weekly ran four years ; after selling the Register office he spent one year on a farm, when he was nominated and elected County Auditor, serving two terms, retiring in 1863 ; at the close of 1864, at the solicitation of a number of prominent men of Troy, he brought on a new office, and commenced the publication, Jan. 1, 1865, of the Miami Union, with which he is still connected ; through the usual trials and tribulations attending the building up of a new paper (including the total loss by fire of an office, with all the mate- rials, books, papers, stock and a good library), by dint of much hard work and assiduous attention to business, he has brought the Miami Union up to the position it now occupies.

JOHN B. DEWEESE, engineer, Troy. The subject of this sketch was born in this county in the year 1832 ; he is a son of Joshua and Mary (Gerard) Deweese ; Joshua was the son of Samuel, the first Baptist preacher in the Miami Valley ; Mary Gerard Deweese was the daughter of Henry Gerard, who came to this county in an early day, in company with Jacob and John Knoop, who made the first settle- ment in Staunton Township, where he lived to see the county change from a wilder- ness to one of the banner counties of the State ; he was the father of twenty-two children ; Mary, the mother of our subject, was, it is claimed, the first white woman born in Miami Co., in the year 1800, in which place she lived till her decease, in 1878 ; she was the mother of fourteen children, thirteen of whom reached maturity. Mr. Deweese has always lived near Troy ; his early education was very limited, and, although he never attended school more than six months in his life, by close application and natural genius combined, he has educated himself as a successful business man ; he has mechanical genius, by which he has constructed a patent grain dump, now in successful operation ; for the past twenty-five years he has followed his trade, except during the war. Sept. 5, 1861, he enlisted in the 42d O. V. I., under Col. James A. Garfield, in whose command he remained about one year ; he was afterward under Cols. Sheldon and Pardee ; was in the fight at Paintsville, and was penned in with his comrades at Cumberland Gap ; the battles of Chickasaw Bayou, Arkansas Post, Vicksburg, and twice assisted in the taking of Jackson, Miss., and other battles of the Department of the Gulf; he was dis- charged, after three years and three months' service, at Columbus, Ohio. Oct. 13, 1852, he celebrated his marriage with Caroline A. Hosier ; they are parents of four children-Jason R., born Aug. 10, 1853 ; Charles W., born Oct. 21, 1856; Callie B., born Oct. 8, 1858 ; and Nancy J., born Dec. 25, 1860-all of whom are with their parents except Jason R., who died in his 3d year.

J. D. DEWEESE, farmer ; P. O. Troy. J. D. Deweese was born in Staunton Township, May 5, 1823 ; he was the eldest son of Thomas and Ruth Deweese, to whom were born seven children ; of this family, three of the boys, and one girl are yet living. Samuel Deweese was his first teacher and Mr. Bates the next; Gen. Webb was also a pedagogue in those days, and wielded the birch with great dignity. The education young Deweese received was a very good one, considering the advantages he had. He was married to Miss Martha L. Ruth on the 27th of June, 1844, by Rev. Stephenson. Miss Ruth was born on the 15th of September, 1822, in Lancaster Co., Penn., and resided there until a short time before her marriage. They spent no time " seeing the sights" and spending money that could in those

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times be used to such good advantage in other ways, but at once commenced housekeeping on the old home farm, where. Mr. Deweese was born. Oct. 2, 1845, William T. was born ; Matthias D. was born Dec. 18, 1847 ; he died March 13, 1870, after a lingering illness ; Andrew G., the third son, was born Jan. 9, and now lives near Sedalia, Mo. He wedded Miss Clara Counts, of Staunton Township, Jan. 28, 1874. Harry L. was born Sept. 27, 1852, and is now living with his brother Andrew on their farm, near Sedalia, Mo. On the 12th day of September, 1859, little Ruth E. first saw the light ; the joy of the parents knew no bounds, but in two short years she was laid beneath the sod, and the soft September winds sang their gentle requiem over her grave ; her demise occurred Sept. 22, 1861. Mr. Deweese purchased his present home in 1859; before his removal thither, he erected the finest residence between Troy and Piqua, on the old Piqua Pike ; the view from this residence is the equal of any in this neighborhood, and overlooks the city of Troy, the Miami River and canal, as well as the magnificent Infirmary Building, which is a credit to Miami Co. The farm, of 117 acres, is in a high state of cultivation. They removed to this farm Dec. 17, 1873, and its nearness to Troy renders it convenient to trade, church privileges, etc. Mr. and Mrs. Deweese are both members of the Episcopal Church, and have lived in accordance with its rules for the past thirty-six years. They are surrounded by comforts, and their old age will surely be one of happiness and plenty.

W. H. H. DYE, proprietor of Dye's Oil Mill, Troy. Mr. Dye, being among the oldest as well as the most influential settlers of Miami Co., naturally occupies a prominent position in the biographical department of his county's history. He is a son of William and Elizabeth (Evans) Dye, and was born Dec. 26, 1813; the father, William, was a native of Pennsylvania, from which State he emigrated to Miami Co., and located in Staunton Township in the beginning of the present cen- tury, where his death occurred Jan. 28, 1823; the mother, Elizabeth, was born in Maryland, but immigrated with her parents to Kentucky in her infancy, where she resided until her marriage ; having reached a good old age, she died in 1850, at the residence of her son, W. H. H. Dye. William, as well as the grandfather, An- drew, with whom he emigrated here, figured conspicuously among the early pioneers of the county, and in another department of our work has received a more ex- tended mention ; Andrew Dye died at the advanced age of 93 years. W. H. H. Dye, our subject, remained with his father upon the home farm, where he obtained a practical but limited education, till his 16th year, when he accepted a clerkship in Troy, which position he occupied about four years ; in 1832, he engaged in the mercantile business, in which he prospered, and in 1838, he began the distillery and milling business, by purchasing the property now known as Dye's mills, and continued this uninterruptedly until 1865, part of the time in connection with the mercantile trade ; he abandoned the distillery in 1865, and in 1877, he converted the same into an oil-mill, of which mention is made in the history of Troy. In 1871, he organized the banking house of W. H. H. Dye & Son, now known as the Miami Co. Bank. Mr. D. has prominently identified himself as a generous citizen, as well as a man of great ability in business. In 1839, he married Martha Cul- bertson, who has borne him seven children, six daughters and one son.

MRS. MARIA H. DYE, Troy. We are pleased to give Mrs. Dye a record in this history, as she represents a worthy family ; she was born Aug. 14, 1820; and was a daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth (Gerhart) Thomas ; they are men- tioned at length in the sketch of Aaron Thomas, as are also their children. Mrs. Dye's grandparents were Abraham and Susannah (Smith) Thomas, who were natives of Kentucky. The wedding of Miss Maria H. Thomas and Minor L. Dye was celebrated Oct. 27, 1840, Rev. Richard Brandriff performing the ceremony ; their children were born in the following order : Orlando W., Sept. 9, 1841; Sarah C., Nov. 1, 1842; Thomas S., Feb. 15, 1844 ; Miranda L., March 3, 1845 ; Eva, Aug. 9, 1854, and Laura B., Jan. 25, 1858. Eva's demise occurred Oct. 11, 1855. Mr. Dye was a prosperous man, and left to his widow a lovely farm near Troy ; his death occurred July 19, 1879, and of him may truthfully be said, that for

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honesty and generosity he was ever noted. He was a life-long Christian, a loving . father and a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity. His descendants, for all time, may look back with pride upon the pure record of their ancestry. Mr. Dye was interred in the Thomas Cemetery. Their eldest daughter, Miranda L., wedded Charles B. Palmer, Dec. 25, 1866 ; their children were born in the fol- lowing order : Minor J., April 13, 1868; Clinton E., April 11, 1870 ; L. T., Feb. 22, 1872 ; Charlie B., Jr., July 23, 1874 ; Wilbur G., June 19, 1876, and Hugh D., Oct. 6, 1878. Orlando W. Dye wedded Miss Jennie Brandenbury Sept. 4, 1867, and their daughter, Effie G., was born Nov. 2, 1868. Thomas S. Dye mar- ried Miss Sallie Krise Nov. 12, 1874 ; he manages the farm, and resides with his mother ; his wife is a musician of merit, having been organist of the Lutheran Church, of which she has been a member since childhood ; they have two children -Leila W. and Walter E .; Leila was born May 19, 1876, and Walter Sept. 6, 1878. The family are very intelligent, and are much engaged in intellectual culture.

JOHN C. DYE, retired farmer ; P. O. Troy. John C. Dye is one of the pio- neers of Miami Co .; born in Greene Co., Penn., Oct. 16, 1807 ; he accompanied his father to Miami Co. in 1810 at 3 years of age, and settled in Elizabeth Town- ship, where his father entered a section of rich farming land and spent the remain- der of his days. His mother's maiden name was Elizabeth Clyne, a native also of Pennsylvania, and she had fourteen children, ten of whom lived to mature age. Two of his sisters still remain, one, Sarah, married to Mr. Stattler, still lives upon the old farm, and the other, Elizabeth, was married to Mr. James Dye. The sub- ject of our sketch was raised on the home farm until he was 23 years of age, when he began life for himself as a farmer. He was married May 20, 1829, to Eliza- beth Green, daughter of George W. Green, his wife being a native of Miami Co. She died March 30, 1879. They had eleven children, four of whom have died, there remaining the following : Jane, Benjamin H., Joseph G., Sidney, Elizabeth, Eleanor and William G. Mr. Dye followed farming ever since his marriage, and also learned the trade of a miller ; his farm increased to 300 acres, and he there resided until he removed to Troy in March, 1880, having disposed of his land. Politically, Mr. Dye is a Republican, and has always been a prominent worker in the party's ranks in his township. He served as Justice of the Peace for nine years in Elizabeth Township. He has been a member of the Baptist denomina- tion for over fifteen years. His venerable father died in 1842, and his mother followed in 1855. He now expects to spend the remainder of his ripe old age in ease and comfort in. Troy, surrounded by his children and the comforts of a life well spent, a duty well performed and a promise of the future happiness that awaits the humble Christian man.

MOSES B. EARNHART, lawyer, Troy. Mr. Earnhart is a young man of about 30 years ; he was born near Fletcher, this county, and is the only son of Jacob and Philena (Branson) Earnhart. His father is a Christian minister, and his mother a daughter of Moses N. Branson. He received his early education in the common schools, and in the high school of Troy, of which he is a graduate, after which he took a course at the Miami University at Oxford, Ohio, and the Michigan University Law School, where he graduated in 1874. His mother dying in his boyhood, he afterward made his home with his uncle, Commissioner Northcut, until 1875, when he removed to Troy and began the practice of his profession. He has served two terms in the office of Mayor, discharging the duties satisfactorily. In the fall of 1879, he was elected Prosecuting Attorney of the county. He is an active worker in the affairs of the community, being Captain of Troy Guards at this time. As a practitioner, he is successful and entirely self made ; is a reticent, non-obtrusive gentleman, preferring that modest worth should win him the respect and confidence of the people ; his progress since his admission to the bar has been steady, and he bids fair to become one of the leading lawyers of the place. As a lecturer, he has a record not unworthy of mention ; he has made several success- ful efforts in that line, among which was "The Trial of Christ from a Legal Stand- point." On the 30th of July, 1876, he was joined in wedlock to Lizzie, daughter

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of David McCampbell. Mr. Earnhart is an active member in the Christian Church. MRS. LYDIA ENYEART, Troy. Mrs. Lydia Enyeart is a worthy repre- sentative of one of our oldest and best families ; she is a daughter of one of the first families in the county, and the name of Martindale is one ever associated with honor and gentility. Her husband, John L. Enyeart, came to this county in 1830, with $10 in his pocket ; he was married in 1840, to the lady who still survives and bears his name. The children were ten in number, eight survive-Sarah J. (wife of David Coppock), Hester R. (the wife of H. H. Miller), Thomas J. (married Eliz- abeth Pearson), Elizabeth (married Leander McDonald), Martha C. (is the wife of Philip White), Rebecca (married Daniel Elliot,) John (is the husband of Maggie Connor), and Mary (is Johnston Garvey's wife). Mr. Enyeart died in 1867. By industry and frugality, he was then owner of 358 acres of land, equaling any in the township, worth not less than $29,000. Thomas now lives with his mother and manages the farm. Mrs. Enyeart is now grandmother of twenty-three children. For more than a half-century, she has been a consistent member of the Christian Church ; her home is a pleasant one, near Troy, and her declining years will surely be passed in comfort.

WILLIAM A. EVANS, grocer, Troy. The subject of this sketch was born near Piqua, Ohio, in the year 1839 ; he is a son of Luke, a native of New Hamp- shire, and Rebekah (Adams) Evans, a native of New Jersey, who came to this county about forty-two years ago, and settled on a farm four miles north- east of Piqua, where he remained till the year 1869, when he removed to Piqua, and retired from active life. William A. lived with his parents on the farm, till the year 1861, when he went to Illinois, intending to try his fortune in the West. In August, 1862, at the call of his country, enlisted under Col. A. C. Hard- ing, in the 83d I. V. I. On the 3d day of February, 1863, he was wounded at Ft. Donelson, after which, he remained in the hospital for twelve months, being removed from one place to another, and suffering the effects of transportation on his already impaired health. On the 3rd of February, 1864, he was honorably dis- charged on account of his wounds. After remaining in Monmouth, Ill., for a few months, he returned to the home of his boyhood, where he remained with his par- ents till their removal to Piqua, being unable to perform manual labor, his health and constitution being broken down by army life. In the fall of 1869, the peo- ple, in appreciation of his character and services to his country, elected him Sheriff, which office he held for two successive terms. Sept. 16, 1873, while the incum- bent of the office of Sheriff, he was joined in wedlock to Sarah B. Clyde, a daugh- ter of George C. Clyde, one of Miami's oldest citizens. After retiring from office, Mr. A. spent his time in overseeing the farm, and other private affairs. In April, 1878, he opened a grocery in Troy, in connection with John C. Rogers, under the firm name of Evans & Rogers, where he continues to carry on a large trade, sup- ported by his many friends.

CAREY A. FOWLER, farmer ; P. O. Troy. Carey A. Fowler is one of our prosperous farmers, and his standing in the community gives him a place in the front rank. His parents, John D. and Nancy Fowler, emigrated from Wabash, Indiana, and settled upon the quarter section now occupied by Carey, in 1835. John was a native of Pennsylvania, but came to Brown County, Ohio, in 1804; Nancy Fowler was born in Brown County, and they were married, probably, in 1821, and afterward moved to Kentucky ; again removed to Wabash, Indiana. He was rather peripatetic, but nevertheless managed to keep about all he ever owned. Game was plenty in those days, and many of the settlers depended upon the supplies derived from this source for sustenance. The Temperance Crusade was then a thing unthought of, and whisky was almost as common as water ; Carey was the exceptional boy who never partook of the beverage, and the old men really feared that his constitution would give way, did he not drink; but nearly all of those are gone that indulged so freely ; Carey is as ardently opposed to tippling, as during his youthful days. Athletic sports were much indulged in during the early settlement of the country, and prowess, rather than intellect, was

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in favor. His first school teacher was Col. Westlake, and his first writing desk, a slab laid upon pegs driven into the logs. Teachers all knew how to handle the birch to' perfection. Carey was wedded to Miss Mary E. Murphy, Sept. 21, 1851. After a brief wedding tour, they settled on the farm upon which they now live, and where their children were born. Two sons-Frederick W. and Ulysses S. Grant; two daughters, Viola E. and Eldora M. Frederick is the husband of Miss Sarah E. Frazier, and resides on the Fowler homestead. Eldora M. is the wife of Charles Throckmorton, and resides in Brown Township. Ulysses S. is still continuing his studies, developing into a promising man. John D. Fowler was elected Justice in 1851, and removed to Troy. Carey purchased the land of him, and subsequently another 80 adjoining. He also owns property in Troy. His farm is one of the finest in the neighborhood, and has two of the finest orchards upon it, perhaps, in the township. His residence is a commanding one, and the barns and out-buildings large and well kept. He superintends his farm; works, or not, as he pleases; but devotes much of his time to reading. His library is a very good one, and constantly increasing. He is a Liberal Theologian. and a sound Republican, and for years has been Master of Troy Grange, and sets great store by this order, in which he has enjoyed great distinction. He has great faith in its moral, social, and intellectual development. John D., the father of Carey, died in March, 1871, and his mother, in 1876 ; they are lying side by side in Rosehill Cemetery.

NATHAN FRAZIER, farmer ; P. O. Troy. Nathan Frazier was born Feb. 22, 1831, and was the son of Israel and Sarah (Smith) Frazier ; his father died when Nathan was 18 months old, and his mother married John Deweese, in 1835 ; they moved to Darke Co., and Mr. Deweese bought a piece of woods, which, at that time, was called a farm. Deweese was a great hunter, and his time was spent in the chase with his dog and gun; while the boys (Deweese had three sons) did the clearing, and, in fact, all that was done. Game of all kinds was abundant, and deer and turkeys were often shot from the cabin window. His life was an oppres- sive one, and his mother persuaded him to return to his native county, which he did in the spring of 1845. His education had been wholly neglected until this time. He engaged with his brother-in-law, Solomon Kerns, and worked for him until the age of 21, when he was furnished a suit of clothes, and $100 in cash. In 1852, his brother John urged him to go with him to California, to which he con- sented, and they started, very soon after, for New York. Upon their arrival there, it was ascertained that they would have to stay ninety days before they could obtain passage, all the berths in out-going vessels having been taken. They stopped in New York one week, and, finally, concluded to return home, which was at once acted upon. Nathan's ready cash was almost spent by the time of his arrival, and he again commenced work for Mr. Kerns. Afterward, he hired to another man, for $12.50 per month. A strong attachment had been formed by Nathan for Miss Eleanor Robbins, and they were subsequently married, on the 21st of April, 1850. They had neither home, cow, horse nor sheep, and only $75 in money ; but in a small log cabin, which Nathan had built on his brother's land, they commenced their married life. In 1857, he began farming and buying stock. Year by year he prospered, and, in 1865, he purchased the handsome farm upon which he now resides, and all the substantial improvements were made by him. The fine orchard, together with the large barns and granaries, make this one of the most desirable farms in the neighborhood. Five of the six children born to them are now living-Sarah E., Mary F., Emma B., Martha J., Charles W. and James E. ; Sarah is the wife of Frederick W. Fowler, and resides on the Fowler farm ; the other children are rapidly advancing in their studies, and are developing fine musical abilities. Their home is surrounded with comforts, and the courtesy shown to friends is a fitting tribute to the teaching of their estimable parents. From a wilderness, Mr. Frazier now beholds the fields of grain, where the forests once stood. His energy may be understood, when, for his tuition, he chopped

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The History of Miami County, Ohio, Part 96

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