The History of Warren County, Ohio, Part 108

Author: W. H. Beers & Co.
Publication date: 1882
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1081

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ALEXANDER WILLIAMS, farmer; P. O. Waynesville; born in High- land Co., Ohio, Sept. 10; 1830; is a son of Alexander and Mary (Gordon) Will- iams, he a native of New Jersey and she of Virginia. Mr. Williams, when a small boy, was stolen from his home by the Indians and carried away and kept in captivity nearly four years, when, fortunately, a white trader happened among them, observed the boy and succeeded in capturing him, and brought him to Cincinnati and put up at the tavern where the landlord was an uncle to the child; he recognized the child by a small hone or whetstone which had his father's name engraved upon it, and which the child had with him when taken from his home, and which the child had carefully treasured and kept all that time; the child was now with his friends, and remained with his un- cle, who, it seems, not only kept the tavern, but ran a boat across the river for the transfer of persons from Ohio to Kentucky, and vice versa; one morn- ing very early, a man called to be transported across the river, and the un- cle sent .the boy to take him over; when a short distance from the shore, some men came hurriedly to the river and demanded the boy to return with his man, but the stranger presented a revolver to the boy's head and forced the boy to row on; at this instant, one of the men on the shore drew up his rifle and shot the stranger in the boat dead on the spot, who, it seems, was

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a criminal of some kind; this was a trying ordeal for the lad, and so frightened him that he was not fond of rowing any more strangers across the river. The child grew to manhood; was a soldier in the war of 1812; was married and became a resident of Warren County, locating near Springboro, where he re- sided till his death, about 1852, aged 65 years, his wife having died many years previously. They had twelve children; eight now survive-William, Catharine, Robert, Thomas, Samuel, Alexander, Amanda and Richard. Our subject was very young when his mother died, but remained with his father till the age of 14 years, when he received a home with James O'Neall, where he lived till his majority; was married, Aug 12., 1855, to Miss Mary, daughter of Israel and Lucy Ann (Thompson) Venard, he a native of Kentucky and she of Ohio; Israel was a son of James and Nancy Venard, and was born Nov. 21, 1796, and when about 6 weeks old was brought to Warren County; located in Deerfield Township, where they resided several years, and where James Venard died; Israel grew to manhood; was married, Jan. 20, 1828, and, after several years' residence in Deerfield Township, he removed to Butler County; in 1850, returned to Warren County and located on the place where Mr. Williams now lives, and here resided till his death, Nov. 6, 1830, aged 84 years; his wife died in 1844; they had three children; two now survive-James Harvey and Mary; she was born in Deerfield Township July 31, 1835. Mr. Williams and wife have had eleven children; seven now survive -Harry Edgar, Anna Laura, John M., Martha Jaue, G. Wilbur, Maggie May and Catharine Amanda. Mr. Williams, in 1859, located upon the farm where he now lives and has since resided.

FRANCIS A. WILLIAMSON, M. D., deceased, (late of Waynesville), was born Nov. 14, 1812, at Manney's Neck, North Carolina, near the line of Virginia; was a son of Francis and Elizabeth (Worrel) Williamson, natives of Virginia, his ancestors being of Scotch descent. Mr. Williamson was pos- sessed of a large estate, which was located partly in Virginia and partly in North Carolina, being at one time a large slave-owner, and was a very prom- inent man of that State-a man of good education and high intellectual attainments, a devoted Christian gentleman, and a minister in the Christian denomination for twenty years; a liberal thinker and progressionist, far ahead of most of his cotemporaries of that day, and convinced of the evil of slavery, he gratuitously liberated all his slaves; he was the father of six children; three now survive-Elijah, James, and Mary, now Mrs. Bryant, residing in Virginia. Our subject, at quite an early age, was sent to school and acquired a good education under the instructions of the teachers of Murfreesboro,. N. C .; he early acquired a taste for literature, and about 1832 taught a classical school in Hanover, Va., after which he read medicine with Dr. Trezvant, of Jerusa- lem, Va .; thence attended two courses of lectures at the University of Penn- sylvania at Philadelphia, and thence two courses at Cincinnati, and received his degree of M. D. in 1845. In 1837-38, he traveled over the Western States, lecturing on one of his favorite themes-phrenology; he visited jails, asylums and penitentiaries, traveling over twenty States of the Union, and occasionally delivering lectures before literary institutions. In December, 1839, was cele- brated his union with Miss Miriam Pierce, who was born in Wilmington, Ohio, in 1822; she was a daughter of Richard and Mary (Fallis) Pierce, he a native of Wilmington, Del., and she of Virginia; the great-great-grandmother, Mir- iam Pierce, was a physician and nurse in the Revolutionary war, for which services she received $700 per year. The ancestors of the Fallis family were of English descent, and became early settlers of Virginia, and were among the most prominent families of that State; John Fallis, the father of Mary, became very wealthy, owning large tracts of land in Pennsylvania, and later in life he

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owned 3,000 acres of land in Clinton Co., Ohio. Dr. Williamson and wife, by their union, had six children; four now survive-Mary, now Mrs. Cadwal- lader; Agnes E., Frank F. and Charles G. The Doctor was a successful prac- titioner of medicine and surgery forty years. In 1862, he entered into the exciting arena of the war as a Surgeon, and shortly after was, by Gen. Rose- crans, promoted to a Surgeon on his own staff. He was passionately devoted to his profession, and to the very last was a close student, ever keeping pace with the onward march of science and the unrestrainable progress of events. After the war, he settled down to the practice of his profession at his chosen home, leading a scholastic and domestic life, suited to his nature-fond of home, family, friends and books; and in their enjoyment he passed the early evening of his life, which ended before the night of old age and infirmity dark ened down upon him; he died of paralysis, July 15, 1878. His widow, Mrs. Williamson, is very pleasantly situated, having a beautiful home and residence, with the society of a loving daughter and son; she was a faithful and devoted wife, and upon whom the Doctor relied. to a great extent for his impulses of strength in his later years; she is also a physician of thirty years' practice or more, and has a noted reputation over a large extent of country for her mag- netic powers and skill in the treatment of disease, her field of practice reaching to the large cities of Dayton, Cincinnati, Richmond, Chicago and others.

ANDREW H. WILLIAMSON, farmer; P. O. Waynesville; born near Tren- ton, N. J., Sept. 4, 1819, is a son of John and Ann (Hagerman) Williamson, na- tives of New Jersey. John Williamson was a farmer in his native State, and lived and died there, departing this life in the spring of 1820, aged 35 years, leaving his widow with five small children, viz., Permelia, Eliza Sophia, Cor- nelius, Andrew H. and John, the latter being born six months after Mr. Will- iamson's death; two of the children, Andrew and Eliza, were taken and raised by their uncle, Andrew Hagerman, and the others Mrs. Williamson managed to keep and raise to maturity. About 1831, she, with her family, emigrated to Ohio and located in Warren County, where, the next year, she bought a farm in Clear Creek Township, and there resided till her death; she departed this life Dec. 6, 1859, in her 78th year of age. Our subject was about 16 months of age when his father died, and, as stated above, was raised by Mr. Hagerman, who emigrated to Warren County a few years prior to Mrs. Williamson and family. Andrew was married, Feb. 6, 1849, to Matilda, daughter of James and Catharine Boyle, he a native of Kentucky and she of New Jersey; they had nine children; five now survive-Matilda, Amanda Jane, Achsha Anna, Joseph and James. Mr. Boyle came to Warren County when a boy; was raised and married here, and has always remained a resident of this county. His wife died Aug. 21, 1877. He is a resident of Lebanon, where he has lived thirty- three years, and is now 79 years of age. Matilda was born in Warren County July 6, 1827. Mr. Williamson and wife have had six children-Sylvan S., born March 18, 1850; Luella B., March 10, 1853; Florence Rosaline, Sept. 25, 1856; Harry H., April 4, 1860; Clifford Wade, March 8, 1868; and Mary Maree, born Feb. 3, 1872. The eldest daughter, Luella B., was married, March 10, 1875, to Marion F. Ramsey, a native of Montgomery Co., Ohio, born Dec. 14, 1848, a son of Bloomfield and Matilda Ramsey, by whom she had one child, Ernest Waldo, born Dec, 29, 1876: Mr. Ramsey was killed by being kicked by a horse Aug. 13, 1880, aged 32 years. Mr. Williamson, after marriage, located on a farm near Lebanon, where he remained two years, thence moved to the old homestead place, the Williamson farm, near Ridgeville, where he resided twenty-four years. In February, 1876, they located upon their present farm. where they have since resided. This farm is known as the old Good farm, and beautifully located on a high elevation one mile east of Corwin, and constitutes a very pleasant home and farmer's residence.

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GEORGE M. ZELL, undertaker and furniture-dealer, Waynesville, born in Harrison Co., W. Va., Oct. 8, 1814, is a son of John and Mary (Tyson) Zell, he a native of Pennsylvania and she of West Virginia; the grandfather, Jacob Zell, was a native of Pennsylvania, his father being born in Germany; Jacob Zell lived and died in his native State. The maternal grandfather, Enos Ty- son, was born in Baltimore, Md., and eminent in the Quaker Church, as were also his ancestors, and noted for their philanthropy and the great aid and in- fluence they gave to the anti-slavery cause in this country. About 1787, Mr.

Tyson moved into Virginia and entered a large amount of lands under Gov. Lee, of that State, and there resided till his death, which occurred about 1820; their children grew to maturity, and most of them located in Ohio, and their mother, then a widow about 75 years of age, felt a great desire to go to her children, and though in the middle of the winter of 1829, she, aged as she was, started on horseback to make the entire journey, which she accomplished nicely -- a remarkable feat for a woman of her age; thence she resided with her chil- dren till her death, dying in Warren County in 1839, aged 86 years. John Zell, when but a boy, his mother having died, left his native State with the family who had raised him and settled in Virginia about the year 1800; there he grew to manhood and married, and became the father of twelve children- nine sons and three daughters-of whom eight now survive .- George M., Ruth H., Olive, Oliver, Edgar, Jacob, James Harvey and Benjamin Franklin; the first six mentioned were born in Virginia, and the last two in Ohio. Mr. Zell was a farmer by occupation; in the fall of 1828, he emigrated to Ohio and located in Clinton County; thence, in spring of 1836, located near Waynes- ville, where they resided till their death; she died in the summer of 1845, aged 50 years; he died in 1851, aged 60 years. Our subject, the eldest of his father's family, remained with his parents till of age, and rendered them great assistance when often they needed it in support of their large family. Mr. Zell has been twice married-first, in 1836, to Miss Eunice Kelley, a descend- ant of the old Quaker family from South Carolina who settled here in an early day; issue, three children-Harriet A., Cicero and Calvin. His wife died in the summer of 1845. In the spring of 1849, he was married to Mrs. Grace Hendley, daughter of Paul and Naomi Huston, natives of New Jersey; issue by this marriage, three children-Walter, Lola and Della; Mrs. Hendley had one child, William, by her first husband. Mr. Zell has spent his business life mostly in Waynesville; has done much for the public interests of this town and its surroundings; has been a great friend of schools and education; he took an active part in getting the system of graded schools established in . Waynesville, and has been a member of the School Board twenty years; has held many offices of the village and township, as Constable, Assessor, etc. Mr. Zell is now in partnership with his son, Walter, and George W. Hawke, in the manufacture and sale of furniture and the undertaking business, which they have successfully carried on for six years.

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PHILIP ALEXANDER, farmer; P. O. Springboro; born on the same sec- tion of land where he now lives, May 31, 1807; is a son of Andrew and Sallie Alexander, natives of Pennsylvania, who emigrated to Ohio and settled in War- ren County, on Sec. 31, Clear Creek Township, in 1798, one of the earliest set- tlers in this vicinity; here he purchased a pre-emption right for a tract of land, for which he gave " one white steer," and here he opened out right in the woods and endured all the roughness of log-cabin life. Prior to settling on the above land, Mr. Alexander was an early settler in Kentucky, and there ex- perienced much rough pioneer life; he was a soldier with the old pioneer, Dan- iel Boone, in the defense of the settlers against the Indians, and his noble wife "run out " bullets for them; those were days that tried men's souls, but these brave pioneers endured it all to make homes and prepare the way for all these comforts which the present generations enjoy; here, on the farm where he first settled, on Clear Creek Township, he lived and labored till his death, which occurred by an accident in falling from a fence, by which his neck was broken, producing instant death; this occurred July 6, 1822, aged 68 years; his wife survived him till 1861, aged 94 years. They had one son and three daughters, two now living-Betsy, now widow Wheaton; and Philip, our subject. Philip was 15 years of age when his father was killed, but remained with his mother till 26 years of age; was married, March 28, 1832, to Lydia Ann, daughter of Philip and Mary (Walter) Snyder, natives of Pennsylvania, who settled in Warren County in 1830, by this union they have had ten children; eight now survive-John Andrew, Mary Ann (now Mrs. Deacons), Sarah Jane (now Mra. Henry Trow), Harriet Elvira (now Mrs. J. Decker), Cornelia (now Mrs. Will- iam Sheets), Samuel Snyder, Philip Milton and Lydia Melvina (now Mra. Frank Inglebrant). Of these sons, John A. and Samuel S. were soldiers in the late war of the rebellion; John A. enlisted, in 1861, in the 35th O. V. I., for threel years or during the war; he served over a year, and was discharged on account of sickness, but subsequently returned and did Government service on bridges for two years; Samuel J. enlisted, in 1862, in the 2d O. V. H. A., and served through the war, and received an honorable discharge Aug. 23, 1865. Thus, while our subject performed his full share of pioneer work, he also fur- nished two sons, in a later day, to fight in defense of the rights and liberties of one of the best governments on the face of the earth. Mr. Alexander is now 74 years of age, and the entire three score and fourteen years have been spent on the same section and near the spot where he now lives; he and his compan- ion have journeyed together, bearing life's burdens and enjoying its pleasures, for half a century; have witnessed the vast changes that have taken place in the transformation of the wilderness into fine cultivated farms, with all their present comforts and conveniences; and we may hope that the present and future generations may give due honor to these worthy pioneers, who have done so much and endured so many hardships for their future comfort and hap- piness.

W. WALLACE BAIRD, miller, Springboro, Ohio, was born at Miamis- burg, Montgomery Co., Ohio, Aug. 8, 1846. He was a son of Bedent and Margaret (Silver) Baird, who were of Scotch and German descent. Our sub- jert came to Springboro in 1872 and took charge of the mechanical department of the Miami Valley College, in which capacity he continued for two years.

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He afterward purchased the old Spring Garden Mill, one of the early mills of the county, and in 1877 built a new mill near its site; since then, he has made milling his principal business. He was married, June 22, 1876, to Catharine M. Maltbie, a daughter of Arthur and Nancy J. (Moses) Maltbie; by this mar- riage, two children were born, viz., Arthur, deceased, and Mable, now living. In 1878, Mr. Baird built a fine brick residence on Main street, in Springboro, where he now lives; it is one of the finest residences in the town, and attracts attention by its commanding appearance and the beauty of its construction. WILLIAM H. BALLARD, merchant and Postmaster, Red Lion; born in Connecticut July 1, 1817; is a son of Jesse and Thankful (Warren) Ballard, natives of Connecticut, who emigrated to the State of New York; thence, about 1843, to Ohio and located in Warren County; thence, in 1846, removed to Preble County, where he died; his wife returned to Warren County, where she resided with her son, our,subject, till her death, about 1858. She, it is believed, was a grand-daughter of Gen. Warren, of Revolutionary fame; they had three sons, one only now living-William H. Mrs. Ballard was twice married, first, to a Mr. Smith, by whom she had one daughter -- Wealthy (deceased). Our subject was but three years of age when his father moved to New York State; there he grew to manhood and married, and, in 1840, emigrated to Ohio and located at Red Lion, where he has since resided-a period of forty-one years. Here we desire to revert back to the time of Mr. Ballard's arrival in this county with his family, consisting of his wife and two small children. Their worldly possessions consisted of one bed and a few household goods in one medium- sized store-box, with $1.25 in money, which he immediately laid out for medi- cine to cure his wife of the ague. The first work he did was cutting up corn at 50 cents per day; he then entered upon the manufacture of matches by hand, with a knife, having been fortunate enough to bring with him from the East a small amount of compound for the dipping of the matches; for these, he found. a ready sale, though the demand was limited; he succeeded in making enough to procure a very scanty living; he continued on, and the demand for his matches increased, and his manufacture and sale increased in proportion. At one time, to obtain timber for his matches, he walked four miles to the Shaker mill and obtained a large pine slab, and carried it home on his shoulder; this made him quite an amount of stock for trade. Having thus far traveled on foot to make sale of his goods, he now built and caused to be built a rough cheap wagon, and, in the spring of 1845, bought an old horse for $18, for which he gave his note; this was one degree of improvement in business. When his note became due, he met its payment. Thus little by little he plod- ded ou. In 1846, he obtained the appointment of Postmaster, which then paid from $7 to $10 per quarter. He then purchased a very small stock of grocer- ies; his wife attended the post office and store and to her household affairs. This yielded a small profit, while Mr. Ballard continued the manufacture of matches with increased zeal. His next step of progress was the manufacture of a machine of his own invention for splitting out his matches; this enabled him to increase the rapidity of manufacture, commensurate with the demand. Thus he continued onward and upward in progress, till he was able to enjoy a few of the common comforts of life. He then purchased a vacant lot, then an old building, which he moved on to it; continued active in business; invented more improvements on his machine, and finally purchased a small engine and boiler; employed more help and increased his volume of business and profits; purchased another property, and, from time to time, another, till at the present time, by his business and traffic, he has become one of the wealthiest men in Red Lion. After Mr. Ballard had made a good start in life, he entered upon the study of law, under and through the aid of Maj. Williams, of Lebanon,

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and. although he has never applied for admission to the bar, he has done a large practice at home and in the Probate Court. He has held the appoint- ment of Postmaster continuously since 1846, except four years under Buchan- an's administration-a period of thirty-five years, unsurpassed, perhaps, by any present incumbent in the county. This is a brief sketch of one who has arisen from poverty and obscurity to wealth and prominence by his own indus- try and energy-a purely self-made man, which has few parallels, and we hope that its presence upon these pages may in future times inspire many a poor young man with nerve and energy and induce him to "go and do likewise." Mr. Ballard and wife had six children; three now survive-George, Laura (now Mrs. Kellenberger) and Mary M.

JONATHAN J. BANER, carriage manufacturer and Justice of the Peace, Springboro; born in New Jersey Nov. 3, 1812; is a son of Isaac and Sarah (Jones) Baner, natives of New Jersey, the Baner ancestors being of French descent. Isaac was a shoemaker by trade, and followed that business in his native State till 1818; he and his family emigrated to Ohio and settled near Waynesville; thence, in 1821, moved to Springboro, where he carried on trade the balance of his life; he died, in 1869, aged 80 years; his wife survived him till 1875, when she died, aged 86 years. They had four children-Jonathan J .; Lydia, now Mrs. James Crosby; William, residing in New York City, and Joseph, who resides in Illinois. The maternal grandparents were Jonathan and Mary Jones, natives of New Jersey, who lived and died in their native State. The subject of this sketch was 6 years of age when his parents came to this county, and here he was raised and grew to maturity; when young, he learned the carriage-making business, which he has followed the greater part of his life. On Sept. 14, 1837, was united in marriage with Rebecca Ann. daughter of Isaac and Ann Thomas, natives of New Jersey, but who emigrated to Ohio and became residents of Warren County in 1805, where they lived and died, being among the pioneer settlers of the county. They had six children, three sons and three daughters; the three daughters now survive-Mary, DOW Widow Smith; Elizabeth and Rebecca Ann (who was born in Warren County in 1805). Mr. Baner and wife have had five children, all now deceased. Mr. Baner has now been a resident of Springboro for sixty years; has seen many and wonderful changes take place during these threescore years; is one among the few old settlers who have lived here for that long period of years and has taken a part in and witnessed the growth and progress of the village and sur- rounding country from its infancy to the present time. Mr. Baner is a man of remarkable kindness of heart, beloved and respected by all who know him; whose integrity is undoubted and whose word is as good as his note, and who has the unbounded confidence of his community; has held several offices of his township and village; has been Township Clerk and is now Treasurer of the School Board and of the village of Springboro and also Treasurer of the town- ship; the latter office he has held sixteen consecutive years, and is now Justice of the Peace.

JOHN M. BLACKFORD, farmer; P. O. Springboro; born in Clear Creek Township Nov. 9, 1846; is a son of Ephraim and Anna Maria (Bacon) Black- ford, he a native of this township and she of New Jersey. The paternal grand- father was Ephraim Blackford, who, it is believed, was born in Virginia, but became an early settler in Kentucky, and, in 1796, moved to Warren Co., Ohio, and settled on Section 31, Clear Creek Township, on the place now owned by Joseph Hare. At this time, there was one settler by the name of Richardson, near Springboro, on Section 7, the place now owned by Mahlon T. Janney; from this to Waynesville, there was no settler but Mr. Blackford. The rising generation can gain but a faint conception of the vast wilderness and wildness

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of this country in that day-not a neighbor near; nothing but Indians and wild beasts to break the solitude and monotony of the vast unbroken forest; not a road of any kind-nothing but blazed paths and Indian trails for miles around. Who can imagine the fortitude, courage and self-sacrifice it took to settle and open out a farm in this wilderness? The present and future generations can- not render too much honor and praise to these worthy ancestors and pioneers for the great work they did. Here upon the place where Mr. Blackford first settled, he continued to live till his death, and his remains now rest in the Clear Creek Graveyard near Ridgeville. He raised a family of ten children, six sons and four daughters, seven of whom settled in Indiana and three in Ohio, all of whom are now deceased but Ephraim, the father of our subject. The maternal grandparents were Benjamin and Rebecca Bacon, natives of New Jersey, who became settlers of Warren County about 1821, where they lived and died on the place where Ephraim now lives. The father of our subject is now 71 years of age-born and raised and has always lived on the same section where he still resides, having experienced all the roughness of true pioneer life; has witnessed the wonderful changes and transformation from the vast wilderness to the now fine cultivated farms and all the present comforts of this now rich and beautiful county. Over "threescore years and ten " spent on the same place! Such has but few parallels in the history of men. Mr. Blackford and wife have had five children; four now survive-Mary Elizabeth, now Mrs. Jacob S. Pence; Rebecca Jane, now Mrs. George R. Duke, residing in Indiana; Charles W. and John M. Mrs. Blackford died in the fall of 1855, aged 41 years. Mr. Blackford is one of the prominent farmers of Warren County. Starting in life poor, by his own industry and energy, coupled with good management, he has acquired a good competency; is one whose honor and integrity has ever been of the highest order and stands among Warren County's most worthy citizens. The subject of this sketch, the youngest son, on Nov. 19, 1868, was married to Mary E., daughter of Joseph and Rhoda Morton, natives of Warren County. By this union, they have had four children; three now survive-Anna Clara, born Oct. 1, 1869; Alice May, Aug. 26, 1871, died Dec. 31, 1876; Charles Franklin, born Jan. 26, 1875, and Walter B., born July 11, 1878. Mr. Blackford has adopted the honorable oc- cupation of farming and located on the place where he now lives in the spring of 1880.

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The History of Warren County, Ohio, Part 108

Author: W. H. Beers & Co. Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1081

Author: W. H. Beers & Co.
Publication date: 1882
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1081