The History of Warren County, Ohio, Part 124

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

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THOMAS SCOTT. farmer; P. O. Mason. The gentleman whose name we present at the head of this sketch is one of the well-known citizens of Warren

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County. On the place where he lives he was born, in the year 1827; his pa- rents, Jonathan and Nancy (English) Scott, were born in New Jersey, where they grew to manhood and womanhood and were married. In 1819, they, with their two children, William and Mary A., came to Ohio and settled on the land where their son Thomas now resides; this land was entered by Jonathan Scott, Sr., who, however, never came to Ohio. Until 1835, Jonathan, Jr., lived upon this land, at which time he removed to Turtle Creek Township, where he lived till his death, which occurred in 1841. Mrs. Scott departed this life in 1877, at the advanced age of 82 years. To them were born eleven children, eight of whom are living. viz., William; Mary A., now Mrs. Winterrowd; Samuel, Joseph, Thomas; Eliza J., now Mrs. Robbins; Levi, and Susan, now Mrs. Bradley; the deceased are Maria (Mrs. Hamilton), Asa and George. Our subject was reared to farm pursuits and in the district schools, and, through studious habits, he obtained enough of the indispensable to enable him to successfully discharge the demands of business complications. 1n 1854, he was married to Mary C .. daughter of William and Mary Bunnell, early settlers of Warren Co., Ohio; for one year after his marriage, he lived in Turtle Creek Township, after which he located on the place that has since been his dwelling-place. They are parents of. three children, two living, viz., Wallace and Thomas B .; Will- iam, deceased. Mr. Scott, with the exception of belonging to the Mason Horse Rangers, is connected with no other society. He owns 175 acres of most ex- cellent land, and his surroundings indicate the thrift and enterprise of the owner.

J. M. THOMPSON, farmer; P. O. Socialville. The gentleman whose name we present at the head of this sketch is one of the well-known and prom- inent citizens of Warren County. He was born in Deerfield Township July 7, 1831, and is a son of J. L. Thompson. a pioneer, whose sketch appears in this work. The rudiments of his education were obtained in the district schools, which were afterward developed in the Farmers' College of Hamilton Co., Ohio, in which he took a year's course, and during that time, by close application to study, he fitted himself to successfully cope with the business relations of life. Upon attaining his majority, he engaged in a mercantile enterprise in Social- ville, where he conducted a general store for five years, and was very success- ful. At the termination of the above time, he disposed of his stock and re- turned to his farm, which is the best-kept place in the township; his surround- ings and improvements are far above the average, and everything indicates the thrift and enterprise of the owner. April 29, 1858, he was married to Lottie, daughter of Henry Voorhis, of Butler Co., Ohio, who has borne him two chil- dren, viz., Charles M. and Dora E .; the former is a promising young attorney in Lebanon, and the latter the wife of E. C. Morrison. Mr. Thompson has never craved political honors, yet he has represented his party ticket in nearly ever office of the county, which, though, is largely in the minority; he has settled forty-one estates, besides settling up the old Miami Valley Railroad Company's business, which went into bankruptcy in 1879, and he was appointed Receiver in January, 1881. Be it said to his credit that in settling up so many estates he has never lost a dollar by a bad debt, nor failed to account for a cent that was charged to him; some of the estates were large, and, as all estates are more or less complicated, we consider this remarkable. Politically, he is of Demo- cratic proclivities, and upon all questions of importance he clings tenaciously to the principles of true Democracy. In point of improvement, he stands at the head of every enterprise that has been successfully carried to a terminus. Through his instrumentality, the face of the country wears a much different aspect than would otherwise have been the case, as he has done much to help change and establish roads that are now of real value and advantage to every

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citizen. In the construction of pikes and other matters of equal importance, he has always taken a leading part, which he sustained with creditableness to him- self in every instance. Withal, J. M. Thompson is a representative man, and no citizen of his township has more friends or wields a greater influence than he. During the war, he took a prominent part in the history of the township; purchased credits, raised and paid for men, and in all, disbursed $32,000; was also distributing agent to those whose husbands and sons were in the army. He belongs to the Mason Horse Ranger Company, and is one of the two men who drafted its new constitution and assisted in organizing on a new basis.

JOHN L. THOMPSON, retired farmer; P. O. Socialville. To the gen- tleman whose name heads this sketch, we are pleased to accord a place in the ranks of the early pioneers of Warren County; he was born at Red Stone, Pennsylvania, Sept. 8, 1804, and is a son of Aaron and Jane (Lee) Thompson, who were born in the same State. In 1806, they emigrated by way of the Ohio River to Ohio, and took up their residence in Butler County close to Chester. There they cleared up a farm and made a permanent home. To them were born eighteen children, of whom only two live in Warren County. The others who are living are scattered throughout the West. Mrs. Thompson died in 1827. Mr. Thompson was again married to Julia Baird, who bore him three children; he died in 1841 or 1842. Our subject was reared on the farm, and in the subscription schools he learned to read and write. He labored on the farm for his father until his marriage, which was celebrated Nov. 4, 1828, with Eleanor, daughter of David Conover of New Jersey, and at that time of Butler County; after the celebration of his nuptials he located in Deerfield Township, where he has resided to the present, and in all human probability will reside to the end. His children who are living are seven in number, and all reside in good homes within sight of their parents, their names are as follows :- James M., Finley, Willson, George D., Jonathan L., Lucinda L., and Mary A. The deceased are-Abel S., Thomas J., David M., and Eva J. Mr. Thompson when married had comparatively speaking nothing, and his father being a poor man, he did much toward assisting him, which considerably retarded his own progress, yet he struggled along gaining little by little, and soon purchased thirty odd acres of land. Their first home was on what is now the Abner Ross farm, it being then nearly all timbered land; then there was scarcely a wagon road, and everything was carried in and out of the country on horseback. By the most unrelenting labor and strictest economy this pioneer gradually over- came the obstacles which are akin to poverty, and became one of the wealthy men of his township, possessing at one time about 700 acres of land. In poli- tics Mr. Thompson is a Democrat; he has served the people of the township in capacity of Trustee for nine years; his children are greatly esteemed and are among the most respected in the county, being moral and strictly honest men and women; they are well calculated to perpetuate the record of their father, which is without a spot or blemish. He is an old member of the Company of Mason Horse Rangers. To his children he has given good homes; he was en- gaged for some time as a partner with his son J. M. Thompson, in a store at. Socialville. The grandfather of Mrs. Thompson served as Light Horseman in the struggle of the colonists for liberty.

L. C. THURSTON, horse shoer and dealer in fine horses, Mason. The subject of this memoir was born in Mason, Jan. 2, 1838. He is a son of James. and Margaret (Crone) Thurston. He was a native of Germany and her family were of Irish extraction. James T. came to Warren County in 1811, and set- tled near Foster's Crossing. He was a miller by trade and for twenty years he worked for Governor Jeremiah Morrow as his miller. He was married to Margaret Crone, in Mason, and our subject is their only offspring. He

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(James) followed the vocation of milling as long as he was able to per- form manual labor, when he went to Indiana and in Vigo County pur- chased a farm on which he lived till his death, which occurred in 1874, aged about 80 years. His wife survived him and died in Lebanon in 1871, suddenly and without a moment's warning. Our subject was reared in Mason, and with Bursk, he learned the trade of horse shoeing, in which art he is a perfect master in every particular. He began the trade at the age of 15, and in this county has worked in Corwin, Lebanon and Mason, and also in Bethany and West Chester in Butler Co., Ohio. He started in life without a dollar of capital, and borrowed $400 with which to make a start. By his large business capacity and a strict adherance to the old adage, "pluck wins," has made a property which now exceeds a valuation of $10,000. He was mar- ried in 1861, to Miss Elizabeth, daughter of Isaac Garner of Virginia, who has borne him one child, viz., John W., a promising young man of Mason and an expert telegraphist. For the present, he is cashier and book-keeper for the well-known Sam C. Bennett. Mr. T. is a great admirer of the equine species, and for fifteen years has operated largely in fancy driving stock and as a true horse man he is known far and wide.

ALFRED VOORHIS, retired farmer; P. O. Mason; was born near Lebanon, Warren Co., Chio, Aug. 26, 1807; he is the son of Daniel and Elizabeth (Tucker) Voorhis, natives of the state of New Jersey. Daniel, the grandfather of our subject, emigrated to Louisville, Ky., in an early day and soon there- after removed to Ohio settling in the vicinity of Sharonville where he remained but a short time and removed near the present village of Lebanon. He was born at Hackensack, N. J., at which place he kept an inn and was on several occasions honored with the presence of General Washington who stopped with him. He was the father of eight children and died in his Buckeye home. Daniel, Jr., the father of our subject, was united in marriage with Elizabeth Tucker, who resided near what is now the Village of Glendale, about the year 1797. He served under Gen. Wayne in the war of 1812 for a period of more than two years as a wagoner. In this union were born nine children, seven of whom are now living, viz., Clarissa, the eldest, now 82 years of age, Henry, Alfred, Eliza, Mary, Caroline A. and Manning. The deceased are Kittie and Sallie. The parents died, the father in 1858 and the mother in 1847. The early life of our subject was passed on the farm and after arriving at the proper age he labored as a hired hand for five years, receiving about $10 per month and at the end of this time had saved $300 in cash. March 9, 1831, he was married to Lucinda, daughter of John M. Snook. After his marriage, he rented land one year and then purchased 67 acres where he now lives. At the time, it was partially cleared and until a cabin could be erected, the cooking was done beside a log. Here he has resided since and has prospered. The log-cabin has dis- appeared, and a fine, commodious and comfortable house towers above the now insignificant log structure. The forest has disappeared and well cleared and highly tilled fields help complete the transformation that is so marked at every turn. At present he owns 127 acres, though formerly he owned a large tract of land which he has divided among his children, having given them property to the amount of $2,000 apiece. To them eleven children have been born, eight of whom are now living, viz, Oliver, Julia A., Elizabeth, John, Manning, Frances, Ellison ' and Marilla The deceased are Marilla, Vermillion and Rosella Vermillion enlisted in the beginning of the war in Co. A. 69th O. V. I. and saw the contest through. He was wounded at Atlanta, from which he recovered and after his return home died from asthma Manning enlisted in 1861, in the 83d O. V. L. and served throughout the war. Ellison also served in the late war, being a member of Co. A. 69th O. V. I.

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WILLIAM C. WILLIAMSON, farmer; P. O. Mason; was born in Hamil- ton Co., Ohio, in the year 1825. His parents were William Williamson and Elizabeth Irwin. She was born in Ireland and with her parents came to this country when young. He was born in Monmouth Co., N. J., where he lived till about 20 years old, when he came to Ohio and settled in Franklin where he married his first wife-Conover-who lived but little more than a year after. After the loss of her, he removed to Hamilton Co., Ohio, where he married again, of which union nine children were born-five living, viz., Ann, James I., George, Elizabeth and William C. The deceased are David, Samuel, Sarah and Mary J. and two infants. By his first marriage he had one child, viz., Thomas, who, when last heard of, lived in Indiana. Mr. W. died in 1864, aged 72 years. Mrs. W. died in 1858, aged 72 years. Though his father was a merchant, our subject was reared on the farm and he received only a limited education in the district schools, his school-days not exceeding over a period of a few months. Being a poor boy, he worked by the month on the farm, beginning as a hired hand when only 8 years old. Thus he strove till of age. Dec. 27, 1850, he was married to Delilah, daughter of Stephen and Cassandra Compton of Virginia. After this event, he lived for one year in Hamilton Co., Ohio, after which he came to Warren County and in Deerfield Township he has since lived. In 1877, he came to the place where he now resides. He owns 121 acres of land and all comfortably . improved. To Mr. and Mrs. W. have been born thirteen children-nine now living, viz., Stephen C., Elizabeth J., Will- iam H., Emma B., Mary A., Caroline, Della, Lulu M. and Freeman E. The deceased are John W., Cassandra, Lewis and an infant. Officially, he has been identified in some of the offices of the township, and as Trustee has served for eight years-an evidence of his executive ability and the confidence his townsmen repose in him. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., Mason Lodge, No. 209, Lincoln Encampment of Lebanon, No. 100 and also to the Mason Horse Rangers. He and his estimable wife have for a period of thirty-five years been consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church and it is right- fully their due, be it said to their credit, have always endeavored to discharge every Christian and moral duty to the very best of their ability. Mr. W. is emphatically a self-made man; from a poor boy of good purpose working by the month, gradually worked himself along the plane of life and though his accu- mulations were small for years, courage, good habits and industry have told in the end, and the property he now owns evidences the proof of that fact.

PETER W. WIKOFF. retired farmer; P. O. Mason; was born in Deer- field Township, in the year 1813. He is a son of Garrett and Phoba (Cox) Wikoff, who were born in the State of New Jersey, in which their early lives were passed. With their respective families they came to Warren County; he the year 1809; she with her family in 1810. They were married in Deerfield Township in 1811. Peter Wikoff and wife Catherine Tice, came at the same time, and were accompanied with their family, which consisted of eight chil- dren. In the home of their adoption they lived and died. Both were members of the Presbyterian Church. After Garrett Wikoff was married he settled on land in Section 35, where he lived for some years, when he sold out and went to Indiana; but four years latter returned to his former home. Two years after he went to Franklin, in which he lived four years, after which he returned to his old home, where he died in 1842. She died in 1862. To them were born eight children, viz .: William, Peter, Garrett, Margaret, Phoba A., Julia A., Mary J. and Catherine. Our subject was reared on the farm, and remained with his parents on the farm in Indiana, until so broken down with ague he was obliged to return to Ohio, when he worked as a hired hand, giving the pro- ceeds of his labor to his father. In 1833, he was married to Sarah, daughter

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of Major William Mason. After the celebration of this event he located on land adjoining the village of Mason. He has been successful during life, and his farm of 440 acres attests the fact. He has been no political aspirant, caring nothing for the bauble of office, and with the exception of one year he served as Justice of the Peace, has held no other office. He has been a mem- ber of the Mason Horse Rangers for thirty years. Major William Mason and wife, Sarah Murphy, were parents of Mrs. Wikoff; he was born in Pennsylvania, and afterwards removed to Palmyra, Tenn., from whence he came to Ohio, about 1798, and first settled on the Little Miama river, near Madisonville, Ohio. Here he lost his first wife Mary McClellan, and soon after came to this town- ship, in which he bought 36 acres, the present site of Mason. By his first wife he had two children, viz .- Maria and Samuel. By the second four chil- dren, viz .: Cynthia, Sarah, William and Elizabeth. At the age of sixteen he entered in the war of the Revolution, and served under Col. Hookum; for meritorious service was commissioned Major. He also enlisted in 1812, but only served a short time. He was much noted for his liberality, and at his death willed to the village of Mason 40 acres of land.

JOHN C. WODREY, farmer; P. O. Foster's Crossing. The gentleman whose name we present at the head of this sketch, is one of the prominent and enterprising German citizens of Warren County. He was born in Mecklenburg Strelitz, Germany, Sept. 14, 1822, and is a son of Jacob Wodrey, a native of the same place, who lived and died in his native land. Our subject was reared in farm pursuits and obtained only such education as the schools of this country at that time afforded. In 1850, he set sail for America, and on the 16th of August landed in New York, after a tedious voyage of sixty-three days. For four years following he obtained employment with the Vanderbilts, on railroad lines and labored in various places. In 1854, he came to Ohio, to Montgomery County, when he worked one summer as a farm hand, after which came to Warren County, where he labored for the well known Frederick Cline for two years; then worked his land on shares, but still lived with him for several years. In 1864, he purchased 75 acres of land, which, under his management has been developed into the most productive and best kept farm in his neigh- borhood. In February, 1865, he was married to Matilda Stuckland; to his second wife, Nancy E. Cline, he was married Sept. 29, 1867; one child, viz., Nancy. He was married to his last and third wife Hannah Albright, June 23, 1869, and by her has had two children, viz., John E., and Lillie M. He and his wife belong to the Lutheran Church, to which they have belonged since childhood. He is a Republican in political belief, having always voted with that party.

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HIRAM ALLEN, farmer; P. O. Harveysburg; bora in New Jersey, Dec. 6, 1818; is a son of Kenton and Delilah ( Elwell) Allen, natives of New Jersey, and emi- grated to Ohio and located in Warren Co .. near Ft. Ancient, in 1825, and here resided till his death ; his wife survived him till 1854, when she died on the place where our subject now lives; they have two children now living-Rebecca, now Mrs. Crawford, and Hiram. Mr. Kenton Allen was a farmer by occupation, a hard-working industri- ous man, a man of integrity and high principles of honor, a good neighbor and a wor- thy citizen. The subject of this sketch was but seven years of age when brought to this county, and here was raised and grew to manhood; was married to Margaret Miller, whose family and ancestral history is written in sketch of Conrad Miller ; by her he had two children-Rachel, deceased) and Susan, now Mrs. Anson, residing at Harveysburg; his wife died Oct. 1, 1876. On April 2, 1877, he married Mrs Sarah Ann Rees, a daughter of David and Mary Elwell, natives of New Jersey ; she was born Dec. 29, 1814, and emigrated with her parents to Philadelphia when one year old, and to Ohio in 1828. David and Mary Elwell had eleven children, four now survive- Sarah Ann, Susann», Anna Maria and Zeru. Mr. Elwell died in Springboro in 1852; his wife died April 27, 1862, aged 69 years ; Mr. Elwell was a man of undoubted integrity and high moral character, a member of the Masonic fraternity, aud whose funeral services were conducted under that order. Sarah Ann was first married to David F. Rees, a native of Pennsylvania, and a twin-brother of Henry Rees; both married sisters and both died within ten days of each other, aged 71 years. By Mr. Rees she had eight children, three now survive-John Wesley, Hiram, and Sus- anna, now Mrs. Joseph S. Johnson, residing at Franklin. Mr. Rees was a black- smith by trade, which business he followed for fifty-six years; an honest, upright man, well and favorably known in Springboro and vicinity, where he resided so long; was a member of the M. E. Church fifty-seven years and died rejoicing in a bright hope of a blessed immortality. Mr. Allen has always followed farming as an occupation ; is an upright, hard-working man, and a member of the Free-Will Baptist Church, to which he has belonged twenty-five years. Mrs. Allen was a member of the M. E. Church for forty-nine years; then, after her marriage to Mr. Allen, for convenience and to be in accord with him, she united with the Free-Will Baptists, with whom she has been a member four years. Mrs. Allen has been an extensive writer and contri- butor to various newspapers and especially to the Lebanon Star ; in this paper her contributions have been known over the signature of Aquilla, and have been eagerly sought and read by the public and earnestly prized and solicited by the editor. Alice, (deceased, ) daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Rees married Oscar Grifthner, of Franklin, in June, 1874; had one child, Jennie.

ISAAC H. ANTRAM, merchant, Harveysburg, born at Harveysburg Oct. 13, 1837; is a son of Aaron L. and Martha W. (Harvey) Antram; he was born in Frederick Co., Va., Oct. 23, 1807, she in Clinton Co., Ohio, May 26, 1809. The paternal grandparents were John and Ann (Hackney) Antram, he a native of New Jersey and she of Virginia. The great-grandfather was John Antram. The grand- father of our subject, John An'ram, moved from his native State to Pennsylvania, thence to Virginia, where he married, and in 1817, with his family, moved to Ohio and loca- ted in Clinton Co .; in 1825, he moved to Warren Co. and settled near Harveysburg. They had ten children-James, Lydia, Joseph, Hiram, John, Joshua, Eliza, Aaron L., Edmond and Charity Ann. Mr. Antram was a man of great energy and untiring in- dustry ; was noted for his free-heartedness and liberality, and was highly esteemed for his manly virtues and generous nature. His religious belief was with the Society of

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Friends ; he died in 1847. Aaron L. Antram was about 10 years of age when brought to Ohio by his parents ; here he grew to manhood, with the privilege of attending the common schools, such as those early days afforded, during the winter seasons. These were all the advantages which he enjoyed for obtaining an education. He also served a three-months' apprenticeship at the weaver's trade, after which he employed his even- ings and rainy days in weaving the cloth out of which the clothes for the family were made; such were the means and industry by which those early pioneers were enabled to supply the necessities of life. On April 1, 1829, Mr. Antram was married to Miss Martha W., daughter of Isaac and Lydia (Dicks) Harvey, natives of North Carolina, whose history appears in this work. By this union they had three sons-Anselem, born Jan. 1, 1830 ; Micajah T., born Dec. 27, 1834, and Isaac H., the subject of this sketch. In 1830, Mr. Antram purchased a farm near Harveysburg, upon which he remained one year, then sold his farm, and in the spring of 1831 he entered upon mer- cantile trade in Harveysburg, in which business he has continued to the present time, a period of half a century, and for over forty years has been an extensive pork dealer. Mr. Antram is a man of great force of character, and his business career has been one of remarkable success ; by industry and economy he accumulated a good competency ; he has ever taken a great interest in the cause of education, and for many years filled the office of School Director ; he is modest and retiring in his manners, and one of the substantial citizens of the community ; his wife died May 5, 1865 ; she was a woman of remarkable kindness of heart and of great benevolence; her numerous acts of charity and kindness won for her a host of friends, and her virtues are embalmed in the mem- ory of many who were the recipients of her kindly ministrations. Mr. Antram married a second companion in the person of Mrs. Barbara Roach, who was born in Clermont Co., Ohio, a daughter of Jacob Stroup. Anselem, the eldest son, married June 26, 1851, Louisa, daughter of Judge James Dakin, of Harveysburg, and resides at Wash- ington C. H., Fayette Co., Ohio, engaged in mercantile business. Micajah T., the second son, married Martha, daughter of John and Mary Davis, of Cincinnati, and is a commission merchant in that city. Our subject, the youngest son of his father, was brought up to, and thoroughly initiated in, the duties of mercantile business, and about 1868 became a partner in the firm with his father and oldest brother, which continued several years, when the older brother withdrew, and established himself at Washington C. H., and the firm was then organized as it now exists, and has continued to the pres- ent time, being the oldest established business house in Harveysburg. On Oct. 19, 1859, Mr. Antram was married to Miss Charity A., daughter of John and Edith Oyler, of Harveysburg, by whom he had two sons and one daughter-William H., born Jan. 28, 1860; Aaron S., born Jan. 14, 1862 ; Lydia M., born March 8, 1866.

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The History of Warren County, Ohio, Part 124

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