The History of Warren County, Ohio, Part 84

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

USA > Ohio > Warren County > The History of Warren County, Ohio > Part 84

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ROBERT B. CORWIN. hardware merchant, Lebanon, was born near Lebanon. Ohio, July 4, 1842. His grandfather, Ichabod Corwin, emi- grated to Ohio from Kentucky and settled near where the town of Lebanon now stands, in the autumn of 1795; he was one of the first settlers of what is now Warren Co., and from him have sprung many of the families that now people the county; he was married in Kentucky to Miss Sarah Griffin, of Bourbon Co., Ky .; by her he had three children, viz., Moses B .. William and Mary, born before he moved to Ohio, and nine dur- . ing his residence here, viz .: Eliza, Jesse B., Lucinda, James H, Elvira, Ichabod, Julia A., Robert G. and Matthias. Of these, Jesse B., our sub- ject's father, was an honest and prosperous farmer, full of wit, anecdote and fun, but a pious and Godly gentleman; he married Miss Rebecca Knox, daughter of an old family who came to Warren County from the North of Ire- land at an early day. Their union was blessed with an issue of six children, of whom Robert B., our subject, was the youngest; he received his education in the country schools and at the National Normal School of Lebanon. He assisted his father on the farm until after the breaking-out of the war, and in the summer of 1863 enlisted in Co. B, 2d O. H. A., under Capt. Oltrock; he served at Bowling Green, Chattanooga, Cleveland, Charleston, Knoxville and London, Tenn., and in the summer of 1865 was discharged from the hospital

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at Knoxville on account of a disease of the eyes, contracted while in the serv- ice. After the war he entered the hardware store of Irons & Lingo, where he remained as a clerk two years, and then, in company with J. R. Drake, opened a hardware store in Lebanon under the firm name of Corwin & Drake. He soon became sole proprietor, and has since so continued with the exception of a short time, when John Mull, Esq., was associated with him. On the 28th of December, 1876, he married Miss Sallie, daughter of Joseph and Susan (Bank- son) Baker, old residents of Lebanon. By her he has had two children, both boys, living. viz., Gilbert B. and F. Howard G. Mr. Corwin is a member of the East Baptist Church of Lebanon, and of the Odd Fellows Lodge and Knights of Pythias. He is a polite gentleman, an earnest church worker and a good citizen, but lacks the jovial humor and story-telling qualities character- istic of his father's family.

CHARLES R. COWAN, deceased, was born in Warren Co., April 5, 1827; his parents were Charles and Jane W. (McPherson) Cowan, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Kentucky. His grandfather, James Cowan, emi- grated to Ohio in 1800, and bought a large tract of land in what is now Sec. 17, on which he lived and died, and 'on which most of his children lived and died. Our subject was reared on this same farm, and in 1856 bought a farm near it, on which he died. He was married in 1850 to Miss Judah Hall, daughter of John W. Hall, by whom he had five children, of whom three, Mer- rilla J., Minnie A. and Carrie E., are now living. Mr. Cowan. although a strong Republican, never aspired to any political honors, and frequently refused office when pressed by his friends to accept.

DAVID R. COWAN, farmer; P. O. Lebanon; was born in Turtle Creek Township, Warren Co., Jan. 16, 1829; he is the son of Charles and Jane W. (McPherson) Cowan, of Warren Co .; his father was a native of Virginia and his mother of Kentucky. His grandfather, James Cowan, was a native of Berke- ley Co., Va., who emigrated to Ohio in 1800 and settled on the east half of Sec. 17, two miles west of Lebanon, where he died in 1815, leaving four sons, viz., Charles, John, James, Jr., and William, and one daughter, Mrs. Macaiah Reeder, who all, with two exceptions, died on the home farm. On this farm our subject was born, and here he has spent the whole of his life. His sole occupation has been that of a farmer, and in this he has been very successful. He was married in 1856 to Miss Amy A. Thompson, a daughter of John H. Thompson, of Warren County. Mr. Cowan is in politics a Republican.

EZRA CRAVER, retired lumber dealer, Lebanon, was born in Frederick Co., Md .. Feb. 19, 1812. He is the son of Peter and Margaret (Klise) Craver,. natives of Frederick County. He received a limited education in his native county, and early learned the trade of a carpenter. He emigrated to Ohio, with his brother David, in 1833, and located in Lebanon. where they were for a year engaged in work on the court house, then being built. They after- ward became the leading contractors and builders of Lebanon; and continued in partnership until 1855; when David retired, and moved from Lebanon, leaving the business in the hands of his brother, who continued it alone. In 1847, Mr. Craver embarked in the shipment and sale of lumber, shingles, lath, etc. and in that enterprise continued with considerable financial success, until 1879, when he retired from active business life. He has been twice married; his first wife being Melinda McCain, of Warren County, who died in 1838, leaving four children, two now living, viz .: James F., a prominent farmer of Kansas; and Mary J., widow of the late W. H. H. Shinn, of Columbus, Ohio. On the 10th of July, 1855, Mr. Craver was again married, to Lavisa G. McBur- ney, a sister of ex-Lieut. Gov. A. G. McBurney, of Warren County. By this marriage three children were born, viz .: Alfred B. and Florella G., both of

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whom are living with their father in Lebanon; and James who died in infancy. Mrs. Craver died July 18, 1869. Mr. Craver is a Democrat in politics, and has occupied many offices of trust and prominence in his village. He was President of the first hook and ladder company ever organized in Lebanon; President of the Cemetery Association, and for six years a member of the Board of Councilmen. He is a man of few words, but excellent practical ideas, and thoroughly posted in the details of his business.

RICHARD DAVIS, retired farmer; P. O. Red Lion, Ohio; was born in Pennsylvania Nov. 1, 1803; his parents, Richard and Elizabeth (McLaughlin) Davis, were natives of Pennsylvania, of Welsh descent; his father was a spy for the patriots in the war of the Revolution; he came to Ohio with his fam- ily in 1813 and settled on the land where our subject still lives; he (our sub- ject) received a limited education, and served two years at the glass blowing . trade; he then turned his attention to farming, and has since continued to be a tiller of the soil. He was married in 1824, to Rebecca Bowersock, a native of Pennsylvania, of Dutch descent, and by her has had ten children, namely: Elizabeth, Remembrance W., Hezekiah, George W., Sarah J., James G., John M., Margaret D., Mary and Darthula -- five of whom are living. It is said that his father contracted with the Government for the land upon which In- dianapolis, Ind., has since been built. His father died at the advanced age of 101 years.

JOHN E. DEY (portrait given on another page), retired, Lebanon. The subject of our sketch first saw the light of day in New Jersey in 1791. He was the only child of William and Phoebe (Ely) Dey, natives of New Jersey. His grandfather, John Dey, was a surveyor and an extensive dealer in real estate, who moved to New Jersey from New York State, where he was born. In 1793, our subject's father with his family started to Kentucky, and while pass- ing through Virginia on their way West, the mother died. Mr. D., with his young son, completed the journey but after a two years' residence in Kentucky, they returned to New Jersey, where the father was again married in 1798, and seventeen years thereafter moved with his new family to Northern New York, near Lake Champlain. Our subject learned the carpenter trade and, in 1812, having attained his majority, he commenced doing business for himself working in Philadelphia, Susquehanna, Baltimore, Petersburg and Trenton. On the 8th of January, 1818, he married Miss Sarah Mount and went West via Cincinnati to Lebanon, which has since been his home. From 1820 to 1825, he made sev- eral tours through the South, building houses and cotton gins for the planters of that then prosperous country. In 1825, he, with a practical mechanic named Hackney, started a plow factory in Lebanon, under the firm name of Hackney & Dey, and carried on an extensive business with planters at all the principal way-landings along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers from Cincinnati to New Orleans. They made an improved plow-the first of the kind manu- factured west of Pittsburgh. In 1828, they dissolved partnership and divided the stock. Mr. Dey held the river trade and continued the business by himself until 1845, when he retired from business and has since lived a quiet life in Lebanon, occupying his time only in looking after his extensive landed estates in Michigan and Ohio. On the 7th of January, 1878, his wife died at the age of 83 years, after having lived with him over sixty years, leaving the following children, viz., Amanda Leonard, wife of Rev. Dr. Leonard of Bucyrus; Samuel E., of Defiance, Ohio; and Josephine, wife of C. A. Smith, now living with Mr. Dey. Those deceased were Wilfred D., William H. and Henrietta who married W. F. Parshall of Lebanon. Mr. Dey, though well along in years is yet enjoy- ing good health. He is of that class of pioneers who came west with their shoulders to the wheel of progress, determined to develope the country they -

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had chosen for their future homes or yield up their lives in the effort. .Mr. Dey is in politics a Republican. He was an enthusiastic anti-slavery man, but has in his heart a warm place for the people of the South, many of whom are his warm personal friends.

WILLIAM F. DILL, retired farmer; P. O. Lebanon; was born in Tur- tle Creek Township Nov. 11, 1813; his father, William Dill, was born in Ken- tucky, to which State his parents emigrated in 1790, and remained until 1798, when they came to Warren Co., Ohio, and settled on the farm east of Lebanon, where our subject now lives. Our subject's father was of Irish descent and was a Lieutenant in the war of 1812; our subject was educated in the subscrip- tion schools of his day and early engaged in farming, which he has since fol- lowed until his recent retirement; he was married Oct. 13, 1837, to Eveline Bone, of Turtle Creek Township; she died August, 1848, leaving four chil- dren, viz., Alletta M., the wife of Alexander Booth; Mary E., Adrian and John M. Mr. and Mrs. Dill were members of the Cumberland Church, in which he was, for fourteen years, a Ruling Elder; he is a Republican, and is now serving his fourth year as Director of the County Infirmary; he is widely known and highly respected throughout his section of the country.

JOHN DRAKE, farmer; P. O. Lebanon; was born in Turtle Creek Town- ship on the farm he now occupies Aug. 10, 1805; his great-grandfather, Sam- uel Drake, emigrated from England to America in 1676; his grandfather's name was Joseph; his father, Lewis Drake, was born in New Jersey June 19, 1764, and, during the war of 1812, served as one of the minutemen. He moved from New Jersey to Pennsylvania, where he married Miss Mary Russell, a native of Delaware, of Welsh descent. In 1800, he emigrated to Ohio with his family of four children, three girls and one boy, and located on the land now occupied by our subject. During his residence in Ohio, eight more chil- dren, five boys and three girls, were born to him; his son Samuel was a cavalry- man in the war of 1812; of his twelve children, only two boys and two girls now survive. Our subject was reared on the farm and received his education in the schools of his native township; he was married on Christmas Day (Dec. 25, 1832) to Miss Sarah Evans, a daughter of Thomas and Ann (Griffith) Evans, natives of Pennsylvania. This marriage was blessed with issue as fol- lows: Lewis, who is married and farming in Warren County; Anna, the wife of Joseph Mull, of Warren County; Frank, who is married and farming in War- ren County; Thomas, a merchant of Lebanon; John, a liveryman of Lebanon, and Isaac, who is married and now lives on the home farm. Mr. Drake is a Republican, and, for six years, served his county as Director of the Infirm- ary; he is a member of the Baptist Church, in which his wife also held a membership until her death, Aug. 20, 1880. Mr. Drake now has in his pos- session a walking-cane that his great-grandfather brought from England at the time of his emigration. On his farm, in Turtle Creek Township, there is a Lombardy poplar tree, two and a half feet in diameter, that has grown from a walking staff his father used in walking from Mad River, in Montgomery County. Upon his arrival home, one of his sons stuck the staff in a marshy spot near the house without any particular reason, and in the years that followed it grew into the beautiful tree of to-day.

JOHN R. DRAKE, liveryman, Lebanon, was born in Warren Co., Ohio, March 15, 1844; his father, John, was born on the farm where he now lives, in August, 1805, and, in 1832, he married Sarah Evans, a daughter of Thomas Evans, of Pennsylvania. She came to Ohio with her brother at an early day. They were the parents of six children. Our subject worked upon the farm until 26 years of age, going to school during the winter months. On the 7th of April, 1870, he married Miss Ella B. Clegg, daughter of John and

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Rebecca (Owens) Clegg, of Dayton, Ohio, by whom he has had two children, Lida and Rollin. In 1869, he entered into the hardware business in Lebanon with R. B. Corwin, but six months afterward withdrew and returned to the farm, where he remained two years; he then moved to Dayton, and, in company with John Mull, Esq., embarked in the grocery business, in which he continued three years, and again returned to the farm. After two years spent on the farm. he purchased the livery stable of John H. Evans, Esq., of Lebanon, where he now holds forth. In May, 1864, he enlisted in Company F, 146th O. N. G., and, after four months' service, was discharged at Camp Dennison, near Cin- cinnati, September, 1864. He is a warm-hearted, social gentleman, a good citi- zen and a thorough business man, understanding his business in every particular and conducting it with good financial success.

ROBERT DUCKWORTH, coal and wood dealer, Lebanon; born in Turtle Creek Township, Warren County, Jan. 19, 1817; he was the son of George and Sarah (Corwin) Duckworth, he a native of Lancaster, England, and she of New Jersey. They came to Ohio before 1805, and settled in Warren County. Our subject is one of a family of nine children, of whom eight reached their majority, married and settled in Warren County, where three of them yet re- main. He received his education in the early subscription schools of Warren County, and spent the greater part of his life in farming, at which he was very successful. In 1854, he retired from the farm and engaged in the raising and selling of fruit, at which he continued with moderate success until 1858, when, in company with his son in-law, George P. Patterson, he opened an ex- tensive dry goods and grocery store in Lebanon. In this business, he was not successful, and was obliged ultimately to give it up. In 1873, he engaged in the traffic of coal and wood, and has since, by close application to his business, built up a good and substantial trade, in which he still continues; he was mar- ried, in 1841, to Miss Matilda R. Dyche, a native of Warren County, by whom he had one child, a daughter, now the wife of George P. Patterson, a promi- nent citizen and successful business man of Lebanon. Mr. Duckworth was bereft of the counsels and companionship of his wife by her death, in 1879; he is a consistent and highly-prized member of the Methodist Church, in which he has for many years been a trustee and class-leader; he is a Republican in poli- tics and takes an active part in the work of his party; he is quiet and gentle- manly in his manners, a sincere and devoted Christian, and a man who bears the highest respect and esteem of all who know him.

HENRY J. DUNHAM, Superintendent of the Orphans' Home, Lebanon; was born in Warren Co., Ohio, Jan. 15. 1818; he is the son of Edward Dun- ham, a native of West Virginia, and Elizabeth (Gibbs) Dunham, his wife, a native of New Jersey. Our subject's advantages for education have been limit- ed, and were confined to a few weeks attendance at the district or subscription schools of his neighborhood. His life was spent in farming until three years ago, when he received the appointment of Superintendent of the Warren County Orphans' Asylum and Children's Home, of which an account is given in the body of this work. Mr. Dunham was married, in 1842, to Miss Martha A. Fox, who is associated with her husband in the management of the "Home." He is a man of few words, but of sterling qualities; his management of the county institution over which he presides has been attended with the best re- sults, and reflects credit on the Superintendent. He possesses a good, well- improved farm of 70 acres, lying about four miles west of Lebanon, upon which he and his lady can peacefully pass the evening of life when they feel like re- · tiring from its active cares.

GEORGE W. DUNNEGAN, farmer; P. O. Lebanon; was born in slavery in Franklin Co., Tenn., in 1823; he was the property of Gen. Samuel Weak-

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ley; at the age of eleven years, he was taken to Alabama by J. I. Dunnegan, a son-in-law of Gen. Weakley. He was married, when 18 years of age, to Jane Jones, with whom he lived until 1853, when she died, in Huntsville, Ala. In 1862. Mr. Dunnegan was again married, to Mary Kelley, a slave owned by a Mr. Kelley, of Tennessee. They came to Ohio in 1866, and purchased a small farm north of Lebanon, where they have since continued to reside. They are both exemplary members of the African M. E. Church, in which Mr. Dunnegan has held all the principal offices, and in which he was for twenty years a local preacher. This old couple manage the affairs of their little farm with the greatest precision, and, by industry, care and frugality, have succeeded in placing themselves far above want and in the front rank of their people in the North.

DR. D. T. D. DYCHE, dentist, Lebanon; was born in Warren Co., Ohio, June 18, 1827; his father, George Dyche, was of German-Irish descent and a farmer by occupation; his mother, Rachael (Tullis) Dyche, was a native of Vir- ginia. Our subject was the only son of eight children, and is the only one of his family now surviving; he attended a country school during his youth, and later studied the higher mathematics and the classics at the Lebanon Academy; he also took a course of study under an eminent Irish professor, who taught a private school in the neighborhood of his home at Red Lion. In 1849, he commenced reading medicine with Dr. Charters. of Lebanon, with whom he also obtained his primary instructions in dentistry; he afterward went South with Dr. Charters and attended medical lectures in Augusta, Ga., from whence he went to Savannah in the same State, where he engaged in practicing dentistry. In 1852, he came to Lebanon, where he has since been in practice. On the 25th of November, 1850, he married Miss Georgia A. Charters, daughter of his old preceptor. By her he has had four children, two boys and two girls, viz., William C., Daisy, Eveline and Frederick, all now living. During the rebellion, the Doctor enlisted in the O. N. G. and served three months at Fay- ette C. H., W. Va. He afterward became Captain of Company A, 131st O. N. G., in which capacity he continued until the disbandment of the company; he is of a scientific turn of mind and an enthusiastic geologist, his researches in this science having been rewarded with a large number of very fine and val- uable specimens; his cabinet of fossils may well be the envy of one who spends much more time in the pursuit of this study than the Doctor.

GEORGE DYNES, retired farmer; P. O. Lebanon. Among the present aged residents of Lebanon is George Dynes, who was born in Fleming Co., Ky., March 6, 1803; his father was a native of Maryland, and emigrated to Kentucky at an earlier day. When 4 years of age, in 1807, he accompanied his parents to Ross Co., Ohio, and, after residing there about one year, came to Warren County, where he has ever since resided; his early education was such as could be obtained from Webster's Speller and the usual facilities of the pio- neer schools; he remembers well the soldiers mustering for the war of 1812, and other scenes impressed on his boyhood mind. In 1825, he moved to Clark Co., Ohio; on the 11th of February, 1824, he married Eliza Corlis, who was a native of New Jersey; the ceremony was performed on a farm about three miles above Lebanon; they raised a family of three boys and three girls, one of whom, Catharine, is dead, and the others, named respectively Chambers, Lydia, Elizabeth A., Samuel and Edwin, are still living, some in this county, and others remote; his wife died in 1847. March 10, 1852, he married his present wife, Catharine Matthews, a native of Warren County, and there are no children by this marriage. In May, 1866, Mr. Dynes and wife moved to Leba- non, and they now live a life of comfort and ease, retired from active business cares in a cozy homestead on Columbus avenue. Mr. Dynes has always been

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a Democrat in politics, having cast a vote for Andrew Jackson, and still belongs to the Democratic party; his amiable wife, still healthful and vigorous, is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and hand in hand they are going happily down the pathway of life.

WILLIAM F. ELTZROTH, lawyer, Lebanon; was born on his father's farm in Hamilton Township, Warren Co., Ohio, December 28, 1846, and is the youngest son of Daniel and Hannah (Shepley) Eltzroth. An account of Mr. Eltzroth's ancestors, who were early pioneers of Warren County, will be found in the biographical sketches of Hamilton Township; he resided on his father's farm and attended the common schools until September, 1865, when he entered Miami University at Oxford, from which institution he was graduated in 1869, with the mathematical honors of his class. Returning to his native county, he engaged in teaching and devoted his spare hours to the study of law. In No- vember, 1872, he entered the law office of A. G. McBurney as a student; was admitted to the bar in April, 1873, and commenced the practice of his profes- sion at Lebanon immediately after. In April, 1876, he was elected Mayor of Lebanon; was re-elected in April, 1878, and served in that office two full terms. Since his retirement from that office, he devoted himself to the practice of his profession. On Sept. 24, 1878, he married Miss Nellie B. Wilson, of Sandy Hill, N. Y., youngest daughter of Capt. Hiram S. and Elizabeth Wilson.

DAVID P. EGBERT, farmer; P. O. Lebanon; was born in Union Co., Penn., July 20, 1816; he is the son of John and Rachael (Bell) Egbert, both na- tives of Pennsylvania and of Dutch descent; his mother was a sister of Judge Bell, of Pennsylvania; her mother lived to reach the remarkable age of 103 years. Our subject received his early education in the country schools of Warren County, and was reared as a farmer; he has always taken an active part in politics, and has, at different times, held all the township offices in the gift of the people. In 1854, he was elected Sheriff of Warren County, and in that capacity continued four years with honor to himself and credit to his constituents; in 1850, he was the census enumerator of his county; he has been in many different occupations in life, and has generally been successful; for seven years, he kept hotel in Lebanon, and at one time was proprietor of three hotels, all of which he relinquished when he purchased the Lebanon House; he was also for four years engaged in mercantile pursuits in Lebanon, and, for several years, a contractor for building pike roads. From 1850 to 1860, he was extensively and successfully engaged in pork- packing in Lebanon, and then he removed to the farm of 175 acres, on which he is now living. He was married, in 1842, to Miss Elizabeth Van Note, daughter of William Van Note, of Warren County; they have had twelve chil- dren, nine boys and three girls, of whom nine are now living. Mr. Egbert is, strictly speaking, a self-made man in the full sense of the term; his mother was a widow with ten children to support, and, at the tender age of ten years, he was put out to work at $20 per year, being obliged to furnish his own cloth- ing; he got $45 for his second year and $95 for the third, after which he rented land, and shortly afterward purchased 110 acres of the farm he now owns; he is now in easy circumstances and devotes much of his time to the raising of fine fruits, stock, fowls, etc .; he is a striking example of what may be accomplished by earnest industry strict economy and a determination to succeed.

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The History of Warren County, Ohio, Part 84

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