USA > Ohio > Clinton County > The history of Clinton County, Ohio, containing a history of the county; its townships, cities, towns, etc.; general and local statistics; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; history of the Northwest territory, Volume 2 > Part 104
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GRANVILLE H. SNOW, farmer and Justice of the Peace, P. O. Lee's Creek, born in North Carolina January 8, 1827, is a son of Ice A. and Mary (Haynes) Snow, he a native of Albemarle County, Va., and she of Patrick County, Va. The grand- parents, Frost and Mary Snow, were also natives of Virginia, who lived and died in their native State. Mr. Snow was a very large, portly man, and at the time of his death weighed 400 pounds. He died aged sixty-eight years. Mr. Ice A. Snow was principally raised in Virginia, thence moved into North Carolina, where he married and settled, and resided till the year 1833; he with his family emigrated to Ohio, and lo- cated in Wayne Township, where they resided till their death. He died April 29, 1860, aged eighty years ; his wife died July 8, 1864, aged seventy-four years. They had nine children, six now survive-Catharine (married Alexander Haynes), Thomas, Robert, Frost, Fielding and Granville H. Mr. Snow was a farmer through life; was an industrious, hard-working man, strong and robust, whose character and integrity were undoubted, and a very worthy citizen. The subject of this sketch was six years of age when his father and family came to Clinton County, Ohio; here he grew to manhood, inured to the hardships of those early settlers ; was married January 11, 1857, to Rebecca Runnells, who was born in Tennessee September 10, 1835; her father died in Tennessee ; she had one sister, Nancy, and one brother, Samuel. Her mother, Sarah Runnells, subsequently moved to Clinton County, and married Elicum Ayers, by whom she had three children, Joseph, Lydia and Henry. Squire Snow and
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wifc have had two children-Maggie J., born October 1, 1858, married William Moore, of Fayette County, Ohio, whose ancestral history is given in sketch of John T. Moore ; and George W., born April 17, 1870, died December 4, 1877. Esq. Snow was raised to farm labor, obtaining but a limited education in his youthful days, but with his energy, industry and personal application, he acquired a fair amount of knowledge to fit him for the business of life. He married and settled in Wayne Town- ship, where he has spent his entire business life ; has held many offices of the township ; served as Assessor eighteen consecutive years ; has been a Justice of the Peace thir- tecn ycars, which office he still holds. These offices he has filled to the general satis- faction of his people, and in character and integrity is held in high estccm by the peo- ple of his county, where he is so well known.
ABSALOM C. STEELE, farmer, P. O. Lce's Creek, born in Guilford County, N. C., December 28, 1826, is a son of Jehu and Jane (Brown) Steele. natives of the same Statc. The maternal grandparents, James and Hannah (Clark) Brown, were also natives of North Carolina. He died in his native State, but she subsequently became a resi- dent of Clinton County, where she died. The great-grandfather, John Brown, was a native of Scotland, and the great-grandparents Clark, were natives of England, Mrs. Clark being a witness of the battle of Guilford Courthouse during the war of the Revo- lution, when sixteen years of age. Mr. Jehu Stecle died in his native State, when Absalom, his son, was but a child, he being his only child. Subsequently, about 1832, Mrs. Steele and several of the uncles of our subject, with others, emigrated to Ohio in wagons, through the then wilderness, and located in Highland County, about two miles from New Vienna, there being at that time but one house in Vienna, and here our sub- ject grew to manhood. About 1846, hc and his mother moved to New Vienna, where she died May 25, 1869. Mr. Stecle married, January 9, 1851, Miss Mary Jane, daugh- ter of Thomas E. and Sabina Moorman ; he a native of Virginia and she of Kentucky. They were married in Clinton County, Ohio, in the house where our subject now lives. They had eight children-four now living-Alfred J., Sarah Ann (married Jamcs Cochran), Mary Jane and Martha E. (who married Isaac Coates). Mrs. Moorman died in August, 1852; Mr. Moorman dicd October 11, 1866. Mary Jane was born in Clinton County February 15, 1833. Mr. Stecle and wife have had thirteen children- twelve now survive-Sabina Jane, born October 17, 1851 ; Thomas E., October 5, 1854; Jehu, January 14, 1856; Martha A., February 13, 1858; William B., July 9, 1860; John C., January 9, 1862; Alice E., March 15, 1864; Absalom C., April 27, 1866 ; Rosa B., May 5, 1868 ; Nettie D., May 4, 1870; Frank B., May 9, 1874, and Anson F., born January 10, 1877. Mr. Stecle was a stone and brick mason by trade, which business he followed about eleven years. On January 9, 1853, he located on the place where he now lives and has since resided, giving his attention to farming and stock-dealing. He has been a very active, stirring, business man ; has held nearly all the offices of his township, from time to time, and is one of the prominent farmers of Wayne Township, and highly cstcemcd and respceted by all who know him.
GEORGE H. SYFERD, farmer, P. O. Memphis, born in Clark County, Ohio, March 20, 1835, is a son of Willison and Frances Mary (Hardesty) Syferd, natives of Virginia. The grandparents were Philip and Jemima Syferd, he a native of Germany, and she of Virginia. He emigrated to America, with his parents, about 1800, when five years of age, and located in Virginia, where he grew to manhood and married, and resided till, in 1834, they came to Ohio and located in Fayette County, where he re- mained till his death, in the fall of 1869 ; his wife died many years previous-March 4, 1852. They had three sons and two daughters-four now living-Willison, John W., Elizabeth (now Widow Rowe), and Rebecca (now Widow Wilson). Willison, the eldest child and father of our subject, was born in Virginia May 14, 1811, and there grew to manhood and married, and resided there till the above date (1834), when they came to Ohio and located in Clark County, where they remained one year; thence, removed to Fayette County, where they resided till about 1875; thence, removed to Leesburg, Highland County, where they still reside. They had seven children : Je- mima (now Mrs. Milburn), George H., Philip, James, John, William and Lewis C. Mr.
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Syferd was a farmer by occupation, and a prominent, leading man of his township, holding many of the offices, which he filled to the satisfaction of his people; was a Jus- tice of the Peace for over twenty years, and in his decisions was remarkably correct and just. The subject of this sketch grew to manhood in Fayette County ; was married October 30, 1856, to Eliza A., daughter of Elisha and Nancy Sexton, natives of Vir- ginia. By her he had three children-Lewis M., born October 10, 1857 ; Elbert A., May 3, 1861, and Fredson C., born November 18, 1875. Mrs. Syferd died January 13, 1876, aged thirty-nine years. On May 30, 1877, he married, for his second wife, Mrs. Mary E. Pierce, a daughter of James and Melethe Mckay ; he a native of Fay- ette County, Ohio, and she of Virginia. She came from Virginia to Ohio with her parents, Ice and Mary Snow, when four years of age, and here grew to womanhood and married, and had one son and three daughters-Mary, born December 12, 1852 ; Eliza Jane (now Mrs. McVay) ; Susan (now Mrs. Chrissenberry), and William K. Mr. Mckay died September 28, 1874; his wife died February 13, 1880. Mr. Syferd has always followed agricultural pursuits; he bought and located where he now lives in the spring of 1864, where he has since resided. He has held the office of Township Trus- tee seven years, and is a man of firm character and integrity, and a most worthy citizen.
THOMAS C. TUTTLE, farmer, P. O. New Antioch, born in Cincinnati January 1, 1844, is a son of Thomas C. and Elizabeth (Anderson) Tuttle, he a native of the State of Maine, and she of Ohio. Mr. Tuttle, when a young man of about twenty' years of age, came to Ohio and located in Cincinnati ; was married and became the father of eight children : Cordelia, William Henry, Martha Ann, Thomas C., Oliver, Win- field, Mary and India. Mr. Tuttle followed the river as a mate for nearly eighteen years. About 1853, he, with his family, removed to Indiana, about twelve miles from Indian- apolis, where he bought land and entered upon farming; also built a saw-mill; these he run till his death, which occurred about 1873 or 1874, being killed by his team running away and fracturing his skull. His widow still survives, residing at the home- place. Mr. Tuttle was a very active business man. During the war of the rebellion, he was an active Union man, and politically a Democrat. He organized a home com- pany, of which he was elected Captain, and subsequently several companies were organ- ized into a regiment, of which he was made Major. Although they were not called into active service, except in the Morgan raid, yet he was very active in preserving peace and quiet home, as at that time they were having much trouble with the Knights of the Golden Circle. The services of a few men like Mr. Tuttle were of great value in Indiana at that time, and their services have since been duly appreciated. The subject of this sketch, when eighteen years of age, enlisted in the war of the rebellion, in the Fifteenth Indiana Battery, and served through the war, being first in the army of the East; thence sent into Georgia, under Gen. Sherman, and thence under Gen. Thomas in Tennessee, and again under Gen. Sherman, doing much active work under both of the last-mentioned Generals. Two of Mr. Tuttle's brothers, William Henry and Oliver, were also in the service. In 1867, March 7, Mr. Tuttle was united in mar- riage with Mrs. Emily Eaton, daughter of Amos and Sarah Underwood, natives of Greene County, Ohio. They had but one child, Emily, who was born April 12, 1848. Mr. Underwood died about 1850; subsequently, his widow married William Harris, by whom she had three children; two now survive, Sylvester and Lewis Allen. Mr. Tuttle and wife have had seven children : Hattie, born February 14, 1868; Charles H., July 12, 1870; Fannie, July 4, 1872 ; Jesse Clinton, March 16, 1874; Jennie, December 2. 1875; William Stanley, January 14, 1879, and one infant son, born April 8, 1881. Mrs. Tuttle by her first husband had one child, Cyrus (deceased). Mr. Tuttle. after his marriage, resided one year in Indiana ; thence, in the fall of 1868, they moved to Ohio and located upon the place where they now live and have since resided. This is the old home-place of Mr. Underwood, and the birth-place of Mrs. Tuttle. They have a fine farm of 108 acres, with good improvements. Mr. Tuttle is one of the prominent farmers of Wayne Township ; a man of undoubted character and integrity, and is highly esteemed by the people of his community.
JOHN M. WOODMANSEE, farmer, P. O. Sabina, born in Greene Township,
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Clinton Co., Ohio, April 13, 1838, is a son of Reuben and Malissa (Noble), Wood- mansee, he a native of New Jersey, and she, it is believed, of Ohio; Reuben, when a child of six years, emigrated with his parents, Isaac and Abigail Woodmansee, of Ohio, and located in Highland County in 1822. A few years later, they re- moved to Clinton County ; thence returned to Lexington, Highland County, where, in May, 1871, Isaac Woodmansee died, aged eighty-two years; his wife had pre- viously died in Clinton County, about 1866. They had four sons and two daughters, all now deceased-of whom Amos, the youngest child, enlisted in the late war of the rebellion, and died in the service at Danville, Va., being a prisoner, captured by the rebels at the battle of Monocacy Junction, Md. He was captured July 9, 1864, and died in August of same year. Reuben Woodmansee married and became the father of four 'children, John M., Wilson S., Susanna, now Mrs. Strickle, residing in Illinois, and Joseph. Mrs. Woodmansee died in August, 1844. Mr. Woodmansee married, for his second wife, in 1847, Mrs. Mary Ann Mason, daughter of John and Huldah Noble, by whom he had seven children, five now survive-Mary M. (married David Green), Sarah Alice, Frank D., Callie and Clark. His second wife died April 27, 1863 ; he died July 25, 1864. Mr. Woodmansee was a plain, substantial farmer, never seeking office or public notoriety, but whose character and integrity was of the highest order, and as a man and a citizen was highly esteemed and respected by all who knew him, and was a member of the Masonic Fraternity for many years. The subject of this sketch was married September 29, 1859, to Miss Hannah A., daughter of David and Elizabeth Cantrill, he a native of Kentucky and she of Ohio; they had three children, two now survive -- Hannah A., born in Clinton County, May 7, 1838, and William. Mrs. Cantrill was born April 27, 1814, and died about 1841. Mr. Cantrill was thrice married ; first to a Miss Brown ; his third wife was Susan Potter, with whom he lived till his death, September 12, 1874. Mr. Woodmansee and wife have had eight children, seven now survive-Arrena Luella, born October 18, 1860; R. M. Elva, August 14, 1864 ; Abigail W., March 10, 1867; Charles E., January 12, 1869; Lizzie E., June 24, 1871; Inez A, April 27, 1874, and John, born May 8, 1880. Mr. Wood- mansee, during the war of the rebellion, enlisted in the one hundred days' service in the One Hundred and Forty-ninth Ohio National Guards, May 2, 1864, and served through his term of enlistment. He has made farming his business through life ; has served the people two terms as a Justice of the Peace, a period of six years ; is now Township Trustee, and is serving on his third term as such ; is one of the prominent leading men of his community, in whom the people have implicit confidence, and is a much esteemed and respected citizens; and a worthy member of the order of F. and A. M.
SAMUEL ZURFACE, farmer, P. O. Memphis, born in Virginia August 12, 1806, is a son of John and Mary (Garlick) Zurface, natives of Virginia. The grand- father, John Zurface, was also a native of Virginia, his father being a native of Germany. Mr. John Zurface, with his family, emigrated to Ohio and settled on the Scioto about 1807, and in the fall of the same year several of the family were taken sick and died ; thence the grandfather moved to Montgomery County, where he died soon after. The country was then all a wilderness, and was very sickly. John, the father, who moved his father to Montgomery County, then returned to the Scioto to move his family to the new location, but during his journey, being greatly exposed, was taken sick and soon after died. Thus, in this wilderness, in about three months' time, nine of the family had died with sickness. About the year 1810, the mother, with her two sons, Samuel and Jacob, removed to Warren County, Ohio, where Mrs. Zurface married Francis Oyer, by whom she had several children, and then she died, aged about forty-eight years. Samuel, our subject, grew to manhood in Warren County, and married Lydia Zurface. About two years after his marriage he moved to Clinton County, where he has since resided. His wife died, leaving him with the care of eight children ; subsequently he married Martha Mayberry, by whom he had four children. His second wife died, and he married for his third wife Elizabeth Rogers, by whom he has three sons, John, George W. and Charles. There are three children now living by his first wife-Katy (married to Mr. Montgomery), Lucinda (married Townsend
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Myers) and Sarah, who married William Knott. There are now two children living by his second wife-Samuel and Eliza Jane (who married Benjamin Husky). Mr. Zur- face has now been a resident of Clinton County half a century, and is one among the oldest settlers now living in Wayne Township. When Mr. Zurface started in life, he had forty-seven acres of land, all in the woods, which was left him by his grand-father, and which had been sold for taxes, until it cost almost all it was worth to redeem it. Now he owns 306 acres of good land, and mostly in cultivation ; also, 520 acres in Indiana, some of which he has given to his children. All this property Mr. Zurface has made by his own labor and management, and now stands among the most reliable farmers of Wayne Township, and is a worthy example of success-rising from poverty to a man of wealth and prominence.
WILSON TOWNSHIP.
GEORGE H. BARLOW, mechanic, Bloomington, was born March 2, 1829, in Belmont County, Ohio; was the son of Perry and Philena Barlow, who were among the early settlers of Belmont County. He received his education in a district school, and in his thirteenth year began to learn the blacksmith trade in the shop of his father at Uniontown. He has followed this occupation the greater part of his life. In 1851, he removed to Bloomington, where he built for himself a work shop, in which shop he is at present engaged. He has also, in company with Mr. J. B. Aiken, a half-interest in a portable steam saw-mill. He was married July 22, 1851, to Miss Sarah Jane Booth, of Belmont County. To them have been born two children, both deceased. He is a stanch democrat, has been quite successful in business and accumulated some property.
BENJAMIN BENTLEY, JR., deceased. Benjamin Bentley, Sr., father of the subject of our present sketch, was born in North Carolina and emigrated to Clinton County, Ohio, at an early day. His son, Benjamin, Jr., was born July 6, 1819, in Clin- ton County, Ohio, His youth was spent in attending to the quiet pursuits of the farm, in which he was ever after engaged. He received an English education in a district school, and on September 3, 1840, married Miss Emma Peelle, born in May, 1818, and daughter of John and Lydia Peelle. To them have been born six children, viz., Isaiah, Jeremiah. Jessie E., Sarah E., Cyrus E. and John E. He was a member of the Friends' Society, and in politics a Republican. He was a loving father and indulgent husband, and left to his family about one hundred and sixty acres of land. His death occurred in June, 1869, lamented by all who knew him.
WILLIAM D. BRYANT, farmer, P. O. Sabina, was born December 25, 1824, in Southampton County, Va., son of William and Elizabeth Bryant. When but two years of age his father died, and four years afterwards his mother died, and as a conse- quence was left an orphan dependent upon the charity of strangers. His uncle, W. T. Bryant, took him to his home, with whom he stayed about eight years. Owing to ill-treatment from his uncle, he left him and went to work for Mr. Dennis Bryant, a cousin of his ; stayed with him until he reached his twentieth year. He then engaged :, himself to Mr. Albert Channel, his brother-in-law, and worked for him one year. In the spring of 1845, he immigrated to Ohio, having walked all the way on foot, a dis- tance of over six hundred miles, and was on the road about twenty-eight days before he arrived in Clinton County. He first came to Bloomington ; took up his abode with Mr. Edmund Thorp in 1845; worked for Mr. John Pittsford about a month. In the following October, Mr. William Bentley made his house a home for him, sent him to school about three months, and he subsequently lived with him about three years. From 1848 until 1852 he was employed by Legroot & Mason, merchants, as a travel- ing salesman. While in their employ, he married Miss Sarah Jane Allen, of Fayette County, July 22, 1852. " To them have been born eleven children, four of whom are still living. In the spring of 1853, he removed to Jeffersonville, Fayette County, and
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was employed by Mr. John Hopejoy, merchant, for about one year. In the spring of 1854, he removed to West Lancaster, where, for about one year, he was in the mer- cantile business. In 1855. he again returned to Jeffersonville, where he lived until the fall of 1857. He was here engaged as a merchant and hotel keeper. From here he removed to Edgefield, bought sixty acres of land, improved it, and lived there until 1859, when he sold it and removed to Sabina. He here bought property, and in com- pany with J. R. Haynes again entered into the mercantile business ; remained in this business about three years. Having met with serious losses owing to the breaking out of the war of the rebellion, in 1863 he sold his property in Sabina and removed back to Fayette County, near West Lancaster, bought a farm, lived thereon two years, and sold it in 1865; bought another farm near Edgefield, lived thereon one year, then sold it and removed to Greene County, near Salem Church ; bought eighty-four acres of land, lived thereon two years, sold it, and subsequently, in 1869, bought the farm kuown as the Williams heirs farm, two and one-half miles northwest of Sabina, where he at present resides. He is an intelligent, industrious farmer, having, by his industry and perseverance, accumulated all which he posseses. He is a member of the M. E. Church ; also of the F. & A. M., Sabina Lodge, No. 501, and is well worthy the respect shown to him by the community who surround him.
GEORGE CARTER, farmer, P. O. Bloomington, was born in Wilson Township, Clinton Co., Ohio, April 10, 1830, son of John and Hannah Carter, who were among the early settlers of Clinton County. John was the son of George and Miriam Carter, who, in 1810, emigrated from North Carolina, their native State, to Clinton County, Ohio. John was born March 28, 1808, in Gilford County, N. C., and was but two years of age when his parents settled in Clinton County ; was reared on the farm of his father's ; received his education in the subscription schools of that early day, and sub- sequently married Miss Hannah Millikan, daughter of Elihu Millikan, of Tennessee ; to them have been born eight children, of whom six are living up to present date. He was an ardent member of the Friends' Church, and was quite successful in business transactions, having left to his children some four hundred acres of tillable land. He was a kind and loving father and indulgent husband, and died September 27, 1878, in the seventy-first year of his age. George Carter, the subject of our sketch, was reared on a farm ; received the rudiments of education in a district school ; was married, Feb- ruary 21, 1856, to Miss Elizabeth Haines, daughter of Zimri and Elizabeth Haines, of Greene County. To them have been born seven children, viz., Sibyl J. (deceased), Hannah L., Ella E., George H., Anna M., Zimri and John H. Mr. Carter is a stanch Republican, and a fervent advocate of the temperance cause ; his having never used to- bacco or spirituous liquors but for medicinal purposes, testifies of his adherence to that noble cause. Mr. Carter has very generously given his aid toward establishing an en- dowment fund in behalf of the Friends' College, at Wilmington. He is an intelligent, industrious farmer, and well worthy the respect in which he is held by the community in which he resides.
ALFRED COULTER, farmer, P. O. Bloomington, was born November 5, 1822, in Wilson Township, Clinton County, Ohio, was the son of John and Margaret Coulter, who were among the first settlers of Clinton County. Alfred was reared on a farm, received the rudiments of an education in a district school, has made farming his occupation during the greater part of his life, he has also been engaged in stock- raising to a considerable extent, especially thoroughbred horses and the celebrated Dur- ham cattle. Politically, he is a stanch Democrat. He has been quite successful in business, and is the owner of 200 acres of good tillable land.
JOHN G. COULTER, farmer, P. O. Bloomington, was born in Wilson Town- ship, Clinton County, Ohio, August 12, 1817, son of John and Margaret Coulter, of whom we have made mention in the township history, was reared on a farm, re- ceived the rudiments of education in a district school, is a stanch Democrat, and always casts his vote for that party when great issues are at stake. Mr. Coulter has been engaged in farming during the greater part of his life, and has been very success- ful in said business. He is also one of Clinton County's eminent stock-raisers. He
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sailed to Europe in 1854, and imported twenty-seven head of the celebrated Short- Horn cattle, from York and Durham Counties, England. In the same year, he im- ported some sixteen head of the celebrated South-Down sheep; in the breeding of those and Cotswolds, as well as that of the famous Lexington horse, he has met with unbounded success. He takes an active part in all matters which would prove of interest to the county, and is the owner of 750 acres of land.
GEORGE M. COULTER, farmer, P. O. Bloomington, was born in Wilson Township, Clinton Co., Ohio, July 8, 1831 ; son of John and Margaret Coulter, who were among the first settlers of Clinton County. John was born July 18, 1777, in Ireland, emigrated to America in 1805, and settled in Cincinnati. In- January 11, 1807, he married Miss Margaret Gibson, at Cincinnati. After remaining there a few years he removed to Clinton County, and by his industry and perseverance he became one of the wealthiest men in Clinton County, and lived to see his eightieth year, he having died February 13, 1857. George M. was reared on a farm, received a fair edu- cation in a distriet school. Way married, November 3, 1874, to Miss Fanny Pryor, daughter of Samuel M. Pryor, of Bourbon County, Ky .; to them have been born three children, viz., Maggie E., George W. and Carrie. Mr. Coulter was elected Township Trustee in 1877, and served until 1879, is a staneh Democrat, has been successful in business, and the owner of 233 acres of land, and may well be classed among the worthy citizens of Clinton County.
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