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 23
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1830-Trustees, Isaac Collett, Henry Harvey, Joseph Conger; Treasurer, Clayton Rockhill; Clerk, James Dakin.
1831-Trustoes, Isaac Collett, Joseph Conger, William Hadley; Treasurer, Clayton Rockhill; Clerk, James Dakin.
1832-Trustees, James Dakin, Isaac Collett, Joseph Conger; Treasurer, Clayton Rockhill; Clerk, Eli Vance.
1833-Trustoos, Moses Roese, Jerry Kimbrough, Caleb Lucas, Sr .; Treas- urer, William Dakin; Clerk, Frederick Lucas.
1834 -- Trustees, John Chapman, Jerry Kimbrough, Perry Dakin; Treasurer, Eli Wall; Clerk, Eli Vance.
1835 -- Trustees, David Walker, Perry Dakin, Jerry Kimbrough; Treasurer, Eli Wall; Clerk, M. L. Van Tress.
1836-Trustees, Perry Dakin, David Walker, -- -; Treasurer, James R. Moon; Clerk, Samuel Lemar.
1837-Trustees, Jonathan Collett, Jonah Farquhar, Perry Dakin; Treas- urer, James R. Moon; Clerk, Anthony E. J. Harker.
1838-Trustees, Hiram Yeo, Henry Harvey, Allen Linton; Treasurer, James R. Moon; Clerk, Cheney Pyle.
1839-Trustees, Jerry Kimbrough, Benjamin Howland, F. Jones; Treas- urer, James R. Moon; Clerk, Cheney Pyle.
1840-Trustees, Isaac Collett, John Harrison, Perry Dakin; Treasurer, James R. Moon; Clerk, Cheney Pyle.
1841-Trustees, John Harrison, John Hadley, Perry Dakin; Treasurer, Benjamin Rockhill; Clerk, O. Pyle.
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1842 -- Trustees, John Harrison, James R. Moon, John Hadley; Treasurer, Benjamin Rockhill; Clerk, Daniel M. Collett.
1843-Trustees, James R. Moon, John Hadley, John Spray; Treasurer, Samuel Rockhill; Clerk, D. M. Collett.
1844-Trustees, John Hadley, John Spray, Isaac Collett; Treasurer, Sam- uel Rockhill; Clerk, D. M. Collett.
1845-Trustees, Samuel Lemar, Thomas Brelsford, Isaac Collett; Treas- urer, Samuel Rockhill; Clerk, D. M. Collett.
1846-Trustees, Samuel Lemar, T. Brelsford, James R. Moon; Treasurer, James R. Moon; Clerk, D. M. Collett.
During these years, the elections were held at such places as the Trustees could provide, and, in a majority of instances, in private houses, as the fol -.. lowing list will show: From 1829 to 1834, inclusive, at the residence of James Dakin (for many years known as the Dakin Corner); from 1835 to 1839, inclu- sive, at the tavern of John McIntire (where M. W. Shidaker owns); from 1839 to 1842, inclusive, at the residence of William T. Elmore, or where Manly Oglesbee owns, being the old Hurley farm; in 1842, at the schoolhouse on the farm of Isaac Collett, in Survey 2,280. and from 1843 to 1846, inclusive, at the " Township House."
At a meeting of the Trustees held at the residence of James Dakin, on Saturday, the 18th day of April, 1829, a tax of three-eighths of one mill was levied for township purposes, and the roads of the township were redistricted. . At an extra session of the Trustees, in June, 1829, the schools were redistricted "agreeably to the provisions of a law passed February 10, 1829." This was but four years after " a general law establishing a school system and levying a tax for its support," was passed, and I cannot refrain from adding to this arti- cle, at this time, the list of householders, as they follow by districts, in this record, even though it be at the expense of casting out something else farther' on; for it expresses, in so many words, the heads of families in our township at that time, and calls up to the older portions of our citizens a list of those who have long since gone to "the undiscovered country, from whose bourn no traveler returns."
District No. 1: Beginning where the Waynesville road crosses the east line of the township; thence to the oil-mill, including it; thence to John Harvey, exclud- .. ing him; thence to Preserved Dakin, including him; thence to William Dakin, in- cluding him; thence to Wright Haynes, excluding him; thence to Rachel Reese, including her; thence to Job Jeffries, including him; thence east to the township line; and thence to the place of beginning. Householders -- Henry Dakin, Joseph Haynes, Gideon Edwards, Moses Reese, Isaac Carpenter, Preserved Dakin, Davi Cleaver, James Dakin, Job Jeffries, Jonathan Mauker, John Wall, Joseph B. Gor- . ham, John Greene, John Rockhill, Elias Dakin, Akin Dakin, Barnabas Howland, Richard Van Tress, Beebe Treusdell, John Hempsted, Peter Walker, Phoebe Fallis, Lydia Fallis, Robert Cather, Isabel Adsit, Benjamin Howland, Hiram Dakin, William Connet, William Dakin, William Van Tress, Rachel Reese, Michael Pepper, Perry Dakin, William Garrison, Joseph Connet, Jacob Car- penter.
District No. 2: Beginning at the northeast corner of District 1; thence to Wright Haynes, excluding him; thence to Jonah Farquhar, excluding him; thence to Aaron Collett, including him; thence to Robert Marshall, excluding him; thence to Daniel Huffman, excluding him; thence to Samuel Hollings- worth, including him; thence to Josiah McMillan, including him; thence to Ezekiel Kirk, including him; thence with line to beginning. Householders- David Mason, Jane McMillan, Archibald Van Tress, Thomas Kirk, Gideon Wakeman, Ezekiel Underwood, Amos Davis, Sarah McMillan, Samuel Cox,
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Thomas Cox, Isaac Collett, Ezekiel McCormack, Jacob Taylor, Jesse Taylor, Cheney Pyle, Aaron Collett, William Huffman, Jesse Lunday, Ezra Quinby, Solomon Huffman, Israel Hollingsworth, Samuel Hollingsworth, Asaph Hol- lingsworth, Jarvis Hollingsworth, Calob Pyle, David McMillan, Joshua McMil- lan, Timothy Kirk, Mahlon Kirk, Enoch Wickersham, John Morris, Josiah Kirk.
District No. 3, householders: George Mckay, Boston Stingley, Jacob Stingley. Jacob Peterson, Edward Powers, George Herbert, Daniel' Huffman, Jr., Hosea Garwood, George Copsey, Thomas Steele, Robert Marshall, John Irvin, Absalom Robertson.
District No. 4, householdors: Jesse Arnold, Jehu Hawkins; Robert Mill- house, Henry Millhouse, Burgess Morgan, Joseph Furnas, Robert Furnas, Thomas Cook, William Arnold, Mercy Barnes, Henry Mann, Joseph Michner, Caleb Lucas, Sr., John Grant, Charles Gage. Allen Linton, John Arnold, Thomas Livingston, Mahlon Gaskill, Henry Goode, Michael Icenhour, Thomas Graham, David Brinker, Asa Whickor.
District No. 5, and householders: Jonah Farquhar, Thomas Goodrich, Henry Flotchor, William Edwards, John, Mark, Elijah, Hiram and Enoch Mills, John D. Hondley, Joshua Yoo, Thomas Gilpin, Jamos Nichols, George Buckley, Daniel Nicholson, Caleb Easterling, Mordecai Spray, Isaac Cox, Thomas Lewis, David Jay, Isaac Paxton, Henry Hawkins, David Whitson, Samuel Compton, Samuel Millhouse.
Householders in District No. 6: Benjamin Hawes, Samuel Haynes, Wright Haynes, Lewis Dakin, Benjamin Rockhill, Joel Conger, Banks Disbro, Clay- ton Rockhill, John Craw, John Lewis, Lewis Lewis, John McIntire, Abel In- gersoll, Ethan Griffith, Charles Haynes, John Kennedy, William Ogborn, Am- brose Jones, Lewis Kenny, Content Hill, Elsando Whitby, Joseph Mills, Arza Gage, John Ellis, William Bailey, Thomas and James Craig, James and Enoch Haynes, William, Thomas and Jonathan Gaddis, Joseph Conger, Samuel Campbell, David and Daniel Ashby, Henry Leman, William Beaks, David and . William Stoops.
District No. 7-note from the records: "The householders of this district will be found in Fractional District No. 4."
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District No. 8, householders: John Newlin, Eli Newlin, Ezekiel Hornada, Eli Harvey, William Harvey, Jesse Burgess, William Harvey, Mary Harvey, John Pylo, Elias Fisher, David Nickerson, John C. Harlan, Elizabeth Harlan, William Harlan, Sr., Nathan Harlan, Jonathan Harlan, Enoch Harlan, Jr., Martin Ryan, Hannah Hornada, Elias Fisher, William Sabin, John Hadley, Caleb Harvey, Jesse Harvey, Eli Hadley, Jerre Kimbrough, Hiram Crew, David K. Harlan, Jesse Lewis.
District No. 9 contains the names of some of the earliest pioneers -- Eli Maden, Jacob Hale, Joshua Nickerson, Artemas Nickerson, Caleb Harvey, Sol- omon Maden, John Moore, John Harvey and Joshua Harvey.
Fractional District No. 1: Thomas Kimbrough, Nathaniel Carter, Samuel Andrew, et al.
Fractional No. 2: Among others, Josiah Farquhar, Timothy Beech, David Harlan, Sr., Solomon Harlan, Jonathan Fallis, et al.
Fractional No. 3: The names of James Hawkins, John and Samuel Spray, Jesse Spray and Jesse Sanders appear.
The following is a list of Justices of the Peace for this township from its organization as complete only as the records will show:
1810-George Arnold. Robert Eachus, William Haynes, Preserved Dakin ;* Jacob Hale, 1815; Joseph Conger, 1818; Henry Fletcher, 1818; Joshua Yeo, 1822
*Dakin succeeded Eachus, who was appointed County Recorder same year.
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to 1834; Elias Dakin, 1828; Benjamin Howland, 1828; Isaac Collett, 1830; Mo- sos Reose. 1831; Benjamin Howland, 1831; Isaac Collett, 1834; David Douglas, 1834; Moses Reeso, 1834; Solomon Harlan, 1835; Allen Linton, 1835; Mahlon Farquhar, 1836; James Dakin, 1836; Isaac Collett, 1836; John Grant, 1839; James Dakin, 1842; Adolphus Pindle, 1842; Hiram Yeo, 1842; Benjamin How- land, 1845; Jamos Dakin, 1845; Abijah Johnson, 1849; Thomas Brelsford, 1849; James Howland, 1851; Daniel Collett, 1852; and Samuel Lemar, from 1842 to 1877. Commissions were signed by Thomas Corwin, 1842; Mordecai Bart- ley, 1845; Seabury Ford, 1850; Reuben Wood, 1853; Salmon P. Chase, 1856; Salmon P. Chase, 1859; David Tod, 1862; John Brough, 1865; R. B. Hayes, 1868; R. B. Hayes, 1871; William Allen, 1874.
It was while the elections were hold at the residence of William Elmore that the campaign of 1840 "went off," and at Elmore's place were held some of the largest meetings that ever gathered in the township. But the poople, wearied of throwing open their houses and yards to the public on election 1 days, the womon more especially, and the time came when they saw that it was necessary to provide a suitable place for assembling twice a year to exercise their rights of citizenship.
At the spring election of 1842, held at the schoolhouse on the farm of Isaac Collott, it was left for the people to say whether the Trustoes should or should not provide a house and lot for township purposes, and the decision there renderod was that they should do so. One acre of land was purchased of Benja- min Hawes for a consideration of $25, and "at a special meeting of the Trustees held for the purpose of letting out a job for the building of a house for the purpose of holding elections, a full board was present. Upon examin- ation of several bills presented to the Trustees, it was decided that John Ar- nold, Sr., shall have the building thereof, which the said John Arnold, Sr., proposes to build for $147." The bid having been accepted, an article of agreement follows, and the next record thereafter reads as follows: "October 12, A. D. 1842 .- The above described building has been finished and accepted by the Trustees. C. Pyle, Clerk." Since that year all elections have been beld therein. This building is situated on the New Burlington and Dakin Corner Turnpike, about three miles south of the former, and necessitates the citizens of that village going there to vote.
The township contains two villages. The oldest,
OAKLAND.
Oakland is situated on the road leading from Wilmington to Waynesville, in the southeast corner of the township, in "Gates 2,230," and is undoubtedly one of the oldest in the county. The original village plat, laid out by James Birdsall, was designed for the county seat, and contained upward of fifty acres. John Leonard says in his recollections: "The points on the route that were then well known, and which we had to pass on our way from Cincinnati to our home (1805) on the creek (Todd's Fork) were Waynesville and Oakland."
As I said, it was thought, at the organization of the county, in 1810, that it would be the county seat, and especially so by the owner and projector. But Wilmington became the possessor of the prize. It grew very slowly after this fact became known, and, in 1816, but few houses had been erected therein, or more properly speaking, along the road, among thom Daniel Hindman, on the pres- ent James Campbell place; James Carpenter, in the brick house yet standing just east of the village, and erected in 1307 by James Birdsall, the first brick house erected in the county. Daniel Birdsall lived where Archibald Haynes did for many years. The village derived its name from the many giant trees of oak that stood thickly on the grounds in that locality.
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In February, 1838, William Birdsall (a first cousin of James and David) came to this township, accompanied by his wife and seven children. He pur- chased two of the farms formerly owned by James Birdsall, and settled in the brick house before mentioned. He laid out the present village of Oakland, on the west side of the original town plat. The village is and has been for years a post office town, and in its best days contained, among other industries, two stores. Though not recognized by the census department in 1870," yet upward of forty souls reside therein.
NEW BURLINGTON.
New Burlington, the second village of the township, is situated in the northwest corner of both Clinton County and Chester Township, with a por- tion of its northern part extending into Greene County. It is located in Gal- latin 570, and, at the death of the original purchaser, Aaron Jenkins, the land upon which the village stands descended to his son Baldwin, by will. About 1820, he (Baldwin) sold 100 acres of his lands to Edward Powers, and the latter built the same year a log house, where the brick house, now occupied by John Kay, Jr., stands.
Jamos Jay was a native of Nowberry District, South Carolina, and a mom- "ber of Bush River Monthly Meeting of Friends. He married while yet in that State, and at a very early day, Jemima, a daughter of John Mills, Sr., and sister to the wife of his brother, Layton Jay. They had, among other children born to them, a son, Alexander, who had arrived at manhood and married before leaving that State. They came to Ohio and settled upon the lands of George Arnold, in Survey 571, Arnold's wife being an aunt to James Jay's wife. Arnold erected a house for James, just west of his, or between the dwelling of Peter De Haven and the spring. Alex. settled north of the road leading by the house. The latter remained here some years and then emigrated to Indiana, where his wife died in a few years. He then returned with his children to Buck Run, and shortly purchased of Edward Powers the 100 acres last mentioned. The "Bullskin" road, as laid out in 1807, passed through these lands from south to north, and the road leading to Mt. Holly and the Jenkins Mill from east to west.
In 1829, Jay erected in the northwest quarter of his lands (as subdivided by these roads), a story-and-a-half frame dwelling, and when done occupied it. In 1831, Griswold B. Hawes rented it of Jay, converted part of it into a busi- ness room and occupied it the same year as a dwelling and store. In the spring of 1833, Jacob Peirson, Sr., Jacob Peirson, Jr., John Grant and John Mor- ford, these doing business in Mt. Holly under the firm name of Peirson, Grant & Co., came here, purchased the stock of Hawes and opened a branch under the management of John Grant. They also purchased of Jay the lot last mentioned and Lot No. 1 in the northeast "square." The former had a front- age on the "Bullskin" of thirty feet and was twenty feet deep. The latter contained fifty-nine square rods. The consideration was $100, including the house.
The same year (1833), John Grant erected on the latter the substantial .two-story dwelling and store building yet standing. Mr. Grant had, before coming here, or in 1830, married Eliza, a daughter of Charles and Lydia Jen- kins Mann. The same year (1833), Jay erected the two-story frame, now owned and occupied by John Oglesbee. Joel Conger, the same year, erected a hewed-log house, on the lot now owned by William Huffman; William Ogborn a log house where George Miller lives; William Hurley, a one-story frame where Dr. Creighton owns and lives; Jordan Whitson, where Samuel Weaver
*Nor in 1880. . .
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owns, occupied by tenant. Arza Gage had a log cabin on the lot now owned by the Widow Stanley.
In this year, Jay married Miss Margaret Irvin (who yet survives him), and moved into his new house; in the same fall Mr. Grant occupied his.
And now, as the history of our village opens, it is in order to mention one who had more to do with it in the forty years of its existence than any twelve men who have lived in it.
James Grant, the father of John Grant, was born in Philadelphia in De- cember, 1767. His wife Elizabeth was a daughter of John and Nancy Young. They were married about the year 1790, and remained in Pennsylvania until three children were born to them, viz., Nancy, February 23, 1792; Susan, Oc- tober 3, 1793; Tillah, June 15, 1795. They thon removed to Frederick County, Va. (and were neighbors to Moses Mckay), near Winchester, where they continued to reside for many years.
While hore, four more children were added to the family-Elizabeth, May 26, 1798; William, September 3, 1800; John, August 29, 1803, and Charity, October 26, 1806. About the year 1807, he left Frederick County and settled in St. Clairsville, Belmont Co., Ohio, where he remained some years, removing from there to Lebanon, and thence to Wayne Township, in Warren, and settled on lands owned by Moses Mckay.
The year 1834 was a prosperous one to the new village. More lots were sold and more settlers came in. Ezra Smith came from Mt. Holly, purchased Lot No. 2, northeast square, and erected thereon a one-story frame dwelling and shoeshop. Samuel Weaver, a native of Hampshire County, Va., came here the same year, purchased Lot No. 3 in northeast square; the considera- tion was $25, the amount of land one-half acre. He was a tailor by trade; . had come to Greene County in 1831; married a daughter of Joel Ellis. He erected the same year the house now owned and occupied by James Haydock, and used it for dwelling and shop. The same year, Aaron Hendley purchased Lot No. 4, in the same square, the upper (northern) half extending into Greene County. William Hondley, accompanied by his son, John M., and their fam- ilies, came here the same year. The latter purchased all of the lands north of Lot No. 4, to the line north of lot now belonging to Lewis Smith; the former, all of the lands belonging to Jay north of the village plat, namely 512 acres. In the lands of John M. Hendley there were about four acres, upon which he immediately erected a tannery, that being his trade. Aaron Hendley was a lawyer. In 1833, the first school was opened in the village, and that in the log house then but recently occupied by Arza Gage. Sarah Hollingsworth was the instructor. Isel Ellis purchased of Jay, February 13, 1834, for a consid- eration of $30, Lot No. 2, in northwest square, and in a few years thereafter erected the substantial two-story frame building now standing on that lot. In the year 1834, Mr. Grant was doing a large business, and among the many names to be found upon an examination of his store ledger of that year, we will make mention of the following, of whom not one is living to-day: Charles Mann, Asa Fisher, Henry Mann, Sr., Bellfield Jenkins, William Hurley, David Gaskill, Francis Mckay, William . Ogborn, James Smith, Solomon Whitson, James Grant, David Mann, John Sanders, Aaron Collett, James Jenkins, John Arnold, Frederick Lucas, Joel Ellis, Samuel Spray, Benjamin Hawes, Burgess Morgan, Alex. Jay, Aaron Jenkins, Zebulon Dakin, William Arnold, Jordan Whitson, Jacob Ellis, Jacob Peterson, John Spray, Robert Kelley, Joseph Michner, Daniel H. Collett, Allen Linton, John Wilson, Isaiah Quinby, James Hawkins, Sr., Solomon Van Meter, Arza Gage, Henry Fletcher, Stephen Buck- ley, George Arnold.
The next year, James Jenkins erected the two-story frame now owned by Mary Jane Jessup (being Lot No. 2, southwest square). John Harrison, a na-
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tive of England, came here in 1836, and embarked in general merchandis- ing in the building last mentioned. Miller & Bouvey had a store in the same building, but had sold and gone to Bucyrus. Harrison remained here until 1838, when he sold the stock to Harrison, Mckay & Co., he being the senior partner. In 1835, James Smith, a resident of Mt. Holly, married Elizabeth Caino, of that village, and came and settled here. He was by trade a black- smith. He spent his life here and died in 1876, at the age of sixty-five years. He was for many years a partner with Grant, in the manufacture of carriages, wagons, buggies and general blacksmithing. His widow and a large family of children and grandchildren survive him. Among others of the early set- tlers I find the names of Francis Moffett, a blacksmith, James Haydock, from New Jersey, in 1838, and a tanner, W. B. Hamilton, from Maryland, a harness maker and saddler. The post office was established in 1839, under the admin- istration of Martin Van Buren, and John Grant was appointed Postmaster. David Hollingsworth, who had for some time been engaged with Grant as a clerk, was Deputy. William Burr, a young man, and a nephew of Grant's, was the mail-rider, and the route was from Burlington to Xenia.
The fall of 1840 will always be remembered, and will go down into his- tory as one of the most intensely exciting of any in our country's history, at least up to that time, it being the national campaign of Harrison and Van Bu- ren. Party feeling ran high; the people abandoned their labors, trades and professions, and gave themselves wholly to the contest; no place in our county, then, as now, could excel this village and the neighborhood around it in a campaign if the people were but aroused, and more so then because the fight- ing chances in the township were nearer equal. Among the Whigs of the neighborhood, John Grant and Bellfield Jenkins. were the leaders. Many others were equally zealous in the cause, but Grant and Jenkins furnished the forcible arguments. On the other hand, among the Democrats, Frederick Lu- cas, Samuel Lemar and Aaron Hendley held like positions. The village store and the post office especially would naturally be the headquarters. Grant had both, and here they met, and here the excitement ofttimes grew intense. Grant being Postmaster, had access to the papers coming to the office; and more than this, being a fine reader (as the writer personally knows), he never lacked for a crowd. Not content with reading, Grant would comment and also read and comment from the papers of the other side. The latter was the most bitter to the Democrats of all, and, while it furnished fun for the Whigs, the former grew black with rage. The result was a secret caucus, which but three of the followers of Van Buren were invited to attend, namely: Frederick Lu- cas, Aaron Hendley and Samuel Lemar (the latter my informant). A letter was sent to Washington, and on a return of it Grant was ex-Postmaster. office was given to John M. Hendley, a Democrat, who soon tired of its duties, and, Harrison coming in as President, he asked to be relieved. It was then offered to Grant by both parties, but he declined and it passed into the hands of Dr. Sprague. This was in 1841, and the latter, a native of New York State, was a physician and a Democrat of the old school. In 1835, Jay erected the building now occupied by F. W: Moffett as a blacksmith shop, and moved to it the same year. He then leased for five years the building just va- cated to Joseph Michner, who opened in it the first tavern in the village. This was on the 2d day of May, 1835.
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Passing hastily over the time that has intervened from then until now, I will conclude this by saying that the village to-day contains seventy dwelling houses, two dry goods stores, three groceries, one saw-mill, two churches, one school, one undertaking establishment, one wagon shop, three blacksmith shops, two physicians, one carpenter shop. Population, nearly four hundred.
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CHURCHES AND BURIAL GROUNDS.
Springfield Monthly Meeting. - The fact that this meeting-house and bur- . ial grounds were for over forty years within the boundary lines of our town- ship, and more, the fact that many, yoa! very many of our early settlers were carried here and laid away forever, and that almost within the entire period I shall embrace in these pages, shall be my excuse (if any needed) for including thom hore. In 1809, in a log schoolhouse, on the lands then owned by Isaac Harvey, was held the first indulged meeting of Friends in the township. In 1812, ground was donated at the same place for the orection thereon of a meeting-house, also for burial purposes, and upon which a house was erected the same year. The first person buried here was Lydia, wife of Isaac Harvey, who died 1st, 2d, A. D. 1813, aged forty-six years eight months and twenty- five days. But years have passed and gone since then, and one by one these dear people were carried here by loved hands and loving hearts and laid away " in their quiet sleep" until all were gone. Passing among the silent marble to-day-euch pointing to the grave beneath -- one reads inscribed thereon names that shall over romain groen in the memory of those who knew them in life. Among others these:
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