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 72

Author: Durant, Pliny A. ed; Beers (W.H.) & Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago : W. H. Beers
Number of Pages: 1410

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 72

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GEORGE E. BARROW, Postmaster and real estate and insurance agent, New Vienna, born in Highland County, Ohio, June 22, 1834, is a son of Eleazer and Mary Aun Barrow, natives of Frederick County, Va. . The grandfather, John Barrow, was also a native of Virginia, and served as a Captain in the war of the Revolution. In 1818, he with his family removed to Ohio, and settled in Highland County, where he died. He was the father of six children by two wives, three by his first, and three by his last, all now deceased but Eleazer, the father of our subjeet, who was born in Vir- cinia June 4, 1800, and was eighteen years of age when the family came to Ohio ; here he married Mary Ann Pulse, by whom he had eight children, five now survive-Elea- zer, Lydia E. (wife of Eli B. Selph), David L. (now a minister of the Methodist Epis- copal Church, and resides in Wisconsin), George E. and Mary A. (wife of J. N. Glaze). Mrs. Barrow died February 20, 1850 ; subsequently, Mr. Barrow married for his second wife Elizabeth Robb, by whom he had two children-Charles R. and Catharine R. His last wife died in November, 1868. Mr. Barrow is now eighty-two years of age, hav- ing spent his life in Highland County since eighteen years of age. He is now remark- ably spry and active, and can walk ten miles without apparent fatigue. The subject of this sketch was the youngest son of his father by his first wife that is now living; was brought up to farm labor ; was married October 20, 1862, to Rebecca Spears, by whom he had one child, deceased. Mrs. Barrow died May 23, 1873. On March 1, 1875, he married, for his second wife, Mary Frances Black, a native of Rockingham County, Va., by whom he had three children-Ada L., born June 10, 1876 ; Ernest M., born November 11, 1878, and Maud, born April 1, 1880. Mr. Barrow started out in life depending upon himself when quite young, devoting himself assiduously to the work of getting an education ; thence he entered upon teaching, which he followed winters, and prosecuted his studies summers, and thus continued for ten years ; thenee he turned his attention to reading law with Judge Mathews, of Hillsboro, with whom he continued two years; thence he entered upon mercantile trade in New Vienna in partnership with Robert T. Polk. In this enterprise they did a prosperous business ; thence they asso- viated with their business the buying of wool, which the first year proved a success, but the second year, entering in more largely than ever, the war of the Rebellion elosed, and prices dropped enormously, and they were prostrated under the financial pressure. Thence his partner withdrew from business, and entered upon the study of the minis- try, and Mr. Barrow was left alone to meet all the contingeneies and settle up the affairs. With his unflagging perseverance and energy, and the encouragement of his many friends,

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he continued his business, and finally paid all indebtedness in full with 10 per cent in- terest. He then sold out, and was engaged in various enterprises in New Vienna till November 2, 1871, he received the appointment of Postmaster, which office he has since held. In connection with that office he is a Notary Public, conveyancer, real estate and insurance agent, and has been Township Clerk, Mayor and Clerk of New Vienna. Mr. Barrow in his past life has shown an enterprise and integrity that places him among the most reliable citizens of New Vienna.

AMOS BEARD, merchant, New Vienna, born in Virginia October 1, 1830, is a son of Jacob and Rosanna (Windle) Beard, who it is believed were natives of Virginia, but who, about 1832, emigrated to Ohio, and soon after located in Clinton County, and opened out right in the woods ; he however lived but a few years; he died in March, 1839; his wife survived him till in 1866, being in her eightieth year. They had six children -Lucinda, married George Floyd and resides in Iowa ; Susanna, married George W. Garrison ; Jacob, Samuel, Catharine, now Widow Oxley, and Amos. Mr. Beard was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. The subject of this sketch was but a child of two years when brought to Ohio, and but nine years of age when his father died; his mother, however, managed to keep hier family together till the children could make their own way through life. Our subject was brought up to farin labor, and by work- ing out by the month when he arrived at his majority, he had managed to save a little money. Ile then commenced in a small way in the mercantile trade, which business he has followed through life; has been in business in New Vienna since 1855. From a beginning' with a small store at a cross-roads in the country, he has enlarged and in- creased his business, till now he is second to none in the hardware and grocery trade in the town. He is also owner of 143 acres of good land, all of which he has acquired by his own industry and good management, showing a very prosperous business life. Mr. Beard, though quite reserved in his habits, never holding or seeking office, yet, as a neighbor and a business man and a citizen, is very highly esteemed and respected by a large circle of acquaintances. He takes a lively interest in all the public improvements of the town, and through his recommendation and influence, as a member of the School Board, was erected in 1878, the large and substantial Union School Building which now adorns the village. On October 25, 1855, Mr. Beard was married to Miss Rachel A., daughter of Augustus and Sarah Brown, by whom he has had eight children, six now survive-Frank, Charles, Oscar, Hattie E., Leroy and Judon. Mr. Beard and wife are worthy members of the Baptist Church, of which he has been a Deacon for fourteen years.

GEORGE W. BERNARD, farmer, P. O. New Vienna. was born in Goochland County, Va., September 13, 1799; is a son of Thomas and Mary Bernard, natives of Virginia. The grandfather, William Bernard, was a native of England, and married Mary Fleming. They became carly settlers of Virginia, where he became owner of 3,000 acres of land; also became a large wholesale merchant of Richmond, and during the war of the Revolution his store was robbed of nearly all of his goods. They resided in Virginia till their death. Thomas was born in March, 1756, and grew to manhood in Virginia, and served as a soldier through the war of the Revolution ; was engaged in the battles of Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth, Stony Point and others. He married Mary Hicks, and in 1807 removed from Virginia to Ohio, and settled in Highland County, near Clinton County line, and there opened out right in the woods. Wolves and deer were in abundance, and one morning he heard a loud bleating near his cabin, which he thought was one of his calves in the merciless clutches of a wolf; hurrying to his cabin door, he beheld a wolf fast hold of a deer; the wolf at once loosed his prey and fled, and the deer escaped in an opposite direction. In 1832, they removed to Leesburg, where he died June 11, 1833. His wife survived till May 22. 1847, when she died, then a resident of Clinton County. They had three sons and five daughters; two now survive-George W. and Nancy, wife of Thomas Riley. Our subject was about eight years of age when brought to the wilderness of Ohio, and here grew to manhood fully accustomed to pioneer life. On March 28, 1831, he married Harriet McConnell, who was born in Brown County, Ohio, October 12, 1810, a

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daughter of James and Sallie ( Downing) McConnell, natives of Pennsylvania, who be- came early settlers of Brown County, and removed to Clinton County about 1821. They had four sons and five daughters, four now living-Thomas, Betsey (wife of Isaac Wilson, and residing in Illinois), Harriet and Joseph M., the latter resides in Oregon. Mr. B. and wife have had eleven children, nine now living-Thomas F., James K., Mary E. (wife of Joshua Wilson), John W., Matilda Jane (wife of Edmund West), George W., Charles B., Martha H. (wife of Edward Mc Vey), and Elijah M. In 1832, Mr. Bernard located on the farm where he now lives and here has made a continued residence of half a century. This place had twenty acres cleared, and the balance of his large farm he and his sons have cleared from the woods. He is now probably the oldest man in Greene Township; has lived to see all his children married and settled in life, all doing well and generally becoming wealthy. In carly life Mr. Bernard obtained but little education, as there were but few advantages of schools in those days. But by energy, industry and economy, he has acquired a large property. He and his sons now own over 1,300 acres of land; and now in his advanced ycars he can enjoy the fruits of his many labors, and rejoice with his children in their prosperity and the advantages they now enjoy.

JAMES K. BERNARD, farmer, P. O. New Vienna, born in Clinton County June 19, 1835; is a son of George W. and Harriet Bernard, whose history is given in sketch of George Bernard. Our subject was married, October 19, 1861, to Miss Keziah McVey, who was born in Clinton County January 19, 1838, a daughter of Christopher and Catharine McVey, he a native of Fayette County, Ohio, and she of Brown County. They were married in Wayne Township, and settled there, where they. have since resided. They have cight children now living-James, Henrietta, Keziah, Robert, Edmund, Benson, Eliza Jane and Alkany. Mr. Bernard and wife have had ten children ; nine now survive-John R., born July 23, 1862; George W., August 14, 1863; Harriet C., August 16, 1864 ; Charles O., October 30, 1865; Martha Ann February 23, 1867; James Edmund, April 3, 1868; Christopher C., July 2, 1872 ; Cora Etta, February 22, 1876, and Oscar, born September 13, 1878. Mr. Bernard first located in Wayne Township, and, on March 10, 1862, he located on the place where he now resides, and has since resided a period of twenty years. On this place, he has erected all the buildings, and has a fine home and fariner's residence. Mr. Bern- ard started in life with but little means, but with a determination to make money ; has made farming his chicf business. He now owns 575 acres of excellent land, and the greater part of it in cultivation. He has received aid from his father to the amount of $2,500. The balance he has made by his own labor and good management, and now ranks among the most prominent farmers of Greene Township, and is one of the most remarkable examples of success from a small beginning, rarely witnessed among men in agricultural pursuits, and is worthy a place in this work to be handed down, and rcad and known by future generations.

WILLIAM P. BERNARD, proprietor of hotel, New Vienna, born in Clinton County, Ohio, February 10, 1824, is a son of Thomas J. and Mary Bernard. He was a native of Virginia, but emigrated to Ohio when but a child of about four years, and . here grew to manhood and married Mary McConnel, who was probably born in Ken- tucky. Ho located on Cowen's Creek, and spent the greater part of his life in Clin- ton County, devoted to farming. Hle lived a few years in Brown County, thence moved to near Lynchburg, where he died in February, 1868, aged sixty-seven years ; his wife died in 1838, aged thirty-two years. They had five children, four now living- William P., Sarah (wife of William Elliott), Nancy and Thomas J. Mr. Bernard was twice married ; his second wife was Mrs. Eliza Atkinson, by whom he had six children who grew to maturity, four now living-Mary, wife of Henry Brown ; Caroline, now married ; Serelda and Grafton W. The subject of this sketch was the eldest child of his father ; was raised to farm labor, and, on August 19, 1845, was married to Asenath Johnson, who was born July 16, 1821, in Highland County, near New Vienna, daugh- ter of James and Elizabeth Johnson, natives of Maryland. The grandparents were Smith and Sabra Johnson, natives of Maryland, but became early settlers of Kentucky

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about 1810; he served in the war of 1812. About 1816, they came to Ohio and s.r. tled in Highland County, where they died. James Johnson was raised in Maryland and married in Kentucky ; thence moved to Ohio about one year after his father cam- to this State. They resided in Highland County about twelve years; thence mor. . into Clinton. where they lived till their death. Mr. Johnson was a farmer by oceup. . tion, a man of great integrity, honest and upright in all his dealings, and one of ou: county's best citizens .. He died February 18, 1876, in his eighty-seventh year ; his wife died September 9, 1878, aged eighty six years. They had ten children; s.v." grew to maturity-Amanda S., now Widow Roush ; Asenath, Elizabeth, Sabra an; Salina (twins) ; the former is the wife of Allen Dennis; James F. and Selby H. Mr Bernard and wife have had four children-Thomas J., born July 1, 1846 ; Mary Elizs- beth and Benjamin Franklin (twins), born June 8, 1848, the former wife of Williau P. Elliott; and John William, born May 26, 1851. The three eldest are now resident. of Illinois. Mr. Bernard has spent nearly all of his life as a farmer, and mostly in Clinton County. In March, 1877, they moved to New Vienna, where they have sine resided engaged in keeping a boarding house and a hotel. In April, 1880, Mr. Bernard took charge of the Miller House, which he has successfully conducted to the present time. Here the traveler and the stranger find a welcome, a table spread with all the comforts of life, and a landlord and landlady always courteous and kind, who never fail to make their guests feel satisfied and at home.

CORNELIUS C. BLOOM, farmer, P. O. New Antioch, was born in Greene Town- ship, Clinton Co., Ohio, August 29, 1841 ; his father, Jacob, was born near Trenton, N. J., and in 1814, came to Ohio with his father, William Bloom, who emigrated that year with his wife, Catharine (Bowman) Bloom and their children. They settled in Highland County, but in 1824, removed to Clinton County, where they remained unti! their death ; he in 1851 and she in 1838. Our subject's father Jacob, remained with his father on the farm, and married Mary Ludinton, of Kentucky, by whom they had seven children, five sons and two daughters. Our subject was raised on the farm, and attended school at New Antioch ; he remained on the farm until he married and com menced life for himself; he has always lived in this township, with the exception of one year, during which he operated a mill at Reesville ; he was married, February 11, 1861. to Eliza E. Truitt, daughter of George W. and Abigail ( Applegate) Truitt. She was born November 22, 1845, and by her Mr. Bloom has had five children, viz., Carrie J .. Myrta S., deceased, Charles E., Clinton R. and Thomas J. Mr. Bloom is a represent1. tive farmer of the county, and now owns the farm on which he was born, and which he purchased of the heirs at the death of his father in March, 1882.

WILLIAM D. BOATRIGHT, farmer, P. O. New Vienna, born in Rockingham County, Va., March 16, 1829, is a son of Jonas and Mary Boatright, natives of Vir- ginia. The grandfather was Valentine Boatright, who was an early settler in Virginia. and lived and died there. He had four sons and two daughters who grew to maturity- Medder, Valentine, Jonas and Daniel were the sons. The two first mentioned married and reside in Virginia. The two last mentioned emigrated to Ohio and settled in Highland County-Jonas in 1833 and Daniel in 1835 ; the latter subsequently removed to Iowa. where he lived till his death. The two daughters, Rebecca, and one whose name is now unknown, married and also reside in Virginia. Jonas remained in Highland County till his death, January 25, 1871. His wife died January 25, 1867. They had eight children-Egbert G., William D., Martha (married to Abraham Roush), and residing in Kansas, Mary E. (married to A. Spickard), Tandy A., George W. (who resides in Kansas), Roxaline (married to Joseph Kirkhart); and James M. The subject of the sketch was four years of age when brought to Ohio, and here grew to manhood, was married September 19, 1860, to Margaret Spear, who was born in Clinton County, December 24, 1839, and whose ancestral history is given in sketch of Zepha- niah Spear. By this union they have two children-Clara E., born July 30, 1861, and Laura J., born November 24, 1863. Mr. Boatright in early life engaged in partner- ship with his eldest brother in mercantile trade in Fairview, Highland County ; they also ran a store at Russell Station at the same time. This business they conducted

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with success for twelve years. Thence Mr. Boatright removed to Knox County, Ill., and purchased land and entered upon farming, remaining there four years, when he exchanged his farm for the one where he now lives, on to which he moved in the fall of , 1867, and here he has since resided. This place was then known as " the Dove farm." HIere Mr. Boatright erected all the buildings on the place, has good improvements. constituting a pleasant home and farmer's residence. He is a man of good business habits, great integrity and high moral character. He is a worthy member of the I. O. O. F., and as a neighbor and citizen is highly esteemed and respected.

LAFAYETTE BORING, farmer, P. O. New Antioch, born in Harrison County, Va., a son of Thomas and Ruth Boring, natives of Maryland. The grandparents were Absalom and Sarah Boring, also natives of Maryland, but who subsequently set- tled in Virginia, where Mrs. Boring died, but Absalom removed to Ohio, and died in Clinton County at the advanced age of over eighty years. Thomas and Ruth were married in Maryland, and resided several years in that State ; thence removed to Har- rison County, Va .; thence about 1830, removed to Ohio and settled on the place where - Lafayette, our subject, now lives, and here opened out right in the woods, and continued their labors till their death. They had nine children, all believed to be deceased but our subject. He was a young single man when their family came to Clinton County. Here, about 1840, he married Ailsey Collett, who was born in Ken- tucky, a daughter of John Collett, a native of Pennsylvania or Virginia, but who emi- grated to Kentucky in an early day, when the Indians were very troublesome, and by whom one of his brothers was killed. They lived and died in Kentucky. Mr. Bor- ing and wife have had six children, four now survive-Elizabeth, Ruth Ann, John and Absalom. Mrs. Boring died, and subsequently Mr. Boring married for his second wife Mrs. Polly Licurance, a daughter of Tilman and Betsey Hall, natives of North Carolina. By her he has four children-William, Mary Alice, Eliza Jane and Susan. Mr. Boring, after his marriage, located on the old home place of his father, where he still resides, having now made a residence here of fifty years. He now owns 148 acres of good land, well improved, with large and commodious buildings, with every comfort and convenience around him, quite in contrast from what it was half a century ago when they began right in the woods. Although Mr. Boring is a man of no education, he has by industry and economy become one of the prominent farmers of Greene Township, and now has a beautiful farm and home.

CHARLES C. BOWERS, attorney, New Vienna, was born in Monmouth County, N. J., November 7, 1818. His parents, John and Sarah (Bound) Bowers, natives of New Jersey, were parents of ten children, all of whom grew up, the first to die being nineteen years of age. They came to Ohio in 1841, and, after a two years' residence in Highland County, located in Greene Township, Clinton County, near the village of New Vienna. The father died in Indiana while visiting his son, and the mother died in Highland County while visiting a daughter. Our subject received a very limited education in the common schools, and worked at the carpenter trade, which he learned in New Jersey until 1853, when he embarked in mercantile pursuits. In 1864, he commenced the practice of law, at which he now continues. He was mar- ried, in 1841, to Mary S. Turner, daughter of Apollo and Catharine (Cook) Turner, natives of New Jersey, who came to Ohio soon after our subject's family. By this union, three children were born-James F., a practicing physician, whose biography appears in Liberty Township sketches ; Gilbert Henry, who died at six months of age ; 'and S. Catharine, the wife of Hiram Witter, a real estate broker of Denver, Colo. Mr. Bowers has served as a Justice of the Peace in this township twenty-one years. His pater- nal ancestors were from Wales, and his maternal from England. His great great-grand. father, Joseph Bowers, was the first of the name to come to America. Subject's father was a soldier in the war of 1812, and his great-grandfather in the war of the Revolu- tion. On the day preceding the battle of Monmouth, N. J., our subject's grandfather, then a boy of sixteen years of age, was at home taking care of his father's family, when a band of Hessians stopped at their farm. The Hessians took a colt and two cows from the farm, drew the well dry and appropriated to their use any other plunder

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that happened to catel their eye, and then departed. Young Bowers followed them all that day and through the night, and early in the morning of the following day, when the Hessians became engaged in the battle of Monmouth, he succeeded in rescuing the stolen live stock and driving them home. He took great pleasure in after life relating this ineident to his progeny.

DR. EDWARD W. BROWN, physician, New Vienna, born in Oxford, Ohio, October 21, 1856; is a son of Samuel R. and Sarah (Duvall) Brown; he a na- tive of County Antrim, Ireland, and she of Highland County, Ohio. The grand- parents were Allen and Margaret Brown, natives of Ireland. He was of Scotch- Irish descent and she a descendant of the French Huguenots. In the days of the French Revolution, there was a family of Huguenots, by the name of Molly- neaux, who were all killed but two sons, named John and William, who hung out of the windows by their hands, and by that means were unobserved by the soldiers. Sub- sequently they escaped to the seacoast, and secreted themselves in a vessel that was about to set sail, they knew not where; but they were landed in Ireland, it is believed at Belfast. From one of these brothers Mrs. Margaret Brown descended. She was a lady of fine education and attainments and possessed of a remarkably strong and active mind. About 1824, Allen Brown, with his family, emigrated to America, and located at Point Pleasant, Ky. ; thenec, after a few years' residence, removed to Highland County, Ohio, near where Buford now stands, on the old Cincinnati and Chillicothe stage route. There he erected a large two-story log house, in which he kept tavern, and there resided till his death, at the age of eighty-four years. His wife survived him several years, and died in her eighty-fifth year. He was a man of great energy of char- acter, and did a prosperous business in his tavern, and had a farm of 300 acres of fine land. They had five sons and one daughter. Four sons now survive-Judge Thomas, John (who resides on the old homestead), James and William. Samuel R., the father of our subject, was about seven years of age when they landed in Kentucky, he being the eldest of the family, and there he grew up under the sturdy influences of the sur- roundings in those days. There he was a playmate of the boy who subsequently became Gen. Grant, and there, in his boyhood days, he plied his oar in rowing his skiff across the Ohio, transferring people from one shore to the other. He acquired a good education for those days, and when nineteen or twenty years of age taught school, and continued to apply himself to that vocation till he acquired some means, when he entered upon the mercantile trade in Buford. There he continued several years, where was fully manifested his skill and general business tact and prosperity, which continued to grow with the man as he advanced in years. He soon required a larger room for his increased and growing business. He purchased a property upon which was a large and commodious building, in which he continued business, and married Sarah Duvall, a daughter of Judge John Duvall. Mr. Brown continued at Buford several years, hav- ing a very prosperous business. Thence he exchanged his store and stock of goods for 300 acres of land, and after one year's residence on his farm he removed to Oxford, Ohio, and again entered into mereantile trade, in partnership with Newton, under the firm name of Newton & Brown. This partnership continued doing a very profitable and extensive business till in 1864, when Mr. Brown concluded to return to his farm, and he sold out his interest in the store to Mr. Newton. He now gave his especial attention to farming, entering largely upon raising and dealing in fine improved stoek. He now had a farm of 600 acres, having added 300 acres by purchase while at Oxford. He erected one of the largest and finest barns in the county ; also erected a fine, commodious house, and now had one of the finest stock farms in the county, and supplied it with the best improved stock. Mr. Brown's entire life had been marked with great financial success ; but death had fixed upon him as a shining mark, and he was taken suddenly away by heart disease on December 22, 1881, in his sixty-fifth year of age. Thus suddenly passed away one of the most active business men of the county, and one whose char- acter and integrity stood untarnished and whose death was mourned by a large circle of friends and acquaintances. Mr. Brown's wife died December 13, 1880. They had cight children. Seven now survive-Maggie (now Widow Sinks), John A., Anna

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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 72

Author: Durant, Pliny A. ed; Beers (W.H.) & Co., Chicago, pub Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Chicago : W. H. Beers Number of Pages: 1410

Author: Durant, Pliny A. ed; Beers (W.H.) & Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago : W. H. Beers
Number of Pages: 1410