The history of Darke County, Ohio, containing a history of the county; its cities, towns, etc.; general and local statistics; portraits of early settlers and prominent men;, Part 108

Author: Beers, W. H. & co., Chicago, pub. [from old catalog]; McIntosh, W. H., [from old catalog] comp
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, W. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 774


USA > Ohio > Darke County > The history of Darke County, Ohio, containing a history of the county; its cities, towns, etc.; general and local statistics; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; > Part 108


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ROBERT A. MORRISON, M. D., Beamsville; was born in Franklin Co., Penn., March 28, 1832 ; his father, Aaron Morrison, married Nancy McClintock ; she resides in Piqua, Miami Co., Ohio ; he died in Darke Co., Dr. R. A. Morrison


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read medicine in Covington, Ohio, and in Gettysburg, Ohio, and graduated in Cincinnati, in the Ohio Medical College, in 1859; commenced the practice of" medicine in Gettysburg, this county, where he practiced five years ; moved to Laura, Miami Co .; remained there two years ; he then returned to Gettysburg ; moved to Horatio, 1866, and to Stelvidio in 1868; on the 11th of June, 1872, he was thrown accidentally from his sulky, receiving almost fatal injury, causing paraplegia of his left side, from which he has not. nor will he recover, though in full possession of mind and memory, and good practice, having the confidence of the community and fraternity, and is in full membership in the Darke County Medical Society. He married Sarah A. Shade, March 15, 1859, at New Harrison ; she was born Jan. 27, 1837 ; by this union were six children, three of whom are deceased : the living are Mary Alice, Robert Sheridan and Jim ; his second marriage was with Sarah Hartel, Aug. 21, 1879 ; she was born April 2, 1844 ; her father, Jacob Hartel, Jr., was born in Pennsylvania Ang. 14, 1802, and married Elizabeth Curtner ; she was born June 24, 1802 ; he died Oct. 2, 1873 ; his father, Jacob Hartel, Sr., was born Oct. 5, 1779, and his wife, Elizabeth (Snavely), was born Oct. 18, 1778; his second wife was Catherine Spade ; she was born June 6, 1792 ; his third wife was Susanna Cooley, born April 12, 1791. This family was among the earliest settlers of Richland Township. See George Plessinger's biography, which appears in this work.


ELLEN PECK, widow of Charles L. Peck, M. D., deceased ; Sec. 32 ; P. O. Beamsville; he was born near Brighton, Aug. 25, 1837, and was a son of Lewis and Electa (Kelsey) Peek, who reside in Bloomfield, Conn .; Dr. Charles L. Peck, soon after he graduated, moved to Beamsville, Darke Co., and commenced the practice of medicine, which profession he followed with eminent success, and in all the walks of life, he was loved and esteemed for his gentlemanly deportment. kind and generous aets and energetic business enterprise, by which, in his short life, he accumulated and left to his devoted family a handsome competency ; he read medicine in Hartford. Conn., where he graduated May 11, 1857 ; besides his med- ical practice, he engaged in merchandising and farming ; he died Feb. 10, 1876, leaving for his family 200 acres of fine farming land, with good farm buildings, 40 acres of which are adjoining the village of Beamsville, wherein he also owned two dwellings ; he married Ellen Brown, Aug. 21, 1859 ; she was born in Brownhelm, Loraine Co., Ohio, Sept. 9, 1841 ; her father, Jeremiah Brown, was born in New York State, and married Bridget R. MeLaughlin, daughter of Robert and Ellen Mclaughlin, who came from Pennsylvania in 1824; Jeremiah Brown died April 13, 1844 ; his widow, Ellen, married William Kelsey ; they reside in Richland Township ; Mr. and Mrs. Dr. Peck have had three children by their union, viz .: Clifford Lewis, born Nov. 12, 1860 ; Rachael Edith, born June 19, 1865, and Frank- lin Orator, Nov. 16, 1871.


GEORGE PLESSINGER. farmer and stock-raiser, Sec. 22; P. O. Dawn ; was born in Bedford Co., Penn., Dec. 15, 1815 ; his father, Philip, was born in Maryland, near Harper's Ferry, Feb. 18, 1784, and married Faith Fish ; she was born in New Jersey March 16, 1781 ; they moved to Montgomery Co., Ohio, in the fall of 1817, and to Darke Co. in March, 1820, and settled in Richland Town- ship ; he died July 4, 1861 ; she died in January, 1869. The subject of this sketch came here with his parents ; when they came there were but three white settlers in the township, viz., James Stephenson, David Riffle and Jacob Hartle. Mr. Plessinger's family endured all the privations and hardships of frontier pioneer life for many years ; wild animals and game were numerous and troublesome ; Mr. Plessinger was a successful hunter ; killed but one bear, but hundreds of deer, wild turkeys, etc. He has had his share of township offices. He married Mary Har- mon Nov. 1, 1842 ; she was born in May, 1821, in Adams Co., Penn., and came to Darke Co. with her uncle, Philip Hartzell, in 1836 ; they have had twelve children, viz .: Joseph H., born Nov. 19, 1843, and died March 1, 1849 ; Faith, born Sept. 20, 1845, married George H. Winbigler ; Sarah J., born Dec. 20, 1847, married Oscar Davison ; Emma, born Dec. 18, 1849, married Walter Snyder ; Anna M.,


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born Feb. 23, 1851 ; Lawson, born Feb. 19, 1853, died July, 1854 ; Almeda, horn Dec. 28, 1854, died May 12. 1879; Lucy E., born Jan. 18, 1856, died Feb. 22, 1860 ; George A., born Oct. 17, 1858 ; Phillip E., born Oct. 8, 1860 ; Ezra, born Feb. 16, 1864 ; Clara N., born July 28, 1866. He owns 200 acres and a good home.


JOB M. SHAFER, farmer and stock-raiser, Sec. 27 ; P. O. Versailles ; was born in Bedford Co., Penn., Sept. 4, 1830 ; his father, John Shafer, was born in the same county, July 17, 1802, and married Dorothy Mann Feb. 24, 1824, of the same county ; she was born Feb. 20, 1804; his father, Sickfrit Shafer, was born in Virginia, and married Mary Hess ; Mrs. John Shafer's father, Jacob Mann, was born July 27, 1763, and married Dorothy Hill June 13, 1786 ; she was born May 2, 1761 ; Mr. Jacob Mann died Nov. 5, 1830; Dorothy, his wife, died Aug. 6, 1845 ; John Shafer moved to Darke Co. in 1837; they had five children, viz .: Anna, born April 30, 1826, married Alexander B. Brandon ; Mary, born June 9, 1828, died June 20, following ; Job M., the subject of this sketch ; Margaret, born Oct. 7, 1833; died Sept. 5, 1841, of the milk sickness, and Jacob, born Dec. 10, 1835, died Dec. 11, 1845. John, the father, resides where he first settled in Richland Township ; his wife died April 11, 1875. Job M., the subject of this sketch, has always followed farming on the old homestead, where he now resides ; he was elected Justice of the Peace in April, 1856, and served three years, and has been Township Trustee. He married Elizabeth Brandon March 20, 1851 ; she is the daughter of James R. Brandon, and was born in Darke Co. (see Alex- ander B. Brandon's biography in this work) Oct. 10, 1831 ; they have six children, viz .: Dennis, born Dec. 24, 1851; Margaret A, born March 11, 1855, married Cyrus White ; John C., born May 13, 1858 ; Allen W., born March 30, 1862 ; Mary, born March 24, 1866, and Bertha, born Jan. 31, 1872. He owns 263 acres of land and a good home.


DAVID J. STAHL, farmer, Sec. 34; P. O. Versailles ; was born in Adams Township, Darke Co., Ohio, Nov. 17, 1850, and is a son of Jacob K. and Sarah (Limber) Stahl ; he was born in Pennsylvania in 1812, and died in Greenville Township in November, 1861 ; she resides with her daughter, Mrs. John C. Hill, in Newton, Miami Co., Ohio ; he came to Darke Co. among the early settlers, with his father, Henry Stahl, therefore the family is identified among the first settlers of the county ; he was noted for his enterprise and industry ; he accumulated a large property ; at his death he owned the grist and saw mills, with 40 acres of land in Coletown, a large landed property in Greenville, 266 acres in Adams Township, and the homestead farm, where the subject of this sketch resides, in Richland Township. David J. has always followed farming, and has resided in this county, except six years, during which he worked his mother's land in Miami Co., Ohio. He married Sarah Curtis Aug. 19, 1872 ; she was born near Fredericks- burg, Miami Co., Ohio, July 16, 1850 ; her father, William Curtis, married Anna Feece ; she was born Jan. 7, 1832; they reside near Troy, Miami Co., Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Stahl have three children, viz .: Leonia Belle, born Oct. 4, 1873 ; Daisy, born Dec. 6, 1875, and William Allen, born Oct. 14, 1877. He owns one- half of the homestead, containing 235 acres-the first land his father settled on in this county of his own.


GEORGE H. WARVEL, farmer, Sec. 6; P. O. Beamsville ; was born in Rockingham Co., Va., July 27, 1829 ; his father, John Warvel, was born in the same county, May 29, 1798, and married Delilah Lepe, June 14, 1829 ; she also was born in the same place May 13, 1807, and resides with her son, the subject of this sketch ; they moved to this place in the fall of 1844 ; John Warvel died Jan. 31, 1866, and was always a strong, robust farmer up to a year or two before he died. The subject of this sketch has always pursued the avocation of farming, except for a short time he followed carpentering ; has been Trustee in this township, is a member of the order of A., F. & A. M. He married Mary Simes Nov. 6, 1856, daughter of Henry P. Simes, she was born Jan. 12, 1838, and died Aug. 17, 1865 ; by this union they


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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES :


had three children, viz .: William A., born Sept. 2, 1857 ; two died in early infancy ; his second marriage was with Lizzie Hartzell, Nov. 22, 1866 ; she was daughter of George Hartzell, deceased, and born June 8, 1845, in this county, and died March 16, 1868, leaving no issue living ; his third marriage was with Susan M. Earhart, April 24, 1870 ; she was born Nov. 28, 1840, and was sister of his second wife, Lizzie ; she died Feb. 10, 1875 ; by this union two children were born, viz .: Lilley Bell, born April 11, 1871, and died March 3, 1878, and John H., born May 4, 1872. Mr. Warvel owns 65 acres of land and a good home bordering Beamsville.


DANIEL WARVEL, farmer and stock-raiser, See. 32 ; P. O. Beamsville ; was born in Warren Co., Ohio, Sept. 5, 1834; his father, Christopher, was born in Rockingham Co., Va., Feb. 27, 1796, and married Charlotte Lilly ; she was born in the same county June 4, 1799 ; he died March 18, 1851, and she died March 14, 1855 ; they are buried in the cemetery on the old homestead on Sec. 13, in this township ; they moved from Virginia to Warren Co., Ohio, and thence to Mont- gomery Co., and came to Darke Co. about 1839; when they endeavored to buy something to eat, on their arrival in Warren Co., they offered the last $5 they possessed, and found it to be counterfeit, consequently they began life in Ohio with nothing ; when they got to Darke Co. they had sufficient to buy their first 160 acres in the woods ; they had nine children viz .: John H., William L., Sarah A., George C., Elizabeth, Mary, Adeline, deceased, Daniel and Margaret L. ; Sarah A. married D. R. Hathaway ; Elizabeth, Solomon Beam ; Mary, Daniel Hartzell ; Ade- line, Andrew Coppess, and Margaret married Linas Hathaway. The subject of this sketch was raised a farmer, and remained at home with his parents until his mother's decease, he then made a trip to Virginia, and worked at farming and miscellaneous employment, for wages, by the month ; at the age of 21, he bought 40 acres, and began a home for himself; has been honored with various township offices, was Township Clerk, Trustee, etc., was Justice of the Peace three years, and retired last spring. He married Catherine Ann Kaylor Jan. 1. 1856 ; she was born in Logan Co., Ohio, May 7, 1837 ; she died Feb. 3, 1857 ; they had one child, Joseph C., born Jan. 28, 1857 ; he is still living ; his second marriage was cele- brated March 21, 1858, with Sarah Powell ; she was born in Monroe Co., Ohio, Jan. 27, 1836 ; they have five children, viz .: Mary A., born Dec. 18, 1858, she mar- ried Abraham Eley ; Lucy E., born May 9, 1860; Laban, Dec. 10, 1861 ; Amos A., June 11, 1864, and Clement L., July 20, 1873. Mr. Warvel owns a good home and 227 aeres of land.


JOHN B. WERTS, merchant and Postmaster at Dawn, Sec. 20; was born in Preble Co., Ohio, June 20, 1848 ; his father, William Werts, was born in Preble Co., Ohio, Dee. 25, 1826, and married Lydia Willson, who was born in Darke Co., June 20, 1827 ; he moved to Darke Co. in 1855, and engaged in coopering in this township ; Mrs. Lydia Werts died Nov. 21, 1878. John B., the subject of this sketch, commenced clerking, with Creager Brothers, in Horatio, Darke Co., at the age of 10 years, which he followed until he moved to this place, in April 1873, where he engaged in business on his own account ; he was appointed Postmaster Sept. 30. 1875, he is also express agent ; he was Township Clerk six years in York Township. He married Mary J. Winbigler of Brock, this county, Oct 15, 1872 ; they have one child, Minnie Claudia, born Nov. 15, 1874.


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WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.


WASHINGTON TOWSHIP.


PETER E. ARMSTRONG, farmer and stock-raiser, Sec. 10 ; P. O. Hill Grove ; was born in Greenville Township, Darke Co., Ohio, Nov. 21, 1831, and is the son of John and Jane (Elston) Armstrong ; at the age of 18, he was living in Jackson Township, this county ; about that time the first church edifice was built there-a little log house, by the Methodists ; his early education was obtained in a very poor log hut, of small dimensions, but from his father he obtained good sound knowledge, as he was an educated gentleman before he emigrated into the wilder- ness ; he was an attorney at law, and in this county was Associate Judge of the Common Pleas a number of years, and Justice of the Peace twenty-four years he was one of the most highly respected and prominent men of the county during his lifetime. The subject of this sketch, Peter E., is Treasurer of this township ; has assessed the chattel property of this township five years ; a Trustee, etc. ; is a strong Union man, and a Republican. He married Catherine Henning July 25, 1854; she was born in Montgomery Co., Ohio, Nov. 22, 1830, and came to Darke Co. in her youth, with her parents, Jacob and Rebecca (Stiner) Henning ; they have four children, viz. : David, born Aug. 11, 1855 ; Sarah Jane, born Nov. 23, 1856 ; she married Andrew C. Bickel ; Hugh Lincoln, born June 15, 1860, and Mary Isabelle, born Nov. 29, 1867. Mr. Armstrong owns 148 acres, where he has resided twenty-four years ; this he has procured by his own unaided efforts and self-reliance ; himself and wife are members of the German Baptist Church.


ANDREW BICKEL, farmer and stock-raiser, Sec. 15 ; P. O. Hill Grove ; was born in Brush Valley, Centre Co., Penn., Sept. 2, 1805 ; moved to Montgomery Co., Ohio, with his parents in 1811. His father, Andrew Bickel, was born in Pennsyl- vania, and married Catherine Gloss, born also in Pennsylvania ; he died in St. Joseph Co., Ind., in 1854, and she died here on Sec. 15 in 1858; he was drafted in the war of 1812, but hired a substitute. Andrew, the subject of this sketch, moved to this place, where he now resides, March 2, 1831, having entered 80 acres in August before ; he built his cabin of logs in the woods, without windows or doors, but in the fall he procured a plank, of which he made a door. using wooden pins for nails, being too poor to buy nails, or latch, or hinges, but his latch-string has always been out for a friend ; in 1838, he built a hewed-log house and weather- boarded it ; in this he still resides, a good, warm, substantial habitation ; he sold forty bushels of corn of his own raising for 25 cents a bushel, and every year since has had corn to sell ; and in the early days he never refused a neighbor a sack of corn whether he had the money or not ; in the first twelve years alone he cleared 50 acres ; after that his boys were old enough to help him, and they did. He married Nancy Moyer May 30, 1830 ; she was born in Rockingham Co., Va., Aug, 27, 1810. Mr. and Mrs. Bickel have had ten children, viz. : Henry, born Jan. 2. 1831 ; John, born Feb. 23, 1832 ; William, born Oct. 10, 1833, died Nov. 22, 1853 : Catherine, born Feb. 9, 1839 ; Daniel, born Oct. 21, 1837 ; Sally, born Dec. 2, 1839. died March 30, 1843 ; Elizabeth, born Jan. 3, 1842 ; Abigail, born Jan. 19, 1844. died March 20, 1853 ; Mary, born April 25, 1847, died May 21, 1847, and Andrew, born June 15, 1852. Catherine married Henry Blocher ; Elizabeth married John J. Norris. Mr. Bickel is hale and hearty, and says at the age of 60 he could cut and split from the stump 200 rails, or cut and put up two cords of hard wood in a day. He voted for Andrew Jackson in 1832. He now owns the old homestead of 120 acres, where he resides.


DANIEL W. BICKEL, farmer and stock-raiser, Sec. 17 ; P. O. Hill Grove ; was born in Clermont Co., Ohio, Nov. 11, 1838, and is the eldest son of Tobias Bickel, of Sec. 18, Washington Township, who was born in Centre Co., Penn., May


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6, 1811. and married Elizabeth Me Adams, of Hamilton Co., Ohio, in June. 1837 , she was born in that county Nov. 15, 1815. Tobias Bickel moved to where he now resides in 1848 ; he followed teaming in Cincinnati until he was 25 years of age ; he had no advantages for an education in his youth, but has given all his children good opportunities, which they have improved ; they have had eleven chil- dren, viz. : Daniel, Margaret, Hamilton A., Sarah E .. deceased ; Catherine, deceased ; John J .. Nancy J., Joseph, Elijah, Stephen R .. deceased, and Marcus D. Mr. T. Bickel has been a successful and thrifty farmer ever since he came to Darke Co., and owns, free and clear, 240 acres. which he has redeemed from a wilderness of swamps, by open and blind ditching, as well as clearing of heavy timber. The subject of this sketch, at the age of 20, commenced teaching school, and followed it four years ; has been Assessor of the township for two years, and Clerk one year. He married Rebecca Chenoweth. daughter of John Chenoweth. deceased, of this township, Sept. 28, 1861 ; she was born May 25, 1838. They have had three children, viz .: the first died unnamed ; John H., born Oct. 29, 1863, and Ira E., born Feb. 28. 1866. He owns a fine home and 156 acres of land ; himself and wife are members of the Methodist Church.


HENRY M. BICKEL, farmer and stock-raiser, Sec. 8; P. O. Hill Grove ; was born Jan. 2, 1831, in Montgomery County, Ohio, and came with his parents to Darke County in April following; his father, Andrew Bickel, was born in Centre County, Penn., Sept. 2, 1805, and married Nancy Moyer, who was born in Virginia Aug. 27, 1810 ; both, hale and hearty, are now living on the farm they bought in 1830, at that time in an unbroken wilderness, in Washington Township, though they experienced all the hardships and privations so well known to all the early settlers of this portion of Ohio, but now, instead of the wilderness, amid the most fertile and productive agricultural land of the State, Henry M., the subject of this sketch, has owned the farm (234 acres) where he lives twenty-three years ; this also has he redeemed from wilderness and swamps to bountiful productive- ness, being among, if not the very first man to " blind tile," which is the making of the fine farms in Darke County ; now he is surrounded by abundance and com- fort ; at 21 years, he was not worth a dollar. and possesses to-day the first silver dollar that he earned, by cutting eight cords of hardwood. June 12, 1856, he married Mary Crumrine ; she was born in Darke County July 8, 1839 ; they have had six children, viz., John C., Lucy C. (deceased), Mary A., Dora (deceased), Harrison C. and Henry I.


SAMUEL W. BLOCHER, farmer and stock-raiser, Sec. 23; P. O. Greenville ; is the youngest son of Samuel Blocher, of Washington Township, and was born in this township Oct. 20, 1845 ; was raised a farmer, and has continued to follow it successfully, and has just erected for himself one of the finest brick residences in this county. He married Catherine M. Glunt, daughter of Joseph Glunt, deceased ; they have three children, viz. : Ira. born July 22, 1873 ; Hugh, Feb. 12, 1876 ; and Myrtle, Aug. 6, 1878. Mr. B. owns 183 acres of fine farming land adjoining the homestead of his father.


THOMAS F. CHENOWETH, farmer and brickmason, Sec. 32 ; P. O. Darke ; was born in Franklin County, Ohio, July 17, 1808 ; his father, John Chenoweth, was born in Virginia, and married Betsey Foster ; she was born in Maryland July 16, 1788 ; he died in Tippecanoe County, Ind., in 1865 ; she died in Darke County, Ohio, in 1876 ; the family moved to this section in February, 1818. (See biog- raphy of JJacob B. Chenoweth.) The subject of this sketch attended school with about an equal number of white and colored children, as the Clemens (colored) settlement was made soon after they moved here; up to the age of 21, Mr. Chenoweth followed farming, then learned the brickmason's trade, which, with farming, he has ever since followed ; was elected Justice of the Peace in 1852, and served until 1879 (twenty-seven years). He married Christina Thomas Nov. 10, 1831 ; she was born in Anderson County. Tenn., Feb. 1, 1810 ; her father, John Thomas, married Catherine Albright Oct. 31. 1799 ; she was born March 14, 1784 ;


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both were born in North Carolina and died in Preble County, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Chenoweth have had the following children, viz., Lewis A., born Aug. 6, 1832, (lied April 4, 1836 ; Jolm, born Nov. 19, 1833 ; Louisa, Dec. 16, 1835 ; Nelson T., Oct. 8. 1837 ; Emeline. Dec. 7, 1839, died Feb. 18. 1840 ; Catherine, born Jan. 13, 1843 ; Joel T., Dec. 29, 1844 ; Mary Jane, Sept. 18, 1848 ; and Benjamin F., Sept. 27, 1852 ; Louisa married Milton Jefferis. Catherine married Daniel Clapp, Mary Jane married George McClure. In the winter of 1830 and 1831, Mr. Chenoweth hauled with a four-horse team out of Greenville all the wheat that was marketed there at that time, i. e., two loads a day, twenty-five bushels to the load ; it was sold for 373 cents per bushel in merchandise. He owns a good farm of 160 acres.


JACOB B. CHENOWETH, farmer and stock-raiser, Sec. 17 ; P. O. Hill Grove ; was born in Pike Co., Ohio, May 13, 1824, and came with his parents to Washing- ton Township, where he now resides, in December. 1829 ; his father, John Cheno- weth, was born in Pike Co., Ohio, Nov. 7, 1797, and is said to be the first white child born on the Seioto River in that county ; he married Mary E. Barger April 13, 1820 ; she was born in Virginia in 1797 ; her father, Jacob Barger, was born March 13, 1769, and married Susan Barger, who was born in Germany ; he died Sept. 7, 1822, and she died Oct. 24, 1845. Jacob B., the subject of this sketch. began life poor ; he worked for small wages, farming up to 1850 ; his limited educa- tion he procured here in a hut built of round logs, small and so low a big boy could barely stand upright : in place of glass window-lights was greased white paper, through which only dim knowledge could be obtained. He married Sarah Wagemon Sept. 10, 1857 ; she was born in Darke Co., Sept. 8, 1837 ; her father, William Wagemon, was born in Pennsylvania, and married Mary Baker, of Virginia ; he died in Wabash Co., Ind., in the winter of 1867 ; she died in Randolph Co., Ind., in March, 1876. Mr. and Mrs. Chenoweth have four children, viz .. John W., born Sept. 6, 1858 ; Mary A., Oct. 21, 1860 ; Flora J., March 30, 1863; and Ira O., March 15, 1874. He owns 100 acres and a good home ; he has been Supervisor, Trustee, School Director, etc., but has never aspired to public office.


JOSEPH COLE, JR., retired farmer, Sec. 33; P. O. Darke ; was born in Washington Township, Darke Co., Dec. 29, 1823 ; at the age of 17, he began teaching school in the first schoolhouse erected in Washington Township, and fol- lowed teaching most of the time until he was 30 years old ; he built and managed a saw-mill about three years; he went into merchandising in Coletown and followed it four years ; he since has followed dealing in live-stock and farming ; he has never been a political aspirant ; he is now Secretary of the Darke County Pioneer Society. His father, Samuel Cole, was born in Sussex Co., N. J., July 3, 1787, and married Mary Elston, of the same county. in 1812 ; she was born Nov. 27, 1792 ; his father, Samuel Cole, was born on the Hudson River, near New York City, Nov. 5, 1751. He first married Janey Davis ; she was born July 2, 1755 ; his second wife was Anna Rider ; she was born Oct. 25, 1760 ; his father was David Cole, a descendant of the Coles who were among the first settlers of New York City or New Amsterdam ; Samnel Cole, the father of the subject of this sketch, moved to Washington Township in March, 1817 ; his father came the next year and died here Jan. 8, 1829 ; Samuel, father of Joseph, the subject of this sketch, died in Greenville Township, this county, Feb. 21, 1866 ; he was a farmer but taught the first school in Washington Township ; he was the first Justice of the Peace, and was Township Clerk in 1823; his widow Mary, died Aug. 10, 1831 ; they had eight children, viz .: William, born July 25, 1813, in New Jersey, died April 3, 1836 ; Asa, born July 26, 1815, in New Jersey, died May 29, 1857 ; Jane, born April 20, 1817 ; the first white child born in Washington Township ; she married Leonard Wintermute. and now resides in Greenville Township ; Betsey, born March 23, 1819, died Feb. 6, 1872 ; she married George Elston, deceased ; Samnel, born April 5, 1821 ; Joseph, Dec. 29, 1823 ; Polley, --- 18, 1826, died Sept. 25. 1831, and Henry, June 20, 1829 ; he is a Christian minister and resides in Kansas. Joseph, the subject of




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