The history of Montgomery county, Ohio, containing a history of the county, Part 125

Author: W.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago, W. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1214

USA > Ohio > Montgomery County > The history of Montgomery county, Ohio, containing a history of the county > Part 125

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Shreve. The evening before the battle of Monmouth, the company had a little skir- mish with a company of English light horse, and came off victorious. Nutt was quite near the English Captain, and saw the American soldier shoot him in the breast. He fell from his horse and jumped a fence and fell dead by the side of it. Nutt, in look- ing at him after death, pronounced him the handsomest man he ever saw. Next day the main battle was fought, the day, an excessively hot one, the Americans threw off their coats and knapsacks, as they marched into the field, forty-eight abreast. After the battle, twelve wagons loaded with bread and drawn by oxen were brought on the ground for the Americans. After this, Nutt's military service was in riding as a scout and driving team ; of the latter, he did a large amount. He never asked for or received any pension, but assisted many others in procuring theirs. On Tuesday, the 4th day of May, 1779, he was married to Mary Archer, daughter of Joseph and Sarah Archer. of New Jersey. From this union there were nine children, of whom none are now living. Three died in early life, the remaining six lived to be heads of families. The father used to take great pleasure in standing on his owa premises and look at the smoke curling out of the chimneys of five of his children-the sixth one lived some four miles distant. In 1786, he removed with his family from New Jersey to Pennsylvania, where he remained only a few years, and then moved to Kentucky, living at different points, among which the following places are rememberd : On the Dry Ridge he lived a long time, keeping a tavern there; did the same in the town of Versailles ; from Ken- tucky he removed to what is now Centerville, Montgomery Co., Ohio, in the spring of 1798, having previously been there with the surveyors in February, 1796, and selected his land. Here he settled in a wilderness of woods, and where in his new abode he' remained with only a slight change of habitation during the balance of his life. Sur- rounded with a large circle of truly worthy friends and relatives who were always interested in his presence, as he so often gladdened the hours with earnest recitais of events of which he had not infrequently been an active participant.

He was a man of eminently correct habits of life, possessing a very superior con- stitution, tempcrate, industrious and of a cheerful disposition, even marked to the end. and when warned of approaching dissolution seemed ready and willing to meet the change. The disease of which he died was, though not of frequent occurrence, inciden to old age, and in this case, as was pronounced by his skillful and ever attentive physi cian, Dr. A. B. Price, one of the most extraordinary cases of the kind ever known tu the profession. The pain, which was very severe, was first manifested in the left eye which after awhile completely destroyed that organ. The pain then passed to the hee and great toe of the right foot, then successively until all the tocs were in a like manne involved, then the foot mortified, was drawn up and dried until all seemed as hard an lifeless as stone, and blackened with the deadly progress of the disease, which continuer for a period of many months, at the closing of which time a distinct point or line of de markation appeared within four inches of the knee. Death of the foot and leg below havin:

273

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.

already occurred and here separation of not only the living from the dead flesh, but also the larger bone was already manifest, so that earnest hopes were strongly entertained that an arrest was probable, and that an improved condition might be looked for ; but at the close of about the ninth month the powers of the constitution could stand the pres- sure no longer, and gradually yielding, death kindly terminated this protracted struggle June 2, 1842, and thus passed the life of a man aged eighty-three years ten months and sixteen days, who had never known what real sickness was, and even used his tobacco up to within a few days of the last. His remains are buried in the old cemetery one-half mile north of Centerville, between the graves of his two wives. " Peace to their remains."

John, after the death of his father, remained at home with his bercaved mother, working the little farm and attending and teaching school, and so continued until the last of August, 1845, when, on solicitation of Dr. John Evans, then of Indianapolis, Ind., he accepted a kind invitation to study medicine with him. So, bidding adieu to his old home and all of its surroundings, he embarked on board the Voress line of stage coaches for what then seemed to be the far-distant West. Here he commenced his medical studies, spending the winters, however, at Chicago, attending Rush Medi- cal College, from which institution he graduated in the spring of 1848. Returning to Indianapolis, he made application to the commissioners of the hospital for the insane for the place of assistant physician, and being successful in due time received the desired appointment, and early thereafter entered upon the duties of the office in this then new State institution, and soon had the satisfaction of assisting in the reception of the first patients ever admitted to treatment in that place. In October, 1851, he severed his con- nection with the hospital and, marrying Annie, the youngest daughter of David and Rachael Evans, of Waynesville, Ohio, moved within a few days thereafter to the city of Chicago, Ill., where, with a devoted wife and four comely boys, he now remains comfortably living in Glencoe, one of the city's most beautiful suburbs, overlooking both far and wide the cooling waters of Lake Michigan.

ABRAHAM PRUGH, carpenter, was born in Montgomery County, Ohio, August 30, 1830, of parents, Abner and Martha (Easey) Prugh, natives of Frederick County, Md., the former born in the year 1790 and the latter in 1791. Father Prugh is of German descent, his mother having been born in Germany. He was one of the early settlers in Montgomery County, to which he, as a single man, emigrated, settling in the vicinity of Beavertown, in the year 1812, driving thither a team for Laurence Shell, a brother-in-law. During the war of 1812, Mr. Prugh was at Urbana, and there saw Gen. Hull and army ; he remained but a short time and then returned to Mary- land, and again, in 1817, came back to Ohio and purchased land in the vicinity of Winchester, which he disposed of in about one year, when he removed to the vicinity of Beavertown, on a tract of eighty-four acres, which he bought and upon which he lived until ten years ago, at which time he lost his companion, her death occurring January 27, 1872, and since which he has made his home with our subject, who is the sixth of a family of eleven children. Until cighteen years of age, our subject lived on the homestead, then learned the carpenter's trade, which vocation he has in main fol- lowed ever since, his farm being carried on by his sons. On the 6th of April, 1854, Mr. Prugh was united in marriage with Mary, daughter of John G. and Jacobena (Fullmer) Scbold, natives of Germany. The parents were married in the State of New York, and in 1820 emigrated to Lebanon, Warren County, Ohio. The father died in 1865, and the mother is now residing near Dayton. Mary, the wife of our subject, was borne in Harrison Township, Montgomery County, Ohio, September 17, 1836, and has borne Mr. Prugh the following named children : John A., William H., James E., Martha, Abram, Anna M., Sarah G., Charles (died March 9, 1876), Ira and Herbert. Our subject belongs to a family who have done much toward clearing away the wilderness of the early day and making possible the high state of cultivation now attained. His father still lives to rchearse to his children and children's children the happenings of nearly a century ago, and though close on to the goal of ninety- two years, is almost in the full possession of his mental faculties.

274

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES :

BROOKY B. RUSSELL, Centerville. James Russell, born August 27, 1769 in the Shenandoah Valley, Va. Nancy McKee, born November 22, 1771, and mar ried to James Russell, 1791. From this union were ten children, born as follows Elizabeth, February 9, 1792; Robert, May 28, 1794 ; William, December 26, 1795 John, October 6, 1797 ; Abraham, June 24, 1799; James, December 6, 1800 ; Mary M., December 28, 1802; Brooky B., February 22, 1804; Ann, July 15, 1807 Mariam, June 27, 1810. Of the above children three only are now (July, 1881 living. Mr. Russell's early boyhood and manhood were spent principally in boat-build- ing on the Allegheny River, Penn. When about seventeen years old he moved with his parents to Mercer County, Penn., where he continued boat-building, one of which he and a brother loaded with produce and made a trip to New Orleans. Returning home, he concluded after awhile he would like to see the Northwest. Accordingly he started on the perilous trip in 1798. The Indians being troublesome, he procured the assistance of a guide, who traveled about 200 miles with him from the Pee Dee River. Finally reaching his destination in safety, he made his selection and purchase of land. He found a boarding-place with Dr. Hole, a pioneer, living about two miles distant. He immediately went to work and erected his round-log cabin, with a cat and clay chimney and puncheon floor. The pioneers that could be found within a reasonable distance by request assembled at a given time and assisted him in the erection of his cabin. During the day, one of the pioneers asked Mr. Russell where he was from He replied by saying he was from Cork, the North of Ireland, sir. The pioneer turned around and said to another : I wish to God he had stayed there, for they are the meanest people on earth. For some time after that Mr. Russell went by the name of Cork. Cabin finished, he returned to his family after an absence of ten weeks, built a boat in which he and his family came down the river to Cincinnati, in the spring o 1799, and moved immediately into the neighborhood of Redding and raised that season as much of a crop as he could ; then in the following February or March started for his future home in Washington Township, Montgomery County, Ohio, reaching it or the 12th day of March, 1800. Mrs. Russell has been heard to say that the sweetes night's sleep she ever had was the first one spent in that rude cabin. Family then con sisted of parents and five children. Now settled, the next thing in order was the clear ing of a farm, which to one not having will or nerve would be a serious undertaking but Mr. Russell possessed both, and in due course of time a farm was to be seen in stead of the dense forest. To supply the table (made of puncheons) with meats wa an easy matter ; it was wild but in abundance and very easily secured. When Mr Russell wished to take a day for a hunt he would put on a scarlet cloak with a hood t it, of his wife's, and thus equipped would start out and would return, if he wanted 8 many, with one dozen deer in a day. Bread was for a long time made exclusivel. of corn ; grinding done at Mr. Ripley's mill, one mile south of Ridgeville, Warrer County, Ohio. For the wearing apparel, of home manufacture; dressed deer-skins wer used extensively. Boots and shoes were made of untanned hides. When Mr. Russel went to the land office to make his payment, it was ascertained he had a surplus of ser. eral acres. He was then at a loss to know what to do. When Gen. Findley, the Re ceiver, said to him, my dear fellow, you take all the land you can get up there or will. Mr. Russell took the advice, went out and borrowed from a friend enough to com plete the payment. Mr. Russell served onc term in the Legislature, the session G 1828 and 1829. Was County Commissioner some years. It is said that at one se tlement with the County Treasurer there was such a quantity of silver that in order t! expedite their work, the Commissioners weighed the cash instead of counting it. H served as Justice of the Peace from 1810 to 1834, being a period of twenty-four year which is conclusive evidence he was a man standing high in the estimation of his fellow citizens. Beloved by his family and highly respected by acquaintances, he died Marc 12, 1845, having lived just forty-five years in the township. His wife, Nancy Russel died November 19, 1849.

ISAAC STANSELL, farmer, P. O. Centerville. Isaac Stansell, son of Henry an Elizabeth, was born December 27, 1810, in Washington Township, Montgomery Count:

275

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.

Ohio, where has always resided ; received his education in his boyhood in the pioneer log schoolhouse ; schools then taught by subscription ; teacher boarding with his patrons ; branches most commonly taught were reading, writing and arithmetic ; wcar- ing apparel manufactured at home, very plain, as the material was not very fine ; home- made flax linen for shirts and pants ; thread shirt-buttons almost exclusively. For win- ter wear, linsey and fulled cloth the linsey was of many colors. Instead of coats, a gar- ment called a wampus was worn, that was most generally made out of red flannel ; women wore same materials, but sometimes striped or barred. A boy generally re- ceived one pair shoes yearly ; living was just as plain as the wearing apparel. At the breakfast table was generally coffee made from corn, wheat, rye and flour ; it was called flour chocolate ; tea from spice, sassafras or sage ; wheat bread occasionally; corn bread was the standand, that made different ways; there was the dodger, the johnny-cake, and for extra a pone would be made, one that would last a family many days ; wild meats abundant, and obtained with little labor; going to mill is generally done on horseback. The first mill Mr. Stansell patronized was one on Sugar Creek, near the county line. Sugar was made every spring in large quantities, and used freely ; wood was no object. Mr. Stansell's parents emigrated from Kentucky ; his father came here in 1801, built his cabin, returned to Kentucky, and moved his family out on horseback to their future home in 1802, right in the woods; neighbors two to three miles distant. Both parents werc members of the Baptist Church, and regular attendants at the log meeting-house, half-mile north of Centerville, being the first one built in the township. John Mason was among the first of the preachers at this house. A minister's pay then was just what the members felt like giving freely. Henry Stansell and wife died in 1833. The way of attending church at this time was on foot or horseback, the rider taking two or three children on with him. Mr. Stansell being raised on a farm, he has work at every- thing to be done there, even to plowing with the wood mold-board plow drawn by oxen. Mr. Stansell was married February 4, 1834, to Miss Eleanor Shehan. From this union were eleven children, nine of whom are living. Mrs. Stansell died February 22, 1866. The father of the subject of this sketch was born October 1, 1765; married to Eliza- peth Allen April, 1793. From this union were eleven children, four of whom are now iving (July, 1881). Henry Stansell, at the age of thirteen, was captured by the Indians n the State of New York, with whom he remained five years, undergoing all the hardships of a captive's life. So far as a separation from home and friends are con- erned, a portion of the time the Indians tried to make his life agreeable, but was an indian's life after all. His release was brought about in this way. The Indian who laimed him as his property, while they were cncamped in the neighborhood of a British Fort on Lake Ontario, when drunk, sold him for a trifle to a British officer, received is pay and departed, but soon as he became sober, returned to the fort, and demanded he return of Henry, but the officers secreted him, and told the Indian that Henry was one. Young Stansell was soon exchanged and sent home to his parents. He was so hanged in appearance that (although dressed in civilized clothing), none of the family except his mother) knew him, having given him up as dead ; the mother, so long bereft f him, instantly recognized him by a scar on his face. A few years after peace was eclared, Henry Stansell married and removed to Kentucky, and then to Ohio as above ated.

LEWIS TAYLOR, farmer, P. O. Centerville, son of John and Rosanna ( Alexan- er) Taylor, was born June 5, 1813, in Washington Township, Montgomery County, hio. With the exception of a few years, has resided in his native township. In boy- ood, attended school in the log cabin where greased paper was used instead of glass for indows. The branches taught were reading, writing and arithmetic. Teachers were en paid by subscription and board, dividing their time with the patrons. Books sed were the spelling book and Bible. For copy books the scholar had, what would ow be considered, a very poor article of unruled foolscap, and the scholars provided nemselves with a lead pencil and rule to do the lining required in the copy book. The acher set all the copies, made and repaired the pens from goose quills. as steel and ld pens were not in use. Ink was manufactured at home, from maple bark and cop-

276

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES:

peras. Lewis' occupation is that of a farmer, and is now one of the few men in this township owning and occupying the land purchased by their fathers from the United States. The above tract was deeded by James Madison, President of the United States, to John Taylor, December 15, 1810. Lewis has never had any political aspirations, and never was on a jury. The amusements in his early days were corn huskings, log-roll- ings, and raising the log cabin for the new settler, which would be accomplished in one day, ready for the family accupancy at night. Huskings and rollings always ended with a dance at night. Lewis elaims that the frame house he now occupies was about the first, if not the first one built in the township in 1808. It is a two-story ; in the second story religious meetings used to be held by the Presbyterian, Baptist and Christian Churches. His parents were both natives of Mifflin County, Penn., and were married February 19, 1801. From this union were eight sons and one daughter, of whom four sons only are now living. The parents, with three children, came to Montgomery County, Ohio, in September, 1806, and purchased above-named tract of land soon after their arrival, on which was a double log cabin, with a puncheon floor, and about one acre of land, about half cleared; balance, heavily timbered. Some years afterward, Mr. Taylor made another purchase of 410 aeres of land, on the Miami Great Bend, and laid out the town of Alexandersville, the name being suggested by Mrs. Taylor, as a compliment to their eldest son, Alexander. Dr. David Bailey did the surveying and platting of the town. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor donated one of the lots to the Christian Church ; Mr. Taylor was one of the largest stockholders in the Woodbourn Cotton Factory, in which speculation he lost not less than $20,000, which, at that time, was a heavy loss. Mr. Taylor was drafted in the war of 1812; marched to Greenville under Capt. Richard Sunderland ; his stay, however, was short ; sickness called him home. Hc soon procured a substitute, Samuel Mattocks, paying him $60 cash and an outfit. Mr. Taylor died November 29, 1843, aged sixty-five years nine months and eleven days. Mrs. Taylor died August 17, 1878, aged ninety-four years four months and two days.

JOSEPH THOMAS, farmer, son of Edward P. and Abigal (Benham) Thomas, was born in Washington Township, Montgomery Co., Ohio, August 19, 1834, and has followed farming as his life oceupation. He was married, January 1, 1861, to Char lotte Ramsey, daughter of Bloomfield and Matilda A. (Reeder) Ramsey, who was also born in this township April 23, 1844. They have had the following children : Joscpl B., Edward P. (deceased), Mary E., Olive A., Melissa L., William H. L., Eve M. and Charles P. Our subject was but four years old when his father died, and at twelve years of age, began working out by the month to help his mother support th family. In 1855, he and his brother Benjamin rented a farm, and by hard constant toil, and steady, economieal habits, saved sufficient to purchase 100 acre of land, upon which Benjamin now lives. In 1865, Joseph sold his interest i the above farm to his brother, and purchased his present homestead of 13; acres, which is the legitimate result of his earnest efforts to succeed in life. Mr. Thoma is regarded as one of the progressive farmers of his native township, and his motto ha even been to be just and honest with all men.

JOHN WELLER, farmer, P. O. Centerville, son of John and Elizabeth Weller, wa born April 15, 1818, in Washington Township, Montgomery Co., Ohio, and, with th exception of eleven years, has always resided there. Of the eleven years, seven wer spent in Warren County, Ohio, and four in Miami County, Ohio. By occupation, is farmer ; was raised one. Married, September 29, 1841, to Miss Mary Ann Anderson From this union were ten children, seven of whom are living. Mr. Weller's schoolir acquired, as all farmer boys did at that time, work on the farm during farming seaso and attend school in the winter, and yet, frequently, not all that time was allowed cher if there was any grain to thrash, which the boys had to attend to by tramping it off the bare floor with several horses. Their wearing apparel was altogether of home-ma material, flax tow for pants, flax linen for shirts, and bettermost pants ; thre: shirt-buttons in general use; for winter wear, home-made eloth and jeans. R flannel wamusses were very fashionable. Boys were always delighted wh presented with a new one. Limited to one pair shoes a year, and when mer

277

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.

ing was required, it frequently fell to the boy's lot to repair his own shoes. Among the vivid scenes and well recollected ones of Mr. Weller's boyhood, are, that when his father could put seven sons with their plows in the field at one time, and once in the spring of 1842, eight or nine were at work in the same field ; then, he says, what a sight at turning-out times, noon and night, to them file out of the field into a long lane, and march for dinner. The father's rule was that the horses must be fed first. His orders to the boys were to always be careful and take good care of them. Mr. Weller remembers selling produce at the following prices : Wheat, at 50 cents per bushel ; oats, at 15 cents per bushel ; corn, at the same. Has hauled flour for his father to Cincinnati, and sold it for $2.50 per barrel; it would require four days to make the trip. Has sold pork at $2.50 per 100, net ; then the other extreme has sold pork for $13 per 100, net. Mr. Weller was a renter for nine years, but is now the owner of 248 acres of fine land, about 220 of which is under a good state of cultivation. His first plowing was done with the wooden mold-board plow. Now he uses all the modern farming utensils. Mrs. Weller is the daughter of Ephraim and Sarah Ander- son ; was born in Washington Township, Montgomery Co., Ohio, September 18, 1821. There were cleven brothers and sisters, nine of whom are now living. Mrs. Weller has spent all her life on a farm, and in her early marriage life thought nothing hard of it to carry butter and eggs two and a half miles to market of a morning, returning in time for her children to go to school ; has been quite a spinner of flax and wool in her young days, out of which material the wearing apparel was manufactured for the family.

WILLIAM WELLER, farmer, P. O. Centerville. William Weller, son of John and Elizabeth Weller, was born April 30, 1816, in the State of New Jersey. When about two years old, he came with his parents to Washington Township, Montgomery Co., Ohio. When the family landed here, 50 cents was all the cash the father pos- sessed, but being a blacksmith, just the man needed in a new settlement, the neighbors gathered together and soon had a house and shop ready for occupancy by the new-comer. He went to work ; the neighbors patronized him ; soon he began to receive help from his boys; this enabled him to turn out more work, and he began to turn his attention to farming. About the year 1827, he moved on a large farm as a renter ; fortune smiled on him, and in the course of a few years he became the owner instead of the renter. At his death, he was quite wealthy, leaving a large estate for division among his children. William's privileges for schooling were only on a par with other farm boys. When old enough to work, he was introduced to it; he says his first plowing was done with the wooden mold-board plow. He never had any desire to mingle in politics. He was married, March 19, 1840, to Miss Martha Young; from this union were six children, four of whom are now (July, 1881) living and married. Educated to farming, he has always adhered to it ; knowing how to manage it, he has made it a success. He was a renter For fourteen years, and a part of that time sold his corn for 10 cents per bushel, pork for $1.75 to $2 per one hundred pounds, net. The first crop of wheat raised he received one-half as his portion; he had it ground and hauled to Cincinnati, where he sold it for 310 per barrel ; that was his first start in life. Wearing apparel in his boyish days was principally of home manufacture ; could not well make it anything else, for he says he tas reapcd wheat many a day for 50 cents, and the day then was from sunrise o sunset. The first fine suit of clothes was that given him by his parents when he reached the age of twenty-one, called a freedom suit. He is now the owner of a nicely mproved farm, adjoining the town of Centerville on the southeast, containing 1433 cres, which constitutes his homestead. The church of his choice was the New-School Baptist, which he joined about 1860 ; Mrs. Weller joined same some three years previous.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

The history of Montgomery county, Ohio, containing a history of the county, Part 125

Author: W.H. Beers & Co Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Chicago, W. H. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 1214

Author: W.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago, W. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1214