The history of Montgomery county, Ohio, containing a history of the county, Part 135

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 135

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THOMAS B. MINNICH, teacher and Justice of the Peace; P. O., Sulphur Grove, was born Jan. 7, 1843, in Clark County. His grandfather, Peter, was a native of York Co., Pa. He was united in marriage with Martha Stevenson, about 1814. They were the parents of eight children, of whom four are living at the time of writing, viz: Andrew J., Martin V., Thomas B. and Rosetta M. Mr. Minnich was a patriot of the war of 1812, and by occupation a farmer. He emi- grated to Ohio and located in Clark County, about 1822, when it was yet a wilder- ness, and entered a tract of land containing 200 acres, which was covered with a dense growth of timber. He built a log cabin and went to work with an indomitable will to try and gain some of the comforts of life. He was summoned out of this world by the angel of death in 1842, and his wife survived him thirty years. He never identified himself with any church, but lived a moral life. His father, Arthur, was born in 1820, and was united in marriage with Sarah Flick, in 1841.

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He received his education in the common schools and taught one winter prior to his marriage. He cultivated his father's farm until his decease in 1843, leaving one child, viz: Thomas B., the subject of this sketch, who obtained his primary education in the common schools, and received a scientific course at the Normal School at Lebanon, and followed teaching through the winter until the present, and was engaged in the fruit tree business in the summer for nine years, at which he was very successful, accumulating a fine property. He was elected to the office of Justice of the Peace in 1879. Mr. Minnich was united in marriage with Clara S., daughter of Frederick and Sophia K. Croft, in 1876. He was the parent of one child, who died in infancy.

JACOB NEFF, farmer; P.O., Osborn, Greene Co., was born in Lancaster Co., Pa., Nov. 20, 1815. He is a son of John Neff, who was born in Lancaster Co., Pa., about the year 1780. He was a farmer and weaver and married Elizabeth Scherer, by whom he had eleven children. Of these, four sons and four daughters are now living, viz: Susan, Henry, Jacob, (our subject,) Elizabeth, Nancy, Daniel, Matthew and David. All live in Ohio except the latter, who is a physician in Kingston, Mis- souri. Our subject was reared to agricultural pursuits in Lancaster County until he was 18 years of age, when, in 1834, he emigrated with his parents and their family to Ohio, and located in Clark County. In the year following, 1835, they came to Montgomery and located on the farm now occupied by Jacob, where the latter has since lived. In 1852 his father removed to Clark County, where his death occurred May 12, 1873. When his father moved to Clark County, Jacob and his brother David took the Montgomery County farm and worked it on shares for

six years. After this Jacob farmed it four years on shares, and then purchased it of his father. He now owns some 350 acres of land in Clark and Montgomery Counties, 300 of which is under a high state of cultivation, and containing three sets of good farm buildings. He married Mary Harnish, who was also a native of Lancaster County, March 9, 1852. They had twelve children, nine of whom are now living, viz: Hetty, Albert, Elizabeth, Frank, Mary, Jacob, Jr., Emma, Henry and Christian. All of these are now living at home, except Hetty, who married C. K. Brenner, an estimable farmer of this township.

ROBERT SLOAN, retired farmer; P. O., Osborn, Greene County. The fam- ily whose genealogy we here trace, was one of those widely connected pioneer families, which came to this State from Pennsylvania, when our country was yet new and wild. It has been truly said, that these early fathers formed the founda- tion on which the glorious State of Ohio has since been built. Moved by a spirit of adventure, or stories told concerning the hidden wealth of the New World, they left their comfortable homes in their native land, and came here to subdue, a wilderness and lend a helping hand to the works of civilization. Many of them came from the Emerald Isle. Among these was the great-grandfather of the man whose name heads this sketch. He was born in the County Antrim, Ireland, and came to this country about the time William Penn died, in 1718. He was a member of the seceding branch of the Protestant Church. He settled and com- menced his farm labor in Lebanon Co., Pa. Of his wife or marriage we can learn nothing further than that by her he had born to him two sons. One of these emi- grated to the great West and was never heard of afterward. The other, who was the grandfather of our subject, settled on a farm eight miles north-west of his father. He married a lady of his neighborhood named Mower. Shortly after marriage he united with the Presbyterian Church, in which he was for a long time ruling elder. He was the father of five sons and two daughters, viz: John, Robert, Alexander, James, William, Isabella and Jane. He owned three farms, on which he placed John, James and William. Robert and Alexander became cabinet makers. John, the eldest son and father of our subject, was married to Miss Elizabetlı French, March 27, 1792, and had by her four sons and nine daughters, as follows: Alexander, John F., James, Robert, Jane, Eliza, Sallie, Mary, Isabella, Margaret, Martha, Nancy and Lucinda. At the time of his marriage, John was

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25 and his wife 16 years of age. He took the farm his father gave him and at once commenced putting it under cultivation, making improvements on it from time to time, as required. He also erected a distillery and established a hine of freight teams for hauling merchandise from Philadelphia to Pittsburg. Shortly after this, Alexander left home to take charge of a farm in Lycoming County, Jolin F. left to learn a trade, and death claimed three daughters and one son, James, leaving the father with no help other than that afforded by his youngest son, Robert, our subject, who was at this time but nine years old. Thus matters stood until the spring of 1833, when, having disposed of his property, he procured horses and conveyances, and on April 1st started with his family for Ohio, where he arrived in 21 days, stopping in Wayne Township, Montgomery County, ten miles north of Dayton, on the farm formerly owned by Levi Jennings and afterwards by Samuel Barnett. Not finding any land suiting him better than that on which he first stopped, he bought 220 acres of it, with an unfinished brick house which stood on it. This land was called then well improved, having been partially cleared, and containing a log barn of moderate proportions, and a Virginia worm fence, ten rails high, around the door-yard. Here he found the horse-weed to be the farmer's greatest adversary, as it would soon grow to the lieiglit of ten and fifteen feet unless closely watched. Having now arrived at the age of 63 years, Mr. Sloan confided all his business to his son, Robert, as he was getting too old to manage it. On the 11th of Sept., 1847, his wife died, and he followed her on the 3rd of December following. His wife's father was of Scotch-Irish parents, born aboard ship while they were coming to America. Her mother was of Holland Dutch descent and a native of New Jersey. Her ancestors came to this country in 1623, when New Jersey was colonized. Her father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. French, were married about 1767, and had one son and two daughters, James, Elizabeth and Jane French. They kept a public house on their farm on the main road from Harrisburg to Jonestown, sixteen miles northeast of Harrisburg. Mr. F. died in early life, and his wife carried on the business until the close of the revo- lutionary war, when she was married again to a revolutionary veteran named James Dixon. They both lived on the old farm to a ripe old age. Of the other members of the Sloan family, Robert, the second son, (brother of John,) was a citizen of Harrisburg, where he prosecuted a very successful business. He married Sarah McCormick, March 28, 1799, and had by her six children, Alexander, John, Wil- liam, Eliza, Isabella and Mary Jane. Their first son and daughter are yet living; the rest have gone to that "undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveler returns." Their youngest son, William, died at St. Paul, Minn., March 17, 1880, at the age of 65 years, 43 of which had been spent in the medical department of tlie regular army. He was in the Seminole war in Florida, in the Mexican war and the war of the rebellion, in which latter he was made Colonel "for meritorious ser - vices at various military posts." Alexander, the third sou, married Miss Jane French, and settled in Williamport on the Susquehannalı river. He raised a fam- ily of six children, Robert, French, Alexander, Maria, Eliza and Mary. James, tlie fourth son, married Miss Nancy M. Creight, and had also a family of six children, Alexander, James, William, Jennett, Elizabeth and Sarah Mary. He settled on the farm given to him by his father. They were members of the Presbyterian Church, then under the pastoral care of Rev. James Snodgrass. William, the youngest son, was never married. He remained on the home farm with his sister Elizabeth. Of him we greatly regret to say, that he was the only one of this exten- sive connection that ever became addicted to the use of strong drink. He died in middle life. Jane, the youngest daughter, married Alexander Bell, and had two children, Alexander and Ann. Of the family of John Sloan, Alexander, the eldest son who remained in Pennsylvania, married Elizabeth Crook, and had six children, viz: John, James, William, Mary, Elizabeth and Lucy. John died young and the rest are still living. After his father's removal to Ohio, he also disposed of his prop- erty, and following his father, settled on part of the same farm. J. F., the next

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brother, was born Aug. 23, 1802, and at the age of sixteen learned the cabinet making trade. He spent some time in traveling, but finally settled in New York State, where he remained until 1835, when for his health he also came to Ohio. Here he remained until after the death of his father. He then went to Indiana- polis, Ind., and shortly afterward turned his property into money, with which he bought horses, cattle and wagons, and in company with others from Indiana- polis, started with a wagon train for Oregon Territory. It is said he owned the larger part of the train. In the spring of 1852 they left Indianapolis, and nothing more was heard of J. F., until the latter part July of that year, when a letter was received from one of the company, saying that on the 2nd of July they had camped on the north branch of the river Platt, and that on the morning of the third M .. Sloan mounted his horse and started driving his cattle through the river, but while doing so he fell from his horse and was drowned. A rather suspicious feature of this case is that Mr. S. had $200, a gold watch and other valuables on his person, and though they searched for the body it was never recovered, nor has it been heard of to this day. If the above be true, he died on the 3rd of July, 1852, aged 43 years and 8 months. He was in life a member in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church. James, who was born Dec. 5, 1809, died when only 16 years of age. Robert, whose name appears at the head of this sketch, was born in Lebanon Co., Pa., Sept. 7, 1811, and came to Ohio with his father. In religious belief he followed in the footprints of his ancestors. At the age of 21 years he united with the Presbyterian Church of West Hanover Township, Dauphin Co., Pa., of which he continued a zealous and leading member until his removal to Ohio, when he was obliged to sever his church relationship. He however united with the church of the same denomination in Bath Township, Green County, immediately on his arrival here. He is now, together with the rest of his family, a member of the Osborn Presbyterian Church. During the whole of his father's life the entire management of the farm devolved on Robert, and it could not have fallen into better hands, for the father's care of his own property could not have exceeded the son's care of his father's property. He was married to Miss Mary A. Shepherd, Wayne Township, this County, Dec. 15, 1846, and had born to him by her one son and two daughters, whose names and dates of birth are as follows: Susie E., born June 16, 1848; Henry C., born June 1, 1851, and Mary E., born June 27, 1854. Susie received a liberal education, which enabled her to enter the ranks of school teachers, after which she married H. H. Kneisley. Henry C. married Miss Nancy J. Dille, of Clark Co., Ohio, Feb. 19, 1871. Mary E. married J. H. Barkman, Sept. 28, 1876. He is an enterprising and influential merchant of Osborn. Before leaving this family, we desire to say a word concern- ing Mr. Sloan's standing in the neighborhood, and indeed, wherever, he is known, for all who know him bear their testimony of his honesty, integrity and worth. He is one of the very few perfectly honest men of to-day. Speaking of him, one friend says, "His word is as good as his bond, and loss of life would not tempt him to violate either." He is a conscientious and consistent member of the church; an indulgent and loving father; and a thoughtful and devoted husband. He is gladly accorded a place in this work. His wife, Mary A. Sloan, was born in Lancaster Co., Pa., Nov. 8, 1822. Her father, H. L. Shepherd, was a native of the village of Villars, in the Canton Berne, Switzerland, where he was born Dec. 17, 1799. He came to this country in 1816, as company for his sister, who had married a gentleman of this country under the following circumstances: Mr. Flotron, a jeweler, (the gentleman referred to above,) a native of Lancaster, Pa., who was on a traveling tour in Europe, became acquainted with the Shepherd family, who were also jewelers, and took a hiking to their daughter, Mary A., the sister referred to above. He asked her hand in marriage, but she being an only daughter, the parents refused to let her leave them, and Mr. Flotron was compelled to return to America without her. He had been here but a short time before he concluded that she was necessary to his happiness, and he accordingly returned to Switzer-

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land to again press his suit. This time he was successful, and they were married. The parents resolved to send her youngest brother with her, to see her safe in her new home and then return to them. They started in 1816, and after a rough voyage landed at New York, and from there went to Lancaster, Pa., the groom's home. During their voyage over they met with frequent storms, and in one instance were wrecked and almost lost. After arriving at their home, the sister, not liking to be left alone, induced her brother to remain with her and not to return home. He therefore entered the employ of Gottlieb Scherer, a farmer and distiller, with whom he remained until 1821. In this year he married Miss Susan Sherer, sister of his employer, and had by her six children, three sons and three daughters, one of the latter afterward becoming Mr. Sloan's wife. In the spring of 1833 he emigrated to Ohio, and died Jan. 4, 1861, being followed by his wife, who died Feb. 4, 1864. Mrs. Flotron (nee Shepherd) having lost her husband, returned to her parents in Switzerland, with one son and one daughter. She lived to a ripe old age. Her grand-son, Leo Flotron, emigrated to America in 1866, and engaged in jeweling in the city of Dayton. He was a highly esteemed citizen and had the respect of all. He married Miss Kate Rouzer, and had by her one son, whose name was John R. His biography will be found among the sketches of Dayton, in another part of this work. We have, in the above, men- tioned the four brothers of our subject, sons of John Sloan, Sr., and we will now speak of the nine sisters. Jane was born May 10, 1767. She was never married, but resided with her father until his death, when she went to Jay Co., Ind., where she died. Eliza was born Nov. 28, 1795, and died June 27, 1819. Sallie was born July 21, 1797, and was married to John Caldwell, by whom she had two children, J. B. and Sarah. She died while visiting her father, Oct. 27, 1822. Mary was born March 26, 1799, and married John Brown, by whom she had one son, James, the father of the present James Brown, of New Carlisle. Her husband died and she came to Ohio with her father, and married here the second time to John Paul, the first settler of Clark County. Isabella was born June 17, 1801. She married John Gilfilen and had one daughter, who married Isaac Shartel, of Clark County. Mr. Shartel and wife moved to Minnesota, and from there to Florida, where they now live. Margaret was born Jan. 19, 1805. She married William McFarland, and had by him four sons and four daughters. They came to Ohio in 1832, and lived in Wayne Township, this County, a number of years, after which they moved to Jay Co., Ind. Martha was born Dec. 21, 1809, and came to Ohio with her father. Here she married Stewart Forgy, of Clark County, and had three sons and two daughters. Her husband died, leaving her with a young family to care for, but she did not survive him long. Nancy was born July 5, 1813, and came to Wayne Township in 1833, where she resided with her father until June 21, 1841, when she married Rev. Franklin Berryhill, of Green County. She was the mother of two sons and two daughters. She died June 13, 1864, aged 51 years, 1 month and 8 days. Lucinda was born July 5, 1814. She was with her father's family when they came to Ohio, March 5, 1835. She married Caleb Quick, of Clark County, who was born March 16, 1812. They had five children, three sons and two daughters. Mr. Quick was a farmer until his father's death, when he became a merchant. He afterward became licensed to preach by the Methodist Episcopal Church. He also studied medicine and moved to New Waverly, Ind., where he practiced the latter profession a number of years. He died Jan. 16, 1876, leav- ing two sons practicing medicine in his stead, and a wife and family to mourn the loss of a loving father and devoted husband. This closes a sketch of one of those good old Presbyterian families who have done so much toward making our country what it is to-day. There are pages that might be written of them, but for want of space we forbear.

SAMUEL STRASBURG, wagon maker and farmer; P. O., Sulphur Grove. The gentleman whose name heads this sketch is one of the prominent men of this township, and is one that has made Wayne Township what it is to-day. He was

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born in Maryland, July 19, 1819. His father was a native of Germany, and came to America and settled in Maryland at a very early date. He was united in mar- riage withi Miss Fenderberg. They were the parents of five children; but one is living at the time of writing. Mrs. Strasburg was summoned out of this world about 1800. Mr. Strasburg came to Ohio and settled in Clark County in 1801, and entered a tract of land containing about 150 acres, covered with a dense growth of timber, and immediately went to work to clear it up and put it under cultivation. He was united in marriage with his second wife about 1803. They were the parents of nine children, of whom four are living at the time of writing, viz: Jacob, Samuel, Frederick and Nancy. Samuel, the subject of this sketch, was educated in the district schools of the county. He applied all his spare time at night to his studies, and has acquired a fair knowledge of reading, writing and arithmetic. He assisted his father on the farm until he was seventeen, when lie engaged with his brother to learn the wagon maker's trade and served three years. He took for his wife Mary A., daughter of Henry and Elizabeth Brandenberg, in 1841, and started in business for himself and carried it on successfully until 1854, when he purchased the farm where he now resides, containing 80 acres, which he cultivated in connection with his shop. They are the parents of seven children. Magdaline, Catharine, Jolin W., Naomi and Charles are living. Mr. and Mrs. Strasburg are both members of the German Reformed Church, and their children are laborers with them in the cause of religion. Mr. Strasburg is now 61 years old; he has succeeded in accumulating enough of this world's goods to keep them until the angel of death summon them to their last abode.

JACOB E. ZEDEKER, farmer; P. O., Fishberg Box. Among the early pioneers of this county that are worthy of mention in this work, is Jacob E. Zedeker, born Sept. 20, 1813. His father, John, was a native of Pennsylvania, and camc to Olio in 1805, when it was yet a wilderness. He was the father of seven children, of whom six are living, viz: Daniel, Catharine, Sarah, Elizabeth, Mary and Jacob, the subject of this memoir, who obtained his education in the district schools of the country, when greased paper was used for windows and clapboards for seats. He did not have the privilege of attending school very regularly, but being studious in his habits, he acquired a fair understanding of the English) language. He assisted his father with the farm duties until his marriage with Mary, daughter of William and Mary Campbell, in 1833. They were the parents of nine children, of whom eight are now living, viz: John W., Elizabeth M., Mary M., Sarah J., Martha A., Julia A., Daniel S., Jacob E., and an adopted son, Clemet V. Slanker. He rented land of his father, and at the death of his parents, purchased the interest of the heirs. It contained 142 acres, nearly all in a hugh state of cultivation and well improved. Mrs. Zedeker is a member of the United Brethren Church, and the children are co-workers with her in the cause of religion. Mr. Zedeker has, with the assistance of his good wife, accumulated enougli of this world's goods to keep them in their declining years.

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ALFRED N. ATKINSON, farmer, P. O. New Lebanon, born in Maryland April 19, 1826, is a son of John and Catharine (Warvel) Atkinson, he a native of Pennsylvania and she of Maryland. The maternal grandfather, John Warvel, was a native of Maryland, but emigrated to Ohio and located in Perry Township, this county, in 1833, and bore his full share of the hardships of pioneer life, most of this country being still an unbroken wilderness with but few roads, and those the worst kind of mud roads. His wife died in Perry Township, aged seventy years, after which he came into Jackson Township and spent the rest of his life with his grandson, our subject ; he died in 1844, aged seventy-one years. John and Catharine Atkinson had one child, Alfred N., and he, when about, seven years of age, with his mother and grandfather Warvel and his family, came to Ohio at the date above mentioned. A few years after their arrival here, his mother was married to Daniel DeRush, with whom she lived till his death, which occurred in 1856, since which time she has lived with our subject. She is now quite old and feeble, being in her eighty-second year. Our subject was raised to farm labor, growing up to manhood familiar with all the hardships of those early days, and upon the same farm where he now resides, being the old home place of his step-father; and, as he had no children of his own, Mr. Atkinson at his death be- came heir to his property and here he has resided to the present time-a continued residence of nearly a half-century. Mr. Atkinson was married, April 17, 1873, to Catherine, daughter of Joseph and Magdalene (Gross) Orth, natives of Bavaria, Ger- many, who emigrated to America about 1836 and located in Jackson Township, this county, on the farm now owned by John Kiger. He died in Mad River Township in 1852; his wife is still living, now residing in Dayton. They had three children- Adam Leo, Catharine and Mary B. Mr. Atkinson has a good farm of seventy-six acres, upon which he has erected good, substantial buildings, and has good improve- ments, with everything comfortable and convenient around him. He and wife are worthy members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

JOHN BOWMAN, farmer, P. O. New Lebanon, one of the oldest residents now living in Jackson Township, was born in Warren County, Ohio, November 3, 1797; is a son of David and Barbara (Bowser) Bowman, he a native of Maryland and she of Pennsylvania. The first knowledge we have of the grandfather, John Bowman, he was a resident of Maryland; thence, of Pennsylvania; thence, he became a resident of Montgomery County, Ohio, on Bear Creek; thence, he moved into Indiana, near Hagerstown, where he lived till his death, dying at a ripe old age, having passed through his share of the labors of pioneer life. David, the father of our subject, came to Ohio and located in Warren County about 1795, remaining there only a few years ; he located in this county near the mouth of Bear Creek ; thence, in the west part of Jefferson Township, on the farm now owned by John Brumbaugh ; there he resided till his death, which occurred about 1859, aged eighty-five years ; his wife lived several years, and died aged ninety-three years. They had six children ; two now survive- John and Catharine. These were truly pioneers of the county. All was then an unbroken forest, with Indians and wild beasts in plentiful numbers. Our subject, the second son of his father, was born after the arrival of his parents in this new and wild country, and here he was raised and grew to manhood, inured to all that pertains to a rough pioneer life. He was married in November, 1829, to Elizabeth, daughter of Peter L. and Magdalene Bright, natives of Virginia, but became residents of this county and township about 1828 and lived and died here. Mr. Bowman and wife have had nine children; eight now survive-David, Joseph, John, Samuel, Isaac, Mary Ann, Daniel and Peter. His wife died May 17, 1879, aged sixty-six years. Mr. Bowman is now in his eighty-fifth year, and has resided on the place where he now lives fifty-two years-over half a century. He bought this place of Jacob Lesher, taking it right in

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The history of Montgomery county, Ohio, containing a history of the county, Part 135

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