Antioch, Ohio

In the early years of their residence here, he saw groups of Indians, an many as fifty at one time, who would bring in wild game and other article,-, of traffic for milk, corn meal and other articles, products of the farm Bui we must now revert again to the father and old pioneer, Forgu Graham H< \asan earnest worker in the Christian Church and a minister in the same for man, j ears. He and < freorge A Ikire organ ized the Christian ' Jhurch of Pleasant Township, known as the Antioch Church, whose histoi written in another page of this work-. Mr. Graham was one of the princi pal pillars and support of this church during his long residence here. His house was a preaching place for several years prior to the building of a church edifice, and his "" latch string" vsa ever out for the admission of the ministers, brethren and friends of the Christian work. He began life poor, gave largely and liberallj and labored earnestly all his life for theChri cause; ye1 he prospered financially. He owned about 500 acre-, of land, and always had an abundancefor all home comforts, notwithstanding he tra much and endured many hardship, in his various journey* to j reach the Gospel and establish the truth as he understood it. He died and p as a shear fully ripe and ready for the gleaner, and, although his death wa- a gr< at lose to the church, yet it was doubtless to his lasting gain

Passage source: The History of Madison County, Ohio, published 1883.

The above persons, of whom we have endeavored to give as full an ac count as is accessible to obtain at this late day, after a lapse of more than three-quarters of a century since their settling here, embraces most of the real pioneers. William Ware, who was a very early settler and a prominent man, and was the first Justice of the Peace of Pleasant Township after its erection, was, if we are rightly informed, a settler in what is now Fairfield Township, and hence he is written of in that township as one of its pioneers. Also, Judge E. Fitzgerald, of the early Justices, now belongs to that township There was. however, a family of Grants, who settled here prior to 1812, am! might with propriety be classed as pioneers. There are several persons whom wedesire to mention, although not pioneers, yet they were early settlers, and many of them have done much pioneer work, and whose lives and labors have been identified with the growth, progress and improvements of this count) ; some of them even more so than some of the first settlers. George Kious, a Large land-owner and wealthy fanner, is well and favorably known throughout this community as an old settler, and a valuable citizen of Pleasant Township. David Heath is another old and much esteemed citizen, a wealthy farmer enterprising, and giving aid and support to everything that tends to the elevation of man and to the general public good, whose character and integrity is beyond reproach, and whose life and assciations have been a blessing to the citizens of this township.

Passage source: The History of Madison County, Ohio, published 1883.

John Puckett, an old settler and a pioneer of the Methodist Church, " whose sands of life are nearly run out." deserves more than a passing no- tice; not that we desire to place upon the enduring pages of history every man's life, or that each subject of whom we speak' deserves especial praise, for the best and most divine instruction we have teachers, that with the best of men, after they have done all in their power, they are unprofitable servants; but we do desire to place before the rising generations the lives, examples and teachings of such men as have some stamina of character and moral integrity in them, as beacon lights to the wayfaring youth of years to come. Mr. Puckett's early life shows first, industry and frugality. At quite an early day he engaged in the tanning business. He erected the first and probably the only Tannery ever in the vicinity of Mt. Sterling. This he carried on for several years, ami at a period in the history of this country when it was an important branch of industry to the comfort and convenience of the people of the. community. This, with the honest occupation of farming, he has devoted the energies of his physical powers, and he has been quite successful. But the shining mark of his life has been his devotion to the Christian work. As early as the year 1 831 , we find his house the appointed place for the organizing of a class and society in the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he and wife were among the constituent members; and his house continued to be a preaching place until 1834. when a church edifice was erected, and throughout his life Mr. Puckett has given freely of his means and influence for the church and all worthy objects of Christian and moral progress.

Passage source: The History of Madison County, Ohio, published 1883.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Pleasant Township - it names this place 7 more 7 times.