Bethel Township (part 2 of 2)

DANIEL BABB, farmer ; P.O. Tippecanoe City ; was born in Pennsylvania, on the Delaware River, near Philadelphia, Dec. 10, 1799. In 1820, he removed to Virginia, where he remained ten years, and then emigrated to Ohio. He stopped near Greenville, intending to go on to Indiana, to some of his relatives ; but, becoming discouraged with the appearance of the country, having met some parties from Miami Co., who had been in Indiana, and who advised him to turnback and locate in Miami Co., he did so, stopping a short time in Troy ; he then went to Piqua, where he found a man who took him and his family in till he could find a place to live ; he finally rented a place north of Piqua. and stayed about one year ; then came to Bethel Township and rented the mill on Honey Creek, known as Stag's mill ; this, and the farm of 143 acres on which it stood, he bought four years later ; he run the mill for about twenty-five years, and did a flourishing trade for those times. Owing to ill health in his family he quit the milling business, and his mill has not been in operation for several years. He now owns about 310 acres of land, upon which he has made considerable improvement, and which he still oversees, but, being past 80 years, is not able to do much work himself. In 1823, Nov. 16, he married Leah Littler, a native of Virginia, born March 29, 1804. They have eight children - Almira, Eliza C. and Caroline M., the three eldest, deceased ; Mary Ann, now the Widow Reed, living in Troy ; Joshua L., living in New Jersey ; Minerva, living with her father (is the only child yet unmarried), and Emma A., now Mrs. William Dimmit. Mrs. Babb departed this life Aug. 1, 1872.

WILLIAM H. BARE, farmer ; P. O. New Carlisle, Clark Co., Ohio ; was born in York Co., Penn., June 20, 1831, and removed with his parents to Cumberland Co., where they remained about nine years ; the)' emigrated to Ohio about 1851, and stayed awhile in Clark Co., Ohio ; his father then bought 80 acres of land in Bethel Township, Miami Co., where he spent the remainder of his days, departing this life June 9, 1878, in the 70th year of his age. The subject of this sketch has always followed agricultural pursuits, and now owns 50 acres in Sec. 6, adjoining the home place ; in connection with his farming, he trades in notes, and loans money ; forty-two years elapsed before there was a marriage or a death in his father's family, when, on the 15th of June, 1873, William H. Bare was united in marriage with Almira Thompson, who was born in Miami Co., Ohio, Dec. 16, 1836 ; she is a daughter of Mark and Rebecca Thompson, natives of New Jersey, who came to this State in 1831.

JOHN BLACK, saw-mill ; P. 0. Brandt ; born in Bethel Township, Miami Co., March 31, 1832 ; is a son of Adam and Elizabeth Black ; he worked on the farm till 21 years old, when he came to Brandt, and, with A. Uptegraft, built a sawmill, which he ran for about seven years; he then traded his interest in the mill for land in Shelby Co., but rented the mill and continued the business ; for three or four winters he carried on coopering also ; from the time he commenced in Brandt, in 1853, to the present time, with the exception of about one year, he has worked on a mill, owning different mills, and the same mill at different times ; the firm at present is Black & Hower ; besides their custom-work, they handle about 100,000 feet of lumber annually ; in the spring of 1860, he purchased eight acres of land south of town, and located on it in the fall of the same year ; he has made considerable improvement on his lot, and, at intervals, made additions to it, till he has, in one body, 42 acres ; besides his half-interest in the mill, he has also five lots in Brandt. He has been a member of the Board of Education for twelve consecutive years, Assessor one year, and, at the last spring election, was elected to his fifth term as Township Treasurer. On the 24th of May, 1855, he married Susan Swanger ; she was born in Pennsylvania May 12, 1836, and brought to this State while young ; her father died soon after their arrival here, and she was adopted in the family of Lewis Gearhart, where she grew to womanhood; John and Susan Black are the parents of two children - Luvina, born April 5, 1856, and Charles R., born Jan. 5, 1869. Mr. and Mrs. Black and daughter are worthy members of the M. E. Church. 4

JOHN W. BLACK, teacher, Brandt ; is a son of Adam and Julia Ann Black, and a grandson of Adam and Elizabeth Black ; she was a native of Virginia, but came with her parents to this county very early, her father having served in the Revolutionary war. Adam Black, the grandfather of our subject, was a native of North Carolina, and came to Bethel Township, at a very early date ; he, in partnership with his father and brother, bought 160 acres of land of Thomas Cora, who had entered it some time previous ; this they afterward divided, the father taking 60 acres, and the sons each 50 acres. They were carpenters, and did some work at millwrighting in connection with the improvement of their homes. Adam Black, the father of our subject, now owns the 50 acres formerly owned by his father. He was born on this place Jan. 23, 1828, and, with the exception of about three years, has made it his home. In 1849, Sept. 20, he was united in marriage with Julia Ann McEffee, who was born in Maryland July 4, 1831, and emigrated to Ohio in about 1839. Adam and Julia Ann Black are the parents of seven children - John Wesley, born Jan. 7, 1850 ; Albert, born Jan. 14, 1853 ; Emma E., born July 18, 1854 ; Amanda, born July 28, 1856 ; Adam, born Dec. 31, 1857 ; Clara, born March 24, 1860 ; and William, born July 18, 1869. JohnW. has been a teacher for several years, and also has an interest in a drug store in Brandt.

B. F. BLESSINGER, dealer in dry goods, groceries, etc., Brandt ; is a son of George W. and Mary (Keting) Blessinger ; they were natives of Berks Co., Penn., but came here in an early day ; at the present time they are residents of Adams Co., Ind. B. F. was born in Brandt, Miami Co., Jan. 8, 1849 ; he worked on farms through the summer, and attended school during the winter seasons, and received a good education ; he carried on farming for several years, and in 1875 engaged in the grocery business in Dayton, handling staple and fancy groceries; in 1878, he located in Brandt, and established a general store ; in connection with this, he runs a branch grocery store at Grange Hall, String Town, which was established in 1880 ; he is doing a thriving business at both places, and carries on farming at the same time. On the 13th of October, 1869, he was united in marriage with

Zerada Bodiker, who was born in Bethel Township, Miami Co., Ohio, Oct. 7, 1852 ; she is the daughter of William and Catharine Bodiker, old residents of Bethel Township. Mr. and Mrs. Blessinger are the parents of two children - Charles W., born Jan. 24, 1871 ; Blanche Viola, Dec. 6, 1872.

JOHN BROWN, farmer and stock-raiser ; P. 0. New Carlisle ; was born in Frederick Co., Md., June 25, 1819 ; his father, Thomas Brown, was also born in the same county and State in 1795 ; he married Susan McAfee, a native of Pennsylvania ; in 1838, they came to Bethel Township, where his death occurred Dec. 27, 1854 ; his wife having survived him a number of years, died May 16, 1867, in her 78th year. Our subject came to Ohio with his parents in 1838, and followed the occupation of coopering and farming until 1855, at which date he purchased 300 acres of his present place, to which he has since added until he now owns some 425 acres, nearly all of which he has accumulated by his own hard labor and industry ; he has now one of the best farms in Miami Co., with improvements and buildings second to none ; has a fine brick residence, surrounded by a pretty lawn dotted here and there with trees and shrubber}7, with neat and even walks leading to and fro, and a beautiful fountain, tossing high its spray ; the arrangement and order of all displaying much taste and labor. The writer, when directed to the farm, was told that he would know it by its village-like appearance, so numerous and nice were the buildings. He now has 350 acres under cultivation, and gives employment to a number of men, one of whom has been in his employ twenty-three, and another twenty-two years. Mr. Brown, for many years, has dealt largely in stock, shipping extensively to Cincinnati, Boston and Eastern markets ; also, at the same time was engaged in burning lime, which he yet continues, Dayton being his market ; he is also the senior member of the firm of John Brown & Sons, manufacturers of Iron Monitor Wind Engines, etc., etc. In fact, we can say of Mr. Brown, his life has been a busy and successful one, and we trust that he may be spared many years to enjoy the fruits of his labors. He was united in marriage with Catharine Blickinstaff March 28, 1843 ; she was born in Frederick Co., Md., March 4, 1821, and came to Monroe Township with her father, Christian Blickinstaff, in 1836 ; her mother's maiden name was Catharine Hawver. Mr. Blickinstaff died Dec. 1, 1869, in the 86th year of his age, and Mrs. Blickinstaff died April 5, 1859, in her 75th year. The children of John and Catharine Brown were four sons and two daughters, of whom three sons and one daughter survive - L. Tobias (who married Sarah M., daughter of Jacob Shroyer), Hattie L., John O. (married Mary Alice, daughter of John McConnaughe}7), the two older sons being partners with their brother in the manufacture and sale of Iron Monitor Wind Engines.

HIRAM BROWN, nurseryman ; P. O. Brandt ; is a son of David and Sarah (Giesseman) Brown ; he was a native of Maryland, but came to Ohio at an early day, with his parents, who settled in Bethel Township, north of Brandt. Here he remained till the time of his marriage with Sarah Giesseman, when he moved on his father-in-law's farm, and remained a number of years ; in 1855, they moved to Brandt, where they have since resided ; Hiram was born June 9, 1846 ; he received a good common-school education, and also attended the Academy at New Carlisle two winters ; for about twelve years he has been engaged in teaching, and for ten years has also followed the nursery business ; he was elected Township Clerk in the spring of 1870, and has held the office ever since ; was also elected in the spring of 1880, for his fourth term as a Justice of the Peace ; has been Assistant Superintendent of the schools of the township for two years, and Superintendent four years ; in 1875, he was the Democratic candidate for County Treasurer. In 1869, June 10, he married Hattie S. Gantz, who was born in Bethel Township, Miami Co., Sept. 22, 1848 ; by this union they have had four children, three of whom are living - Maud V., Velma I. and Glendora.

JOHN M. C. DEAN, carriage and wagon maker, Brandt; was born in West Virginia Aug. 10, 1828, and came to Ohio about 1839 ; he located in Clark Co., near Carlisle, and worked on farms at different places till, in 1848, he commenced learning his trade ; he worked as apprentice and journeyman until, in 1850, he moved to Elizabeth Township, Miami Co., near McKendrie Chapel, and commenced business for himself ; two and a half years afterward he bought property in Brandt and started a shop, this has been his home ever since ; although left an orphan at the age of 9, he managed to support himself, and at the same time, get a common-school education ; he has served as Magistrate in Bethel Township nearly fifteen years ; was Postmaster from Lincoln's first administration to February, 1879, when he resigned ; served one term as Township Clerk and several terms as Trustee. In 1849, Dec. 31, he married Louisa Giesseman, a native of this township, born Sept. 30, 1832 ; the fruits of this union were two children - Gordon T., born Aug. 26, 1850, and Winfield S., June 16, 1854, and died Feb. 5, 1856.

WILLIAM DINSMOBE, farmer ; P. 0. Brandt ; born Sept. 25, 1842; is a son of J. J. Dinsmore, of whom mention is made in the sketch of R. G-. Dinsmore ; his occupation has always been that of a farmer ; in 1871, he and his brother, J. A., bought 162 acres of land in Sec. 13, where he has since resided ; he also served in the late war. On the 1st of June, 1871, he married Sallie A. Brenner, of Montgomery Co., born Sept. 6, 1850, a daughter of Jacob S. and Sarah Ann Brenner ; the fruits of this marriage are two children - Clara Bell, born Aug. 7, 1872 ; and Allen M., Dec. 31, 1874.

ROBERT G. DINSMORE, farmer ; P. O. Tadmor, Montgomery Co., Ohio ; born in Bethel Township Dec. 20, 1837 ; is a son of J. J. and Maria (McConnaughy) Dinsmore ; he was born in Fleming Co., Ky., Dec. 1, 1805 ; at a very early day he was brought to the territory now comprising Greene Co., not more than ten miles from his present residence ; in 1817, he removed to Montgomery Co., and, in 1819, to Brown Township, Miami Co. ; his home has been in the county ever since that time, at present residing in Bethel Township ; his father was the first Justice of the Peace and one of the first Trustees of Brown Township after its organization. Our subject was bred a farmer, and has followed that business all his life, except four years which were spent in the service of his country in the war of secession. He entered as a private Oct. 29, 1861 ; his first appointment was for Fourth Sergeant, afterward Second and then First Sergeant ; he served about one year as First Lieutenant ; after being mustered out, he received a complimentary commission as Captain ; he was taken prisoner at Clarksville, Tenn., but was paroled immediately and sent home, where he remained a short time ; besides his honorable discharge, he bears the scar of a wound in the arm, that testifies to his participation in the service. In 1870, he bought 80 acres of land in Sec. 19, where he now resides. Oct. 31, 1877, he married Belle E. Murray, born March 1, 1848, who is a daughter of George A. Murray, of Shelby Co., at present, but formerly one of the prominent men of this county, having served as County Treasurer two terms ; he was an Anti-slavery man, as well as his father before him, and, in fact, the same spirit is handed down to his daughter ; the fruits of this union are two children - George Murray, born Sept. 20, 1878 (deceased), and Lida Faith, born Dec. 20, 1879.

JACOB R. DUNHAM, retired farmer ; P. O. New Carlisle, Clark Co., Ohio ; is a son of Ross and Sallie Dunham, natives of New Jersey, who emigrated to Indiana about 1817, where they remained till, in 1821, they came to Miami Co.; here they spent the remainder of their days, living in different places in the county ; they were among the very early settlers, and commenced right in the woods, when they were obliged to "blaze" trees in order to find a neighbor's house ; in those days they had no lucifer matches, and, if the fire was allowed to die out, they would borrow a brand from a neighbor ; Ross Dunham died in 1865, the night after the assassination of President Lincoln, at the age of 78 ; his wife survived till 1870, and reached the age of 86 years. The subject of this sketch was born in New Jersey Feb. 18, 1815, and, being brought up on the farm, was accustomed to all the hardships of pioneer life ; he used to think it recreation to pick brush at night by the light of a large brush-heap fire ; he never enjoyed the privilege of attending school until old enough to pay his own tuition, and then only for a short time ; at the age of 20, he learned the shoemaker's trade, which he followed fifteen years, and then went to Shelby Co., where he engaged in farming till 1865 ; he then moved to Brandt, Miami Co., but held his farm in Shelby Co. till the next year ; in 1 866, he purchased his present farm of 129 acres in Sec. 11, Bethel Township ; this is now in a good state of cultivation, and has fine improvements. Aug. 1, 1839, he married Anna Black, a native of this township, born April 13, 1820 ; she is a daughter of Adam and Elizabeth Black, of whom mention is made in the biography of John W. Black ; by this union they had two children - John B., born June 3, 1840, and Mary E., born April 15, 1843 (now Mrs. Amos P. Aley, and lives in the same house with her parents) ; John B. would soon have completed a collegiate course at Delaware, Ohio, had he not volunteered to serve his country in the war of secession ; he first enlisted for three years, but, being one of Fremont's body guard, he was discharged at the time of Fremont's removal from office ; he then served a three-months term, and finally went as a substitute with the 100-day men, but never returned ; his death occurred at Ft. Whipple, Va., near Washington, Aug. 7, 1864 ; he was a member of Co. E, 145th 0. N. G. Mr. and Mrs. Dunham have been consistent members of the M. E. Church for about forty-five years.

JOHN S. FERGUS, farmer ; P. 0. West Charleston ; born in Bethel Towmship, Miami Co., Dec. 4, 1819 ; is a son of James and Rachel (Mars) Fergus ; they were natives of Rockbridge Co., Va., but came to this township in 1807 and bought 160 acres of land, of which 12 acres was partially cleared. The remainder of the farm he had improved, but followed tanning himself. He was commander of the militia in the war of 1812 but was never called to active service, and was one of the County Commissioners in the days when the}7 were the tax collectors. He helped to " lay out " the county, and was its representative for three terms. A short time previous to his death he moved to W est Charleston. He was taken ill at his daughter's in Tippecanoe, and was never able to be taken home. His death occurred Dec. 27, 1855, at the age of 71 years 10 months and 12 days. Our subject was raised a farmer and followed that business till he arrived at the age of 29 years. He then bought property in Tippecanoe, and engaged in the grain trade for two years, at which time he bought the farm on which he now resides. He has recently sold 54 acres to his son, but still owns 90 acres in Sec. 26, which is well improved and in a good state of cultivation. In 1844, Nov. 21, he married Susan Black, a native of Clark Co., born Sept. 5, 1823. The fruits of this marriage are three children - James Corwin, born Nov. 28, 1845 ; Samuel R., Oct. 27, 1848 ; John Franklin, March 8, 1863.

SAMUEL R. FERGUS, farmer ; P. O. West Charleston ; born Oct. 27, 1848 ; is a son of John S. Fergus, whose biography will appear in this volume. Our subject was bred a farmer, but has also been a teacher for about seven years. He has recently purchased of his father 54 acres in Sec. 26, where he now resides, and is engaged in agricultural pursuits, but will probably teach a portion of the time. In 1873, Dec. 30, he was united in marriage with Priscilla Freeman, a daughter of R. M. Freeman; she was born Dec. 7, 1850. They have two children - Guy C., born Jan. 7, 1875, Clyde, Aug. 29, 1878.

JOHN FILBRUN, retired farmer; P. O. Brandt; born in Rockingham Co., Va., Jan. 19, 1826 ; is a son of Peter and Elizabeth Filbrun ; they came to Ohio in 1829, and stopped for awhile in Montgomery Co., and then moved to Clark Co. ; in a few years, however, they returned to Montgomery Co. and remained there until their children all married and left them ; they then came to Bethel Township, Miami Co., and built a house on their son's farm, where the remainder of life was spent. The subject of this biography had located here in 1848, five years previous to his parents' coming ; his first purchase was 120 acres of land, which was partly improved ; the buildings and most of the other improvements have given place to those of the best quality ; he has a peach orchard of 800 trees four years old, that promise more than an ordinary crop this year, and also an apple orchard ot four acres, with a good variety of fruit ; this farm, like many 'others of this vicinity, has on it a fine spring ; upon the whole, it is a very desirable farm ; besides all the improvements made, he has, at intervals, purchased land until he owned the south half of Sec. 9 ; but has recently sold 5 acres to his son David leaving him 315 acres in one body, and in a high state of cultivation. In 1845, Oct. 23, he married Lydia Heck, who was born Nov. 10, 1827 ; by this union they had nine children, four of whom preceded her to their eternal home ; after many years of affliction, and having been an intense sufferer for several months prior to her death, she departed this life April 28, 1880, a consistent member of the Herman Baptist Church, with which she had been identified for about thirty-six years.

P. B. FISHER, blacksmith ; Tadmor, Montgomery Co. ; born in Clermont Co,, Ohio, Aug. 30, 1840 ; is a son of Alexander and Mary (Brown) Fisher ; he was also a native of Clermont Co. ; at an early age he learned the blacksmith trade and followed it all his life ; in 1858, he located in Bethel Township, Miami Co., where his widow and son still reside ; she was born in Shenandoah Co., Va., April 9, 1809, and came to Ohio with her parents, who located in Preble Co., Ohio, near Eaton, where she lived at the time of her marriage ; they were the parents of seven children, three of whom are still living - David B., living in Eaton ; Preston B. and Elizabeth J., now Mrs. Warner, residing at North Manchester, Ind. ; Alexander Fisher departed this life April 19, 1875. The subject of this sketch learned blacksmithing with his father ; he spent nearly three years in the war of secession and lost his right foot and leg to the knee, having been wounded between the ankle and knee, in the battle of Kenesaw Mountain, June 27, 1864 ; this of course put an end to his service, and he was honorably discharged ; although crippled, he still swings the hammer, by which means and the help of his pension, he supports his feeble mother and himself ; he owns a lot of two acres in Sec. 25, of Bethel Township, and thus far has lived a life of celibacy.

ROBERT M. FREEMAN, farmer ; P. O. Tadmor, Montgomery Co. ; born Aug. 29, 1803 ; is a son of John Freeman, who came to Miami Co. in the spring of 1806, and settled in Monroe Township ; he and his father, Samuel Freeman, entered a very large tract of land, a part of which they improved. From the proceeds of the part they sold they erected a mill, the second one built in the county ; this mill had but one buhr, and of course all kinds of grain were ground on it. Several years elapsed before they did any bolting, and when they commenced using a bolt, the party whose grist was grinding was obliged to turn the bolt. They suffered three losses by fire, one resulting in the destruction of their grist-mill, and two of their saw-mill on the same race. By perseverance and industry, however, they overcame their misfortunes, and finally built a four-story mill, with three run of buhrs, and did a flourishing trade. Our subject was the oldest of thirteen children, and was brought up on the farm and in the saw-mill ; at the age of 25, he commenced business for himself ; in the spring of 1834, he settled on the farm given his wife by her father, David Puterbaugh ; this farm he has cleared up and improved. His marriage with Mary Puterbaugh was celebrated March 27, 1827 ; the fruits of this union were ten children - David, Isaac, G-eorge, John, Daniel, Hannah (deceased), Elizabeth, Minerva, Henrietta and Priscilla. Mrs. Freeman died May 10, 1869 ; and in 1872, Nov. 28, he married Mrs. Ann Winans, a native of England, and a daughter of Henry J. Hyatt, a very early settler of this county. Mr. and Mrs. Freeman are now living a very quiet, happy life on the old farm.

ISAAC FREEMAN, nurseryman ; P. 0. New Carlisle, Clark Co. ; born in Bethel Township, Miami Co., Ohio, May 4, 1832 ; is a son of R. M. Freeman, whose biography will appear in this work. He worked on the farm till he arrived at the age of 22, and then attended a select school at New Carlisle two years ; in the spring of 1856, he went to California, and there spent about thirteen months in the northern part on Willow Creek, one of the tributaries of Feather River. From Dec. 1 to the middle of March, the snow was twenty-two feet deep on the level, and for twenty days they* were shut off from everything, and then only by means of a tunnel, did they succeed in getting up to view the " beautiful snow," and walk twelve feet above the top of their cabin. The remainder of his stay in California wTas spent further south, partly in the mines on the Stanislaus River, about 250 miles south, and the remainder of the time in a farming region still further south ; he returned in 1858, and lived in Dayton till the next year, when he purchased 7 acres of land in Bethel Township, and in 1861, established a nursery. This was commenced on a small scale, but he learned the business as it progressed, and now the sales from his own growing amount to $3,000 annually. He owns 536 acres of land in this State and in Kansas. On May 5, 1859, he married Sophia S. Stafford, who was born in Bethel Township, Miami Co., Aug. 1, 1837 ; she is a daughter of James S. Stafford, an old settler here, and one of the prominent men of the township, having been Squire sixteen years in succession ; in 1864, he moved to Carlisle, and departed this life Sept. 8, 1878, aged 75 years 7 months and 23 days. Isaac and Sophia S. Freeman are the parents of four children - Dayton L., born March 2, 1860 ; Charlie M., born March 7, 1862 ; Walter, born Sept. 17, 1870 ; and Grace, born June 17, 1873.

GEORGE GESSAMAN, farmer ; P. O. Tadmor, Montgomery Co., Ohio ; born in Bethel Township, Miami Co., March 19, 1819 ; is a son of George Gessaman, a native of Pennsylvania, who came to Ohio in the fall of 1805, and entered 160 acres of land in the above-named township. He made his home with his brotherin-law, Simon Shaffer, of whom he afterward purchased 22 acres. While living with Mr. S. he did considerable toward converting the forest into a home. About 1809 or 1810, he married Elizabeth Black, a native of North Carolina, who also came here at an early day. They were the parents of three children - Catharine, Susan, and George, who now owns the home farm in Sec. 25 ; since he owned the farm he has made improvements, in the way of clearing, and erecting the present buildings. In 1839, Nov. 7, he was united in marriage with Melinda Flook, born in Maryland Sept. 22, 1820 ; by this union the}7 have had thirteen children, of whom eight are living, viz.: Margaret (now Mrs. Wolf), Louvina (now Mrs. Curts, in Iowa), Martha (now Mrs. Heffner, near Dayton), Charlotte (now Mrs. Swallow, near Frederickstown, Montgomery Co.), Lewis C., William L., Sylvester G. and Ulysses Grant.

SAMUEL HAWVER, farmer; P. O. Tippecanoe City ; is a son of Jacob Hawver, who was born in Frederick Co., Md., Sept. 27, 1825 ; his occupation there was working in timber ; in 1856, he emigrated to Ohio and rented a house in Bethel Township, and worked at day labor for about eighteen months, and then bought a farm of 80 acres in Sec. 16, in the above-named township ; he has since erected new buildings on his farm, and, in addition, has bought 80 acres adjoining, on the north, but has given it to his only child. His marriage with Catharine Bakley was celebrated Nov. 10, 1848 ; she is also a native of Frederick Co., Md., born April 23, 1828. Samuel Hawver was born in Maryland Aug. 25, 1849 ; he has always been engaged in agricultural pursuits, and is an enterprising farmer ; since he owned the farm, he has erected an excellent barn and made considerable improvements in other ways, so that he now has a very desirable home. On May 11, 1871, he married Lizzie Uptegraft, who was born in Bethel Township, Miami Co., Dec. 1, 1851, a daughter of Augustus and Elizabeth Uptegraft ; the fruits of this marriage are two children - Daisy E., born May 17. 1874, and Millie C.,Sept. 13, 1876 ; Daisy E. died Nov. 21, 1877. Mr. Hawver and his parents are members of the German Baptist Church.

EDWARD HEFFNER, retired farmer; P. O. Brandt; was born in Maryland April 4, 1820, and came to Bethel Township, Miami Co., in 1827, with his parents Michael and Elizabeth Heffner. They purchased 20 acres of woodland adjoining Brandt, and erected thereon a hewed-log house, but moved into it without a floor ; he cleared up his land, and for a number of years worked at the carpenter trade ; being broken down by hard work, he engaged in the mercantile business about 1836 ; he was the first merchant of the place and also kept a kind of inn ; in 1842, he sold his land and bought a small tract south of town ; having purchased a lot in Brandt, and erected a brick house, he moved his store and consolidated it with that of Andrew Gump, which he bought, and continued in the business to the time of his death, lie departed this life Nov. 22, 1868, in his 70th year. His widow is still living and is quite active for a lady of 69 years. They were the parents of seventeen children ; of these sixteen grew to the age of maturity. The subject of this sketch, the oldest of the children, has been a farmer for the greater part of his life, and now owns 126^- acres in Sec. 15, in Bethel Township, Miami Co., Ohio, besides his property in Brandt, where he resides. He has held the office of Township Trustee and Assessor. In September of 1846, he married Lydia Keifer, by whom he had three children - John F. (who accidentally shot himself Oct. 8, 1872), William M. and Gleorge K. Mrs. Heffner died May 18, 1853, at the age of 25 years, leaving her husband with the care of three small children. On the 20th of March, 1867, he was united in marriage with Mrs. Catharine Helmer. One child, Jacob E., is the fruit of this marriage.

L. W. JACOBS, farmer ; P. 0. Tippecanoe City ; is a son of Cyrus and Mary Jacobs, and a grandson of Mark Jacobs, who was one of the very early settlers of Miami Co., and entered 160 acres of land in Bethel Township. This farm has ever been owned by the Jacobs family, and is now left by will to Mary Jacobs, the widow of Cyrus Jacobs. He was a native of this State, born Sept. 11, 1804, and departed this life April 3, 1877. She is a native of Virginia, born in June of 1809, but the exact day is not known. The subject of this sketch was born in Bethel Township, Miami Co., July 12, 1838, and brought up on the farm. He served four years in the war of the rebellion, first enlisted for two years, and then for three years. He now resides on one of his mother's farms and carries on farming, although he is not able to do much of the work himself, as his health was impaired in the army. In 1870, Dec. 22, he married Clarissa E. Uptegraft, a native of this township, born May 10, 1847. She is a daughter of Augustus and Elizabeth (Black) Uptegraft. He was born in Greene Co. April 28, 1819, and she in Bethel Township, Miami Co. Her death occurred March 12, 1880. L. W. and Clarissa E. Jacobs are the parents of two children - Charlie B., born Nov. 6, 1872, and William Augustus, Oct. 20, 1874.

CYBUS JACOBS, farmer ; P. O. Tippecanoe City ; was born June 8, 1852, in Bethel Township, Miami Co., on the old farm where he resides ; he is a son of Cyrus and Mary Jacobs, spoken of in the biography of L. W. Jacobs ; his occupation has always been in tilling the soil, and he is an enterprising young farmer. On the 3d of June, 1879, he married Elizabeth Wigand, who was born in Elizabeth Township, Miami Co., May 27, 1853 ; she is the daughter of Lewis and Elizabeth Wigand, who came from Germany in 1835, and located in Dayton ; they moved to Elizabeth Township in about 1842, where he died in 1876, at the age of 72 years ; his widow is still living and resides on the old farm.

J. C. McCONNAUGrHEY, farmer ; P. 0. Brandt; is a son of David and Anna (Grimes) McConnaughey; she is a native of Virginia, born Jan. 1, 1787, and he of Pennsylvania, born Nov. 13, 1779 ; in 1803 or 1804, he came to Dayton, Ohio, and engaged to work in a distillery for Col. Newcome, who entered 160 acres of land in Bethel Township, Miami Co., for him, he paying for it by his work ; in the spring of 1812, he settled on his land and began converting the dense forest into a home ; this was no small task, for the country was heavily timbered ; before he could raise anything on his own land, the first summer, he farmed a small piece of corn on his mother-in-law's place, about four miles distant ; to his further embarrassment, in the following year he was drafted, but was in the service only a short time till he got his brother as a substitute, while he returned to battle with the oaks and elms; besides clearing up his farm, he purchased another quarter-section, and did considerable toward its improvement ; they were the parents of twelve children, of whom eleven grew to the age of maturity. David McConnaughey departed this life Feb. 14, 1847, and his wife April 11, 1863, on the old farm, where their son, J. C., now resides ; this is also the farm on which he was born, July 3, 1823 ; his occupation has always been tilling the soil ; he is an enterprising farmer and one of the prominent men of the township ; has been a member of the Board of Education for nearly twenty years, Township Trustee several terms, and is Land Appraiser at the present time. His marriage with Elizabeth Keplinger was solemnized April 1, 1852 ; she was a resident of Montgomery Co., born Sept. 11, 1833 ; by this union they have had thirteen children, eleven of whom are living - Harriet Roselia, Mary Alice, Phila Irene, John Walter, David Franklin, Berton K., Christian K., Lillia E., Anna B., Edward L. and Viola M.

DAVID McCONNAUGHEY, farmer and manufacturer; P. 0. Tippecanoe ; born in Bethel Township, Miami Co., April 23, 1827 ; is a son of David and Anna McConnaughey, of whom mention is made in the biography of J. C. McConnaughey. He left home at the age of 17, to learn the tanner and currier trade, serving an apprenticeship of three years ; for seven years he followed tanning and dealing in leather; in 1855, he located on a farm in this township, and followed farming till 1865, when he went to Xenia, and again engaged in the leather trade till 1876, when he moved back to this county, and has since been engaged in farming ; in August of 1878, he again began the leather trade, and manufactured collars and fly-nets in Dayton, Ohio, but resides on the farm and oversees it. In 1852, October 13, he married Rachel TenEick, a native of this county, born May 30, 1831 ; she is a daughter of Henry TenEick, one of the early settlers of Miami Co. David and Rachel McConnaughey are the parents of four children - Ella T., William A., Anna and Lida.

J. C. MITCHELL, farmer ; P. 0. Tippecanoe City ; born in Elizabeth Township, Miami Co., Aug. 19, 1826 ; is a son of George and Catharine (Gearhart) Mitchell ; he was born in Virginia, in 1798, and came to Ohio with his parents in 1811. They settled in the above-named township, which was his place of residence to within a few years of his death, when he moved to Bethel Township ; he departed this life in November of 1874, having been the father of seven children ; three of these preceded him to their eternal home, and one has followed since ; J. C. (the oldest of the living ones), Linn}' A., now Mrs. Gesseman, living in Kansas, and James, living in Cincinnati, are the survivors. The subject of this sketch was bred a farmer, and still follows that business ; he has 50 acres of land in this township, besides some land in the West; he has served as Justice of the Peace six years, and Revenue Inspector seven years ; was Captain of Co. B, 147th 0. V. I., for about three years. On Sept. 18, 1851, he married Margaret Stafford, a native of this township, born March 15, 1827 ; she is a daughter of James S. Stafford, who was also a native of this place. J. C. and Margaret Mitchell are the parents of nine children - Marvin M. (deceased), Stanley O. (a dry goods merchant of Lima, Ohio), Roger J., Homer W. B., Reuben W., Elmer E., Mary C., Horace C., Bellama S. and Linny Blanche.

W. T. MORRIS, farmer ; P. O. Tippecanoe City ; born in Bethel Township, Miami Co., July 19, 1827 ; is the oldest child of Ezra and Elizabeth (McKinney) Morris ; she was born Jan. 5, 1805, and was the oldest child of Samuel and Sarah McKinney, who were old settlers of Clark Co.; he was widel}7 known as a teacher of vocal music, and is still remembered as such ; he would frequently take his daughter Elizabeth with him on horseback through the wilderness, as far as twenty miles, to give instruction in music. Ezra Morris was also the oldest child of his father's family, born in Bethel Township, Miami. Co., Aug. 29, 1804 ; a son of David H. Morris, a native of New Jersey and pioneer of the Western country ; he was one of the very first white men that traversed the Miami Valley, which he did as a soldier under Gen. Harmar, and as a hunter ; in his youth, he was a soldier of the Revolution ; previous to 1800 he settled amid the forests of this vicinity and assisted in establishing the sections of this, and probably other townships ; by this means he was enabled to see the country, and made choice of half of Sec. 23, which he entered and improved ; in 1825, he donated to the Methodist Episcopal Church 1 acre of land on the southeast corner of said half-section, and did the principal part toward building the first house of worship ; it was a log house and known as Pisgah Chapel ; ever after his house was the home of the itinerant clergy, among whom were William llaper, Daniel D. Davison and James B. Finley, lie married Eve Ann Sailor, with whom he lived happily for more than forty years. On the 3d of April, 1843, he departed this life, in the 74th year of his age, in full assurance of a blissful immortality, leaving a large family to inherit his name and remember his many virtues. Ezra Morris was the father of eight children, of whom only two are now living. His death occurred June 12, 1856. Our subject, in his youth, received ver}^ little education, but he is a lover of books, and by his own efforts has obtained a good knowledge of business. He has been Assessor two years, Township Clerk eight or ten years, and has positively refused other offices since. In 1858, he married Elizabeth Wiggin ; she died Jan. 2, 1859, aged 21 years 4 months and 11 days. His marriage with Maria E. Garst was celebrated May 7, 1867 ; she was born in Clark Co. May 25, 1840. The fruits of this union are four children - Mary M., Charles E., Nellie F. and Frank, deceased.

JOHN ROSS, farmer ; P. 0. West Charleston. He was born in Bethel Township July 22, 1814, and is a son of John and Sarah Ross ; they were natives of Pennsylvania, but removed to Kentucky, and from there came to Ohio and settled in Warren Co., where the town of Franklin now stands ; his father, Robert Ross, laid out the town ; in 1811, John Ross came to Bethel Township, Miami Co., and purchased 320 acres in two separate tracts, and located on the one where his son now resides ; although they were not the earliest settlers, they were the first to make any improvements worthy of mention ; he was one of the parties called out to pursue the Indians, at the time of the Dilbone and Gerard massacre ; their cabin served as a retreat for the women and children of the neighborhood, while the men were gone ; this farm continued to be their home to the end of their lives ; he died in 1849, at the age of 72, and she in 1872, at the age of 90 ; it is also the birthplace of our subject ; this was one of the most heavily timbered countries to be found anywhere, and also thickly set with underbrush, which made it all the more difficult to clear ; however, by the hard knocks and unceasing energy of the pioneers, it has been stripped of its forests and made a desirable locality ; of this work, Mr. Ross has done a good share ; he owns 140 acres of the quarter-section inhabited by his father, which he has under good cultivation, and also well improved ; besides this, he has 160 acres in another section of this township, and is doing a thriving business as a farmer ; he has a harvest of about 100 acres of wheat, also some rye and barley, besides the spring crop. In the early part of March, 1845, he married Eliza DeLong, also a native of this township, and the daughter of George and Elizabeth DeLong, who came here in an early day from Virginia ; the fruits of this marriage are twelve children, viz., Ann M., Harrison C., Robert, John L., Benjamin Franklin, Sarah E., Mary Alethia, George W., Eliza, Thomas Jefferson, Fannie and Charles ; Harrison C. entered the service of his country Aug. 10, 1863, and died in July, 1864 ; he was a member of Co. K, 1st O. V. II. A.

CHARLES SENSEMAN, retired farmer ; P. O. West Charleston ; is a son of William and Catharine (Eschleman) Senseman, natives of Lancaster Co., Penn.; he was born in 1790, and she in 1788 ; they resided in different counties of that State until 1 838, when they moved to Ohio, and rented a log cabin, in which they lived the first summer ; he had also rented a farm in Greene Co., which his son and son-in-law farmed ; in the fall, he moved to Greene Co., also, and bought the farm he had rented, but remained only a few months, when he returned to Miami Co., and bought the farm of 234 acres, on which he had first settled. Of their family of eight or nine children, four are still living - Henrietta, now Mrs. Michael Bashore, near Covington, Miami Co.; Charles ; Catharine, now Mrs. William Snyder, near Logansport, Ind.; and William, in West Charleston. Catharine Senseman departed this life April 22, 1864, and her husband May 12, in the short space of twenty days. The subject of this sketch was born in Lancaster Co., Penn., July 16, 1817 ; he commenced life for himself in about a year after his father came to this State ; he moved into the old cabin on his father's farm, and, as he says, commenced at the bottom ; he rented the farm for eighteen or nineteen years, and then bought of his father 162^- acres ; on this he has made great improvement, and, at different times, made purchases, till he has in one tract 180 acres, besides three other farms in this county, making in all 573 acres. In 1839, Dec. 30, he married Eve Wolf, who was born in Greene Co., Ohio, Nov. 28, 1821. The fruits of this marriage were eleven children, of whom nine are living - John, Mary Ann, William, Cornelius, Milton, Catharine, Charles H., Justina and Joseph.

HENRY SHROYER, deceased ; was born in Bethel Township, Miami Co., Ohio, Aug. 18, 1840 ; his occupation was farming, and he was one of the enterprising farmers of this community, owning 225 acres of land. In 1861, he was united in marriage with Ann Eliza Kable, who was born in Osborn, Greene Co., Sept. 28, 1842. The fruits of this union are eight children - Anna Mary, born March 24, 1862 ; James K., born Oct. 10, 1863 ; Edgar C., born Nov. 6, 1866 ; Susan A., born Aug. 27, 1868 ; Sidney J., born May 26, 1870 ; Stanley W., born May 17, 1873 ; Grade L., born May 21, 1875 ; and Carrie M., born June 26, 1877. Henry Shroyer departed this life March 18, 1878 ; his widow has since had the entire care of her children and the farm, which, by the aid of her eldest son, is managed very successfully.

JACOB SHROYER, retired farmer ; P. O. Brandt; was born in Frederick Co., Md., Nov. 10, 1807 ; he emigrated to Ohio, with his parents, in the fall of 1819, and stopped at Dayton, where they passed the winter ; in the following spring, they moved to Bethel Township, Miami Co., and purchased 160 acres of land in Sec. 10, where he spent the remainder of his life, owning at the time of his death 457 acres of land. The subject of this sketch and one sister are the survivors of the family of five children ; he has always been engaged in agricultural pursuits, and, in connection, has also dealt considerably in stock ; he owns about 641 acres of land in this and Clark Cos., and has held office for about forty years ; has been Township Treasurer for twetity-one years ; in the spring of 1880, was elected to serve his tenth successive term as Township Trustee. Six children were the fruits of his first marriage - Thomas, Matilda, Catharine E., Henr}' (deceased), Anna Maria (deceased) and Harriet ; Maria Shroyer, his wife, departed this life Sept. 23, 1842. He afterward married Susan Stockstill, with whom he had six children - John W., Oscar, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel C. and Jacob (the last two deceased). Mrs. Susan Shro}Ter died Feb. 22, 1860, at the age of 46 years and 2 months. On Jan. 24, 1861, he married Mrs. Priscilla Mendenhall, formerly Miss Mann, with whom he is living a very quiet and happy life.

JOHN SNELL, farmer ; P. O. Brandt ; is a son of Jacob and Barbara Snell, who came to Ohio by means of wagons, in a company of thirty persons in 1830 ; they stopped in Montgomery Co. for about two years, and then came to Bethel Township, Miami Co., and bought 120 acres of land, on which they made some additional improvements in the way of clearing, repairing the house and erecting a new barn ; here they spent the remainder of their lives ; he died in 1855 at the age of 59 years, and she in 1860 aged 60 years. The subject of this sketch was born in Rockingham Co., Va., July 19, 1827 ; his cradle, while on the way to this county, was the feed-box fastened to the hind part of the wagon ; in this he slept while crossing the Ohio at Wheeling. Being the oldest son, he had the principal part of the work to do on the farm, as his father worked at the carpenter's trade ; in 1853, he settled on 82 acres of land in the above-named township, lying in Secs. 3 and 9 ; here he has since resided, and, having erected new, substantial farm buildings, he has a very desirable farm, in a high state of cultivation. His marriage with Maria L. Rupp was celebrated Nov. 7, 1850 ; she was born in Lancaster, Penn., Feb. 15, 1830, and is a daughter of Samuel Rupp, who came to this State in 1837, and is still living in Clark Co. Mr. and Mrs. Snell are the parents of three children - Minerva R., Jacob F. and Mary E. Mr. Snell and family, except one daughter, are members of the German Baptist Church.

S. L. STOCK ST I LL, fanner ; P. < ). New Garlifile, Clark Co. ; born in Bethel Township, Miami Co., Ohio, Aug. 27, 1817 ; is the son of Thomas and Catharine Stockstill. He was one of the very early settlers of this county ; his native State was Maryland, but when quite young he removed to Tennessee with his father, who was a speculator in slaves. Thomas, being conscientiously opposed to the slave traffic, left Tennessee at the age of 16, and came to Ohio. At this time, there were only five or six huts in Cincinnati, and a very few between that and Dayton, which then consisted of one cabin, in which a man by the name of Acres kept a store, and carried on quite a traffic with the Indians. Northeast of Dayton for a distance of twelve miles, there was not a house, and no road but an Indian trail. He stopped with old man Hain, an acquaintance of his from North Carolina, located in what is now Bethel Township, Clark Co. ; his wealth then consisted in a horse, saddle, saddle-bags, a few chisels, two gimlets and a broad-ax ; he never served an apprenticeship at any trade, but was handy with tools and did a considerable amount of work in wood, and at shoemaking ; he made the first coffins used in this part of the country. In those days, it would have been thought sinful to make any charge for services of that kind, so that he has made many coffins without charge ; his chief business was farming, and after his arrival in this State he took a lease for twelve years of Leonard Hain, whose daughter Catharine he married about 1801 ; in 1806, he left his lease and bought 80 acres in Bethel Township, Miami Co., and once more commenced in the woods. In addition to clearing up his farm, he bought 120 acres more. He was a strict Methodist, and aided almost any church of that faith within his reach. Eight of his children grew to maturity - Elias, Rachel, Sarah, Susan, John N., Stephen L., Irvin J. and Catharine. Our subject has always followed farming ; in connection with his farm work, he has made several useful inventions, as he felt a need for the several articles invented. His first was a grain drill, the distributing principle of which is now used in the Superior Drill, built at Springfield, and others. His other patents were for a clover harvester, for heading clover in the field ; a riding attachment for breaking-plows, and a meat cutter. His livelihood has been gained principally by the sale of these patents. On the 18th of February, 1847, he married Mary J. Lucas, a native of Clark Co., born June 4, 1826 ; by this union they have had nine children - James A., Catharine O., Chalmers T., Nannie C., Insco H. (deceased), Maggie M., Summerfield S., Minnie J. and Etta B.

SAMUEL SULLIVAN, farmer ; P. O. Tadmor, Montgomery Co., Ohio ; born in Clark Co., Ohio, Feb. 11, 1814 ; was a son of James and Jane (McAlister) Sullivan. He was one of the lineal descendants of the Sullivans who settled Sullivan's Island, N. C., whence it derives its name. It was on account of his antipathj7 to slavery that he left the land of his nativity and emigrated to Clark Co., Ohio. Their mode of traveling was quite in contrast with that of the present day. They came through on pack horses, the mother taking two children with her on one horse, and the father one child and their provisions on another, for a distance of 600 miles. He took a lease in the above-named county, and settled on the banks of Mud Creek ; at the expiration of his lease, he bought 160 acres, which he improved, but by some mishap lost all. Being, perhaps, past the prime of life, he never made an effort to retrieve his situation, and left his children to accumulate what they could for themselves. He was a minister of the Christian Church for a number of years. Our subject was accustomed to the hardships of frontier life, but received an ordinary education, such as he could obtain in those da}'s by attending school a few months in the winter season ; when, in his 17th year, he left home to fight his way through life, working for the first summer at $6.50 per month, and then took a job of clearing, by which he saved 27 cents per day ; he soon found that he had not sufficient muscular power to make a living by hard labor, and therefore decided to educate himself ; having gone as far as the single rule of three in arithmetic, and modes and tenses of verbs in grammar, the requisite of a teacher in those days, he engaged to teach a term of three months ; he entered into an article of agreement to commence at 8 o'clock in the morning, teach ever}- alternate Saturday and received $21 for the term and boarded himself ; he followed teaching for six years, gradually increasing his wages until he received $20 per month. Mr Sullivan has held an office of some kind for a number of 3mars ; was Justice of the Peace for twelve years, and is Representative of Miami Co. at the present time ; he is not an office seeker, but being a man of real worth, his office is a gift from the people. In 1832, Nov. 4, he married Maria Crook, a sister of Hen. George Crook, the great Indian fighter. The fruits of this union are eleven children - Thomas, James, Theodore, Martha, John, Oliver, George, Florence (deceased), Alice and Lizzie. The eldest son is a graduate of West Point. Although com-

DANIEL WEAVER, farmer ; P. 0. West Charleston ; is a son of Peter Weaver, who came from Virginia to this State in an early day ; Dayton then contained only two houses, and Friend Town, afterward called West Charleston, consisted of one house ; he was one of the founders of the present town, and, in this vicinity he entered a very large tract of land ; at one time he owned 600 acres, but, at the death of his wife, divided it among his children, reserving for himself a good portion of the town lots and 40 acres adjoining. He afterward married Jane Ross, with whom he had three children - Robert, Susan and Daniel. Mr. Weaver was born July 5, 1823, in West Charleston, where he remained until 17 years old ; at that time he commenced the wagon-maker's trade with his brother, serving an apprenticeship of five years ; he worked at wagon-making off and on for nine years, and also followed grafting ; having started in life with nothing but good health, energy and an honest purpose to succeed in all his undertakings, he made use of every honorable effort to gain a livelihood ; in this he has been successful ; for he now owns 80 acres of land in Sec. 8 of Bethel Township, on which he has made some additional improvements, and has a desirable home. In 1846, May 20, he married Rhoda P. Mott, a daughter of Maj. Mott, of Connecticut, one of the Revolutionary soldiers ; she was born in Franklin, Warren Co., Ohio, Aug. 11, 1826 ; the fruits of this marriage are ten children - Peter S., Mary L., Sarah J., Phebe A. (deceased), Eunice A. (deceased), Lydia M., Daniel Lincoln, Emma Semantha, John U. S. G. and Rhoda Margaretta.

JOHN R. WOODWARD (deceased), born in Bethel Township, Miami Co., Dec. 5, 1835 ; was a son of William and Ann (Lee) Woodward ; she was a native of Virginia, born July 2, 1804, and came to this county in 1808, with her parents, Benjamin and Sarah Lee, who were among the first settlers of Elizabeth Township, of this county. William Woodward was born in Pennsylvania Dec. 9, 1780, and came to Ohio at a very early day ; he entered a farm in Sec. 29, Bethel Township, Miami Co., where he spent the remainder of his life ; his death occurred Jan 14, 1848 ; his wife, now the Widow Reyburn, still makes her home on the old place ; they were the parents of three children - W. W., of Sandusky City, is the only one living. John R., the youngest, was raised on the farm and owned 163 acres of land long known as the Woodward farm ; at the time it was entered by William Woodward, there was a small village on it at the mouth of Honey Creek, called Livingston, where there was a boat landing, and where farmers brought their produce to ship to Cincinnati ; his farm was well improved and in a high state of cultivation ; in connection with the oversight and management of it for about ten years, he was engaged in the oil business, as an oil produc

" Honey Creek Nurseries," Grower and Dealer in Foreign and Domestic Fruits, Pines, Roses, etc. ; everything new and rare made a specialty. Established 1861 ; P. 0. New Carlisle, Clark Co. McCannaUghy, David, Farmer and Manufacturer, Sec. 24 ; P. O. Tippecanoe City.