.

1798.


HISTORY


OF


PREBLE COUNTY,


OHIO,


WITH


ILLUSTRATIONS AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

H. Z. WILLIAMS & BRO.,

PUBLISHERS.

1881.


FROM PRINTING HOUSE OF W. W. WILLIAMS, CLEVELAND, OHIO




Preble County Courthouse - Eaton, Ohio



County Courthouse September 27, 2007








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PREFATORY NOTE.


In laying before our patrons the history of Preble county, the publishers wish not only to return thanks to all who have given them encouragement in their undertaking and assistance in carrying out their plans, but to make especial acknowledgment of services afforded, and courtesies extended by many citizens of Eaton and of the various townships of the county. Some measure of assistance in collecting and compiling the materials which compose this volume, it is safe to say, has been received from, at least, a thousand persons. Fully that number of people have been interviewed by our historians and note-collectors. While we wish all to feel themselves the recipients of our gratitude, we desire also to address our thanks personally to a few individuals who have been qualified and enabled, through the possession of, or ability to secure information upon, certain single topics, to lend the members of our writing corps invaluable aid. To the clergy generally, the editors of the several newspapers and the always painstaking and obliging county officials we extend our sincerest thanks for many favors received. Among individuals we feel it our duty even at the risk of being invidious, to mention gratefully as those from whom important assistance has been secured, Thomas J. Larsh, esq., Judge John V. Campbell, Levin T. McCabe, Judge Curry, S. H. Hubbell, R. G. D. McKemy, Jacob Chambers, Alfred Demy, C. W. Moore, Frank Mitchell, Dr. F. M. Michael and Robert W. Quinn, esq., all of Eaton, as well as Col. George D. Hendricks and Joseph D. Tracey, late of the same place, and that old-time and always esteemed citizen of Eaton, now and for many years a resident of Indianapolis—Mr. George Bruce. To the late Dr. W. H. H. B. Minor, whose death has occurred since the inception of this work, we have been largely indebted for facts in connection with the history of Eaton.


We also tender expression of our obligation to Messrs David Barnett, Clinton Chadwick, George Jones, John H. Ross, J. A. Huffman and O. P. Brown, of Somers township; to Abraham Halderman, the Rev. H. M. Herman, Mrs. Abraham Black, James Campbell and Oscar Sheppard, of Lanier; to John Rape and Nathaniel Benjamin, of Twin; to Richard Morrow, sr., and Ebenezer Paddock, of Jackson; to James Elliott, Jesse Simonson, James B. Gentle and A. R. Conger, of Dixon; to James Ireland and S. W. Richey, of Jefferson; to John Ramsey, of Israel; to John Chrisman, Jesse Stubbs, Christian Sayler and John Maddock, of Gratis; to Henry Shidler, of Gasper; Abdiel Etzler, Henry Surface, Benjamin Aikman and Dr. Miller, of Harrison; Esquire Shurley, Peter Disher, John Juday and William G. Smith, of Monroe.


Credit is given to the following published works which have largely been made use of: Henry Howe's "Historical Collections of Ohio;" Judge Dillon's "History of Indiana;" Drake's "Indian Biography;" James R. Albach's "Annals of the West;" Squier and Davis' "Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley;" the "Centennial Address" by the late Judge Abner Haines; the "Ohio Geological Report ;" "Ohio Railway Commissioners Report for 1874;" the reports of the several secretaries of State; Gazetteers of Ohio; United States census; the "Biographical Cyclopedia of Ohio" and the files of the Eaton Register and Democrat.


The publishers feel, in placing this work before the public, that they have faithfully fulfilled all pledges which they made at the outset, and that they have produced a history of Preble county which will be found both valuable and reliable. Certainly no pains have been spared to make it all that it should be. We believe that it preserves from oblivion, in appropriate form, the essential facts in the history of the territory of which it treats.


The task of collecting, from a thousand sources, the history of a county like old Preble is always an onerous one, and has here been increased by the fact that only a modicum of the annals of early years has been handed down through the medium of the types by those who were best qualified to do that service for posterity and the historian. But on this account additional care has been taken, not only to harvest, but to glean the field; and that it has been done, despite the difficulty, carefully, conscientiously and with due regard for the dignity of the work, we have no hesitancy in saying. That a work which chronicles ten thousand facts and contains twice

ten thousand names should be absolutely free from error no one has a right to expect; and we do not claim for the History of Preble County the attainment of such perfection; but that it is free from serious error of statement we have reason to know.


The, publishers, in addition to the history proper, have grven a valuable history of the State of Ohio, embracing over one hundred pages of the book. They believe the purchaser of this volume will appreciate this act, which was done without promise to a single subscriber.


The volume is placed before the public in the confident belief that it will stand the test of candid criticism.


CONTENTS.


HISTORICAL,


 

GENERAL HISTORY - NOTE PAGES 9 THROUGH 97

PAGE

CHAPTER.

PAGE

CHAPTER.

I.—Physical Features

II.—The Pre-Historic Race

III. —Indian Occupation

IV.—St. Clair's Campaign

V.--Wayne's War—Fall of Lowery

VI.—Advent of the White Man in Southern Ohio, and Settlement of Preble County

VII.—A Picture of the Pioneers

VIII.—Land Title

IX.—County Erection

X.—Civil History—County Seat—Public Buildings— Township Organization

XI.—The Civil Roster of Preble

XII.—Vote of Preble County from 1808 to 1880

XIII.—Preble in the War of 1812

XIV.—Preble in the War of the Rebellion

XV.—Preble County Agricultural Society

XVI.—The Press

XVII.—The Preble County Bar


9

12

17

19

22

25

27

31

32

33

37

39

40

41

55

63

65

XVIII.—Railroads

XIX.—Statistics


TOWNSHIPS.


Washington / EATON

Dixon

Gasper

Gratis

Harrison

Israel

Jackson

Jefferson

Lanier

Monroe

Somers

Twin


History of Ohio, embracing one hundred and six pages, at close of volume

94

96




98

161

174

185

202

219

243

255

273

288

298

314


.

BIOGRAPHICAL,


 

PAGE

 

PAGE

Acton, John P.

Albright, William F.

Benjamin, Nathaniel

Brooke, Charles F.

Bruce, William

Bulla, William

Burger, Samuel, sr.

Campbell, John V.

Charles, John P.

Chrisman, Daniel

Chrisman, John

Curry, Judge William

Deem Family

Du Sang, Joseph A.

Finley, Rev. James B.

Fudge, Franklin N.

Gould, L. G.

Haldeman, A. F.

Hawkins, Colonel Samuel

Hendricks, David E.

Hendricks, Colonel George D.

Heistand, Henry C.

Herman, Rev. H. M.

Heywood, Nathan

155

154

329

151

140

254

218

148

154

159

200

147

153

152

150

286

155

333

145

141

143

152

287

287

Huggins, R. D.

Kesler, Colonel Samuel

Larsh, Colonel Paul

Larsh, Lewis

Lohrer, Felix

McCabe, Levin T.

McQuiston Family

McQuiston, Samuel B.

McCristie, John

Meharry, Rev. Alexander

Members of Preble County Bar

Morton, William

Morton, Hezekiah

Ott Family

Quinn Family

Reynolds, Andrew Jackson

Sayler Family

Sayler, Christian, M.D.

Tillson, Dr. Oliver E.

Tizzard, Judge Samuel

Tizzard, William B.

Van Ausdal, Cornelius

Vance, Jacob

Williams, Colonel Robert, jr.

329

217

172

174

173

148

239

240

242

153

65 to 94

184

241

217

156

156

183

201

331

146

146

144

330

159



GONTENTS.


ILLUSTRATIONS,


Preble County Court House

Map of Preble County

Portrait of Nathaniel Benjamin

" " Jacob Vance

      " " Christian Sayler

      " " John Ott

      " " Samuel Bunger , sr.

      " " Thomas J. Lash

      " " John V. Campbell

Residence of James Deem

Portrait of John P. Acton

Residence of Felix Lohrer

Portrait (with biography) of H. W. Dooley.

“ " " Silas Dooley sr.

Residence of Abraham Sayler

Portraits of the Sayler Family

     “ (with biography) of William Morton

Portraits “ Stephen Allbaugh, sr.

“ ” “ D. C. Stubbs

Portraits “ ” “ Mr. and Mrs. D. G. Prugh

Portraits "(with biography) of Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Gifford

Portraits (with biography) of Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Stubbs

Portraits (with biography) of Mr. and Mrs. Elijah Cooper

Portrait of Mrs. Elizabeth Cooper

" (steel) of John Chrisman

facing 1

facing 9

facing 56

facing 56

facing 56

facing 56

facing 56

facing 90

facing 148

facing 153

facing 155

facing 173

between 176, 177

between 176, 177

between 182, 183

between 180, 183

facing 184

facing 180

facing 185

between 188, 189

between 188, 189

between 192, 193

between 192, 193

 between 192, 193

facing 200

Residence of John Chrisman , . 

Portrait (with biography) of George Brower

" Allen C. Cassel 

" of Hugh McQuiston 

“ ” Mrs. Hugh McQuiston

" " Samuel McQuiston

" “ John McQuiston

" “ Mrs. Maggie Stephenson

" “ Mrs. Eliza Pinkerton 

Residence, with Portraits of S. B. McQuiston

" “ Hezekiah Morton

Portraits (with biography) of Mr. and Mrs. Archibald Campbell

Portrait (with biography) of Catharine McManus

Residence of William Bulls.

Portrait (with biography) of Samuel Smith

" " Edward S. Stotler

" " Mrs. Susan Gregg

Residence of Mrs. Susan Gregg

Portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Fudge

Portrait of Rev. James McNeal

Residence (with portraits) of F. N. Fudge.

Portrait (with biography) of Jacob Trout

Portraits " Mr. and Mrs. George Kimmel

Public School Building, West Alexandria

Portrait of R. D. Huggins, M. D.

"            " Matthias Disbar

" O. E. Tillson, M. D.

 “ (steel) of A. F. Haldeman . 

between 200, 201

between 208, 209

between 208, 209

facing 239

facing 239

facing 239

facing 239

facing 239

facing 239

facing 240

facing 241

between 248, 249

between 248, 249

facing 254

facing 264

facing 273

between 276. 277

between 276, 277

between 280, 282

between 280, 281

between 284, 285

facing 286

facing 288

facing 328

facing 329

facing 330

facing 331

facing 333