800 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY their sister, Elizabeth F. These brothers have been notable factors in the agricultural affairs of the county and have conducted farming on a very large and extensive scale. Their sister, Elizabeth, has been associated with them for many years and has graciously presided over their household. All of them are natives of Ohio and were born in Pike County. Their father, Charles Daily, was born in Pike County, March 17, 1821, a date which in itself attests the early settlement of the Daily family in this state. The grandfather, Daniel Daily, was a native of Virginia, and was one of the pioneers in Pike County, where he purchased a tract of timbered land near Piketon. His subsequent years were devoted to clearing and improvement and cultivation, and one of his first improvements was a substantial hewed log house. Other farm buildings arose under his administration, and he prospered as he well deserved. His death occurred in Pike County at a good old age. Daniel Daily married Susan Winn. They reared five sons, John, William, Ralph, Charles and Raymond, and two daughters, Elizabeth and Mary. Charles D. Daily grew up on a farm, and made that his staple vocation throughout his active career. For some years he rented a portion of the Van Meter farm, and then bought a place of his own near Piketon. Somewhat later there occurred an unfortunate circumstance in his business affairs. He failed to receive pay for a large consignment of corn, and in consequence, lost his farm. Starting life again after this discouragement he was a renter for a few years on the Clough farm near Waverly, and then moved to Pickaway County, where he was a farmer until his death in 1897. On October 26, 1843, he married Abigail Towner, who was born August 31, 1823. Her father, Capt. John H. Towner, who was born in Virginia, November 30, 1799, and reared in that state, was married, September 6, 1821, to Sallie Peters, who was born March 31, 1797. Coming to Ohio, Captain Towner and wife settled in Pike County, where they spent the rest of their days. His wife died there January 14, 1878, and Captain Towner passed away January 30, 1879, both of them when about eighty years of age. The children of Captain Towner and wife were : Abigail F., Elizabeth Ann, John T., Rachel and Sarah, twins; Harriet N., Benjamin W., Mary Ann, William H., and Eliza E. Mrs. Charles Daily, who died October 25, 1901, was the mother of the following children : Daniel W., John H., William B., Ralph A., Sallie S., David R., Elizabeth T., and Charles Lincoln. All these children received a good education in local schools, and Daniel, Sallie and Elizabeth all served a time as teachers. David R. and Charles L., after reaching manhood, began farming in partnership. Their first important undertaking was the renting of the Caldwell farm in Pickaway County. This is one of the largest estates of the Scioto Valley. containing 950 acres. The Daily brothers showed their ability by the successful handling of large farms, and for sixteen years were among the largest growers of crops and stock in that section. In 1908 they bought their present farm of 354 acres in the Dry Run HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 801 Valley of Springfield Township, Ross County. This is the farm they now own and occupy, and it is one of the largest and best managed places in Ross County. They have two complete sets of farm buildings and have an abundance of modern machinery for operating the farm so as to produce the best results. They keep only the better grades of livestock. FLOYD C. MCNEIL. The farm home of Floyd C. McNeal is one with long and interesting associations with members of that family. When his grandfather first came to Springfield Township the site of the farm was in the midst of the heavy woods. It was almost entirely by the labors and persistent industry of the McNeal family that the land was eventually converted into a fertile and productive homestead. On that old place, which he now owns and occupies, Mr. McNeal was born August 17, 1869. His father, William McNeal, was born December 3, 1837, on the same farm. The grandfather was Thomas McNeal, a native of Pennsylvania, of Scotch-Irish ancestry. From Pennsylvania he came to Ross County and was a contemporary of some of the very early settlers of this part of Ohio. Like other pioneers he journeyed out of Pennsylvania by means of a wagon and team. His purchase in Ross County was a tract of timbered land in the southeast quarter of section 24 in Springfield Township. There in the midst of the trees was constructed a log cabin. It was the first home of the McNeal family in Ross County. Many years passed before railroads or canals were built, and Thomas McNeal like the other settlers had to suffer the handicap of lack of markets and other advantages that came after Ohio was well settled. In those early days little money was in circulation and the people lived largely off the products of their own fields and the wild game in the forest and the fish in the streams. Thomas McNeal was a man of great industry and in time had most of his land cleared up and under cultivation. He died at the age of eighty years. The maiden name of his wife was Mary Gates, who was born in Germany and who died at the age of seventy-three. Reference to her family, which were also among the early settlers of Ross County, will be found on other pages. She reared eight children, named Henry, Benjamin, Thomas, James, William, Kate, Rebecca and Jane. William McNeal, in spite of the lack of good schools while he was growing up, acquired a good education. He had qualified as a teacher while still in his teens, and many of the older generation will take a special pleasure in recalling the splendid services he rendered as an educator, continued upwards of forty years during the winter seasons. With the exception of three terms taught in Illinois and Nebraska his work was entirely within the school districts of Ross County. With teaching he combined the ancient and honorable occupation of agriculture. He succeeded to the ownership of the old homestead and there lived and prospered until his death in his seventy-second year. He married Rebecca Downs. She was born in Harrison Township of Ross County, December 3, 1840, and is still living with her daughter, Mrs. 802 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY M. L. Strawser, in Colerain Township. Her father, John Downs, was also a native of Harrison Township. His parents probably were born in Pennsylvania and were early settlers of Harrison Township, where the father of John Downs bought a tract of timbered land in section 16 and developed it into a farm before his death. John Downs purchased 200 acres in section 9 of Harrison Township. At the time it was covered with a heavy growth of yellow poplar. His industry enabled him to convert this into fertile fields, and he lived upon it until after the death of his wife, when he made his home with his daughter, Mrs. William McNeal. John Downs married Elizabeth Rout. William McNeal and wife reared four children, named Foster, Floyd, Martie and Norris. Floyd C. McNeal grew up in the country and obtained most of his education from District No. 6 schoolhouse. His years were spent in assisting in the labors of the home farm and as an independent farmer until 1903. In that year he entered the employ of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company, and was an active railroad man until he met with an accident to his right arm in 1910. In the meantime he had bought the old homestead, which his grandfather had cleared up from the wilderness, and has lived on it since 1912. In the past four years he has erected a set of good farm buildings, has planted many fruit and shade trees, and now has a place that compares favorably with the best to be found in Springfield Township. In 1892, Mr. McNeal married Lillian Hanson. She was born in Harrison Township, a daughter of Greenbury Hanson. Mr. and Mrs. McNeal have reared three children : Ralph H., Helen and Margaret. The family are all active members of Mount Carmel Methodist Episcopal Church, of which Mr. -McNeal is a trustee. In politics he cast his first presidential vote for Grover Cleveland. He has rendered some valuable public service to his community, having been elected assessor of the Second Ward in Chillicothe in 1911, filling that post two years. In 1915 he was elected assessor of Springfield Township. Mr. McNeal is affiliated with Chillicothe Lodge, No. 24, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and also with the Independent Order of Foresters. MRS. SARAH ELIZABETH HARMOUNT. On account of the splendid character of the people who have lived there one of the most interesting homesteads in Ross County is that occupied by Mrs. Sarah E. Harmount in Deerfield Township. Mrs. Harmount is a granddaughter of the original settler there, and she and her family reside in a commodious two-story house, surrounded by a large lawn shaded with beautiful trees. It was on this farm that Mrs. Harmount was born April 24, 1841. She is a daughter of the late John Wesley Timmons, who was born on part of the same farm March 4, 1806, a son of Stephen and Milla (Brown) Timmons. The founder of the family here was Rev. Stephen Timmons, who was born in Worcester County, Maryland, August 6, 1769. His father, Thomas Timmons, was born in Maryland of English ancestry. Thomas Timmons was a member of the Episcopal Church, and was one of the HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 803 very early opponents of the institution of slavery. The maiden name of his wife is thought to have been Mary Clarkson. Rev. Stephen Timmons was reared in the Episcopal faith, but in 1791 joined the Methodist Episcopal Church and was soon appointed leader of two classes. Not long afterwards he was licensed to preach, joined the Methodist Conference, and was assigned in 1795 to the Northumberland Circuit. In 1798 he came to the Northwest Territory, arriving in Chillicothe in October of that year. Chillicothe then had one hewed log house occupied by Dr. Edward Tiffin, who afterwards became the first governor of the state. All the other buildings in the town, few in number, were cabins built of round logs. Rev. Stephen Timmons as the pioneer circuit rider visited all the few white settlements then to be found north of the Ohio River, and even carried his missionary efforts into Kentucky. Some of the civilized Indians would go before him and others followed behind to cover up his tracks. This was in 1803. Meeting an object of charity on one of his trips he gave her his last twenty-five cents, and when he alighted from his horse waiting to cross the river there lay at his feet fifty cents. He made the second trip West in 1799 bringing White Brown with him to prove his statement about the new country. Rev. Enoch George came as far as where Lancaster now stands on his first trip. He returned east. There he recited in glowing terms the wonderful charms of the Scioto Valley. Among others who were influenced by his words of praise of this western country was White Brown. It was largely on the strength of this missionary's work that White Brown came to Ross County with his family. No history of Ross County has ever been written without honorable mention of White Brown, since he did much in the early days to make Ross County what it is. Rev. Stephen Timmons married a daughter of this pioneer Ross County settler. On his return east Mr. Timmons joined the Maryland Conference and preached at different places until December, 1801. In that year he returned to Ross County, accompanying a part of White Brown's family. While he himself rode a horse other members of the party were in a wagon drawn by four horses driven by a trusted slave. The minister's belongings were in a wooden chest carried on the wagon. This chest is now preserved at the home of his granddaughter Mrs. Harmount. Mr. Timmons' father had given him $200 and with this he purchased a tract of land in what is now Deerfield Township. This land is now a part of the Harmount farm. In those early days about the only demand for corn was from the settlers who had not yet had time to raise a crop. Rev. Stephen Timmons erected as his first home a cabin 16 by 16 feet of hickory logs. In that he and his bride commenced housekeeping. In the year 1804 there arrived in Ross County a colony of people from Maryland. There were seventy of them, the poorest of the poor, oppressed Marylanders. They drew up at the door of Rev. Mr. Timmons. These Marylanders had brought all their possessions in a cart drawn by a pony. Mr. Timmons took it upon himself to assist each of these families to secure homes in the wilderness. The land had not 804 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY yet been surveyed, and much of it was owned by the State of Virginia. Under his own direction and by his assistance four cabins were built for the new settlers, and with his gun he supplied the newcomers with large quantities of wild meat, and took other steps to assist them until they could raise a crop. In the meantime the improvements were continuing on his own farm, and in a few years he had a large tract under cultivation. The early settlers of Ross County owe a great debt of gratitude to this sterling man, of Christ. In spite of the fact that he constantly gave away great quantities of his yearly produce, he prospered. What he did not give away outright he sold on easy terms to the poor. When a stranger came to him to buy corn he first inquired whether the purchaser had money to pay. If the man said yes, Mr. Timmons would then tell him of some one who had corn to sell. He kept his own corn for such as did not have the money. Thus he confined his dealings almost entirely to the poor. While his own health was not good, and that prevented him from holding regular pastorates, he found much opportunity to preach the Gospel. He was unable to endure the heavy hardships placed upon the circuit rider of the time. Those early preachers made journeys on horseback lasting for days and months, encountered all kinds of bad weather, swam swollen streams, and in his time he saw much of that very kind of service. From time to time Rev. Mr. Timmons added other tracts of land until he was owner of upwards of 800 acres in Ross County and as much more in Pickaway County. His death occurred in 1849, at the age of eighty years. Thus came to a close one of the most fruitful lives ever passed in Ross County. In March, 1802, he married Milla Brown, daughter of White Brown. She died in 1832. He afterwards married Mrs. (Cartwright) Comberford, a relative of the famous pioneer missionary and evangelist, Peter Cartwright. John Wesley Timmons, son of Rev. Stephen Timmons, inherited a part of the old home farm, and spent his active years engaged in general farming and stock raising. He owned land in Pickaway County and 900 acres in Henry County. He died at the age of seventy-three. He was first married to Sarah Brown by the Rev. Reuben Rowe on January 13, 1831. She was removed by death about six years later and he then married Ann Elizabeth Pryor. This marriage was performed by Rev. William S. Morrow on May 1, 1838. Miss Pryor was a student in the old seminary at Chillicothe about 1834, and while there she had united with the Methodist Episcopal Church. At the death of her parents she came into possession of 500 acres of land. For his third wife John W. Timmons was married April 30, 1865, to Margaret Clifford, the ceremony being performed by Rev. T. J. Phillips. The three children of his first wife died in their youth, one of them living to the age of twelve years. By the second marriage there were nine children. The three now living are Sarah Elizabeth, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. One son, Samuel Pryor, died in Andersonville Prison and something more than passing mention should be made of him. When eighteen years of age he enlisted in Company A of the HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 805 First Ohio Regiment. He was born October 2, 1842, in Deerfield Township of Ross County, and enlisted September 1, 1861, at Clarksburg, Ohio. Soon afterward he was promoted to first sergeant. At the Battle of Stone River he received a flesh wound on his arm. September 19, 1863, while in the Battle of Chickamauga, he was shot through the left leg just above the knee joint, and subsequently captured. He was removed to Atlanta, then to Richmond, then to Andersonville, where he perished of starvation September 16, 1864. He united with the Methodist Episcopal Church when sixteen years of age, and left home with a strong faith in God, believing that He would care and provide for him. As to his life and character as a man and soldier his colonel wrote of him as follows : "I recollect your brother very well and his quiet gentlemanly manner early attracted my notice, and each day of his two years' service with the regiment gave perfect satisfaction and fresh proof of his worth as a man and a. soldier. I never knew him to be guilty of an immoral word or action. As first sergeant of Company A his books were neat and well kept, and his reports and accounts prompt and accurate. He was strict and reliable in the performance of every duty. In few words, he was a good soldier and good man, brave, prompt, conscientious, obedient. It affords me pleasure to bear testimony of his merits." His remains lie in grave No. 8914 at Andersonville. His letters home while in prison were always cheery and hopeful, still trusting the Lord to guide and protect. He said in one : "I am trying to make the best of my condition possible and to keep up my spirit," and of comrades and self he also said : "We are doing as well as could he expected, yet are longing, looking and praying for the day of our release." Another of the sons of John W. Timmons was also a soldier. He was John Wesley Timmons, Jr., who served his country in the One Hundred and Forty-ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, enlisting when but nineteen years of age. He was also a Christian boy—and man. He was an excellent soldier, performed all his duties as a mature man with promptness and fidelity. He died at Circleville, Ohio, August 26, 1881. John Wesley Timmons, Sr., was a man of great influence and excellent judgment, and many people came to him for help and advice when in trouble. His house was noted as a home for the afflicted and needy. He was a firm and active supporter of the church, held different offices such as class leader, circuit steward, etc., and gave liberally of his own means to church causes. At quarterly meetings he was in the habit of giving a public invitation for entertainment at his home. As many as fifty guests were entertained around his dinner table, and usually from twelve to fifteen spent the night in that hospitable household. It was said of him while living that "he was a man among men and esteemed as a man among men." At his funeral Rev. Zachariah Wharton among other things said that "his word was as good as the dollar." John Wesley Timmons lived on a part of the farm where he was reared until September, 1849, and then moved to the vicinity of Clarksburg, where he spent the rest of his days. During a part of his life he Vol. II-21 806 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY filled the office of justice of the peace. His second wife Ann was a perfect helpmate. Her last work was one of unselfish devotion. She went to the Gettysburg battlefield in order to nurse a half-brother of her husband who had been wounded and who died on the battlefield, and she brought his body home. While at Gettysburg she cared for many other wounded soldiers, and one of them wrote home to his friends that "no one knew the good she had done while there." In three short weeks after returning from this mission of love she was laid away in the family burying ground. The remains of herself and husband have since been removed to the township cemetery at Brown's Chapel. Ann Elizabeth Pryor was born near Clarksburg, though across the line in Pickaway County March 9, 1817. Her parents were Samuel T. and Emily (Nickols) Pryor. A daughter of these worthy parents, Mrs. Sarah Elizabeth Harmount grew up in the old home at Clarksburg, attended the public schools there and was also a student in the Female College at Springfield. In 1861 she married Robert Simpson Harmount, son of George B. and Anna Mary (Baughman) Harmount. On May 2, 1864, three years after their marriage, Mr. Harmount enlisted in the One Hundred and Forty-ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, being in the 100 days services. His father, George Harmount, was a carriage builder by trade and a pioneer in that occupation in the City of Chillicothe. It is said that the first body for a stage coach ever made in that city was his handiwork. From Chillicothe he removed to Williamsport, where he spent his last days. Robert S. Harmount learned the trade of carriage and wagon builder from his father and as a young man located at Clarksburg where he conducted a carriage factory a number of years. After his marriage he removed to the Harmount homestead in Deerfield Township, eleven miles from Chillicothe, and was actively occupied with farming until his death at the age of sixty-nine. Mr. and Mrs. Harmount reared six children : Louetta May, George P., Anna E., Timmons, Robert S. and Ralph. Louetta by her marriage to George C. Blue has two children, Samuel Francis and Charles. George married Martha Briggs. Anna, now deceased, married Wade J. Byerly. Timmons married Ida L. Wilkins, and their six children are Nellie, Harry, Arthur, Annie, Pryor and Mary. Robert married Addie Goodbar, and the four children that bless their union are Marie, Robert, Joseph and Catherine. Ralph married Rebecca Layton, and has three children, Gilbert, Harold and Forrest. Mrs. Harmount has seven great-grandchildren. Thus the declining years of Mrs. Harmount are spent with the solace and comforts supplied by her children and her many grandchildren. She has always been a reader, keeps up with current history, and has many things to occupy her mind at the delightful home where she lives. JOSEPH M. NORRIS. One of the homes that attract special attention by its improvements in Springfield Township is that of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph M. Norris. Mr. and Mrs. Norris have lived there nearly forty HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 807 years as active and successful farming people, have reared their children, and enjoy the good will and esteem of all the people in that locality. Of old English and American colonial stock, Joseph M. Norris was born on a farm in Cass Township of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, May 14, 1848. His first. American ancestor was a great-great-grandfather, who was born in England and, coming to America, settled in Virginia when it was still a colony. There he spent the rest of his days. Joseph Norris, the great-grandfather, was born in Virginia, January 10, 1729, indicating that the Norris family .has been American stock almost two centuries. From Virginia he moved to Maryland, and lived in that state until his death at a very remarkable age. When he was one hundred and five years old he visited his son in Pennsylvania. Next in line is the grandfather of John Norris, who was born in Maryland, March 16, 1764, a little more than ten years before the Revolutionary war began. He moved from Maryland to Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, buying a farm in Cass Township, and was one of the active and progressive farmer citizens of that locality the rest of his life. He was twice married, and the maiden name of his second wife, the grandmother of Joseph M. Norris, was Nancy Ann Walker. She died June 9, 1845. James Norris, father of Joseph M., was born in Cass Township of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, March 4, 1813, and lived out his active career in his native county, where he was a farmer and where he died in 1901, when upwards of ninety years. James Norris married Sophia Park, who was born in 1818 and died in 1902. She was a daughter of Alexander Park. Her children were named : Alexander, Mary Ann, Thomas Riley, James Wesley, Lydia Ellen, Rachel Emily, Joseph M., Eliza Jane, Phoebe Ann, and Burton DeForest. Joseph M. Norris acquired a very good education while growing up in his native State of Pennsylvania, and when not in school acquired a training by work on the home farm. In 1867, before he was of age, he went West, and lived a number of years in the states of Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Indiana. In 1878 he started East, but stopped and remained permanently in Ross County. Here in 1879 he married Annie Elizabeth Gates, who was born on the farm where she now resides in Springfield Township, a daughter of Henry and Margaret (Day) Gates, prominent pioneers who are mentioned on other pages. Mr. and Mrs. Norris have reared three children, named Lillian, Sadie and Catherine. Mrs. Norris was liberally educated and prior to her marriage taught school in Ross County and also in McLean County, Illinois. Her daughters are also well qualified as teachers and Lillian and Sadie are now following that vocation. The daughter, Catherine, is the wife of S. A. Brown, and her four children, grandchildren of Mr. and Mrs. Norris are named Grace, Dorothy, Carl and Ruby Margaret. Mrs. Norris was reared in the faith of the Society of Friends and has always held to that denomination. HENRY GATES. One of the first families to locate in Springfield Township was the Gates family, headed by John Gates, who came from 808 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY Virginia in the early years of the last century. John Gates was a native of Germany, where he was reared and educated, came to America in young manhood and after living in Virginia for several years started for the Ohio country. Arriving in Ross County he secured a tract of government land in section 24 of Springfield Township and devoted the rest of his life to clearing and farming it. He lived to a good old age. but his wife, whose maiden name was Bolinbroke, died in middle life. One of their children was the late Henry Gates, who was born in Virginia in 1802 and was very young when brought to the State of Ohio. Here he grew up amid pioneer scenes. He wisely improved such advantages in the way of schools as were afforded him, and by careful study fitted himself for work as a teacher. At the beginning he received only $10.00 a month and board. Schools were then conducted on the subscription plan, and he boarded around among the families who had children in school. He taught most of his schools in log cabins. School houses had none of the elaborate furniture now found in the most backward country school districts, and the seats were slabs supported by wooden pins, without backs and without desks. During a part of the War of 1812, though he was only a boy at the time, Henry Gates substituted for an older brother, and later received a land warrant for his services. His widow also drew a pension for a number of years. After succeeding to the ownership of the old homestead, he built a hewed log house, and that was the family home for a number of years until it was replaced by a larger and more comfortable frame house. Henry Gates died at the age of sixty-eight years. He married Margaret Day, who died at the age of seventy. Her parents were George and Catherine (Weaver) Day. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Day reared seven children : Catherine, Mary, Margaret, Sarah, Melinda, Annie Elizabeth, and Lewis. Henry Gates was a devout member of the Lutheran Church. His daughter, Annie Elizabeth, who began teaching at the age of eighteen, and taught a number of years in Ross County and also in Illinois, is now the wife of Joseph M. Norris, and since her marriage she has occupied the old homestead in Springfield Township. JAMES M. BUSH came to Ross County about twenty-one years ago. He is therefore comparatively a new comer, but has proved a very valuable addition to the farming community and has made a great success in cultivating and managing his land. He owns a very valuable farm in Harrison Township. He is of old Virginia stock, the family having lived in Western Virginia in different counties that are now in the State of West Virginia. Mr. Bush, himself, was born in Braxton County, Virginia, now West Virginia, May 20, 1856. The original stock were German. His grandfather, Jacob Bush, was probably born in Lewis County, Virginia, moved from there to Gilmer in what is now West Virginia, and owned and operated a farm on which he spent his last years. He married a Miss Fisher, who was also a lifelong resident of Virginia. Peter Bush, father of James M. Bush, was born also in Braxton HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 809 County, West Virginia, learned the trade of blacksmith in early life. and during the war between the states enlisted and served in the Confederate army. He became a member of the Tenth Regiment of Virginia Volunteer Infantry, a regiment that well earned the title of "The Bloody Tenth." On the second day of a three days' battle he was severely wounded, and laid two days before medical and surgical attention could be brought to him. For a number of weeks he was confined in a hospital before being able to rejoin his command. With that exception he was with his regiment in all its campaigns and battles until the close of the war. In the meantime he had acquired a tract of govern ment land in Gilmer County, Virginia, and while improving and cultivating it he also plied his trade as blacksmith, having a shop on his farm. After the war he resumed farming, and continued the quiet career of the agriculturist until his death at the age of seventy-five. He married Rebecca Staton, who was born in Braxton County, West Virginia, a daughter of Oliver and Polly (Lowe) Staton. She died in 1869. when James M. Bush was thirteen years of age. The latter grew up on the old West Virginia farm. As a boy the schools were conducted on the subscription plan and he made the best use of such opportunities as were afforded him for gaining an education. His practical education came from assisting in the work of the home farm, and he continued to live with his father until he was twenty-one. Later his father gave him a tract of land in the old homestead. and he was employed in farming that until 1885. Selling out his interests in West Virginia, Mr. Bush then removed to Ohio, and after living for several years at Falls Run, he bought in 1900 the farm on Pine Run in Harrison Township, which he now owns and occupies. In 1879 Mr. Bush married Columbia A. Heckert. She was born in Roane County, West Virginia, a granddaughter of Peter and Margaret (Wagner) Heckert. Her grandparents spent most of their lives in Gilmer County, West Virginia. Her father, William Heckert, was born in Gilmer County, and in young manhood sustained some injuries which incapacitated him for active service when the war came on. Most of his years were spent on his farm in Gilmer County. Mrs. Bush's mother was Margaret Fisher, who was born in Gilmer County, a daughter of Philip and Margaret Fisher. Mr. and Mrs. Bush have been married more than thirty-five years. They have reared a large family of nine children, whose names are Lenora, Ira Asa, Francis M., Manley L., Staza Gay, Nettie Belle. Lida Reuben, Clyde Guy, and Ora Prida. The son, Francis M., married Anna May Boyce, and his two children are Helen Virginia and Arthur Curtis. The son, Manley, served for four years in the United States navy, during which time he visited the principal ports of the world. JOHN STANHOPE. Now living retired at his beautiful farm home in Harrison Township, John Stanhope is one of the oldest native sons of this locality and the recollections of his lifetime include practically every important development in the event of progress since pioneer times. 814 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY Mr. Stanhope has played his own part in life ably and well. He was a soldier during the dark days of the Civil war, and has filled his niche in the world with credit and honor. He represents a family which has been identified with Ross County more than a century, and he is himself the founder of a family that lived to do him honor. He was born in Harrison Township, November 4, 1838. His grandfather, George Stanhope, spent his early life in the state of New Jersey, and in 1812 emigrated to the West, as Ohio was then known, and settled in Ross County. Like most of the pioneers he made the journey by team and wagon. On arriving in the wilderness of Ross County he bought a tract of timbered land including the southeast quarter of section 17 in Harrison Township. A century ago Ross County presented .a very different aspect from what it does now. Nearly all the land was covered with heavy timber. There were no made roads. Travel was done largely by horseback, and following a rude trail made by the blazing of trees. After coming to Ross County, George Stanhope served as a soldier in the War of 1812. He was an officer and his sword is still carefully preserved by his descendants. After the war he continued his work on the home farm until his death. He married Mary Fowler. Thomas Stanhope, father of John, was born in New Jersey in 1802 and was ten years of age when brought to Ross County. He grew up in pioneer surroundings. For many years there were no railroads or canals through this section of Ohio and in order to market the produce of his fields he put it on board flatboats and floated down the currents of the Scioto, Ohio and Mississippi to New Orleans. Arriving at the southern markets he sold both the boat and the cargo. Early in his career, Thomas Stanhope bought a tract of land in Harrison Township including the southwest quarter of section 17 and was engaged in general farming until his death at the age of fifty-nine. Thomas Stanhope married Mary Ann Dalrymple, daughter of John and Elizabeth (Miller) Dalrymple. John Dalrymple was a native of Scotland and his wife of Maryland. Mrs. Thomas Stanhope was five years of age when brought to Ross County, her parents first settling in Colerain Township and later in Harrison. Mrs. Thomas Stanhope was an accomplished pioneer housewife. She learned to scutch the flax and could spin and weave both the flax and wool. For a number of years she dressed all her family in homespun, and cooked the meals by the open fire. She survived her husband and died at the age of seventy-two. Her six children were named George, John, William, Melinda, Elizabeth and Abigail. John Stanhope became acquainted with those customs and practices which were characteristic of life in Ohio and the Middle West seventy or more years ago. The school he attended was conducted on the subscription plan. When only a boy he exerted his strength to help in the clearing of the land. That was a tremendous task and, viewed from a modern standpoint, was exceedingly wasteful of the magnificent timber which covered large portions of the county. It was the practice after the trees were felled to roll the great trunks together in a pile and then burn them. Besides the woodcraft which he thus learned, he became practiced in all kinds of farming as then conducted. When he was a HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 811 boy, grain was cut with a sickle and cradle, and was afterwards threshed out by tramping or with a flail. He was a mature man before the first threshing machine operated by horse power was introduced. From these employments of civil life he was called away by the war. In June, 1864, he enlisted in Company B of the Sixty-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He joined his command at Chattanooga, and thereafter was with the regiment in all its marches and campaigns and battles until after the close of the war. He took part in some of those historic engagements which marked the advance upon and siege of Atlanta, and received his honorable discharge in June, 1865. After the war he returned home and again applied himself to the business of farming. Mr. Stanhope and his brother George succeeded to the ownership of the old homestead in Harrison Township and they conducted it jointly until the death of George. The farm was then divided, and since then Mr. John Stanhope has kept his share and has carried on its cultivation very profitably. He has erected a fine set of buildings and has planted out many fruit trees. His home is pleasantly situated on the sunny side of a• slope, and its surroundings are exceedingly picturesque and attractive. On September 2, 1863, Mr. Stanhope married Sarah Barclay. Fully fifty-three years have passed since their wedding, and they are still continuing life's journey together. Mrs. Stanhope was born in Green Township of Ross County. Her father, James Barclay, was an early settler in that township, but some years later bought land in section 6 of Harrison Township, and improved the farm on which he died at the age of sixty-four. James Barclay married Mary Pontious. She was born in Green Township of Ross County, a daughter of John and Mary (Eye-stone) Pontious, pioneers of Green Township. John Pontious and wife came from Pennsylvania to Ross County, and made the entire journey on horseback. They carried with them only a few cooking utensils and some bedding. James Barclay died at the age of sixty-four, having reared seven children, named Elizabeth, David, Sarah, Samuel, Jeremiah, James and Albert. Mrs. Stanhope is herself a product of pioneer times and conditions. She was born in a log cabin, and as a girl she learned the art of cooking by the open fire, and spinning and weaving were among her other accomplishments. Her father raised flax and also kept sheep, and these furnished the materials out of which all clothing was made in the early days. Mr. and Mrs. Stanhope reared four children : William Riley, Franklin, Rosette and Mary Elizabeth. William R. married Emma Rothe, and their five children are Ernest, Nellie, Edna,, Harold and Eva. Franklin married Alice Miller, and his four sons are Clifford, Tiffin, Harry and Frank. Rosette is married and her five children are Bessie, Herbert, Lena, Howard and Iva. Mary E. is the wife of John Miller, and her two children are Helen Elizabeth and Howard Franklin. A grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Stanhope is Ernest Stanhope, who married Blanche Hines, and their three children are Ernestine, Berlin and Gwendolyn. 812 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY LEROY CLIMER. Many interesting associations revolve around the name of Climer in Ross County. It is a family which has been identified with this section of Ohio for fully a century. Before coming to Ohio they were successively residents of the Province of Pennsylvania and of Virginia, and it is nearly two centuries since the family stock was transplanted from Europe to the shores of a new world. Out in Harrison Township is a fine old homestead which has been occupied by the Climers through four generations, and is now owned by LeRoy Climer, who was himself born there, and his children, and it is also associated with the early lives of his grandchildren. Since the family came to America the name has been spelled variously as Clemmer, Clymer and Climer. The first American of the name was Valentine Clemmer, who was a bishop of the Mennonite Church and who came to America from either Germany or Switzerland in 1717. He settled in what is now Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Most of his descendants spell the name Clymer. A son of Bishop Clemmer was Christian Clymer, who was born in 1720 and became an extensive land owner in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Christian and Mary Clymer had a son, Isaac Clymer, who was born in 1755. Isaac was the great-grandfather of LeRoy Climer of Harrison Township. In the Pennsylvania archives, fifth series, fifth volume, page 357, are the muster roll and papers relating to the associators and militia of the County of Bucks. In the list of militia belonging to Captain Patterson's company of militia in Tinicum Township, returned May 22, 1780, is found the name Isaac Climer in the third class. This patriot of the American cause in the struggle for independence died in 1801. His wife was named Margaret. Joseph Climer, grandfather of LeRoy, was born August 10, 1779, either in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, or Loudoun County, Virginia. He was also the founder of the family in Ross County. From Virginia he came to this county in Ohio in 1815 or 1816, accompanied by his family. One winter was spent on Lick Run, and he then bought a tract of timbered land in section 31 of Harrison Township. On that land he spent the rest of his days, bearing a sturdy part in the pioneer activities of the county. In 1800 Joseph Climer married Elizabeth Ault. She died November 26, 1826. For his second wife he married Sarah Wolfe, of Clark County, Ohio. Daniel Climer, representing the second generation in Ross County, was born February 6, 1810, near Harper's Ferry, Virginia, and was about. six years of age when brought to Ross County. The schools in Ross County a century ago could not in any way be designated as public schools. They were maintained only a few months each year, and on the subscription plan. It was in such a school that Daniel Climer received all his fundamental education. There was no dearth of opportunity for practical training in such duties and accomplishments as were principally demanded of the sturdy manhood of the time. He lived on the home farm and assisted in its cultivation until his marriage, and then rented land from his father and subsequently became its owner. Most of his years were spent in the improvement of his land. Daniel Climer HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 813 possessed a great natural skill as a worker in wood and iron, and employed his energies to render a valuable service to his community in the early days. Particularly was he a skilful maker of the old-fashioned grain cradles which were used in harvesting before the time of the reaper. He made about fifty of these cradles every year, and there was sale for every one of them. To some extent he was also a cattle dealer. His enterprise also went in the direction of building some of the first improved highways of Ross County. He was a large stockholder, was the first president and for many years a director of the Walnut Creek Turnpike Company. Politically he was an ardent whig as long as that party was in existence, and afterwards a republican. On June 13, 1833, Daniel Climer married Rebecca Jones, daughter of Aaron Jones of Hallsville. She died March 3, 1845. On March 28, 1847, he married for his second wife Martha Riley, daughter of Alexander Riley, who was a neighboring farmer. By the first marriage there were five children : Caroline, who married Thomas Wheeler ; David; Margery ; Joseph, who served in the Civil war and was killed in the battle of Perryville, Kentucky ; and Sarah Ann. By the second marriage there were nine children : Edwin Parker, LeRoy, William Henry, Sidney, Daniel Watson, Quimby, Mary Jane, Nancy and Cynthia. On the farm that he now owns and occupies, LeRoy Climer was born August 8, 1849. He had better school advantages than his father had before him, and the environment in which he spent his early youth was greatly -different from what had encompassed the family home nearly half a century before. Farming was the occupation to which he was trained, and he adopted it on becoming grown. He started as a renter, but after the death of his father bought the old homestead, going in debt for a greater part of the purchase money. By constant industry and by intelligent management as a general farmer and stock raiser he soon had the farm paid for. This old place, which is one of the landmarks of Harrison Township, is well kept and shows great care in its management. On March 10, 1875, Mr. Climer married Ellen Hammann. She was born on a farm in Beaver Township of Pike County, Ohio, March 10, 1851. Her father, Philip Hammann, was born on the banks of the River Rhine in Germany, a son of Peter Hammann. Peter Hammann brought his family to America when Philip was fourteen years of age, the little party consisting of husband and wife, and five children. They came on a sailing vessel, spending fifty-one days on the ocean, and after landing in New York came on west to Ohio and became early settlers in Pike County. Grandfather Peter Hammann died soon after his arrival there, being survived by his widow for several years. They reared four sons, Peter, Henry, George and Philip, and a daughter, Elizabeth. Each of the sons bought land in Pike County, and all spent their days there except Henry, who died in Illinois. Philip Hammann after reaching manhood bought a tract of timbered land in Beaver Township, and there erected the log house in which Mrs. Climer was born. He prospered by dint of much industry, and in the course of time had his land all cleared, provided with substantial buildings, and his later years were 814 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY spent in comfort and prosperity. He died at the age of eighty-four. Philip Hammann married Martha Bumgarner, who was born in Pike County, Ohio, daughter of Reuben Bumgarner, who was a native of Virginia and. an early settler of Pike County. Reuben Bumgarner married. Ellen Carson, a native of Virginia, and a daughter of Robert Carson, who came from that state and was also numbered among the early settlers of Pike County. Mrs. Climer's mother died at the age of eighty-three. Mrs. Climer was one of twelve children : John, Catherine, Reuben, Margaret, Elizabeth, Jacob, Ellen, Philip, Laura, Mary, George and Benjamin. From the time that Philip Hammann and wife were married until the youngest child was twenty-one years of age, it is said that no doctor had ever been called to visit the family, and render professional services. It is remarkable also that eleven of the twelve children are now living, the oldest being seventy-four and having celebrated his golden wedding anniversary. Mr. and Mrs. Climer have reared four children whose names are Herschel, Carlton, Carrie and Martha Estella. Herschel, who now lives in Texas, has two children, Geneva and Mildred Joyce, by a former marriage, and he married for his second wife Frances Sprouse. Carlton, who lives in Wyoming, married Catherine Lever and has a daughter Margaret Eleanor. Carrie is the wife of Otto Haubeil and has one daughter named Ina Carrie. Martha Estella is the wife of Homer Belt, and they have a son, Robert Carlton. Mrs. Climer is an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and her husband is aligned with the republican party. MERRETT COX. Among the native sons of Liberty Township who are not only maintaining the pioneer records of their fathers but are establishing precedents for their successors, mention is due Merrett Cox, who is cultivating his 280-acre farm on Gillespieville Rural Route No. 1, in the Salt Creek Valley. Mr. Cox has passed his entire life in this vicinity, where he is known as an able agriculturist and as a citizen, who has always done his best to advance the community's interests. Merrett Cox was born in Liberty Township, Ross County, Ohio, February 4, 1855, one of the seven children born to John and Ruth (Dixon) Cox. His father was born in Pennsylvania, and, when a small boy, was taken by his parents to Virginia, soon thereafter being brought to what is now Chillicothe, Ross County, although there was, at that time, no indication that the community was to develop into a large and important city. After spending one year there, the family moved to Vinton County, Ohio, where John Cox resided until his marriage, after which he and his wife purchased 160 acres of land. They resided there but a few years, then coming to the present farm of Merrett Cox, the original purchase made by John Cox consisting of 350 acres. To this he later added by purchase an additional 600 acres, and at the time of his death was considered one of the substantial men of his locality. He cleared a large amount of his land and put it under cultivation and in various ways contributed to the upbuilding of Ross County. Mr. Cox was a man of sincere religious faith, while his wife was also a devoted church HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 815 member, and their children were reared to consider honesty, integrity and consideration as among life's greatest and most valuable virtues. Their children were as follows: Martha, Joseph, Abraham, Annie, John, Winnie and Merrett. All are now deceased except Merrett and Winnie, the latter being the widow of Benjamin Drummond, of Liberty' Township. Merrett Cox received his education in the public schools of Liberty Township and passed his boyhood like other farmers' sons in Ross County, assisting his father and brothers in the fields during the summer months and devoting his winters to his studies. He was only about eighteen or nineteen years of age when he was compelled to take complete charge of the farm, all the other members of the family having passed away, and until 1895 he managed the entire estate. In that year he bought 400 acres of land formerly owned by his father, and moved thereto, but after seven years spent in cultivating that property sold his interests and moved back to the original homestead, of which he owns 280 acres. Mr. Cox's home is well built and comfortable, his barns large and convenient, and his implements, fences and general improvements give indication of a progressive, practical and inquiring mind. General farming has received the greater part of his attention, for he is equally informed in regard to all departments of his calling. In November, 1879, Mr. Cox was married to Miss Margaret Clipner, who was born in Vinton County, Ohio, daughter of Daniel and Marie Clipner, of that county, and to this union there have been born seven children : Clifford, a graduate of the Ohio State College, and now engaged in the practice of electrical engineering at Columbus; Althea, the wife of Elzie Scott, of Kingston, Ohio ; Ethel, living at home, a graduate of the university at Athens, and a teacher in the graded school at Clarksburg; Annie, who attended the Athens institution and now a teacher in the Liberty Township schools; Ruth, a graduate of the Chillicothe High School; and Ray and Mildred, attending the graded schools. Mr. Cox is a member of the Odd Fellows lodge at Richmond Dale. Politically he is a democrat, and his public services have included a long membership on the township school board under the old system. He has supplied an element of strength and substantiality to the township since young manhood, and has been one of the most interested as well as the most active observers of its developing prosperity. OSCAR M. HOWSER. One of the foremost business men of the Clarksburg community in Ross County is Oscar M. Howser, who has lived in that locality more than half a century, has taken part in its various activities and has been also an interested student of its local history. A native of Ross County, he was born on a farm. in Concord Township. His grandfather William Howser was a native of Holland, and was probably the only member of his father's family to come to America. He came to this country when a young man, located in Loudoun County, Virginia, and there spent the rest of his life. His death occurred when he was quite young, and he left a widow and five children named John, James, Alfred, Jane and Rose. 816 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY William R. Howser, father of Squire Howser, was born in Leesburg, Loudoun County, Virginia, in 1808, and gained his education in a school at Leesburg where he was a classmate of Robert E. Lee, the famous leader of the Confederate armies. Later he learned the trade of shoe maker. When he began to make shoes it was the custom for the shoemaker to travel about the country and do much of his work in the homes of his customers, and of course every shoe was made to order. At the age of fourteen William R. Howser made his first visit to Chillicothe, Ohio. He had walked the entire distance from Virginia. At that time Ohio was entirely innocent of railroads or canals, and surplus products from the farms found little market unless transported by flat boats down the rivers to the South. In those early days he saw fat hogs sold for a price as low as $1 apiece. After one year in this part of Ohio he returned, again on foot, to Virginia. At the age of eighteen he came back to Ohio, lived for a time with his mother in Lancaster, and then moved to Concord Township in Ross County, where he bought a home and established a custom shoe shop. He lived there until 1858, and after that was a resident of Clarksburg until his death which occurred in 1894. William R. Howser married Naomi Warfield, who was born in Somerset, Fairfield County, Ohio, where her parents were early settlers. Orphaned at an early age she was reared and educated in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Ruff. Her death occurred at the age of sixty-six. The children of William R. Howser and wife were : Christina A., Margaret J., Ellen, Rose, Rebecca, Virginia, Mary, William R. and Oscar M. The son William enlisted in 1862 in Company K of the Eighty-ninth Ohio Infantry, went south with his command, fought in a number of battles, and at Chickamauga was captured by the enemy. For a time he was confined in a prison at Richmond and later was sent to the notorious prison pen at Andersonville, where he starved to death. He was at that time twenty-six years of age. Oscar M. Howser grew up in Ross County, attended the district schools and found his first regular occupation as a traveling salesman for the Hocking Valley Manufacturing Company. In 1860 he located at Clarksburg, and with the exception of the two years on the road as a salesman has been a resident there ever since. Business and public duties of various kinds have occupied his time and attention, and he is now vice president of the Clarksburg Commercial Bank. A keen student of local history, Squire Howser has done much to preserve some of the early records concerning the county. In his collection is one record of special interest. This is an old book on the title page of which appears the following : "Record of marks and brands entered by the inhabitants of Deerfield township, Ross county and State of Ohio, Apr. 5, 1805." In the early days in Ross County, as later in all parts of the West, horses, cattle and hogs ran at large, and each owner of stock had some particular brand or mark by which to identify such stock, these brands being recorded in the township clerk 's office. It will be a matter of historical interest to quote some of the entries found in the book owned by Squire Howser. The township clerk at that time was Samuel Langdale. The following are a few of the entries: HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 817 "Michael Atken marks with a crop off the left ear." "William Nolin marks with a crop off each ear, an upper bit out of each ear, and the tail cut about half off." "Catharine Nathan marks with a crop off the left ear and a hole in the same ear with two under nicks or slits in the right ear." "William Clark marks with a slit in the left ear and a swallow fork in the right ear." Across this record was written: "This mark transferred to John Timmons and recorded by him." "William Reddin marks with a slit in each ear." "Samuel Phebus marks with a crop off the left ear, a hole in the same, and a slit from the hole to the extremity of the ear." "John Dillman marked with a crop off the right ear and a half crop off the left ear and branded on the buttock I. D." "John McCallister marks with an upper slope of the left ear and an under slope of the right ear." "Thomas J. and John W. Timmons brands with the letters T. J. T. on the right horn." "Solomon Vincent brands on the left shoulder with the letters S. V." Squire Howser is an active member of the Christian Church and bas the first record of a meeting for the organization of that church. This record reads as follows: "September 8, 1845. This day the Christian church of Clarksburg was organized by Elder Joseph Thomas and Gideon Phoebus. The following agreement was signed by the members : "We whose names are hereunto set have agreed to unite ourselves together in a church capacity for the purpose of bearing our brothers' burthens and so fulfill the law of Christ and watch over each other for good. And we for this purpose have agreed to take the scriptures for our rule of faith and practice in life and conversation and for the government of the church on earth. For the law of Christ is opposed to all tyranny. If the Son has made us free then we are free indeed. As a test of fellowship we require Christian character." The names of the brethren signed were : Elder James Baker, Thomas Betts, Jacob Funk, John Hanny and Thomas Brown. The names of the sisters: Mary Baker, Magdalene Praps, Mitty Peck, Sarah A. Betts, Mahala Hanny and Margaret Ater. In April, 1889, Mr. Howser was elected a justice of the peace, and by re-election has been continued in that office ever since. His has been a long and faithful record of service. In 1883 he was appointed a notary public and that position he has also filled by regular reappointment to the present time. He is affiliated with Williamsport Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, with Chillicothe Chapter No. 4, Royal Arch Masons, and with Chillicothe Commandery No. 8, Knights Templar. Formerly he was a member of Frankfort Lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, but subsequently became a charter member of Clarksburg Lodge No. 721. At the age of twenty-nine he married Hannah Wilkins, who was born in Ross County, a daughter of Isaac Wilkins. Mr. and Mrs. Howser have five children: William, Allen T., Oscar W., Jeanette and Della. The daughter Jeanette is the wife of C. D. Tinker and their four children are named Dean, Oscar, Robert and Ruth. 818 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY EPHRAIM H. MINEAR. The career of a very useful and influential citizen can be traced in the life of Ephraim H. Minear, who has been known to the citizens of Ross County for more than half a century and has filled many places of honor and trust in Union Township, where he was born, and where with the exception of the time spent in the army during the Civil war, he has lived to the present time. His birth occurred on a farm near the village of Yellowbud in Ross County, November 25, 1840. He represents one of the very oldest families in this section of Ohio. His great-grandfather was Philip Minear, who was a native of Virginia and served with the Continental troops in the struggle for American independence during the revolution. After the close of that struggle he emigrated west to Ohio, and was one of the first to claim a farm from the wilderness in Union Township of Ross County. He located in the midst of the woods, and lived there until death overtook him. The grandfather, Stephen Minear, was born in Virginia, was brought to Ross County when very young, and though not of military age enlisted for service in the War of 1812. He started with other Ohio troops for the purpose of relieving General Hull at Detroit. Some years later he bought a partly improved farm near Yellowbud in Union Township, and was one of the useful citizens and farmers of that locality until his death at the age of sixty-six. He married a Miss Bradley, and one of her children was William Minear, who was born in Union Township of Ross County and spent his brief lifetime usefully and honorably as a farmer in that locality. His death occurred in 1844 when only twenty-six years of age and when his son, Ephraim, was four. William Minear married Margaret Hobbs, who was born in Gallia County, Ohio, a daughter of Ephraim and Mrs. (Dodridge) Hobbs. She was the mother of three children, named Ephraim H., Ella and Lucy. She married for her second husband Joseph Kirkendall. In one of the early schools of Union Township, conducted after the manner of fifty years ago, Ephraim H. Minear received his early training. He worked on a farm, and was early thrown upon his own resources by the early death of his father. Seeking an occupation he learned the trade of painter and carpenter, and that was the business by which he gave his chief service to the community for many years. On August 11, 1862, Mr. Minear enlisted as a musician in Company K of the Eighty-ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He went south with that regiment and was with it in its various campaigns and battles until he was incapacitated by illness. He received an honorable discharge in June, 1863, and soon afterwards returned home and as soon as able resumed work at his trade. In 1886, Mr. Minear moved to Anderson-ville, and in that community has lived for the past thirty years. Several years ago he retired from the active work of his trade and is now enjoying the fruits of a well spent career in a comfortable home. In 1868, a few years after the war, he married Ellen Gamble. Mrs. Minear was born in Darbyville, Pickaway County, Ohio, a daughter of Samuel and Eliza Gamble. She and Mr. Minear lived together for twelve HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 819 years, and her death occurred in 1880. She was survived by one son, Fletcher. In 1886, Mr. Minear married for his second wife Ida Madden. She was born near Yellowbud in Ross County, a daughter of William and Minerva (Bryner) Madden. Mr. and Mrs. Minear have a daughter, Ella Belle, who is a successful teacher in the public schools. Besides the trade which he followed for so many years, Mr. Minear has been able to serve his community in several offices of trust to which his fellow citizens have called him. In 1868, he was elected township assessor, and was continued in that office consecutively by repeated elections for a period of seventeen years. He also served as township clerk from 1887 to 1912, and for several years was a member of the township school board. GEORGE C. PARRETT, superintendent of the Ross County Infirmary, is a member of the Parrett family that established a home in Buckskin Township fully a century ago and through the activities and influence of its various members has contributed a great deal to the development of that section of Ross County. It was from a farm in Buckskin Township that George C. Parrett was called to his present position and for fully three generations the Parrett family have reaped the fruits of their industry as farmers in this county. The American ancestor of this sturdy stock was a native of Switzerland. From the best available information it is found that he came to America in 1730, locating in Virginia, where he spent the rest of his life. Five of his sons were soldiers in the Revolutionary war. One of them, Frederick, great-grandfather of George C. Parrett, was born in Virginia, and many years after he had helped to win independence for the colonies he started for the western frontier and in 1814 arrived with his family in Ross County. He located in Buckskin Township and was among the first to make clearings in the woods there. The farm which he improved was his home at the time of his death in 1842. Frederick Parrett married Elizabeth Keller. She died many years before him, and was the first person to be laid to rest in the South Salem burying ground. George Parrett, grandfather of George C., was a native of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and was still very young when he came with his parents to Buckskin Township. He became a prosperous farmer and resided in that township until his death. The maiden name of his wife was Millie Wilkins. Her parents were Henry and Rachel Wilkins, both of whom were of Swiss stock. Henry and Rachel Wilkins came from Virginia to Ohio in 1802, the year Ohio became a state, locating eight miles south of Hillsboro in Highland County. Elizabeth Parrett was a typical pioneer woman. In the early days she did all her cooking by the fireplace. She also spun and wove the cloth required to clothe her family, and the old iron oven with its inverted cover which she used in cooking and the grease lamp which furnished the dim light for the house after dark are now carefully preserved by Mr. George C. Parrett. The latter has taken great interest in some of these old time relics, and 820 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY has also in the course of his lifetime secured a valuable collection of Indian implements and curios. One of them is a specially rare and valuable specimen. It is a stone plowed up on the Ashland farm in Buckskin Township and shows the face of an Indian maiden chiseled probably by the hand of some Indian artist of a bygone generation. Frederick Parrett, father of George C., was born on the same farm in Buckskin Township on which George C. first saw the light of day in 1864. He grew up amidst pioneer scenes, attended pioneer schools, and eventually succeeded to the ownership of a part of the old homestead. There he lived a useful and honorable life and died a number of years ago. He married Lucinda Kuhl. She was born in Fayette County, Ohio, daughter of John and Charity (Hopkins) Kuhl. She passed away at the age of fifty-two, having reared four children named George C., Charity, Charles and Ruth. Mr. George C. Parrett grew up on the old homestead in Buckskin Township. The rural schools supplied him with his early advantages and he afterwards continued his education in Salem Academy. When not in school the farm supplied him with abundance of work to do, and he thus acquired a valuable preparation for his life career. At the time of his marriage he located on a farm belonging to his wife and her brother, Edgar M. Pinkerton. in Fayette County. He operated that for seventeen years continuously, and then returned to the Parrett homestead in Buckskin Township. There he was closely identified with general farming and stock raising until in May, 1915, he was appointed superintendent of the Ross County Infirmary in Union Township. He has proved an able executive and manager in this position, and has introduced many improvements during the year since he took charge. In 1885, Mr. Parrett married Miss Fannie Wilson Pinkerton. She was born in Fayette County, Ohio, daughter of William M. Pinkerton. Mr. and Mrs. Parrett have six children, named Agnes, Edgar, Lucy, Grace, Robert and Dorris. Agnes is the wife of Rev. Edwin Lodwick and her two children are Edwin and Robert. Edgar married Lillian Porterfield. Lucy is the wife of Frank E. Beard and has two children, named Helen and Weldon. Grace is the wife of Wilbur Smalley and they have a son, Richard. Robert married Ellen Hennegan. Fraternally, Mr. Parrett is a prominent member of the Knights of Pythias, being affiliated with the lodge at Bloomington and also with the Uniform Rank and has served on the staff of the brigadier general of Ohio with rank of major. He is also a member of Salem Camp of the Modern Woodmen of America. CHARLES METZGER. An honored veteran of the Civil war, and a man who has passed his three score and ten years almost entirely within the limits of Ross County, Charles Metzger is a prosperous resident of Union Township and by many years of close application to his work as a farmer ha. acquired a prosperity sufficient for all his needs. His birth occurred in the Village of Chillicothe, June 15, 1846. His father, Frederick Metzger, who was born in Germany, June 23, 1813, HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 821 was one of the early German residents of Ross County. He was the only one of his father's children that came to the United States, but two of his half-brothers by his mother's second marriage, named Leach, also came to this country and were soldiers in the Civil war. In his eighteenth year, Frederick Metzger emigrated to America in a sailing vessel, landing at New Orleans, and from there coming up the river to Ohio. His first settlement was at Zoar in Tuscarawas County. At that time the greater part of Ohio was still sparsely settled and the Indians regarded portions of the state as their hunting ground. From Zoar, Frederick Metzger came to Chillicothe, which was still a village in the woods. During the construction of the canal he was employed on that work, and afterwards assisted in building what is now the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and was with the railroad service for several years. He continued to make his home in the City of Chillicothe until his death on June 23, 1898. Frederick Metzger and his wife, Christiana (Kafer) Metzger, who was born September 22, 1808, and died January 4, 1873, reared six children, named George and Christopher, twins; Mary, Charles, Jacob and Henry. The early life of Charles Metzger was spent in Chillicothe, where he attended the public schools. A few weeks before his sixteenth birthday he began working on a farm. Then in June, 1862, he enlisted in Company F of the One Hundred and Sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. His term of enlistment was for three years. He went to the front with the regiment and was soon stricken with illness which kept him in a hospital four months. After rejoining the regiment he was placed on detached duty as a scout and continued in that hazardous and difficult service until the close of the war. He was honorably discharged with his regiment in May, 1865. Mr. Metzger is now one of the two surviving members of Lutz Post No. 336 Grand Army of the Republic. With the close of his army career, and when still under age, he began working in the country districts of Ross County, and having saved a small amount of capital invested it in tools and equipment and began farming on his own account as a renter. In 1886, Mr. Metzger bought the farm that he now owns and occupies in Union Township. Thirty years under his management have sufficed to give this farm a place among the best in Ross County in point of productivity and improvements. He and his family occupy a fine brick house, and have all the comforts and conveniences of rural life. In September, 1867, Mr. Metzger married Lydia Epenour. She was born in Ross County of German ancestry. Six children have been born to their union : Barbara, Annie, Edward, William, Lizzie and Ira. Barbara by her marriage to Cary Short has five children, named Otis, Forrest, Harry, Rufus and Mary. The daughter, Annie, died when eighteen years of age. Edward married Lovina Dearduff and has a daughter named Gladys. William married Grace Campbell, who died leaving him two children, Earl and Howard. Lizzie is the wife of Edward Reiter and has four children, named Dwight, George, Gwen- Vol. II-22 822 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY dolyn and Robert. Ira married Emma Briggs and has two daughters, Catherine and Dona Virginia. DAVID McCOY STITT represents one of the old and prominent families of Ross County. His grandfather, John Stitt, was born in New York State in 1800. He was brought to Ohio when a boy, the family becoming pioneers in Fayette County. John Stitt learned the trade of shoemaker. In that day and generation all shoes and boots were made by hand and for the custom demand. He followed his trade in Bloomingburg for some years, and then went to Guernsey County, where he became interested in coal lands and was a mine operator there until his death. While in Fayette County, he served as a member of the board of county commissioners. The name of his first wife was Elizabeth McCoy. Her parents were Thomas and Nancy (Wilson) McCoy. Thomas McCoy came to the Northwest Territory in 1796, locating in what is now Ross County and being one of the first white settlers. He was accompanied by two brothers. Thomas McCoy bought a tract of timbered land in Union Township, and in 1808 built what is said to have been the first brick house erected within the limits of Ross County. The nails for the construction were packed all the way from Kentucky and cost 12 1/2 cents per pound. He hired a sawmill and used it during the night time to saw the lumber used for the dwelling. As an evidence that it was well built, the house is standing today in good condition and now shelters the sixth generation of his descendants. Thomas McCoy improved upwards of 300 acres, and was one of the great old-time pioneers of this county. Mrs. John Stitt died in early life, leaving only one son, who was born on the Thomas McCoy homestead, December 9, 1824. This son, father of David McCoy Stitt, spent his early life with his maternal grandparents. He attended a school taught in a log house, and some years later succeeded to the ownership of the old Thomas McCoy homestead. He was successfully engaged in farming there until his death. On October 26, 1852, he married Margaret McCoy, who was born in Union Township, daughter of William and Margaret (Appleck) McCoy. She is still living and owns the old homestead but resides in Chillicothe. Her seven children were William A., Charles W., Carrie E., David McCoy, Bess M., John G. and Elsie P. The parents of these children were both active members of the Presbyterian Church, and the father served a number of years as an elder and for twelve years was a justice of the peace. David McCoy Stitt was born on the old Thomas McCoy homestead, attended the rural schools and also the public schools of Chillicothe, and his entire career has been devoted to farming. At the time of his marriage he located on the farm where he now resides. The land then belonged to Mrs. Stitt's father. It was a well improved farm with excellent buildings, and Mr. Stitt has always made a point of keeping the best implements and handling only the better grades of stock. His farm is located within five miles of his birthplace. HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 823 On February 25, 1891, he married Elizabeth T. Dunlap. Mrs. Stitt was born in Union Township, a daughter of Major Dunlap, who was born in Lexington, Rockbridge County, Virginia, June 1, 1814. His father, John Dunlap, was born in Virginia in 1776, and moved from that state into Kentucky and in 1796 visited that portion of the Northwest Territory now included. in Ross County. Together with Alexander Dunlap he bought a land warrant for the Fowler Survey. This warrant included a large tract of the Scioto River bottom land in what is now Union Township. After securing this land, John Dunlap returned to Virginia, where he married Dorcas Dowell. They lived in Virginia until 1825, and he then brought his family to Ross County, settling on a portion of his land near the mouth of Dry Run. There he improved a farm and lived there until his death in 1865. Major Dunlap was about eight years of age when he came to Union Township with his parents. His education was finished in the pioneer schools taught in a log house. After reaching his maturity he settled down to farming and also became an extensive dealer in cattle and hogs. Successful in both occupations, he acquired a large estate. His death occurred as a result of an injury when he was kicked by a horse in 1876. At that time he was in full health and strength with a promise of many years of usefulness before him. Major Stitt was married September 5, 1848, to Martha McCollister, who was born in Pike County,McCallister.ter of Charles MeCallister. She died March 6, 1850. For his second wife, Major Dunlap married Ellen Goodman. She was born in Green Township of Ross County, a daughter of David and Elizabeth (Cullum) Goodman and a granddaughter of John and Charlotte (Shuch) Goodman. Mrs. Stitt's mother died at the age of sixty-five, having reared children, named Blanche, Oliver Lorenzo, Elizabeth Tabitha, Margaret Ellen and David Major. In their home, Mr. and Mrs. David M. Stitt have reared five children, named Ellen Dunlap, Leonard McCoy, Florence E., David Major and Margaret A. Another child, William Kerr, died when seven months old. Mr. and Mrs. Stitt attend the Presbyterian Church, and fraternally he is affiliated with Scioto Lodge No. 6, Free and Accepted Masons, and for several years has served on the local township board. MAJ. JAMES C. ANDERSON. A prominent, popular and prosperous insurance man, Major James C. Anderson, of Chillicothe, represents the Union Central Life Insurance Company of Cincinnati in Ross and Pickaway counties, and also has charge of special work for his company throughout Southern Ohio. A son of James W. Anderson, he was born, March 22, 1854, in Cambridge, Guernsey County, Ohio, of early pioneer stock. His paternal grandfather, James Anderson, Jr., was born in Pennsylvania, where. his father, James Anderson, Sr., settled on leaving Virginia, which, it is thought, was his native state. The grandfather came to Ohio in the very early part of the nineteenth century, and having taken up a tract of timber land in Salt Creek Township, Pickaway County, improved the homestead on which he spent the remainder of 824 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY his long life of seventy-six years. All of his twelve children married and reared families. Born in 1833, on the parental homestead in Salt Creek Township, Pickaway County, James W. Anderson attended the short terms of the district school during his youthful days, during seed time and harvest helping on the home farm. He subsequently served an apprenticeship at the blacksmith's trade in Circleville, but at the breaking out of the Mexican war enlisted in Company I, Third Ohio Regiment, and was with his command in many engagements of note, continuing in the service until the close of the conflict. Returning then to Ohio, he opened a smithy at Cambridge, Guernsey County, and there followed his trade until the tocsin of war was again heard throughout the land. At the first call by President Lincoln for ninety-days' men, he enlisted in Company A, Fifteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and continued with his command until honorably discharged, at the end of three months, when he re-enlisted in the same regiment for three years. Veteranizing in 1864, he remained in active service until after the close of the war, being honorably discharged, November 21, 1865, at San Antonio, Texas. After spending a year in New Concord, Ohio, and two years in Columbus, he located, in 1868, in Salt Creek Township, where for two years he operated a blacksmith's shop. Moving to Circleville in 1870, he resided there until his death, which was the result of a mistake he made in taking the wrong medicine while suffering from rheumatism, his death occurring in 1873. His wife, Mary Lucas, a member of the well-known Lucas family of Ohio, was born in Guernsey County, near Cambridge, and died in 1892, in Chillicothe, Ohio. She reared five children, as follows: Lee 0. ; James C. ; Harvey T. ; Harriet M.; and Charles, deceased. Acquiring an excellent education in the schools of Concord and Hilliard, James C. Anderson, at the age of seventeen years, took an examination in Franklin County, and was granted a teacher's certificate. Instead of teaching, however, he took a business course in Circleville, where he was subsequently employed as a clerk and bookkeeper until 1880. Embarking then in the insurance business, he has since been agent for the Union Central Life Insurance Company of Cincinnati, for awhile having been associated with Captain E. A. Ramsey, at Washington Court House. In 1892, Major Anderson located in Chillicothe, and now, as stated above, has control of the insurance business of his company in both Ross and Pickaway counties, and is doing special insurance work in all parts of Southern Ohio. Major Anderson married, in 1880, Jennie E. Hosler, who was born in Salt Creek Township, a daughter of George and Catherine Hosier. She died in 1890, in early womanhood. Mr. Anderson subsequently married for his second wife Alice L. Henry. She was born in Ironton, Ohio, a daughter of James O. and Elizabeth (Sharp) Henry, and a descendant of the Lee and Henry families of Virginia. Her grandfather Sharp was a native of England and came to Ohio in the early '50s. She comes of distinguished patriotic ancestry, and is eligible to membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution. The Major and Mrs. Anderson