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322 - HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY. WAYNE TOWNSHIP. One of the substantial agriculturists of Wayne township, Columbiana county, Ohio, is John M. Donaldson, who was born in 1832, the son of James and Rebecca (Gardner) Donaldson. The former was born in Cecil county, Md., in 1777, and came to Washington, Penn., in 1785. He was a son of David and Jane (Marquis) Donaldson. David was born in Ireland and emigrated to America in 1765. On the voyage, he lost a son, who fell into the sea and was drowned. David was a soldier in the revolutionary war and also in the whiskey insurrection in Pennsylvania. His wife was born in Holland, and lived to be one hundred and three years old. James Donaldson was married in 1813, and had ten children, six of whom are now living, they are: Eleanor, Julia A., Hannah, Mary, James G. and John M. The father settled on the farm now operated by our subject, in 1805, there being 133 acres in the property. When he entered the land there was not a tree cut nor any other progress made toward converting it into tillable soil. In 1812, General McIntosh encamped on the farm and gave it the name of " Smoky Camp." The father built him a little log cabin and went earnestly to work clearing the land and erecting a suitable dwelling. He was a mighty hunter and his gun furnished the bulk of the food used by the family. When he came here in 1805 to buy the land, he walked the whole distance and only had 50 cents left after paying the government price, but nothing daunted, he made his way back to Pennsylvania and brought his family to their new home. His death occurred when he had reached the age of seventy-three years. He was a noted man in the community, and did much toward settling the country roundabout. Both himself and wife were founders of the Bethesda Presbyterian church in Wayne township, were zealous Christian people, always engaged in doing good and 'encouraging their less fortunate neighbors. It was amid such surroundings as these that John M. Donaldson was born and raised. He attended school in the old log school-house and then settled down to tilling the soil. He owns 179 acres of fine land and is a respected citizen. He is a member of the I. 0. 0. F. of New Lisbon. Mr. Donaldson has in his possession the old flint lock gun that his father used so valiantly, the piece is now over 100 years old. It was Mr. Donaldson's uncle who was so prominently connected with Fort Donaldson, and for whom the fort was named. Thomas Fleming came into this world on the 4th of August, 1846, having been born to John and Mary (Scott) Fleming, the former of whom was born in Allegheny county, Penn., in 1806, and removed to Ohio with his parents in 1815. He was a son of COLUMBIANA COUNTY - 323 John Fleming, who came to America from Ireland. John was three months in crossing the ocean, and landed in this country a very poor man. He first settled in Allegheny county, Penn., but in 1815 came to Wayne township, Columbiana county, Ohio, and settled on wild land. He suffered all the hardships and perils incident to a pioneer's life, and died in that township. Thomas was given a common school education, and in 1875 married Miss Mary K. Livingston, daughter of William Livingston. Five of the six children born to Mr. and Mrs. Fleming are now living. Their names are: Homer C., John, Frank, William and Cora. Mrs. Fleming was born and reared in Columbiana county. Thomas Fleming has come to be recognized as among the most prominent and substantial men of the township. He has been a trustee, clerk and land appraiser of the township, and in all of these responsible offices has evinced the same determination to do right no matter what the result be, as has characterized his whole life. He is a successful farmer, and now operates 160 acres of highly cultivated land. William H. Johnston first saw the light in 1824. James and Catherine (Montgomery) Johnston, his parents, were both born in Ireland, the father in county Fermanagh, and the mother in county Tyrone. James moved to Ohio in 1819, and was married there in 1822, his wife having settled in Ohio in 1818. After their marriage they located in Wayne township, and rented sufficient land for a farm. Having lived in this way for several years, the father went to Boston, and worked nine months' and saved $t00 from his hard made earnings. Returning to Ohio on foot, he entered eighty acres of wild land and erected a log house in which he installed his family and settled down to clear his farm. The family suffered many trials and hardships incident to pioneer life. William was sent to the pioneer log school-house for a time, but his education was soon cut short by an accident happening to his father, Which so crippled him that William was obliged to remain at home to support the family. In 1863 he married Mary A. Patterson, a daughter of Joshua S. and Mary (Grafton) Patterson, and this marriage resulted in the birth of six children: Alfretta J., Ella K., Amy, Wesley, Dora and another now dead. The mother of these children was born in 1835, and died February 3, 1885. She was a member of the Presbyterian church, and was a good wife and devoted mother. Mr. Johnston is a communicant of the Methodist Episcopal church. At his father's death, the old homestead was left to his sister and himself, and they remained on the property until 1867, when he bought the splendid farm where he now resides. He has 320 acres of the best land under the highest cultivation, well stocked with domestic animals and buildings. Mr. Johnston is one of the leading farmers of the township. 324 - HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY. John Louden is the descendant of an old and well-known American family, formerly having their home in Loudon county, Va. Mr. Louden's parents were John and Margaret (Reed) Louden. The father came from Loudon county, Va., in 1808, and settled in Wayne township, Columbiana county, Ohio, with his parents. His father entered 320 acres of wild land, and cleared out a farm. John Louden, the subject of this biographical mention, was born in 1838. His boyhood was divided between the farm and the old log school-house. In 1830 he took Nancy A. Chain to wife, and they have had six children, named as follows. William, Mary A., Maggie, Thomas, Anna and John. The mother is also a native of Columbiana county. Mr. Louden served as an accessor of Wayne township for four terms, and his services were most acceptable. Both himself and wife are active and influential communicants of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Louden operates a farm, consisting of some eighty acres, which is well stocked and cultivated; the farm buildings are neat and substantial, and betoken thrift and prosperity on the part of their owner. Hugh W. Maley was born in Carroll county, Ohio, June 8, 1834. His parents were James and Bridget (Hanlon) Maley, a sketch of whom will be found elsewhere in this volume. Hugh came to Columbiana county from Carroll county with his parents when he was but two years old. He was educated in the old log school-house near his father's farm, and his memory is still fresh with the appearance of that ancient building with its ponderous log frame, slab seats and greased paper serving the purpose of window lights. His first teacher was a man by the name of Thomas Tighe, and by him he was duly ushered into the mysteries of arithmetic, spelling, etc. In 1867, Mr. Maley married Miss Mary C. Burns, daughter of Dudley and Catherine (Ward) Burns. Dudley Burns was born in county Donegal, Ireland, and came to. America at the time of the construction of the Sandy & Beaver canal, on 'which he was a workman. To Mr. and Mrs. Maley, ten children have been born, of whom nine are living, they are: John J., Bridget .M., Mary F., Irena G., Joseph I., Lucretia, Hugh W., Anna and Elizabeth. The mother was born in. Ohio, in 1844. Mr. Maley was an efficient member of the school board for fifteen years, served two terms as an assessor and also two terms as a constable. He and wife are communicants of the Catholic church. John R. Maley is one of the progressive and successful farmers of Wayne township, Columbiana county, Ohio, as well as a leading citizen. He was born in Hanover township, July 25, 1838. Both of his parents were born in county Donegal, Ireland. Their names were James and Bridget (Hanlon) Maley. These parents settled in Ohio in 1823, in which year they emi- COLUMBIANA COUNTY - 325 grated from the land of their nativity. Carroll county was their first residence but the father soon removed to Columbiana county, and there purchased 160 acres of land with the money that he had received from the sale of his Carroll county property. His new farm had but few improvements, but he rapidly converted it into a fine farming property. Both himself and wife were Catholics and stood high in the community. Their son John R. was reared on the farm and given all the educational advantages at hand. Succeeding to the farm on the death of his parents he married Miss Ellen Collins, in 1870, and by her had six children. Those living are: Minnie D., Thomas, George W., John E. and James. Mrs. Maley was born in 1842, the daughter of Thomas and Susan Collins. Mr. Maley is a trustee of the township and for two years was a member of the council of Salinesville. Both himself and wife are communicants of the Catholic church and are highly esteemed by all who know them best. The Sharp family has been prominently identified with the settlement and growth of Columbiana county for many years. The first member of the family to locate there was James Sharp, who was a native of Washington county, Penn. He removed to Ohio about 1812, and settled in Wayne township, where he entered and cleared 100 acres of land. Subsequently selling this property he bought 160 acres in the same township, and remained there until his death. He was a prominent member of the Whig party, and had considerable talent as an orator. He held many township offices and wrote most of the legal instruments for the township for many years. His wife was Nancy (Boyd) Sharp, who was born in Beaver county, Penn. James Sharp, Jr., one of the representative agriculturists of Columbiana county, is a son of the above mentioned parents. Mr. Sharp was born in Wayne township in 1816. His education was acquired by much self denial and hardship. As he had to work on the farm morning and night, and the farm was two miles from the nearest school-house, often the boy would'have to run the whole distance in order to avoid being late to school, which to him was a calamity, as he was very desirous of knowledge. Although he never had more than six weeks' schooling a year during the few years of his boyhood, he has through books and papers come to be one of the best informed men of the community in which he lives. For four winter terms he taught school; but most of his time has been in farming.. In 1841 Mr. Sharp espoused Mary A. Campbell, who was the daughter of James and Mary A. Campbell. Seven children have blessed this union, four of whom are living, they are: Robert C., James P., Martha and Lile. The mother was born in Beaver county, Penn., in 1823, and died in 1886. She was a communicant of the United Presbyterian church, as is also her 326 - HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY. husband. For twenty-three years he has been an elder of his church, and for twelve years served as a trustee of the township, and for several years was a school director. He owns 1,000 acres of land, and his life has been rounded by true success. |