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360 - HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY. WELLS TOWNSHIP. Lewis Clohan, manager of the Spaulding Iron company at Brilliant, was born at Holly Town, Scotland, June 26, 1848. His parents, William and Agnes (Anderson) Clohan, came to this country from Scotland, when Lewis was, nine months of age, and after living for greater or less periods at various places in West Virginia, settled at Wheeling. The father was at the battle of Phillippi, and being a friend of Col. Thoburn, assisted the latter during the battle as an aide. In his early life he was a coal miner. He was a foreman during the construction of the Board Tree tunnel near Clarksburg, Va., and after the war, holding the office of justice of the peace, administered the iron clad oath to many. In the sixty-seventh year of his age he died, but his widow survived him some years, and died in the seventy-sixth year of her age. Both were members of the Presbyterian church. Ten children were born to them, six of whom are living. One of the sons, William, served three months in the army, then re-enlisted and was JEFFERSON COUNTY, OHIO - 361 killed at Winchester, at the age of twenty-eight' Lewis Clohan began to maintain himself at the age of twenty-one in the puddling. trade, at which he has ever since been engaged. He is a thorough master of his craft in all its details. He was given the management for one year, five years ago, and at the expiration of that time returned to the furnace. In August, 1888, he resumed the management which he has since held, with satisfaction to all concerned. He was one of the original incorporators of the company, and has been a stockholder and member of the board of directors since the organization. Mr. Clohan is a member of the Odd Fellows, and he and wife are affiliated with the Presbyterian church. He was married in 1869, to Henrietta, daughter of Thomas and Sarah Harris, of Wheeling, natives of England, and they have three children living: Thomas, Frank and Katie. James Dean, a highly respected farmer of Wells township, was born in Jefferson county, February 6, 1831. He is the son of Samuel and Mary (McCurdy) Dean, natives of Ireland, who came to this country with their parents in childhood, and were married in America. Samuel Dean died June 24, 1844, aged about seventy years. His wife survived him until November 14, 1870, dying in her eightieth year. Her mother, Mary McCurdy, lived to the remarkable age of one hundred and five years. Samuel and Mary Dean had four sons and four daughters: Jane, who married Hugh White, and after his decease, married John McCullough, and died August 25, 1880, aged sixty-five years; Polly, now deceased, who married Joseph Porter, and was the mother of six children; Robert, who married _Miss Hamilton, had three sons and two daughters, and after that wife's decease, married Miss Given, and now lives in Coshocton county; Margaret, who was married to John Burriss, of Harrison county, and has had four children; John, died October 2, 1863; William, a prosperous farmer of Coshocton county, father of eleven children; Eliza, late wife of Jesse Forsythe, of Harrison county, died January 17, 1890, leaving six children, one a Methodist minister; and James, the subject of this mention. The latter has been engaged in farming all his life, in which he embarked on his own account at the age of thirty-three. He has been successful and is one of the prosperous people of the township. October 24, 1861, he was married to Mary J., daughter of Robert and Theresa Graham, of Washington county, Penn. Mrs. Dean's parents removed to Jefferson county, whore the father died September 23, 1868, at the age of seventy years. Her mother is still living. Mr. and Mrs. Dean have been devout members of the Presbyterian church for nearly twenty-five years. William G. Duval, machinist of the Spaulding Iron Works, was born at Wellsburgh, W. Va., February 21, 1837, son of Gabriel and Nancy (Marshall) Duval. The father, a native of Maryland, was a son of Ben Duval, and nephew of Judge Gabriel Duval, of the supreme bench. He was a glass manufacturer, and he and his brother started the first establishment for the making of glass on this side of the Alleghenies. He died in 1849, at the age of sixty-two years. His 362 - HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY. wife, a native of Virginia, died in 1857, at the age of fifty-seven years. She was a niece of Chief Justice John Marshall, of the supreme court. Nine children were born to these parents, of whom seven grew to years of maturity: Rebecca, James M, Julia, Ann, Mary, Isaac and William G. William G. Duval began his own maintenance in 1856, as a machinist. Subsequently he became proprietor of the Virginia House, a flourishing hotel at Wellsburgh, but was burned out in June, 1878. He then embarked in mercantile business at Smithfield, at which he continued for four years. In 1883 he resumed his former occupation at the Spaulding Iron Works, where he has since been engaged. He has served as councilman of the town, and is esteemed as one of the worthy and responsible citizens. In 1859 Mr. Duval was married to Henrietta, daughter of John and Mary Neely, of Jefferson county, and these children were born to them: Wiley, married and living in Kansas; Minnie, living in Illinois; Campbell, farming in West Virginia; Claude, farming in Washington state; Marshall, farming in Jefferson county. The mother died in 1874, aged thirty-six years. In 1888 Mr. Duval was married to Mary Bowman, of West Virginia. He and wife are members of the Christian church. Alexander Gilchrist, of Wells township, lessee of the LaGrange coal mines, is a native of Jefferson county, and was born February 17, 1846. He is the son of William and Ruth Gilchrist, venerable and honored residents of the county, in which they were born. The occupation of the father was farming and coal mining. He and wife are still living, he at the age of seventy-seven and she sixty-seven years, and both are worthy members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Fourteen children were born to these parents, nine of whom are living. When sixteen years of age, in March, 1862, Alexander Gilchrist enlisted for three years in Company B, Sixty-first Ohio infantry. At the expiration of two years he re-enlisted, and served until July, 1865. About the close of the war his latter regiment, the Sixty-first, was consolidated with the Eighty-second. He served in all, three years and five months of active and dangerous service before he was twenty years of age, and though at Peach Tree Creek he saw seventy-five of his regiment fall in twenty minutes, he passed through all his battles without a scratch. Mr. Gilchrist participated in the following engagements among others less important: the second Bull Run, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Mission Ridge, Dallas, Kenesaw Mountain, Peach Tree Creek, the Atlanta campaign, in which he was six weeks under fire, the march to the sea and its battles ending at Bentonville, and was in the grand review at Washington. After the review he repaired to Louisville, where he was mustered out July 24, 1865. On account of his brilliant service he was appointed to select the place on the battlefield of Gettysburg for the monument to the Sixty-first Ohio. His brother Thomas served from October, 1861, till December, 1865, in Company E, Sixty-fourth Ohio, and his health was seriously impaired thereby. Another brother, John, served three years in Company G, of the Second Ohio. Edwin Linton, a maternal uncle, died at Andersonville from starvation, and Levi Linton was JEFFERSON COUNTY, OHIO - 363 killed at Dalton, Ga. It will be seen that this family contributed most heroically to the defense of the Union. After the war Mr. Gilchrist engaged in. coal mining until about 1875, when he leased the LaGrange coal works. In the management of this business he has been eminently successful. He keeps a steamboat coal yard and furnishes coal for Brilliant, Wellsville, Toronto, New Cumberland and other towns along the river. He is a comrade of the G. A. R., an Odd Fellow, and he and wife and three children are members of the Disciple church. He has served three years as township trustee, two years as a member of the town council, and on the school board three years. In 1868 Mr. Gilchrist was married to Ellen J. Bucy, and they have eight children: Elmer E., William T., Alice, Maggie, Clifton, Bessie, Blaine and Theodore. Smiley H. Johnston, one of the best known and highly respected old residents of the county of Jefferson, was born in Beaver county, Penn., November 4, 1799. His father was James Johnston, a revolutionary soldier, who fought by the side of his father at Brandywine, when sixteen years old. He was ensign and carried the flag of his command as long as its tattered remnants held together. Mr. Johnston, father of Smiley, came west after the war of the revolution, and settled on Big Beaver Dams, Penn. While there he participated in many campaigns against the Indians. He was with Crawford in his ill-fated expedition. He afterward served in the war of 1812, under Harrison, and lost three horses in pursuing the Indians through the Black Swamp. About 1816, Mr. Johnston, the subject of this sketch, accompanied his father on a visit to the celebrated Indian fighter Adam Poe, and heard-from Poe's own lips the story of his fight with the big Wyandot chief, Big Foot. Poe then lived in a log cabin by himself about four miles from Georgetown, Penn. Mr. Johnston is undoubtedly the only living man who ever heard the story from Poe himself. On his father's side Mr. Johnston is a direct descendant of Bridget, daughter of Oliver Cromwell, whom the great protector gave in marriage to one of his favorite officers, Gen. Ireton. James Johnston married Sarah Barnes, also a native of Pennsylvania, and they had eight children besides Smiley, viz.: Isabel; George, who lives near Wellsville; Jane, Robert, Margaret, Eliza, Polly,- Marvin. Isabel Alexander, of Mt. Pleasant, the oldest, is aged ninety-three, and the two youngest brothers are Presbyterian preachers, one of Carlisle, Penn., the other of Peoria, Ill. Smiley H., the second born, was in early manhood a cabinet-maker and joiner. He built the first house at Akron, a storehouse in the woods for Lothrop & Co. He built and hung the gates of the locks at the Portage summit of the Ohio canal, also just below Akron, and built the gates at the Ohio falls. He afterward went to Wheeling, worked there a year, then married and went to farming opposite Wellsville. That place he sold in 1832 to his brother, and bought a quarter-section of land where he now lives. He has been successful in increasing his land holdings to 1,000 acres, and has made $40,000 at his agricultural pursuits. Though always a hard-working man he has given much time to the 364 - HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY. interests of the public, was kind and affable to all, and has always been popular. In 1843-4 he represented the county in the state legislature. Some twelve years ago his eye-sight began to fail, and for the past five years he has had the misfortune to be totally blind. Mr. Johnston was married January 17, 1828, to Lavinia, daughter of Judge James Alexander, of Belmont county, by whom he had three children: Samantha, wife of Dr. R. M. Ramsey, of Smithfield; Amanda, who died at the age of thirteen years, and Laura, who married Senator W. H. Tarr, of Wellsburgh. Mrs. Johnston, a member of the Presbyterian church for over half a century, and a lovable lady, died September 28, 1886, aged seventy-eight years. William C. Jones, of the Spaulding Iron Works, of Brilliant, Ohio, was born at Cambria county, Penn., November 9, 1855. His father, John W. Jones, a native of Wales, came from that land with his two sisters about the year 1839, and settled at Ebensburg, Penn. His parents had died before his departure from Wales. At Ebensburg, he was apprenticed to a tailor and learned that trade. In 1857 he removed to Johnstown, and there in 1862 enlisted in the Union army, as a private in the One Hundred and Thirty-third Pennsylvania infantry. He fell at Fredericksburg, shot through the head, and his body lies in an unknown grave. The two sisters to this martyr of the Republic, were Ann, wife of Charles Austin, still living, and Mary, deceased, who was Wife of Richard Turner. The wife of John W. Jones, who is still living, is the daughter of John 0. Jones, a farmer of Ebensburg, who had a family of nine children. Seven daughters survive. One of these, Hannah, widow of Robert Reese, is a survivor of the Johnstown flood, having found a safe refuge on. the roof of her house. One of the sons, Lewis, was wounded in the Union service, and being taken prisoner, did not receive his liberty until the war closed. He died at the Soldiers' home at Dayton, Ohio. Charles J. was educated at the Soldiers' orphan school, and at the Shippensburgh State Normal school, and was killed by an accidental explosion of nitro-glycerine while superintendent for Neal, Baum & Co., near Bradford. Amanda became the wife of Robert Brown, manager of the forge department of the Kimberly Iron Works, at Sharon, Penn., and died at the age of twenty-four years. Mrs. Mary Jones married Daniel Brown subsequent to the death of her first husband, and by him had five children. Her husband died in 1878. Her residence is now at Sharon, Penn. William C. Jones, with his brother, Charles J., received their education at Cassville, Penn. at a soldiers' orphan school, where he attended three years. He then found employment in the rolling mill at Sharon, Penn., and remained there until 1883, when he took his present position at the Spaulding Iron Works. He was married December 29, 1887, to Nettie M., daughter of George and Mary F. Smith, and they have one child, Harry Clayton. Mr. Jones is a member of the I. 0. 0. F., of Brilliant, Ohio. In politics he is a republican, and is a member of the central committee. John Moore, of Wells township, formerly sheriff of Jefferson county, was born in this county, June 6, 1822. His father, William JEFFERSON COUNTY, OHIO - 365 Moore, was born in Ireland, and was brought to this country at the age of three weeks, by his parents, who settled in Washington county, Penn. He married. Elizabeth Wylie, a native of that county, who died in 1832, aged about thirty-eight years. The father died in 1865, aged seventy-eight years. They had eight children: Jane, wife of George Day; Martha, deceased, wife of Samuel Welch; Marie, wife of James Welday; Sarah, deceased; Elizabeth, deceased, wife of Mr. McConnell; John; Robert, deceased, who was a merchant in Iowa, and Wylie W., of Des Moines, Iowa. John was reared on a farm, and at twenty years began his own maintenance, engaging in farming, also in flat-boating and steamboating, at which he continued until 1859, when he was elected sheriff of Jefferson county. He was re-elected in 1861, and held the office four years from January 1, 1860, to January 1, 1864, serving the people with notable fidelity and efficiency. Subsequently, he engaged in farming, which has been his occupation since. His home, between New Alexander and Smithfield, is one of the most finely located and happiest homes in the county, and he is everywhere highly regarded. He is a member of the Masonic order a Knight Templar, and he and wife are members of the Episcopal church. His politics is republican. Mr. Moore was married January 24, 1843, to Mary, daughter of Jacob Welday, and eleven children have been born to them: Elizabeth D., deceased; George W., bridge carpenter on the railroad; Caroline W., deceased; William L., who married Delia Allison, and lives in Texas; Maria A., deceased; Oscar, who married Jenny Gassaway,and lives at Smithfield; Andeson J., of same place, who married Sarah E. Rickey; Harry E., deceased; Ross C., Jessie B., and Vernie B., at home. Obadiah J. McGee, an old and honored citizen of Wells township, was born in Jefferson county, December 17, 1820, son of Beverly and Elizabeth (Wayman) McGee. The father came from his native state, Virginia, before he was of age, as an apprentice at the trade of millwrighting. Settling in this county, he experienced the hardships of pioneer life, and was engaged in various early enterprises, such as helping to build Rasher's mill, at Steubenville. He was a devout Baptist, to which church also belonged his wife, a native of Maryland, a remarkable Bible reader and an exemplary Christian. He died at the of ninety-two, and his wife at the age of eighty-two. To these parents ten children were born: Jonah, who died aged twenty; Job, who died at the age of thirty; Ellen, who died aged thirty-five years; Noah, who went to California in 1849, and died in February, 1888, aged sixty-six; Daniel, who went to California in 1848, and died in 1883, aged fifty-nine; Sereota, widow of L. P. Burrows, deceased; John, of Illinois; Elizabeth, deceased, and Zachariah, deceased. Obadiah J. McGee worked in early years on the farm and in supplying boats with wood, and when of age, went upon the river, and was connected with the river traffic for twenty-one years. He bought and sold produce along the river, assisting also on the farm, a 200-acre tract which his father bought about the time of the war of 1812. Since the civil war, he has been engaged in various pursuits. In 1856, he was 366 - HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY. married to Nancy, daughter of Tarleton and Margaret Teal. Her father was a son of Nicholas Teal, a captain in the war of 1812. Ten children have been born to this union: Orpha, Olive, deceased; Cornellia, late wife of John May, by whom she had four children. She died March 15, I 888 ; Alma, late wife of James Boyles, died February 8, 1883, leaving one child; William E., Lulu, Tappan, Dollie, Homer and Georgia. Mrs. McGee is a member of the Baptist church. William J. McIntire, liveryman of Brilliant, was born in Jefferson county, August 20, 1834. He is the son of Robert McIntire, a native of Maryland, who, after farming for about forty years, kept a tavern at New Alexandria for twenty-five years. He was coroner of the county for eight years, took a prominent part in politics, as a republican, and was widely and favorably known. His wife was Elizabeth DeVoll, a native of Virginia, a devout member of the Methodist Episcopal church, who aided her husband in lending a helping hand to many worthy enterprises. The father died in 1874, at the age of seventy-one years. To these parents were born nine children: Taylor, deceased; John, deceased; Thomas, who went to California some thirty years ago; Charlotte, who married James Ryan, and died twenty years ago leaving three children; Robert, William J., Elizabeth, who married Alexander Smith, of New Alexandria, who was twice elected sheriff of the county, and is a prominent citizen, by whom she had three children, she died in January, 1872; Sophia, who married Stephen Porter, editor of the Cleveland Herald, and died some fourteen years ago; Alexander, of Morgan county, who was second lieutenant in the Fifty-second Ohio regiment, and was one of the few of the regiment who returned home. William J. McIntire was married June 8, 1857, to Evaline, daughter of Isaac and Elizabeth (Rine) Pearce, of this county, estimable and prosperous people, now deceased. Her father died in 1884, aged seventy-seven, and her mother died in 1886, aged eighty-one years. Mr. McIntire embarked in farming on his own account at the time of his marriage, and continued at that with much success, until 1884, when he gave the charge of his farm to his son Isaac, and removed to Brilliant, where he has since been occupied with the livery business, dealing in horses, etc. He and wife are both members of the Methodist Episcopal church. These children have been born to them: Robert, died, aged fourteen; Isaac, who married Mina Brandfass, and have one child; Edward; Birdie, deceased; Albert, Luna, and Elizabeth, deceased. Oliver M. Waddle, a prominent citizen of Brilliant, Jefferson county, was born near Smithfield, November 22, 1853. He spent his youth at home on the farm, and at school, until determining to take up the profession of law, he entered the law office of Thomas McCauslen, of Steubenville, as a student. But owing to adverse circumstances over which he had no control, he was called for a time from the pursuit of his chosen profession to begin active life without a penny, but with a large capital of determination to succeed by following the rough and ready route of industry and economy. This closely adhered to has brought him, though yet a young man, into the posses- JEFFERSON COUNTY, OHIO - 367 sion of a comfortable competency, besides enabling him to contribute liberally to the church, to charities and to public enterprises, to the latter of which he has devoted much time and labor. In politics he is a republican, and his religious affiliation is with the Christian church. On December 30, 1879, he was married to Martha Hyndman, a Christian lady of superior education and refinement, the youngest daughter of James and Eleanor Hyndman, of Pleasant Ridge farm, near Brilliant. To this happy union have been born three daughters: Olive, Ethel and Edith. Thomas Waddle, father of Oliver, a native of this county, is a farmer by occupation, though now retired. He had two sons, Oliver and Charles, who also resides at Brilliant, by his marriage to Elizabeth Oliver, who died August 19, 1869. She was a woman of more than ordinary intellectual ability and of strong religous convictions, and was a member of the Christian church. In 1871 the father was married to Maria Patton, of Wellsburgh, W. Va., also a member of the Christian church. Edward D. Winning, a well-known citizen of Brilliant, Ohio, was born in Belmont county, Ohio, December 25, 1824. His grandfather, Samuel Winning, was a resident of Berkely county, Va. He died about 1833, and his wife, Jennie, died in 1840. Their son James, the father of the subject, was a carpenter and farmer. He married Catherine Kennedy, who died in March, 1887, aged eighty-seven years. He died in 1857, at the age of sixty-three. These parents had the following children: Samuel, died at the age of fifty-nine; John, died at the age of fifty-nine; Edward; Israel, accidentally killed by the discharge of a gun; Elizabeth, deceased; Robert and James. Edward D. Winning learned his trade, as an apprentice, at West Wheeling, beginning at the age of eighteen, and then worked as a journeyman until he was thirty-one years old, when he opened a shop at Martin's Ferry. Five years later he bought land on Rush run, and started a saw-mill, which he managed eight months and then sold to Shively & Bros. Coming to Steubenville, in 1867, he built a keg factory, and engaged in making kegs for the Jefferson rolling mill. In March, 1884, he built the shop at Brilliant, which he has since operated in the keg manufacture. His establishment was burned down July J0, 1884, and he re-built, but in February 7, 1885, his plant was nearly washed away by the high water. He was married in 1853, to Rachel, daughter of Stephen Smith, of Wheeling, and they have these children: Mary A., wife of Francis Booher; Catherine, wife of Philip Charlott; Emma, wife of Avony Fisher; Elnora, wife of Levi Lewis; Sallie, of Cleveland; Ross, of Brilliant; Effie and Maud. Mr. Winning and wife are members of the Presbyterian church, and he is a member of the I. 0. 0. F., of Martin's Ferry. |