(RETURN TO THE TITLE PAGE)

960 - BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES: DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP. JAMES BAXTER, retired farmer; P. 0. Mason. The gentleman whose name heads this memoir is another of the well and favorably known citizens of Warren County. He was born on Pleasant Ridge, in Hamilton Co., Ohio in the year 1798; he is a son of James and Jane Baxter, who were born in County Tyrone, Ireland, in which they were reared and married. At the close of the Revolutionary war, about 1790, they, with their two children, emigrated to America and settled in Hamilton County, at a time when Cincinnati was almost unknown. He was a tanner by trade, yet he owned a farm, which he carried on in connection with his other business. They were parents of eight children, two living, viz., James and John; the deceased are Mary, William, Andrew, Samuel, Margaret and Jane. At the time he settled in Ohio, the whole country was a dense and howling wilderness, which was overrun by murderous Indians and ravenous beasts of prey. After over thirty years of toil in clearing up his home, he was overtaken by the last foe of man—death - Sept. 7, 1821. Ile was born in February, 1760; -Jane Rogers, his wife, was born Dec. 7, 1766; they were married in County Tyrone, Ireland. Aug. 8, 1785; she departed this life Sept. 21, 1840. Our subject was reared on the farm, and in the subscription schools, to which he walked three and four miles; he received a meager education; the demands of labor kept the sturdy boys of the pioneers at the ax and plow, and among them a finished education was unknown; on the farm and in the tannery and distillery he labored for his father until of age. Oct. 5, 1820, he. was married to Martha, a daughter of William and Elizabeth McIntire, of Hamilton Co., Ohio; for three years following his marriage, he resided in his native county, and in 1823 removed to Warren County and located where he now resides. To Mr. and Mrs. Baxter were born three children, one living, viz., William R.; the deceased are David, who died in 1865, and Eliza J., who departed this life in October, 1849. Mrs. Baxter died at her home in Deerfield Township. Mr. Baxter's second marriage was celebrated with Mary, daughter of Jacob and Mary Le Fever, of Warren County; to them were born three children, two living, viz., Martha (Mrs. Clark), and Margaret (Mrs. Harper); Mary, deceased. Officially, Mr. Baxter has been prominently connected with the leading offices of the township, having served as Justice of the Peace for thirty-two consecutive years, Trustee for many years, and Clerk for two years; truly, he has been a representative man, and he has earned an enviable reputation by fearlessly discharging the required duties of each and every trust. Politically, he is a Democrat, and during his long life has voted with that party—since casting his first vote. Whenever the name of James Baxter was put on a ticket for office, it was seldom he had an opponent, as Republicans and Democrats combined at the polls to elect him. He has been successful during life, and all his business transactions have been discharged to the strictest letter of the moral and divine law; temperate in every habit, never indulging in liquor, profane language nor the use of tobacco in any form, the record of our subject is indeed an exceptional one, and is worthy a place on the pages of any history, and should be perpetuated and held up as a model for the young man of to-day to take pattern from. For sixty years, he has been connected with the Presbyterian Church, and for forty years an Elder in the same; a consistent and unassuming Christian gentleman, a man whose ways, whose thoughts and whose deeds are ever formed from the principles of truth and love for his fellow-man. 961 DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP - 961 WILLIAM R. BAXTER, son of James, was born Feb. 9, 1826. He was reared to farm pursuits and received only a meager education in the district schools. March 6, 1850, he was married to Miss Martha, a daughter of James and Catherine Harper, of Hamilton Co., Ohio, who has borne him one child, viz., Martha S. In 1855, he removed to the Sixteen-Mile Stand in Hamilton Co., Ohio, where he kept a general store and was Postmaster for ten years. In 1865, he returned to the old home farm, on which he has resided until the present. During the summer and fall of 1881, he erected an elegant residence in the village of Mason, which will be his retired home for the future. He and his estimable wife are members of the Presbyterian Church, with which he has been connected since 1855 or 1856; his wife, since childhood; since when he has been an Elder, and both he and his wife are, much interested in matters pertaining to religion. Like his father, he is absolutely temperate in all things. JOHN BAXTER, retired farmer; P. 0. Sixteen-Mile Stand, Hamilton Co. The gentleman whose name heads this sketch was born in Hamilton Co., Ohio, in the year 1800 ; he is a son of James Baxter; he was reared on the farm, and when age had developed his frame and toughened his muscles, in him was constituted the material so much needed to accomplish the slavish labor of clearing up and developing the resources of a new country. In 1826, he was married to Ruth, daughter of John riullow, of Hamilton Co., by whom he had four children, two living, viz., Andrew J.. and Martha; the deceased are Susan J. and John. In 1830, he came to Warren County, in which he purchased the northeast quarter of Sec. 32, in Deerfield Township. Politically, he is a Democrat, and with the exception of one term, in which he served as Trustee, he has been identified with no office. He is a member of the Cuberland Presbyterian Church, to which he has belonged fcr forty years, and is an exemplary, consistent Christian gentleman. Like his elder brother, James, he, too, is temperate, abhorring the use of liquors and profane language, and, though in former days he indulged in the use of tobacco, he abandoned its use, thus showing his strong moral control over the force of habit. He has been successful in life, and at present owns 140 acres of choice land, which are largely in cultivation and well improved. Mrs. Baxter departed this life Dec. 13,1843, aged 36 years and 1 day; she was a member of the Presbyterian Church and an exemplary Christian woman. Mr. Baxter has remained true to his early vows, and the many long years that have separated him from the idol of his youth are gradually approaching a terminus; though his frame is bending under the weight of more than eighty years, he is mentally and physically well preserved, and bids fair to enjoy life to a ripe old age. ANDREW J. BAXTER, son of John Baxter, was born in 1833, He was married to Eliza Conrey in 1854, who has borne him one child, viz., Susan, wife of Finley Thompson. Mr. Baxter and his wife are consistent members of the Presbyterian Church, to which they have belonged for twenty-seven years, and each vies with the other in the discharge of Christian duties. She was born in Hamilton County in 1832; her father, Jonathan Conrey, was born in Kentucky Jan. 5, 1'791; Eliza, his wife, and daughter of Thomas Whalen, of New Jersey, was born Nov. 19, 1799; she was married to Mr. Conrey in 1817; he died Dec. 20, 1855; she departed this life in August. 1878. R. H. BENNETT, retired farmer; P. 0. Mason. The ancestry of the above gentleman on the paternal side we have been enabled to trace beyond the sea to the sunny and vine-clad hills of France. In the person of William Bennett, grandsire to the subject of this memoir, centers the remotest historical data to which access at this time can be had. Of him it is known that, when in early manhood, he emigrated from his native land to the then inhospitable shores of 962 - BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES: the New World, and located in' New Jersey, previous to the breaking-out of the Revolutionary troubles. Himself being imbued with the spirit that characterized the French under the leadership and influence of the immortal La Fayette, took up arms against the minions of George the Third, and in defense ei the homes and liberties of the oppressed colonists. During the battle of Bunker Hill, he bore aloft the colors of his regiment, and during the contest, received wounds from which he never recovered. After the close of the war, he married Adria Ann Britton, in his adopted State, who was born in Holland and came to America during her infancy. Eventually, they moved westward, and located in Ligonier Valley, Westmoreland Co., Penn , where were born to them six sons and one daughter, and whose names are as follows: John, William Nicholas, Abram, Mary, David and Isaac. In 1815, he followed the star of empire westward, and on the northwest quarter of Sec. 33, in Turtle Creek Township, Warren Co., Ohio, he made another and his last home. With him came, five of his children--John and Abram remaining in the Ligonier Valley, which they loved too well to leave. The children who came with their parents chose their own localities, and we note their respective places of settlement: William, in Jackson Township, Montgomery Co., Ohio, of whom more extended notice is given in the sketch of D. E. Bennett, in this work. Nicholas settled first in Hamilton Co., Ohio, but afterward removed to Warren County and took up his abode on the southeast quarter of Sec. 33, in Turtle Creek Township. David located upon land in the southeast quarter of Sec. 2, in Deerfield Township, in Warren County; Isaac, on land owned by William Bennett, in Turtle Creek Township. Mary, the only daughter of William Bennett, became the wife of James Enos, who, after their marriage, removed to the vicinity of Aurora, Ind. At this time (1881), not one of the above children of William Bennett survives, and it remains for history to correctly perpetuate the memory of those who were prominently identified in the settlement of this county. John and Abraham, the sons who remained in Pennsylvania, served in the war of 1812--the latter a Color-Bearer, thereby filling the position his father sustained so creditably to himself in that unequal and sanguinary contest at Bunker Hill. To Nicholas and Rachel (Anderson) Bennett were born twelve children, of whom eight survive, viz., William, Abraham, Enos, Mary (Mrs. Conyera), Catherine (Mrs. Bennett), Nancy (Mrs. Phillips), Hannah J. (Mrs. Foster), and Andrew J.; the deceased are Adria Ann Morgan, n6e Bennett; Hiram, and two who died in infancy. Abraham, fourth son of William Bennett, was born Nov. 19, 1789. ,Hs was married to Sarah Huston, a na- tive of Ireland, in 1811. As above stated, he clung to his old valley home, in which the years of his life—three score and fifteen—were nearly numbered, his decease occurring in September, 1864. Thirteen children were the result of Abraham's union with Sarah Huston, of whom nine are living, and at present (1881) are located as follows: Mary E. (Mrs. Hutchinson), New Wilmington, Penn; Richard H., the subject of this memoir; David B., Oregon; Margaret (Mrs. Ferguson), Pike Co., Ill.; John B., California (since 1850); Isaac, Hamilton, Butler Co., Ohio; Agnes B. (Mrs. La Fever), Montgomery Co., Ohio; Elizabeth (Mrs. Salters), Missouri; Rachel J. (Mrs. Menoher), who resides on the old Bennett homestead in the Ligonier Valley. The deceased are William, who was a prominent physician; two, bearing the names of Samule and Sarah, who died in childhood. R. H. Bennett, the subject of this memoir, was born in Westmoreland Co., Penn., Aug. 28, 1819. He was married to Catherine Bennett, of Warren County, April 5, 1845, who has borne him one son and two daughters, viz., John C., whose sketch appears in this work; May E., born May 6, 1849, married G. L. Domm Sept. 17, 1867, by whom she had one child, G. C., born Sept. 12, 1868; Emma B., DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP - 963 born June 23, 1851, died in infancy. Our subject was reared a poor boy, and at the time he came to Ohio, in the fall of 1840, he landed in Cincinnati with 26 cents in money, 25 of which he paid for his supper. Possessing both energy and health, he went to work with a will, and he has won. His educational qualifications, which he secured through his own efforts, enabled him to teach, which he successfully did for five years. In 1850, the savings of ten years lead him to open a store of general merchandise in Mason, which he carried on with profit to himself till he closed out, in 1868, when his son, John C., became his successor. Mr. Bennett is one of the most energetic and enterprising citizens, and a highly esteemed gentleman in the community. Though in disposition, he is benevolent and liberal, and all enterprises of unassuming meritorious character he generously supports. For forty-two years, he has been identified with his community's interest, and, during that period of time, has done much in the way of assisting public improvement. In 1863, he was elected Justice of the Peace, and was commissioned Notary Public at the same time, and the responsibilities of each he has discharged with credit to himself and entire satisfaction to all whose interests were in his hands. DAVID E. BENNETT, farmer; P. O. Socialville; was born in Turtle Creek Township, Warren Co., Ohio, in the year 1822. He is a son of David and Elizabeth (Enyert) Bennett, who were born in Westmoreland Co., Penn. He (David, Sr.), in about 1815, when 21 years old, came to Ohio and located at Beadle Station in about 1815; he was a son of William Bennett, whose sketch appears in this work. After David, Jr.'s, marriage, he removed to near Johnsville, in Montgomery Co., Ohio, where he resided for awhile, then back to Warren County, locating in the Sea's neighborhood, where he lived four years, then removed to a place near where our subject now resides; soon after, he bought land on the east side of Sec. 4, on which he lived till his death, which occurred April 13, 1864, aged 72 years; his wife is now (1881) living, aged 85 years; they were parents of ten children, five living, viz., Isaac, David E., Andrew J., Permelia and Elizabeth; the deceased are Mary, William, Nancy, Adra and Sarah. He (David, Sr.) was a member of the Methodist Church, with which he was prominently connected. Politically, he enjoyed the confidence of his townsmen, and served them in the capacity of some of the offices of the township; he was a soldier in the was of 1812, and his now aged wife is a pensioner on the pension rolls of the United States Government. Our subject was married to Mary J. Eddingfield in 1854, who has borne him four children, three living, viz., William E., Leroy R. and John E. ; Eddie, deceased, aged 6 months. Mr. Bennett now owns 121 acres of fine land, which is all well improved. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Church, to which they have been connected many years, and are much interested in helping to advance Christianity. J. C. BENNETT, Merchant, Mason. The gentleman whose name heads this sketch is one of the prosperous business men of Warren County, and in the little village of Mason, he stands prominently to the front in the mercantile circles of the place; to say that his position to the " bulls " and " bears " of Mason can be likened unto the position that Jay Gould sustains to the "bears" and "bulls" of Wall street, is not putting it too strong, for "Cal." (the name he is known by among his friends) gives quotations and his cotemporaries are bound to " drop." He was born near Mason Sept. 7. 1846, and, for a sketch of his ancestors, we refer the reader to the memoir of his honorable sire—R. H Bennett. Cal.'s boyhood days were passed in his native village. and in the public schools of the place he received his education. The happy event of his marriage with Miss Fannie, an accomplished daughter of James H. and Sarah Webb, was celebrated in 1867. As marriage is the great 964 - BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES: pivotal place in, man's career, he sought the practical part of life and immediately entered the mercantile world, and has since catered to the wants of his numerous customers. He carries the largest and best stock in town, and consumers always know the advantage of buying goods where they can get the most for their money. His mammoth stock consists in everything nice for the ladies, from an article of pure lily white to genuine laces, fringes in every artistic design, besides ribbons of the gayest colors—enough, indeed, to make the methodical old maid wish she was young again. To enumerate all would simply be impossible; to suffice, he carries everything usually found in any first-class retail house. To those who love the mysteries of the excavated and antiquated past, his cabinet affords many rare and interesting relics of Pre-historic and aboriginal times. Archaeology, or the science of antiquities, demonstrates to the archaeologist that many of the specimens found here in Ohio substantiate the theory that a race once occupied this land who were far advanced in the arts and sciences; but who they were, or where they went to, is a matter of conjecture and idle speculation. Mr. B. is prominently identified with three well-known orders of the county, being a member of the Masonic Lodge of Lebanon, and an Eminent Sir Knight of Miami Commandery, No. 22; he is also a member of the I. O. 0. F., Mason Lodge, 209, and the Knights of Pythias, " Favorite Lodge," No. 118, of Mason, Ohio. The living children of Mr. and Mrs. Bennett are three in number, viz., James W., Albert H. and Viola G. Through transition, two live in spirit life, viz., Taney and Ova. SAM C. BENNETT, hardware and agricultural implements, Mason; he was born in Westmoreland Co., Penn., May 10, 1854; he is a son of Isaac and Sarah J. College Bennett; Isaac is a son of Abraham Bennett, of whom mention is made in this work; he (Isaac) was reared in his native State (Pennsylvania), in which he was married and resided until 1860, when, with his family, he came to Ohio, the journey being made from Pittsburgh by the Ohio River. He located in Mason, in which he lived two years, and, in partnership with R. H. Bennett, together carried on a mercantile business until 1863, at which time he sold out his interest and removed to Monroe, in Butler Co., Ohio, where he embarked in the grocery business, in which he was engaged ten years. In 1873 or 1874, he removed to Hamilton Co., Ohio, in which he has since lived a retired life. Sarah College Bennett, daughter of William and Mary College, was born in Cambria Co., Penn., in which she was raised. Her marriage with Isaac Bennett was celebrated in Westmoreland Co., Penn. ; to them have been born eleven children, all living, viz., Alsena (Mrs. Ruch); Joseph, Sam C. ; Emma (Mrs. Bennett); John, Hetty, Mabel, Robert C., Agnes, Lorena, Frank and Clarence. With the exception of Emma and Hetty, who reside in La Fayette, Ind., the other children reside in Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Bennett are members of the U. B. Church, to which they have been connected since childhood. The boyhood of Sam C., up to his 6th year, was spent in his native county. The rudiments of his education were principally received in the village schools of Mason and Monroe, which was afterward developed in the Nelson Commercial College, of Cincinnati, where he took a full business course, closing his school labors in 1870. When yet in school, his experience in the mercantile world began, and, for several years, was employed as a salesman in some of the leading houses in prominent towns, among which we mention Cincinnati. Sept. 12, 1877, he was married to Miss Nellie, the accomplished daughter of Charles H. and Nancy ( Bennett) Phillips, of Douiphan, Kan. After the consummation of this event, he, with his bride, returned to Mason and the year following, was engaged as a salesman. In 1879, he purchased of L. Babbitt & Co. their stock of drugs, which he disposed of six months later. In the implement business he next engaged, in which he successfully operated, 965. DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP - 965 and May 10, 1881. purchased the hardware house of Cox & Randall, which he combined with 88 his implement trade, and now he controls the custom of the surrounding country in both lines. He carries everything usually found in a first-class retail house, and the entire business is carried on under his supervision. Among the business men of Mason, Sam C. Bennett stands prominently to the front. Having been schooled in mercantile pursuits from his boyhood he received that drill which is always so indispensable to success. Through persistency and good business management, the boy salesman has worked his way to the front, and is now the owner of a well-stocked store and doing a large and paying business. Charles H. Phillips, father of Mrs. Bennett, was born in rwich, Conn., in which h was raised, and in the schools and colleges of hi Nos native State he received hise education. He is a thoroughly educated gentleman, a fine linguist, and, in former days, a prominent and successful educator. He came to Ohio when a young man and unmarried, and for some years taught village school of Mason. In 1857 or 1858, he removed to Doniphan, Kan., in the which place he extensively engaged in the mercantile business, besides a regular stock shipping business. He was thus engaged for twenty years, when he withdrew from active business pursuits, and has since enjoyed. the retirement of the farm. Nancy, mother of Mrs. B., was born in Warren County, and is a daughter of Nicholas Bennett. To them have been born four children—Nancy, Dolly, Charley and Nellie. Mrs. Sam C. Bennett was born in Kansas Aug. 22, 1859. JOHN BERCAW, farmer; P. 0. Mason; was born in the place where he now lives in the year 1818; he is a son of Cornelius and Magdalena (Denmore) Bercaw who were born in Adams Co., Penn., where they were married in 1817, they came to Ohio, settling where our subject now resides. He purchased 180 acres of land, of which 130 is yet in the family name. He died Jan. 31, 1858, at the age of 74 years; she departed this life Nov. 19, 1831. They were parents of seven children, of whom our subject alone survives. The deceased are Sarah, David, Abraham, Margaret, George and Elizabeth. By Mr. B.' second marriage with Mary Snodgrass, he had five children, one of whom. is liv sing, viz., Thomas. The deceased are Magdalene, Samuel, William and Rebecca. The early life of our subject was passed on the farm, and received an education which was largely obtained through his own efforts, to enable him to become an assistant teacher. In 1842, he was married to Narcissa Coulsen, who bore him four children, two living, viz., Oscar M. and Mary J. The deceased are William H. and Marilda. The latter died on her 18th bd in tirthy. William H. was a member of Company H, 89th 0. V. I., having enlisted at he beginning of he war, an d served till his death, which occurred in Nashville, Tenn., Dec. 7, t 1862. Mrs. Bercaw departed this life in 1872, dying suddenly of heart disease. THOMAS M. BERCAW, farmer; P This gentleman was . 0. Mason. This gentleman was born where his half-brother now lives, Dec, 6, 1824; he is a son of Cornelius and Mary (Snodgrass) Bercaw, the second wife of Cornelius. Of this marriage, five children were the result, of whom only Thomas is B. now living. The deceased are Magdalene, Samuel and two infants. Mrs. Bercaw, mother of our subject, died in 1872, aged 86 years. Thomas was reared on the farm, and obtained only a limited education in the district schools. In 1855, he was married to Rachel A. Hercules, after which he located on land then owned by his brother, for a year or so; then removed to Mason, in which he lived three years, and was engaged in farming and teaming. Then he removed to Butler County, where he resided about two years; thence to Mason, for a period of five years and finally, in 1869, removed to the place where he now resides. He owns 114 acres of excellent land, which is situated in Section 23. To Mr. and Mrs 966 - BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES: Bercaw have been born eleven children, eight of whom are living, viz., Samuel A., Lorenzo P., Zuinglas V., Marcellus M., Reno R., Cecelia M., Thurman F. and Chalmers O. Two of his children came to their death through accident viz., U. S. Grant, while at play in the schoolhouse was pushed by a schoolmate against the corner of a seat, from which he received an injury that resulted in his death one week from the day of the accident, died May 3, 1877, aged 12 years; Clarence De. Orville accidentally fell from a wagon loaded with corn, and the wheels passing over his body at the intestinal parts, caused from which he died two hours afterward, Oct. 28, 1877, aged 4 years and 6 months. Sylvanus Everett died, May 5, 1878, from the effects of a tumor which, after removal, weighed eleven pounds; he was aged 3 years, 3 months' and 3 days. HAMILTON L. BERCAW, farmer; P. O. Mason; was born on the place where he now lives Dec. 9, 1848; he is a son of Abraham and Mary A. (Robin. son) Bercaw. She (Mary A.) was a daughter of Capt. John L. Robinson, an early settler of Warren County. Abraham Bercaw was a son of Cornelius Bercaw, whose sketch appears in this work. Abraham was born in Adams Co., Penn., and, at the age of 5 years, he, with his parents, came to Ohio, as will be found elsewhere recorded. He was a prominent member of the M. E. Church; also a member of a muster company during the old muster days. Seven children were born to them, of whom three are living, viz., Hamilton L., Melissa F. (Mrs. Williamson), and Mary. The deceased are Charlotte A., Sylvanus V., Cornelius D. and Ida A. Mr. B. died Jan. 17, 1874, aged 62 years: Mrs. B. departed this life Aug. 29, 1880, aged about 50 years. Mr. B. was successful during life, and, at the time of his death, owned 111 1/4 acres of land, besides other property of considerable proportions, which was all the result of his enterprise and industry. Where our subject was born he has thus far in life resided, and at present (1881) is carrying on the old home farm, thus perpetuating a work that was begun by his parents. He is a member of the Mason Grange, No. 49; also to the Mason Horse Rangers, whose members constitute the best men in the township. THOMAS J. BLACKBURN, farmer and harness-maker; P. O. Foster's Crossing. The above gentleman is one of the well-known citizens of Warren County; he was born in Monroe, Butler Co., Ohio, in 1828; his parents were Benjamin and Elizabeth (Biggs) Blackburn ; he was born in Cincinnati in 1790; she in Monongahela Co., Penn., in 1792. James, father of Benjamin, was born near Blackburn's Ford, in Virginia, and was a Captain in the colonial forces during the Revolutionary war. He came to Ohio in either 1788 or 1789; came down the Ohio River in a canoe, and was one of the first settlers in Cincinnati, where he purchased a tract of land, living thereon for a few years, after which he came to Warren County and settled in Turtle Creek Township about 1791, in which he lived till his death, which occurred in 1825; he was a farmer and gunsmith by occupation, and, in an early day, a renowned hunter. Benjamin was married, in Lebanon, in 1813, to Elizabeth Biggs. After the sale of his father's property, in 1826, he went to Butler Co., and, in 1829, returned to Warren, in which he lived till his decease; which occurred in 1852; his wife departed this life in 1871. They were parents of eleven children, seven living, viz., William, James, Thomas, Sarah, Dorothy, Lucinda and Elizabeth. The deceased are Permelia, Mary J., Hannah and Phineas. He served as Justice of the Peace for twenty-one years, this official life ending in 1851; he was a Commissioner for about the same length of time Mayor of Lebanon for a number of years, and also served as Trustee in his township for a long period of time. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, under Gen. Hull. Our subject was reared in Lebanon, receiving his education in the village schools DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP - 967 and the academy. In Lebanon, he learned the harness-maker's trade, living there till 28 years of age, when he moved to Mason, where he followed his trade; was appointed Postmaster of Mason, by Lincoln in his first term, and served consecutively till 1878, going out during Hayes' administration. Hi first marriage was celebrated in Mason with Miss Thisbe Gillespie, in 1858. She was a daughter of Simon Gillespie, one of the early settlers in Warren County, who came from Botetourt Co., Va., in the year 1799, and located in Hamilton Township. Our subject resided in Mason till 1878, when he removed to his farm near Foster's Crossing. He was Justice of the Peace of Deerfield Township from 1867 to 1869, and again from 1878 to 1881, and while in Mason, for a time, was Mayor of the village. Mrs. B. died in 1867, aged about 42 years His second marriage was celebrated with Dorcas L. Woodruff, daughter of Ezekiel and Ann Woodruff, distant relative of the well-known Morrow family. To them have been born three children, viz., Anna E., John M. and Mary P. He is a member of the Masonic order, Emory Lodge, No. 248, of Loveland, Ohio. He own 65 acres of land in the home place and a 13-acre tract in the corporation limits of Mason. Politically, he is a Republican in the broadest significance of the term, and before the organization of that party was an Old Line Whig. In politics, he is true to his party and a representative man in the broadest acceptahon of the term. JAMES BOWYER, Mason, Ohio. Our subject was born in Warren Co., Ohio, Dee. 9, 1810. His educational privileges were few, yet they planted in him an energetic disposition. For some five years of .his early life he spent in boating on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. On June 9, 1836, he married Mary Ann Seward, of Mason. This marriage was indeed a happy one, being blessed by a family of nine children-three sons and six daughters-Cythera, born May 13, 1837, and married James Kendall Aug. 30, 1855; Florella, born Oct. 27, 1838, married T. J. Armstrong in 1859, who died in 1862; she married M. O. Adams in 1865; Selecta, born Nov. 28, 1840, married W. Hall in 1863, who died in 1872; she married Albert Buckingham in 1872; Eli, born March 4, 1843; Adrew, born Aug. 16, 1846, married Flora Lang in 1872; Wellington, born March 12, 1848; Leora, born Feb. 3, 1851; Francisco, born Nov. 29, 1853, married George Holdon in 1876; Ida, born Jan. 20, 1857, married, 1878, Arthur Lacy. Eli, the oldest son, served in the late war, in the 4th O. V. C., and was drowned in the Ohio River Oct. 19, 1865; his body was found by some fishermen below Cincinnati, and was identified by his discharge papers, found upon his person; this bereavement was especially sad to the family from the fact that no clue to the accident has ever been found; the postmortem examination of the body gave rise, however, to the suspicion of foul play. Mrs. Bowyer died Nov. 15, 1864; she was a woman loved by all for her kind disposition, and while with the family she was kindly beloved by all of them; she was connected for many years with the Universalist denomination. Mr. Bowyer married for his second wife Miss H. A. Cline, of Mason, on Dec. 28, 1865. For some fifteen years, he was connected with the Ohio Light Infantry, in which he held various positions, from Sergeant up to Colonel. The greater part of his life has been spent upon the farm; his uprightness, generosity and kindness won for him the esteem of all. Prosperity has been the fruit of his striving aim. Besides helping his children, he has as a reserve, for the comfort of his old days, a farm of some 360 acres of fine land west of Mason; on this he has an extensive tile factory, which has been of much benefit to the country round. His father was John Bowyer, born in Pennsylvania, near the Red Stone Country, June 6, 1786; his wife was Jane Sheplar, born May 18, 1794. Mrs. Bowyer died Feb. 18, 1860; Mr. Bowyer, in March, 1864. Their family record is as follows: James, born in 1810; Hannah, in 1814; Levi, in 1816, 968 - BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES: who died in infancy; Eli, in 1818; Sarah, in 1820; John, in 1824; Jane, in 1826; Stephen, in 1835; Elizabeth, in 1831, and died in 1869; Mary, in 1837. The record of the family is an extensive one, and many are the descendants of that name now in the county; all are of that good, sturdy type, which has gained for them the esteem of all. In 1881, our subject left his farm and is at present leading a retired life in Mason; he is a man of good judgment, and weighs all things carefully before venturing, and is well worthy of being an example for the younger men of the community. JOHN S. BOWYER, farmer; P. 0. Foster's Crossing. This gentleman is another of the old and well-known citizens of Warren County. He was born in Deerfield Township, on the farm adjoining the one on which he now lives. in 1824; his parents, John Bowyer and Jane Sheplar, were among the early pioneers of Warren County. John S. was reared on the farm, and in the district schools received a meager education. In 1845, he was married to Han, nah, a daughter of James and Dorcas Clark, of Warren County; after the celebration of his nuptials, lived one year in Deerfield Township, after which he removed to Darke County, in Harrison Township, where he resided four years, then went to Union Township, Warren Co., living there a like length of time. In 1854, he located where he now resides. To Mr. and Mrs. Bowyer have been born two children, viz., Elizabeth and Louisa. He owns 80 acres of land, which is largely in cultivation and comfortably improved; he and his estimable wife are old and consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church; in the same, he has held the positions of Trustee, Steward and Class- Leader, and, withal, is one of the representative members, and a gentleman of enlarged and zealous religious views. He is comfortably situated in life. during which he has been tolerably successful, and, although not owning as much of this world's goods as some others, he has a handsome competency, which affords him all the comforts and some of the luxuries of life. His wife was born at the place where she lives, in the year 1822. Their daughter, Elizabeth, was married to Elbert Hoff, by whom she has had eight children, viz., Ollie, Charley, Nettie, William: Arthur, Lizzie (deceased), Frank and Forrest. JOHN W. BOWYER, farmer; P. 0. Mason; was born in the house in which he lives Aug. 5, 1835; he is a son of Stephen and Mary (Clark) Bowyer. He (Stephen) was born in Virginia, and when a young man, came with his father, Stephen, to Deerfield Township. *Stephen B., Jr., was married to Mary Clark, in this township; they were parents of eight children, four living, viz.. Thomas, John W., Ellen and Stephen K.; the deceased are Rachel, Elisha, Sarah and George. Mr. Bowyer. Sr., was born Feb. 25, 1792; died Nov. 14, 1863. Mrs. Bowyer was born May 19, 1808, and departed this life Dec. 30, 1857. They were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and belonged to that type of Christianity which so characterized our forefathers. Our subject was reared on the place where he was born, and k during the portion of his life passed, he has known no other home. In 1860, he was married to Mary E., daughter of William and Charlotte White, who has borne him five children, four living, viz., Clark, Laura, Clifford and Lizzie; John E., deceased, died Aug. 1, 1869, aged 1 year 10 months and 20 days. Mr. Bowyer's farm at present consists of 1122 acres, which is mostly in cultivation and well improved, which significantly shows the thrift and enterprise of the owner. He belongs to the order of Masonry, and is a member of the Mason Horse Ranger Company. JOHN N. BREWER, farmer; P. 0. Mason; was born in West Chester, Butler Co., Ohio, in 1825, and is a son of Abram and Ann (Elder) Brewer. He was born in Johnson Co., Ky., in 1800; she was born in Indiana Co., Penn., in 1799. He, with his father, Daniel Brewer. came to Butler Co., Ohio, in an DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP - 969 early day' where the elder Brewer ended his days. Abram was a tailor by ea r cie and plied his vocation in West Chester, Ohio, until coming to Warren, when he settled onill his death, which land where our subject lives; here he turned his attention fully to farming till his death, which occurred in 1857; she departed this life in 1873. They had seven children, four of whom grew to maturity, and three are yet living, viz.. John N., David W. and Abram N.; deceased are Sarah A.., Matilda, —, Maria and Daniel K. Both Mr. and Mrs. Brewer, Sr., were members of the Presbyterian Church, in which he was a Ruling Elder, and alike they were consistent Christian people. The boyhood of our subject was spent in his native village, and he was but 6 years old when his parents came to where he now lives; he received only a common education in the subscription schools, to which he walked several miles. After attaining his majority, he continued on the old home farm, where over half a century of his life has been passed. He was married, in 1867, to L. M. Hutchinson, by whom he has had three children, viz., Ann C.. Vienna P. and Elder R. He owns 220 acres of excellent land, which lies in the townships of Turtle Creek and Deerfield. He is a self-mad man, as his success is largely due to his own efforts, which have resulted in a good home and is free from debt. His estimable wife is a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and an exemplary Christian lady. Mr. Brewer belongs to the Mason Horse Rangers, which he joined in 1881. W. M. BURCH, proprietor of Burch House, Mason, Ohio, was born in Deerfield Township in the year 1825. lie is a son of Ebeneezer and Clarisa (Little) Burch, who were born in Pennsylvania, where they were reared: they came to Ohio with their respective families, he in the year 1808 or 1809; after his arrival, he was married to Clarisa Little. During the greater portion of his life, he was a citizen of Warren County, only moving to Butler County just previous to his death. They were parents of twelve children, five of whom are living, viz., Mary J., Noah, Jacob, Ebeneezer and William M. The boyhood days of our subject were spent on the farm; he remained with his parents until of age. He was twice married—first, with Mary Bone, who bore him five children, viz., Thomas J., Jane, John, Ebenezer and Sallie. His second marriage was celebrated with Julia Waldron, by whom he has had tree children, viz., Charles, Starrora and Harry. He followed farm until about 1857, when he came to Mason and began keeping hotel, and since catered to the hungry; in that most particular of all business, " landlording," he is a success, and a genuine expert, knowing well how to look after the comfort and pleasure of his guests. He is a member of the I. 0. 0. F., Mason Lodge, No. 209, to which he has belonged for a score of years. JACOB BURSK, blacksmith, Mason, was born in Lancaster Co., Penn., Feb. 13, 1825. He is a son of Joseph and Catherine (Mowery) Bursk, who were born in Lancaster Co., Penn., he in the year 1797, she in 1798; they were married in Lancaster Co., Penn., in 1824; he was a blacksmith by occupation, which he followed till 1830, when he came to Cincinnati, and, six weeks after, came to Mason, which was in the spring of 1831; here he followed his trade as long as he was able to perform the hard work of the shop; he died in 1878; she departed this life on her birthday, in 1855; they were parents of nine children, six of whom are living, viz., Jacob, Daniel, David, Joseph, Elizabeth and of 12uls8an; the deceased are Henry, George and Robert. Mr. Bursk was a member of the I. 0. 0. F., Mason Lodge, No. 209. He was a soldier in the having been drafted in Philadelphia. Our subject was reared in Pennsylvania until his 6th year; he learned his trade in Mason under his father, and, with the exception of three years he lived in Kansas, has resided in Mason since his settlement here; his Kansas trip was an unfortunate one, as he lost 970 - BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES : about $3,000 in the operation. Jan. 1, 1856, he was married to Arnaud daughter of William Miller, by whom he has had six children, four living, Anna K., Mollie G., Joseph W. and Bertha; the deceased are Halleck E., Frank. WILLIAM W. CASSEDAY, farmer; P. O. Mason. The subject of this memoir was born in the place where he lives, Oct. 31, 1817; he is a son of John Casseday, of whom a mention is made in this volume; his early life passed on the farm and in a manner common with pioneer boys; school advah_ tages were poor, and he only received such education as could be gotten in the subscription schools; he remained at home with his parents till his marriage which was celebrated Sept. 12, 1845, with Judith, a daughter of Bernard and Rebecca (Hall) Ver Bryck, old settlers of this county. After his marriage, he continued on the old home farm as before, and, up to the present time (1882), his entire life's work has been done on the land that was his father's and number, of whom five are living, viz., Alonzo, Frank P., William W., grandfather's before him. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Casseday were six in number, of whom five are living, viz., Alonzo, Frank P., William W., Martha (now Mrs. Slade) and Hattie O. ; Rebecca J., deceased. Mr. Casseday owns 160 acres of land, which is in a high state of cultivation and well improved; he is a modest and unassuming gentleman, with no desire whatever for notoriety, and has never been an aspirant for the empty bauble of local office. To the Mason Horse Rangers he has belonged since the organization of the society, and is a Republican in politics. SAMUEL M. CASSEDAY, farmer; P. O. Mason; was born in Deerfield Township in the year 1819; he is a son of John and Martha (Wallace) Casseday; he was born in Rockbridge Co., Va., and she in the State of Kentucky. James Casseday, father of John, came with his family to Ohio in 1806, and located on land in Sec. 26, in this township, where William Casseday now lives; here he died in 1822; he was thrice married, and left a large number of descendants, of whom a number live in Warren County; he was a member of the Presbyterian Church, and a soldier in the war of 1812, and participated in the battle of Guilford. John Casseday was married to Martha Wallace in 1810; her parents came from Kentucky and settled in Turtle Creek Township in 1800, where they lived for some years, and then moved to Whitewater, Md., where they died. John, after his marriage, settled on the old home farm; he died in 1860. aged 76 years; she departed this life in 1862, aged 76 years; to them were born nine children, three living, viz., William, Samuel and Mary Ammons; the deceased are Elizabeth, Nancy, James, and three who died in infancy. Our subject remained with his parents on the farm until 23 years of age. In 1843, he was married to Eliza, daughter of Patrick and Abigail Mohan. After his marriage, he lived four years on the home farm, then went to Butler County, where he resided three years, having in the meantime bought 61 acres of land, which he improved; with the exception of two years he passed in Mason, his time since has been passed on the land he first bought; he now owns 132 acres of choice farm land, which is nicely improved. To them have been born three children, viz., John, America and Sonora. He has served as Trustee of his township thirteen years. He was one of the founders of the new cemetery in Mason, and Treasurer of the fund. Mrs. Casseday was born in Butler Co., Ohio, in 1824. ALONZO CASSEDAY, farmer; P. O. Mason; is a sun of William Casseday; he was born on the old farm April 2, 1848; he was reared to farm pursuits, and received only a common education in the district school. March 2, 1871, he was married to Catherine Duffy, whose parents died in Ireland, where they were born. After his marriage, he lived on the old home farm until 1876, at which time he came to the place where he now lives. He is a member of the well-known Horse Ranger Company of Mason, with which he has been DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP - 971 connected since 1869. Politically, he is Democratic, having always voted with that party upon all questions at issue. To Mr. and Mrs. Casseday have been born two children, viz., Grace, born Dec. 7, 1874, and Edna M., born March 11, 1810. FREDERICK CLINE, retired farmer. Foster's Crossing. This well- known gentleman represents another of the old and first families of this township. He was born in Lancaster Co., Penn., April 14, 1796; his parents, Frederick and Hannah (Espy) Cline, were born in Pennsylvania, and were each born from German parentage. In 1800, Frederick Cline, Sr., with his wife and children, descended the Ohio River on a flat-boat as far as Columbia, where they disembarked, and came to Deerfield Township and settled on land in Sec. 23. They were parents of thirteen children, eleven of whom grew to manhood and womanhood, and at present but four survive, viz., Hannah, Ann, Elizabeth and our subject; they who died after arriving at maturity were John, George, Jacob, William, Mary, Peggy, Sallie, Jacob and an infant. Frederick Cline died April 13, 1843, aged 77 years; his wife departed this life Sept. 30, 1849, aged 88 years and 4 months. John and George, sons of Frederick Cline, Sr., were in the war of 1812. Jacob and John Cline, uncles to our subject, served through the war of the Revolution. Mr. Cline, Sr., was a man of herculean strength, and, having a frame of iron, was incapable of fatigue. Our subject was only 4 years old at the time his parents came to Ohio; consequently, has a vivid recollection of the scenes of those pioneer days; to say that he has seen the full change and helped to perform his share of the tremendous labor is in the least not to say too much. April 13, 1820, he was married to Maria Monfort, by whom he had eight children, two living, viz., George W., now a prominent lawyer in St. Louis; and Ellen (now Mrs. Richey); the deceased are Jacob, McKendry, Hannah, Peter M., Mary and Frederick Mrs. Cline died Sept. 6, 1840, aged 39 years. His second marriage was celebrated with Elizabeth Richey in July, 1842. For eighty years, Mr. Cline has lived within a stone' s-throw of where his father built his first cabin; he owns 190 acres of land, and is comfortably situated. Though his frame is bending under the weight of four score and four years, his mind is yet unimpaired, and he is yet able to vividly portray the exciting scenes of pioneer days. AZA COLEMAN, retired farmer, Lebanon, Ohio. He was born in Fayette Co., Penn., March 26, 1811. His father, John Coleman, was a descendant of a German family that came quite early to Pennsylvania; his mother, Margaret Savage, was the daughter of a family from Wales. In 1821, the parents and the children, Joseph, Nancy, John, Aza (our subject) and Josiah, came down the Ohio on a raft to Cincinnati; from there they went to Lebanon, where they lived one year, then going to the country north of that town, renting land here and there, as they were too poor to make any purchase for a home. In 1832, our subject married Anna Scott, daughter of Thomas Scott, quite a prominent man at that time. In 1833, he moved to a place north of Mason, Ohio, where he began to work for himself, from the low state of poverty; he was a man of great energy, strength and pluck, ambitious and attentive to his business; commencing with a colt and $140 at the time of his marriage, he persevered diligently, labored daily and yearly unceasingly, in the swamps and wilderness, until, by the effect of tiling, log-rolling, grubbing and stump-pulling, he possesses a farm of 320 acres in one tract, one of the best cared for and productive in the county; he saved his means, bought land by small tracts, looked to the welfare of his children by being able to provide each with a farm. The issue of the first marriage were five children-an infant, Caroline, Mary, Granville and Maggie A. ; only two of these grew to womanhood-Caroline (now deceased), who married George Guntle, and Mary, who married her cousin, 972 - BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES : John Coleman; the families of these two are located on two fine farms, each of 200 acres, near Indianapolis, Ind., given them by our subject. In 1843, 0 subject was married to Sarah Coulson, daughter of William Coulson, an early settler in the county; to this union eight children have been born—Sylvester Sarah M., Louisa, Fletcher, Louis F., William T., Charles F. and Eva B. ; only; four of these arrived to the state of maturity—Sarah M., L F., W. T. and d F. Sarah M. was married to William Benedict, now deceased, who lived, during his life, on her place of 100 acres, near Mason; after his death, she married M. A. Jameson, now Treasurer of Warren County; the family now live in Lebanon; L. F. is a teacher by profession; W. T. is a farmer living on the homestead place: C. F. is Deputy Treasurer of the county. Our subject has spent an active life in the church, and was a man eager for public improvements; the fine roads and pikes of Deerfield Township are attributed in a great degree to his influence and energy. The misfortune of losing a limb by a thrashing machine in 1856 made him only the more energetic. Now, at his fine home in Lebanon, where he has lived for six years, great is the satisfaction to him that his life has been one of health, pleasure, success and prosperity; a Christian in life, always a Republican in politics, true and generous to his fellow-men, charitable to the needy, and has a record of honesty and uprightness in all his dealings. WILLIAM F. COULSON. deceased. William F. Coulson was born July 20, 1782. and on June 3, 1806. married Mary McFarland, who was born Nov. 25, 1787. In 1813, they came from Washington Co.. Penn., where they were raised, and settled in Warren County, a mile north of Mason; they were healthy and strong. but poor. and were ready to endure the hardships of a new country, which were before them; they were both saving, hard-working, moral, and happily raised their family of children that lived, to see them rear families with the teachings that were handed down from father to son. To this union were born six children —Milton, Samuel, Abigail, Narcissa, Sarah, John, William F. and Mary; two of these died when quite young—John and Abigail, she having choked to death by a peach-stone getting into her wind-pipe; the remaining lived to be men and women, and all became heads of large families. Our subject was an honest and upright man, and labored hard for the welfare of the community; he won the confidence of the people and served them in various ways; a Justice of the Peace from 1816 till 1828; a Road Viewer and Commissioner of Public Highways in laying them out at that early time; a Tax Gatherer, County Assessor, Infirmary Director, Township Trustee, and administrator of several estates; he dealt with all fairly, rendered justice impartially, gave satisfaction in all his bearings, and gained the highest respect of all that knew him; he died in 1866, 84 years of age; his wife survived him nine years, being 87 at her death. Milton Coulson was the eldest of the children--tall, not strongly built, a man of good judgment, sound sense and possessed of good business traits; at an early age, he began teaching, spending many years at it, and made a complete success at his profession, not only in his discipline, but also in a systematic method of teaching; also he spent much of his time at surveying; eighteen years Clerk of the township, a Justice of the Peace a few years, Assessor of the county, and handled many estates; all this time, he was farming and attending to his home duties. He married, in 1844, Sarah Le Fevre, who is still living, and died in 1860, an esteemed and honored mall; leaving a family of six children—Mary Melissa, Milton, Messina, Frank and Corena, who have all grown to be useful men and women. Samuel Coulson, the second son, was inclined in a different direction. He married Sallie Bercaw in 1834. and then settled on a farm, where he spent his best years Industriously and successfully, attending to none other business except farming, at DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP - 973 which he made a success. He was left a widower at an early date, and had the care of five children—Cornelius, John. Maggie, William and Alpheus; these soon arrived at maturity, but two, Cornelius and William, sacrificed their lives in defending the flag during the civil war. Narcissa Coulson was the third child; she married John Bercaw in 1841; died in 1873. Sarah Coulson was the next; she married Aza Coleman in 1844, and is still living. William F. Coulson was the next; he grew to manhood and possessed many good traits; a man of excellent habits, well read and well fitted for the duties of life. He remained single till his 50th year, when he married Laura Le Fevre, in 1869; he lived with and cared for his aged parents till their death; his life was short after marriage, his wife dying in 1877 and he in 1879. leaving two children, Bennie and Nettie, to wage the battle of life alone. During his early life, farming was his chief pursuit, but later he engaged in banking, being President, then Cashier of the First National Bank at Lima, Ohio; his life was one of success, and at his death left a large estate. Mary Coulson, the youngest child, married David Bunnell in 1845; they left Ohio, being the only ones of the family that left our noble State, and settled in Missouri; she died in 1876. Only two of these six children are living—Samuel and Sarah; but the family is widely represented by a great many descendants, all seemingly to bear the stamp of the pair who first came here, as success and prosperity seem to be with all the family, which so characterized the first couple of the family in their pioneer life. JOSHUA COX, retired farmer, Mason. The gentleman. whose name heads this sketch is one of the old, well-known citizens of Warren County. He was born in New Jersey in the year 1800, and is a son of William and Margaret ,Cox, who were born in New Jersey, where he died. Mrs. Cox, with her family of eight children, removed to Ohio and settled in Deerfield Township in the year 1810; the settlement was made in the woods, and het elder sons and hired men carried on the work of improvement. She lived tc the ripe old age of 77, when she was called to her last resting-place; to her were born eight children, of whom two are living, viz., William and Joshua. Our subject was reared on the farm in his native State, and, upon the arriva of the family in Ohio, young Joshua was early buckled into the harness; he remained till he was 26 years, being her main dependence. In 1827, he was married to Jane Ayres, who bore him four children, one living, viz., Lydia. Mrs Cox died in 1855. His second marriage was celebrated with Sarah Demick, by whom he had one child, viz., Lee R. Mrs. Cox died in 1875. Mr. Cox lef his farm in 1865 and came to Mason; he is now spending his declining year with his son-in-law and daughter. His son was a soldier in the late civil war and, at the expiration of his time, re-enlisted, and thus served throughout thi great struggle. For thirty years, Mr. Cox was a member of the well-know] Mason Horse Ranger Company. Though he is bowed down by the weight o more than eighty years, he is yet hale, and is now enjoying life, surrounded by all the comforts of life. WILLIAM COX. JR., farmer; P. 0. Mason. The gentleman whose nam heads this sketch is another of the old and prominent citizens of Warren County. He was born on a farm adjoining the one on which he now lives, in the year 1818; he is a son of Richard and Nancy (Irwin) Cox. Ot subject's boyhood was passed in a manner common to pioneer boys, receivin only a meager education in the subscription schools. In 1839, he was married to Susan, daughter of John and Debby Eddy. After this event, they locate where they now live, and the only move he ever made was in removing fro] the old log cabin into his present comfortable house. He presents anothi proof in favor of stability, and argues that a " rolling stone gathers no moss. 974 - BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES: Mr. Cox is an unassuming gentleman, and never had aspirations for official honors, yet has been Trustee of his township for a number of years. He and his estimable wife belong to the Presbyterian Church, in which they have held membership nearly a score of years; they are much interested in religious matters, and as Elder he has presided for twelve years; formerly he was orie of the Trustees of the church. To them have been born eight children, five living, viz., John E., Martha J., Clara, Flora and Lillie; the deceased are Mary A., Richard C. and Elizabeth. Richard C. enlisted, in the winter of 1863-64, in Co. A, 69th O. V. I., in which he served till the close of the war. Richard Cox, father Of our subject, was twice married; by his first marriage. he had two children, Nancy M. Schenck and the subject of this memoir. His second marriage was consummated with Mary A. Huston, who bore him. six children, two living, viz., Martha (now Mrs. Bowyer) and Lydia (now Mrs. Cunningham); the deceased are Mary J., James, and two who died in childhood. He (Richard) died in June, 1860, aged upward of 66 years; his second wife died, in 1878, aged upward of four score years; his first wife died in 1821. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, serving for several months, and was with the army in a campaign through Canada. He was also one of the Trustees in his township for many years. RICHARD M. COX, Mason, Ohio. The subject of this sketch is a native of Warren Co., Ohio, born Aug. 21, 1822. On the 6th of December, 1849, he was married to Miss Charlotte Bowyer, the eldest daughter and third child of Levi Bowyer; she was also a native of Warren County, and was born Nov. 7, 1824; she died in 1877, being the mother of nine children-Levi T., born Oct. 27, 1850, died May 4, 1864; Laura J., born Feb. 23, 1852; May E., born July 14, 1854; R. M., Jr., born June 21, 1856; Stephen A. Douglas, born May 5, 1858; William H., born March 25, 1860; Nettie B., born March 23, 1862; Weller B. and Wallace W., twins, born April 19, 1865; Weller died in August, 1865, and Wallace in March, 1866. Two of these are married-May E., to Frank Coulson, the son of Milton Coulson; and R. M., Jr., to Miss Lucy Perrine, daughter of James Perrine. Mr. Cox, after being a widower two years, was married to Mrs. Maggie Tod in 1879; by this union, they have been blessed with two little girls-Maud and Eva. Mr. Cox is one of the most energetic, enterprising men in the community, and is a highly esteemed citizen; he is eager for anything that tends to the advancement of public good, being one of the charter members of the Grange at this place, also a Director of the M. V. N. G. R. R. when it was under that name. Among the positions of responsibility held by Mr. Cox in the community was that of Township Trustee, which office he held for some thirteen years; in 1874, he was elected Township Treasurer, which position he still occupies. His chief employment has been that of agriculture, but in January, 1871, he opened a store of general merchandise in Mason, and has dealt principally in hardware and farm implements. Jake Bursk, M. Scull, Frank Coulson and Lee Randall have been partners with him at different times, but now he possesses the entire interest of the stock. Much is due to Mr. Cox, in this line, in the advancement of the farming community, by providing the farmers with the implements more for their good, rather than profit to himself. The active part he has taken in the introduction of the self-binder will long be remembered by the farm toilers. Mr. Cox has also a large tile factory; this, with the many buildings erected by him in East Mason, has given an air of business activity to that part of the town. For a short period after the failure of the Boak & Hunt Bank at Lebanon, Ohio, Mr. Cox was an active man in an individual bank at that place. Mr. Cox s energetic spirit has proved a success to himself in gaining for himself a farm of some 350 acres by his arduous toil. The father of this gentleman was DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP - 975 Thomas Cox, born in New Jersey April 25. 1797: he came to Ohio with his mother's family, his father having previously died; his wife was Hannah Johns, horn Nov. 27, 1802, to whom he was married in 1821; the family comprised seven children-two sons and five daughters; all are now dead but one son and one daughter-the subject of this sketch, and Mrs. Nancy, the wife of J. W. Whitaker, of Columbia, Ohio. Mr. Cox died Aug. 29, 1870. man of unimpeachable integrity and sterling worth. His widow still survives him. Already has she passed her three score and ten, yet she possesses that unusually kind and benevolent disposition which has marked her life. Besides caring for her own family, she has been a mother to several of her grandchildren, who were left orphans early in life. She has been an earnest Christian worker all her life, and feels well rewarded in this life's work as she sees her descendants worthy the esteem of all. ERASTUS COX, farmer; P. O. Mason; is a son of William and Elizabeth Cox; he was born on the old home farm in the year 1837; his marriage was celebrated in 1859 with Hannah, daughter of Henry Hageman, who has borne him three children, viz., Willie H., John W. and Emma B. Mr. C. owns 64 acres of land, which is in cultivation and well improved. He is a member of the Mason Horse Rangers, to which he has belonged for about sixteen years. His father, William Cox, was born in New Jersey in the year 1807. He (William Cox) has been twice married--first, in 1831, to Elizabeth Carter, who bore him one child, viz., Livingston. Mrs. Cox died in 1833. His second marriage was consummated April 4, 1834, with Elizabeth Wise, who bore him eight children, six living, viz., Louisa, Erastus, Richard, Lydia, Dallas, Margaret; Thomas and William, deceased. Mrs. Cox died April 1, 1876, aged about 68 years. Thomas J., son of William Cox, enlisted in 1861 in Company A, 69th O. V. I. , and died in the hospital at Murfreesboro in 1862, aged about 23 years. His remains were brought home and are interred in the Mason Cemetery, where a monument marks his last resting-place. JOHN E. COX, retired farmer; P. O. Mason; was born in Deerfield Township in the year 1840; he is a son of William Cox, Jr., whose sketch appears in this work. Sept. 12, 1861, he enlisted in Company A, 69th O. V. I. He was with the regiment during the period in which he served, and participated in all the battles in which it was engaged. In February, 1864, at Chattanooga, he re-enlisted and "continued with the regiment till the close of the war. Was mustered out at Louisville, Ky., July 25, 1865. He was in all the battles of the regiment, from the Stone River fight to the close of the war. After his return, he lived on his farm till 1877, when he came to Mason, where he has since lived. In 1866, he was married to Sarah, daughter of Jonas McCurdy, by whom he has had two children, viz., Willie J. and Bessie V. His farm consists of 110 acres of excellent land near Mason. JOHN B. CRAWFORD, farmer; P. O. Foster's Crossing. The gentleman whose name heads this memoir is a native of Deerfield Township, in which he was born in 1830. He is a son of Samuel Crawford, who was born Jan. 23, 1791. His grandfather was Samuel Crawford, who settled here previous to 1790. Samuel, father of our subject, was married to Charity Scofield Jan. 5, 1815; she was born in Deerfield Township in the year 1797. After their marriage, they located on the farm east of where our subject now lives. They were parents of eight children, of whom seven are known to be living, viz., Ruth, Oliver, Joseph, Thomas (whereabouts unknown), Sarah J., Samuel, John and Andrew. Mr. C. died Dec. 8, 1835. Mrs. C. died June 11, 1869. She was a life-long member of the M. E. Church and a consistent Christian woman. After her husband's death, she very heroically undertook the responsibility of bringing up the large family of children, whom she kept together and reared 976 - BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES: -a rare instance of a mother's courage and fidelity to her offspring. Andre son of Samuel, was a soldier during the rebellion and served throughout the war. Our subject, at the age of 18, went to Mason, where he learned plane making, which he followed twelve years, after which he went to Edgar Co., and farmed for two years, then returned to his native State, locating on the old. home place. In 1865, he was married to Nancy J. Drake, of Warren County, who has borne him three children, viz., Lewis, Franklin and Harrison. He a member of the I. 0. 0. F., Mason Lodge, No. 209, which he joined in 18568. he is also a member of the Mason Horse Rangers, of fifteen years' standing, Mrs. C. is a member of the Presbyterian Church and a consistent Christian woman. JOHN DILL, retired farmer; P. 0. Mason; was born in Orange Co., N, Y., in 1799; is a son of John Dill. Our subject, in company with his brothers and sisters, viz., Alexander, Andrew, William, Polly, Sophia, Eliza and Charlotte, came to Ohio in the year 1816 and settled in Deerfield Township, where John Hoff now resides, where they lived until one by one they married and went to homes of their own. Of these eight children, three now survive, viz., Eliza, John and Charlotte. Our subject was married to Catherine, daughter of Thomas and Sarah Hall, in 1833. To them nine children have been born, six living, viz., Thomas, John, Andrew, Lycurgus, Albert, Martha and Melissa. After his marriage, he resided in different places till 1840, at which time he bought 213 acres of land, on which he has since lived. He and his son now own 222 acres, which is mostly in cultivation and well improved. Mr. Dill, some years ago, was one of the live, active business men of Warren County, being largely engaged in handling and shipping hogs, and has shipped pork to New Orleans and Natchez. Alexander Dill, brother of John, was a soldier in the war of 1812 and was stationed on Staten Island. Mr. Dill is now (1881) in the 83d year of his age, and, though bowed down with the weight of these many years, his mind is yet unimpaired; his once strong frame is racked by the tortures of rheumatism, and he, like the oak, must succumb to the power that cannot be resisted. His aged wife is also in good health and able to perform her household duties. Mr. Dill is a modest and unassuming gentleman— a man whose ways, whose deeds and actions, have always been formed from the principles of truth and justice, and, during his long and eventful career, no imputation of the taint of dishonor is traceable to any of his dealings, which have been extensive in the extreme. COL. WILLIAM S. DODDS, retired; P. 0. Mason; was born in Turtle Creek Township in 1808, and is a son of Benjamin and Martha (Drake) Dodds. He was born in Franklin Co., Penn., in 1775; she was born in Middlesex Co., N. J., in 1786, and came to Ohio with her mother, Mary (Sutton) Drake; she was married to a Mr. Van Pelt, and a son of this union married Thomas Corwin's sister. Benjamin Dodds came to Ohio in 1799, and permanently located in this county. He was married in 1802 and resided near Lebanon till 1808, when he came to Deerfield Township. Eleven children were born to them, three sons living, viz., Josephus, William S. and Joseph A. Mr. D. died Jan. 10, 1849; Mrs. D. died Feb. 13, 1866. His son, John A., was a member of the State Legislature for three terms. Josephus was Drum Major of an Ohio regiment and an aged man at the time. Benjamin, father of our subject, was a man of sound judgment and was often appealed to by those in trouble to arbitrate the difficulty. Our subject was reared on the farm till he was 17 years old, at which time from his circumstances he concluded to become a tailor, the decisive point being reached one cold morning, when his cold fingers and the bright glow of fire in a tailor shop helped him to come to the conclusion to apprentice himself to a tailor, for whom he worked four years and nine months as DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP - 977 bound boy. At this point in his carom., he began business "on his own hook," so to speak, and, by pushing matters, his business as a merchant tailor netted him cash, and, nine months after starting, had furnished a house, and, Sept. 6, 1832, was married to Sarah L., daughter of Abraham Lowe, and niece of Judge Lowe; she being the daughter of wealthy parents, had, as a matter of course, offers from wealthier suitors, and certain parties naturally objected to our subject, because he was a poor working young man, and whose only recommendation was health, strength, honesty and industry. These objections were removed by his marriage with the lady, and the time came when he had more wealth than those who opposed him. In his tailoring business he was prosperous and his trade was so extensive he could scarcely attend to it. He kept a store in connection and employed hands to do his work. After sixteen years in this kind of trade, he abandoned it and engaged in merchandising; handling real estate was his next venture, and he bought and sold a great deal of property and was very successful, making considerable money, and is now among the wealthy men of the county and a highly respected citizen. He is now retired from active business pursuits and is enjoying his declining years amid peace and plenty, and he feels that his life has not been altogether uneventful He belongs to no sect, denomination or creed; this world, his home; his broth ren, all mankind. His wife died July 16, 1.879, aged 70 years, 5 months and 20 days; was born Jan. 21, 1809. To Mr. and Mrs. D. were born three children, two living, viz., Courtland and Adolphus. Oscar died Aug. 16, 1864, aged 26 years, 11 months and 23 days. He served some ime in the army as an Orderly; was taken sick, was brought home, returned again, was taken sick, returned again to his home, where he died. JAMES H. FOSTER (deceased) was born in New Jersey (near Salem), and was a son of Henry and Hannah (Simpson) Foster. In 1820 or 1821, they emigrated to Ohio, at which time James was 7 years old. After residing a few years in Deerfield, they removed to the Twenty-Mile Stand, where the remaining years of his (Henry) life was passed; he died Feb. 21, 1870, aged 90 years and 10 days. Five of his children grew to manhood and womanhood, and, at present, two survive, viz., Joseph M. and Emiline. The deceased are Thomas, James H. and Hannah. Our subject was reared to mercantile pursuits. He was married to Maria L., daughter of Col. George and Martha (Morrow) Ramsey, of Clermont Co., Ohio, after which event he located at the Twenty-Mile Stand, in which place he clerked in his father's store. In 1841 or 1842, he came to Foster's Crossing, where he opened a store and did business till 1865, at which time he disposed of his stock and sought the shades of retirement in his home in the bluff, in which he lived five years, enjoying the fruits of his labor, before the final end came; his death occurred Jan. 14, 1872, aged 57 years, 7 months and 7 days. To him were born three children, two living, viz., William S. and Kitty L. (now Mrs. Cooling); Joseph G., deceased. Mr. F. was successful in his business transactions, and was virtually a self-made man. He was respected by all who knew him, and his death was a blow to the business and moral interests of the community. His son, William S., enlisted in 1862, in the 86th 0. V, I., Company A, in which he was a 2d Lieutenant and served four months; in 1864, he enlisted in the 146th 0. V. I., Company G, of which he was Captain, and served four months. Joseph G. was also a soldier in the war, and served in the regiment with his brother. Army life broke down his boyish constitution, and he returned to his home a mere wreck of his former self. He departed this life after a long struggle for life Jan. 30, 1875, aged 33 years, 5 months and 11 days. He left a young wife and four children to mourn his untimely death. His wife, however, did not long survive her husband, as one year later she died. The parents of Mrs. James H. Foster were 978 - BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES : born in Pennsylvania and came to Clermont County in a very early day. He was a soldier in the war of 1812; to them were born eight children, four living, viz., Marvin, Sallie, Mary and Jeremiah. The deceased are John, Martha Frankie and Emma. Col. Ramsey died at his home Dec. 2, 1863; was born i; Bedford, Penn., March 17, 1793; his wife died July 15, 1842. They were married June 8, 1820. Mrs. Foster was born in Clermont Co., Ohio, June 4, 1821. S. B. GREELY, proprietor Little Miami Mills, Foster's Crossing. natives above-named gentleman was born in Hamilton Township, Warren Co., Ohio Dec. 16, 1821; his parents were Seth and Jane (Boardman) Greely, of the State of Maine, where reared and married. About the year 1817, they emigrated to Ohio and settled in Hamilton Township, Warren Co., near the village of Maineville, where they lived and died. Mr. Greely was greatly interested in educational matters, and was a leading spirit in the erection of the academy at Maineville. A fair and self-made scholar himself, he fully realized the necessity of education. Early in life, both himself and wife united with the Baptist Church and were consistent members of the same till their death. To them were born nine children, six of whom are now living, viz., Andrew M., Seth B., Walter K., Fanny J., Elias H. and Enos M. The deceased are Elmira IL, Richard D. and Eliza Ann The father died on the farm, near Maineville, Aug. 16, 1850, and the mother July 15, 1867. He was a successful business man, and owned property to the extent of about $10,000. The early life of our subject was passed on the farm, where he resided with his parents until of age. His education was limited, attending the district schools only; however, his younger brothers received academic educations. In 1857, he left the farm, going to Foster's Crossing, and purchased from Francis Phillips the mill site on which stood an old saw-mill; he rebuilt the mill that year, and the year following, in connection with James Atkinson, erected the flouring-mill now operated by him. In the year 1862, he purchased his partner's interest, and has since conducted the mill himself. In the mill are five run of buhrs, three of which are used for wheat and two for corn, the former having a grinding capacity of 125 bushels per day. His saw-mill, too, does quite an extensive business. Mr. Greely was united in marriage March 5, 1843, with Martha J., daughter of Asher Cynthia Shawhan, of Warren County, who bore him six children, three of whom are living, viz., Elmira, Franklin and David. The deceased are Francis A., Mary E. and Marshall. Mrs. Greely died Aug. 29, 1855, in the 32d year of her age. On the 5th of April, 1856, Mr. Greely was married to Almira, daughter of William and Catharine Fouche, of Miligrove, Warren Co., and to them were born six children, as follows: Albert, Emma, Mattie, Clara, Flora and Laura. REUBEN HOFF, retired farmer; P. O. Mason; was born in Huntington Co., N. J., July 26, 1803; he is a son of John and Ruth (Fields) Hoff; he was born in 1775; she, Dec. 2, 1778; they were married in their native State in 1800, and, in 1804, with their family of two children, came to Ohio and settled in what is now Union Township, which at that time was Deerfield Township. John Hoff, Sr., was a shoemaker by occupation, but at the time of his settlement he bought 12 acres of land, which, when his sons became old enough, was attended to by them. In the place he settled, they lived till their death, his occurring Nov. 12, 1853; she departed this life -Dec. 1, 1857; to them were born seven children, three now living, viz., Catharine, Amelia and Reuben. The deceased are Enoch, Sliesman, John and Eliza. When Mr. Hoff first came, he and his brother William built a saw-mill on Turtle Creek, which they operated for a time, then disposed of their property and returning to their respective pursuits. Our subject was raised on the farm, and his education was DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP - 979 received in the subscription schools. In 1830, he was married to Deborah, daughter of Albert and Nancy (Stout) Monfort, by whom he has had ten children, nine living, viz., Ruth, John, Ellen, Eliza J., Rosetta W , Margaret, Dicebe, Elbert M. and Reuben A. Martha, deceased, aged 9 months. After his marriage, he located where he now lives, renting the land for a time, and eventually bought 87 acres, to which he has added and now owns 163 acres of choice farming land. Albert and Nancy Monfort, parents of Mrs. Hoff, were born in New Jersey and came to Ohio in 1816, locating in this township, where they lived till death; he died in 1830; she, in 1874, at the age of 80 years. They were the parents of five children, three living, viz., Andrew S., Ellen and Deborah; the deceased, Margaret and Eliza. Mr. Monfort was a soldier in the war of 1812. Mrs. Hoff was born in New Jersey in 1811. WILLIAM JACKSON, Overseer of the Mason Cemetery, Mason. The gentleman whose name heads this sketch was born in Washington Co., Penn., in 1830; his boyhood was passed on his father's farm and in the district schools received an ordinary education. He, with his parents, James and Ann (McDonald) Jackson, came to Ohio in 1836. They first located near Sharon, in Hamilton County, where they resided until 1842, at which time they removed to West Chester, Butler County, where they resided until 1855, in which year both died. William followed the fortunes of the farm during his early life. Aug. 24, 1852, he was married to Mrs. Altha A. Sharp, of Butler Co., Ohio. After his marriage, he removed to Darke County, where he resided five years on the farm. In 1857, he returned to Butler County, in which he resided till 1874, and during that time was engaged in manufacturing brooms. In the spring of the above year, he came to Mason, and, on account of his particular qualifications for overseer of the cemetery grounds, the people of Mason gave into his keeping the ground where sleep those who belong there. Just previous to his coming to Mason, the new cemetery was organized, and to his management and control is due the present beautiful sight that greets the eye of the visitor at every turn. The care of the grounds shows his adaptability for the position, as the Mason Cemetery is one of the best kept in the country, and for a certainty reflects much credit on Mr. Jackson. To Mr. and Mrs. Jackson have been born six children; two of them, Charles and William P., are tonsorial artists in Mason, and their business shrewdness is shown by the fact that they operate in different shops in either end of town, thus neutralizing and controlling the trade. The other children are James A., Archibald F. R., Sarah A. and Mollie (now Mrs. Brady). Mrs. Jackson had by her first husband three children, viz., A. L. Sharp, an attorney, in Bluffton, Md.; Calvin Sharp, killed at the battle of Witchata River, in the Indian Territory, in 1866; he belonged to the 7th U. S. C.; Xemenia, deceased. JOHN KOHL, carriage manufacturer, Mason; was born in Bavaria, Germany, in the year 1837; his trade was learned in his native country under his father, Lewis Kohl. He followed his trade in Germany until 1865, when he emigrated to America and located in Cincinnati, where he worked for four years. In 1869, he came to Mason, and, for three years, he worked at his trade for J. Bursk, after which he started a business with two other gentlemen, whom he afterward bought out, and now owns and controls the entire business. He gives employment to about ten hands, who turn out from about thirty-five to forty first-class new jobs every year. By honest work, he has built up a business which reaches out over the surrounding Country. He is master of his business in every particular, and keeps only skillful men, who turn out the best of work. He was married, in 1871, to Mena Webber, who has borne him four children, viz., John L., Frederick W., John H. and Anna L. Mr. K. belongs to the I. O. O. F., Mason Lodge, No 980 - BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES: 209, and is also a charter member of the Knights of Pythias, Favorite Lodge, No. 118. He and his wife are members of the German Protestant Church which they have belonged since childhood. For six years, he was connected with the German army. JACOB AND MARY (JACKSON) LE FEVRE, Oxford. These two settler were among the earliest and most useful of the pioneer settlers of Ohio: bet]: were born in Frederick Co., Md.; Mr. Le Fevre, Feb. 14, 1785, and Mrs. Le Fevre, Dec. 24, 1784; the father of the latter was Henry Jackson, who was born and educated in London, England; her mother. Rebecca Pope Jackson was born in Maryland, of French parents, who, during the persecution of the Huguenots by the Roman Catholics, were driven from a happy and prosperous home in their beloved France, to the strange and wild lands of America; they chose exile, rather than disloyalty to conscience and religious belief. Jacob Le Fevre claims a similar interest in the Reformation; his mother was German and his father a Frenchman and a Huguenot; in the history of the French Reformation. the name Le Fevre is an honored one among the Protestant heroes. Our subjects' were married May 1, 1804, and, in the spring of 1807, with their oldest child, Mary, aged 1 year, they emigrated to Ohio. They came in wagons to Pittsburgh, and from there to Cincinnati in a flat-boat, which they sold in the latter town for $10, the purchaser using it for a dwelling house, as was the custom. Mr. Le Fevre was offered land at a very low price in the vicinity of Cincinnati, but he would not purchase it because it seemed so worthless for farming purposes. He came out with his family to the southern part of Warren County; he bought land adjoining that on which Socialville was afterward built, three miles south of the present town of Mason. and known as the Thompson land. He finally owned 200 acres in all, and here they lived happily and prosperously for thirty years, until Mr. Le Fevre's death, in 1837. Mr. Le Fevre and family were most earnest and active supporters of church. school and every worthy enterprise. With money and labor, they helped to build the old Presbyterian Church at Pisgah, and assisted greatly in supporting its religious services afterward. Among the ministers who preached at Pisgah at that early day were Rev. Peter Monfort, Dr. Lyman Beecher, Dr. Henry Little, Rev. Benjamin Graves, Rev. Andrew Morrison and other home missionary workers. Mr. and Mrs. Le Fevre were actively interested in the cause of education. Before the time of the free school system, they took a prominent part in organizing and supporting subscription schools. They raised ten children, four sons and six daughters, all of whom have filled useful positions in life; these children all lived to raise families of their own, but two of the sons and four of the daughters are now dead. The names of the ten children, with their husbands and wives, are as follows: Mary and James Baxter. Matilda and Josephus Dodds, Elias and Henrietta Ingersoll, Catherine and Gilbert. Barton, Henry and Ellen Monfort, Rebecca and Thomas Moore, Mercy and Nimrod Duvall, Sarah and Milton Coulson, Jacob and Elizabeth Belch and Nimrod and Rebecca Tobias. Their mother, Mrs. Mary Jackson Le Fevre, is still living, and is now (1881) in her 97th year. She enjoys good health and the use of all her faculties, except that of hearing. She remembers quite distinctly the events of her pioneer life; among her early neighbors in Deerfield Township were John Wylie. David Slayback, Nimrod Duvall, Abraham Probasco. Roland Kendall, Zebulon Eynons, Nicholas Dawson, Ezekiel Blue, Jacob Hercules, Isaac Phillips, Daniel Stout, Ezra Van Fossen and others. After many years of to!, and hardship as a pioneer, Mrs. Le Fevre is now taking life easily; she is making her home at present with her daughter, at Oxford, Ohio. She has fifty-one grandchildren living and a number who have died. She has about 300 descendants altogether. A great many of these took a loyal and active DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP - 981 part in the civil war; some arose to places of eminence, and some sacrificed their lives in the noble work of defending our flag and nation. The offspring of such ancestors as are herein mentioned should indeed be loyal to the truth, always and everywhere, that they may honor and carry out their teachings of those ancestors who toiled and suffered so nobly for the cause of right. JOSEPH McCLUNG, retired farmer ; P. O. Mason. The gentleman whose name heads this sketch is the oldest living person in Deerfield Township. tie was born in Baltimore Co., Md., in 1789; he was raised on his father's farm, where be labored till he was 18 years old. At this age, he learned the carpenter trade, which he followed till 1812, when he was drafted, but hired a substitute to serve in his stead. In 1815, he came to Ohio and bought 172 acres of land, and afterward returned to Maryland, where he resided some years, when he returned, in 1823, and, in the spring of 1824, purchased 200 acres where he now lives. His farm at present consists of 255 acres of choice land. With the exception of a small start he received from his parents, he has, with the assistance of his wife, made his large property. Nov. 23, 1815, he was married to Charity Hair, of Maryland, who has borne him five children, viz., John and James; three died in infancy. Mrs. McClung is a member of the M. E. Church, to which she has belonged for many years, and is a consistent Christian lady. They have lived together for sixty-six years--a length of time few live to tread the pathway of life as man and wife. She was born in 1798, and their youngest son is now (1881) past 60 years of age. JONAS McCURDY, grocer, Mason; was born in Lancaster Co.. Penn , May 18, 1810; he is a son of Daniel and Catherine McCurdy; his father was born in Ireland, and when a boy came to America—to Lancaster Co., Penn., where he was reared among the German families. In the home of his adoption, he married, lived and died. To him were born nine children, of whom only two survive, viz., George and Jonas; the latter learned to be a weaver, an occupation he followed till 1837, when he came to Lebanon; here he engaged in a woolen manufactory, where he worked till 1848, at which time he engaged in merchandising. In 1855, he moved to Mason, since when he has been engaged in the grocery business. He has been twice married—first, in 1842, to Phcebe Simonton, who died in 1844, leaving one child, viz., Sarah J. Secondly, he was married to Mrs. Mariah Gooch, who died in 1870, aged 53 years. Mr. McCurdy has been Treasurer of his school district and manager of the corporation funds of Mason. He is a member of the Mason Lodge, I. O. 0. F., No. 209, and also of the Masonic Lodge since 1859. He is a member of the Universalist Church and a gentleman highly respected in his community. EPHRAIM L. MEHAN, retired; P. O. Mason The above gentleman was born on the dividing line between the counties of Warren and Butler, in 1814. Patrick and Abigail (Littie) Mehan were his parents. He (Patrick) was born in County Donegal, Ireland, and when 10 years of age came to America with his relatives. His boyhood was passed in Alleghany Co., Penn., where he lived till he was married, at which time (in 1802) he came to Ohio and settled in Columbia. In 1805, he came to Warren County and located in Deerfield Township. During the war of 1812, he operated a distillery on the Little Miami River for Hunt & Lowe, a business he followed for some years in Warren County, being the proprietor of the business. A greater part of his land was in Warren County, but his residence was in Butler County, where he resided till his death. During the " Old Muster Days," he was Captain of a militia company and a stanch Jackson man; he died in 1844, aged 64 years; his wife departed this life in 1838 or 1839. They were parents of twelve children, of whom seven are now living, viz., Lucinda, Clarrisa, Mary A.., Ephraim, Amos, Eliza and John. The deceased are William, Elias, Thomas, Joseph and 982 - BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES : an infant. Ephraim Little, brother of Mrs. Mehan, was killed at Tippecanoe by the Indians in the war of 1812. Ephraim Little, father of Mrs. Mehan, Sr and grandfather of our subject, was a Revolutionary soldier, who died during, the war of 1812. To him the Government ceded 90 acres of land in Deerfield" Township as a reward for his meritorious services to his country during the dark days of 1776. The boyhood days of our subject were passed on the farm, where he stayed with his parents till of age. In 1835, he was married to Mary, daughter of James and Rachel (Carter) Fugate, natives of Maryland. After the event of hi marriage, he located at Mason, where he kept a public house for thirty-four years. In 1868, he was elected a Commissioner of War- ran County, and served three years. After that, he withdrew from public affairs and sought the privacy of retirement. To Mr. and Mrs. Mehan nine children have been born, of whom five are living, viz., Adda, Virginia, Sarah, Abigail and Winfield S. The deceased are John A. G., Eliza, Corwin and Joseph. John A. G. and Winfield S. were members of the 2d Missouri Cavalry; the latter served during the war and his brother but three years. The parents of Mrs. Mehan settled in Warren County in an early day, in which they lived till their death. Mrs. M. was born in Deerfield in 1815; her mother died when she was an infant, and her father in 1854, aged 77 years. Mr. M. has been fairly successful in life, and has a competency from which he reaps the pleas ures and comforts of life. ROBERT MERCHANT, Mason; was born in Warren Co., Ohio, in 1844, and is a son of William and Lydia H. Merchant, natives of Warren County. He (William) was a son of William and Mary Merchant, natives of Pennsylvania, who settled in this township in 1815 or 1816, where they lived and died. They had eight children, four sons and four daughters; probably all are deceased, and, with the exception of our subject and his brother, Isaac A., the family is extinct. Mr. M. died June 11, 1851, aged about 45 years. Our subject was reared in Mason till 7 years of age, when he was put at work on the farm, where he worked till the war broke out. April 23, 1861, he enlisted in Company F, 12th 0. V. I. under Capt. Williams, for the three-months' service. In September of the same year, he enlisted in Company A, 69th 0. V. I., in which he served two years, when he veteraned at Chattanooga and served till the close of the war, being mustered out at Louisville, Ky. He passed through the battles of Stone River, Jonesboro, Mission Ridge, Chickamauga, Atlanta, Bentonville and a host of lesser engagements. At Stone River, he was wounded in the leg and taken prisoner and put in the Libby pens for two and a half months before /being exchanged, when he was sent to Annapolis, Md.; thence to Columbus, Ohio, thence home, and, when he recovered from his wounds, went back to his regiment. In 1864, he was again captured, at Rome, Ga., while on a foraging expedition. His captors were bushwhackers, and they soon paroled him, and he, with three others, captured the leader of the same party. After his return home, he worked eleven years for one man, and for his present employer, nine years. He was married, in 1865, to Mary E. Gibbs. ALONZO MILLER, reaper expert, Mason; was born in Deerfield Township in the year 1833, and is a son of William and Ann (Cline) Miller. He (William) was born at Columbia, Ohio, in the year 1811, and is a son of William and Hannah (Phillips) Miller, who were born in Greene Co., Penn., she in the year 1774, and he some few years previous. In the year 1807, they came down the Ohio River in a keel-boat and located in Hamilton Co., Ohio, where he burnt one of the first brick kilns in Southern Ohio. He served a term of one year in the war of 1812, and died of " Cold Plague" in 1814. They were the parents of eight children, three of whom are living, viz., William, Rebecca and Joseph. The deceased are Bainbridge, John, Rebecca, Sarah and Mary. DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP - 983 William Miller was married to Ann Cline in 1831. After his marriage, he located in the vicinity of Mason, where he followed the blacksmith's trade for nearly a score of years, after which he went into the mercantile business in mason, which he followed for some time. At present, he resides in Dayton, Ohio, and is engaged in the real estate business. To them were born twelve children, of whom nine are living, viz., Alonzo, Bainbridge, Melvina, Josephine, Pauline, Inez, Taylor, William and Louisa; the deceased are Melissa, 'William and Laura. Mr. M., while living in Mason, was Justice of the Peace for nine years. Mrs. M. is a daughter of Frederick and Hannah Ann Cline, pioneers, of whom mention is made in the sketch of Fred Cline in this work. Our subject's early life was passed in Deerfield Township, and in the district schools he received his education. In the fall of 1861, he enlisted in the 50th 0. V. I., commissioned a 2d Lieutenant, and was mustered in 1st Lieutenant of Company B, 61st 0. V. I. The regiment was transferred to Virginia, where he followed the fortunes of the same, participating in all the engagements; after the battle of Cedar Creek, in 1862, he returned to his home, and, on account of inability, resigned his commission. From then until 1880, he was a contractor, since when he has been engaged with the " Wood Twine-Binder Company," as an expert manipulator of that machine. In 1854, he was married to Louisa J. Cox, who has borne him five children, four of whom are living, viz., Charles, Frank, Edna and Inez; William, the eldest, deceased. Mr. M. has always taken considerable interest in political matters as an organizer, and has always harmonized with the Republican party. JOSEPH MULFORD, farmer; P. 0. Mason. Joseph Mulford, Sr., was born in Cape May Co., N. J., in 1776, and was the son of Ezekiel Mulford, an emigrant from England and a soldier in the Revolutionary war; he was married to Rhoda Smith, in the year 1802, and emigrated to Warren Co., Ohio, in 1806, by means of a two-horse wagon, and settled in Turtle Creek Township, near Bedle's Station, first, on lands then owned by Rev. James Kemper, but he afterward bought a farm of Daniel Hole, in Section 28, at Bedle's Station. The old block-house, as it was then called, was yet standing, and stood on the east side of a small stream called Station Creek, about ninety rods north of the old hewed log M. E. Church, that is still standing on the gravel knoll near the east side of Muddy Creek Bridge. Mr. Mulford was a soldier in the war of 1812, and furnished his own horse for the service. He and his wife were parents of twelve children, six sons and six daughters, five of whom yet survive, viz., William D., Eliza, Joseph, Ezekiel and Maria. Mr. Mulford died of cholera at Bedle's Station in 1833, aged 57 years. His wife, Rhoda Smith, died near Monroe, Butler Co., in 1843, aged 56 years. They both were exemplary members of the first organized class of the M. E. Church, at Bedle's Station. The time was when some of the ablest ministers of that church, in the then Ohio Conference, preached in the old log church at Bedle's Station, viz., Revs. Biglow, John Collins, John P. Durbin, Augustus Eddy, Arthur W. Elliott, William Stilt and others. Quite a number of the old settlers lie buried in the knoll on which the church yet stands, but scarcely a slab or monument of any kind is there to point out the graves of the noble dead. Joseph Mulford, Jr., was born near Bedle's Station in 1814, and spent his boyhood on the farm in a manner common with farmers' boys. In 1834, he was married to Elizabeth Brown, to whom were born eight children, viz., William, Joseph S., John R., Jerusha J., Rhoda M. and Mary E. (twins), Margaret and Sarah, all of whom are yet living, except the oldest son, William, who, in 1861, enlisted in Company A, 69th 0. V. I.; was taken prisoner by Wheeler's C. S. A. Cavalry and paroled at McMinnville, Tenn. He died at Chattanooga, Tenn., of 984 - BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES: wounds received at the battle of Mission Ridge, Dec. 15, 1863, aged 26 years His remains were brought home and buried in the Lebanon Cemetery. JONATHAN J. MYERS, retired farmer and carpenter, Socialville Ohio The gentleman above dates his citizenship to Warren County back to 1839. He was born in Indiana April 17, 1817. His parents were Jonathan and Elizabeth (Pryor) Myers; he was born in Pennsylvania, and she a native of Virginia; they were married in Chillicothe during the lat. ter part of the eighteenth century; they settled at Walnut Hills, now a suburb of Cincinnati, in ths beginning of the nineteenth century; he purchased 60 acres of land where Walnut Hills now stands, on which he resided about ten years; he then removed to Switzerland Co., Ind., in which he bought a section of land, living thereon another ten years, when he returned to Ohio and located near Sharon, where he died three months later in 1829, aged about 48 years. He served his country in the war of 1812. His wife survived him, and died a number of years after his death. They were parents of eleven children, five of whom are living viz., Andrew, Elizabeth, Jonathan J., Silas P. and Robert; the deceased are Polly, James W., Joel, Hettie and Emanuel. Mr. and Mrs. Myers were of Quaker extraction and proclivity, and were reared to the requirements of that faith. Our subject was reared to farm pursuits; he remained on the farm with his parents until of age. In the fall of 1840, he was married to Mrs. Lydia M., daughter of John Wilkerson, by whom he had eight children, six living, viz., William McKendell, Mary E., Leonidas H., Cyrus F., Anna M. and John W; the deceased are Samuel A. and Josephine. After his marriage, he purchased 105 acres of land, on which he now lives. Before his marriage, he learned the carpenter's trade, and, during his latter 'years, has paid considerable attention to it. He and his estimable wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, with which they were connected before marriage; for more than forty years have they complied with every requirement of that well-known religious body, and have been live workers in the cause; for twenty years, he has led his church class, and has ever borne the standard high. His farm consists of 75 acres of choice land, which is comfortably improved. From Chillicothe, Mr. Myers, Sr., removed to Deerfield, in which he lived but a short time. J. T. NIXON, physician and surgeon, Mason, was born in Butler Co., Ohio, March 29, 1810; he is a son of Allen and Margaret (Troutman) Nixon, who were born in Fayette Co., Penn., in which they were married. In 1803, they located in Butler County, where they lived till 1812, at which time they removed to Union Township, Warren Co., where they made a permanent home. To them were born eleven children, four of whom are living, viz., Allen, William R., James R. and J. T. Mr. Nixon is buried on land selected by himself a number of years previous to his death. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, and served his country faithfully. The boyhood of our subject was passed on the farm, and the rudiments of his education were received in the district schools. He lived on his father's farm till 19 years old, when he engaged in preaching the Gospel conformably to the rules of the Christian Church, in which he labored for a quarter of a century in Warren and adjoining counties. On account of failing health, he abandoned his ministerial labors and began the study of medicine; in 1852, he took a course of lectures in the Eclectic Institute in Cincinnati; after receiving a full course, he began the practice of medicine in Mason, where he has since paid attention to the demands of his large and increasing practice, which has made the Doctor a handsome competency. He is a member of the Masonic order, in which he has advanced to the order of Knight Templar. He was married, in 1838, to Mrs. Eliza Hall, by whom he has had two children, viz., Rebecca, now Mrs. Sheets, and Mary E•, now Mrs. Bursk. DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP - 985 M. OBERGEFELL, merchant tailor and proprietor of Liberty House, Foster's Crossing, Ohio; was born in the year 1826; is a son of Joseph and Sallie Obergefell, natives of Germany, who never came to America. Our subject learned his trade in the old country, which he followed till his enlistment, D. 1847, and for six years he served in the German army, and passed through in revolution of 1848 and 1849. In 1851, he was married, in Baden, Germany, to Francisca Slatter, who bore him ten children, two living, viz., Jo and Tillie. Mrs. Obergefell died in 1879, aged 58 years. Feb. 26, 1880, he was again married, to Kate Rieger. In 1854, Mr. Obergefell came to America, his voyage occupying forty-two days, and had a very rough time of it. In Cincinnati he followed his trade for eleven years, doing custom work, and, during the war, worked for the United States Government on soldiers' clothes. In 1865, he came to Foster's Crossing, where he has since built up a good property; his fair dealing and popular business habits universally command for him the confidence and respect of the people; so those wanting a " square meal" or a suit of clothes properly made will be accommodated by giving him a call. He and his estimable wife belong to the German Protestant Church, and are energetic in their religious zeal. He is a Republican in politics, consequently a lover of his adopted country. THOMAS L. PENDERY, farmer; P. O. Twenty-Mile Stand; was born in Deerfield Township Nov. 13, 1835. He is a son of Thomas and Eliza (Rowan) Pendery; he was born Aug. 24, 1797; died April 17, 1839; she was born July 10, 1800; died Sept. 28, 1880; they were married Feb. 8, 1824; to them were born six children, viz., Anna, wife of Allison Scott; Jeremiah M.; Mary, wife of William Swank, and twin sister to Jeremiah M. ; John G., Thomas L. and Deborah J., wife of Redding Doty, deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Pendery were members of the Associate Reformed Church, with which they connected themselves after their marriage. He was a miller, a business he followed when he first came to the State, working in Gov. Jeremiah Morrow's mill, for the use of which at first he gave twelve barrels of flour per month. He, started in life empty-handed, and, after he paid for his marriage license, had a lone 50 cents left. During his short life, he built up a good property, consisting of 215 acres of land, which, at his death, was clear of all incumbrance. Our subject was reared on the farm, and in the district school he received a common education, which was afterward developed in the Miami University at Oxford, Ohio, which institution conferred on him its diploma of graduation in 1856, and afterward followed teaching for a term of five months. Dec. 26, 1860, he was married to Mary A., daughter of John Benyer, who has borne him four children, three living, viz., Jennie E., Lilis A. and Lura C.; an infant son, deceased. He and his wife are members of the Presbyterian Church, he to the united, she to the re-united, order. He is also a member of the Mason Grange, No. 49, with which he has been connected some years. His farm consists of 200 acres of choice land, which is largely in cultivation and comfortably improved. J. N. PERRINE, merchant, Mason, was born in Union Township, in Warren County, in the year 1836. He is a son of Daniel and Eliza Perrine, early pioneers, of whom a further notice is given elsewhere in this work. Our subject, J. N., was reared on the farm till 16 years of age, when he came to Mason to learn the carriage-trimming business, which he followed till the war broke out. In September, 1861, he enlisted in Co. A, 69th O. V. I.; his regiment was stationed at Columbus, guarding prisoners, until 1862, at which time they were sent to the front and annexed to the 14th Corps and for the first year were largely on detached duty; he followed the fortunes of the regiment till after the battle of Stone River, in which he participated; the following June, 1863, on account of inability caused from a chronic disorder, he was honorably 986 - BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES: discharged and returned to his home. He again engaged at his former trade which he followed till 1878, at which time he abandoned it and opened a eery and provision store at Mason. June 6, 1867, he was married to Sarah Van Fossen, by whom he has had two children, viz., Blanche and Birdie. 1.1'' is a member of the Masonic Lodge, F. & A. M., No. 15, Lebanon, Ohio, and of the I. 0. 0. F., Mason Lodge, No. 209. Both he and his estimable Wife a), consistent members of the Presbyterian Church of Mason, with which they have been connected about five years. have A. W. PITTINGER, of the firm of Fishwick & Pittinger, merchants, Foster's Crossing. Mr. Pittinger was born in Cincinnati in 1852, where he wa reared to mercantile pursuits, being educated in one of the leading houses US, the city; his literary education was received in the city schools, and, in addition, took a full commercial course in Bartlett's College; he worked as a salesman in the city until August, 1878, at which time he came to Foster's Crossing and ,embarked in his present enterprise with Mr. Fishwick; he has the exclusive business management of the house —a responsibility he is fully competent to discharge, as there are few indeed who are better posted in the different branches of merchandising than Mr. Pittinger; his large store is always full of the bast and most seasonable goods in the market, and by fair dealing he has built up a trade that has extended to the very doors of other dealers in adjoining towns. May 17, 1875, he was married to Lucy Fishwick, daughter of his partner. Mrs. Pittinger is a cultured lady, an excellent saleswoman, and is as thoroughly posted in their business as her husband. ABNER L. ROSS, farmer; P. 0. Pisgah, Butler Co. The gentleman whose name we present at the head of this sketch is another of ,the old and well-known citizens of Warren County. He was born in Turtle Creek Township July 29, 1805; he is a son of Benjamin L. and Sarah (Leonard) Ross; he was a native of New York, she being a native of Pennsylvania; both came to Ohio when single;. he came to Ft. Washington in 1797; in 1798, he came to Mason, but returned to his former place for greater security, which place is now known as Prideton. In 1801, he returned. He was one of the first mail-carriers in this part of the State, a business he operated in for a number of years; he was in reality a mail contractor under the United States Government. He was married, near Mason, in the spring of 1803, to Sarah, daughter of Abner Leonard, a pioneer preacher of the Methodist persuasion; he resided in Deerfield Township for a short time after his marriage, when he removed to near Lebanon and settled on land which is now owned by -- Mull; here he resided ten years, after which he returned to Mason and settled on one of Maj. Mason's farms for a short time, then removed to near Goshen, in Clermont Co., Ohio, where he lived till his death. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he was a pillar in its early history; a conscientious and unassuming gentleman, and one who had no aspirations for the empty bauble of office. To them were born ten children, five of whom are living, viz., Abner L., Samuel, Benjamin J., Mehetable and Sarah; the deceased are Isaac, Andrew, Mary, William L. and an infant. Mr. Ross died in April, 1865, aged about 90 years; his wife departed this life in 1876, at the age of 88 years. The early boyhood of our subject was passed in a manner different from most of pioneer boys, and obtained a good education for the advantages then offered; he walked three and four miles to schools, whose teachers' main qualifications were in the use of the hazel. At the age of 14, he began carrying the mail, his route extending from Lebanon through Oxford and Hamilton to Brookville, Ind.; on this route he operated four years, carrying the mail on horseback; after this, be operated on the Troy Stage Line from Lebanon to Dayton, and another to Lancaster and Circleville; also from Cincinnati to Lancaster through Mont- DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP - 987 gomery, Foster's Crossing, Clarksville, Sabina, Washington Court House, to holland, Williamsport, Circleville and Amanda to Lancaster; on the above lines he operated twelve years, and at the same time had staging going on from Chillicothe to Gallipolis, and a line from Cincinnati to Indianapolis, Ind., and from the latter place to Bloomington, Bedford, Paola, to Leavenworth, on the Ohio River; also from Indianapolis to Terre Haute; he was the first to run a stage into Hamilton and Oxford, Ohio; his whole routes extended over a length of seven hundred miles; on four of his lines he had lively opposition. At this time, there were no pikes; the roads were mud roads, and the reader can have only a faint idea of their condition at times. During a portion of the time he was engaged in the above business, he was keeping hotel in Lebanon, where he was engaged at two different times—in all, twenty years. In Wilmington, Ohio, he kept hotel for two years. Abandoning staging in 1860, he retired to a fruit farm near Morrowtown, this county, to which he gave his attention about six years, and in 1869 came to where he now resides. He was married, in 1825, to Margaret Frazier, by whom he had six children, four living, viz., Abner L., James W., George W. and William R.: two died in infancy. His second marriage was celebrated with Mrs. Phcebe Fatout in 1869, she owning the farm of 90 acres, which is one of the best in the county. JOHN SANDERS, proprietor hotel, Foster's Crossing. The gentleman whose name heads this sketch was born in Saarbruck, Prussia, in 1819; he is a son of John and Martha Sanders, of Prussia, in which they were reared and married. In 1836, they, with their family, emigrated to America; they lauded in Baltimore after a tedious voyage of sixty-five days from Havre de Grace, France. From the place of landing they went to Pittsburgh, Penn., and afterward removed to Butler Co., Penn , where they purchased a farm, on which they lived and died; they were parents of five children, one son and four daughters; the daughters married and remained in Pennsylvania, and are named as follows: Margaret, Mary, Catherine and Elizabeth. John, the father of our subject, died at the age of 87, and his wife at the advanced age of 95 years. In Butler Co., Penn., our subject learned the shoe trade, which he followed there till 1839, at which time he went to Brady's Bend, Penn., where he started a shop of his own, which he carried on till 1842; here he was unfortunate, and lost about $2,000; the failure discouraged him, and he resolved to emigrate westward, and soon after was in Cincinnati, where he remained through the winter, and, in the following spring (1843), settled in Foster's Crossing, and for three years following, clerked in the hotel for James Foster In 1846, he was married to Margaret Gruber, and, immediately after, started in business for himself, and kept grocery and railroad boarders; this business he followed for some years, and then branched into the dry goods business, which, however, did not prove successful, and so allowed himself to drift back to saloon and boarding house keeping, in which he is now engaged; here Mr. Sanders had quite a diversity of changes, and really saw many "ups and downs," yet withal he has been successful, and is now enjoying the comforts of a good home and is doing a paying business To them have been born nine children, six of whom are living, viz., Joseph, John B., Catherine, Anna, Theresa and Salinda; the deceased, viz., Mary, Margaret and William. For ten years, he was toll-receiver at Foster's Crossing, on the Cincinnati, Montgomery & Hopkinsville Turnpike. He, his wife and their children are consistent members of the Catholic Church, in which all were baptized and received into the church according to every prescribed rule of that great religious body. Mr. Sanders owns a good property in the village, and is now, though suffering from ill health, enjoying life under his own vine and fig tree. He formerly owned 20 acres of land adjoining the river, on which were found many relics belonging to aboriginal and pre-historic times. 988 - BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES: JAMES SCOTT, carriage-manufacturer and undertaker; P. O. Twenty-Mile Stand; was born in Union Township in 1817; he is a son of Nicholas and Rhoda (Smith) Scott, who were born in New Jersey, in which they were reared and married; in his native State, he learned wagon-making, and also did an undertaking business. In 1816, he, his wife and one child emigrated to Ohio and settled three miles south of Lebanon, in Union Township; here he purchased a small farm, which he carried on in connection with his trade, he was a hard-working man, very conscientious, and had not the aspirations for worldly wealth some others had. He was a Republican in politics. To thee:, eight children were born, six living, viz., Abiah, now Mrs. Armstrong; James, Au". son L., Thomas; Sarah, now Mrs. Melville and Rebecca F., now Mrs. Kinkead; the deceased are Hannah and John. The latter enlisted, in the beginning of the war, in the 69th O. V. I., Co. A; he was wounded and taken prisoner at Murfreesboro, Tenn., and, after his recovery, returned to his regiment in time to participate in the battle of Mission Ridge, in which he was shot through the heart and instantly killed; he was a Lieutenant of his company, but during this battle was Acting Captain. Both Mr. and Mrs. Scott, Sr., were consistent and active members of the Christian Church, in which he was a representative and official member. The early life of our subject was passed in his father's shop; after attaining his majority, he went to Lebanon to study more fully and obtain a broader knowledge of his business in detail, where he remained for a season. In 1840, he began for himself in the dragon-making business at his present stand; being without capital, he began in a small way, and gradually he enlarged his business, with which he combined undertaking and carriage-making, and thus his business assumed considerable proportions, and his carriages find a ready sale in the market. As an undertaker, he sustains an enviable reputation; Gov. Jeremiah Morrow and his wife were buried by him, and the funeral expense of the Governor was but $13; that of his wife, $10; he was buried in 1852, she in 1845. Mr. Scott has been twice married— first, to Mary Hart, daughter of James Hart, of Warren County, April 5, 1842, who bore him one child, viz., Alice, born in September, 1843, died in December of the same year; Mrs. Scott died March 26, 1844, aged 23 years 1 month and 27 days. His second marriage was celebrated with Lydia E., daughter of John Lowe, of Warren County, April 3, 1845; to them one child has been born— Nicholas I., born July 31, 1851; he is now a physician in Cincinnati. Mr. and Mrs. Scott are members of the Presbyterian Church, in which he has been a Ruling Elder for many years. He is a gentleman fully interested in educational matters, and in the church and Sabbath school he is a representative man and zealous worker. He owns 70 acres of most excellent land, which is highly improved, with a fine dwelling and good working shop in which to carry on his business. John Lowe, father of Mrs. Scott, was born in Somerset Co., N. J., in 1789; came to Ohio in an early day a single man He was married to Mary Irwin June 22, 1815; she was born April 9, 1789; they were parents of five children, viz., James A I. Nancy C., Mary J. Sarah A., Lydia E. Mr. Lowe died June 18, 1871; Mrs. Lowe departed this life in June, 1829; both were members of the Presbyterian Church, in which he was a Ruling Elder; he served under Gen. Wayne in the war of 1812, in the vicinity of Ft; Wayne, Ind. He was three times married; his second marriage was with Mary A. Brower, who bore him seven children, viz., Henrietta M., John L., Johana M., Abraham B., William W., Josiah E. and William W. His third marriage was celebrated with Roxana T. Nye, who is yet living, and resides in Massachusetts. THOMAS SCOTT, farmer; P. O. Mason. The gentleman whose name we present at the head of this sketch is one of the well-known citizens of Warren DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP - 989 County. On the place where he lives he was born, in the year 1827; his parents, Jonathan and Nancy (English) Scott, were born in New Jersey, where they grew to manhood and womanhood and were married. In 1819, they, with their two children, William and Mary A., came to Ohio and settled on the land where their son Thomas now resides; this land was entered by Jonathan Scott, Sr., who, however, never came to Ohio. Until 1835, Jonathan, Jr., lived upon this land, at which time he removed to Turtle Creek Township, where he lived till his death, which occurred in 1841. Mrs. Scott departed this life in 1877, at the advanced age of 82 years. To them were born eleven children, eight of whom are living. viz., William; Mary A., now Mrs. Winterrowd; Samuel, Joseph, Thomas; Eliza J., now Mrs. Robbins; Levi, and Susan, now Mrs. Bradley; the deceased are Maria (Mrs. Hamilton), Asa and George. Our subject was reared to farm pursuits and in the district schools, and, through studious habits, he obtained enough of the indispensable to enable him to successfully discharge the demands of business complications. 1n 1854, he was married to Mary C., daughter of William and Mary Bunnell, early settlers of Warren Co., Ohio; for one year after his marriage, he lived in Turtle Creek Township, after which he located on the place that has since been his dwelling-place. They are parents of three children, two living, viz., Wallace and Thomas B.; William, deceased. Mr. Scott, with the exception of belonging to the Mason Horse Rangers, is connected with no other society. He owns 175 acres of most excellent land, and his surroundings indicate the thrift and enterprise of the owner. J. M. THOMPSON, farmer; P. O. Socialville. The gentleman whose name we present at the head of this sketch is one of the well-known and prominent citizens of Warren County. He was born in Deerfield Township July 7, 1831, and is a son of J. L. Thompson, a pioneer, whose, sketch appears in this work. The rudiments of his education were obtained in the district schools, which were afterward developed in the Farmers' College of Hamilton Co., Ohio, in which he took a year's course, and during that time, by close application to study, he fitted himself to successfully cope with the business relations of life. Upon attaining his majority, he engaged in a mercantile enterprise in Social- vine, where he conducted a general store for five years, and was very successful. At the termination of the above time, he disposed of his stock and.raturned to his farm, which is the best-kept place in the township; his surroundings and improvements are far above the average, and everything indicates the thrift and enterprise of the owner. April 29, 1858, he was married to Lottie, daughter of Henry Voorhis, of Butler Co., Ohio, who has borne him two children, viz., Charles M. and Dora E.; the former is a promising young attorney in Lebanon, and the latter the wife of E. C. Morrison. Mr. Thompson has never craved political honors, yet he has represented his party ticket in nearly ever office of the county, which, though, is largely in the minority; he has settled forty-one estates, besides settling up the old Miami Valley Railroad Company's business, which went into bankruptcy in 1879, and he was appointed Receiver in January, 1881. Be it said to his credit that in settling up so many estates he has never lost a dollar by a bad debt, nor failed to account for a cent that was charged to him; some of the estates were large, and, as all estates are more or less complicated, we consider this remarkable. Politically, he is of Democratic proclivities, and upon all questions of importance he clings tenaciously to the principles of true Democracy. In point of improvement, he stands at the head of every enterprise that has been successfully carried to a terminus. Through his instrumentality, the face of the country wears a much different aspect than would otherwise have been the case, as he has done much to help change and establish roads that are now of real value and advantage to every 991 - BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES : citizen. In the construction of pikes and other matters of equal importance he has always taken a leading part, which he sustained with creditableness to himself in every instance. Withal, J. M. Thompson is a representative man, and no citizen of his township has more friends or wields a greater influence than he. During the war, he took a prominent part in the history of the township, purchased credits, raised and paid for men, and in all, disbursed $32,000; was also distributing agent to those whose husbands and sons were in the ariny. He belongs to the Mason Horse Ranger Company, and is one of the two men who drafted its new constitution and assisted in organizing on a new basis. JOHN L. THOMPSON, retired farmer; P. 0. Socialville. To the gentleman whose name heads this sketch, we are pleased to accord a place in the ranks of the early pioneers of Warren County; he was born at Red Stone, Pennsylvania, Sept. 8, 1804, and is a son of Aaron and Jane (Lee) Thompson, who were born in the same State. In 1806, they emigrated by way of the Ohio River to Ohio, and took up their residence in Butler County close to Chester. There they cleared up a farm and made a permanent home. To them were born eighteen children, of whom only two live in Warren County. The others who are living are scattered throughout the West. Mrs. Thompson died in 1827. Mr. Thompson was again married to Julia Baird, who bore him three children; he died in 1841 or 1842. Our subject was reared on the farm, and in the subscription schools he learned to read and write. He labored on the farm for his father until his marriage, which was celebrated Nov. 4, 1828, with Eleanor, daughter of David Conover of New Jersey, and at that time of Butler County; after the celebration of his nuptials he located in Deerfield Township, where he has resided to the present, and in all human probability will reside to the end. His children who are living are seven in number, and all reside in good homes within sight of their parents, their names are as follows:—James M., Finley, Willson, George D., Jonathan L., Lucinda L., and Mary A. The deceased are—Abel S., Thomas J., David M., and Eva J. Mr. Thompson when married had comparatively speaking nothing, and his father being a poor man, he did much toward assisting him, which considerably retarded his own progress, yet he struggled along gaining little by little, and soon purchased thirty odd acres of land. Their first home was on what is now the Abner Ross farm, it being then nearly all timbered land; then there was scarcely a wagon road, and everything was carried in and out of the country on horseback. By the most unrelenting labor and strictest economy this pioneer gradually overcame the obstacles which are akin to poverty, and became one of the wealthy men of his township, possessing at one time about 700 acres of land. In politics Mr. Thompson is a Democrat; he has served the people of the township in capacity of Trustee for nine years; his children are greatly esteemed and are among the most respected in the county, being moral and strictly honest men and women; they are well calculated to perpetuate the record of their father, which is without a spot or blemish. He is an old member of the Company of Mason Horse Rangers. To his children he has given good homes; he was engaged for some time as a partner with his son J. M. Thompson, in a store at Socialville. The grandfather of Mrs. Thompson served as Light Horseman in the struggle of the colonists for liberty. L. C. THURSTON, horse shoer and dealer in fine horses, Mason. The subject of this memoir was born in Mason, Jan. 2, 1838. He is a son of James and Margaret (Crone) Thurston. He was a native of Germany and her family were of Irish extraction. James T. came to Warren County in 1811, and settled near Foster's Crossing. He was a miller by trade and for twenty yearsi he worked for Governor Jeremiah Morrow as his miller. He was married to Margaret Crone, in Mason, and our subject is their only offspring. He DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP - 991 (James) followed the vocation of milling as long as he was able to perform. manual labor, when he went to Indiana and in Vigo County purchased a farm on which he lived till his death, which occurred in 1874, aged about 80 years. His wife survived him and died in Lebanon in 1871, suddenly and without a moment's warning Our subject was reared in Mason, and with Bursk, he learned the trade of horse shoeing, in which art he is a perfect master in every particular. He began the trade at the age of 15, and in this county has worked in Corwin, Lebanon and Mason, and also in Bethany and West Chester in Butler Co., Ohio. He started in life without a dollar of capital, and borrowed $400 with which to make a start. By his large business capacity and a strict adherence to the old adage, "pluck wins," has made a property which now exceeds a valuation of $10,000. He was married in 1861, to Miss Elizabeth, daughter of Isaac Garner of Virginia, who has borne him one child, viz., John W., a promising young man of Mason and an expert telegraphist. For the present, he is cashier and book-keeper for the well-known Sam C. Bennett. Mr. T. is a great admirer of the equine species, and for fifteen years has operated largely in fancy driving stock and as a true horse man he is known far and wide. ALFRED VOORHIS, retired farmer; P. O. Mason; was born near Lebanon, Warren Co., Chio, Aug. 26, 1807; he is the son of Daniel and Elizabeth (Tucker) Voorhis, natives of the state of New Jersey. Daniel, the grandfather of our subject, emigrated to Louisville, Ky., in an early day and soon thereafter removed to Ohio settling in the vicinity of Sharonville where he remained but a short time and removed near the present village of Lebanon. He was born at Hackensack, N. J., at which place he kept an inn and was on several occasions honored with the presence of General Washington who stopped with him. He was the father of eight children and died in his Buckeye home. Daniel, Jr., the father of our subject, was united in marriage with. Elizabeth Tucker, who resided near what is now the Village of Glendale, about the year 1797. He served under Gem Wayne in the war of 1812 for a period of more than two years as a wagoner. In this union were born nine children, seven of whom are now living, viz., Clarissa, the eldest, now 82 years of age, Henry, Alfred, Eliza, Mary, Caroline A. and Manning. The deceased are Kittie and Sallie. The parents died, the father in 1858 and the mother in 1847. The early life of our subject was passed on the farm and after arriving at the proper age he labored as a hired hand for five years, receiving about $10 per month and at the end of this time had saved $300 in cash. March 9, 1831, he was married to Lucinda, daughter of John M. Snook. After his marriage, he rented land one year and then purchased 67 acres where he now lives. At the time, it was partially cleared and until a cabin could be erected, the cooking was done beside a log. Here he has resided since and has prospered. The log-cabin has disappeared, and a fine, commodious and comfortable house towers above the now insignificant log structure. The forest has disappeared and well cleared and highly tilled fields help complete the transformation that is so marked at every turn. At present he owns 127 acres, though formerly he owned a large tract of land which he has divided among his children, having given them property to the amount of $2,000 apiece. To them eleven children have been born, eight of whom are now living, viz., Oliver, Julia A., Elizabeth, John, Manning, Frances, Ellison and Manilla. The deceased are Manilla, Vermillion and Roselle. Vermillion enlisted in the beginning of the war in Co. A. 69th 0. V. I. and saw the contest through. He was wounded at Atlanta, from which he recovered and after his return home died from asthma. Manning enlisted in 1861, in the 83d 0. V. I. and served throughout the war. Ellison also served in the late war, being a member of Co. A. 69th 0. V. I. 992 - BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. WILLIAM C WILLIAMSON, farmer; P. O. Mason; was born in Hamilton Co., Ohio, in the year 1825. His parents were William Williamson and Elizabeth Irwin. She was born in Ireland and with her parents came to this country when young. He was born in Monmouth Co., N. J., where he lived till about 20 years old, when he came to Ohio and settled in Franklin where he married his first wife—Conover---who lived but little more than a year after. After the loss of her, he removed to Hamilton Co., Ohio, where he married again, of which union nine children were born—five living, viz., Ann James I., George, Elizabeth and William C. The deceased are David, Samuel' Sarah and Mary J. and two infants. By his first marriage he had one child' viz., Thomas, who, when last heard of, lived, in Indiana. Mr. W. died in 1864' aged '72 years. Mrs. W. died in 1858, aged 72 years. Though his father was a merchant, our subject was reared on the farm and he received only a limited education in the district schools, his school-days not exceeding over a period of a few months. Being a poor boy, he worked by the month on the farm, beginning as a hired hand when only 8 years old. Thus he strove till of age. Dec. 27, 1850, he was married to Delilah, daughter of Stephen and Cassandra Compton of Virginia. After this event, he lived for one year in Hamilton Co., Ohio, after which he came to Warren County and in Deerfield Township he has since lived. In 1877, he came to the place where he now resides. He owns 121 acres of land and all comfortably improved. To Mr. and Mrs. W. have been born thirteen children—nine now living, viz., Stephen C., Elizabeth J., William H., Emma B., Mary A., Caroline, Della, Lulu M. and Freeman E. The deceased are John W., Cassandra, Lewis and an infant. Officially, he has been identified in some of the offices of the township, and as Trustee has served for eight years—an evidence of his executive ability and the confidence his townsmen repose in him. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., Mason Lodge, No. 209, Lincoln Encampment of Lebanon, No. 100 and also to the Mason Horse Rangers. He and his estimable wife have for a period of thirty-five years been consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church and it is rightfully their due, be it said to their credit, have always endeavored to discharge every Christian and moral duty to the very best of their ability. Mr. W. is emphatically a self-made man; from a poor boy of good purpose working by the month, gradually worked himself along the plane of life and though his accumulations were small for years, courage, good habits and industry have told in the end, and the property he now owns evidences the proof of that fact. PETER W. WIKOFF. retired farmer; P. O. Mason; was born in Deerfield Township, in the year 1813. He is a son of Garrett and Phceba (Cox) Wikoff, who were born in the State of New Jersey, in which their early lives were passed. With their respective families they came to Warren County;. he the year 1809; she with her family in 1810. They were married in Deerfield Township in 1811. Peter Wikoff and wife Catherine Tice, came at the same time, and were accompanied with their family, which consisted of eight children. In the home of their adoption they lived and died. Both were members of the Presbyterian Church. After Garrett Wikoff was married he settled on land in Section 35, where he lived for some years, when he sold out and wen. to Indiana; but four years latter returned to his former home. Two years after he went to Franklin, in which he lived four years, after which he returned to his old home, where he died in 1842. She died in 1862. To them were born eight children, viz.: William, Peter, Garrett, Margaret, Phoeba A., Julia Mary J. and Catherine. Our subject was reared on the farm, and remained with his parents on the farm in Indiana, until so broken down with ague be was obliged to return to Ohio, when he worked as a hired hand, giving the pro3eeds of his labor to his father. In 1833, he was married to Sarah, daughter DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP - 993 of Major William Mason. After the celebration of this event he located on land adjoining the village of Mason. He has been successful during life, and his farm of 440 acres attests the fact. He has been no political aspirant, caring nothing for the bauble of office, and with the exception of one year he served as Justice of the Peace, has held no other office. He has been a member of the Mason Horse Rangers for thirty years. Major William Mason and wife, Sarah Murphy, were parents of Mrs. Wikoff; he was born in Pennsylvania, and afterwards removed to Palmyra, Tenn., from whence he came to Ohio, about 1798, and first settled on the Little Miama river, near Madisonville, Ohio. Here he lost his first wife Mary McClellan, and soon after came to this township, in which he bought 36 acres, the present site of Mason By his first wife he had two children, viz.—Maria and Samuel. By the second four children, viz.: Cynthia, Sarah, William and Elizabeth. At the age of sixteen he entered in the war of the Revolution, and served under Col. Hookum, foi meritorious service was commissioned Major. He also enlisted in 1812, but only served a short time. He was much noted for his liberality, and at his death willed to the village of Mason 40 acres of land. JOHN C. WODREY, farmer; P. O. Foster's Crossing. The gentleman whose name we present at the head of this sketch, is one of the prominent and enterprising German citizens of Warren County. He was born in Mecklenburg Strelitz, Germany, Sept. 14, 1822, and is a son of Jacob Wodrey, a native of the same place, who lived and died in his native land. Our subject was reared in farm pursuits and obtained only such education as the schools of this country at that time afforded. In 1850, he set sail for America, and on the 16th of August landed in New York, after a tedious voyage of sixty-three days. For four years following he obtained employment with the Vanderbilts, on railroad lines and labored in various places. In 1854, he came to Ohio, to Montgomery County, when he worked one summer as a farm hand, after which came to Warren County, where he labored for the well known Frederick Cline for two years; then worked his land on shares, but still lived with him for several years. In 1864, he purchased 75 acres of land, which, under his management has been developed into the most productive and best kept farm in his neighborhood. In February, 1865, he was married to Matilda Stuckland; to his second wife, Nancy E. Cline, he was married Sept. 29, 1867; one child, viz., Nancy. He was married to his last and third wife Hannah Albright, June 23, 1869, and by her has had two children, viz., John E., and Lillie M. He and his wife belong to the Lutheran Church, to which they have belonged since childhood. He He is a Republican in political belief, having always voted with that party.