COLUMBIA COUNTY OHIO - MORRIS/MILLER History Chapter 5 (published 1873)
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"HISTORY OF THE MORRIS AND MILLER FAMILIES" By Morris Miller  1873
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	        Chapter 5
			
            Incidents of Moving

	I left my parents a few pages back on a rented farm in 
Fayette County. They remained there about six years, having 
prospered as well as could have been expected under the 
circumstances. There was always a good understanding 
existed between them and Grandfather, each one ready to 
assist the other in time of need when it lay in their power 
to do so.

	I yet look back with the most pleasing and perfect 
memory on the enjoyable times that we used to have when 
Grandfather and his boys came over to assist us in planting 
and harvesting time and Father would go and help them in 
return. Father was considered an expert in stacking grain. 
One year before the new barn was built he stacked 
Grandfather’s crop of wheat, which amounted to 1,300 dozen, 
all of which had to be stacked, as there were no barns nor 
threshing machines to take it out in the field in those 
days. Great is the contrast between then and the present 
time in many of the operations of farming, yet I can not 
look back without feeling a veneration for those good old 
days. The entire ignorance of the presence rendered us a 
blessing over what we then had.

	Father feeling that he would like to be on property of 
his own, his family having increased to four sons and being 
anxious for their future welfare, he and Mother concluded 
they had better look out for a more permanent home. 
Accordingly, in the autumn of 1804, Father made a purchase 
of a farm in the southern border of Greene County, about 
ten miles distant from Grandfather’s. His antecedent’s name 
was James Adamson, an acquaintance of Father’s and a son-
in-law of Nathan Heald, one of the first settlers of 
Columbiana County, Ohio, and Adamson wished to go there 
also; consequently he was easy to deal with. The land was 
good and was conveniently located for farming purposes. The 
buildings consisted of a new two-story stone house but 
partially finished inside, yet it was tolerably comfortable 
to live in; and an old decayed log house and barn. In the 
spring of 1805 they moved to the new home, and being 
favored with reasonably good health, got along with the 
concerns at the farm as well as could have been expected, 
but they were not long in discovering that they were not 
among the congenial class of society which they formerly 
enjoyed. The neighbors seemed kind in their way, but they 
must be indulged in their way or they were not friendly and 
social as neighbors should be. To tell about them in the 
fewest words will be to day that a still house was nearby, 
and was generally kept in full blast to supply the home 
demand. No gathering for harvest or any other purpose on 
the farm could be convened without the promise of an ample 
supply of liquor. Even an isolated hand to work on the farm 
could rarely be obtained without the condition to have the 
bottle along with the water pail. Father not being opposed 
(when he first went there) entirely to the moderate use of 
liquor, flattered himself that he could give his hands a 
little and keep it under control. One day (I believe it was 
in his second harvest after moving there) in the midst of 
his largest field of wheat, three of his men got into a 
dispute about which was the best man and all stopped short. 
One man kept hold of his sickle for defense. The second man 
took up a stone, and the third man ran to the fence for a 
stake. Thus they arrayed themselves for battle. After 
abusing each other with all that profanity could bestow, 
they were at length prevailed upon by Father’s entreaties 
to drop their difficulties and resume their work, which, 
after a little entreaty from the other hands they agreed to 
do, and kept quiet until noon. After the first table had 
eaten dinner and the second was in progress the quarrel was 
renewed in the yard, and Father had to leave his table 
precipitately to prevent violence among the inebriate 
combatants. I give this as a specimen of the state of 
morals in that locality. So frequent indeed were such 
occurrences that little attention was given to them by the 
law, as clean-handed parties were too scarce to put it in 
force. I believe this was the last attempt that Father ever 
made to have several hands to assist him in his business, 
and from thenceforth he abandoned the using or giving of 
liquor to hands employed; consequently, he had to get along 
best he could by exchanging work with some few who would 
engage to work without liquor.

	We children were then coming to an age to go to school; 
hence, it gave our parents a great deal of anxiety, as no 
school had been kept there for a number of years. An old 
school house dilapidated beyond repair and a small frame 
meeting house were nearby. Father suggested that propriety 
of having school resumed and kept in the meeting house, 
which had not been much used in years past for meeting 
purposes. After almost a year’s consideration Father’s 
measures were adopted, and a young man was employed as a 
teacher who had traveled some and could read and write, 
which were the only branches then aspired to. He was 
engaged to teach a year, and Father agreed to board him, as 
he lived most convenient. His term commenced in the spring 
of 1806, and proved rather a success for the time being, as 
it advanced many from the alphabet to comfortable reading 
and writing. It was a little amusing, and would not 
scarcely believed, that in the beginning of the school the 
teacher had a class of girls, very near women, stammering 
over their ABC’s. It was a wonder to us little ones who had 
been taught our letters and some spelling at home how 
children of their size could escape knowing their letters 
so long, but such was the state of society there, and as 
Father had declined the use of liquor, he had but little 
influence over them; consequently, the school was not 
resumed again while we remained there, and the opportunity 
we afterwards had was at a very inconvenient distance.

	The reader will imagine from the substance of the last 
pages that our new home was not as pleasant as could be 
desired. Father and Mother had always before moving there 
enjoyed more congenial society. Although they were not 
members of any religious denomination, yet they had an 
especial regard for the principles of Christianity, and 
when convenient, made it a specialty to attend meetings for 
divine worship, and as those of the Society of Friends were 
the most convenient and many of their relations and most 
particular friends being members of that body, had their 
influence to draw their minds that way, and feeling a 
parental interest for the welfare of their children as well 
as themselves, concluded to request to become members of 
the Society of Friends. Father’s mind had been particularly 
drawn that way for some years past, as the following 
incident will show. As I said before, Father and Mother had 
been concerned to attend meetings when they could, and 
particularly when a traveling minister had a meeting. On 
one occasion they were after meeting introduced by some 
friend to the minister as Levi and Deborah Miller. On 
hearing the name Levi, the minister grasped his hand very 
cordially and said, "I hope thou wilt prove to be a true 
Levite and favored in sincerity to become a bearer of the 
Ark of testimony." Father received those remarks with a 
deep solemnity, believing that they came from a divine 
source, as he was well enough versed in Scripture to duly 
appreciate them. I never heard them mentioned but once, 
then by my mother as a secret which she was telling a 
friend, and I have kept it until the present time. The 
request, after due course through the order of the Society, 
was cordially granted to them and entered on the minutes of 
the Westland Monthly Meeting. This I believe took place in 
the summer of 1808. One circumstance I have omitted. Our 
youngest brother Nathan, got so badly scalded at a sugar 
boiling that it proved fatal in a few days. He was a very 
promising child, and hence it was a bereavement for us. 
Phebe, mother’s youngest sister, coming to an age of 
maturity, accepted an offer of marriage and left us the 
following autumn after our brother’s death. This was felt 
as another bereavement in the family. Mother was widely 
known as a choice butter maker; hence, the absence of her 
sister was much felt in that department, and as female 
assistance was difficult to obtain, of a suitable kind - 
not that enough could not be had to do the work all right, 
but such was the state of morals that no prudent parents 
would feel comfortable to have their children exposed to 
the profanity and vulgarity that many of them indulged in.

	After we had requested to become members of the 
Society, the hitherto disagreeable monotony of our home 
society was often very pleasantly relieved by the visits of 
our Friends. Such visits had a very beneficial influence 
oftentimes on those who chanced to be with us, so that our 
home circle gradually improved a little for better.

	Although our comforts in society seemed a little 
improved, yet two serious disadvantages remained in our 
present location. One was we were ten miles from any 
established meeting, with a very hilly road and a dangerous 
stream of water to cross that had neither bridge nor ferry, 
and the only pass was to it except by crossing the 
Monongahela River in two different places but by a less 
hilly road. Another, and the most serious one, as our 
parents estimated, was the demoralizing state of society 
with which we were surrounded. Father had lost all hope of 
seeing it soon bettered and to have his children much 
longer exposed to what he had seen in the few years past 
was too far from his sense of duty and justice towards them 
to be reconciled to its continuance. Thus concerned, they 
concluded that they had better look out for another home, 
and the question where it should be was the next problem to 
solve. The land near their relatives and adopted meeting 
was held at too high a price for them to hope to exchange 
their home for a desirable one in that locality, and to 
brave the privations of the west as many were doing they 
did not feel inclined to do.

	Father’s health had been on the decline for a few years 
past. He had for many years been the subject to slight 
attacks of dyspepsia, which had increased in the last two 
years so as to depress him both physically and mentally.

	While this important question was resolving in their 
minds, we were visited by father’s old uncle, Samuel Shaw 
and wife, from Ohio, early in the autumn of 1809, they 
having sold their farm in Westland neighborhood about three 
years before and gone to Ohio and settled in the woods. 
They gave Father and Mother such a favorable account of 
their new home that they listened with much attention. 
Uncle was married three times. His third wife was 
remarkable for her talent of quick perception and 
volubility of description. She dilated much at heart on the 
progress of their new settlement and the cheapness and good 
qualities of the land, and above all the good state of 
morals that prevailed with all classes. She was most 
particular in describing the building of their Meeting 
House. It was hewed out of the woods - built in the woods - 
and the timbers so fine for splitting that it was 
comfortably floored and neatly seated, all of split timber 
independent of a sawmill. Although but a lad of ten years, 
I remember almost verbatim the conversation that passed, 
feeling an interest then, as well as my parents, in having 
better society to associate in, when at our last school we 
were held in derision by our schoolmates for not 
participating in the obscene vulgarities that they indulged 
so freely in.

	Father always had full confidence in his uncle. 
Although he was one of but few words, yet what they were 
always sincerely intended. They proved a turning point to 
the question that had occupied our minds, but we did not 
wish to act precipitately, but consider the matter 
maturely.