History: WILLS, Thomas 1881 HAMILTON COUNTY OHIO
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Thomas Wills
History of Hamilton County, OH; published in 1881 by Ford
                                    pg 310
                            Transcribed by Patti Graman
                                       

        This venerable gentleman, one of the best known citizens of the
village of Cheviot in this township,
is of Irish lineage on both sides of his family. His paternal
grandfather, James Wills, immigrated from
Ireland to the new world about the year 1780, with a brother, and settled
in eastern Pennsylvania for a
time, but shortly afterwards removed to the present Fleming county,
Kentucky, upon or near the site of
Flemingsburgh. He was among the earliest pioneers to this part of the
"dark and bloody ground," and 
was driven from his improvements by the marauding savages as many as
three times, once being obliged
to remain away for the period of two years. When preparing for flight,
Mr. Wills was compelled to
bring all his farming utensils in which there was iron, to prevent their
falling into the hands of the
Indians. He had many troubles with the redskins, and for a long period
could hardly consider his life
secure at any moment. James Wills is believed to have been a native of
county Down, Ireland, so also
was the maternal grandfather, George Dowler. He came to this country in
1790, and likewise located in
eastern Pennsylvania, where he died some years afterwards. His son,
George Dowler, jr., was a man of
marked ability, and became a prominent minister in the Methodist
Episcopal church. When his family
removed westward, he was kept behind in Wheeling, through his mother's
fear of the Indians, and 
grew to manhood in that place. After the death of the elder Dowler, his
widow married James Grimes, of
eastern Pennsylvania They removed to Hagerstown, in the same State, and
remained there until 1795,
when they came to Newtown, in Anderson township, Hamilton county, Ohio,
being among the very first
settlers of this region. Here Mr. Grimes spent the remainder of his days,
in the peaceful pursuits of
agriculture, and died about four years after his immigration. 
        Samuel, son of James, and father of Thomas Wills, was born at the
pioneer home near
Flemingsburgh, Kentucky. He learned the trade of a stone-mason, and
became proficient in all branches
of the business. About 1808 he went to Newtown, in search of work, and
there met Miss Mary, daughter
of James Grimes and Mrs. Dowler Grimes, aforesaid, whom he married the
next year. He died in 1822,
when Thomas was but seven years old. About two years afterwards Mrs.
Wills was united in marriage to
William Hatfield, a shoemaker at Newtown. Thomas was the third son of the
previous union. Upon the
remarriage of his mother, he lived with his grandmother three years, and
then returned home, where he
learned the trade of shoemaking with his stepfather, and followed it in
the paternal shop until the age of
seventeen, when he left Newtown. In 1839 he removed to Cheviot, in Green
township. Nine years after
he was married to Miss Eliza Richardson, by whom he has had seven
children, of whom three are still
living. He continued the boot and shoe business and remained at it as
long as he was able to work. He was
soon called, however, to the performance of public duties, in which he
was more or less engaged all the 
rest of his life. When he settled in Cheviot that region was almost
entirely isolated, and material for
official service was rather scarce; he was hence, in a manner, forced
into prominent positions which he
would not voluntarily have asked or accepted. For twenty-nine years he
was a justice of the peace 
in this township, retaining remarkable popularity, and commanding general
approval by the integrity and
impartiality of his decisions. For thirty-one years, the entire period of
a generation of the human race,
he was postmaster at Cheviot. In 1865 he was chosen by his fellow
citizens to a yet more responsible
position, as director of the county infirmary, and was thrice reelected,
serving in all, three terms in
that position, with entire acceptance to his associates of the board and
to his constituents. He then 
declined further service, on account of increasing infirmities and
disabilities; and has since declined to
assume official duties. He died Sunday, February 27, 1881, in the
sixty-sixth year of his age, leaving 
abundance of proof that the sunset of his life was as glorious and
peaceful as had been the purity of his
relations toward his fellow men.


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