OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - Know your Ohio: Tidbits of Ohio -- Part 11 ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES(tm) NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgenwebarchives.org ************************************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Darlene E. Kelley http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374 February 25, 2005 ************************************************************************** Historical Collections of Ohio And Then They Went West by Darlene E. Kelley Andrew Mc Grue [ Megrue ] by Byron Williams Tid Bits- part 11. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Andrew Mc Grue is a direct descendant of our family through Eva Adelaide Megrue who married Thomas Arthur Kelley, of Cleveland, Ohio. The geneology of the family is below as written by Byron Williams, a cousin of Eva Megrue Kelley. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Andrew Mc Grue [ Megrue ] A name that was familiar in northern Clermont and about Cincinnati was brought from the city of Baltimore in September, 1806, to the vicinity of Milford by Andrew Mc Grue. He had served in the Revolution according to one account, he had married Hannah Rust, and they had a family of seven sons and two daughters. He also had some means for that time, for he bought a large tract of land, stretching toward Newberry, from the house by Matson's Hill, looking upon what is East Milford, but then was McCormack's, the birthplace of Methodistic faith north of the Ohio. He had means to keep one of the early stores. The name soon appeared in the early records. On May 14, 1807, Philip Gatch, M.G., meaning minister of the gospel, married Jonathan McGrew to Ruth Crawford. At the term of the common pleas court, beginning February 21, 1809, the first held in the new stone courthouse in Williamsburg, Andrew McGrew appeared as one of the grand juriors. Other members of that grand jury were Capt. Daniel Feagans, the pioneer of the vicinity now called Georgetown; Lieut. Cornelius McCollum, from the John Collins " Jersey Settlement " by the mouth of Clover; Jasper Shotwell, promoted to be ensign when his captain, Jacob Boerstler, was killed at the battle of Brownstown, in the war of 1812; Henry Zumatt, soon to be a colonal in te war of 1812; Houton Clarke, the tavern keeper from Bethel, and father of Congressman R.W. Clarke; Jacob Ulrey, the mighty hunter from Ulrey's Run; Isaac Higbee, who came with Rev. John Collins, when he preached the first Methodist sermon in Cincinnati; and Capt. Andrew Harry, from Maryland, who was making hats in Williamsburg. Several wolf scalps were presented at that term for the bounty money paid. Authority to solemnize marriage was conferred for the first time on the wonderfully eloquent Rev. George C. Light, for whom his nephew, Judge George L. Swing, was named. As a thousand times longer has been required to find than read the items, we hope that some will appreciate the associations of the pioneer McGrew, who also was a Methodist, and no doubt rode to court over the Round Bottom and Deerfield rode with his neighbors and brothers in the church, Judge Philip Gatch and Judge Ambrose Ransom, who sat on the judicial bench at that court. Two years later, Andrew " Megrue," who had made a good impression, was certified for a commission as a justice of the peace for old Clermont from Miami township, which, though on the side of the big county, was getting her share. At the June term of the court in 1812, Andrew " Megrue " made application to alter the road from Milford passing through Ransom's, and the road leading from Harner's Run to Stonelick, near Captain Slone's. He was preparing the ways and straightening the paths trough the large tract that was to be partitioned among his children. The children had most of their schooling in Maryland, but a school house on Harner's Run is mentioned in a road discription in 1809, on the same line that " Megrue " wated to change in 1812. The spelling of the name also changed then, and some have never got right since. Yet, the name does not easily take a French style, and no art can change the fine Scotch-Irish cast of the people who should be proud to keep the Gaelic form. Jonathan, married in 1807, was one of Andrew's seven sons, but William, the eldet, waited longer and then married Rachel, a daughter of Ebenezer Newton, who had come from Cape May to Milford about the same time. Newton had taught along the Ohio river and then in the South, where he gained strong views of slavery. He was the author of a work on simplified spelling, that met the usual fate of such effort. The third brother among the six sons and one daughter of William and Rachel McGrew, was born on a farm near Mt. Repose, March 3, 1817, and named Andrew after his pioneer grandfather. Soon after, his father kept a store at Newberry, but later moved to Mill Creek valley and farmed on what is now a part of Spring Grove cemetery. He learned his trade as an apprentice with Cassett, the edge tool maker on Main Street. With fine intelligence and characteristic determination, he mastered the machinery and learned the engineering of the establishment. At one time and another he installed machinery on Sugar plantations, and was an engineer on the river. In this way he had a large chance to ponder the force of a never forgotten remark heard in boyhood and made to his father, William, by his grandfather, teacher Ebnenezer Newton; " Slavery is a National evil and wil bring a National curse. It may not come in my day or your day, but I should not be surprised if these children lived to see it." Andrew McGrew lived to see it, and was only surprised that it did not come sooner -- so heinous was slavery in his sight. He left the river to take the management of John Kugler's extensive enterprise at " Tippecanoe, " which was the facetious name given during and after the " Log Cabin and Hard Cider Campaign " for General Harrison in 1840. The name was suggested by the local preponderance of such sentiment. Before experiment had the stability of an earthbed, the Little Miami railway track was a structure of long sleepers and cross ties, and more sills and ties, until a sill held a flat strap of iron that was nailed down, and sometimes curled up at the ends into and through the cars above with injury to freight and terror to passengers. And all the while, the wood work below rotted in wet. or caught fire in dry weather. In the lack of better ways, millions of feet of the finest oak were required in the square, which John Kugler contracted largely to furnish. Before the invention of little saw mills that could be taken to the logs, Kugler and McGrue built a huge steam saw mill, where Glancy's Run is crossed by the Deerfield or Lebanon road, a half mile north of William's Corners. Evan the ashes are effaced. But among the multitude of choppers, loggers, and mill men, with scores of yokes and teams to haul the logs and deliver the timber, when roads had to be made, the young, large, strong, capable and great-hearted Andrew McGrew went as Kugler's factotum of mechanical and executive detail. Kugler was the successor of Samuel Perin as the commercial master, each in his turn, of his region and time. Their endorsement stands as a prime cerificate of their ability and worth of their assistants. The business at Tippecanoe developed the quality of leadership that marked Andrew McGrew for attention and respect wherever he mingled. A youthful mind cannot at once grasp the progress spanned by his activities. While an apprentice, he helped to make the iron work that joined the wooden tubes for early water works of Cincinnati and the iron mountings for the cannon sent by that city to aid the independence of Texas. But he lived to the end in full sympathy and true improvement. He lived for a while at Westboro, and at Columbus, always busy, energetic, improving something, and useful in the communities in which he lived. In 1869, he returned to Milford, and in 1873, bought the fine residence of the late Gen. Thomas Gatch, that is still the family home. While withdrawn from the excessive activity of youth, he continued a care for common good. He was thoroughly interested in education and served twelve years in the board of educaion, and generally as the president. In that time he was earnest in starting and promoting the Milford High School. He was a member of the Odd Fellows. He served almost continously during his last residence as president of the official board of the Milford Methodist church, and shared in all activities of that, the oldest of all Methodist churches north and west of the Ohio river. He was twice married. He died January 24, 1899. The children of Andrew and Sarah Bailey McGrew, of his first marriage, are Clyde Bailey McGrew, lived at Milford, and his three sisters, Mary, Anna N., and Lilla, living with their mother at Milford. The writer of this sketch knowing him well, admired the excellance and dignity of his worth and esteemed him one of the truest of friends, [ and was proud to call him cousin.] +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Letter To Eva Adelaide Megrue Kelley by Byron Willams. April 15, 1897. [ This submitter has in her possession a letter written to her husband's Grandmother Eva Adelaide Megrue Kelley, from Bryon Willams. She married Thomas Arthur Kelley of Cleveland, Ohio. Eva Adelaide Megrue is a direct descendant of the above writing -- re- Andrew McGrew as follows; Andrew McGrue, ( Megrue ) ; his son Paul Megrue had a son Conduce Gatch Megrue who married Anna Simpkins. Anna Simpkins was born in 1833 and died 1896. Conduce and Anna Megrue's daughter was Eva Adelaide Megrue, who married Thomas Arthur Kelley. The below letter written to Eva Megrue Kelley is in Byron William's beautiful penmanship and was written on stationary with a letterhead which states that it is from " Library of Byron Williams, author of Illustrated Lectures on the American Navy. " ] " Willamsburg, Ohio. April 15, 1897. Mrs Eva Kelley, Dear Cousin; I have just learned that I am to expect a letter from you asking for what I can tell of your rights for membership in the Daughters of the Revolution or any kindred society. Your first claim within my knowledge, is that you are fourth in descent from Ephraim Simpkins, a private in the New Jersey Militia, who was your great grandfather. His name is on the pension roll from Clermont @ Ohio, and easily obtained. You will notice that I follow the ancient spelling of the name. Of your claim through your father, I have nothing to state, but of that through the Williams family, which makes you fifth in descent from Col. John Cooley of New York, which much can be said. It is only quite recently that I have been able to locate our descent from him. My father was named for him and for that name received the silver knee buckle that his granfather, Col Cooley wore while serving in the Revolutionary Army. But you must remember that my father was born in 1800, and that the family did not keep in corespondence after removal to the west in 1810. I met a grandson of Col. Cooley in 1864, who told me much about the old patriot, which I carelessly neglected to write and so it is not available. By the merest chance I have found the clue. Like yourself, I have another line of ancestry, but it is very nice to establish as many lines as possible, especially when one is so honorable as that in question. I feel sure that you will be glad to take up the investigation, which includes an examination of records in the east. Is your brother in New York, and if so, will he take any interest in the affair? I will gladly give you and him my best advice which I am sure wll result in our mutual satisfaction. Please let me know your wish. Very sincerely, Byron Williams. " +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Continued in Tid bits part 12.