OHIO STATEWIDE FILES OH-FOOTSTEPS Mailing List Issue 227 *********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 00 : Issue 227 Today's Topics: #1 Bios: Montgomery co. - Hatfield, H [christina m hursh To: OH-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <20000716.150737.-230605.0.frog158@juno.com> Subject: Bios: Montgomery co. - Hatfield, Holmes, Kindle, Kelsey Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Transcribed by Mrs. Becki Klansnic for the Ohio Biographies Project. The History of Montgomery County, OH", by W. H. Beers & Co., Pub. 1882 THOMAS HATFIELD, farmer, was born October 1, 1821, in a log cabin which stood near the site of his present home. His paternal grandfather, Thomas Hatfield, was a native of Delaware, of Welsh descent, served as a drummer boy in the Revolutionary was, and ever afterward was a stanch hater of the English flag and government, which he believed was symbolical of tyranny and oppression. His brothers, John and Samuel, were killed in a struggle for liberty, one at the battle of the Cowpens and the other at Greenbrier. C. H. Thomas married Sarah Allen, a native of Culpepper County, Va., but a resident of Kentucky at the time of her marriage. After the Revolutionary war closed with the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, Thomas traveled through Virginia, Maryland, North and South Carolina, Tennessee and into Kentucky, where he was married and lived until 1801, when he and family came to Montgomery, Ohio, and entered the land now owned by his grandson, Thomas. By his union with Sarah Allen our subject's grandfather became the father of nine children, of whom John, the father of Thomas, Jr., the second child, was born in Mason County, Ky., in November, 1793. When John was eighteen years of age, he was drafted to served in the war of 1812, but having imbibed his father's spirit of liberty and freedom he could not brook the idea of going into his country's service as a drafted man, and therefore enlisted in Capt. Perry's Rangers. His father, fired with that spirit of hatred against the same old foe had helped to humiliate in 1776, enlisted in the same company and did excellent service as a scout and guide, and being of a fearless nature was the first man to ford any stream that lay in their pathway. After serving one year, he and his son were honorably discharged in Vincennes, Ind. John was married about 1817 to Nancy Hatfield, a distant relative, who bore him six children, viz.: Ann L. (the wife of William Dodds), Lydia C. (the wife of Daniel Crosely), Thomas, Allen, Ambrose B. (deceased) and Maria (the wife of John C. Martin). John Hatfield was a stone-mason by trade, but after the war of 1812 turned his attention chiefly to farming. He died May 11, 1829, and his wife survived him until August, 1852. They were members of the Baptist Church and highly respected by all who knew them, he being a hard-working, generous and kind-hearted man, who was always careful to be right before acting. Our subject has never lived away from his birthplace, and was married August 15, 1845, to Mary Elizabeth Stansell, daughter of William and Sarah (Myover) Stansell, her parents having come from Kentucky to this country about the year 1801. Mrs. Hatfield was born in Washington Township, Montgomery County, Ohio, August 12, 1827, and has had the following children: Louisa J. (deceased), Albert P. (deceased), Laura F. (deceased), Mason W. and Alice S. Mr. Hatfield and wife have been member of the Baptist Church since 1859, and he is looked upon as an honorable, upright and worthy citizen. THOMAS B. HOLMES, farmer, P.O. Bellbrook, Greene Co., was born in Greene County, Ohio, Dec. 27, 1827. His parents were John and Hannah (Bigger) Holmes, natives, the father of Newville, Cumberland County, Penn., born September 17, 1792, and the mother of the State of Kentucky, born November 12, 1797. Mr. Holmes came to Ohio with this parents prior to the war of 1812, and settle in Greene County. He was a soldier in that war and for service rendered therein drew a pension from the United States Government. His death occurred October 31, 1878, and the mother's August 23, 1869. They were married in Montgomery County on the 24th of September, 1818, and soon thereafter purchased land in Section 14 of that county. Their children were Hugh, Mary, Martha, John, Rebecca, Hannah J., Thomas B. and Martha Ann. Our subject was reared on a farm, which occupation he has ever since followed. He now resides on the homestead and is in comfortable circumstances. He is a kind neighbor, good citizen, and has the esteem of his many acquaintences. JOHN S. KINDLE, blacksmith, Centerville. John S. Kindle, son of Joseph and Margaret Kindle, was born in Centerville, Montgomery Co., Ohio, May 19, 1845. Commenced to going to school at about the age of five years, and continued up to the age of twelve, receiving a pretty fair district school education. Then went to work in the ship with his father, occasionally assisting the neighboring farmers when they were in a pinch for labor, up to August, 1862, when he volunteered in the army, Ninety-third Regiment, Company B, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. The regiment was gotten up and commanded by Col. Charles Anderson and Lieut. Col. Hiram Strong; first engagement was on the Kentucky River, between Lexington and Richmond, during Nelson's retreat to Louisville. Was also at the Battle of Stone river and there taken prisoner by the Texas Rangers, but recaptured by the Fourth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry. Then followed numerous skirmishes, in which he was severely wounded by a musket ball in the leg; the ball was extracted, and is now in his possession, being kept as a relic. He is crippled for life. Was placed in the hospital, staying there about four months; then came home on furlough, and remained thirteen months; then returned tot he army and remained there three or four months, when he was given a final discharge May 30 1865. He married, February 8, 1877, Miss Elizabeth Simpson. From this union are three children, all boys , two of whom are now living. Has some political aspirations; has been elected Township Clerk and Constable, and is now serving as Justice of the Peace. He was elected in 1876. When not officially employed, he works at his trade. His father was born in Burlington County, N.J., and came to Ohio in 1833. His mother was born in Half-Moon Valley, Center County., Penn. CORNELIA A. (MESSLER) KELSEY, farmer, P.O. Waynesville, Warren Co.; born in New Jersey Nov. 24, 1813, and came to Ohio in 1832. She married Mr. John S. Kelsey, November 2, 1837. From this union were seven children, six of whom are living. Names and births of the children as follows: Hester E., born August 17, 1838; George Washington, born August 14, 1840; Wilhelmina, born February 19, 1842; Eliza Melissa, born December 14, 1843; John Albert, born January 10, 1846; Jonathan Meeker, born January 14, 1848; Charles Edward, born November 5, 1851; George Washington, died September 18, 1846; John S., died October 22, 1875. John S., son of Jessey and Hettie (Marsh) Kelsey, was born January 13, 1816. His mother was a native of new Jersey, and his father of Pennsylvania. Emigrated to Kentucky, thence to Ohio, in an early day. He married at the early age of twenty-eight; his wife at twenty. Previous to this marriage, he followed school teaching in a log house on his own land. After that his principal occupation was farming, and a very successful one, owning at one time in Washington Township 760 acres of land. He commenced lifer here with about $100. He was the father of twelve children, nine sons and three daughters, three sons and one daughter now living (July, 1881). Mrs. Cornelia Kelsey, with two daughters and the assistance of the youngest son, continues to farm the homestead. Mr. and Mrs. Kelsey were both members of the Sugar Creek Old School Baptist Church. Mr. Kelsey united with the church January 26, 1858, Mrs. Kelsey about one year afterward. Their daughter, Eliza Melissa, is also a member of the same church. A request of Mr. John S. Kelsey on his death bed was that his widow purchase and give to each one of the children (except Charles), a family Bible as near like the present one as she can procure, and after her death Charles to have the present one. JAMES MILTON KELSEY, farmer. This well-known gentleman was born in Washington Township, Montgomery County, Ohio, June 11, 1831, and is the son of Jesse and Hettie (Marsh) Kelsey, early settler of this county. His father was born in 1783, and died in 1857. His mother was born in 1791 and died in 1845. James M. grew to manhood in his native township, receiving a limited education in the school of his neighborhood, and January 26, 1853, he was married to Mary Wilson, daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Allen) Wilson, also a native of Washington, born May 19, 1833. Her paternal grandfather was a native of Pennsylvania, bur her parents were born in this country. William Kelsey has had five children, viz.: Sara E. (the wife of Richard Hatfield), Flora J. (wife of George Mull), Mary E. (wife of David Eagle, Effie J. and Nannie. Mr. Kelsey was raised a Baptist but in 1858 he joined the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he has been a Trustee some six years, and is one of the Stewards at the present time. Politically, he affiliates with the Republican party. He purchased and moved to his present beautiful home in 1858, where he owns 138 acres of finely improved land, and is recognized as one of the leading farmers, of this portions of Montgomery County. WILLIAM MARCH KELSEY, farmer, P.O. Centerville. William Marsh Kelsey, son of Jesse and Hettie (Marsh) Kelsey, was born January 5, 1814, in Washington Township, Montgomery County, Ohio. His father being a farmer the son was also trained to it from early boyhood. Hid education was received in the pioneer log schoolhouse, to which place he was guided through the dense forests by the blazed trees (a blazed tree is one from which the bark is chipped off of on opposite sides.) David Watkins was the name of his first teacher. The branches then taught were reading, writing, arithmetic and geography. A scholar's copy-book was made by sewing a few sheets of plain fools-cap paper together, and the copies set by the teachers. The scholar was expected to provide himself or herself with a lead pencil and ruler for lining the copy-book, and manufacture his own ink. Gold and steel pens were not then in use, but the scholars provided themselves with goose-quills, out of which the teacher manufactured his pens. Mr. Kelsey received his last schooling the year he attained his majority. Being the eldest son it fell to his lotto assist his father in clearing up his land ready for farming. He remembers his first plowing was done with the wooden mold-board plow and followed up for a series of years. The wearing apparel in his boyish days was principally of home manufacture, flax-linen for summer and linsey for winter wear. At that time it frequently fell to his lot to assist in pulling and dressing the flax, shearing of the sheep, in fact almost everything appertaining to a farmer's life, which he has followed or has carried on to this time. (He is now the owner of three farms in this township). Milling he did then on horseback, going as far as the Little Miami River. Frequently he would go with his father to Cincinnati markets, trading their produce for all kinds of groceries and other articles needed for family use. Wheat was then cut entirely with the sickel; after a while came the grain cradle; which was looked upon as a great improvement over the sickle, being more expeditious; next came the McCormick Reaper, when it was thought all the improvements had come for the cutting of grain, but since that Mr. Kelsey has seen many very decided improvements in the machines, and now sees the self-binder. He also remember when thrashed grain was cleaned with a sheet being operated by a man at each end and jerking vigorously, created the wind which cleaned their grain, poured out by the third man from a measure or scoop shovel. The first horse-power thrashing machine was a stationary one, operated by four horses only doing the thrashing, the cleaning done afterward at the wind-mill. His parent were both members of the regular Baptist Church, and attended at the pioneer log meeting-house; one-half mile north of Centerville. There he has heard John Mason and other pioneer preachers. Phebe3 Carver, born January 30, 1832, married to William Marsh Kelsey, December 14, 1852. From this union there were three children, the two eldest living--Mary Elizabeth, born September 29, 1853, married to Perry Hatfield, February 3, 1876, Annie Kelsey, born January 12, 1857, married March 12, 1876, to B. F. Vaughn; Mable Lucasta Kelsey, born February 6, 1863, died September 11, 1880. Mr. and Mrs. Kelsey are both members of the Regular Baptist Church, of Centerville. The following is a memorial sketch of Mrs. Phebe Kelsey, read at her funeral February 22, 1882: Mrs. Phebe Kelsey was born January 30, 1832, and died of consumption January 31, 1882, at 6:15 A. M., aged fifty years. She was married to William M. Kelsey, December 14, 1852. To this union was given three daughters the youngest of whom (Mabel Lucasta) preceded the mother to the eternal world September 11, 1880. Mother Kelsey united with the Primitive Baptist Church, at Centerville, Ohio, about 1855. She was baptized and received into said church by Elder Samuel Williams. Her last sickness was attended with much severe pain and prolonged suffering; but she was resigned to the will of God, and her condition, and hence, bore her sufferings with Christian fortitude. During the last few days of her sickness, she experienced the fact that she was being "made perfect through suffering." Yet while she was being thus tried in the furnace of the Lord, she did not cease to pray, but repeatedly asked the Lord to give her dying grace. When she first began to enter "the valley of the shadow of death," about nine days before she passed over the Jordan of death, she told the writer that it looked dark, that her pathway was not all light. But he directed her to some of the promises of God's word, and told her to lean on Christ, and light would be given her for each step. The former proved to her a rod, and the latter a staff, for soon after the valley was lighted up, and she could sing with us, "Oh, how happy are they," etc.; and we knelt by her bedside, in the dark morning hour, and prayed with her. But for nine long days she continued to travel through the valley, in the midst of severe sufferings, yet supported by the strong arm of her Savior. She had a longing desire to depart and be at rest, and many times did she repeat the invitation of Jesus "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.: Often was she heard to say "et me go; let me go." She has at last entered into that "rest that remaineth for the people of God." Doubtless she will be missed by the church to which she belonged; missed by her pastor; missed by the large circle of friends and acquaintances, who had often shared of her hospitalities in her home, and received her charities; but missed most of all, by her husband, her remaining children and her aged mother, but we hope to all meet again bye and bye. Funeral services at the O. S. Baptist Church, Centerville, Ohio. Sermon preached by the pastor, Elder John M. Thompson. Text, 2 Cor., v. 4. ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. ______________________________ ------------------------------ X-Message: #2 Date: Sun, 16 Jul 2000 21:31:17 -0400 From: "Maggie Stewart" To: OH-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <2d3801bfef8f$2ca47380$0300a8c0@local.net> Subject: Fw: BIBLE RECORD - Martin (1857-1898), Clark Co, OH Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit ----- Original Message ----- From: Jane M Whitty Sent: Thursday, July 13, 2000 7:04 PM The Family Bible of James B. Martin, son of John and Mary Barnhart Martin, Clark Co., OH and Anna F. Smith, his wife (daughter of Milan and Mahala Armstrong Smith). Original Record in possession of our family. Sumitted by: Jane Martin Whitty (whittyfun@juno.com) Births: James B. Martin: 5 Feb 1897 Anna F. Smith (his Wife): 6 Jun 1863 Their Children: Earl L. Martin 16 Mar 1883 Carl Martin 14 Dec 1884 Ollie Martin (female) 09 Jun 1889 Nellie Martin 05 Sep 1893 Raymond Martin 19 Jan 1897 Edith Martin 10 Nov, 1898 ______________________________ ------------------------------ X-Message: #3 Date: Sun, 16 Jul 2000 21:31:40 -0400 From: "Maggie Stewart" To: OH-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <2d3901bfef8f$2cf0bec0$0300a8c0@local.net> Subject: Fw: Allen County, Ohio Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit ----- Original Message ----- From: Kathleen Ruhlen Sent: Friday, July 14, 2000 8:00 AM THE LIMA NEWS, WEDNESDAY, June 6, 1923 NEWS OF PUTNAM COUNTY ESTATE SETTLED R.S. Steiner, of Lima, has filed final settlement in the case of the bankrupt estate of Harvey C. Suter, of Pandora. The petition in bankruptcy was filed in April, 1923. PICNIC PLANNED Parents and children of the Union church, Sugar Creek-tp, Putnam-co, will enjoy a picnic, Friday afternoon at Faurot park, Lima. They will meet at the church at 12:30 o'clock and will be conveyed in motor cars to the park. A picnic supper will be served there under the shade of the tall trees. The Rev. H.C. Schlarb is paster of the church. COLUMBUS GROVE BOY TO GRADUATE AT UNIVERSITY Lawrence Mapel, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry B. Mapel, of Columbus Grove, will be one of the 1,600 young men who will be graduated this month from Ohio State university in Columbus. Mr. and Mrs. Mapel will go to Colulmbus to attend the commencement exercises. Mr. Mapel was former postmaster of Columbus Grove. CHILD IS ADOPTED Mr. and Mrs. John B. Plasic, of Fort Jennings, in probate court, have adopted as their own child Louise Sperry, one year old, and the name of the child has been changed to Suzanne Sperry Plasic. Mrs. Plasic was, before her marriage, Olga Raabe. The baby has no parents living. It was born in Minnesota. ______________________________ ------------------------------ X-Message: #4 Date: Sun, 16 Jul 2000 23:17:14 -0400 From: "Maggie Stewart" To: OH-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <00cb01bfef9e$446e1700$0300a8c0@local.net> Subject: Fw: Judge George Bunce Holt, Dayton, Montgomery County,OH ; Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit ----- Original Message ----- From: Sent: Friday, July 07, 2000 10:01 PM Subject: Judge George Bunce Holt, Dayton, Montgomery County,OH ; Taken from: Sluff of History's Boot Soles - An Anecdotal History of Dayton's Bench and Bar, by David C. Greer, pg. 38-39, Orange Frazer Press, 1996. "The First Half Century George B. Holt came west with Stoddard and was also from Connecticut. He arrived in Dayton in 1819 and joined the circuit-riding pioneer lawyers and judges of the era. He died in 1871 and at his death was, like Judge Crane, a poor man-a condition which, without intended offense to Henry Stoddard, the old historians describe as "the highest evidence of the honesty of his public, and the purity of his private life." His character was a balanced mix of nature and nurture-he had a native adroitness and shrewdness and, while he didn't keep up on his reading, he had been a well-truined student. He followed Judge Crane onto the common pleas bench in 1828, serving as judge for a total of fourteen years from 1828 to 1836 and from 1843 to 1849. In the interim between these terms the judgeship was held by William L. Helfenstein, a painstaking, upright man who had come to Dayton from Pennsylvania and left Dayton for New York after serving his judgeship. In 1850 Judge Holt was followed on the bench by John Beers of Greenville. Beers moved into the Old Courthouse when it replaced the small brick building of 1807. The dockets of the early courts reflected the society of the time. Disputes over water rights, land boundaries, and contracts were common features of the court's business, and there were numerous criminal cases that seem relatively minor by today's standards but were handled at the time with all the nice distinctions and technical quibbles that the law could devise. Judge Holt presided over a notable larceny case in which the victim was robbed while sleeping off a drinking bout. It had been a cold, wet night, and the victim had curled up in a fence comer. There wasn't much question over the fact that the defendant had lifted the victim's property, but leamed defense counsel conceived a factual and legal argument with which he parried off the sword ofjustice. The evidence demonstrated that a sudden drop in temperature had frozen the victim's clothing fast to the ground before the property had been lifted. This fact, argued defense counsel, converted the offense from larceny to trespass since a well-established principle of the law held that nothing attached to the freehold could be the subject of larceny and that the taking of anything attached to the freehold constituted a trespass, an offense with which the defendant had not been charged. Under the practice of the day, the judge in his instructions had a large degree of freedom in commenting on the evidence, and Judge Holt told the jury that while the rule cited by the defense counsel could not be disputed, the rule was, in the court's opinion, inapplicable to the case at bar. The jury disagreed and found the defendant not guilty, providing the defendant's counsel with a reputation for brilliance and serving as a waming that drunks shouldn't sleep on the ground on cold, wet nights. In addition to fourteen years of attempting to untie such Gordian knots in the courtroom, Judge Holt was elected as representative in the state legislature in 1824 and as a state senator in 1828. During the two years before his legislative service he had established and published a weekly democratic newspaper called the Miand Republican and Dayton Advertiser. While in the legislature he participated in the passage of laws which established the ad valorem system of taxation and the common school system of Ohio. He was also chairman of the Senate Committee on Internal Improvements and involved in the passage of the canal law, which proved a great boon to Dayton's economy. After leaving the bench Judge Holt gravitated toward his second, and favorite, occupation of gardening and stock breeding. While he lived until the ripe age of eighty-two and saw from the sanctuary of his farm the country's struggle through the Civil War and Reconstruction, he only had two more significant encounters with the law and politics. In 1850 he became involved in a hot and bitter contest with young Clement Vallandigharn for nomination to the convention that was being held to adopt a new constitution for Ohio. He received the nomination and served with distinction in that historic convention, but Vallandigham opposed his election and repudiated the action of the convention. Holt later retaliated by successfully opposing Vallandigham's first candidacy for Congress in a notable paper entitled "The Bolter Bolted." -------------------------------- End of OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest V00 Issue #227 *******************************************