OHIO STATEWIDE FILES OH-FOOTSTEPS Mailing List Issue 87 ************************************************************************** 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 ************************************************************************** OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 03 : Issue 87 Today's Topics: #1 [OH-FOOT] Bio: Mundell, W.D. - Ham [Tina Hursh To: OH-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.20030604015601.0176fb74@clubnet.isl.net> Subject: [OH-FOOT] Bio: Mundell, W.D. - Hamilton county Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" History of Hamilton County, OH; published in 1881 by Ford facing page 417 transcribed by Linda Boorom William Davis MUNDELL, of the firm of Short & Mundell, wholesale and retail grocers and produce dealers, 102 East Pearl street, was born near Mt. Washington, Anderson township, September 17, 1825. Jonathan MUNDELL, his grandfather, was one of the original settlers of the county; he came from Virginia to Ohio before the day log school-houses were erected, it being necessary then for the young philomatheans to assemble in squads at some convenient place and by mutual consent teach one another. Mr. MUNDELL was a gunsmith, a man of some genius, and one who could render service to his fellows in the early pioneer days. He settled with his family, consisting of himself, wife and five children, near Mt. Washington about the year 1795. Some pear trees planted by him soon after his arrival are still standing. He died about the year 1830. James MUNDELL, his son, and father of William Davis MUNDELL, was about two years of age when his father moved on this farm; he was reared a farmer, possessed no educational advantages, his time being taken up in tilling the land and warding off the hostile Indians, who were sometimes troublesome. In 1812 he served in the war, and received an honorable discharge from the service when it ended. In 1815 he was married to Miss Mary McMAHON daughter of Francis and Mary McMAHON, pioneer settlers of Columbia township. The old log house, her birthplace, which was then occupied by her parents, is still standing - weatherboarded now - as a relic and tenement of the early days of Columbia. Mrs. MUNDELL was the mother of eleven children, eight boys and three girls, ten of whom lived to man and womanhood - Mary, Catharine, Andrew, Hugh, William Davis, Jackson W., John R., Martha A., Isaac N., and Oscar C. With so large a family, the duties incumbent upon her were truly irksome, but she was blessed with more than ordinary will and courage, and having that large hope so characteristic of the pioneer parents, did not become, with all her hardships, disheartened with her lot. The religion of Christ was her support in every trying hour, and her children, once a charge and a responsibility, lived to be her comfort, and to cheer her declining years and dying hour. Adjacent to the town on the mound near her father's cabin was the old Baptist church - probably the first church in southwestern Ohio - to which place of worship, when a little child, she was often wont to wend her way with her parents to attend religious service. In those days it was the custom and necessity to go armed, and her father always took with him his faithful rifle and stood sentinel at the door or house corners, with others, to guard against the approach of hostile Indians, while the minister, old men, women and children would hold worship in the house. How many of us, in this our day, would go to church if attended with the dangers that our pioneer fathers had to encounter? Mrs. MUNDELL was born in Columbia township, Hamilton county, Ohio, April 25, 1797; was married in 1815; joined the Methodist Episcopal church at Salem, Ohio, in 1840; and died at the residence of her son, Hugh MUNDELL, Clermont county, Ohio, January 27, 1874, aged seventy-seven years. James MUNDELL died about the year 1853. William Davis MUNDELL was reared on the farm near Mt. Washington. He attended school in a log house in the Salem neighborhood a few weeks or months each winter, and frequently religious worship at the same place on Sundays - the same house being used for both purposes. In the year 1843 he apprenticed himself to a Mr. Joseph HIME to learn the blacksmith trade, and was to receive about thirty dollars a year for three years for his services. The full time was served, with the exception of the last three months, which he bought off from his employer that the might attend school, feeling the need of a better education. The instruction received during these three months proved to be of incalculable benefit to him in after years. He afterwards opened up a shop m Mt. Washington, being the first blacksmith of that place. In 1850 Mr. MUNDELL and his brother Hugh organized a company, of six persons in all, from Mt. Washington, to cross the plains for California. The wagon for the trip was made by Mr. MUNDELL and Davis WHIPPY (one of the company), and was so constructed that it could be used as a boat when crossing rivers. They left Cincinnati for St. Joseph, Missouri, March 25, 1850, by steamer, and at that place lay in wait three weeks organizing a force of forty wagons of six horses each. At Fort Kearney the company disbanded, seven teams proceeding along the northern Pacific route via of Fort Laramie to the Humboldt river, from which place the original six from Mt. Washington, after throwing away their wagon, and finally Mr. MUNDELL and his brother alone, proceeded, crossing the desert on pack-horses, a distance of forty miles, going over in the night time and reaching Carson river in the morning -Sunday - where they rested and also laid in a supply of provisions, paying for six pounds of flour the snug sum of nine dollars. At Sacramento City they sold their stock and fooled it up into the mountainous region on a mining expedition, but got sick and soon returned to Sutler's Fort, where, on account of a severe illness of some two months' duration, the doctor advised a trip on the sea as necessary to a speedy return to health. They accordingly, set themselves adrift in a sail vessel on the Pacific ocean, where it was becalmed for three weeks, and being disgusted with such slow progression the brothers, upon putting in at Acapulco, went aboard a steamer, reaching Panama in December, 1850, after being on the water twenty-seven days. They crossed the isthmus to Shager's river on mules, paying forty dollars for their transit. At this point they took canoes to the mouth of the river, where, in company with about sixty others, they set sail in the schooner Thorne for New Orleans. The MUNDELL brothers had already experienced sore disappointments in their trip west, but the trying ordeal was yet to come. The little vessel when fairly out at sea encountered one of those tremendous and tempestuous storms, and for three days and nights was driven like a feather in a gale, and turned up finally on a coral island in the Caribbean (sic) sea. The captain had lost his reckoning and the vessel had been driven far out of its course and among the many dangerous coral reefs with which these waters are filled. At first, upon the stranding of the vessel, the captain supposed the bark would go to pieces in half an hour and ordered the mate to scuttle the fresh water baths, but he disobeyed orders, and this probably saved the lives of the crew as the ship was resting with one side on the reef in about four feet of water, the depth of water on the other side could not be ascertained. Lots were now east for occupancy in the long-boat, there being but the one and that only large enough to hold six or eight persons, and these were to be taken to a little barren egg-shaped island full fifteen miles off before it could be returned for another load. The MUNDELL brothers were by lots cast destined to wait till the last ones. Everything shadowed forth a precarious condition, and in an act of desperation they tore off loose boards from the side of the vessel with which they constructed a scow, hastily built but large enough to accommodate about fifteen, and in this frail structure they reached the island. The crew were all saved; provisions and water at the rate of one-quarter rations were divided among them. The captain upon taking his reckoning found that they were about one hundred. miles from Old Town (?) (Balize), Honduras, and that it would take at least eight days to go for rescue and return. But the time from the stranding of the vessel (2 o'clock in the morning) until their rescue was about fifteen days, but deliverance carried them to Balize, from which place they sailed in a few days for New Orleans. Their stay on the barren island was attended with other dangers than those of abandonment and desolation. They were on one-fourth rations and water, and in a feverish and, to them, overheated, torrid clime, but fortune favored them with one or two showers, and the tents being up the rain-drops were collected and carefully saved. The island furnished the iguana, a species of lizard, and the couch which were of great use to them for food. At New Orleans Mr. MUNDELL and his brother took a steamer for Cincinnati, but, to make the circuit of accidents complete we are in truth bound to say that the vessel was snagged in the river. But despite ill fortune they reached home about March 1, 1851, and Mr. MUNDELL again resumed work at his trade. In 1852 he married Miss Pattie C. CORBLEY, and has since lived in Mt. Washington. During the war he served as a recruiting officer for some time, and during the Kirby Smith raid was made captain by the unanimous voice of the company, but was immediately afterwards put in charge of the regiment as colonel. ______________________________ ------------------------------ X-Message: #2 Date: Tue, 03 Jun 2003 20:57:10 -0500 From: Tina Hursh To: OH-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.20030604015710.01764f90@clubnet.isl.net> Subject: [OH-FOOT] Bio: Jackson, Joseph - Hamilton county Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" History of Hamilton County, OH; published in 1881 by Ford pages 382-383 transcribed by Linda Boorom The father of the late Joseph JACKSON, of Mt. Pleasant, John JACKSON, was born in Loudoun county, Virginia, December 8, 1775, and removed to Pennsylvania in 1812, three years thereafter to Cincinnati, and in 1819 to the Great Miami river, in Butler county, about two miles north of the Hamilton line. Here he conducted the flouring-mill long known as Jackson's, now Graham's mill. He was himself a millwright, and by and by built and ran a paper-mill at the same place and moved by the same power. This was also maintained until within a few years, when it was suspended. Mr. JACKSON died October 30, 1857, at a farm a mile and a half from the mills, to which he had retired in his old age from the former business. His wife's maiden name was Annie HOUGH, also of a Virginia family. She was born September 25, 1778, and they were wedded in May, 1801 Their children were: Anna, born February 22, 1802, died June 5, 1846; Elizabeth, born April 29, 1804, died May 31, 1868; Rebecca, born May 1, 1806; Samuel, born November 8, 1808; Joseph, born December 4, 1809, died May 7, 1866; Thomas, born August 30, 1811; Mary, born March 28, 1815, died September 11, 1850; Amanda, born September 10, 1818, died June 8, 1880. Their third son was Joseph JACKSON, the subject of this notice. He was born on the fourth of December, 1809, in Morgantown, Monongalia county, Virginia, and accompanied his family in their successive removals, learning at home his father's trade of millwright. About the time he reached his majority he left home, taking work at his trade in various places, as he could find it. In 1834, August 19th, upon his bride's birthday, he was wedded to Miss Nancy RIDDLE, daughter of Colonel John RIDDLE, the famous pioneer, near Cincinnati. For some years they resided at the mills of his father, in Butler county, and then removed, in 1839, to a farm one and a half miles south of Mt. Pleasant, in the neighborhood where the CARY sisters spent their earlier years. Upon this place the remainder of his days were passed in the improvement of a tract originally very poor, but which he made to blossom as the rose. Here he died May 7, 1866, and his remains repose in the beautiful cemetery at Spring Grove, adjoining the city of Cincinnati, He was not an active politician, and sought no public office or prominence of any kind. He was, however, for a number of years, president of the Cincinnati, Mt. Pleasant & Hamilton Turnpike company, and raised the road owned by it to a high degree of excellence and prosperity, so that, for the first and last time in its history, it paid some dividends to its stockholders. After his death Mr. J. F. WRIGHT, an officer of the board of directors of the company, in the course of some remarks submitting a resolution in tribute to his memory, included the following eulogy, to which the resolution is appended: He was elected to the presidency of the company in 1853, and continued to serve uninterruptedly in that capacity until his death. For the greater part of the time during the same period he also served as county superintendent of the road. His unanimous annual reappointment to both positions is indubitable proof of the satisfaction given by his official acts. As president I know full well it was ever his desire to be impartial, just, and prompt in the discharge of the duties which his official station devolved upon him. His knowledge of mechanics and human nature, together with his unwavering integrity, eminently qualified him and made him the efficient superintendent that induces every voice now involuntarily to inquire: "Who can fill the place made vacant by his demise?" Only those who were intimately acquainted with the man knew his virtues. He was a man of probity and integrity; he was a lover of truth, kind and merciful in all his relations and intercourse with men, and utterly incapable of practicing deceit. The dishonest man he avoided as he would a pestilence, holding no intercourse whatever with him unless unavoidable. In a word, for I must be brief, the community has sustained the loss of a good citizen and an honest man, its chief ornament. This board has lost an esteemed and valuable member, and an active and efficient officer. The loss to both is irreparable. * * * * In conclusion, I propose for adoption the following resolution as the sentiment of the board: "Resolved, That we greatly deplore the death of our late fellow-member, Joseph JACKSON, m whom we recognized the honest man, the genial companion, the steadfast friend, and the faithful and efficient officer; and that the family of the deceased have our liveliest sympathy in their deep affliction; and that as a memento of our regard and esteem for the deceased, this resolution be spread upon the minutes of this meeting. Nancy RIDDLE JACKSON was born at the ancient RIDDLE homestead in Mill Creek, oldest daughter of Colonel John and Jane MARSHALL RIDDLE. Jane MARSHALL was the third wife of Colonel RIDDLE, who had five wives in the course of his long life. Nancy's natal day was August 19, 1811. She resided at home, receiving such education as was afforded by the schools of the neighborhood (then far out of the city, but now far within it), until she was married as above noted, when she followed the fortunes of her husband in his several removals. She still survives her consort, and resides in a delightful home in Mount Pleasant, on the Hamilton turnpike. The third year after her husband's death she left the farm, and removed to the residence still owned by her, a little west of the Mount Pleasant station of the College Hill railroad, and in the fall of 1877 took her present place in the village. Her daughter, Miss Nancy Jane JACKSON, resides with her. Mrs. JACKSON presents a remarkably healthy and vigorous appearance for one of her years, and is every way a worthy descendant of the sturdy old pioneer who helped to lay the foundations of civilization in the Mill Creek and Ohio valleys. The children of Mr. and Mrs. JACKSON were, in order of birth, as follows: Nancy Jane, born May 28, 1835; Sarah Louisa, now Mrs. Cary B. JOHNSON, of Mount Pleasant, born January 10, 1837; George Washington, born January 27, 1839, also residing in Mount Pleasant, in the grocery and dry-goods business for many years; John Riddle, born August 15, 1841, died August 10, 1859; Mary Maria, now Mrs. George W. ROFELTY, of Home City, Ohio, born February 15, 1849; Joseph, born August 17, 1851, died August 2, 1854. ______________________________ ------------------------------ X-Message: #3 Date: Tue, 03 Jun 2003 20:57:53 -0500 From: Tina Hursh To: OH-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.20030604015753.01731224@clubnet.isl.net> Subject: [OH-FOOT] Bio: Field, John R. - Ham. co. Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" History of Hamilton County, OH; published in 1881 by Ford between pages 380 and 381 transcribed by Linda Boorom The progenitors of Mr. FIELD in this country were of Scotch-Irish extraction. John, his great-great-grandfather, was the first of the name and family in America. He came from Bradford, Hertfordshire, England, and was in the fifth generation, in direct line, from John FIELD, the celebrated astronomer of the sixteenth century, who was born in 1525. The later John was born in England, May 15, 1659, and settled in Piscataway township, Middlesex county, New Jersey, in 1685, where his descendants reside so numerously that their residence district (now in Somerset county) along the Raritan river, has received the popular name of Fieldville. A paper read some years ago, before the Historical Society of New Brunswick, concerning this family, says: "The ruling characteristics of this branch of the family, and perhaps their greatest usefulness to the world, has been their example of earnestness in the common pursuits of life." Jeremiah, son of John FIELD, born May 17, 1689, was father of Benjamin, whose natal day was February 19, 1725. He in turn was father of Jacob, born February 7, 1768, married Hester ROSS, also of Middlesex county, December 25, 1790, and died on the farm now occupied by his son, the subject of this notice. One of his brothers, Michael, uncle of John R. FIELD, was killed in action at the battle of Monmouth, June 27, 1778. The latter was the sixth son of Jacob and Hester (ROSS) FIELD, and was born at New Brunswick, Middlesex county, New Jersey, March 13, 1810. At the age of two years he was brought with his father's family to Ohio, coming in wagons all the way with the ROSS, SSHOOLEY, and CODDINGTON families, all of whom were related. The FIELDs tarried for a while where St. Bernard now is, in Mill Creek township, and then, in 1813, came to the vicinity of the present residence of John R. FIELD, settling upon a farm just beyond the creek, between his home and Glendale. His father taught school for a short time, but devoted his attention mainly to the improvement of his place. About 1816 the family removed to the farm now in possession of his son, one mile west of Glendale. Here died Jacob FIELD, April 1, 1842, aged seventy-four years, and Hester his wife, October 7, 1854, aged eighty-four years. John's advantages of early education were but limited, being confined to the poor and widely scattered schools of that time. He remained with his father, engaged in the pursuits of the farm, until his twenty-fourth year, when he was united in marriage to Miss Harriet P. PERINE, also of Springfield township, January 7, 1834, by the Rev. Adrian ATEN, pastor of the Presbyterian church at Springdale. After the age of twenty-one, by reason of the increasing age and infirmities of his father, the cares of the farm devolved upon Mr. FIELD, who at majority came into possession of the place. He took his young wife to the paternal home, where they have since resided. Their children have been: Jacob, born January 27, 1835, died in infancy at the age of but ten days; Martha Anderson, born April 2, 1836, died August 7, 1858; Jane, born January 2, 1838, died June 27, 1841; Hester Ann, born July 27, 1839, died May 23, 1864; Elizabeth, born April 20, 1841, married October 29, 1862, to James W. MOORE, a farmer residing near Mt. Pleasant; Charles Milton, born February 4, 1843, married Lydia A. HOUGH November 18, 1863, and resides as a farmer upon a place immediately adjoining his father's; Sarah Isabella, born April 9, 1846, and still resides with her parents; Catharine Rowen, born February 6, 1848, died February 17, 1861; Lydia Ross, born November 7, 1851, died November 21. 1877. Mr. FIELD has been a quiet farmer, but little in official life, and not connected with any religious or secret society organization. He was formerly a Whig in politics, but for many years has cast his vote with the Democratic party. At the age of seventy-one years, he is naturally beginning to feel the weight of age, and for six or seven years has suffered the partial loss of his speech. Harriet Porter PERINE, now Mrs. John R. FIELD, was the second daughter of John I. and Jane (VAN TUYL) PERINE. Her father was a native of White Creek, New York, and her mother of the adjoining town, Cambridge, Washington county. She was born at White Creek, November 13, 1813, and at the age of eight years came with her family to Ohio, her father dying soon after in Ashtabula county, where he meant to settle. The widow and her young family then came on to Springfield township, where her brother, Thomas B. VAN TUYL, was settled, his lands adjoining Mr. FIELD's on the west. In the family of this uncle Harriet was brought up. When ten years old she experienced her first great grief in the loss of an older sister, Mary Ann, residing in Hamilton as an attendant at school, who was killed with three others by one fell stroke of lightning, April 5, 1825. Her mother died in Cincinnati April 1, 1858, at the age of seventy-one, after a long struggle with feebleness and delicate health. When her daughter was twenty-one years old she was married to Mr. FIELD, as related in the previous sketch, and their histories have been since united through the long period of nearly half a century. She has been a faithful member of the Presbyterian church at Springdale since the age of sixteen, for now more than fifty-one years. ______________________________ ------------------------------ X-Message: #4 Date: Tue, 03 Jun 2003 20:58:48 -0500 From: Tina Hursh To: OH-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.20030604015848.017509a8@clubnet.isl.net> Subject: [OH-FOOT] Bio: McGilliard, R. - Ham. co. Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" History of Hamilton County, OH; published in 1881 by Ford between pages 380 and 381 transcribed by Linda Boorom The parents of the subject of this sketch were John and Elizabeth (CAMPBELL) McGILLIARD. The father was born in Pennsylvania in 1788, and at the age of eight years, in 1796, was brought to Springfield township by his parents, and spent the remainder of his days there, dying in 1878, at the advanced age of ninety years, He was a prominent man in local affairs in his day, filling at different times nearly every township office - as trustee, treasurer, justice of the peace, constable, etc. Elizabeth CAMPBELL, his wife, was born in 1784, and died in 1861, aged seventy-seven years. Among their children was one daughter, Mary, now widow of John MOORE, and residing at Mt. Pleasant. There were three sons, Andrew, William, and Reeves, all of whom are still living in Springfield township. William is the subject of a notice in our previous sketches. Reeves McGILLARD (sic), residing nearly two miles east of Mt. Pleasant, was born in 1809. He was married in 1833 to Miss Sarah GARDINER, of this township. Their children were two, Esther and Eliza Ann, both of whom died in 1864 - the mother having preceded her chidren (sic) to the grave by four years. About two years thereafter Mr. McGILLIARD was married to Miss Sarah BROWN. He has followed the business of farming during all his active life. For more than twenty consecutive years he was entrusted by his fellow-citizens with the responsible duties of justice of the peace, which he discharged to the general satisfaction. He has also, from time to time, served as township trustee and school director. Himself and wife are both members of the Christian church, and have long been among its staunchest supporters. Mr. McGILLIARD has passed the Psalmist's limit of human life by almost two years, but retains considerable vigor of mind and body, and is regarded by his friends as a remarkably well-preserved old gentleman. ______________________________ ------------------------------ X-Message: #5 Date: Tue, 03 Jun 2003 20:59:34 -0500 From: Tina Hursh To: OH-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <1.5.4.32.20030604015934.0175e0d4@clubnet.isl.net> Subject: [OH-FOOT] Bio: Urmston, B. - hamilton county Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" History of Hamilton County, OH; published in 1881 by Ford between pages 378 and 379 transcribed by Linda Boorom Benjamin URMSTON, fourth son of David and Mary (ENYARD) URMSTON,of Ligonier valley, New Jersey, is of English stock. They immigrated to Ohio about 1801, coming first to Cincinnati, then pushing northward to a tract in Butler county, three miles north of Sycamore township, where both lived and died. Their children numbered ten, among whom was the subject of this sketch, born December 20, 1800, in Pennsylvania, and was a babe in arms when brought by his parents down the Ohio river on a raft. His early life was spent on the farm with his father until his marriage, and for some years afterwards, when he removed to a small place given him by his father upon the paternal estate. Here he remained several years, and about 1838 removed to Springfield township, where he has since resided as a farmer. He occupied his present place in 1853. It is about a quarter of a mile south of Mount Pleasant, on the old Hamilton pike, and the residence is that in which Robert CARY, father of Alice and Phoebe CARY, spent his last years. The old Cary residence is near, and a part of the former Cary farm is now the property of Mr. URMSTON. Some of his children attended the district school kept by Phoebe Cary in this very neighborhood over thirty years ago. Here he is spending a tranquil and generally healthful old age. Rebecca KENNEDY, wife of Benjamin URMSTON, is daughter of Samuel KENNEDY, son of Thomas KENNEDY, who ran the well known "Kennedy's Ferry" from Cincinnati to the Kentucky shore, and owned the cornfield upon which Covington, in part, now stands. Her mother's maiden name was Jane RICHARDSON, of a Pennsylvania family, whose father came from England at the age of eighteen. Rebecca was born three miles above Hamilton, October 26, 1801, where her father owned a large farm, which is still kept 'in the family, and is reckoned one of the finest places in Butler county. About 1822, upon the death of her grandfather, she removed with her parents to the ancestral residence in Covington, in the old Kennedy stone mansion. Here she was married to Mr. URMSTON October 16, 1828, and returned with him to the home of the elder URMSTON, in Butler county. She has since shared his fortunes, his joys and sorrows, and all of life's experiences, through the long and happy union of almost fifty-three years. Their children have been: Kennedy URMSTON, born December 30, 1829, died at the age of nearly three years; Robert, born August 10, 1830, married Sarah BEVIS, June 10, 1862, a prosperous farmer, residing near his father, has two sons and one daughter living; Mary Jane, born May 26, 1834, died March 27, 1858; Benjamin, born December 27, 1837, lives at home with his father, and manages the business of the farm; Edmond born June 25, 1840, married Margaret BUTTERFIELD October 12, 1869, resides on a farm opposite the old home in Butler county, has two sons and two daughters. Mr. and Mrs. URMSTON have been members of the Old School Baptist church for more than forty years. The former has voted the Democratic ticket steadily for sixty years, and still goes regularly to the polls. -------------------------------- End of OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest V03 Issue #87 ******************************************