Brothers - Byer
HENRY BROTHERS (Perry) p. 224(1)
HENRY BROTHERS was born in Beaver county, Pennsylvania, December 11, 1804. When a babe, his parents removed to Stark county, this State, where he resided until the year 1827, when he removed to this county, where he resided until his death, making him a resident of Ashland county for over fifty years.
On May 20, 1825, he was married to Miss Mary Duffy. The fruits of this union are eleven children, seven of whom are still living: Nathaniel, Mary, Ruth, John, Elizabeth, Ann, Ursula, and Franklin. The ones deceased were: Catharine, Hannah, Nancy, and Jonas. They were all born in this county but Nathaniel; and all that are living are married but one, Franklin C.
Mr. Brothers settled in Rowsburg, at a time when there were but one or two houses in the place, as well as in Ashland. At that time Ashland was called Uniontown. He used to often recall the many hardships and privations that he, together with others, had to contend with, that the present as well as future generations will never know or experience.
He never professed religion, but always tried to live an upright life. Although he had his faults as well as virtues, and which the human family are all heir to, his friends have the satisfaction to know he enjoyed the respect and esteem of those in the community where he resided, and have their sympathy in their sad bereavement.
Mr. Brothers died at his late residence, May 14, 1880. We commend his spirit to him who gave it, and trust his ashes may rest in peace. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
JOHN G. BROWN (Clearcreek) p. 310(1)
JOHN G. BROWN was the second son of William Brown, and was born in Ireland, in the year 1818. In 1835, he came to America and settled in Ashland county (then Richland county), near Savannah.
When he arrived at the age of thirty, he was married to Sarah Calhoun, September 26, 1848. Their children’s names are: Maggie J., Mary C., and Alexander M., all of whom are living. The oldest of the family was the census enumerator in 1880, for Clearcreek township, and accomplished the work creditably, and with dispatch. Mr. Brown commenced life as a school teacher and was successful in getting together a sufficient sum to purchase a farm of one hundred acres. The land was covered with a dense forest, and after building himself a cabin, he set about clearing up the farm. By hard labor and a wise economy, Mr. Brown has grown from poverty into one of the substantial farmers of Clearcreek township. He and his family are all members of the church, and are recognized everywhere as estimable and worthy people. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
THOMAS BROWN (Orange) p. 346(1)
Thomas Brown was born in Ireland, and came to America when a young man in company with his mother, one brother and three sisters. After remaining a short time in Philadelphia they came to Ohio and soon after arriving Mr. Brown purchased a tract of land in Orange township, Ashland (then Richland) county. In 1841 he married Jane, daughter of Charles and Catharine Stewart of Richland county. At the time he bought the farm in Orange township there was a log cabin on it and part of the land was cleared, so that by building a log barn they were pretty well prepared to farm. The day after they were married they took quarters in their new home, where they lived ever after and where we now find Mrs. Brown living pleasantly with her three sons and one daughter. Mr. Brown died February 6, 1858, leaving Mrs. Brown with five small children, the oldest, a son, being about fifteen years old. Prior to the death of Mr. Brown they had lost, by death, three children. Since his death, the mother, with the assistance of her children, has added eighty acres to the original farm, and they now own two hundred and twenty-five acres of excellent land with good improvements, in one of the most fertile sections of Ashland county. Mrs. Brown is a kind neighbor, and well deserves the respect and admiration of those who know her, for the manner in which she has managed the family affairs. She is a woman of good judgment and though she has seen the hardships that early settlers could not shun, she is as active and bright as many who have not seen such trials. In politics Mr. Brown was a Democrat, and the sons adhere to the same party principles. Mrs. Brown and her four children are members of the Presbyterian church at Savannah. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
BENJAMIN BRUBAKER (Mifflin) p. 319(1)
Benjamin Brubaker was born in Milton township, Ashland county, Ohio, June 10, 1835, where he resided until the year 1864, when he removed to Vermillion township where he lived one year. From thence he removed back to Milton township, remaining four years, when he came to this township [Mifflin], where he has since resided. He was married, March 17, 1859, to Lydia Roland, who was also born in Ashland county. They have reared a family of seven children, four of whom are still living, as follows: Daniel, Annie, Reuben, and Mary E. Those who died were Sarah, Samuel, and Almira. Mr. Brubaker is the sixth child of Peter and Mary Brubaker, of whom mention is made elsewhere in this work. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
GEORGE BRUBAKER (Lake) p. 286(1)
George Brubaker, born in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, in 1798, and came to Ohio in 1825, and settled in Lake township, Ashland county, on the farm now owned by John Garst. In 1819 he married Elizabeth Burkhart, of Bedford county, Pennsylvania. He was a mason, but after he came to Ohio gave up his trade and engaged in farming.
He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and in politics a Democrat. He died in 1862. He was the father of eleven children, six of whom are living: Joseph B., Margaret B., wife of Abram R. Owen; George W., Elias P., who married Diantha Rodgers, and lives in California; Mary E., wife of D.C. Kean, and Harrison A., who married Elizabeth Gilbert, and lives in Michigan. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
GEORGE W. BRUBAKER (Lake) p. 286(1)
George W. Brubaker, son of George Brubaker, was born in Bedford county, Pennsylvania, January 12, 1828, and came to Ohio with his father in 1834. He went to school in Lake township and attended the Vermillion institute in Hayesville two years and a half, has taught school twenty-two winters and one summer, and is one of the veteran teachers of the county. In 1856 he purchased the farm on which he now lives, and commenced with a very small amount of capital, but has by hard labor and economy accumulated a nice property. He has cut in one day with a cradle ten acres of wheat, and has several times cut eight acres, and frequently cut five acres of oats in a half day. He has held the office of justice of the peace in Lake township nine years, and has been clerk and trustee for several years. He is engaged in farming, and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. In 1852 he married Susanna Smith, of Green township, Ashland county, Ohio. She was born in Maryland. They are the parents of nine children: Emma E., wife of Abel Gowdy; Simpson, who died when three years old; Sophrona, wife of Harpster Cooper; Mary L., wife of Elmer S. McKinley; Rosella R., Dyantha J.; Edson O.; Anna B., and George W. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
(The History of Ashland county, Ohio by Abraham J. Baughman, Pg. 370-373)
HON. GEORGE W. BRUBAKER
Hon. George W. Brubaker is preeminently a man of affairs and one who has wielded a wide influence. He is accounted one of the leading farmers of Lake township and while successfully controlling his agricultural interests he has at the same time been a factor in the public life of the community and has been honored by his fellow townsmen with various local offices while twice he has been called to represent his district in the state legislature. A native of Pennsylvania he was born in Bedford county, January 12, 1828, his parents being George and Elizabeth (Burkhart) Brubaker. The father was born November 17, 1798, in Pennsylvania, and the mother’s birth occurred near Altoona, that state, on the 5th of October, 1801. They married November 28, 1819, and spent several years of their early married life in Bedford county, Pennsylvania, after which they went to Fayette county and in 1834 arrived in Ohio. The journey westward was made in a covered wagon drawn by three horses and after a long weary trip through the forests they reached Mohican township and established their home near Mohicanville in that part of Wayne county which is now a part of Ashland county. Mr. Brubaker at once built a log cabin, eighteen by twenty feet in the midst of the dense forest. It had a puncheon floor and its furnishings were of a most primitive character. The father at once began to clear his land and place it under the plow while the family experienced many of the hardships and privations incident to pioneer life. Both he and his wife spent their last days in Lake township where his death occurred in January, 1862, while his wife passed away March 18, 1887. He had devoted his entire life to general farming, thus providing a comfortable living for his family while his labors were also an element in the reclamation of a wild western district which through the work of Mr. Brubaker and others was converted into a prosperous and populous section. In politics he was a Jacksonian democrat, stanchly advocating the principles promulgated by “Old Hickory,” for whom he voted. He also cast a presidential ballot for James Monroe and as the years passed he continued to support the democratic nominees until he was called from this life. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, to which his wife also belonged. Their family numbered ten children: John, Ephraim and Joseph, all now deceased; Margaret, who became the wife of Rev. A. K. Owen, both of whom have now passed away; George W.; Elias P., living in Shandon, California; Mary Elizabeth, who married Dewitt Kean, both now deceased; Harrison A., who has departed this life; Thomas M., who died in early life; and Nancy Magdalene, the deceased wife of A. C. Kean, a brother of Dewitt Kean.
The Hon. George W. Brubaker was an infant at the time of the removal of the family to Fayette county, Pennsylvania, and was but six years of age when he arrived in Ohio so that practically his entire life has been passed in Ashland county. He was reared amid the wild scenes and environments of the frontier and remained upon the old homestead until twenty-one years of age, aiding in the work of clearing and cultivating the land. From early boyhood he was very active and at a time when most boys are concerned with the duties of the schoolroom and the pleasures of the playground he was engaged in driving a team in the fields taking part in the work of plowing, planting and harvesting. He became an expert cradler. When he began work of that character the cradle which he used was a very inferior construction but he kept making demands for a better cradle until he had one that suited him and with it he cradled eight acres of wheat in a day while later he cut ten acres in a day. Afterward he cut oats at the rate of eleven acres in a day on a field of seven acres. His cradle had an edge of fifty-four inches. His record surpassed any that has ever been made in this part of the state. He was blessed with great strength, vigor and endurance and could split one thousand rails in a day. He learned how best to conserve and use his energy and in his sixty-eighth year he cut one hundred shocks of corn with one hundred hills to the shock. He remained upon the old homestead until he attained his majority, at which time his father purchased a farm near the present home of our subject in Lake township and a removal was made to that place.
Mr. Brubaker’s educational privileges in his boyhood were extremely limited but when nineteen years of age he became a student in Hayesville Academy for three years and afterward took up the profession of teaching as a part of his regular work, continuing in active connection with the schools from 1848 until 1884, teaching each winter in the district schools. That he enjoyed a most excellent reputation in this direction goes without saying for his long connection with the schools at once manifests the ability which he displayed in his work. For one year he was superintendent of the Loudonville schools but most of the time taught in the country. In the summer months during his early manhood he worked on farms in the neighborhood and eventually took up farming on his own account. He has done considerable clearing, having cleared about sixty acres in Lake township in addition to the work which he did in that direction in Mohican township. He was married in 1852 and purchased a small farm of fifty-seven acres in Green township in 1854. In the spring of 1855 he removed to his present home on section 6, Lake township, where he has since resided. His first purchase made him owner of seventy acres to which he has added from time to time until he now has three hundred acres in his home farm and an additional tract of one hundred and eight acres in Green township. The present substantial buildings on his place were erected by him and much of the land was cleared by Mr. Brubaker who has always been an energetic, industrious man, accomplishing what he has undertaken by reason of his persistency of purpose and capable management. He now makes a specialty of raising horses and at one time he also engaged quite extensively in raising sheep and hogs, his live-stock interests being an important feature of his place although he also gave considerable attention to the cultivation of grain. He practiced the rotation of crops, gave his soil needed rest and as the years passed annually gathered large harvests.
On the 21st of October, 1852, Mr. Brubaker was united in marriage to Miss Susanna Smith, who was born near Hagerstown, Maryland, July 14, 1829, and came to Ohio with her parents in the fall of 1834. She is a daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Barkdale) Smith, who were natives of Maryland, but spent their last days in Green township, Ashland county. On the journey westward they had a single horse hitched to a wagon in which they put their three little children and the household goods, while the father and mother walked most of the way. At length they settled in Jeromeville, which was then a part of Wayne county and subsequently took up their abode in Green township, where Mrs. Brubaker remained until her marriage. She was one of a family of six sons and six daughters and by her marriage she became the mother of ten children: Emma Elizabeth, the wife of Abel Goudy, who resides near Jeromesville; Simpson A., who died at the age of three years; Sophronia, the wife of H. A. Cooper, of Ashland; Mary L., the wife of S. E. McKinley, of Hayesville; Rosella, the wife of R. F. Helbert, now deceased; Diantha, the wife of Reuben M. Butler, of Wayne county, Ohio; Edson O., of Lake township, who is living on the farm where his grandparents died; Anna Belle, wife of Willis McGuire, of Vermillion township; George W., living in Green township; and a son who died in infancy.
Mr. Brubaker has been a lifelong democrat, unfaltering in his allegiance to the party. He cast his first presidential vote for James Buchanan and he can remember the presidential campaigns of William Henry Harrison, Polk, Taylor and Pierce. He has filled several local offices, serving as clerk and trustee while for nine years he was justice of the peace, his decisions during that time being strictly fair and impartial. In the fall of 1893 he was elected to the lower house of representatives and served so faithfully in the assembly that he was reelected for a second term in 1895. He thus aided in shaping the legislation of the state, giving to each question which came up for settlement his earnest consideration. When fifteen years of age he united with the Methodist Episcopal church and his Christian faith has been the guiding spirit of his entire life. He has served as class leader and recording steward in the Mohican church, has taken a very active part in this work and contributed generously to its support. Mr. Brubaker is a remarkably well preserved man for though he has now passed the eighty-first milestone on life’s journey he possesses the strength and vigor of many a man in his prime and in spirit and interest seems yet in middle life. He has never felt, as so many do, that with advancing years he should withdraw from activities and interests of the present and concentrate his thoughts upon memories of the past but is alive to all of the vital questions of the day, keeping informed on all of the issues which affect local and national progress. His memory, however, forms a connecting link between the primitive past and the progressive present and few men of this part of the county are more thoroughly informed concerning its history or the events which have shaped its annals. He has himself borne a most active part in the transformation of the county as it has emerged from the conditions of pioneer life and taken on all of the evidences of a modern and progressive civilization. No man of the community is more honored and respected than George W. Brubaker and no man more fully deserves the confidence and good will this extended. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
JACOB BRUBAKER (Montgomery) p. 364(1)
Jacob Brubaker was born in Mifflin township, Ashland county, October 19, 1843. His parents, John and Catharine Brubaker, came from Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, to Ohio in 1832, and made a home in the woods, where they improved a farm and raised a family of eight children, as follows: Joseph, Henry, Elizabeth, John, Catharine, David, Jacob, and Polly. Of these, Joseph, Elizabeth, John and Polly are deceased. Henry studied medicine in Mansfield under Dr. Page, and was in active practice for twenty-five years in Indianapolis and other places, and at the present time is in the store of his brother Jacob, at Ashland. Catharine married Samuel Heckman, and lives on the home farm. David is in the store of his brother Jacob, and besides this, attends to other business. Polly and Elizabeth died young. John died at Chattanooga while a soldier in the Rebellion, and Joseph died at his home in Indiana in 1875.
Jacob Brubaker, the subject of this sketch, obtained an education in the common schools of Mifflin, and remained on the farm until about twenty years of age, attending school during the winter season. He then came to Ashland and was in the employ of J. Cahn, as clerk for one year, after which he clerked for B. Palmer six months. With this experience, he engaged in a partnership business, the firm name being J.P. Graham & Co., with which he was connected about two years. In 1865 he formed a partnership with his brother David; the partnership has several times been changed, and within the past two years he has conducted the business without partnership relations. He was married June 12, 1866, to Agnes R. Humrickhouser, and has two children: Ora J., born in 1874, and Guy H., born in 1879.
Mr. Brubaker has depended on his own unaided exertions for his start in life, and all that he has is due to his untiring industry, energy and pluck. In his business, he has achieved a good degree of success, and now stands as the leading dry goods dealer of Ashland, and one of the solid business men of this town. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
JOEL BRUCE (Troy) p. 337
Joel Bruce, oldest child of Josiah and Betsey Bruce, was born in Windsor county, Vermont, February 16, 1815. In the year 1837 he removed to Ashland county, Ohio, and in 1838 settled in Troy township. He was married twice; the first time to Caroline Smith, August 24, 1836. To them were born two children, Mary M. and Alden. Mrs. Bruce died in October 1866. For a second wife he married Mrs. Julia A. Jacobs, widow of Hiram Jacobs, September 5, 1867. A short time after he settled in Troy township, he was elected to the office of constable, in that township, and served in that capacity for nine years. Afterward he served five years as trustee. During his service as constable, he became accustomed to auctioneering goods, and followed that occupation for eighteen years. Since that time he has been engaged in farming. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
DAVID BRYTE (Montgomery) p. 1541
Mr. Bryte was born in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, in December 1806, and in 1807 his parents removed to Jefferson county, Ohio. In 1821, when sixteen years of age, he and a younger brother walked to Clearcreek township, in Richland county, and passed through the then village of Uniontown, now Ashland. At that time, fifty years ago, it contained but a few log cabins and one or two small stores. For a number of years he followed the occupation of teaching school. At that period he taught several terms in Milton and Montgomery townships. He then located in Mansfield, where he continued to teach until about the year 1840. About this time he became deputy under Sheriff McCullough, and served two terms, and was elected sheriff one term. Upon the erection of Ashland county in 1845-6, he removed to his farm three miles south of Ashland, and in 1850 was elected a justice of the peace. In 1853 he was elected infirmary director, and resigned to remove Allen county, where he remained a few years.
Mr. Bryte had been twice married, and his second wife and five children, all grown, survive him. He was an acceptable and zealous member of the Christian church. He was a man of nervous temperament, and during his prime, a very ardent Democrat. His long residence in this vicinity enabled him to become acquainted with most of the pioneers of the county. He took great pleasure in recounting the exploits and adventures of the early settlers and their families. He lived to see great changes in men, and the general appearance of the country. He was buried in the cemetery in Ashland on Thursday, March 28, 1872. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
ELIJAH F. BRYTE (Clearcreek) p. 313(1)
ELIJAH F. BRYTE, son of John Bryte, who was an early settler of Ashland county, was born in this county, in 1834. In 1862 he was married to Martha Ekey, by whom he has had five children–Elmore S., Thomas T., Ada B., Artie, dead, and one daughter dying in infancy, unnamed. Mr. Bryte lives about four miles southwest of Savannah. He is a prominent farmer and a worthy citizen. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
JOHN BRYTE (Clearcreek)p. 155(1)
JOHN BRYTE was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, July 20, 1800. Michael Bryte, his father, removed to Jefferson county, Ohio, in 1807. The family consisted of three boys, John, Nathaniel, and David, and three girls. In 1815, Michael Bryte died. John, after the decease of his father, returned to the Forks of the Youghiogheny, where he remained nearly four years, attending a district school in the winter, and laboring in the summer season. In 1819 he accompanied Mr. Nathaniel Bailey, a relative, to Clearcreek township, walking all the way from the “Yoh.” On the route he passed through New Lisbon, Canton and Wooster, then new villages. Mr. Bailey had located in 1817, and Mr. Bryte, for a time, made the house of Mr. Bailey his home. When he entered the township the names of those who preceded him were: Nathaniel Bailey, Abraham Huffman, Daniel Huffman, David and James Burns, Abraham Clayburg, Jacob Foulks, Richard Freeborn, John and Thomas Henney, Abel Bailey, John Bailey, Thomas Ford, Elias Ford, John McWilliams, John Aten, Robert McBeth, and possibly a few others. At that period a great many Delaware Indians made annual visits in the spring and fall of the year to make sugar and hunt deer, which were quite numerous along the Black and Vermillion rivers and the branches of Mohican. They often encamped in different parts of the township, but were harmless and never interfered with their white neighbors. In these excursions the hunters were often accompanied by Thomas Lyons and Isaac George, two rather noted old Indians. Mr. Bryte frequently met the eccentric, but inoffensive, Johnny Appleseed, alias John Chapman, as he meandered over the country planting apple seeds and cultivating nurseries. Mr. Bryte was the second clerk of Clearcreek township, and held the office eleven years, the township having been organized in 1820, he was also trustee a number of times, and was a warm friend of the common school system at all times, being one of the earliest teachers in the township. He was a man of benevolent feelings, and in 1856 was appointed trustee of the Central Ohio lunatic asylum at Columbus, by Governor S. P. Chase, and continued in that position until 1862. In 1820 he became an active member of the Baptist church, near Ashland, and in 1835, united with the Christian church, and has been one of its speakers nearly forty years, and has adorned his profession by an upright life.
In 1824 he married Miss Elizabeth Ford, daughter of Thomas Ford, and in 1826 purchased a part of the farm–section twenty-six, on which he deceased. On this land he found an ancient earthwork containing over three acres. It is now nearly obliterated from long cultivation with the plow.
In 1874, Mr. and Mrs. Bryte celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of their wedded life, having all their children and friends present. In August 1874, he went to California with his son Michael, who for many years had been a resident of that State. He returned in the fall, and until his decease loved to dwell upon what he saw and learned during his visit to the Pacific. He related the scenes and incidents of his journey in a manner so entertaining and earnest, that he never failed to deeply interest all who heard him. At the organization of the pioneer and historical society of Ashland county, on the tenth of September 1875, Mr. Bryte presided as the first temporary president, and became an active member of the association. During the summer his general health began to fail, and he was confined to his room for some time. He again rallied, and hopes were expressed that he might be spared many more years; but he was again seized by sickness. He died of pneumonia, on Saturday evening, February 17, and was buried at Bryte’s church, in Clearcreek township, on Monday, February 19, 1877. In his death Clearcreek lost a valuable citizen, and society an influential and exemplary member. Mr. Bryte was noted for his strong common sense, his integrity and love of truth and fairness between man and man. The pioneer society misses him very much, because he possessed an extraordinary memory, and remembered the history of his township very clearly. The obituary committee of the society adopted the usual resolutions concerning his decease. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
THOMAS BRYTE (Clearcreek) p. 312(1)
THOMAS BRYTE, son of John and Elizabeth (Ford) Bryte, was born January 28, 1830. In 1855 he went to California, where he engaged in a grapevine and dairy business, which he followed for sixteen years. Then he returned to Ashland county and purchased the farm known as the old John Eaton homestead, where he still resides. On the southern borders of this farm are evidences of an ancient fort, a description of which is given elsewhere in this work. Mr. Bryte’s father was an old pioneer, an extended a sketch of whom is found elsewhere. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
GEORGE BUCHANAN (Vermillion) p. 309(1)
George Buchanan was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, in 1800. About 1831 he came to Ashland county, Ohio, and located in Vermillion township, on a farm near Hayesville. In 1829 he married Miss Elizabeth Bragg, and has one son living in Newton, Iowa. Mrs. Buchanan died September 5, 1833. In February 27, 1840, Mr. Buchanan was married to Mrs. Rosena Miles. They have seven children, three sons and four daughters. Two sons and three daughters are married. Mr. Buchanan taught school in Alabama a number of years previous to locating in Ashland county, since which time his business has been that of a farmer. He has served in the capacity of justice of the peace. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
ISAAC BUCHANAN (Clearcreek) p. 311(1)
ISAAC BUCHANAN is a son of James Buchanan, and was born in Ashland county in the year 1839. He lived on the home farm until 1868, when he was married to Miss Anna M. Wilson. He is an esteemed citizen, and at present one of the trustees of his township. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
C.L. BUCKWALTER (Hanover) p. 296(1)
C.L. Buckwalter was born West Lebanon, Wayne county, Ohio, in 1845, and studied medicine with Drs. Fuller and Wirt. In 1872 he graduated from the Medical Department of the University of Wooster, in Cleveland, Ohio, and, in the same year, began the practice of medicine in New Washington, Crawford county, Ohio, where he remained six years. In 1878 he gave up the practice of medicine and engaged in dentistry, having studied with Dr. O. Buckwalter, of Millersburgh, Ohio. In 1879 he opened an office in Loudonville, where he deals in all the modern improvements, and is steadily building up a large practice. In 1874 he married Maggie H. Stewart, daughter of Judge George H. Stewart, of Loudonville, and is the father of two children: Xeonphon O. and Ware J. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
DANIEL BUDD (Green) p. 276(1)
Daniel Budd, born in Pennsylvania, came to Ohio in 1827, and settled in Ashland county, near Jeromeville. He was a carpenter by trade, and worked at that business exclusively. In politics he was a Democrat. He was the father of eight children, of whom but three are living: Susanna, who became the wife of Caleb Edwards, and lives in Illinois; Thomas, who married Rebecca Black, and afterwards married Clarissa Edwards, and lives in Ashland county; Samuel, who married Temperance Woodhill. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
DAVID BUFFENMIRE (Perry) p. 331(1)
David Buffenmire, fifth son of Henry and Mary Buffenmire, was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in the year 1814, and emigrated to Ohio in 1826, in company with his parents and their family of ten children, coming in a wagon with five horses. Mr. Buffenmire first made a settlement two miles south of Rowsburg, immediately in the woods. Here he soon erected a rude log cabin in which to shelter his little family, and here he began life in earnest. The forest, which completely surrounded him, was soon made to give way to his determined will. Here Mr. Buffenmire reared his family and remained until the time of his death in the spring of 1849. His wife survived him until the year 1867, when she too, was taken from her earthly home, leaving seven children. David, the subject of this sketch, cared for his aged mother through her declining years, from and after the death of his father. He was twice married, first in 1835, to Phebe Ann Meng, by whom he had four daughters: Mary Ann, Amanda, Elizabeth and Annetta. The wife and mother died in the spring of 1838. Mr. Buffenmire married for his second wife, Sarah Otto. To them have been born five children, three sons and two daughters, as follows: Franklin, Emma, Harvey, E. Stanton, and Martha. Franklin died in infancy, and Emma in early childhood. Mr. and Mrs. Buffenmire are members of the Lutheran church. Mr. Buffenmire, by careful management, wise economy, and sound judgment, has acquired quite a fine property. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
E.R. BUFFENMIRE (Clearcreek) p. 311(1)
E.R. BUFFENMIRE was born in Ashland county in 1843. March 12, 1861, he was married to Sally Ann Myers, by whom he has had three children, Jennie B., Todd, and Blanche. Shortly after his marriage he left his young bride and enlisted for three years in the army. He was engaged in sixteen different battles, the severest of which was the siege of Vicksburgh. He was a brave soldier, and served his country faithfully and with honor until he was discharged, December 2, 1864. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
THE BULL FAMILY (Clearcreek) p. 383(1)
HEZEKIAH BULL, born in Dublin, Ireland, came to America before the Revolution, and first settled in Hartford, Connecticut. He served one year in the Revolution, and after that engaged in business in Hartford, Connecticut, and became the owner of a vessel in the West India trade, in which business he continued until 1815, when he sold out his business, and in 1816 came to Canton, Ohio. Here he remained one year, then moved to Massillon, where he settled on the farm now owned by Kent Jervis, or his heirs, where he died in 1818. He married an English lady, and was the father of eight children, seven of whom came to Ohio. Caleb on the Spanish main; Hester, Maria, Louisa, Jefferson and G.W. settled in Loudonville; Hoyland, in Tennessee, and Emily in California.
G.W. BULL was born in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1799, and there received his education. When only eleven years old he went to sea, and followed a sailor’s life about ten years, with an interval of one year. In 1820 he gave up a sea-faring life and came to Ohio, and settled on a farm for a short time. In 1821, with Thomas Taylor, he built a flat-boat, loaded it with pork, hams, bacon and whiskey, then the products of the country, and started for New Orleans from a point near the iron bridge across the Black fork in Loudonville. The round trip took about three months. These trips he continued to make at intervals until 1832, when he abandoned the business, and settled on the farm now owned by Hon. J.W. Bull, in Hanover township, where he held the office of justice of the peace fifteen years, and was township trustee, clerk, and treasurer for a number of years. In politics he was a Democrat. In December 1852, he died. In 1822 he married Nancy Farrquhr, who died in 1877. He was the father of ten children, seven of whom are still living: John W., who married Nancy Watson, afterwards married Eliza J. Pippit; George F., who married Ann Menor, and lives in Ashland county, Ohio; Sarah J., wife of Abner Stutes, living in Cleveland, Ohio; Hester M. and Nancy E., both living in Ashland county; Emily U., wife of Mr. Hazelett, living in Michigan; and Phebe E., who lives in Loudonville.
HON. JOHN W. BULL was born in Loudonville, Ohio, August 16, 1824, and received a common school education. He worked on a farm until his twenty-seventh year, when he accepted a position as route agent on the Bellfontaine & Indiana railroad, and traveled between Galion and Indianapolis for nearly two years, when, in 1854, he was transferred to the Ohio & Indiana road, and traveled between Crestline and Chicago for four years. In 1861 he resigned his position as rout agent, to accept the appointment of passenger conductor on the Pittsburgh, Ft. Wayne & Chicago railroad. This position he resigned to take charge of the Meyer house, in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. He gave up this business on account of the ill health of his wife, and in 1872 returned to Loudonville. In 1872 he served as a mayor of the village, and as justice of the peace. He was elected to the Sixty-third general assembly by a majority of six hundred and seventy-two. He has always been an ultra Democrat, and from present indications will die in that faith. In 1847 he married Nancy Watson, of Loudonville, who died in 1851. In 1859 he married Eliza J. Pippet, and is the father of two children: one died in infancy, and Anna E. died when two years old. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
JOHN BURD (Lake) p. 285(1)
John Burd, born in Pennsylvania, came to Ohio, and first settled in Jefferson county in 1805, where he remained thirty years, when he came to Ashland county and settled near Savannah, in Ruggles township, on the farm now owned by Robert Pogue. In 1840 he moved to Illinois, where he remained until his death, which occurred in 1845, when his wife also died. He was the father of ten children, only three living, Sparks, who married Rachel Finley; John, who lives in Illinois, and Fannie, wife of Robert Cochrane. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
SPARKS BURD JR. (Lake) p. 285(1)
Sparks Burd, Jr., was born in Ashland, county, June 25, 1835, and received a common school education. He is a farmer and school-teacher, and has taught school twenty-five terms. In 1862 he enlisted in the Fourth Ohio volunteer infantry, under Captain D.R. Timmons, and served three years, when he was promoted to sergeant major of the battalion. He served under Burnside, Hooker and Meade, and took part in nearly all the battles of the army of the Potomac from Chancellorsville to Appomattox Court House, and was wounded at Spotsylvania. He was mustered out in 1865, and in 1870 moved to Kansas, where he remained until 1874. While there he was elected representative of Bourbon county, and served one term in the legislature. In April 1874, he returned to Ashland county, Ohio, and in 1877 was elected justice of the peace of Lake township, and in 1880 was re-elected to the same office. On September 10, 1857, he married Mary Finley, who died April 13, 1870. On April 30, 1871, he married Mary Seiss. There are eight children: Charlotte, Edwin S., John E., William, Sarah E., Norah, Frederick and Burton. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
SPARKS BURD SR. (Lake) p. 285(1)
Sparks Burd, Sr., born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, in 1796, came to Ohio with his father in 1805, and settled in Jefferson county, Ohio, where he remained nine years. He then went to Wayne county, Ohio, where he stayed four years, and then returned to Ashland county, and settled on the farm on which he now lives in 1818, and in 1820 cleared ten acres of land and sowed seven acres of wheat, and built a cabin. He then went back to Jefferson county, where he remained until the following spring, when he returned in company with his brother William, and they cleared off the farm on which he now lives, and can truly be called the pioneer of Ashland county. On March 28, 1833, he married Eliza Long, of Lake township, who had two children, and died June 23, 1835. In 1840 he married Charlotte Austin, who died in 1861, and in 1864 he married Rachel Finley. The two children were Sparks, who married Mary Finley, and Sarah A., who became the wife of Ithamer Covert. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
GEORGE BURGETT (Clearcreek) p. 313(1)
GEORGE BURGETT was born in Germany about the year 1766. He emigrated to America and settled in Washington county Pennsylvania. Here he married Miss Fannie Rodgers, June 25, 1791, by whom he had nine children, all of whom are deceased but Joseph, Eliza and Susannah. George, the youngest son, came to Ohio in the spring of 1813, and settled in what is now Ashland county, about three miles west of Ashland. At this time but one log cabin made up the town of Ashland, or as it was then called Uniontown, and so dense was the forest, they were compelled to cut a way for the teams. He lived but three years after his settlement here, and his wife died seven years later. All the hardships common to pioneer life, they experienced. Joseph is the only living representative of this family now in this county. He was married June 12, 1829, to Ann Rayburn, by whom he had six children: J.R., Fannie, Eliza J., George F., Sally, and Melissa, all of who are living but Fannie and George. Two of the daughters, Eliza and Sally, married ministers, Melissa married George B. Masters, with whom Mr. Burgett makes his home; he has reached the ripe old age of seventy-nine years, and is in the full possession of his faculties. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
PETER BURK (Milton) p. 351(1)
Peter Burk came into Ashland county with his father in 1834 and settled in Milton township, but afterwards removed to Mifflin township, where his father died in 1838. He followed the carpenter and joiner trade for nineteen years, but he afterwards joined farming to this occupation, and has been successful. He was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania July 9, 1818, and was married January 23, 1842, to Mary Landis by whom he had six children. She died February 23, 1857, and he married Elizabeth Figley July 4, 1859 by whom he had one child, Margaret L. Mr. Burk is of German, Irish extraction, his great-grandmother was a German, and his great-grandfather had the warm blood of a Celt in his veins. He has been a hard working, industrious man and has met many reverses and endured many hardships. He is well posted in the early history of the township, and has a good memory for facts and dates. Mrs. Burk comes of old pioneer stock. Her grandfather lived to be one hundred and ten years old. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
A.J. BURNS (Montgomery) p. 378(1)
A.J. Burns was born March 28, 1840. His parents were Hugh and Athaliah Rutan Burns, who were married in March 1836, and raised a family of six children, as follows: A.J., Mary M., Barna, George W., Hugh R., and Sadie M. Hugh Burns, sr., was the first auditor of Ashland county in 1846. The grandparents of A.J. Burns were natives of county Donegal, Ireland, whence they came to this country in early life, and were married in Little York, Pennsylvania. They had a family of six children, five of whom lived to maturity. A.J. Burns was the first man to enlist in Garfield’s Regiment (the Forty-second Ohio volunteer infantry). He enlisted in company H, November 15, 1861, and served with his regiment until he was mustered out in the spring of 1866, with the rank of first lieutenant. At the siege of Vicksburgh, in 1863, he was wounded by a Minnie ball, which passed through his right lung, but as soon as his wound was healed, he returned to his regiment. In the fall of 1866 he went to Missouri, where he remained something more than four years, when he returned to Ashland and was married to Emily Luther, by whom he has one child, a son, Charles L., born in 1871. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
HUGH BURNS (Milton) p. 156(1)
Was born in Philadelphia, January 20, 1810, and emigrated with his parents to Milton township, Richland (now Ashland) county, Ohio, in 1820, and settled on what is now known as the Kelly farm. In the fall of the same year Andrew Burns, sr., father of Hugh, built a cabin on what is now known as the John Huzlet farm, then owned by his brother, Barnabas Burns, and resided in it until 1821, when he moved to a cabin near the present site of Yeaman’s mill, in Mifflin township, where the family remained until 1823, and then located on the Richard Woodhouse farm in Milton. In 1829 Mr. Burns, father of Hugh purchased what is now known as the Burns’ farm, near the schoolhouse of that name in the west part of Milton township, where he resided until his death in 1857, at the age of seventy-seven years. He was born in Donegal, Ireland, and was a devout Catholic. He came to Philadelphia in 1801, and about 1812 located in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. In 1820 he removed to Ohio. He had three sons, Hugh, Andrew, and Barnabas, and two daughters, Margaret and Sarah. Mrs. Burns died in 1851, aged seventy-five years.
Hugh attended the schools of the neighborhood, and obtained a fair knowledge of the English branches, and at an early day commenced his career as a teacher. While a young man he was elected township clerk, and the records show a very neat journal was made by him. At the organization of Ashland county in 1846, he was selected as county auditor, a position he held until 1851. He made an efficient, industrious and conscientious officer, and was much respected for his integrity and personal worth. At the expiration of his term of office he opened a dry goods store in Ashland; but the enterprise proved unfortunate, and he failed in business, losing pretty much all the capital he had invested. He then recommenced the life of a farmer, which seems more congenial to his nature. He purchased the west half of what is known as the Nicholas Rutan farm, near his old home in Milton, to which he removed in 1867. During his residence in Ashland he took an active interest in the public schools, and was repeatedly a member of the board of education. When a young man he became a member of the Baptist church of Windsor, and in 1846 joined the Disciple church of Ashland, of which he remained a member until 1867, when he was transferred to the Clearcreek Disciple church, of which he is now an active member. Mr. Burns is regarded as an exemplary, high-toned and conscientious Christian.
When he arrived in Milton, in 1820, he recollects the following pioneers had preceded his father: Frederick Sulcer, James Kelley, James Andrews, Amos, and Samuel Hilburn, Peter Lance, William Dickey, James Crawford, John Kent, Robert Andrews, Robert Nelson, and a few others. The first mill he attended was Reynold’s near Windsor. In 1821 he attended Newman’s mill to obtain grists. The first preachers, Presbyterian, were Robert Lee and Mr. Matthews; and of the Methodist, Mr. Haney and Mr. Hazard; and of the Baptist, Mr. Jones—say from 1820 to 1825. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
PETER BURNS (Milton) p. 260(1)
PETER BURNS was nearly a hundred years old at the time of his death. Upon visiting him in 1879, the following notice was published in the Ashland Press:
“THE OLDEST MAN IN ASHLAND COUNTY.”
Some days since we had the pleasure of visiting, perhaps, the oldest man in Ashland county, in the person of the venerable Peter Burns, of Milton township, at the home of Mrs. John Brindle, near the Black fork. Mr. Burns was born in Frederick county, Maryland, in July 1782, just before the termination of the American war of independence. His father resided about twenty-eight miles west of the city of Baltimore, and died near Gettysburgh in 1815, aged about eighty-seven, and his mother near the same place at an advanced age. His father was from Scotland, and his mother of German descent. Mr. Burns had reached the age of about thirty years when the war of 1812 was declared between the United States and Great Britain. He was enrolled in the Maryland militia, and served in the company commanded by Captain William Derbins, in the defense of Baltimore and North Point as well as Fort McHenry. About the middle of August, 1814, the British fleet passed up the Chesapeake with about six thousand troops, under the command of General Ross, destined for the capture of Washington city. It landed on the Patuxant, twenty-five miles from its mouth, five thousand men, and marched across to the Federal city by way of Bladensburgh, where Commodore Barney confronted the British army, but failed to repel their march, General Winder, at the head of three thousand raw militia having made but a feeble stand, fleeing to Washington city, pursued by the exultant British, who burned the capitol, the president’s house, and other public buildings, and then fled to their shipping. General Ross was greatly elated over this achievement, although the act was denounced in the English House of Commons, and by all civilized Europe. It was regarded as the act of a marauder and a vandal. General Smith prepared to meet Ross at Baltimore. General Strickler rallied the militia, numbering about fifteen thousand and prepared to defend the town. Ross landed eight thousand soldiers at North Point, fourteen miles from the city, and part went up the Patapsco to bombard Fort McHenry. General Strickler repelled the advance of General Ross in a heavy skirmish, in which Ross was killed, and after his army continued to bombard the garrison for many hours the enemy withdrew, and the body of Ross was carried, as reported, to England in a hogshead of rum to be buried. After the withdrawal of the British, Mr. Burns and other soldiers from Frederick county, returned to their homes.
About 1825 Mr. Burns commenced to learn the trade of a stonecutter and bricklayer, at which he informs me he worked industriously until he was over ninety-one years old, a period of nearly sixty years. During that time he worked in Baltimore, Little York, in Virginia, and in many parts of Maryland and Pennsylvania.
About the year 1845 he came to Ashland county, with his wife, and was joined by his son-in-law, the late John Brindle, who settled on the farm where the surviving members of his family now reside, near the Black fork. Mr. Brindle continued to reside there until 1877, when he deceased, aged about sixty-two years. Mr. Burns and his lady, being well advanced in years, became a part of the family of Mrs. Brindle. Mrs. Burns died at the residence of her daughter on Christmas day, 1878, aged about eighty years. Mr. Burns is the father of four living children, Emanuel, Samuel, Jacob, and Susan, wife of the late John Brindle.
Mr. Burns has been drawing a pension of ninety-six dollars, since 1872, for services performed in the war of 1812. His mind is quite clear, though his powerful frame is greatly broken by hard work. He is now content with ordinary exercise. In his prime he weighed about two hundred and ten pounds. His average weight is now about one hundred and eighty pounds, and his height, about six feet two inches. He eats and sleeps well, though at this time he is harassed by a bad cough. His remarkable age must be attributed to a fine constitution. His mother and father died at advanced ages. In fact, longevity has been characteristic of his family, and he may survive to reach one hundred years. He has never been compelled to pay many doctor bills. Temperate eating and living have done more than medicine to give him long life and vigor. Though his sight is failing, his senses remain unimpaired. He has always been a man of peace, and strongly attached to justice and integrity, and opposed to the desolating march of war and internal strife. May his remaining years glide peacefully away, and happiness crown his eventful days.”
Mr. Burns died March 16, 1880. He retained his usual health until near his decease. He had lived under the old colonial government, and met many of the fathers of the Revolution. He has now gone to his rest, where we trust he will find the peace of a patriot and a just man. Soon we will see the last of the patriots of 1812. All honor to them.
The remains of Mr. Burns were buried in the cemetery of Ashland, on Thursday, March 18th, by the company of Captain Finger, with military honors. With the exception of the late Patrick Murray, who lacked a few months of one hundred years of age, Mr. Burns was probably the oldest man in the county, and near the last of the 1812 soldiers. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
WILLIAM BURNS (Clearcreek) p. 313(1)
WILLIAM BURNS, son of David Burns, was born in what is now Ashland county in the year 1821. In the fall of 1849 he was married to Miss Jane McKibben, by whom he had six children: Mary B., Tirzah L., David M., J. Bartlett, Maggie C., and Ida M., all of whom are living but J. Bartlett and Maggie C. Mary married Albert M. Shriver. Tirzah L. married William C. Shriver, and lives in Iowa. David Burns died at the ripe old age of seventy-three years in 1863. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
JOHN LEE BURWELL (Hanover) p. 294(1)
John Lee Burwell’s ancestors came from England as early as 1639 and were descendants of a royal family. They first settled in what was then called New England, and were the first pioneers of America. They took an active part in the organization of the government of New England, and were faithful subjects to their mother country until the days of the Revolution, when they with one accord severed their ties with King George and took up arms for the defense of the land of their adoption. They withstood the trials and privations of the Revolution, and in the war of 1812 they were among the first to answer to the call of the President for troops. Their voices have been heard in the halls of Congress and in several State legislatures, also many minor offices, the mention of which would only take up space in this work. Suffice it to say, that they have been an exemplary family, not one of the name ever bringing disgrace upon it. William Burwell, father of John Lee Burwell, was born in Hunterdon county, New Jersey, in 1780, and came to Ohio and settled in Ashland county, on the farm now owned by A.J. Mumper, Jr. In 1817 he married Elizabeth Weldy, daughter of George Thomas. On March 12, 1868, he died. He was the father of five children: Jacob, John Lee, Hannah, Lydia and Elizabeth Miller. John Lee Burwell was born in Hanover township, Richland county, March 23, 1820. In 1843 he married Louisa Greenlee, who died in 1866. In 1867 he married Clarinda Kemp. By trade he was a blacksmith, and served an apprenticeship with Mayor R.P. Fulkerson, and followed the business until 1868, when he began the business he is now engaged in, viz., a dealer in millinery and fancy goods, under the firm name of Mr. and Mrs. J.L. Burwell. He is a consistent member of the regular Baptist church, a Republican in politics, and the father of six children, three living and three dead, Herbert, who married Emma Kellog, John L., and William G., living; Minor S., Mack, and George W., deceased. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
JAMES FRANKLIN BUSH (Mifflin) p. 322(1)
James Franklin Bush was born in Bucyrus, Crawford county, Ohio, February 27, 1845, where he resided until he was nineteen years old. When at the age of sixteen, he commenced working at the trade of carriage painting, at which he remained about three years, when he removed to Tiffin, Ohio. In Tiffin he remained about two years, and from that time until 1875 he has been doing business in different places throughout the State. Since 1875 he has been carrying on business in Ashland. During the late war, Mr. Bush enlisted as a member of the One Hundred and First Ohio volunteer infantry, but, owing to his youth, he was rejected. October 17, 1867, he was married to Miss Rosa E. Swineford, who was born in this county, October 15, 1850. The fruits of this union are five children, three of whom are still living, named respectively, Clarence F., who was born November 25, 1869; George O., born August 31, 1874; and Zoa, born May 7, 1879. The ones deceased are Ida, who departed this life October 27, 1878, aged six years, eleven months and thirteen days; and Field, who died October 23, 1878, aged two years. Mr. Bush is now engaged in the manufacturing of carriages and buggies; and he also makes carriage and sign painting a specialty. He is considered proficient at his business, and aims to please every one, and with good success. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
STERLING G. BUSHNELL SR. (Vermillion) p. 191(1)
Was born in Hartford county, Connecticut, in 1770, and emigrated to Trumbull county, Ohio, in 1806. He left Connecticut in December 1805, and journeyed on sleds with his wife and five children. On the route he was joined by a number of other families. The most of the route was through the forests of eastern and northern New York. He passed directly to Albany, and thence to near Buffalo, on the lake. He and his traveling companions generally camped by the wayside at night, scraping the snow aside and erecting s sort of tent or screen of bed quilts to protect their families against the storms and cold. The forests were infested by large numbers of ferocious wolves. To protect himself against these animals, he generally encamped near a dead tree, which he set on fire. When they reached the Hudson, the ice was somewhat weakened by a thaw. Fearing to cross it with his teams, he took the sled and children and hauled it by hand to the western side, leaving his wife and horse to follow. After he had landed, she mounted and followed, and when about midway of the stream, the ice broke with a tremendous roar. He stood appalled at the sight, expecting to see his wife and horse disappear beneath the floating ice. Fortunately, she floated on a large piece of ice, which drifted to the western shore, some distance below him. Watching its approach to land, when it touched the bank, she applied her whip vigorously to the sides of the horse upon which she was seated, and aided by this stimulus, it gave a great leap, fastened upon and ascended the bank in safety. Great was his joy over the providential escape. From near the city of Buffalo the whole party kept up the lake shore. By examination they found the ice was sufficiently strong to bear their teams, and hence, followed it until they reached the northwest corner of Pennsylvania, when they learned from an old Indian chief of the Senecas where they were, and the proper route from there to Trumbull county, Ohio. When he arrived at the residence of his brother, William Bushnell, who had preceded him one year, his wife gave birth to a child about two hours after his arrival–Jonathan Bushnell. Mr. Bushnell resided in Trumbull county about fifteen years. His occupations were various. Part of the time he taught school, acted as justice of the peace and county surveyor. In his late residence, he engaged in the mercantile business and carried on a tannery and a farm. He also made two trips to New Orleans, with flatboats, loaded with the productions of Trumbull county, principally butter and cheese. He launched his boat on a small stream emptying into Big Beaver, and passed down it to the Ohio, and thence down the Mississippi, where he sold his commodities at good prices, and returned on horse-back, passing through the Indian nations, Choctaws, Cherokees and Chickasaws, carrying his money in a port-manteau. While crossing a stream, he got his money–bank bills–wet, and stopped with a chief of the Chickasaws, who entertained him kindly and helped dry his bank bills, and directed him on his way. This venture proved very profitable, and upon returning home, he resolved to make a second trip loaded as before. In passing down the Ohio, he became ice-bound until the opening of the spring thaw, and when he arrived at New Orleans, his goods were greatly damaged from the climate, his butter melted and cheese spoiled. The trip proved a failure, and he was ruined financially. He was gone about six months, returning by the Gulf and Atlantic to New York City, and thence by private conveyance home.
During the war of 1812 a regiment was raised in Trumbull county, Richard Hayes being colonel, Sterling G. Bushnell adjutant, and an eminent pioneer preacher, Father Badger, chaplain. This regiment made a forced march up the lake shore to Sandusky, where Sandusky City now stands. The regiment was, for some time, at Fort Avery, and near Fort Meigs. While near the mouth of Huron, Adjutant Bushnell assisted in the exchange of prisoners between Malden and Huron. While stationed here he became possessed with the malaria of that region, and was discharged on account of disability, and his widow, forty years afterward, was awarded a pension, which was continued until her decease.
In May 1821, he emigrated to near the present site of the town of Hayesville, in Vermillion township. When he arrived he was fifty-one years old. The township was sparsely settled, and he entered upon pioneer life in earnest, purchasing eighty acres of land, upon which his son, Thomas Bushnell, now resides, of Joseph Lake, of Wooster, for forty dollars. It proved to be a fine bargain. He commenced improvements upon it by the erection of a comfortable log cabin, in which he resided for many years.
Being a good mathematician, and a practical surveyor, he soon began to retrieve his southern losses. His experience as a businessman gave him an opportunity to acquire a knowledge of legal proceedings in justices’ courts, and he soon became expert as a country attorney. Many anecdotes are related of him in his capacity as a lawyer, some of which evince a good deal of shrewdness. On one occasion, three young men, of Vermillion township, went on a little frolic to cut a bee tree on the premises of a watchful farmer. After securing the honey, the secret was divulged to a comrade, who told the farmer of his loss. A suit was brought to secure the value of the tree, before a justice of the peace. The young men consulted Mr. Bushnell as to the best method of escape. They related the circumstances–said the tree was on a ridge–which fact they had stated. Bushnell desired to learn whether the precise locality had been stated. They said it had not. Mr. Bushnell told them to return with part of the honey and comb, and cut another hollow tree on the same ridge in the adjoining township, and fill the crevices of a large limb with the comb, and smear it over with honey, and leave the balance to him. The young men agreed to pay him fifteen dollars–five each–if he would clear them. The trial came, and it was shown that a tree had been cut on the ridge, but the exact point was in uncertainty. After examining the witnesses, Mr. Bushnell stated that his clients did not deny cutting a tree on the ridge, but the tree was in the adjoining township, and the present court had no jurisdiction. Witnesses for the defense had testified that they had seen the tree, and it was as stated. The plaintiff had, therefore, failed to fix the cutting of the tree upon the young men, as charged in his affidavit. Mr. Bushnell, therefore, demanded the discharge of his clients, which the justice granted without further delay. For fees he received thirty silver half-dollars, and returned triumphantly to his own cabin.
Mr. Bushnell died at his homestead in Vermillion township, August 16, 1846, aged seventy-four years. He was the father of eleven children, five sons and six daughters, Betsy, wife of Sylvester Bucher; Laura, wife of Tully Crosby; William, an eminent surveyor of Mansfield, Ohio; Collins, who built the first hotel in Hayesville, and died in Louisiana in 1832 leaving three sons–Judge Tully C., Sterling G. (a justice of the peace), and Collins W. (probate judge); Sedelia, wife of James Connolly, of Iowa; Jothan, deceased; Huldah, wife of Stephen Tanner, of Illinois; Rosella, wife of Jonathan W. Sloan, of Mansfield; Homer, of Mercer county, Ohio, deceased; Olive, wife of Dr. David Snively, of Xenia, Ohio; and Thomas, of Hayesville, who resides on the old homestead, and is noted for his zeal and success in agriculture and horticulture. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
H. BUTCHER (Vermillion) p. 309(1)
Mr. H. Butcher was born in Jefferson county, Ohio, in 1837. At the age of fifteen he left home and learned the blacksmith trade, at which he worked about twenty years. Mr. Butcher came into Hayesville, Ashland county, Ohio, in 1859, and was married June 9, 1867, to Miss Amanda Smalley, of Ashland. In 1862 he hired to the government as a mechanic. In about six weeks after he was promoted to the superintendency of the Franklin shops at Nashville, having under his control about twelve hundred men. This position Mr. Butcher held one year, when he was appointed by Captain Irvin, acting assistant quartermaster, as store-keeper for the government at Nashville, holding this position until Lee’s surrender. After the war closed Mr. Butcher remained in Nashville one year, and worked at his trade. For four years he has been mayor of Hayesville, justice of the peace three years, and postmaster four years, which position he still occupies. A daughter, aged eight years, is the only child. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
HENRY BUTT (Milton) p. 352(1)
Henry Butt came to Ashland county in 1837; he was born in 1800 in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. The maiden name of his wife was Nancy Gish; she died February 29, 1872. Both were earnest Christians. He now resides at the old homestead with his son-in-law, Thomas Wharton. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
BENJAMIN BUZZARD (Jackson) p. 338(1)
Benjamin Buzzard, son of Jacob and Hannah Buzzard, was born in Center county, Pennsylvania, March 8, 1816, and in the year 1840 moved to Wayne county, Ohio. On January 12, 1845, he married Miss Mary Mellinger, third child of George and Catharine Mellinger, who was born in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, November 26, 1822, and came to Ohio, Wayne county, with her parents, when at the age of four years. Mr. and Mrs. Buzzard are members of the Brethren church. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)
JOHN BYERS (Jackson) p. 340(1)
John Byers, son of Frederick and Annie Byers, was born in Franklin county, Pennsylvania March 11, 1803. He emigrated to Ashland, now Wayne county, Ohio, July 8, 1836. Before leaving Pennsylvania he was married to Miss Francis Ditwiler, March 6, 1827. They have raised a family of six children: Edward, Anna E., William, Frederick, Jane, and Catharine, all living but Edward and Anna E. Mrs. Byers died February 25, 1879, aged seventy-three years and six months. Mr. Byers served in the office of township treasurer three years. (Transcribed and contributed by Russ Shopbell)