Following is one of the Biographies and Stories which where gathered by Charles Sumner McKamy in the 1950s for publication in a Crawford County History Book. Unfortunately he passed away before the book was published.
Martin L. Phillippi, grandfather, left Barbour County, near the town of Phillippi, West Virginia, traveling by oxen-driven wagon, with men walking most of the way, to Bicknell, Indiana and located where my grandfather, Thomas Phillippi settled, later moving to Illinois where my father, Joseph Phillippi, who lived in Lawrence County at Martin's Mill on a creek running through Birds, Illinois. Later father moved to Montgomery Township where he married Lavina Lindsay and I was born in that Township in Canaan School District. On December 22, 1882, on the home place, I married Miss Minnie Simons who was also born in Montgomery Township.
William Henry Simons, my wife's father, and her mother, Martha Olive Rogers, have all lived in Crawford County all our lives except about five years in Wayne County. Our home place was in Canaan District 1/2 mile west and 1/4 mile south of Heathsville near Van Houten Church. We came to Robinson in 1925 and have been in the grocery business until I retired in 1955, disposing of the business to my son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd York. We have five children, Esther Crocker, Ruby Higgins, Lloyd Phillippi, Reba York, and Janet Clements. Esther and Lloyd all live in Robinson.
While living near Canaan School, Mr. L.S. Heath was our schoolteacher. While living in that vicinity, Gabe, Sam and Will Funk built a barn for Tom Parker.
Recently, I visited the old home place of Phillippi, in Barbour County, West Virginia where I viewed the Old Covered Bridge which was the scene of the first land battle of the Civil War. This covered bridge was erected in August 1852 and the Covered Bridge Centennial was celebrated on August 28-30, 1952.