A History and Biographical Cyclopaedia of Butler County, Ohio
Fairfield Township: Pages 480 - 484
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CARY, BUCHANAN, WILDER, McCAN, RICHARDSON, BATES, WOODWARD (Fairfield Twp., pp. 479-480)
Freeman Grant CARY was born in Cincinnati (Hamilton Co., OH) Apr 7, 1810. His father, William CARY, emigrated to the Northwest Territory in 1803, & settled on a farm he had purchased at the head of Main St., Cincinnati, where he resided until 1814, when he removed to College Hill. His 32 acres in Cincinnati were sold, & he bought Sec 30 in Mill Creek Twp., now College Hill, where he resided until his death, Mar 25, 1862.

In this place Freeman G. CARY, with his two brothers, William Woodward & Samuel Fenton, received his early education. He afterwards attended college at Miami University, & graduated with honor in the class of 1831. This was more than 50 years ago, & since that time Mr. CARY has left a marked impress of his character for good, which, in the history of the times, is inerasable. He has devoted more than 30 years of his life to teaching. He established Cary's Academy & originated Farmers' College, into which the academy was merged; also originated for females what afterwards became the OH Female College. These institutions were eminently successful until after he resigned the presidency, the Farmers' College at that time numbering 300 students. The Female College was likewise successful.

Mr. CARY's strong point was in government, & he was also a successful teacher. During his presidency he associated with him men of ability in the various departments of his institution. In the first period of its existence under him, he educated, to a greater or less extent, some 3,000 young men, many of them occupying distinguished positions North & South, in the ministry, the bar, or as physicians or businessmen. Mr. CARY's character is marked by a combination of striking traits; being possessed of a strong constitution, temperate habits; & good health, giving him physical ability to accomplish successfully whatever he attempts. He has made his own place in society, & is known to be persistent & energetic in all he undertakes. He has filled all the duties that have fallen to his charge with ability & tact. He is thoroughly conversant with all the branches of natural science, especially those appertaining to agriculture & horticulture, of which he has acquired both a practical & theoretical knowledge. He has connected with his residence an admirably arranged conservatory & greenhouse, on his own plan, in which he spends much of his time in experimenting for his own gratification. He established & edited an agricultural periodical, the Cincinnatus, which for 5 years had a wide circulation, & only ceased by reason of the Rebellion. He was one of the distinguished early leaders & supporters of the Cincinnati Horticultural Society, being several times its honored president. Mr. CARY is not only an adept in the natural sciences, but is also a good classical & mathematical scholar, his education & ability eminently fitting him for marked prominence. He was selected as one of two to represent the great State of Ohio, under BUCHANAN's administration, in a congress of the States for the promotion of agriculture, with Marshall P. WILDER at its head. After over a quarter of a century's labors in the schools originated & constructed by him he retired to a farm in Butler Co., where, with his wonted zeal & industry, he devoted himself to rural pursuits, leading a quiet & retired life. His residence, planned by himself, is a model of taste & fine architecture, combining as many conveniences as any structure in the world. His place is set with the choicest fruits grown in the climate, & his house is completely encircled by evergreens & deciduous trees, all being in keeping with the intelligence of the man. He has been an elder in the Presbyterian Church for over 40 years, & its active, zealous supporter.

His first wife was Malvina McCAN. He was married to her on the 4th of Apr 1833. She was a native of Chillicothe (OH), & the dau/o an old pioneer, who was a man of fine education & was an extensive surveyor. She died in the month of Jan 1872. By her he had 8 children, five of whom survive. His 2nd wife was the widow of Dr. James RICHARDSON, & dau/o Clark BATES, one of the earliest pioneers of the West. He was married to her Mar 6, 1873. His mother, Mrs. William CARY, now 91 years of age, intelligent & still active, lives with him. Notwithstanding her advanced years she enjoys all her faculties of mind. William Woodward (CARY), named after William WOODWARD, the founder of Woodward College, died in 1847. He was a farmer, a man of sound judgment & mathematical education. General S. F. CARY, of world-wide renown as a lecturer & popular author, is the youngest of the three brothers. The CARY sisters, the celebrated writers, were his cousins, & were greatly aided in their efforts by the subject of this sketch. Few men, in an independent & unaided life, & on their own resources, have exerted a more extended influence than F. G. CARY.

COOPER, HOWARD, BURRIDGE, APPLEGATE, VANDERGRIFF, RICE (Fairfield Twp., p. 480)
Thomas COOPER was born in Liverpool, England, about 1785, & died in Fairfield in 1858. He married in England & had 7 children, one only surviving--Robert, born in 1812 in England. Mr. COOPER came to the U. S. about 1815, & settled in the South, near Natchez, but in 1820 moved to OH. In 1823 he moved to Fairfield, in this county, where he resided till his death. He was educated for a surveyor, & followed it for a few years. He taught in high school in Cincinnati before he settled in Butler Co. His son, Robert, married Eliza Jane HOWARD, born in Hamilton Co. in 1821. They had 11 children, eight of them being living. Mary Belle is the wife of Calvin BURRIDGE; William is married; Electa is the wife of Richard APPLEGATE, M.D.; George; Jennie, wife of George VANDERGRIFF; Anne Eliza, wife of Isaac B. RICE; Benton, & Jessie. Mr. COOPER is a farmer, & one of the representative men of Butler Co., owning over 11,000 acres of land, all of which he made himself, commencing life with nothing.

CHAMBERS, MOORE, TRENDER, DUSON, MILLS, MILLER, SWEET, JACKSON (Fairfield Twp., p. 480)
Enoch CHAMBERS, who lives near Jones's Station, was born in MD, on the 21st of Jul 1805. His parents were Henry & Perslia CHAMBERS, who came to this county in 1812. He was married Mar 16, 1839, to Mary Ann MOORE. They lived together until 1864, when Mrs. CHAMBERS died. They had 7 children. Francis Marion was born Nov 10, 1839; Harriet MOORE, Nov 26, 1840; Orpha TRENDER, Apr 28, 1843; Emma Rebecca DUSON, May 30, 1845; Lydia Ann MILLS, Dec 5, 1847; Sarah Jane MILLER, May 17, 1850; & Laura Cornelia SWEET, Apr 17, 1850. The two last named live in KS, & Lydia is dead. Since the death of his wife, Mr. CHAMBERS has remained on the farm with his daughter, who is assiduous in his care. He has a fine farm on 100 acres, with everything convenient. His first vote for President was cast for Andrew JACKSON, remaining with the Democratic party until the Kansas imbroglio, since when he has voted the Republican ticket. When he bought the place he now lives on, only 30 acres were cleared. Mrs. CHAMBERS was the dau/o of William & Ruth MOORE, who came out here in 1830.

DAVIS, SMALLEY, MOORE, SLEITH, CUMMINS, BELLCHAMBERS (Fairfield Twp., p. 480)
Vincent DAVIS, s/o Joshua, was born in NJ about 1785 & died in 1872. He married Anna SMALLEY, born in NJ in 1788, who died in 1875. They had 12 children, six of whom are still living. Mary, the widow of Mark MOORE, lives in IN. Joshua, born Jun 7, 1808, is married, & lives in Fairfield; Jemima, wife of William SLEITH, is in IN; Amy & Emma Jane are single, & live in Fairfield Twp. Francis is married & lives in MO. He came to OH in 1805 with his father, settled in Middletown, where he worked in the Middletown grist-mill, owned by his father. He married about 1806, & settled in Monroe, where he recommenced farming. He purchased land, & about 1813 moved to Liberty Twp., where his father-in-law gave him 60 acres in the woods, which he cleared & lived on till his death. He was drafted in the War of 1812, but send a substitute. His son Francis was captain of cavalry company during the late war. His son Joshua was born Jan 7, 1808, & was married the first time in 1839 to Mary CUMMINS, born in Butler Co. in 1800. She died in 1873, leaving no family. He was married a 2nd time in 1875 to Emma BELLCHAMBERS, born in Sussex, England, Sep 28, 1847. They have one child, Joshua Dunham, born Feb 19, 1881. He has been township trustee for one term, director of the school board, & lieutenant of the Butler Co. Light Horse.

GILMORE, BROGDEN, SPELLMAN, BONNELL, LOCKWOOD, BOYD, MOORE (Fairfield Twp., pp.480-481)
William S. GILMORE was born on Long Island, in the State of NY, Jan 8, 1808, & was married the first time about 1833. His wife was Jane BROGDEN, born in Springdale, OH, about 1818, & dying in Sep 1870. By her he had 6 children, five of whom are living. One died in infancy. John is married & lives in Hanover Twp.; Margaret, widow of Elva SPELLMAN, lives in Hamilton; Jeremiah is married & lives in Fairfield Twp.; Mary is the wife of Jacob BONNELL, & lives in Columbus, PA; & Laura is the wife of Ross LOCKWOOD, & lives in Franklin, OH. Mr. GILMORE came to Cincinnati with his parents about 1824, where his father started in business as an autioneer, the first in Cincinnati. He removed to Pittsburg after 3 years, remaining there 4 years. About 1830 he returned to Cincinnati, where his father & uncle Gordon had established a banking business, & he acted as clerk in their office. About 1833 he was married, & went on a farm, now part of the corporation of Cincinnati, which his father & uncle had purchased. He remained there until 1840, when he moved to Butler Co., where he settled in Union Twp., on land which had previously been purchased by his father. He received at his father's death 450 acres, & on this ground he has spent the best part of his life. He was married again on the 22nd of Dec 1871. His wife was Elizabeth BOYD, widow of Charles MOORE, born in Monmouth Co., NJ, Sep 15, 1815. He is a stockholder & director of the Sharon Pike, owning one-half of it, & has always been one of the prominent citizens of Butler Co.

GRESSLE, CUSTER, BOLTER (Fairfield Twp., p. 481)
Gottlieb GRESSLE, now deceased, was born in France. Coming to this country he married Jun 13, 1856, in Hamilton, to Mary F. CUSTER, dau/o Frederick CUSTER & Maria BOLTER. She was born in Lancaster Co., PA, May 15, 1838. They had four children. Edward was born Dec 22, 1862; Esther E. was born Jan 24, 1865; Eugene, Aug 13, 1867; & Bertha M. May 5, 1871. Esther E. died Mar 17, 1866, & Mr. GRESSLE Mar 24, 1881.

GARBER, SPRINGER, AUGSPURGER, WUMZER, ENGEL (Fairfield Twp., p. 481)
John GARBER was born in Lorraine, on the borders of France & Germany, about 1799. He was married the first time to Barbara SPRINGER, born in Lorraine in 1797, & dying Dec 13, 1867. By her he had three children, of whom two are living. John was born Apr, 1838; Magdalen in 1835, dying in 1859; & the other child was Christopher. Mr. GARBER emigrated to America about 1825, settling in this county. He was first at Trenton, working for Christian AUGSPURGER, & then rented a farm near that place, afterwards going to Fairfield Twp., & renting the WUMZER farm. About 1836 he bought 66 acres of land in that township, the same now owned by his son John, for which he paid $30 an acre. He came to this country with $60, & by dint of his own industry & perseverance accumulated a large property, becoming one of the wealthiest men in Butler Co. He owned, at the time of his death, 12,000 acres in this county & 640 (acres) in MO. He was married a 2nd time in 1868 to Barbara ENGEL, a native of Lorraine, & had two children, both deceased. Mr. GARBER died in 1875. His property was divided among his children at his death. They live in Fairfield Twp. John was married to Rake GARBER, born in Champagne, in France, in 1843. They have two children, Mary & Amy. He owns 450 acres in Butler Co., & 640 (acres) in MO.

GRAY, PUTNAM, WATTS, ROBINSON, WOODS, RITCHIE (Fairfield Twp., p. 481)
Robert GRAY was born in Ireland in 1744, & died in 1843 in Fayette Co., IN. He came to the American colonies in 1763. He joined the American army in the war of the Revolution, having taken the oath of allegiance, & was in several engagements. He served under General PUTMAN, first in the militia, & afterwards in the regulars at Sandy Hook. He also served under Gen. WATTS in Capt. Jonathan ROBINSON's company, & received his discharge from Gen. PUTNAM. After his discharge he settled in PA, where he married Agnes GRAY, born in PA in 1753, who died in 1851, in Fairfield Twp., in this county. He had 11 children. James, who died in infancy, was born Mar 13, 1776; James, the 2nd, was born Mar 1, 1777; William, Jul 20, 1778; Richard, Oct 29, 1780; Robert, Apr 17, 1783; Mary, Apr 10, 1785; James, the 3rd, May 7, 1787; John G., Aug, 1789; Hugh, May 1792; Jonathan, Jan 14, 1794; Martin, Nov 4, 1796. Mr. GRAY came to this State about 1814, & purchased 160 acres of land in Fairfield Twp., where he lived till the time of his death. He taught school for some years, his sons carrying on the farm. Of his children, Jonathan was the only one who remained in Butler Co. He was born in PA, Jan 14, 1794, & was married in 1835 to Mary WOODS, born in Warren Co., OH in 1803. They had 6 children, of whom four are living. Alexander & Marilla are dead; William is married & lives in Chicago; Mary H. is the wife of Andrew RITCHIE & lives in Cincinnati; Johanna lives in Fairfield; & John is married, & living in Fairfield. Jonathan GRAY was a member of the Presbyterian Church at the time of his death, & had been a member of the Associate Reformed Church previous to joining the other. He died in 1870 in Fairfield, & his wife died in 1880.

HATHAWAY, BEACH, GRAHAM (Fairfield Twp., p. 481)
Manning HATHAWAY was born in NJ on the 6th of Apr 1788, & died in Butler Co., Mar 29, 1861. He married Dec 7, 1812, Sarah BEACH, born in NJ, Aug 26, 1793, who died Jun 9, 1868. They had 7 children, of whom two are living. John, born Apr 23, 1814, died May 2, 1844; Eliza, Sep 25, 1815, died Sep 22, 1819; Catherine, widow of James GRAHAM, Oct 2, 1817, lives in St. Louis, MO; Calvin, born Jan 10, 1819, died Oct 27, 1819; Alpheus, Jul 24, 1821, died Jun 6, 1822; Amanda, Apr 12, 1824, died Dec 16, 1850; & Silas, Feb 8, 1832, lives single in Fairfield. Manning HATHAWAY moved to OH about 1812, & settled in Fairfield Twp. He was a mill-wright, & followed this vocation as long as he was able. He began with nothing, but saved enough to buy 68 acres, which was divided among his children, & which is now owned by his son Silas. The latter is a member of the Butler Co. Grange, & has held the office of secretary to the Grange for three years.

HAMILTON, BLACKBURN, LYTLE, HUSTON (Fairfield Twp., pp. 481-482)
Ezekiel C. HAMILTON was born in Portland, ME, in 1812. He came out here in 1842, & settled in Fairfield Twp., being married in 1848 to Mary A. BLACKBURN, born in 1821, & dau/o James BLACKBURN & Sarah LYTLE. They had 9 children. Sarah Augusta is the wife of Albert HUSTON, who lives in Hamilton Co.; Charles is married, & lives in Fairfield Twp.; Arthur is dead; & the others are Albert, Ettie, Ida, Kate, James, & Lillie. Mr. HAMILTON was justice of the peace, real estate assessor, personal property assessor, township trustee, & school director. He died in 1880.

HAYTHORNE, DIVLEY (Fairfield Twp., p. 482)
Johnson B. HAYTHORNE was born in Hamilton Co., Dec 17, 1842, & was married in 1867 to Rachel A. DIVLEY, a native of this State, where she was born Dec 30, 1845. They had 4 children of whom three are living. Lulu S. was born Oct 30, 1868; Clifford P., May 11, 1873; Melvin & Milton, twins, Jan 2, 1875. The latter is dead. Mr. HAYTHORNE came to Butler Co. in 1876, & leased the farm of William BEATTY, 112 acres. Previous to this he lived in Newton, Hamilton Co., (OH). He is a member of the Baptist Church, & is the superintendent of the Sunday-school at Furmandale, of which he was one of the founders. The school was organized in Apr 1881, & at present averages about 70 attendants. During his residence in Hamilton Co. he was secretary of the Sabbath-school for several years. His wife is also a member of the Baptist Church.

HOUSE, CREGOR, BILL, AYERS (Fairfield Twp., p. 482)
Cornelius HOUSE was born on the 22nd of Oct 1798 in VA. He is the s/o Jacob & Susan HOUSE. He was married in 1823 to Rachel CREGOR, who was born in West Jersey, on the 3rd of Feb 1803, & has borne him 11 children. William was born Jun 23, 1823; Susan BILL, Aug 18, 1828; Elizabeth AYERS, Aug 19, 1830; Jacob, Oct 5, 1832; George, Feb 10, 1835; Isaac, Apr 10, 1837; Joel, Aug 17, 1839; Alexander, Jun 30, 1842; & Albert, Jul 13, 1845. Alexander HOUSE was killed in the last battle of the war, at Bentonville, NC, Mar 15, 1865. He was aged 22 years 8 months & 13 days. He was brought home on the 28th of Dec & was buried on the 31st at Greenwood Cemetery. One of the children, Cregor, died at 8 years of age; but with this exception all his children have lived to maturity. He & his wife have lived together for 60 years. She was the dau/o Peter & Elizabeth CREGOR, who came to this county in 1808. Mr. CREGOR served in the War of 1812. Mr. & Mrs. HOUSE have lived on the farm they now occupy for the last 46 years, & own a fine farm on the Springdale Pike, consisting of 100 acres. It is near Jones's Station.

HUSTON, STOUT (Fairfield Twp., p. 482)
David B. HUSTON was born in Fairfield Twp., Jan 7, 1840, & married in 1864 Clara STOUT, born in Colerain Twp., Hamilton Co., (OH), Aug 6, 1839. They have had 7 children, six of whom are living: Grace, Lily, Edgar, Ethel, Mable, Ralph, & a baby not named. Ethel is dead. He is a member of the Hamilton Grange, holding the office of master; is a member of the school board, & clerk of the district, & collector. He is a member of the Republican Central Committee.

KENNEDY, RICHARDSON, DAYTON, SYMMES, ADAMS, MILLIKIN (Fairfield Twp., pp. 482-483)
Robert KENNEDY belonged to one of the oldest & largest families of the OH Valley. His immediate ancestors came from the vicinity of Chambersburg, PA, & were among the first settlers of Covington, KY. The grandfather of Robert, Mr. Thomas KENNEDY, when he came West, purchased & owned for a number of years the entire tract of land upon which Covington, KY now stands. At an early day he removed to this place & erected a dwelling & other buildings upon it, among them what is now known as the "Old Stone House," which is still standing in Covington, on the bluff overlooking the Ohio & Licking Rivers, & is the oldest house in that city, having been built in 1790. Mr. Thomas KENNEDY, who may be considered the head of the KENNEDY family in the West, brought with him his family, consisting of four sons & one daughter. They were Joseph, born Jan 13, 1768; Samuel, born May 19, 1770; Thomas, Jr, born Aug 21, 1775; Robert, born May 4, 1777, & Hannah, born Apr 15, 1773. Mr. Samuel KENNEDY was married to Miss Jane RICHARDSON, Feb 10, 1796, & these were the parents of 12 children, among them Robert KENNEDY, the subject of this sketch. They were Dinah & Betsy, born Jan 15, 1797; Hannah, born Feb 1, 1799; Rebecca, born Oct 26, 1801; Robert, born Jan 18, 1804; Edmund & Thomas, born Jul, 1806; Eliza, born Oct 5, 1808; Nancy, born Feb 11, 1811; Samuel, born Oct 16, 1813; Porter, born Aug 18, 1816, & Jane, born Nov, 1819.

Mr. Samuel KENNEDY, the father of Robert, in the year 1796 purchased from Jonathan DAYTON, an associate of John Cleves SYMMES, a tract of 216 acres in Section 21, in Fairfield Twp., Butler Co., OH, & soon after settled upon it. At that time the entire tract was covered with heavy timber, & is now part of the homestead farm owned by the KENNEDY family. Upon this farm, in 1804, when but few white settlers had established themselves in this section, & the Indians were yet occasionally seen, at the very beginning of the county, Robert KENNEDY began his life, & amid scenes of hardship incident to pioneer life grew to manhood.

While a young man Robert removed with his father to Covington, KY, & dwelt in the "Old Stone House" for about 3 years, & then returned to the farm in Butler Co., & remained there until after his father's death, which occurred in 1834; after which Robert purchased the old homestead & lived upon it until 1849, when by changes in his family he was required to move to Covington, & take charge of the Cincinnati & Covington Ferry, which had been in their hands for two generations. Mr. KENNEDY, during his 14 years' management of the ferry, a time of great activity & growth in business & population in Cincinnati & Covington, & prior to the building of any bridges, so conducted that interest as to accommodate the public & make but few enemies. Especially did he manage the ferry with great discretion during the trying times of the Rebellion, from 1861 to 1863, & when he left it to return to his farm in 1863 it was with the sincere regret of both employees & the public.

Mr. KENNEDY was a man of sterling qualities in all the relations of life. As a business man he was prompt, honest, & fair in his dealings. He was twice married, first to Miss Harriet ADAMS, Feb 8, 1826, by whom he had one daughter, who died while quite young. His wife died Mar 24, 1829. On Dec 6, 1832, Mr. KENNEDY was married to Miss Joan Minor MILLIKIN, dau/o Dr. Daniel MILLIKIN, one of the oldest & most respectable physicians of Butler Co. Of the second marriage there were 7 children, four of whom are living--three sons, Joseph M., Daniel M., Samuel Porter, & a daughter, Joan M.,--while Mary M., Robert M., & Jane K. are deceased.

Mr. KENNEDY united with the Presbyterian Church of Hamilton, (Butler Co.,), OH, in early life, & always maintained the character of a consistent & faithful Christian, amid all the pressure & perplexities of business, not a little trying on Christian patience & principle. He was always in his place when not absolutely required to be absent; was liberal with his means in advancing every good work, & endeavored to carry the influence & power of his religion down into every-day business.

His membership, with that of his excellent wife, was transferred to the First Presbyterian Church of Covington, KY in 1851, & in Jan 1861, he was elected a ruling elder in that Church. Accepting the office with great distrust of his fitness & ability, & only at the earnest solicitation of those who knew him best, it is the testimony of all who served with him during those troublesome years of war & excitement that he did his work faithfully & well, & tried to meet every obligation laid upon him.

Mr. KENNEDY had long been sick, & approached death by slow & measured steps. In all his sickness he was sustained by that grace he so constantly sought, & when death came he was ready.

He died at "Oakland Farm," the name given the KENNEDY homestead, near Hamilton, Feb 9, 1877, being a few days over 73 years of age. His funeral was attended in the Presbyterian Church at Hamilton by the pastors of the two Churches where his life had been spent, & his memory honored & departure mourned by a very large concourse of the oldest citizens from every part of the county. His remains rest in Greenwood Cemetery, & his memory is cherished among many who loved him long & well on earth.

LINE, McCLELLAN, STEVENSON, BREWER, NIGGIS, SLIPHER (Fairfield Twp., p. 483)
Benjamin LINE came to Butler Co. in 1797. He was born in PA, & was there married. He brought his family with him, consisting of a wife & 9 children, all of whom are deceased. He died in 1815. Of his children, Moses was born in PA, Washington Co., in 1790, & was married 1811 to Elizabeth McCLELLAN, born in KY in 1795. They had 9 children. James, born in 1817, is married & lives in Fairfield Twp. Mary Jane, the wife of Samuel STEVENSON, born in 1819, lives in Hamilton. Robert, born in 1831, is married & lives Fairfield Twp. Moses LINE came to this county when 7 years old, & after his father's death purchased the family estate of the heirs. It consisted of 181 acres, & during his lifetime was cultivated by him. His son James now owns it. He was a soldier of 1812, for which he received a land warrant. He died in 1853, & his wife in 1876. James was born Aug 18, 1817, & was married in 1870 to Elizabeth BREWER, widow of John NIGGIS. They have one child, James C., who was born Feb 24, 1875. James LINE has held several offices. He was infirmary directory for 7 years, justice of the peace 6 years, county commissioner from 1870 to 1875, & a member of the school board. Robert LINE was born in Fairfield Twp, on the old farm, Mar 9, 1830, & was married Sep 5, 1867 to Nancy Agnes SLIPHER, born in St. Clair Twp, Jun 27, 1843. He had four children. Carrie E. was born Aug 7, 1869; Charles R. was born Nov 11, 1870; Laura B., Apr 22, 1874, & Lula Jane, Jul 11, 1877. Mr. LINE & his brother purchased the place on the death of the former, being in partnership till 1865, when he bought the place where he now lives, of 85 acres. He was drafted twice in the late war, & paid $600 for substitutes. He owns at present 122 acres in Fairfield Twp., & 95 (acres) in Clinton Co., IN.