History of Hamilton County Ohio
Biography of The Langdon Family
with
Portrait of J. D. Langdon
page 359-361 , portrait facing page 359
transcribed by Linda Boorom


J. D. Langdon

THE LANGDON FAMILY

The records of the LANGDON family in Linwood go back to Philip LANGDON, a mariner from Boston, Massachusetts, who was originally from England, it is supposed. His seventh child and fifth son was Lieutenant Paul LANGDON, who was born September 12, 1693, and died December 3, 1761. He married Mrs. Mary STACY August 18, 1718, in Wilbraham, Massachusetts, and they had seven children; the fifth being John LANGDON (the grandfather of James D. LANGDON). Lieutenant Paul LANGDON and this son John took part in the Revolutionary war. This John was born June 21, 1728, and died October 10, 1822. He married Eunice TORREY, December 29, 1757, and they had a family of eight children, whose names were John W., Artemas, James, Josiah, Joanna, Oliver, Eunice, and Solomon. Of these Artemas died in infancy, and the brothers, excepting Josiah, all came to Ohio with their sister Joanna, and although-they were farming, yet they often officiated as preachers and exhorters in the Methodist church. They settled near Cincinnati, and some of their descendants are living in the old homestead. James, the third son, was the father of the subject of the following sketch. He was born March 27, 1762, and died October 3, 1804. He was married December 15, 1788, to Esther STEBBINS, also of Wilbraham, Massachusetts, and their children were Richard Chester, James Davenport, Elam Potter, Lorenda, and Joanna. He (the father) died while the children were comparatively young, leaving the cares of the family on the mother, who was a woman of remarkable energy of character. She was usually known as "Aunt Esther," and as friend, nurse, or neighbor, was very often called upon for advice or assistance. In those days the women spun and wove the cloth for bedding and clothing, and Aunt Esther was a wonderful weaver and spinner. Her father was Moses STEBBINS, the son of Samuel, who was the son of Samuel, who was the son of Thomas, who was born in 1620, in England, and son of Rowland STEBBINS, or STEBBING, as the name was originally, and who came to America in 1634, and settled in Massachusetts.

James Davenport LANGDON was born June 13, 1792, in Vershire, Vermont. His father was James LANGDON, who married Esther STEBBINS, December 15, 1788, in Wilbraham, Massachusetts. His parents were both natives of this place, but immediately after their marriage they moved to Vershire, Vermont. He had two brothers, Richard C. and Elam P., and two sisters, Lorenda and Joanna. In October, 1804, his father died whilst away from home on business, after a very short illness of measles. Two years after his death, or in 1806, two of his uncles, John W. and Solomon, with their families, his mother with her family, Andrew PETERS and Wales ALDRICH and their families, in all about forty souls, moved in wagons from Vermont and came out to Ohio. The journey was tedious and slowly made through the wilderness, there being no roads scarcely, camping at night as they could, sometimes at an occasional tavern or farm house, but oftener m their wagons as night came on. It took about ten weeks to reach the Ohio river at Wellsville, where they embarked on flat-boats, taking the wagons aboard, but sending the horses by land down the Ohio side, Floating down the river they landed at Columbia two days before Christmas. That first winter in Ohio his mother and family lived in part of the house of Oliver SPENCER - an old building which still stands near the old tanyard. There was only one other house then in Columbia, the McMAHON house, and that is still standing near the Columbia railroad station.

This Oliver SPENCER was the father of Robert, afterwards a Methodist preacher, Henry E., who was for several years mayor of Cincinnati, Oliver, a judge in the Hamilton county courts, and a fourth son who became a farmer in northern Ohio.

In the spring of 180l the family located at what was called Red Bank station, on the farms or lands which have ever since been occupied by them and their descendants, on and near the Little Miami river. This land was purchased by his uncle Oliver LANGDON, who was the guardian appointed in Vermont, out of tracts originally owned by Benjamin STITES. There were only ten or a dozen families then in all of what is now known as Spencer township; they were Eliphalet, Joseph, Andrew, and John FERRIS, brothers, and Henry FERRIS their cousin - the families of LARNED, Allen WITHAM, GIFFINS, NASH, RIGGLE and WILLIAMS. A treaty had been made two or three years before with the Indians, and about all had gone to reservations. The first school-house was built by Joseph Ferris on his farm. The first religious society, Methodist, was formed in 1805 in the McMAHON house alluded to, and the Baptists built the first church in Ohio in Columbia a few years later which was destroyed about 1835. The Methodists built their first church in Columbia about 1840, which was accidently burned and rebuilt on another lot. The settlers lot the first year or two lived literally on hog and hominy. The first grist-mill was run by two brothers named HAWLEY, and was on the Miami near the mouth of Clough creek. Afterwards it was owned and run for years by the TURPINs until worn out or destroyed.

The brothers and sisters of James D. are all dead. The sister Lorenda married Lemuel SNOW in September, 1816, and moved to a farm in Indiana; the other sister, Joanna, also married a farmer, Minervus SWIFT, in September, 1818, and lived four years in Indiana; Elam Potter married Ann CROMWELL, a sister of Joseph CROMWELL, who kept the famous Broadway hotel so long in Cincinnati. Elam Potter was connected as clerk or assistant postmaster nearly all his life with the Cincinnati post office. Richard was a printer and newspaper publisher, and his widow still lives in Covington, Kentucky. James D., the subject of this sketch, was married to Sarah PHELPS December 23, 1818, and has lived on the one spot about sixty-three years. He has always been actively engaged in farming from his early youth, and owes his good health and long years to good habits and regular living. His uncle Oliver was quite a preacher, and officiated at funerals, baptisms and marriages. After his uncle's death, in 1828 or 1829, he began to preach himself; the text of his first sermon was I Samuel xii-24 - "Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart, for consider how great things He has done for you" - and was at a service one Sunday at the mouth of the Little Miami river. There being but few ministers in those days it naturally fell to be his lot to take the uncle's place. So from that on he was continually called on to preach, attend funerals, and solemnize marriages for miles all around the country. He was licensed to preach in 1836 and ordained elder in 1842. During the year 1848 he was superintendent of Cincinnati circuit, and for eight years was a member of the annual conference of the Methodist Protestant church. He was president of the first temperance society formed in the year 1833 in Columbia township. For years in succession he was a township trustee and school director, and has all through life been an officer or trustee in Sunday-school.

His wife had an experience in corning to Ohio (which was the year before the marriage, or 1817) very similar to that of her husband. She was born in Hollowell, Maine, on May 1, 1797, and was the daughter of Ebenezer and Sarah PHELPS. She had four brothers, William, John, Alfred and Nathan, with one sister, Eliza, who came in wagons all the long journey from Hollowell, Maine, to Columbia. The brothers and sister (who married Jonathan LIVINGS) all settled in Indiana, and raised families there. Dr. Ebenezer S. PHELPS, the oldest brother, located in Middleton, Massachusetts, where he and his family now reside. James D. and Sarah had a family of nine children - James, Sarah, Cynthia, Harriet, Cyrus, John, Elam, Edwin and Henry. There are now living only the father and three of the children - John P., Elam C., and Harriet. John P. occupies the homestead and is a farmer, and has one son, James W, who lives near his father, and is a farmer. The old family dwelling had become so out of repair and dilapidated, in 1877, having been used for some sixty years, it was torn down by John P., and a modern and commodious dwelling was built on the site. John P. has been mayor of the village for three successive terms, and been commissioned twice as magistrate for the township. Elam C. resides on part of the homestead farm, has had four children, three now living. These two brothers, from time to time, have been called upon to take part in affairs of the township and village. Elam has served seventeen years as school trustee, several terms in village council, two or three terms as treasurer of township, and both the brothers are members and workers in church and Sabbath-school, taking an active part in all public enterprises. Harriet became the wife of Rev. Charles H. WILLIAMS, a minister in the Methodist Protestant church. She has three sons living, and for several years her home has been in Springfield, Ohio, where the sons are connected with railroads, and the husband is an active church officer. The sons James, Cyrus and Edwin, and the daughter, Sarah, died young or unmarried. Cynthia married Dr. H. E. MORRILL, and her home was in Brooklyn, New York, where an only daughter survives her, and who is now the wife of Dr. Hugh SMITH. The son, Henry, became a physician and surgeon, and acted as such during the late war, in the Seventy-ninth regiment, Ohio volunteer infantry, which was with General SHERMAN during that wonderful march through the South, which virtually brought the war to an end. His widow survives him and one son, Willie Carson. The doctor, after the close of the war, practised medicine in Columbia for several years, and his office was within gunshot almost of the old Spencer house, in which his grandmother and father spent the winter of 1806-7.

The record of the family of James D. LANGDON: James D. LANGDON, born June 13, 1792 Sarah PHELPS, born May 1, 1797, died September 11, 1863, married December 23, 1818. Their children were: James Harvie, born November 23, 1819, died June 27, 1842; Sarah, born October 1, 1821, died December 15, 1825; Cynthia, born August 23, 1823, died January 9, 1861; Harriet, born July 25, 1825, still living in Springfield, Ohio; Cyrus Stebbins, born January 5, 1828, died February 1, 1864; John Phelps, born December 8, 1829, living in Linwood, Ohio; Elam Chester, born March 31, 1832, living in Linwood, Ohio; Edwin Mattoon, born December 20, 1834, died July 26, 1847; Henry Archer, born May 28, 1839, died May 13, 1876.

John P. LANGDON married, for his first wife, Mary WILLIAMS, May, 1855, and James W., a son by this marriage, is living, and married to Lida DURHAM, and occupies part of the father's farm. John P.'s second marriage took place in April, 1861, to Keturah NASH, and the couple still occupy the homestead place, and the old father lives with them.

Elam C.'s first wife was Cynthia ALLEN, of New York State. She died in December, 1868, leaving two girls. His second wife was Martha F. NASH (whose sister married as above), a native of the old Columbia township. Two children have been born to them, one living only.