Robinson Argus Wed. Jan 7, 1914
Oliver Woodruff Gogin, one of the oldest citizens of the county, after an illness of 3 weeks, died Sunday, Jan. 4, at the home of his daughter, Mrs. E. C. Haskett, Jr., with whom he has lived the past 3 years. "Uncle Oliver" as he was known, not only in this county, but in and around Cincinnati and Mt. Healthy, Ohio, was a person highly respected and honored by all persons who knew him.
For a number of years he took active part in all old settlers gatherings, most always holding some important office in their organization, and if possible, to be in attendance, and take an active part in the program. If he was not able to attend, he made it a point to either write a letter or a poem to read as part of the program, as he would say, "I will be present in spirit, if not in person".
He was a particular friend of the old soldier, and on Decoration Day could always be present, and would respond in some manner to show his loyalty to his country, and his love and respect for the boys.
From his life memories, we take the following extract: "Now as for myself, I was born in a two-story frame house on the farm of Israel Brun nine miles north of Cincinnati, Ohio, on what is at this time known as College Hill, on Sunday the 3rd. of December, A.,D. 1820. In the spring of 1824 we moved into the city of Cincinnati. In 1827 I attended the Elm St. School. Among the first things we were instructed that punishment was a necessary adjunct to a boy's education, and as a consequence we took it in broken doses along with our daily studies.
"In Mar, 1841, we all started to Illinois. The party consisted of father, mother and myself. Enoch and his wife, Mary, and children and Ezra and Leah Miller and their boys Oliver and Tip. On April 2 we stopped at the Palestine Landing. Crawford County at that time was about a wilderness.
On the 21st. of March, 1844, I married Eliza Jane Ewel, and in a one room house, 16x20 on the farm, unfinished and with nothing but the floor, roof and siding, together with two good beds and coverings, the work of her ever busy hands, and four chairs, a table and stand that I had split and hewn from a cherry tree, we, with happy hearts started together on our 44 years journey of married life".
Mr. Gogin taught school from 1844 to 1849 in what is now known as the Wheeler district. When he quit teaching he removed to Piqua, Ohio.
He came back to Palestine in 1859. In 1863 he moved to Mattoon and after 18 years residence there he moved to Terre Haute, Ind. He left there in 1881. He remained in Robinson until he lived and spent his time with his children and brother Enoch.
Jan. 30, 1893, he was married to Mrs. Mariah Adams, an old time schoolmate of Mt. Healthy, Ohio, where he lived until her death, after which he came back to Palestine and lived with his daughter, Mrs. E. C. Haskett, till his death.
Mr. Gogin was born on the 3rd. day of December, 1820; died Jan. 4, 1914, aged 93 years, one month and one day. He was the father of 4 children, 3 of whom survive him; A. D. Gogin, Mrs. Nellie Haskett, and Mrs. Emma Clark of Cincinnati, Ohio.
The remains were laid to rest beside his first wife in the Wesley Chapel Cemetery.
From the Monitor, [ a Palestine Newspaper... of Jan. 7, 1914: The obituary of O. W. Gogin with picture on the front page.
Oliver W. Gogin died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. E. C. Haskett last Sunday at 11:15 a.m., aged 93 years, one month one day. The funeral service was conducted at the home by Rev. C. T. Phillips, the Odd Fellows of which he was a member attending in a body. The remains were laid to rest at the Wesley Chapel cemetery.
From the manuscript of his Autobiography we glean the following account of his life:
Oliver Woodruff Gogin, son of Thomas Gogin and Sarah (Scull) Gogin, was born on what is now known as College Hill just north of Cincinnati, Dec. 3, 1820, the youngest of a family of twelve children. At an early age he entered school, attending day school and Sunday school in the same house known as the Elm Street school house in Cincinnati. His teachers, he describes as strict disciplinarians, who believed in the doctrine of Solomon, sparing not the rod and acting on the principle that "Punishment is a necessary adjunct to a boy's education."
"At the age of fifteen he was set to work hauling water to sprinkle main street in Cincinnati drawing a salary of $40 a month. Later he hauled the water from the river to help in building the Lafayette Bank.
In the winter of 1836 he finished his school education under Mr. Darius Davenport as teacher whom he speaks of as "'a grand old teacher.'" About this time he joined the fire company. In the hall of their building the fireboys formed the "'Franklin Literary Society" which held public meetings once a month. Here he read his first paper and gave his first oration before the public outside of school. Among the members of this society were many that afterward became eminent as city officials, lawyers, judges and ministers of the gospel.
At eighteen he began work at wagon building. Working with his father he became very proficient in wagon and carriage work and painting.
In March 1841 the family moved to Crawford Co., Ill. Here he assisted his father on the farm in summer and taught school at the log cabins in winter.
In March 1844 he was married to Eliza Jane Ewell, a sister to his brother Enoch's wife who had come with the family from Ohio and lived with her sister.
After the death of his father he gave his interest in the farm to his mother and in 1847 returned to Cincinnati "to take a fresh start in the world." Failing to find employment he moved to Mt. Pleasant, now called Mt. Healthy where he taught school, at $1.25 per day, continuing till 1849 when he moved to Piqua, Ohio where he joined with John L. Buckingham in carriage and wagon work and blacksmithing for several years under the firm name of "Buckingham & Gogin." In 1850 Wm. N. Foster the foremost carriage blacksmith in the city was taken into the firm which was thereafter known as "Buckingham Gogin & Foster." The Firm conducted a large and profitable business but dissolved the next year and Mr. Gogin continued the business alone.
He became a member of Commercial Lodge No. 180 I.O.O.F. in 1852, of Miami Encampment No. 4 I.O.O.F. in 1853 and of Border City Temple of Honor in 1854. He joined the order of "Know Nothings" in 1854. In his autobiography he says "I was kept quite busy studying the workings of these organizations."
In 1854 after many years close application to business and having accumulated a competence, he decided to take a rest. He built a nice road wagon constructed to be comfortable, purchased a strong horse and with his family started westward first visiting his brother Enoch in Indiana and later coming to Palestine where he visited a few weeks then returned to Piqua.
Soon after his return he entered into partnership with James W. Horton making boots and shoes, working about fifteen hands, supplying their own trade and furnishing job lots for other stores.
After a few other changes, always keeping employed, he came to Palestine in 1859 and entered into partnership with his brother Enoch, Oliver G. Miller and Thomas C. Alexander under the firm name of "E. Gogin & Co". They built and operated a steam carpenter shop the first in this section.
In 1860 he was appointed Constable at Palestine and later was appointed Deputy Sheriff under Wm. Reavill, Democratic Sheriff of the county. County Judge Sterritt later appointed him special agent to work the road from Robinson by way of Palestine to Wesley Chapel an appointment that aroused some opposition among the Democrats who controlled the county, Mr. Gogin being a Republican.
Mr. Gogin lived in Palestine through the stormy period preceding the Civil War and tells in his written account of the organization of the home Guard of which James C. Allen, former Democratic candidate for Gov. was chosen Captain and Mr. Gogin First Lieutenant.
He assisted in forming Cop. D. 98th Illinois Infantry of which his son A. D. Gogin, then 17 years old, was a member. This regiment was assigned to the famous Wilder's brigade of mounted infantry and served to the close of the war.
In 1863 he moved to Mattoon where he acquired an interest in a milling firm. Selling this interest after two years he bought a small fruit farm north of Mattoon. This he traded in 1873 for an interest in the Neoga Flouring Mill. Selling this interest in 1875 he returned to Mattoon to engage in poultry business, buying and shipping.
In 1880 he moved to Terre Haute where he lived one year. The next year he moved to Robinson, Ill., where he formed a partnership with Preston Condrey in the marble trade, later buying Mr. Condrey's interest and running the business in his own name. During this time he was elected Justice of the Peace. After seven busy years in Robinson he and Ms. Gogin were planning a trip to Ohio when Mrs. Gogin was suddenly taken with pneumonia and died April 2, 1888 and was laid to rest at Wesley Chapel cemetery. In reference to this he wrote "and now all our bright plans of the future had vanished and the world looked dear to me."
Having disposed of his marble trade and his home he went to stay a while with his brother, Enoch, at Palestine. Then for a while he wandered, first visiting his old home community at Mt. Healthy afterward taking a trip through the South and later through the West.
While on a visit to Mt. Healthy in December 1892, among other old time friends, he met Mrs. Maria (Weston) Adams, then a widow, her husband, John Adams, having died about five years before. She, the youngest of eleven children, was born in Massachusetts in 1819 and the family came to Ohio in 1827 with the Cary Family, she being a cousin to Alice and Phoebe Cary. She was living alone at this time. She and Mr. Gogin were married Jan. 3, 1893 at her home in Mt. Healthy where they were popularly known as the "youngest old couple in that section." They lived in Mt. Healthy till her death about three years ago. Since that time Mr. Gogin has lived here with his daughter, Mrs. E. C. Haskett.
Mr. Gogin was a very public spirited man, an interesting conversationalist, a writer of literary ability and a capable leader in social organization work.
In 1894 he led in the organization of the Old Settlers Meeting at Mt. healthy which was followed by the Springfield Township Pioneers Association. This association has come to be one of the most noted of its kind and meets annually at Mt. healthy, Ohio. At a meeting of this body some three or four years ago, Bishop Walden the youngest member was elected President and Mr. Gogin Secretary and Historian both for the term of life.
Mr. Gogin is the father of four children, three of whom, A. D. Gogin and Mrs. Nellie Haskett of this place and Mrs. Emma Price of Cincinnati, Ohio, survive him.