Clermont County Genealogical Society

by Benjamin Morris, appeared in the Clermont Courier May 17, 1860, vol. xxiv no. 17and provides not only interesting reading but many valuable clues for genealogical research.

In the fall of the year 1802, Rev. John Collins came out from New Jersey to Williamsburg, and purchased of Gen. Lytle an entire survey of land, sufficient to make seven or eight good farms. The East Fork was the northern boundary of this land, from the mouth of Clover to within a quarter of a mile above the mouth of Ulrey's Run. There were four partners in this purchase, namely: John Collins, Cornelius McCollum, Isaac ffigbee and Josiah Albertson. Albertson never settled on his share of the land. A part of it was leased, and it finally fell into the hands of his children.

Early in the Spring of the year 1803, Collins, Higbee and McCollum moved out and divided the land. McCollum settled at the mouth of Clover; Higbee settled on the East Fork, below and adjoining McCo1lum; Collins settled on that part of the land nearest Ulrey's Run; his farm was called the "horseshoe bottom." Albertson's land was between Collins and Higbee.

The settlement commenced in 1803 by Collins, Higbee and McCollum, was the beginning of what was long known as the Jersey settlement. It was sometimes called Collin's settlement. The first log school-house erected there in was near the present grave-yard, and near what is now called the Bethel meeting House. Before 1807 the following heads of families lived within the school bounds of this school-house, without including any family west of Ulrey's Run, namely: Cornelius McCollum, Isaac Higbee, John Collins, Edw'd Doughty, Alexander Blair, John Drummond, James McIntosh, Robert Burnet, Thomas Cade, George Higbee, Michael Strickland, Widow Reeves, Jeremiah Foster, David White, John Jenkins, Edward Kinnan, Benj. Clark, Robert Loeds, Edward Barton, Robert Doughty, Daniel McCollum, Jesse Justice, and Thomas Page. These were all from the State of New Jersey, and in addition to these, there lived in said bounds, east of Ulrey's Run, William Simons, James Blackwood, Jos. Conn, Elia Gerard, Widow Henderson, a Mr. Mitchell, and a Mr. Sheppard. Blackwood was from Ireland; Widow Henderson from Virginia; and I do not remember where the others were from, if I ever knew.

The people west of Ulrey's Run were not considered as belonging to the Jersey settlement in 1807, though a number were in the school boundary at that time. The heads of families were: Jacob Ulrey, Daniel Tegarden, William Jeffers, Jacob Kriss, Christian Husong, Daniel Husong, and Widow Winans, the mother of William Winans, the well-known, popular Methodist preacher. It is my impression that none of the families named, west of Ulrey's Run, were from New Jersey. Regular circuit preaching did not commence at the town of Bethel until 1810, though such preaching commenced at Collins' school-house as early as 1804-5, and many attended such circuit preaching that did not live within the school boundary. The Swing family, the Dole family, two or three families north of the East Fork, George Meal, Joseph Jackson and others, attended such circuit preaching.

The following are the names and localities of some of the settlers who lived off the old State Road between Bethel and Ulrey's Run: Michael Strickland first built cabins near the east bank of Sugar-tree, about three quarters of a mile below the turnpike bridge. He was a blacksmith of great ingenuity, and a tolerable mechanic at any kind of work. He was a hard working man, and made substantial improvements on his land. He erected a good house and barn in view of the Macedony Mills, some little distance from his first cabin. He continued to work, to keep things in order on his farm, until near the close of his life, and died a very old man.

Thomas Page settled on the west side of Sugar-tree, and south of the turnpike, about three-fourths of a mile from what is now the turnpike bridge. In 180?, he dug a long mill-race on the west side of Sugar-tree, and erected a saw-mill within sight of the old State Road. Mr. Page inherited considerable wealth; he bought five hundred acres of land, and in addition to the saw-mill, made costly improvements on his land. After living on it eight or ten years, he engaged in merchandizing and a tan-yard at the mouth of Big Indian Creek; he was not prosperous, and sold his five hundred acres to a Mr. Simpson, who lived many years at Mr. Page's homestead, and his eon Samuel Simpson, now lives there, and owns a large part of the land. Alexander Blair bought land about a mile from Clover. He began the world poor, and raised a large family. In point of mind, he was a man considerably above mediocrity. He was many years one of the Associate Judges of the Court of Common Pleas in Clermont County. After living on his farm about twelve or fourteen years, he removed to Batavia, where he died a very old man. He was Post Master at Batavia many years; this fact I have state a little out of its proper place. James McIntosh started from New Jersey with a family of six or eight children, and with scarce sufficient means to bring him out. He raised a large family, all girls, and by the dint of strait-forward industry, he made a living and owned, at the time of his death, a comfortable brick house and fifty acres of land. He ever believed that the West was the place for poor men, and that he acted wisely in leaving New Jersey. His wife survived him a few years; the both died on their own ground, at an unusual old age. Their grand-children are now numerous.