Clermont County Genealogical Society
Incidents In The Early History Of Clermont County
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.
BIRTHS
Birth
Records
*
Early
Clermont
Co. Births 1856-1857
*
First Presbyterian Churches of Monroe
At Nicholsville & Bantam
*
Baptisms of Children
*
Anderson
Township Births 1906-1907
*
Old
Bethel
Church Baptisms
*
Old Bethel Church Baptisms 1894-1908
*
Early Births 1856
*
MARRIAGES
Early
Marriages 1800 - 1808
*
Marriage
Book 13
1874-1876
*
Goshen M. E. Church
Marriage
*
DEATHS
Funerals
Conducted
by Rev. Hezekiah Hill 1862-1908
*
The
Old
Village Graveyard
*
Deaths
of Residents
Over 75 in 1875
*
Infirmary
Discharges That Mention a Burial Place
*
Death
Dates from
I.O.O.F. Lodge #313
*
Early
Clermont
Deaths from The Ohio Sun
*
Obituaries
From
the Clermont Sun 1890-1891
*
Early
Deaths
from Clermont Sun 1855
*
More
Deaths
1857-1859
*
Stirling
& Moore Funeral Records 1888
*
1880 Mortality Census
*
Census
Goshen
1875
Quadrennial Census
*
Quadrennial
Census,
Batavia, 1847
*
Quadrennial
Census,
Batavia, 1855
*
History
Incidents
in The
Early History of Clermont County
*
Stonelick
Historical Notes
*
Vacation
of a
Road in
Union Township
*
Brown and Clermont County Families Mentioned
in the 1880 Clinton County History
*
Day
Book For Clarke
& Frambes Mills 1838
*
Immigration
Early
Naturalizations from Common Pleas Minutes
*
Citizenship
Papers
1844-1900
*
Names
of
New Found Naturalization Applicants
*
Military
Veterans
in
Various Cemeterys
*
Revolutionary
War Soldiers
*
Clermont
Courier
Ads November 18, 1863
*
Mexican War Veterans
*
Revolutionary War Veterans
*
Post Office
Post
Marks of
Clermont County
*
Clermont
Postmasters 1800 - 1930
*
Early
Unclaimed
Letters
*
More
Unclaimed
Letters
Unclaimed
Letters 1855
*
Bible Records
Manning
Bible
*
Banister
Bible
*
Bible
Records of
James McKinnie 1830
*
Bible
Records
Index Volume Two
*
Bible
Records Index
Volume Three
*
Churches
Old
Bethel Church
and Cemetery
*
History
of Old
Bethel Church 1868
*
Calvary
Church
and Cemetery Washington Twp
*.
Edenton
Church
1861
*
Places
Perin
Mills in 1863
*
Goshen-
Land Of Milk
and Honey
*
First
Settlers of
Jackson Township
*
Legal
Voters of
Goshen Township 1855
*
Batavia
in1847
*
Poll
Book Goshen
Township 1853
*
1840
Account
Book, Laurel Ohio
*
Edenton
School # 4
Pupils
*
Pensions
Pensions
1890
*
More Pensions
1890
*
Other
Indentures
1825
- 1831
*
Index
To General
Store Account Book 1816-1819
*
Vital
Statistics
From An Old Record Book
*
Items
from Clermont
Courier 1836
*
Clermont
Pensioners 1883
*
Ohio
Pioneers That
Moved to Texas
*
Persons
on the Petit
Jury 1880
*
Jails
and Sheriffs
*
Items
From
Early Clermont Courier 1852
*
Meeting
of
Patriarchs 1882
*
Surrender
Records From Childrens Home
*
Gazetteer
1882
*
Potpourri
*
Articles
From The
Clermont Sun 1889
*
River Boatmen
*
Sale of Delinquent Lands
*