BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES, BELMONT COUNTY, OHIO

"History of the Upper Ohio Valley" Vol. II, 1890.

Presented by Linda Fluharty from hard copies provided
by Mary Staley & Phyllis Slater.


Pages 660-661.

DAVID NEISWANGER

David Neiswanger was one of the pioneer farmers and famous hunters of deer
and bear in Belmont county in the early years of the present century. He
was born in Lancaster county, Penn., the son of Christian Neiswanger, a
native of Germany, who emigrated in 1726, and built himself a log cabin
in the woods, of what is now Lancaster county. David was a soldier in the
war of 1812, and as a commissary, by appointment of his intimate friend,
Brig.-Gen. Lewis Cass, furnished over $1,500 worth of provisions to the
army, for which he never obtained any recompense. On May 26, 1789, he was
married to Mary Harr, and in 1802, with his family, he came to Belmont
county, where, after traveling a few months, he settled in Richland township,
and bought eighty acres of wild land, which he cleared and lived upon until
1840.  He was a prominent man, and served four or five terms as county
commissioner. He was engaged in business as a butcher, to some extent, but
his regular trade was weaving, which he followed in connection with farming.
His eldest daughter, Elizabeth, learned the same trade, and at one time,
in 1811, obtained silk worm eggs from New York, and grew cocoons and made
thread from which she wove a silk dress, which is still in existence. When
the family came to Ohio, the Indians were yet hostile, and troublesome,
stealing horses and goods, and on one occasion, when he was out buying
cattle, he was obliged to swim his horse across the Muskingum river in the
floating ice, to escape the redskins. To David and Mary Neiswanger, children
were born as follows: Elizabeth, April 13, 1793, died March 18, 1866;
Christopher, July 3, 1792, died January 21, 1852; Mary, July 3, 1794, died
August 21, 1833; David, October 20, 1795, died September 2, 1828; John,
August 22, 1797, died August 25, 1873; Jacob, August 21, 1799, died May 22,
1852; Abraham, died in infancy; Christiana, July 21, 1802; Joseph, February
16, 1804, died January 31, 1838; Ann, February 27, 1806, died October 7,
1876; Abram, March 15, 1808; Isaac, April 3, 1810; Samuel, November 12,
1812, died July 31, 1832. The oldest son was a soldier in the war of 1812.
Major Isaac Neiswanger, now one of the prominent and substantial citizens
of Richland township, was reared in his county, and in early manhood gave
his attention to the study of law, which he pursued in the office of ex-Gov.
Shannon, but at his father's decease, he abandoned the profession and took
charge of his father's estate, which was of extensive proportions. In 1856,
he was elected justice of the peace of Richland township, and he has served
in that position almost continuously for thirty-six years. Maj. Neiswanger
was the founder of the Belmont County Agricultural society, one of the oldest
in the state, and he was made a corporator by an act of the legislature, in
1846, of the State Board of Agriculture, as which he served several years.
He is now the only survivor of the corporators of that body. He also served
as president of the Belmont County Agricultural society in 1853-4, 1859,
1872-3-4. In 1863, Maj. Neiswanger was appointed and served a term in the
army of the Potomac, as superintendent of horse department. On January 11,
1845, he was married to Elizabeth S., who was born June 18, 1823, daughter
of Parker and Rebecca (Wilson) Askew, the latter of whom came to Ohio in
1817, from Delaware, and was one of the early tanners of the county. The
following children have been born to this union: Mary E., November 5, 1845;
Ida B., May 9, 1847; Charles S., April 14, 1849; Annie C., December 21, 1851;
Lewis C., January 2, 1855; Gertrude A., August 31, 1857; George M., March 15,
1860; Edmund L., April 18, 1864.