Transcription contributed by Martie Callihan 9 October 2005

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879

SAMUEL W. ROGERS, retired merchant, Waynesville; born in New Jersey March 29, 1814; is a son of Joseph and Margaret (Peacock) Rogers, natives of New Jersey. The grandfather, Joseph Rogers, was also a native of New Jersey, and was a son of Abner and Hope Rogers, who lived and died in New Jersey, and, on their old homestead place, still stands the brick house built by him in 1776, which was visited by our subject in 1876, just one century after its erection. The grandfather, Joseph, married Esther Atkinson, by whom he had four sons and one daughter; he resided in his native State till in the fall of 1813, when he emigrated to Ohio and located in Warren County; there he lived till his death. Joseph, the father, in 1812, walked the entire distance from New Jersey over the mountains to Warren Co., Ohio; here he bought a horse and returned to his native State on horseback. In the fall of 1815, he emigrated with his family to this county, where he settled and has since resided, with the exception of two and one-half years' residence in Indiana, between 1823 and 1826. He served in his native State a long apprenticeship in the carpenter trade; thence became a manufacturer of the Peacock plow, and when he came to Ohio, he brought the patterns for making the cast mold-board plows—something then unknown west of the mountains; here he gave almost his exclusive attention to the manufacture of those plows for several years. At that time there was no foundry in Cincinnati, and he obtained his castings at a foundry about fifty miles southeast of here. This was in that early day a great improvement to their plows and made quite a revolution in the work of farming. Mr. Rogers is the father of eight children; four now survive—Samuel W., Esther Ann, Hope and Lydia; his wife died in 1837. In 1840, he was married to Rebecca Lippincott, with whom he is still living. Mr. Rogers was born Oct. 30, 1789, and is now in his 92d year, and is still quite a spry, lively old gentleman, and we may wish for him yet many happy years. Our subject was but 18 months of age when brought to this county; here he was raised and grew to manhood, accustomed to the scenes and trials of those early days; was married, April 13, 1837, to Lydia Ann, daughter of Isaac and Hannah Engle, natives of New Jersey. Lydia Ann was born in New Jersey Feb. 23, 1814. Mr. Rogers followed farming till 1848; thence entered upon mercantile trade in Waynesville, which business he conducted for thirty-one years—till May, 1879, when he sold his stock of goods and retired from all active business. Mr. Rogers started in life a poor man, but, by his own industry, business tact and economy, has accumulated a sufficiency, and now in his later years is able to enjoy the fruits of his own industry and labor. Mr. Rogers has held the offices of Township Treasurer and Trustee, and is a Director and Vice President of the National Bank of Waynesville.