A Short Sketch of the Oldest Living Inhabitant of Franklin.
As we promised last week to begin to give some biographical sketches of some of our citizens, we are able to present to you this week that of our old and esteemed fellow citizen,
The subject of our writings was born in Monmouth County, New Jersey, on the 25th day of April, 1788, and is now nearly 92 years of age. Notwithstanding his extreme age, he is in good health, and his pulse remarkably steady. On account of his age, however, he has not the memory of former years, and was not as talkative at our recent interview as he was when we first made his acquaintance, three years ago, and for this reason many very interesting incidents of his life must necessarily be omitted in this narrative.
His boyhood was spent with his father, in Monmouth County, N.J., in obtaining the usual schooling of his day, and worked on his farm. On the morning of his twenty-first birthday he set out on horseback for the then “Far West,” arriving on the banks of the Miami in due time.
At this early day (1809) the present site of our town was a dense woods, filled with wolves and other wild animals, instead of the roar of paper mill machinery. After remaining in this section for five years, he returned on a visit to his father’s home in New Jersey, making the trip on horseback, in twelve consecutive days. He always prided himself in fine horseflesh, and all his life he was an admirer of the beauties of this beast of burden; and even now Uncle Obe would venture to sally fort with a “fiery, untamed steed.” Six times he made this tiresome trip on horseback, over the mountains to Jersey, the last trip being made in 1858, twenty-two years ago.
He enlisted in the army under Gen. Harrison, in 1812, and went to the northern Frontier to quell a disturbance with the Canadians. Here he displayed the daring and bravery which he evidently inherited from his father, who was one of Gen. Washington’s right-hand men at the dreadful conflict of the battle of Bunker Hill. He came out honorably from the ranks of the army, and returned to a peaceful life in the fruitful Valley of the Miami, where he has since been living in happiness and amidst the fat of the land.
The first President our subject had the pleasure of voting for was Gen. Jackson, and now declares he was the best President the United States ever had.
Mr. Craig had four brothers and four sisters, two brothers being dead. Of the seven children now living, he is the oldest, and the youngest is 77 years of age. Mrs. Mullinson, mother of Tunis VanDeveer, on the west side of the river, is the only one of his sisters living in this region, the other three living in the East.
Mr. Craig has been married the third time, his present wife being married to him twenty-two years ago. Here maiden name was Craig, and she formerly lived in the vicinity of Seven Mile, Ohio, and is aclative [sic] of the Craig family in that locality.
He had eleven children, four sons and seven daughters, four of whom are dead. William and Obediah live in Wathena, Kansas, Mrs. H. J. Death, Mrs. Robert and Mrs. James Maxwell reside here, Mrs. William Hankinson at Blue Ball and Mrs. Jamee Allen near Springboro. One year ago, at the ninety-first anniversary of the birthday of our subject, a large number of children and grandchildren were present to participate in a pleasant reunion. The report of this occasion not a few will remember.
A large farm, situated southeast of town, upon which Samuel Swink now resides, provides an income for this aged couple, who live a retired life at their home on River street, one door north of J. S. Denise’s residence.
Age has brought that period to Uncle Obe that is generally called “Second childhood” and as he is no more capable of attending intelligently to his own business, he has appointed our grain merchant Levi Croll to attend to his business for him.
The 71 years of Mr. Obediah Craig’s life in this township, has brought many changes beneath his observation, a parallel contrast of which we shall not see if we live as long as he. Mr. Craig is denominationally, a Christian, but his age has prevented him from attending regularly to divine service. His first recollection of Church going, was his attending service in an old church rudely put together without the finery’s of the present day, which used to stand near the old grave yard. Here he says was more enjoyment of religion than is experienced in the churches of to-day.
“Uncle Obe”
is old and gray, but considerable vitality still exists in his frail body,
encouraging us with the hope that he will remaim [sic] a long time yet
among us. We are loath to part with these dear old fathers, who have borne
the burden and the heat of the day, to give us a goodly land for inheritance,
but time cuts all down and we must all prepare for separation from the
desires of this life.