Quaker Genealogy in Southwest Ohio

Charity Lynch ~ A Life of Struggles and Triumph (1779 ~ 1848)

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The Charity Lynch House ~
Waynesville, Ohio
(Later known as the May Wright ~ Mary Current House)
See another view of the house below.

The following is the obituary of Charity Hasket Lynch, published in the Quaker periodical, "The Western Friend", dated March 1848. "The Western Friend" was published by Achilles Henry Pugh in Cincinnati.

"DIED ~~ On the 11th day of March, 1848, in Hamilton, Ohio, CHARITY LYNCH, in the sixty-ninth year of her age. During her life time, the deceased was a member of the Society of Friends, and though for many years, in the latter part of her life, she was deprived, in a great measure of enjoying the privileges of their meetings, yet her attachment to the Society, and the principles of the Society, did not in any degree abate. In her last illness of twelve days, she often spoke of her love for the Friends; she said, 'I love their voice, I love their silence, I love their spiritual worship.' When deprived of the meetings of her own Society, she sought and enjoyed Christian communion and fellowship and religious conversation with the pious of other denominations. The graces of meekness, humility and benevolence, was exemplified by her through all her Christian course. Her delight was in the law of the Lord; she searched the Scriptures and found by a happy experience, that their testimony is able to make one wise unto salvation by faith in Christ Jesus. Although useful to society, to the community in which she lived, and especially to her children, yet it pleased God in wisdom, to lay his afflicting hand upon her; but through all her sickness, she manifested a calmness and peace of mind which religion alone can give. Her peace was as a river, her joy as the waves of the sea. Though her bed was the bed of death, it was the spot around which ministering angels stood ~ though her room was the room of dying groans, yet it was made joyful to her by the presence of her God. ~~ Her heavenly Shepherd accompanied her through the vale of death ~ she feared no ill ~ resting her sinking head upon the bosom of her Savior, she 'breathed her life out sweetly there.' On Sabbath afternoon, the 12th inst., her body was committed to the silent tomb, attended by a large concourse of friends and acquaintances, who testified their respect for her worth, by mingling their tears with those of her children and grandchildren who followed her remains to the 'narrow house appointed for all the living.' Her countenance, when cold in death, radiated a sweet, a heavenly smile.

'Calm on the bosom of thy God,
Sweet spirit rest thee now!
E'en while with us they footsteps trod,
His seal was on thy brow.

Dust to its narrow house beneath!
Soul to its place on high!
They that have seen thy face in death,
No more may fear to die.'

A tribute to the memory of a beloved mother, by an affectionate son.
T. H. L." (Thomas Hasket Lynch)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Charity Hasket (b. October 27, 1779 in the Bush River Valley of South Carolina ~ d. March 11, 1848 in Hamilton, Butler Co., Ohio) was a daughter of Isaac and Lydia Elliott Hasket. She married Isaiah Lynch at Bush River on March 20, 1801. Isaiah Lynch (b. April 1, 1768 near the Saluda River in South Carolina ~ d. July 27, 1814 in Waynesville, Warren Co., Ohio) was the son of David and Esther Embry Lynch.

Charity Hasket Lynch and her young husband, Isaiah Lynch, moved from Bush River Monthly Meeting of Friends in South Carolina to Waynesville, Ohio in 1805. Like many Friends in the south, they left and settled in Ohio to escape the institution of slavery. They had three little girls with them all under the age of five: Sarah Ann, Rebecca, and Rachel. The first Lynch home was located on Main Street in Wabash Square (between High and Miami Streets)near the local tavern and stagecoach stop. While living in this residence, five more children were born: Mary, Thomas Hasket, Elijah, Isaac and William Mercer.

They decided to move away from the area of the tavern to a healthier part of the village. They bought a three and a half acre lot near the White Brick Meetinghouse of the Miami Monthly Meeting of the Society of Friends on top of "Quaker Hill". The land had been previously owned by Friend David Faulkner (January 1807) and Friends Roland and Lydia Richards (June 1807). They engaged David Jones, a friend of theirs, to construct the new house. Just as the house was being finished, Isaiah Lynch came down with typhoid fever and this father at the age of 45 died on July 27, 1814. He is buried, as is his youngest son William Mercer, who died in 1813, in the Friends graveyard in Waynesville.

Charity was prostrate with grief and she was probably ill with the same sickness that had just killed her husband. The members of the Quaker meeting in Waynesville were convinced that she would not survive her illness since she was so frail. They would have seven orphan children to care for. It was decided to parcel them out to be raised in Quaker families:

Twelve year old Sarah, the oldest, went to live with Dr. and Mrs. Joseph Canby of Lebanon, Ohio
Rebecca and Isaac went to live with an elderly couple Seth and Elizabeth Smith who lived near Green Plain Monthly Meeting outside of Selma, Ohio.
Rachel, Mary and Thomas were taken to homes in Cincinnati.
Elijah went to live with David and Polly Littler near Waynesville

To everyone's surprise, with the help of Dr. Lathrope of Waynesville, she rebounded. However, to add to Charity's grief as she recovered from her illness, news arrived from Cincinnati that her little Mary had died in late November of 1814 and had been buried in a Potter's Field.

The new family home would need to be sold and what funds were left would be used to re-unite the dispersed family. On November 19, 1816 Friend Noah Haines bought the property at a Sheriff's auction.

Charity moved to Cincinnati where she rented a house, which she then ran as a boarding house. Thomas and Rachel were reunited with their mother in Cincinnati. A devoted Quaker, Charity and her children attended Cincinnati Monthly Meeting of Friends which had just been founded. She was never able to find the exact spot of her daughter's burial.

After a few years in Cincinnati, Charity and the children moved to Springboro, Ohio. She was friend of Jonathan and Mary Wright who encouraged her to move to their village. So in June of 1818 Charity bought a lot in Springboro and while a new brick house was being built, she rented a small house to live in with her children. Rachel and Thomas were joined by Sarah and Elijah. Charity traveled to Green Plain and brought home, Rebecca and Isaac. The family lived in Springboro up until 1826 when Charity moved to Hamilton.

The rest of her story and the story of her devoted children can be found in Alta Harvey Heiser's book, Quaker Lady: The Story of Charity Lynch and Her People (Oxford, Ohio: The Mississippi Valley Press, 1941).

Waynesville lore states that the Charity Lynch House is haunted by Charity who is looking for her little girl, Mary, who died in Cincinnati when she was separated from her ill mother.

View taken from the backyard of the
The 1905 Friends Boarding Home ~ Waynesville, Ohio

John Harvey ~ Farmer and Poet

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JOHN HARVEY

July 16th, 1800 in Orange Co., North Carolina ~ February 10th, 1872 in Pleasant Plain, Iowa[i]

and his first wife

LYDIA BALLARD
November 9th, 1800 ~ November 13th, 1832 in Harveysburg, Ohio

And his second wife

MAHALA PLUMMER
June 14th, 1814 in Highland Co., Ohio ~ December 30th, 1862 in Pleasant Plain, Iowa

John Harvey was one of the sons of William Harvey[ii], the last of the five Harvey brothers that settled on Todd’s Fork in Adams Co., Ohio, the “Harvey Settlement”, and Mary Vestal Harvey[iii]. He was married twice and had two large sets of children:

With Lydia Ballard:
1. JAMES HARVEY, b: July 1st, 1822 ~ Jan 15th, 1894, moved to Iowa (m. Minerva)[iv].
2. MARY ANN HARVEY, b: October 18th, 1823
3. ELIAS HARVEY, b: June 10th, 1825 ~ September 16th, 1842 (buried in Warren Co., Ohio)
4. MARTHA HARVEY, b: January 27th, 1827
5. EUNICE HARVEY, b: February 2nd, 1829
6. JOHN M. HARVEY, b: February 22nd, 1831 (moved to Iowa)

With Mahala Plummer:
1. LYDIA ANN HARVEY, b: August 21st, 1835
2. EMILY HARVEY, b: January 22nd, 1838
3. CAROLINE HARVEY, b: December 5th, 1839
4. ELI P. HARVEY, b: January 1st, 1842 ~ February 16th, 1842 (buried in Warren Co., Ohio)
5. ABI HARVEY, b: January 19th, 1843 ~ August 4, 1844 (Buried in Warren Co., Ohio)
6. ALFRED HARVEY, b: August 14th, 1845 ~ October 26th, 1845 (buried in Warren Co., Ohio)
7. JOSEPH HARVEY, b: March 20th, 1847 ~May 22nd, 1853 (buried in Warren Co., Ohio)
8. OLIVER HARVEY, b: March 11th, 1850
9. WILLIAM A. HARVEY, b: JULY 11, 1851 ~ January 6th, 1853 (buried in Warren Co., Ohio)
10. CHARLES HARVEY, b: February 15th, 1853 ~ February 15th, 1853 (buried in Warren Co., Ohio)

John Harvey was a teacher at the Quaker school on Todd’s Fork for two years[v]. His true loves were farming and his large family. He was noted locally for his poetry, which focused on the people and events of his life. Poetry was one of the few artistic outlets allowed by the Friends before the Civil War. William Harvey’s descendants had an artistic streak.

John Harvey settled in Harveysburg, Ohio in Warren Co., Ohio. He authored a book of poetry entitled Miscellaneous Poems; Moral, Religious, and Sentimental (Cincinnati: Published by James Harvey, 1848). The first poem in this book is entitled:

A SKETCH OF THE AUTHOR’S LIFE

I came into being, as the record shows,
When the eighteenth century was just at its close;
From North Carolina, the land of my birth,
I came with my parents, to this part of the earth,
(Ohio, renown’d as a free and rich state)
In the spring of one thousand eight hundred and eight.
This country was chiefly a wilderness then,
And in many places the abode of red men,
From the graves of their fathers now driven far west,
By men of pale faces, who loved themselves best.
On the banks of Todd’s Fork, about twenty-three years,
My days pass’d in pleasure unmingled with tears;
A loving companion, ten years of the time,
Was still the chief blessing of my early prime,
My dearest relations were all yet alive,
And most of them able to work and to thrive;
When half a dozen miles to the westward I went (to Harveysburg),
And settled where the rest of my life has been spent,
Where sorrow and care have attended my lot,
While scenes of past pleasure could not be forgot.
My faithful companion was the first one that died (Lydia Ballard),
Of all to whom I was most tenderly tied;
“But all of my losses and causes of care
Have, in my poor scribbling, been stated elsewhere.
And, oh! May I never repine at the rod~
I still have been follw’d by the mercies of God!
And while, by his blessing, upon a rich soil,
I still have been reaping the fruits of my toil,
A second companion has help’d me along (Mahala Plummer),
And lighten’d the burden of many a song.

John Harvey wrote poetry about his sorrows: the death of his first wife Lydia whom he had met in 1819 while coming home from Waynesville on the hill above Corwin after attending Miami Quarterly Meeting in the White Brick Meetinghouse and the tragic death of his infant son, Elias P.

Lydia Harvey’s gravestone located in the Quaker Orthodox Cemetery in Harveysburg, Ohio

We know that John and his second wife, Mahala, and their son, Oliver, moved out west to Iowa in 1859. Perhaps the death of six of their children between 1842-1853 motivated them to migrate west? They moved their membership from Miami Monthly Meeting in Waynesville to Pleasant Plain in Iowa on February 23rd, 1859. They are listed in the 1860 Federal Census as living in Penn Township of Jefferson County, Iowa (Post office: Pleasant Point). John is listed as a farmer and two children are still living with them: Lydia and Oliver (Roll M653_328, page 74).

In 1860 Lydia moved her membership back to Miami Monthly Meeting from Iowa. Mahala Plummer Harvey is buried in the Friends Cemetery in Pleasant Point, Iowa (Ancestry.com, Iowa Cemetery Records. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com, 2000. Original Data: Works Project Administration. Graves Registration Project. Washington, D.C.: n.p., page 179). John was buried there also (same reference). Their son James and his wife Minerva and their son Jervis had moved before them to Pleasant Plain in 1851.

The Pleasant Plain, Iowa community was first settled by Quaker farmers in 1836. It was first named Pleasant Prairie. In 1876, the Pleasant Plain Academy Association of Friends was formed and set about constructing a school building, which was completed in 1876. The academy was under the supervision of the Friends Church but admitted young people of all denominations. Often tuition was paid in products such as wheat, corn and meat. It was the first school in Jefferson Co., Iowa. Pleasant Plain Friends Meeting had been established in 1836.

[i] A listing of the burials in the Pleasant Plain Friend Cemetery in Penn Township, Jefferson County can be found at http://www.rootsweb.com/~iajeffer/Cemeteries/Pleasant_Plain-Cemetery.html.
[ii] An obituary of William Harvey can be found in the Friends’ Review (Vol. 11, 1858): "DIED, on the 5th of 12th mo. last, at the residence of his son, WILLIAM HARVEY, an Elder of Springfield Monthly meeting, Ohio, in the 89th year of his age. In the latter part of his life he endured much affliction of body, through all of which he often broke forth in praises to the Lord “for his mercy and goodness to him, a poor unworthy creature, even to his last moments.” A short time before his death he was visited by the dear English friends, P. G. & M. N., the comfortable remembrance of which remained with him to the last, often drawing forth his prayers “for their preservation, and for all that were called upon to declare the glad tiding of the gospel;” and that “the glorious kingdom of the dear Redeemer might spread more and more in the earth, to the praise of his ever blessed name,” declaring his “love not only to his own children, but to every creature the world over.” He was one of the early settlers, and helped to rear log-meeting houses and blaze paths through the almost unbroken wilderness, to direct the way to and from them.
[iii] William and Mary Vestal Harvey are said to have established Harveysburg Friends Meeting. This is probably the Orthodox preparative meeting in Harveysburg (Quaker Historical Collections: Springfield Friends Meeting, 1809-1981 by Lucile F. Hadley, p. 127).
[iv] The two brothers, James and John M. Harvey, are listed in the 1856 State Census of Iowa, Jefferson County, Penn Township, HQ# V221-19, FHL #1021302, IHS# Roll 9, enumeration date: July 22, 1856, http://iagenweb.org/census/jefferson/1856-IA-Jeff-Penn.txt.
[v] Quaker Historical Collections: Springfield Friends Meeting compiled by Lucille Hadley, p. 42-43.

Bethiah Mosher Furnas ~ Quaker Minister & Poet

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(1831-1913)

Sketch by Diana Bouton

Bethiah Mosher was born on the third of March 1813 in Cardington, Ohio, a town founded by her granfather Asa Mosher. Her father, Robert Mosher and mother, Edith Nichols had come to the Ohio valley from New York as small children. By 1800 they owned significant acreage within township limits as well as valuable farmable land in the surrounding valley.

Members of the Mosher family were instrumental in organizing schools and establishing the Quaker meeting. They built the first grist and saw mill and Asa Mosher sat ont he first town council. Bethiah grew up in a family of relatiave prosperity and civic prominence. It must have beena loving happy home because she stayed in close touch with her sisters throughout her life and deeply mourned her parents at their passing. She was raised in the Quaker church. Pictures of her show a strict adherance to the Quaker fashion of "plain dress." On September 23, 1853, at the age of 22, she married Robert F. Furnas, a young farmer from Waynesville. Her poetry gives us a peek into the trials of their courtship. Bethiah and Robert had eight children:

Mary Furnas, b. 1855
Seth W. Furnas, b. 1857
Calista Furnas, b. 1860 ~ d. 1862
Eunice Furnas, b. 1862
Edith D. Furnas, b. 1864 ~ d. 1873
Phebe Furnas, b. 1868
Robert H. Furnas, b. 1870
Joseph Furnas, b. ca. 1872 ~ d. 1874

Bethiah continued her family's tradition of community service by focusing her considerable acumen and creative energy on the enhancement of the nascent communites growing around her. Her diary shows she played an active role in the creation of the school system in Waynesville. She became a minister of the Miami Monthly Meeting (Orthodox). She was a skilled and prolific writer, leaving us the legacy of her poetry. We feel her compassion in the obituaries she wrote for the local Paper. While living in Kansas, she directed plays, undoubtedly some of her own creation, for a local cildren's theater group. As an intelligent, articulate yet gracious member of the community, we can only imagine how friends and neighbors must have depended upon her kind heart, openess, and warmth.

Dr. Robert F. Furnas ~ Quaker Farmer, Physician, Minister, and Progressive

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Dr. Robert F. Furnas, 1830-1901
Sketch by Diana Bouton

By 1873 Robert Furnas had realized handsome returns for some years from the large family farm he managed in partnership with his father. He also played an active roll in the administration of the Quaker Miami Monthly Meeting (Orthodox). He was a devoted husband and father to a rambunctious brood of eight children. That year he celebrated his 43rd birthday. Certainly most men begin to contemplate retirement at forty three. Instead, 1873 was the year Robert Furnas entered medical school. Mid-life career changes are common in today's world, but even today to undertake a career change involving the mental and physical challenge presented by four years of such grueling study is indeed exceptional. Yet this is exactly what Robert Furnas chose to do with his life. He went on to establish a busy and successful homeopathic medical practice where he worked until his death in 1901. This intellectual energy has made him a legend in Furnas family lore.

Robert was born in Wayne Township, Ohio on October 10th, 1830, just about the time President Andrew Jackson began moving Indians onto reservations by signing the Indian Removal Act. Robert's parents were Seth and Diana (Kindley) Furnas. They inherited both a strong Quaker heritage and the prime farm acreage originally purchased by Robert's grandparents (Robert Furnas, Sr. & Hannah Wilson Furnas).

Robert Furnas, Sr. (1762-1852),
Dr. Robert F. Furnas' Grandfather

"RobertFurnas was born June 27, 1762 at Bush River, South Carolina, son of John and Mary (Wilkinson) Furnas. He married Hannah Wilson in 1796. They had eleven children. In 1803 they came from Pine Creek Meeting, South Carolina to Waynesville, Ohio. He was Clerk of Monthly Meeting. Also, village blacksmith, surveyor, physician and surgion. He drew wills and contracts for which he accepted no pay. He ws very punctual and sat at the head of Caesar's Creek Meeting. Plain in his dress." (Taken from The Dictionary of Quaker Biography located in the Quaker Collection of Haverford College, Philadelphia).

The picture above is of Seth and Dinah (Kindley) Furnas and their
two sons, Davis Furnas (left) and Robert F. Furnas (Right).

Young Robert grew up working alongside his father on the farm enduring the hardships involved in opening the frontier and attended the local school held in a log cabin. Indians roamed the forests and the howling of wolves was a nightly occurrence. Wild game of all kinds was plentiful and in that day provided a mojor source of sustenance and sometimes served as the main provision against hunger and even starvation.

The 1875 map above shows the Seth Furnas farm and the Mosher farm next to it. The Seth and Dinah Kindley Furnas in now located in Pioneer Village
http://www.caesarscreekvillage.org/VillageHistoryHatfield.html.

He remained helping to work his parent's farm until the age of 22 when in 1857 he married Bethiah Mosier (usually spelled Mosher). she was one of nine sisters and two brothers, the children of Robert and Edith (Nichols) Mosier (Mosher). Also Quakers, the Mosiers came from New York State and owned a large and prosperous farm nearby.

Robert and Bethiah had eight children, five of which survived to adulthood. Robert engaged in farming and the raising and edealing in stock for about twenty years. During this period he constructed several beautiful pieces of cherry wood furniture. A canopy bed, large dresser and nightstand still remain in the family. In 1873 he turned his attention to medicine and attended the Pulte Medical College in Cincinnati, graduating in 1877. He practiced as a homeopathic physician and surgeon throughout the early 1880's. His office was located two doors south of the Harris Bank which was replaced by the United Telephone Company builid in 1973.

Dr. Robert Furnas partnered with Dr. James Wilkins Haines ~ Quaker Physician, Minister, Educator and Spiritualist (1849-1893) until 1880 when the Furnas family moved Richmond, Indiana and Dr. Furnas partnered with Dr. I. C. Teague.

The concept of a utopian society or intentional community which attempted to create "a heaven on earth" was a constant intellectural subject in the literature and press of the day. Dr. Furnas' fertile imagination was obviously fired by such a concept. Perhaps uncomfortable with his own growing affluence as a physician and inspired by the success of other utiopian societies, he convince, cajoled, and coereced until he had an intrepid band of souls ready to follow him into the plains of Kansas here to create the perfect world. Comprised of a vastness conducive to the isolation necesasary for a nascent society to grow unpolluted, Kansas was the perfect choice. It was only when the fertile soil of the praire grasslands turned to dust in the great grought of the 1890's that the economic underpinnings of Dr. Furnas' great experiment gave way. We have no record of the structure of his society.

This experiment is mentioned in Quakers on the American Frontier by Errol T. Elliott (Richmond, Indiana: The Friends United Press, 1969), pp. 142-143.

"An example of Quaker colonizing with its risks and failures was one led by John Franklin Moore, brother of Joseph Moore of North Carolina and Indiana fame. About twelve Indiana families settled in Stevens county south of Hugoton, near the Oklahoma border. They named their new settlement Lafayette, for the Indiana city, favorite of John Moore.

Lumber was brough one hundred miles by wagons from Garden City. Here John Moore erected a building that served as a store, a post office, a schoolroom, and a meeting room on the lower floor, with an office for Dr. Furnas, and with living quarters upstairs. A Day School land a sunday School were taught by Lydia Ann Wilson. John Moore and Lydia Ann Wilson were married here.

The little settlement could not succeed in the hard times that came with drouth hot winds, and grasshoppers in teh summer and with freezing winds of the winter. Crops failed and in one very severe winter their cattle froze on the range. The settlement was disbanded, and for several years one lone building with the name Lafayette on it stood in a kind of grandeur on the flat, far-sweeping prairie whcih the little Quaker community was not prepared to conquer."

The only record exisiting of that time comes from the recollections of Edith Furnas Davis, a granddaughter of Robert and Bethiah Furnas. She descirbed her grandparents sojourn into Kansas in a book entitled: Chosen Land ~ Barbar County, Kansas:

"My great-grandfather Furnas was a doctor in Stevens Co. during the early history of Kansas, practicing at Lafayette, a town which was organized in late 1886 by a group of Friends, also know as Quakers, earnest hard-working people. Dr. Robert Furnas, like all early day physicians, rode horseback, or drove a buggy many long weary miles in answer to calls thae came at all hours, in all kinds of weather. Mrs. Furnas, a very active church worker and strong prohibitionist, produced plays and encouraged young people to take part. She, being well education, good personality, and always dressed in Quaker garments, was highly respected. Their home is still remembered as the one with the 'buffalo bone fense' around it. My father spent many summers with his grandfahter, Doctor Furnas, and was there during one toof the dreaded early day "praire fires'. After fighting for two days and nights, with little or no food, in his weakened condition, he fell face downward into the fire, as he tired to jump cross it. But Dr. Furnas brought him through it without a scar on his face and only a few on his hands!"

Dr. Robert F. Furnas died in Waynesville on 9th mo. 18th, 1901 aged 70 years , 11 months and 8 days. He and his wife Bethiah M. Furnas are buried in Miami Cemetery ~ Located in Corwin, Across the River from Waynesville , Section F.

Joel Evans ~ Quaker, Mayor of Waynesville, County Surveyor and Carpenter and Builder

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January 23, 1816 ~ September 17, 1907

Joel Evans had a good reputation for being a very intelligent man. Daniel R. Anderson tells the following story about Joel Evans and some of his friends in Waynesville:

"A coterie of wits, E. Baily, Arnold Boone, Neddy Lynch, Sam Rogers, Sr., David Evans, Sr., Joel Evans, Geo. W. Brown, Elton Dudley, ~~ that lot; and another regular was my father, Dr. Wm. H. Anderson, were member of a club that made a rookery of the store house of Hadden & McClelland, and the way they did "rook", oh, my! An open debate on any live subject, interspersed with well-told stories, filled out the long evenings till closing time.

I was always interested in that "gang" because it was as good as a moving picture show is to me now. My father had a sense of the eternal fitness of things ~ and boys were not eligible ~ so when I wasn't busy playing "Welly," with the other "kids" of the town, I would sneak into the store, and slip behind a large table that was piled high with goods and "stop, look and listen!" They were always great on conundrums, only one of which will I record.

Geo. Brown was late, and some one had propounded to those present, "what is the worst kind of 'bat' that flies after night?" Joel Evans answered, "A brick bat." About that time Geo. Brown drifted in and immediately Joel put the new one on him in this wise, "George, what is the worst kind of 'brick bats,' that fly after night?" George was silent for only a little while, and with a funny little grin said, "I don't know unless it is hard ones," and the laugh was on Joel.

Joel Evans was a man of superior intelligence, and vast information on most any subject, and I have put a question to him, and he would look at me and pass on and never open his head. Perhaps I would meet him again in a week or so, and without any preliminary he would answer that question as though he was just asked about it. That was his way! If he didn't know, he would find out; being sure that you wanted the information, or would not have asked him.

For more information about Joel Evans and the Evans family in Waynesville see,
The Evans Family of Waynesville.

David & Judith Thornburgh Faulkner ~ Benefactors of Miami Monthly Meeting

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David Faulkner (b. June 26, 1749 in Warrington, York, Pennsylvania ~
d. January 30, 1821 in Paintersville, Greene, Ohio)

Judith Thornburgh Faulkner (b. October 3, 1760 in Frederick Co., Virginia ~
d. April 23, 1843 in Greene Co., Ohio

They were married on March 4, 1778 in Frederick Co., Virginia at Middle Creek Meeting. They had nine children:

Martha Faulkner b: June 23, 1780 in Frederick Co., Virginia
Jane Faulkner b: Abt. 1781 in Frederick Co., Virginia
Jesse Faulkner b: April 24, 1785 in Frederick Co., Virginia
Phebe Faulkner b: Abt. 1787 in Frederick Co., Virginia

Thomas Faulkner b: Abt. 1790 in Frederick Co., Virginia
Mary Faulkner b: Abt. 1792 in Frederick Co., Virginia
Judith Faulkner b: Abt. 1795 in Frederick Co., Virginia
Solomon Faulkner b: March 26, 1799 in Frederick Co., Virginia
Rachel Faulkner b: June 2, 1809 in Waynesville, Warren Co., Ohio

Friends at Waynesville were unable to get title to their land for a meetinghouse and the first graveyard on Quaker Hill until 1808 when a patent for 208 acres was granted to David Faulkner. The deed is at the Warren County Courthouse in Lebanon, Deed Book #4, pp. 33-35. According to Judge Keys, “Heighway and Bane made sales by title bond of town lots and lands, but no title was confirmed here until January 1807 and then for some unknown reason, 208 acres (including the most of the old town plat), was patented to David Faulkner. Faulkner, in 1807, made title to a large number of lots here to different persons” (“Early Waynesville: As Described by Judge John W. Keys”, a series of articles published in the Miami-Gazette and the Western Star.

Perhaps David Faulkner eventually gained the title to this land due to John Cleve Symmes defaulting on his payments for the land. John Cleve Symmes purchased the land on credit and failed to make payments according to the terms of the contract and that failure produced considerable confusion with those who had purchased the land without title. David Faulkner and Judith Faulkner were two of the early members of Miami Monthly Meeting in Waynesville, Ohio. David and Judith were later associated with Center Monthly Meeting in Clinton County (The Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Vol. V. (Ohio) [Genealogical Publishing Company, 1994], p. 469.

It is reported in The History of Clinton County, Ohio (Chicago: W. H. Beers & Co., 1882), p. 491 that David Faulkner was the early proprietor of the land upon which Wilmington now stands. He never lived on that land. His son, Thomas, settled down in the northeast part of Wilmington. David Faulkner owned considerable land in Clinton County, 2,050 acres along Anderson Creek, a branch of Caesars Creek. The land patents can be found on the Bureau of Land Management database online (Ohio Land Records), Accession/Serial Number OH1900_.414, Doc. #3990 and Accession/Serial Number OH1900_.413, Doc. #3990. Both are dated August 8th, 1801.

David and Judith's home was in southern Greene County near Paintersville, approximately 15 miles northeast of Waynesville. It was closer for them to attend Center Monthly Meeting after it was established.

David Holloway ~ Early Quaker Pioneer, Merchant and Tavern Owner

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The "Holloway Inn" much altered since its early days.

The following is taken from an article, “Miami Monthly Meeting, Part I” by Robert Hatton printed in the Miami-Gazette (March 15, 1876):

David Holloway (b. June 23rd, 1771 Stafford, Va.-d. December 31st, 1847 in Richmond, Indiana) was his (Roland Richards’) son-in-law, having married (March 12th, 1794 at Hopewell Monthly Meeting) his second daughter Hannah (b. January 31st, 1774 in Philadelphia), who was an excellent Friend. David had much of a consequential air about him, and in the earlier part of his time was tenacious of plainness, bringing his children to meeting, etc., and would close his store on meeting days. It is related of him that when suspenders were first brought about, his sons, then in their teens, procured some, which their father no sooner discovered, that he took them away and burned them. Subsequently, the youngsters procured flax and twisted it into a substitute. On this becoming known to David he destroyed them and reprimanded his children. This produced a dislike to the society and when they reached majority they left Friends and married from among them. No doubt David was perfectly sincere in his views, as he never adopted the condemned suspenders in his own wardrobe. About the year 1815 he moved to Cincinnati and the general depression of the commercials affairs in 1819-20 added to some unfortunate endorsements resulted in the loss of most of the acquirements of years of active labor. In 1822 he removed to a farm in Indiana, about four miles east of Richmond, where he remained a few years; and after several other changes closed his life from a cancer. His very superior wife survived him several years.

In the early days of Waynesville, Third Street was the main road on which businesses were located. David Holloway had his store at the corner of High and Third Streets. He also built a "house of entertainment", a tavern, "Holloway's Tavern", at the same crossroads. He bought the land from David Faulkner in 1807. In 1814 he sold this property to Joel Wright and moved to Cincinnati.

Hannah and David Holloway had seven children: Dayton [sometimes spelled, Daten] (b. 1795), Lydia (1796), Margaret (1799), John (1801), Abigail (1803), Hannah (1807) and David P. Holloway (1809). David P. Holloway, the grandson of Rowland Richards, was destined to be a Congressman from Indiana.

For more information about David P. Holloway see:

Picture History - David P. Holloway (1809-1883), and,
David P. Holloway

Ezekiel Cleaver ~ One of the Earliest Quaker Pioneers

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According to Beer's 1882 History of Warren County, p. 580:

“In the fall of that year (1801) Ezekiel Cleaver came here from Virginia, leaving his family at Brownsville, and put up a house at the crossing of Third and Miami Streets, on the east corner of said crossing in Waynesville, and, in the spring of 1802, moved here with his family. With him came John Mullen, Rowland Richards, David Holloway and others.”

Miami Monthly Meeting of the Society of Friends was later established in Waynesville, Ohio, October 13, 1803, meeting on First Day (Sunday) and on Fourth Day (Wednesday). It embraced all territory north of the Ohio River and west of Hockhocking. The meeting for worship had first met in the log cabin of Ezekiel Cleaver. Because of the rapid growth of the Quaker community, Friends build a 30-foot square log cabin which would be the first meetinghouse and schoolhouse on Quaker Hill. It was located where the Red Brick meetinghouse now stands.

Ezekiel Cleaver (b. 7 mo. 4th 1787) was one of the founders of Miami Monthly Meeting. In Virginia he had wed one of the daughters of Quaker minister, Rowland Richards.

Ezekiel Cleaver of Frederick Co., Va., the son of Ezekiel and Mary, later of Gwynedd, Montgomery Co., Pa, deceased, married at public Meeting at Crooked Run, Abigail Richards, daughter of Rowland and Lydia Richards of Frederick Co., Va. on 7 mo. 4th 1787. They had four children:

Mary (1789)
Abigail (1792)
Ezekiel (1794)
Peter (1796)

(see, The Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Vol. VI. (Virginia) [Genealogical Publishing Company, 1994], p. 593.)

Information about the marriage certificate of Ezekial and Abigail Cleaver can also be found on ancestry.com (Frederick County, Virginia, Hopewell Friends History (database online). Orem, UT: Ancestry.com, 1997. Original data: Joint committee of Hopewell Friends. Hopewell Friends History 1734-1934: Frederick County, Virginia: Records of Hopewell Monthly Meetings and Meetings Reporting to Hopewell. Strasburg, VA: Shenandoah Publishing House, 1936.

Ezekiel Cleaver is buried in the 1808 Friends graveyard, First row, #3, interment on September 23rd, 1832. His wife Abigail Richards Cleaver is also buried there: First row, #6, interment on February 3rd, 1833.

The Ezekiel Cleaver Papers, 1729-1895, are located in the Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. They were a gift from Thomas and Elizabeth Foulke. This collection includes correspondence and miscellaneous papers of a Quaker family concerning the Hicksite/Orthodox controversy in Ohio, conditions of everyday life in Virginia and the Midwest, and observations on slavery and the use of tobacco. Also included is an account of Cleaver family births and deaths, 1729-1895.

Moses Hollingsworth ~ Builder

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Moses W. Hollingsworth of Springboro was an architect and builder. He was the son of Joseph and Rhoda Whitacre Hollingsworth, born 5th mo. 17th day 1823. His father was a miller by trade and established with his brothers-in-law Whitacre Mills where Todd’s Fork enters the Little Miami River in 1832. The family was associated with Hopewell Preparative Meeting in Rochester (near Morrow, Ohio). Around 1850 the family moved to Harveysburg. The Quaker meetings in both Rochester and Harveysburg were preparative meetings of Miami Monthly Meeting in Waynesville. After the death of his father in 1853, Moses and his mother moved to Springboro. His sister Ruthanna lived with them after the death of her husband, Nathan Hunt. Moses never married.

Moses was a member of Miami Monthly Meeting in Waynesville and transferred his membership to Springboro Monthly Meeting on 11th mo. 20th day 1867. Since he was on the building committee for Miami Valley Institute, it is possible that he was the architect and contractor who built the main brick building and other buildings. There is no conclusive evidence for this, however. Moses Hollingsworth was an active Friend and served on many Quaker committees. In 1903 he was appointed a Director of The Farmer’s Bank of Springboro ( See, 1904 Blanche A. Riley Diary, Clearcreek Township, Warren County, Ohio (Lebanon, Ohio: Printed by the Warren County Genealogical Society, 1999), p. 73.)

Obituary:

HOLLINGSWORTH.~At the home of Lydia Wood, in Springboro, Ohio, Sixth month 16th, 1911, Moses W. Hollingsworth, in his 89th year. He was born near Rochester, Ohio, but had lived since 1857 in Springboro. He was a life-long and consistent member of the Society of Friends (Friends’ Intelligencer, Seventh month 1, 1911, p. 415).

A short death announcement was published in the Miami-Gazette on June 21, 1911. The funeral was held at the Springboro Monthly Meeting and he was buried in Rochester Preparative Meeting graveyard, near Morrow, Ohio. This old cemetery lies on the north side of Rt. 22/3 behind the old Quaker Meetinghouse in Rochester (Cemetery Vol. VI Warren County, Ohio Old Cemeteries from Eight Townships (Warren County Genealogical Society, 1987, p. 385). The meetinghouse is now a private residence.

Edward Furnas, Elihu Underwood and wife, Edwin Chandler, A. B. Chandler, Miss Belle Chandler of Dayton, attended the funeral at Springboro (Miami-Gazette, June 21, 1911).

Also see, Warren County, Ohio and Beyond by Dallas R. Bogan (Bowie, Maryland: Heritage Books, Inc., 1997), pp. 271-273,

Descendants of Valentine Hollingsworth, Sr. Society, and,

Descendants of Valentine Hollingsworth, Sr. Socie... (Photograph taken of their gathering at The Mary L. Cook Public Library.)

Marcus Mote ~ Quaker Artist

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Marcus Mote house outside of Waynesville
standing in ruins.

Marcus Mote (1817 ~ 1898), son of David and Miriam Mendenhall Mote, was born June 19, 1817 near West Milton, Ohio. Marcus was a fifth generation birthright American Quaker. His parents were members of West Branch Monthly Meeting of The Religious Society of Friends. Mote moved to the Waynesville, Ohio area in the late 1830s. He taught at the Turtle Creek School in Warren County, Ohio, just southeast of Waynesville in 1836 and 1837. At that time, he attended Miami Quarterly Meeting in Waynesville (Miami Monthly Meeting’s White Brick meetinghouse) where at one time he was clerk of the Meeting. Miami Monthly Meeting members protested his artwork. Quakers at that time were traditionally not schooled in the fine arts and suspicious of their frivolity. Such interest and vocations were considered “worldly” and “frivolous” and were not accepted by the religious group, which advocated plainness in all aspects of daily life. Mote’s talents and artwork almost got him disowned by the Meeting.

While teaching at Turtle Creek School, Mote was taken with Rhoda Steddan, one of his students, also a fifth generation birthright American Quaker. Marcus and Rhoda were married November 11, 1837 at the Orthodox Friends Meeting House at Waynesville (the Red Brick) before moving to West Milton where the first of their children were born.

Marcus MOTE married Rhoda STEDDOM, born the Eighth Month, 10th day, 1821. Their children were:
· Linus, born First Month, 28th day, 1840
· Samuel Steddom, born Ninth Month, 15th day, 1842
· Henry Davis, born Sixth Month, 24th day, 1847
· Susana Jane, born Seventh Month, 9th day, 1850
· Edwin L., born Twelfth Month, 31st day, 1855
· Edwin M., born Second Month, 18th day, 1857

The infants Edwin L. MOTE and his brother Edwin M. were buried in Turtle Creek Preparative Meetinghouse Cemetery a few miles south of Waynesville, Ohio on the dates given.

The couple returned to the Waynesville area with their family a few years later. They resided in a two-story brick home on the old Middletown Road near Turtle Creek Preparatiave Meeting House (see, Meetinghouses in Harveysburg: Grove & Harveysburg) in a neighborhood settled by Rhoda’s family. The house, which is in a dilapidated state, is located on the property of James Thornbury.

Marcus planned to use an unfinished room in the home for his studio and may have for a short period of time. However, most of his work centered in Lebanon, Ohio, Warren County seat, where he frequently painted portraits at The Golden Lamb Inn. He also painted in the surrounding villages while keeping Lebanon as a base for his artistic work. He also drew plans for buildings, made maps for Quaker Meetings in Ohio and Indiana (see, 1853 Map of Indiana Yearly Meeting by Marcus Mote), designed election posters and drew advertising pictures of plows, carriages and furniture for various businesses.

Marcus and Rhoda Mote moved their family from Waynesville to Richmond, Indiana December 26, 1866. They transferred their Quaker meeting certificates (Certificates of Removal) to Whitewater Friends Meeting. At Richmond, Mote opened an Academy of Design and continued painting portraits. Mote reopened his Lebanon, Ohio studio in May 1868. During his time in Warren County he painted at Waynesville, Lebanon, Springboro, Cincinnati, Miamisburg and Richmond, Indiana.

Marcus Mote died February 26, 1898 at Richmond, Indiana. His great-granddaughter, Mrs. Lena Irons, now deceased, was the last of his direct line to live in Warren County, Ohio.

Also see, http://www.tfaoi.com/aa/2aa/2aa478.htm (Mote’s Art: The Quaker and Richmond Heritage of Marcus Mote, Richmond Art Museum, Richmond, Indiana) and Marcus Mote and Eli Harvey: Two Quaker Artists from Southwest Ohio by Dr. Thomas Hamm, Dr. Mary Klei, Ms. Mickie Franer and Ms. Christine Hadley Snyder (Warren and Clinton County Historical Societies, 1992). There is also a large collection of Mote’s works at the Warren County Historical Society Museum in Lebanon, Ohio.

A large collection, "The Marcus Mote Collection. 1835-1970. FMS 5" is located in the Quaker Archive at Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana. The Mote Collection consists of diaries, notebooks, correspondence, and works by Mote, as well as research material on Mote gathered by former Earlham College Archivist Opal Thornburg.

Ruth Chandler ~ School Teacher and Matron of the Friends Boarding Home

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Ruth (left) & her sister Elizabeth in front of the
Friends Boarding Home

Elizabeth & Ruth Chandler (on the right) in the
Matron's Office the Friends Boarding Home

Many people in Waynesville, Ohio still remember the Chandler sisters, Ruth and Elizabeth. Their parents were Edwin Chandler (October 3rd, 1849 ~ November 27th, 1924) and Sidney J. Pettit Chandler (1850 ~1934). They had three children: Ruth (b. February 10th, 1884 ~ d. August 25th, 1962), Elizabeth (October 29th, 1886 ~ December 20th, 1978) and Lewis W. (March 4, 1874 ~ d. January 7, 1952). Their uncle was Aaron B. Chandler.

Even though both sisters resided outside of Waynesville for many years living active and interesting lives, people today remember them as elderly maiden ladies and associate them with the 1905 Friends Boarding Home where they lived during their retirement. Ruth was the Matron of the Friends Boarding Home from 1944 till her death in 1962. Elizabeth, after her retirement from Hampton Institute in Virginia, moved to the Friend Home and became Ruth's assistant. Sadly, since this line of the Chandler family has died out with the death of Gertrude Chandler in 1997, many people do not realize how prominent the Chandlers were in Waynesville.

Elizabeth and Ruth were close sisters but their personalities were different. Ruth was never in administration and taught all of her career in Ohio. More quiet and deferring than Elizabeth, she was a well-respected member of the Waynesville community and the other towns she lived in during her career. She was noted for her intelligence and an excellent teacher of elementary children and honored for it. She had a sense of humor she was a steady presence in any organization. Elizabeth, although sickly as a child, was more outgoing and ambitious. Enthusiastic about learning, her fervor was infectious. Incredibly insightful and capable, she was a leader who walked the extra mile to strive for excellence within herself and in others. She pursued continual education for herself and her vita is extensive. During her career, she lived in various places in Ohio, Michigan and in Virginia. She retired a Professor of Education. Her career paralleled developments in increasing higher education for teachers. Because of higher education and wider living experience, Elizabeth had a broader view of life.

Ruth and Elizabeth had experience many teaching methods as children and many teacher-training styles as adults. As children within their family circle progressive minded teachers surrounded them. As students they experienced the one-room district schoolhouse across the road from the Chandler farm known as the Chandler School. As students they took the Boxwell Exam of the Ohio school system and graduated from 8th grade with the promise of a free high school education. After graduating from Waynesville High School and while attending the National Normal University in Lebanon and attaining their teaching licenses, they both taught in the local district one-room schools (Wayne and Clearcreek Townships and Lytle school system). They actually taught together in the Lytle and Greenfield, Ohio school systems. They both taught in the newly consolidated school systems of Ohio from 1915 on. Elizabeth exhibited great ability at administrative skills. Elizabeth rose to be director of a number of Normal Schools in Ohio and taught at numerous summer normal institutes during her career. When the old Normal Schools for teacher training were being transformed into teacher colleges, Elizabeth moved up to college and graduate levels of education. Both sisters were perpetual students and consummate teachers. They lived during the years when American education changed from being non-professional or semi-professional with a focus on rote learning to being professional with a focus on the child and his/her family and life.

In 1925, an anonymous author penned the following descriptions of Ruth and Elizabeth, graduates of Waynesville Unity High School in a series of articles entitled “A Short Resume of the Characteristics of Each and Every Graduate of the Waynesville Schools (Miami-Gazette October 7th and October 14th, 1925):

RUTH CHANDLER (Class of 1900): She seems to be able to find, create and cultivate a ready soil in which to plant the seed of understanding in the minds of her students; her system, aim and hopes are of a high order. She also believes in absolute cooperation between parents and teachers.

ELIZABETH CHANDLER (Class of 1904): Let us strive in our community to have a moral and religious awakening, a resurrection in our schools, making them a more constructive factor for good in the lives of our boys and girls, helping them to solve the more important problems in life, giving them a larger vision, a greater inspiration and power for actual service for good.

Clearly, Ruth and her sister Elizabeth Chandler were excellent teachers in their fields and the Miami-Gazette newspaper of Waynesville delighted in documenting their accomplishments.

"Ruthie", was already “a winsome little school marm” at the age of eighteen (Miami-Gazette, December 4, 1901) who was teaching very successfully at the Wayne Township District School in District #1 named Red Oak School. She taught there for two years before being contracted to teach at another Wayne Township District School, the Crosswick School (Miami-Gazette, July 8, 1903). The following report is taken from the Miami-Gazette (April 29, 1903) which clearly depicts the life of a “school Marm”:

Miss Ruth Chandler last Friday closed the second year of successful teaching at Red Oak School. A large number of patrons and friends of the school gathered in the morning and at noon enjoyed a picnic dinner together, after which a very fine literary and musical program was presented by the pupils, much to the pleasure of all present. Mrs. John Lamar, who had taken her Gramophone to the school house, delighted the audience with a large number of selections, many of them being the latest minstrel songs. Miss Chandler, at the beginning of the term, offered a prize to the pupil who, at the close, had been neither absent nor tardy, and was most happy to present a book to each of five pupils for this praiseworthy punctuality.

In September of 1904 Ruth Chandler chose not to be assigned to teach at one of the local district one-room schoolhouses. Instead she and her sister Elizabeth both entered the National Normal University at Lebanon, Monday, where they will follow a course of study during the fall and winter (Miami-Gazette, September 7, 1904).

Ruth Chandler’s students and their parents expressed their regard for her in a farewell surprise party at the end of 1903-1904 school year. On May 4, 1904 the Miami-Gazette reported that

the surprise was well arranged and carried out. Mrs. Evans, who lives across the road from the schoolhouse, invited Miss. Chandler to take dinner at her house. This invitation was given in order that the surprise, which was planned, might be more complete and unexpected, for about noon thirty or forty friends drove up to the school to spend the remainder of the day. They brought with them baskets filled with good things for a delicious picnic dinner, which everyone enjoyed. In the afternoon there was a program rendered by the children appropriate to the closing day. The Spring Branch school has an enrollment of about thirty pupils the past year, and the school has been very successful.

In 1911 Ruth started teaching in the Selma, Ohio school system. It is reported in the Miami-Gazette on May 15, 1917: RE-ELECTED IN SELMA SCHOOLS: Miss Ruth Chandler has been re-elected Primary teacher at the Selma Centralized Schools at a salary of $80.00 per month. This is the sixth year for Miss Chandler in the Selma schools and her advancement is well deserved.

The Miami-Gazette reported on January 23, 1918 that Miss Ruth Chandler, who has been teaching in the Selma Schools for a number of years, passed the examination at Columbus recently and was awarded a life certificate. We congratulate the young lady on her good fortune.

Ruth, who for a number of years had been teaching at Selma, was appointed as a teacher in the Greenfield schools. The following is taken from the “Greenfield Republican”: “Miss Chandler is a graduate of the National Normal University and is a teacher of wide experience. She will be assigned to the Primary Department and will also act as a critic teacher to the Normal School”. Miss Elizabeth Chandler is the director of the Highland County Normal and Supervisor to the Elementary school at the same place (Miami-Gazette, May 12, 1926).

Misses Elizabeth and Ruth Chandler, who have been attending summer school at the University of Cincinnati, returned home Saturday (Miami-Gazette, August 31, 1927).

The Chandler family were very active in the local Farmers' Club. Edwin Chandler was the president of this organiation in 1917. The local newspaper was peppered with many references to their activities. For example, the Miami-Gazette reported on July 18, 1917 the activities of the Farmers’ Club meeting that was held at the Chandler homestead, which included Miss Ruth Chandler reading an excellent paper prepared by Miss Elizabeth Chandler. It dealt with our present conditions in a thoughtful way, bringing out the idea that the unjust settlement of national differences caused the present war. During a July meeting of the Farmer’s Club. . . Ruth Chandler read a short paper on the modern reading lessons and quoted high authority as saying we were letting imagination have too full sway in our children’s education (Miami-Gazette, July 20, 1921). At this same meeting her father, Edwin, opened the discussion on “Community Threshing”.

Ruth Chandler was the secretary of Miami Quarterly Meeting from the early 1920s till the time of her death in 1962. She inherited the job, so-to-speak, from her father Edwin who was the clerk of Miami Quarterly Meeting after the death of his brother Aaron B., who held that office, in 1915 and many years before.

Ruth Chandler had become an active member of the New Century Club of Waynesville during the 1944-45 year. This was the year of her retirement from the Cedarville School system where she had taught sixth grade for many years. Every year each member was assigned a topic that she would report on at their monthly meetings. From 1945 on Ruth reported on Recent Books and News of Education. The club rotated the duties of hosting the meeting (either in their homes or in a local restaurant) and planning the program for each monthly meeting. During the year of 1948-1949, Ruth was the group’s secretary. During the 1952-1953 year, Ruth was the President.

From 1948 until her death Ruth Chandler had been a faithful member of the Board of Trustees of The Wayne Township Library (later renamed The Mary L. Cook Public Library). On September 28, 1950 she accepted the position of Secretary. On December 29, 1960 Ruth became the First Vice-President of the Library Board. Upon her death the Board wrote the following it its minutes: The board voted unanimously to embody in the minutes a resolution recognizing and appreciating the efforts of Miss Ruth Chandler for her long tenure on the board; sixteen years as secretary, and most recently as Vice-President. She brought enthusiasm, a delightful sense of humor and faithful care to every task. She will be sorely missed (Record Book [Minutes of the Board] June, 1958-September 1967, p. 119).

While on their way to the Yearly Meeting in Wilmington on Saturday, August 25, 1962, both Ruth Chandler, 78, and Dr. Emma Holloway, 88, were killed in a severe three-car automobile accident at the intersection of US 42 and SR 73 in Waynesville. Also in the car with Miss Chandler and Dr. Holloway were the driver Elizabeth Chandler, 76, Mrs. Nellie Bunnell, 80, Mabel Bursk, 79, and Maria Elbon, 76, all residents of the Friends Boarding Home. They were taken to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton and all recovered from minor injuries. The other two drivers, P. C. Zink, 78, along with his wife Mary of Lebanon, and Mrs. Carol Pennington, 44, of Middletown were not injured. Funeral services for Ruth Chandler and Dr. Holloway were held Tuesday, August 28 at the Friends Meetinghouse in Waynesville at 2 PM and 10 AM. Ruth Chandler was buried in Miami Cemetery in Corwin. Dr. Emma Holloway, a pioneer woman doctor from Indiana, was taken to North Manchester, Indian for burial at 1:30 PM on Wednesday, August 29, 1962. She had boarded at Friends Boarding Home since October, 1944. (The Western Star, Thursday, Aug. 20, 1962).

To learn more about The 1905 Friends Boarding Home see:
THE 1905 FRIENDS BOARDING HOME TIMELINE
& FURTHER INFORMATION

To learn more about The Mary L. Cook Public Library see:
Dr. Mary Leah Cook 1869-1964

Elizabeth B. Moore ~ Quaker Minister

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The Obituary of
Elizabeth B. Moore
9th mo. 30th, 1849 ~ 4th mo. 17th, 1913

Elizabeth B. Moore, born 9th mo. 30th 1849, died 4th mo. 17th, 1913, aged 63 years, 5 months and 18 days. She was born at the home of her grandfather, David Brown, now owned and resided upon by S. Ella Michener and family.

This David Brown, when twenty years of age came from New Jersey with his parents, Asher and Mary (Ward) Brown, with eight brothers and sisters and settled on this farm in 1804.

When Elizabeth was but 12 days old her mother, Sarah (Brown) Moore passsed to the higher life, so that she never realized the impress and devotion of a loving mother.

In 1852 her father, Samuel B. Moore, remarried and moved to the west. Left as she was in the care of her grandparents and a maiden aunt, Elizabeth W(ilkins). Brown, she grew to womanhood uner the atmosphere of consistent Friends, who faithfully taught her the principles of love to God, Justice and right living toward her fellow beings. Thus when at the age of 39 years, she in turn was qualified to fiathfully devote her Christian fidelity to her beloved aunt, and repay her in part, at least, by nursing her through a protracted illness.

After the year 1883, Elizabeth B. Moore was left without any relatives in this place nearer than first cousin, but not without many devoted friends in and about Waynesville, Ohio, as well as among her religious associates in other parts of Ohio in and in Indiana. So much was she beloved by many that her willing service was often sought in time of sickness and bereavement. Much of her life was given to the care of the afflicted whom she tired to comfort in their declining years. Having never married she was more at liberty to bestow her kindness, helpfulness and devotion to her friends.

Her school education was obtained in the Waynesville village schools, and partly in a private school, taught in the little brick house on the Friend's ground, wherein she afterword taught for a short time. She was a faithful worshiper at the religious services of her life long society, in which she held many offices of trust and responsibility, being the treasurer of Miami Monthly Meeting, and one of its Elders at aathe time of her death.

She was an ardent temperance worker, giving her time and faithful service to the local Women's Christian Temperance Union, which organization, during her last illness sent her a beautiful floral spray as a slight token of regard and sympathy.

She was one of the prime movers and was devoted to the welfare of the Friends Boarding Home , having been of its Trustees from the beginning. Thus was her life given to the service of others. "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these , my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

In this Home she spent the last nine weeks of her earthly pilgrimage, being comforted by her friends until the language came, "It is enough, come up higher."

1 Asher Brown Sr. b: 11 SEP 1760 d: 02 MAR 1832 (Asher Brown had eleven other children after David)
+ Mary Ward b: 12 FEB 1763 d: 04 MAY 1851
2 David Brown b: 26 SEP 1784 d: 05 OCT 1862
+ Mary Wilkins b: 27 OCT 1769 d: 15 OCT 1857
3 Elizabeth Wilkins Brown b: 26 DEC 1809 d: 20 MAY 1888 (Never married)
3 Sarah Brown b: 11 MAY 1813 d: 12 OCT 1849
+ Samuel B. Moore
4 Elizabeth B. Moore (Never married)

According to Clarkson Butterworth in his List, Nearly or Quite Complete of Changes of Membership in Miami Monthly Meeting and some other Matters, from 10.13.1803-5.24.1843 compiled in 1904 Elizabeth B. Moore and Elizabeth Davis, the widow of David Davis lived together in Elizabeth's house which was located on the southwest corner of High and Third Streets.

The Elizabeth B. Moore House~
Later owned by the Chandler family.

Also see,
THE 1905 FRIENDS BOARDING HOME TIMELINE & FURTHER INFORMATION

Howell and Emma Warner Pierce ~ The Second Couple to be Superintendent and Matron of the Friends Boarding Home

2005-11-08T10:13:00.000-05:00

The author of this obituary does not explain that the Howells were the superintendent and matron of the Friends Boarding Home twice. Thier first tenure was form 1915 to 1925, after the death of Aaron B. Chandler. Their second tenure was after the death of Alonzo S. Curl, from 1933-1938. For more details about the tenure at the Friends Boarding Home, see,
THE 1905 FRIENDS BOARDING HOME TIMELINE & FURTHER INFORMATION

SERVES LAST DAY AS HOME MATRON
The Miami Gazette, Thursday, September 1, 1938

Mrs. Howell Peirce, who has been matron of the Friend’s Home for the past fifteen years, has retired. Mr. Peirce, acting as superintendent, served with her until his death three years ago. Mrs. Peirce celebrated her eightieth birthday last April. During her long period of service in this community, she has endeared herself not only to her family, as she called the members of the Home, but to the entire community. She possesses one of those charming personalities which enable her to meet people and place them at friendly ease. She radiates vitality which may well be the envy of all. At her last dinner at the Home, Monday evening, a large cake graced the table which bore the inscription, “Fifteen Years of Loving Service”. The ladies of the Home presented her with a beautiful bouquet of mixed flowers. Mrs. Peirce is planning to spend this winter with her son, Raymond, and family of Toledo. Afterwards she will make her home with her sister and husband, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Calvert, at the ancestral home near Selma. Foster and Margaretta Heacock are acting as superintendent and matron of the Home.

The Howells had two children:

Warner ~ 1879
Raymond ~ b. 1883
Bertha E. ~ b. 1891

From Census Records we know that Howell had been a farmer and then a salesman. In 1910 the family was living in Toledo, Ohio.

Alonzo S. & Olive M. Curl ~ Fourth Couple to be Superintendent & Matron of the Friends Boarding Home

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TRAGIC DEATH
OCCURS MONDAY
May 11, 1933 Western Star
Alonzo Curl Suffers Fatal
Injuries In Fall At
Waynesville

His mind evidently temporarily deranged by several weeks of intense suffering, Alonzo Curl, superintendent of the Friends Home at Waynesville jumped from a window of his apartment
at that place shortly before midnight Monday suffering injuries that resulted in his death within a few minutes. According to a story of one of the witnesses to the tragedy, Mrs. Curl had called Marshal C. P. Joy and other friends to assist the physician in administering a sedative when her husband became violently delirious at about 11 o’clock. With this accomplished, Mr. Curl appeared to be somewhat easier but he suddenly rushed to an open window and jumped, falling a distance of about 15 feet. He struck a concrete walk head first and although assistance was immediately rushed to the injured man, he lived but a few minutes. It is believed that a fractured skull was the cause of death. Funeral services were held at the A. H. Stubbs funeral parlors on Wednesday afternoon, the Rev. G. C. Dibert officiating. Interment was made at Wilmington. Mr. Curl, who was about 65 years of age, was a native of Clinton County having spent most of his life in the vicinity of Wilmington and later at Clarksville. He came to Waynesville in September, 1930 to assume the superintendency of the Friends Home. His widow, Mrs. Olive Curl, survives.

Seth Elisha Furnas, Sr. ~ President Emeritus of the Board of Trustees of the Friends Home, Inc.

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Seth Elisha Furnas, Sr. (b. December 4, 1889-d. January 16, 1974) was the son of Edwin S. (Satterthwaite) and Harriet Emma (Underwood) Furnas. Edwin S. Furnas was the youngest son of Davis Furnas.

Seth Sr. was a successful farmer, first on the Furnas Homestead Northeast of Corwin, Ohio, and after 1923, on his farm located in Montgomery County on Social Row Road. He married Sara Minerva Hill on June 9, 1920. They had two children: Sara Corinne [Furnas] Cook and Seth Elisha Furnas, Jr.

Seth E. Furnas, Sr. served on the boards of directors of the Waynesville National Bank and the Miami Cemetery Association. He was a member of the Waynesville Farmers Club for many years and was president for two years. He was the president of the Warren County Historical Society for two years. He served as the president of The Friends Boarding Home for many years. Upon his death on January 16, 1974, the Board of Directors of Friends Home, Inc. made this statement:

“The Trustees of the Friends Home, Inc. records with sorrow the death of its President Emeritus, Seth E. Furnas Sr. on January 16, 1974. Seth Furnas Sr. was a Friend who gave much of his life to the Religious Society of Friends as teacher, minister, historian and genealogist and in many other ways in Miami Monthly Meeting and Indiana yearly Meeting, F.G.C. We especially remember Seth E. Furnas Sr. for the 53 years he served as a member of the Board of the Friends Home, Inc. He became a member of the Board in 1916 when the Corporation was only 12 years old. When he retired from the Board in 1969 he was named President Emeritus after serving faithfully for years as its President. During those years of faithful service to the Friends Home, he helped establish for it a reputation of excellence, which was recognized by many, including some Friends who made this Corporation a beneficiary of their will. It was therefore, as a result of these gifts, that this Board has been given the wonderful opportunity to expand the services of the Friends Home to more people and in new ways. His interest in this Home was an example to all Board members and trustees who follow him to give generously of ourselves to the growth and continuance of that to which he so willingly gave (Minutes of the Board of Trustees of the Friends Home, Inc, January 25, 1974).

Matilda Jane Downing Underwood ~ Quaker Minister

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Matilda's novel, Blue Belle of the Forest.
Published in1919.

Matilda Jane Downing Underwood (b. April 10th, 1851 in Baldeagle Valley, Centre County, Pa. ~ d. March 25th, 1932) was the much younger and vivacious wife of Zephaniah Underwood (b. November 10th, 1820 in Columbus, Ohio ~ d. April 17th, 1900). He was 50 years old and she was only 20 when they married on December 28, 1871. They had two sons and two daughters: Ruth Anna, Zephaniah, Jr. (Zephie), Joseph Miles and Jane Eva. Zephaniah was a well-to-do fruit farmer. He owned 78 acres in Warren County and 420 acres in Chester Township of Clinton County. One hundred of those acres were orchards. He was also the president of the Southern Railroad Company.

The Underwoods were steadfast Hicksite Quaker involved in Miami Monthly Meeting (attending meeting at the Harveysburg Preparative Meeting of Miami Monthly Meeting, Hicksite, as well as meeting in the White Brick Meetinghouse in Waynesville, see THE QUAKER MEETINGHOUSES IN HARVEYSBURG, OHIO), Miami Quarterly Meeting and Indiana Yearly Meeting. From 1885 on Matilda was an active minister in the Society of Friends. Matilda often visited other Meetings as a traveling minister. Matilda and Zephaniah were also loyal members of the W.C.T.U. (The Women’s Christian Temperance Union).

The The Underwood homes and farms can still be seen today between Harveysburg and Wilmington, Ohio on State Route 73 Zephaniah built “Orchard Home” (a Victorian house with a tower) to ease the memory of loosing their daughter, Olive (March 23, 1881-October 27, 1882), who had died in the old Federal brick farm house near Jonah's Run Baptist Church. Orchard Home was state-of-the-art when it was build. It had a large storage tank on the second floor and a network of pipes for gravity flow of the water into the kitchen and a bathroom with bathtub and lavatory. When Zephaniah died in 1900, Aaron B. Chandler and Clarkson Butterworth helped settle the estate. Clarkson Butterworth had been a witness to his Will. After the death of Zephaniah in 1900, Matilda then married his youngest brother Elihu Underwood.

Matilda’s parents were Jacob and Jane Underwood Downing. Jane Underwood Downing was the first cousin to Zephaniah, Matilda’s first husband. Zephaniah had offered his widowed cousin Jane and her children a place to live in exchange for work. So, they moved west. Matilda’s mother, Jane, was a Friend who wore the traditional Quaker dress until her death in 1906. Jacob, her father, had been an artist, an unusual vocation for a Friend at that time. Matilda also had a precocious talent. She wrote the book, Blue Bell of the Forest: A Story of Olden Times, In the Midwest (see above). She also wrote her Autobiography, and a variety of poems and other short works. Matilda’s brother, Joseph J. Downing was a photographer in Waynesville and Xenia. He made his home in Xenia, Ohio. Matilda died in 1932 almost 81 years of age. She died in the home of her daughter, Ruth Anna Tomlinson, wife of Curtis Tomlinson.

Also see, Matilda Underwood and the Underwood Reunion in 1930, to see a photograph of Matilda.

Samuel Reeder Battin ~ Leader of Green Plain Monthly Meeting

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Samuel R. Battin (March 3, 1829 ~ Febrary 2, 1916) of Selma, Ohio (Clark County) was a leader in Green Plain Meetinghouses (Hicksite). He was the president of the Friends Boarding Home in Waynesville from 1905 till his death in 1915. He was also president of the Clark County Mutual Insurance Association.

Samuel R. Battin was born in Columbiana County, Ohio. He was married twice, once to Lydia Ann Winder who died on December 24th, 1864 in Columbiana County. His second marriage was to Emily T. According to Hinshaw's Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Volume V, p. 947 , On 7th mo. 15, 1874 "Samuel R. Battin (Battan) & w, Emely T., & ch, Orlando G., Kersy R. & Martha Alma, rocf (received certifical from) Salem MM., Ohio, dtd 1874.6.25".

Peirce J. Cadwallader ~ Quaker Lawyer

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Peirce J. Cadwallader

According to Clarkson Butterworth in his Catalogue of the Members of Miami Monthly Meeting, 7th Month 1897:

Cadwallader, Peirce J., b. 1853.12.27. Address, business office, Johnston Building, Cincinnati, Ohio. Is a practicing lawyer. His wife was Ella Bacon. She and her children are not members. His parents were Andrew W. and Esther Peirce Cadwallader, herein Catalogued.

Andrew W. "is the oldest living son of Jonah and Pricsilla (Whitacre) Cadwallader whose home was on Todds Fork two miles above Morrow. Esther was the daughter of Richard and Mary (Fallis) Peirce last of Wilmington, Ohio". Clarkson also notes that Andrew and Esther had moved to Chicago.

A more detailed account of the family is given in the History of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Ohio, Their Past and Present (Cincinnati, Ohio: S. B. Nelson & Co., J. M Runk, 1894), p. 600-601:

PEIRCE J. CADWALLADER, attorney at law, was born December 27, 1853, in Warren County, Ohio, of Quaker lineage, his ancestors having been members of the Society of Friends for six generations. He is a son of Andrew Whitacre and Esther Peirce Cadwallader, now residents of Chicago, Ill., the former of whom was a successful wool merchant in Warren County prior to his removal to Chicago. Jonah Cadwallader, grandfather of subject, came to Cincinnati from Virginia, in 1812, on horseback, and was one of the original subscribers to the fund for the purchase of the lot and the erecting of a Friends Meeting house, which is still owned an occupied by the Society of Friends on Fifth Street, west of Central Avenue. The great grandfather, Robert Whitacre, was one of the original committee selected by Miami Quarterly Meeting in 1813 to establish a Friends Meeting in Cincinati. The grandfather, after engaging in business in Cincinnati for a time, moved to Warren County, Ohio, where he purchased eight sections of land and engaged in farming, his residence being the first brick house erected in that part of the country, and which is now occupied by one of his sons.

The mother of subject is a duaghter of Richard Peirce, who came to Cincinnati from Delaware in 1812, journeying down the river on a flatboat from Pittsburgh. He remained in Cincinnati only for a short time, and then moved to Clinton County, Ohio, whre he engaged successfully in the fur hat manufacturing business.

The subject of this sketch spent his boyhood days on a farm in Warren County, and attended the district school. In 1870 he came to Cincinnati, and in 1874 was graduated from Chickering Institute with the honors of his class. He pursued the study of law in the office of Lincoln, Smith and Stevens, was graduated from Cincinnti Law School in 1878, and has since been engaged in the practice of law in Cincinnati.

On January 26, 1882, he was married to Ella L. Bacon, daughter of Richard Seely Bacon, the founder of Bacon's Business College in Cincinnati, and also of Bacon's Business College in Madison , Wis. His wife is the granddaugher of Thomas Harley Johnson, who came to Cincinnati in 1829, and for a long time was one of its prominent and successful merchants. Her great-grandfather was Robert Reiley, who came to Hamilton County when the village was known as Losantiville. He was a contracting builder, and erected many of the buildings in the village of Losantiville, and afterward in the town of Cincinnati, several of which are still standing in a good state of preservation, and among them may be mentioned the lower markethouse and the Kilgour residence, now the United States Marine Hospital. He had the contract for laying the first water mains in Cincinnati, which were construced of logs having a three-inch hole bored through the center. Here great-great-grandfather, John Reiley, when only eighteen years of age, enlisted in the Continental army, and served for three years, until he was physically disabled by a rifle ball. He was at Valley Forge and fought at Trenton, Saratoga, besides in several minor battles. Mr. and Mrs. Cadwallder and their children, Richard Bacon, and Louise, reside on McMillan Street, Mount Auburn. The family attend the Presbyterian Chruch.

It is not surprising that Clarkson Butterworth, in his efforts to raise funds for the Friends Boarding Home in Waynesville, would contact Peirce J. Cadwallader for a donation. He maintained his membership in Miami Monthly Meeting and had many family connections in Warren and Clinton Counties.

Also see,
THE 1905 FRIENDS BOARDING HOME TIMELINE &
FURTHER INFORMATION

Edwin Chandler ~ Another Notable Chandler

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Edwin Chandler (October 3rd, 1849 ~ November 27th, 1924 [Death Certificate #602, Volume # 4597]) was the brother of Aaron B. Chandler and John T. Chandler and the father of Elizabeth, Ruth and Lewis W. Chandler. Edwin was a successful general farmer and leader in the local Grange. He also started a farmers' cooperative in the local community to share large farming equipment. He was president of the Wayne Township Farmer's Club in 1916. By all the accounts found in the Minutes of the Farmer's Club, Edwin, Sidney, his wife, and his children all were active participants in this club. Like his brother Aaron B. Chandler, he was civic minded and served as Trustee of Wayne Township on the Republican ticket (Memoirs of the Miami Valley, Vol. III [Chicago: Robert O. Law Co., 1919], p. 56). The Miami~Gazette reported that he was elected Supervisor of District #7 on April 7, 1875. He was elected to the same position on April 5th, 1880 and April 3rd, 1882 (see, Wayne Township-Warren County Records). His new public trust was put to the test when a bridge washed out in his district:

The new bridge across Beech Run, near the Chandler district Schoolhouse washed out in the storm last Friday. The wings were not wide enough and the water cut in behind the abutments and washed them out. Ed. Chandler has the contract for rebuilding this bridge (Miami~Gazette, August 4, 1875).

Generations of Chandlers served on the Township School Board. This would include old Aaron Chandler, his son David, and Aaron's grandsons, Aaron B. and Edwin Chandler, who were quite involved on the Township School Board that governed the district one-room schoolhouses. It was customary for the Township School Board to meet twice a year with all the directors of the sub-districts of Wayne Township in attendance. Board members were elected to office. Each district had a director and a clerk. The following information is taken from a long series of articles in The Miami-Gazette entitled The Little Red District School as it Existed in Wayne Township for Year by The Hoosier. The anonymous author collected his information from the old ledgers of the Township School Board.

Aaron Chandler began his tenure in office as a board member on April 11, 1849.
David Chandler became the director of District #3 on April 4, 1860
Edwin Chandler became the director of District #3 on April 20, 1874.
Two years after Aaron B. Chandler had bought College Hill Farm, a petition was placed before the school board to divide district #5. The petition asked that one of the new schoolhouses be built on the southwest corner of Aaron B.'s property. He was paid $25o.00 for the land and the school, College Hill School, was built. It stood half way between Waynesville and Mt. Holly. It was brick built by M. C. Darbyshire for $1,130.00. The two schools that were built during this re-structuring of Districtsupersedededed the older Roselawn schoolhouse, which was located on the Shaner farm at Crosswick (previously the Joseph Haines farm).

The District #3 school was the Chandler Schoolhouse across from the Chandler homestead. Between April and September of 1875 an unfortunate controversy arose over the purchase of new school seats. Edwin Chandler was the chairman of the investigating committee that examined the contract between N. S. Irwin, the agent for the new school furniture, and the clerks of Districts 1 and 11. One of the board members was expelled after the investigation. It was said of Edwin Chandler at that time that he was a firm, yet kindly, adherent to the principles of right and justice as he saw them.

Edwin's father, David and his second wife, Sarah Jane, had been the Superintendent and Matron of Miami Valley Institute established by Indiana Yearly Meeting (Hicksite). Edwin ("Eddie" as he like to be called) and his bride, Sidney, were married on the campus of Miami Valley Institute on September 6th, 1871 by Emmor Baily, Justice of the Peace. Quite an appropriate place for them to marry surrounded by a family so interested in education. Edwin's two daughters, Ruth and Elizabeth would become notabale teachers. David, Aaron B. and Edwin had been teachers in the local schools, too. Edwin's wife Sidney was also a teacher.

Edwin Chandler was an intial member of the Friends Boarding Home and after the death of his brother, Aaron B., he became the vice-president of the Board of the Friends Home and then shortly afterwards the president. When he retired from the farm, he moved into Waynesville after the family bought the Elizabeth B. Moore house which is located a block east of the White Brick Quaker meetinghouse on Quaker Hill. It became known as the Chandler house. His daughter Ruth would, after a distinguished teaching career, become the Matron of the Friends Boarding Home in the 1940s and 1950s.

In the mid-1870s Edwin had ventured into a business venture with Nerr Brown. On December 20, 1876 the following ad appeared in the Miami-Gazette:

NERR BROWN & ED. CHANDLER. FLOUR & FEED STORE. BROWN & CHANDLER. SUCCESSORS TO JOHN E. TAYLOR. Respectfully announce that they are in full swing at the old stand with a constant supply of the best: Flour, Buckwheat, Corn meal, Unbolted Flour, Potatoes and Feed of all Kinds which they sell at the lowest quotations.

Edwin Chandler stayed in the business only up to mid-March of 1877. On Wednesday March 14, 1877 it was announced in the Miami-Gazette that "Ed Chandler retired to rural life. We are sorry to loose him". After this announcement only Nerr Brown is mentioned in the ad for the Flour & Feed Store.

Also see,
THE 1905 FRIENDS BOARDING HOME TIMELINE
& FURTHER INFORMATION

J. Lindley and Georgia Frame Mendenhall ~ Superintendent and Matron of the Friends Boarding Home

2005-11-03T09:19:00.000-05:00

J. Lindley & Georgia Mendenhall were the third team of
Superintendent & Matron to serve the Friends Boarding Home.

Both J. Lindley Mendenhall and Georgia Frame were actively involved in the inception, creation and continuance of the Friends Boarding Home in Waynesville. They are on the original list of members of the Friends Boarding Home dated June 1904. Both were single when they began their service, but like Aaron B. Chandler and Lydia Ann Conard (the first superintendent and matron) they married and then worked as a team at the Home. The Frame and Mendenhall families were both originally from eastern Ohio and settled in the Waynesville area.

According to Clarkson Butterworth in his Catalogue of Members of Miami Monthly Meeting, 7th mo. 1897:

J. Lindley Mendenhall and Georgiana Frame were married at Franklin Packers', George School, Pennsylvania, 10-27-1907 and live on Wm. T. Frames farm just above Corwin, Ohio. (W. T. Frame haveing gone to California to live with his uncle John Yocum and wife). Said J. L. M. is son of Joseph (deceased) and Mary Mendenhall ~ she sister of Gaby and Thomas Thorpe. Our monthly meeting (Miami) held 1 mo. 22nd, 1908 accepted a Certificate for him from . . .

After they married at the George School, Pa., they returned to Dayton and settled at Diamond Hill Farm outside Corwin to run her father’s business while he was in California for a year. Lindley bought the Captain William Rion Hoel farm on Clarksville Road in 1907. He became a very prosperous farmer and fruit grower. Mr. & Mrs. Mendenhall were Superintendent and Matron of Friends Board Home for five years. They served in other capacities, too; he on the Board of Trustees as treasurer and she as secretary. Georgia entered the Home as a boarder on July 15, 1942 after her husband’s death in 1941. She died there on September 23, 1946. They were the last couple to be buried in the old Friends Cemetery in Waynesville across from the White Brick Meetinghouse. They were laid to rest in Row 13, lot numbers 25 and 26.

The following is taken from Memoirs of the Miami Valley, Volume III (Chicago: Robert O. Law Company, 1919), pp. 150-151:

J. Lindley Mendenhall, one of the prosperous general farmers of Warren County, owns and operates a valuable farm of 100 acres about two miles from Waynesville on the Waynesville and Clarksville Pike. He was born in Morgan County, O., in 1869, and has been a resident of Warren County since 1907, as in that year he came to this locality and bought his present farm. It is in a high state of cultivation, and he is further improving it with each year.

In 1907 J. Lindley Mendenhall was married to Georgie Frame, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Frame, natives of Eastern Ohio. Born and bred a member of the Society of Friends, J. Lindley Mendenhall has taken an active part in the work of the Quakers in this locality, and is now a member of the board of control and treasurer of the Friends Boarding Home, which was founded in 1905 in Waynesville, having been elected to these offices in 1913. Mrs. Mendenhall is the efficient secretary of the Home, having been elected to the office in 1904 and which office she is still holding.

This Home is intended for the aged and homeless Quakers, and is a charity maintained by donations from the Society of Friends.

Liberal in his political views, J. Lindley Mendenhall has never bound himself by party ties, but votes as his conscience dictates. A friend of the public schools he has been a director in his district, and some of the education progress in it may be credited to his advanced ideas. A man of sterling honesty, his attitude on any subject inspires respect and his advice is often sought by those who desire to insure a stability in civic matters.

The following are J. Lindley and Georgia Frame Mendenhall's obituaries:

J. L Mendenhall, Farm Bureau Head, Called
Miami Gazette, October 23, 1941

J. Lindley Mendenhall, 72, widely known retired farmer and fruit grower and active member of the local Friends Meeting House, died Monday morning at Mc'Clellan hospital in Xenia. His death came as a shock to this community. He was taken to the hospital Saturday suffering from peritonitis, resulting in his death early Monday morning. Funeral services were held Wednesday afternoon at 2 PM at the Friends Meeting House here, the body lying in state from the noon hour until the time of the services. Burial was made in the Friends burial ground near the church. Mr. Mendenhall was an active member of the Friends church, he with Mrs. Mendenhall having been in charge of the Friends home here for five years. He was superintendent and treasurer of the home for the past 3 years. Mr. Mendenhall was president of the Warren Co. Farm Bureau co-operative and had been active in the Farm Bureau program in Warren Co. for many years. The Mendenhalls had lived in this community many years, recently selling the farm where they formerly made their home and known as the “Captain Hoel Farm.” Before his retirement from the farm, he was widely known in this section of the state as a fruit grower. He is survived by his wife, Georgia, and one brother.

Resident of Friends Home Passes Away
Miami Gazette, September 26, 1946

Mrs. Georgia Mendenhall, aged 80, passed away at The Friends Home, Tuesday of this week at 12:30 PM after a short illness. She had been a resident of the home for about four and one-half years. Mrs. Mendenhall was the daughter of Thomas & Elizabeth Frame and lived in this community all her life. She is survived by two nieces, Mrs. Evelyn Powers, Fenton, Mich. and Mrs. Arthur Hugg, Detroit, Mich. Also, two nephews, Ernest Martin, Dayton, and Raymond Selby, Chicago, Ill. Mrs. Mendenhall was a member of the Friends Church; the Waynesville Garden Club; Secretary of the Library Trustees; Secretary of the Friends Home Board of Trustees; and Honorary Member of the New Century Club and the Farmer’s Club. Funeral Services were conducted today at 2:00 PM at the Friends Meeting House. The remains were removed to the Cincinnati Crematory under the direction of the Stubbs Funeral Home.

Also see, THE 1905 FRIENDS BOARDING HOME TIMELINE &
FURTHER INFORMATION

Paulina Butterworth ~ 1838-1915

2005-11-01T11:56:00.000-05:00

Paulina Butterworth was the unmarried fourth child of Moorman and Fanny Smith Butterworth. She was a birthright Quaker and an ardent Temperance worker, a member of the W.C.T.U. and member of Miami Monthly Meeting (Hicksite). She was the sister of Clarkson Butterworth.

The following is the obituary of Paulina Butterworth found in the Miami-Gazette, July, 1915:

“Paulina Butterworth, fourth child of Moorman and Fanny Smith Butterworth was born near Maineville, Warren County, Ohio, 5th mo. 19th 1838, and died 7th mo. 1st 1915, at her home on Third Street, Waynesville, Ohio, aged 77 years, 1 month and 12 days. Her father was a native of Campbell County, Virginia and moved to Ohio, with his parents, in 1812 and settled on the Little Miami River in the southern part of Warren County. Her mother, Fanny Smith, was a native of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. In about the year 1823 she moved to Waynesville, Ohio, traveling the distance in a one-horse wagon in company with Ezra Adams, one of Waynesville’s early settlers. Moorman Butterworth and Fanny Smith were married 9th mo. 7th 1825. They settled on their farm where all their five children were born.

Here they mingled their joys and sorrows contributing to the elevation and comforts of their community until his death in 1841, when Paulina was but three years of age. Paulina spent a number of her girlhood days in the family of Edward Butterworth, south-west of Waynesville, Ohio, having finished her school education at the Maineville Academy, but in the early sixties she, with her mother, moved to her late residence. Here she not only ministered to her mother’s declining years, but found time and pleasure in adding to the comfort and happiness of those with whom she mingled. Many persons can, and do testify to her deeds of kindness and charity. Besides the numerous individual gifts, she donated liberally to the Friends Boarding Home (also see, THE 1905 FRIENDS BOARDING HOME TIMELINE & FURTHER INFORMATION .

She was a birthright member of the Religious Society of Friends and a faithful attender of its meetings. She was likewise an active worker in the Temperance cause in her community, being a faithful member of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union for many years and gave liberally of her time and means fro the uplift of humanity. She read good books, lead an unassuming life and as to the great throng of mankind she might easily make the language of the poet her own:

'I have not loved the world, nor the world me. I have not flattered its rank breath, nor bowed To its idolatries a patient knee, Nor coined my cheek to smiles, nor cried aloud In worship of an echo. They could not deem me one of such.'

Clarkson Butterworth, a brother, and his family of Portland, Oregon, Martha Witham, of Lawrence Kansas, a sister, as well as a number of nieces and nephews, children of Ruthanna Witham, late of Union City, Indiana, and Edith Girton, late of Westboro, Clinton County, Ohio, with her numerous friends and neighbors, survive to mourn her loss."

The Paulina Butterworth house ~ Waynesville
Originally "Holloway's Tavern" where Henry Clay
stayed in 1825. Built by David Holloway.

Clarkson Butterworth ~ Clerk of Miami Monthly Meeting (Hicksite), Historian and Genealogist

2005-11-01T10:39:00.000-05:00

Friend Clarkson Butterworth (1828-1916) was a farmer and stock raiser who was also a surveyor and civil engineering. He served as Justice of the Peace for two terms while living in Warren County (Hamilton Township), acquiring at that time, considerable knowledge of law pertaining to wills, deeds, lease, etc., and was very helpful to others in later years along that line, but with little financial profit to himself. In addition to his great mathematical ability, he had a wonderfully clear conception of the correct use of the English language, and continued to write concisely and clearly, up to the time of his death. He was also knowledgeable about astronomy physics, ocean tides and winds. He was adamantly against strong drink, tobacco, war and firearms. His life-long hobby was genealogy. He collected and systemized a huge amount of genealogical information about the Butterworths and other local families. This information was found in the Butterworth vertical file entitled: From Russell I. Butterworth, 1213 E. Church St., Marion, Ohio 43302), May 1968: To the Butterworth Cousins and Kinfolks, located in the The Ohioana Room of The Mary L. Cook Public Library, Waynesville, Ohio.

Clarkson Butterworth was one of the clerks of Miami Monthly Meeting and had charge of the records. As a genealogist he was able to use the records and personal accounts of Friends to compile the genealogies of the early pioneer families. His writings are all in manuscript form and are not published in print. His handiwork as a compiler can be seen throughout the collection of Miami Monthly Meeting records deposited at Wilmington College in Wilmington, Ohio.

Clarkson was a son of Moorman and Fanny Smith Butterworth. Moorman Butterworth was a native of Campbell County, Virginia, and moved to Ohio in 1812 and settled on the Little Miami River in the southern part of Warren County, Ohio. Fanny Smith Butterworth was a native of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. In about the year 1823 she moved to Waynesville, Ohio, traveling the distance in a one-horse wagon in company with Ezra Adams, one of Waynesville’s early settlers. Moorman and Fanny Butterworth were married 9th mo. 7th 1825. They had six children.

Clarkson Butterworth was married to Rachel Irvin Butterworth (1829-1916) and they also had six children. They lived almost all their lives in Warren County, but then moved to Portland, Oregon to be with their children and died there.

Manuscripts of Clarkson Butterworth:

o Genealogical Notes of Quaker Families in the Vicinity of Warren & Preble Counties, Ohio prepared by Clarkson Butterworth. (A copy is at Earlham College)
o Directory of Meetings: Indiana Yearly Meeting Religious Society of Friends (Listed Up To Near The Separation - About 1830) compiled by Clarkson Butterworth. (A copy is at Earlham College)
o Diary of Clarkson Butterworth, (1826-1916). (A copy is at Earlham College. The original is in the archive at The Waynesville Area heritage & Cultural Center at The Friends Home, Inc. in Waynesville, Ohio.)
o List, Nearly or Quite Complete of Changes of Membership in Miami Monthly Meeting and some other Matters, from 10.13.1803-5.24.1843 compiled by Clarkson Butterworth in 1904. (A copy is at The Mary L. Cook Public Library in Waynesville, Ohio).
o Descendants of Isaac (or Benjamin) Butterworth by Clarkson Butterworth.
o Catalogue of the Members of Miami Monthly Meeting, 7th mo. 1897 by Clarkson Butterworth (A copy is at The Mary L. Cook Public Library in Waynesville, Ohio).

Clarkson also wrote an extensive "History of Miami Monthly Meeting from 1803 to 1828" which is printed in "Friends Centennial, Miami Monthly Meeting, Waynesville, Ohio, 1803-1903"(Waynesville, Ohio: Miami-Gazette Press, 1903). See, The Centennial of Miami Monthly Meeting in 1903 ~ 100 Years of Ministry.

Lydia Ann Conard Chandler ~ The First Matron of the Friends Boarding Home in Waynesville

2005-10-28T09:15:00.000-05:00

Lydia Ann Conard Chandler, originally from Highland County, Ohio near Careytown (daughter of Joseph [b. 9th month 22nd day 1805-d. 4th month 6th day 1854] and Rebecca Good Conard [b. 1st month 20th day 1809-d.1st month 2nd day 1885]), lived 16 years after her husband's, Aaron B. Chandler's, death. It is not surprising that Aaron B. would marry a well-educated woman. She had attended Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana after her graduation from high school. Lydia, her parents, three brothers and three sisters were Hicksite Quakers who first belonged to Miami Monthly Meeting in Waynesville. They later helped to establish a Hicksite Meeting near their farm, Clear Creek Meeting. Shortly after her father’s early death when Lydia was 4 years old, the family moved into New Vienna, Ohio in Clinton County. According to her obituary (see below), most of her life was spent in New Vienna, except for her time in school in Indiana and her tenure as the first Matron of the Friends Boarding Home in Waynesville. However, there is some evidence that she also had lived in Columubs, Lima, Toledo and Blanchester, Ohio for a while. She is buried in the Masonic & I.O.O.F. Cemetery in New Vienna, Ohio. Her tombstone reads, "Lydia Conard Chandler, 1850-1931, Wife of A. B. Chandler". Her death notice in The Miami~Gazette reads as follows: "Mrs. Lydia Chandler, wife of the late Aaron Chandler, passed away Monday at her home in New Vienna. Mrs. Chandler was the first matron of the Friends Boarding Home, serving in that capacity for about nine years. After the death of Mr. Chandler she removed to her former home at New Vienna." Her death certificate is dated 3rd mo. 23 day 1931, Volume #6547, Certificate # 14392. (See below to read her full obituary in The New Vienna Reporter).

There is an indication in the Miami-Gazette, that Lydia was hired into another “Matron” job after Aaron B. Chandler’s death. The newspaper reported on Wednesday, January 17, 1917 that "Mrs. Lydia A. Chandler, who has been in Blanchester since early fall, has secured a very lucrative position in the Boys Cottage at the Ohio Masonic Home at Springfield, Ohio." The Boys Cottage is no longer extant. In 1917 Lydia was 67 years old when she took on this job. It is most likely that she was unable to stay in this position very long due to her age. Officials at the Ohio Masonic Home in Springfield were unable to find her employment record. She is reported as living in New Vienna in June of 1917 (Miami-Gazette, June 13, 1917).

Lydia was also a dedicated member of The Order of the Eastern Star. Lydia Conard (before her marriage to A. B.) affiliated with Miami Chapter #107, Order of the Eastern Star in Waynesville on June 11, 1906. The Miami-Gazette reported on June 13, 1906:

". . . After the regular routine of business had been disposed of, Miss Lydia Conard, Matron of the Friends Home, was given a cordial welcome into the local lodge being admitted from a Toledo organization, after which light refreshments were served."

She was an active member. On December 10, 1906 she was installed as Chaplain of Miami Chapter. In 1908 she served on many investigating committees. On December 14th, 1908, now as Lydia Chandler, she was installed as Warder. The following are more examples of her activity. The Miami-Gazette reported on December 3, 1913:

"INSTALLED OFFICERS: Messrs and Mesdames J. E. Janney, J. C. Hawke and C. M. Robitzer and Mesdames A. B. Chandler, F. H. Farr and Maybelle Fitzgerald motored to New Burlington and attended the installation of officers for a new chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star at that place Tuesday evening. Mrs. Hawke acted as installing officer. After the work, a sumptuous banquet was served. All report a splendid time."

In the February 11, 1918 Minutes of Miami Chapter #107 is found the following entry: "Sister Lydia Chandler asked for her demit as she can not attend here any more and wishes to join at New Vienna (#327)." Lydia was received into the New Vienna Chapter #327 on April 5, 1918. The night before her funeral an Order of the Eastern Star funeral service was conducted in her honor (see obituary below).

Aaron B. and Lydia had bought a home on Fourth Street in Waynesville when she retired from the Friends Boarding Home as Matron in 1910. There home was located on Lot #9 and a part of Lot #10 in the Thomas’ Addition to the Village of Waynesville (see Deed Book #101, Page 543). On May 1, 1917, Lydia and her stepson, Walter D. Chandler, transferred the Deed to William S. Graham (see Deed Book #102, Page 387). The Miami-Gazette reported on November 22, 1916:

"W. S. Graham purchased the A. B. Chandler home on 4th Street last week. This property is very desirable and will make the Graham’s a fine home. Mrs. Chandler moved her goods to Blanchester last week and will make her future home at that place. Her many friends here in Waynesville regret her leaving town."

Lydia Conard Chandler was widely liked and admired for her dedicated service as Matron of the Friends Boarding Home. During her waning years she lived at the Friends Boarding Home during the winters. According to the Friends Boarding Home Day Books she lived at the Home as a transient boarder from January 1st, 1928 to March 8th, 1928, from July 7, 1929 to August 18, 1929, and from November 23, 1929 to April 21, 1930. She kept in contact with the residents of the Home and with the Chandlers after Aaron B.’s death. There are many references in The Miami-Gazette to her visits to Waynesville: "Mrs. Lydia Chandler of New Vienna is visiting relations here over Thanksgiving" (November 28, 1917), "Mrs. Lydia Chandler of New Vienna, spent several days last week with Edwin Chandler and family. Edwin Chandler and family entertained at dinner Friday evening, the following guests: Mr. and Mrs. Howard Smith, Mr. Will Smith and daughters Misses Esther and Virginia, Miss Willy Ann Gently of Selma, Ohio and Mrs. Lydia Chandler of New Vienna" (July 30, 1924), "Mrs. Aaron Chandler, former Matron of The Friends Home, is spending a few weeks at the Home" (January 11, 1928) and "After spending several weeks at The Friends Home, Mrs. Lydia Chandler returned to her home in New Vienna last Thursday" (March 14, 1928).

It was also mentioned in The New Vienna Reporter that the Society of Friends shared in Lydia’s Estate. Miami Monthly Meeting of the Society of Friends of Waynesville is given $100.00 under the terms of the will of Lydia A. Chandler, filed in Probate Court. It is evident that Lydia Conard Chandler loved the Friends Boarding Home and Miami Monthly Meeting.

VIENNA WOMAN EXPIRES AFTER LONG ILLNESS
Mrs. Lydia A. Chandler, 80, Dies At Home in Village Monday Morning
[Wilmington Journal-Herald, March 24, 1931]
Aaron B. Chandler’s Second Wife

These obituaries were found in the Genealogy Room,
Clinton County Historical Society, Wilmington, Ohio

Mrs. Lydia A. Chandler, 80, of New Vienna, died at her home Monday at 10 A.M. after a lingering illness of several weeks. Death was due to infirmities.

Mrs. Chandler was a long-time resident of New Vienna, having lived there for the past 65 years. She formerly was a resident of Waynesville. She was the widow of Aaron B. Chandler. She was the daughter of Joseph and Rebecca Conard, and was born in Highland County.

Mrs. Chandler was a member of the Hicksite Friends Church at Waynesville, and for the past several years had spent her winters in the Old Friends Home there.

She is survived by a step-son, Walter Chandler of Honolulu, three nieces, Mrs. Geneva Phillips and Mrs. W. A. Newby, of New Vienna, and Mrs. E. S. Creed, of Chicago, one nephew, Charles Conard of Hillsboro, and two great nephews, Charles Chaney of this city and F. L. Conard of Washington C. H.

CHANDLER RITES HELD AT VIENNA WEDNESDAY

Funeral services for Mrs. Lydia A. Chandler, 80, of New Vienna, were held Wednesday afternoon at the home of her niece, Mrs. Geneva Phillips, of New Vienna. Judge Hugh J. Wright was in charge. Interment was made in the Conard family lot in New Vienna.

THE NEW VIENNA REPORTER
OBITUARY OF LYDIA A. CHANDLER

[. . .various families of Friends] from Pennsylvania settled in Highland, Ohio, near Careytown, forming a religious society of Hicksite Friends. One of these families was that of Joseph and Rebecca Good Conard, who found their home on what is now the Henry Sanders farm in 1846, and to whom was born in 1850, a daughter Lydia A. Here with three brothers, Lewis, Charles and Frank, and three sisters, Sarah, Suzanna and Martha, she spent her childhood in that spiritual atmosphere so characteristic of their religious faith and grew into beautiful womanhood with a spirit marked by gentleness and serenity.

From the country and village schools she continued her education at Earlham College, Richmond, Ind. A few years after the father’s death, the family moved to New Vienna, Ohio where she has spent most of her long life. Some years were given in beautiful ministry as Matron of “The Friends Home”, in Waynesvile, O., and with the meetinghouse close by, she found a Christian fellowship, which has ever been a happy memory. It was here in 1908 she married Aaron Chandler, but this happy companionship was for only a few short years, he passing away in 1815, leaving a son, Walter Chandler, now in Honolulu. She was loath to leave those kindred associations to return to her old home town but there was awaiting for her a real welcome by her many friends who have been blest by her quiet, beautiful life and would pay a tribute of love to her today.

In her home we found hospitality, beauty and orderliness; she loved beauty in flower and fabric as was manifest in garden and the plying needle; she never lost that social charm; she did not grow old in spirit for hers was broad and fraternal; hers was an understanding heart, not one that longed and sought for trifles light as air, but lived in thought so pure and good, grateful for the Eternal things; her life was one of kindly ministry and serene faith fraught with the sympathy that cheers.

On the morning of March 23, 1931 she slipped away after some weeks of weariness and restlessness—the journey of four score years was complete.

“Life, we’ve been long together,
Through pleasant and thru cloudy weather;
‘Tis hard to part when friends are dear;
Perhaps ‘twill cost a sign, a tear;
Then steal away, giving little warning,
Choose thine own time.
Say not “Good night”, but in some brighter clime.”

ATTEND FUNERAL: Out of town people attending the funeral of Mrs. Lydia A. Chandler were, Mr. & Mrs. H.E. Conard of Columbus, Dr. Robert Conard, Judge & Mrs. Hugh J. Wright, Miss Ellen C. Wright, Mrs. Emma W. Hale, Mr. & Mrs. Charles Chaney, of Wilmington, Mr. & Mrs. F. L. Conard of Washington C.H., Mr. & Mrs. Charles W. Conard and Dr. Ella Blackburn, of Hillsboro, Mr. Levi Lukens of Waldo, Mr. Alonzo Larkin and Mrs. Peter Adams of Highland, Mrs. Burch Trent and Mr. R. K. Larkin of Leesburg, Dr. & Mrs. J. R. Coleman of Loveland, Mr. & Mrs. J. L. Mendenhall, Mr. & Mrs. A. S. Curl, Mrs. Anna Cadwallader, Mrs. Mary Adams, Mrs. Ella Meredith, Mrs. Lena Hartsock, Mrs. George Harsock, Mrs. Mame T. Brown, Mrs. Frank Elbon, Mrs. Frank Miller and Mr. & Mrs. Seth Furnas of Waynesville.

ORDER OF THE EASTERN STAR: On Tuesday evening, after the regular meeting of the Order of the Eastern Star, a beautiful service was held in Memory of Mrs. Louis Penn and Mrs. Lydia Chandler. The solo by Mrs. Katharine Williams added much to the impressiveness of the service.

Also see:
Timeline of the Friends Boarding Home and Further Information:
http://www.mlcook.lib.oh.us/Chronological%20Notes%20about%20FBH.htm

Aaron B. Chandler~ Biography, Speech and Obituary:
http://www.mlcook.lib.oh.us/
Aaron%20B.%20Chandler%20Life%20and%20Obituary.htm

Jason Evans ~ Businessman and Philanthropist 1807~1876

2005-10-26T12:02:00.000-05:00

Jason Evans was a wealthy Cincinnati pork packer and banker who had been born in Waynesville into the influential Evans family. Jason was one of the sons of Benjamin and Hannah Smith Evans, who had immigrated from Bush River Meeting in South Carolina to Waynesville with their five children. He was the youngest brother of David Evans and the uncle of John Evans who was appointed by President Abraham Lincoln to be the territorial governor of Colorado on March 26, 1862 (see, http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/govs/evans.html for more information about John Evans).

The following memorial of Jason Evans is taken from Cincinnati, Past and Present or Its Industrial History as Exhibited in the Life and Labors of its Leading Men by J. Lundy (M. Joblin & Co., Cincinnati, 1872), pp. 114-16. The following memorial was also printed in "Memorial of Cincinnati Monthly Meeting of Friends Concerning our Deceased Friend, Jason Evans (Cincinnati, 1877):

The subject of this memoir was born November 25, 1807, in Warren County, Ohio. His family on the paternal side is of Welsh descent, his ancestors having emigrated to this country near the close of the seventeenth century, and settled in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

His father, Benjamin Evans, at the age of twenty-five, and just after the close of the Revolutionary War, actuated by a spirit of adventure and a laudable ambition to be self-supporting, left the scenes of his youth, and with knapsack on back, traveled on foot to Chraleston, South Carolina. While there, in search of employment, he was induced by some country people to accompany them home to the district of Newberry, where he finally established himself and carried on his trade of auger-making. It was his custom annually to make a journey to Charleston, to dispose of his manufactures and lay in a stock of raw material. These trips were made by wagon, and for a distance of one hundred and fifty miles through a sparsely settled country, and over very indifferent roads.

Having acquired what was thought in those days to be a comfortable living, he married Hannah Smith, the daughter of a Carolina farmer and a members of the Society of Friends. He too espoused that faith, and with others of that persuasion, were induced to seek new homes by reason of the "testimony they bore" against the institution of Slavery. In the year 1803 an exodus took place, and he, with many of that particular belief, emigrated to the distant Valley of the Miamis, in the then wilderness of the Far West. Their route was through a dreary and almost trackless forest. Their women and children, with a few household effects and a limited supply of provisions, were transported in covered wagons. Their route was through Cumberland Gap, thence through Kentucky~then known as the bloody ground~and they finally after weeks of toil and privation, reached the Ohio River and crossed over into the "promised land", at the village of Cincinnati, then containing less than a thousand inhabitants; pushing on they at length settled in Warren County, not far distant from the present site of Wayensville. Then commenced the struggle to subdue nature and to pluck subsistence from her virgin soil. Soon the log cabin was erected to shelter the wife and wee ones; by day was heard the ringing sound of the axe and the crash of falling timber, and the gloom of night in a primitive forest was dissipated by the brush-fired of the pioneer.

Amidst such surroundings the subject of this sketch (Jason) was born, being the youngest of a family of nine children, five boys and four girls. Farm duties, early imposed upon him, left little opportunity to gain anything more than an insight into the rudiments of an English education. Such a thing as a high school or an academy was then unknown; in fact an education was thought to be complete when one could read, write, and ciper to the singe rule of three. When he arrived at the age of fifteen, the older boys having left home to shift for themselves, and his father being then too infirmed to do manual labor, he found the entire management of the farm devolving upon him. Being blessed with a robust constitution, and possessed of a self-reliant spirit, coupled with indomitable energy, he knew of so such word as "fail" and proved himself equal to the emergency. At this tender age he commenced making regular trips to Cincinnati, driving a four-horse wagon, loaded with farm products, which he usually disposed of in market. Owing to the frequently almost impassable conditions of the mud roads of those days, it was the common practice for several neighbors to start for the city from the same settlement; when one wagon got mired in a slough or balked on a hill, the balance made common cause and doubled teams till the difficulty was surmounted. After disposing of their marketing and gaining the top of the hills back of the city, on their return, it was their custom to stop to blow their horses, count their money, narrate their adventures in the city, and , in fact, to take the first good long breath since they left their homes. The round trip usually required a week, depending much upon the season of the year and the condition of the roads. They aimed to pass the night at some road-side tavern, but if belated, a camp fire in the woods answered every purpose.

Thus time wore on; one year with another being made up of journeys to the city, going to mill, tilling the soil, harvesting the crops, and cutting winter's wood, with scarce an incident transpiring to lend variety to the monotony of a farmer's life, till the year 1829, when he married Amyrah, eldest daughter of John Haines, of Montgomery County. Scarcely had he larned to appreciate the treasure he possessed in a good wife, till death entered his home and claimed the partner of his bosom, adding to his bereavement the care of two children of tender years; these, too, he followd to the grave within a few months.

In the year 1835, having left the farm and settled in the town of Waynesville, he purchased a mill property, consisting of a grist and saw mill, and operated both for several years. The success of this new enterprise may be questioned, as he is free to acknowledge, from his own experince, that "it takes ten mills to make a cent."

In 1836 he married Mary Haines, a younger sister of his first wife, who, with two daughters and a son, still survive to solace and comfort his declining years. The eldest daughter, Sarah, is the wife of W. J. Lippincott; and Susan the wife of B. S. Cunningham; and the son, B . F. Evans, is also settled in life, and is extensively engaged with his two brothers-in-law in the pork-packing buisiness in this city. The whole of this interesting family are living in beautiful suburban villas on Mount Auburn (Cincinnati).

A favorable opportunity offering, he disposed of the mill property in Waynesville, and in the year 1842 moved to Cincinnati, which presented a more extended field for well-directed enterprise. The firm of Evans, Eulass & Pence was formed, and the buisness of pork-packing was carried on for two years, the firm occupying the building on the northeast corner of Sycamore and Ninth Streets. This business connection was dissolved in 1844, and he was then joined by Mr. Briggs Swift, and the same business presented under the firm of Evans & Swift. This co-partnership existed nineteen years; and notwithstanding the vicissitudes which characterized that peculiar branch of trade during the term embraced, it may be noted as a remarkabele instance of either good fortune or sound judgement, or both, that their annual balance sheet never showed a loss.

In the fall of 1857, after the failure of the Ohio Life & Trust Company, Evans & Swift embarked in banking, being joined by Mr. H. W. Hughes under the title of Evans, Swift & Hughes. Mr. Briggs Swift retiring, in 1865, the business was contined under the firm of Evans & Co. In 1863 the firm of Evans & Swift, in the provision business, was dissolved, and their real estate, which had been held in common, was divided. In the fall of the same year, Mr. Evans associated with him his son, Benjamin Evans, W. J. Lippincott and S. C. Newton. In the fall of 1866 his son and W. J. Lippincott retired and the business was continued under the firm of Evans & Newton.

The subject of this sketch has thus been identified with one of the leading business interests of our city for nearly thirty years, and may truly be said to be a pioneer among the pork-packers. When he first embarked in the business in 1842, the principal parties engaged in packing were Samuel Davis, Jr., Hartshorn & Childs, Miller & Johnson, Lot, Pugh & Co., and R. W. Lee. These, with one or two exceptions, have all passed away.

Jason Evans has long been identified with, and maintained, the religious doctrines of the Society of Friends, as promulgated in the writings of Fox, Barkley and Penn, and by his daily walk and conversation, has ever set an example worthy of imitation; unassuming in manner, unobtrusive in speech, and charity for all~ever ready to assist the deserving~ and by the exercise of his many Christian virtues has given proof to those who knew him best, that his profession is not a cloak of self-righteousness but prompted by those higher and holier incentives which ever characterize the true Christian.

Having early won a well-deserved reputation for integrity of character, sound discretion, profound judgment, and a nice sense of business honor, it is not at all surprising that his career as a merchant and banker has been crowned with sucess, or that his character as a man should be referred to as a standard for all to emulate.

Jason Evans, a self-made man, was always very generous in his support of schools. His advantages of schooling were rather limited when a youth but he attained the equivalent of a business education and taught mathematics in the Waynesville public schools. He also was the clerk of Miami Monthly Meeting while he still lived in Waynesville. [i] Before he and his wife Mary moved to Cincinnati in 1843, he was from 1832 to 1840 owner with Stephen Cook of the Jennings Mill along the millrace in Waynesville.[ii] He also owned the Buena Vista Saw Mill one mile below Waynesville.[iii] After becoming sole owner, Evans sold the Jennings Mill to William Oliphant for $14,000 in 1840.[v] Jason became a prominent member of Cincinnati Monthly Meeting being at one time its clerk, a trustee, its treasurer and an elder. He was the largest contributor to the establishment and sustaining of Miami Valley Institute ~ A Hicksite Quaker College in Springboro, Ohio and controlled the majority of the stock. The Wright family of Springboro and the Butterworths of Foster's Crossing supplied the liberal philosophical point of view for Miami Valley College and provided administrative and teaching skills, as well as money. Jason Evans provided the bulk of the material wealth needed to accomplish that mission.

According to Mary Chapman, the author of the book Aron and Mary Wright, Jason and Mary Evans were good friends of Dr. Aron and Mary Wright of Springboro. "Among their close friends were Jason and Mary Evans of Cincinnati. Jason Evans originally came from Waynesville, and with Briggs Swift established a pork packing business in Cincinnati, in which they were very successful. As Jason Evans prospered he acquired other interests, and his son Benjamin and his sons-in-law, Briggs Cunningham and William J. Lippincott, were associated with him. You all know what a close friendship existed between Sarah Lippincott and Mother during their entire lives".

Mary Chapman continues saying that both Aron and Jason were interested in the plight of the Native Americans. The Evans and Wrights made a trip out to the Pawnee Indian Reservation north of Omaha under the auspices of the Society of Friends. (Aron and Mary Wright by Mary W. Chapman [New York: Charles Francis Press, 1942], p. 37-38. Mary Evans was the second wife of Jason Evans. He was first married to Amyrah Haines, the daughter of John and Jemina Haines on November 26, 1825. They had no children. He married his first wife’s sister Mary Haines. and they had three children, Sarah (1837-1916), Susan (1841-1898) and Benjamin (1843).

The Jason Evans' home in Cincinnati was first on 8th Street. In 1865 the family moved to Mt. Auburn at 2314 Auburn Ave. It was a two-story Second Empire style house with an observatory. By 1880 it was owned by Melville Ingalls who was the president of the Cincinnati, Indianapolis and St. Louis Railroad. In 1974 the Planned Parenthood opened the Elizabeth Campbell Center in the mansion. Unfortunately, in 1985 there was a firebombing of the center. The mansion was torn down. The new Campbell Center was dedicated two years later (The Bicentennial Guide to Greater Cincinnati: A Portrait of Two Hundred Years by Geoffrey J. Giglierano, Deborah A. Overmyer with Frederic L. Propas (Cincinnati, Ohio: The Cincinnati Historical Society, 1988), pp. 200-201.

[i] (Proceedings~ Centennial Anniversary~ Miami Monthly Meeting~ Waynesville, Ohio, 10th month, 16-17, 1903 (Waynesville, Ohio, Press of Miami-Gazette, 1903), p. 43).

[ii] Jason Evans married Mary Haines of Springboro Monthly Meeting of Friends 11th mo. 1835 (Minutes of Miami Monthly Meeting, Book I, p. 659). On 25th day 10th mo. 1843 Jason Evans and Mary his wife requested a "certificate of removal" for themselves and their minor children, Sarah, Susanna and Benjamin, to Cincinnati Monthly Meeting.

[iii] See, Miami-Visitor, April 7th, 1850 and January 28th, 1852.

Valley Monthly Meeting (Vinton County)

2005-10-18T15:09:00.000-05:00

Valley Monthly Meeting
(FUM ~ Wilmington Yearly Meeting)
Old US 50,
4 miles East of Londonderry, Ohio

TIMELINE:

1906 ~ A Sunday School was organized in Pleasant Valley, about 4 miles east of Londonderry. The Sunday School personnel of Londonderry Friends Meeting would come and conduct the Sunday school in the afternoon and their minister would preach. They would meet in the Boblett Schoolhouse and shortly afterward in a log house across from the school.
1908 ~ A new meetinghouse is completed and dedicated.
1954 ~ A new basement was dug 60 feet behind the original location of the meetinghouse. The meetinghouse was moved back over the new basement.

Londonderry Monthly Meeting ~ Ross County

2005-10-18T14:11:00.000-05:00

Londonderry Monthly Meeting
(FUM ~ Wilmington Yearly Meeting)
35215 US Rte. 50
Londonderry, Ohio

TIMELINE:

1803 ~ 40 persons from Chatham County, North Carolina, left their homes in opposition to slavery and settled in the Salt Creek Valley, a mile or two east of present Londonderry. Friends met for worship in their homes. The third generation felt the need for a monthly meeting.
1871 ~ Dedication of the Londonderry Meetinghouse after the area is visited by a delegation from Fairfield Quarterly Meeting and a revival is held by Nathan and Esther Frame. Soon after the establishment of the meeting, a Sunday School was organized.
1971 ~ An addition consisting of a vestibule and four clasrooms is built.

Westboro Monthly Meeting (Clinton County)

2005-10-18T13:09:00.000-05:00

Westboro Monthly Meeting
(Formerly known as Westfork Monthly Meeting)
(FUM ~ Wilmington College)
US 68
Westboro, Ohio

TIMELINE:

1826 ~ Westfork Friends request a meeting for worship for themselves and it is granted from Newberry Monthly Meeting. The old meetinghouse was a traditional Quaker meetinghouse with two doors and a shutter to separate men from women during business meetings. It had a gallery and a raised pulpit. It was located on Westfork Creek and had a cemetery, too.
1833 ~ Westfork Meeting for worship is recognized by Fairfield Quarterly Meeting.
1840 ~ Westfork becomes a Preparative Meeting.
1873 ~ After a revival an indulged meeting at Sycamore was established.
1884 ~ The Sycamore meetinghouse was built at the corner of Hunt and Sycamore Roads. Sycamore and Westfork Meetings comprised the Westfork Preparative Meeting.
1891 ~ The two preparative meetings request to unite and become a monthly meeting.
1895 ~ The old Westfork meetinghouse is dismantled and a new meetinghouse is built in Westboro.
1928 ~ Electric lights and a vestibule are added.
1971 ~ A complete renovation of the building is done.
1987 ~ A fellowship room is added.
1990 ~ The entrance was re-built.

Eastern Hills Friends Meeting (Hamilton County)

2005-10-18T08:19:00.000-05:00

Eastern Hills Friends Meeting
(Previously known as Clifton Monthly Meeting)
(Wilmington Yearly Meeting [FUM] &
Ohio Valley Yearly Meeting [FGC])
1671 Nagel Road
Anderson Township
Cincinnati, Ohio 45254
(513)474-9670

TIMELINE:

During the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement, a number of families in Cincinnati Monthly Meeting, who disagreed with the the policies of Richard Nixon's administration and no longer felt comfortable in Cincinnati Meeting, began to gather for worship in a rented room in the Wesley Foundation in the Clifton section of Cincinnati.
June 3rd, 1972 ~ "Clifton Monthly Meeting" is established.
1975 ~ The meeting requests membership with Wilmington Yearly Meeting and Ohio Valley Yearly Meeting.
1988 ~ The meeting moved to rooms in the Seventh Day Adventist school.
December 2nd, 1990 ~ The meeting changed its name to "Eastern Hills Friends Meeting".
1991 ~ Moved the meeting to a new meetinghouse on Nagel Road.

Community Monthly Meeting (Hamilton County)

2005-10-17T16:03:00.000-05:00

Community Monthly Meeting
(Member of both Friends United Meeting & Friends General Conference,
Wilmington Yearly Meeting & Ohio Valley Yearly Meeting, and,
Miami-Center Quarter of WYM and Miami Quarter of OVYM)
3960 Winding Way
Cincinnati, Ohio 45229

TIMELINE:

1953 ~ A group of Friends who had been meeting with Cincinnati Friends Meeting on Eden Avenue and were interested in taking part in a more active way in social issues, began to meet for worship separately at the Williams YMCA and affiliated with the "Lake Erie Association". Soon they adopted the name "East Cincinnati Friends Meeting" and affiliated with the "Friends Fellowship Council."
1955 ~ The group is recognized by the Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC) and they relocate to the "Cerebral Palsy Center".
1959 ~ East Cincinnati Monthly Meeting becomes a part of Indian Yearly Meeting (Friends General Conference). I.Y.M (FGC) later is renamed "Ohio Valley Yearly Meeting". They re-locate on Dexter Avenue.
1959~ Cincinnati Friends Meeting decides to move out of Cincinnati proper. Some family want to stay and minister to the local neighborhood in the inner city. These 15 family form "Seven Hills Monthly Meeting".
1960 ~ "Seven Hills" affiliates with Wilmington Yearly Meeting (FUM).
1962 ~ East Cincinnati Meeting (FUM) and Seven Hills Monthly Meeting (FGC) begin to share the same space. They continue this for three years.
1968 ~ The two meetings officially unite as "Community Monthly Meeting." The united meeting moved into a new property on Winding Way.

Community Monthly Meeting is a graphic example of the healing of the old Hicksite Separation of 1828. The two major streams of American Quakerism caused by that division are reconciled and those issues of old are not pertinent to the world today.

Cincinnati Monthly Meeting (Hamilton County)

2005-10-17T15:24:00.000-05:00

Cincinnati Friends Meeting
(FUM ~ Wilmington Yearly Meeting)
8075 Keller Road
Cincinnati, OH 45243
http://www.cincinnatifriends.org/

TIMELINE:

1811 ~ Cincinnati Friends begin meeting for worship in their homes.
1813 ~ Christopher Anthony, a "minister with credentials" arrives in Cincinnati from Virginia. He organizes the meeting. The first log meetinghouse is built at Fifth Street between Central and John Streets.
1828 ~ The Hicksite Separation was particularly difficult in Cincinnati.
1840 ~ a second meetinghouse was built to accommodate the two separate groups.
1868 ~ A new meetinghouse was built at Eighth and Mound Streets.
1930 ~ The meeting moves to Eden Avenue in Corryville.
1963 ~ The present meetinghouse was built in Indian Hill.

Some noted Quakers who belonged to this meeting: Achilles Pugh (Publisher of "The Philanthropist" and Anti-Slavery Activist), Levi Coffin (President of the Underground Railroad), Murray Shipley (founder of the Children's Home in Oakley), and Dr. William Townsend, who taught for 50 years at the Miami Medical College (now the University of Cincinnati).

Highland Monthly Meeting (Highland County)

2005-10-17T13:08:00.000-05:00

Highland Monthly Meeting
(Also known as New Lexington Meeting &
Fairfield Meeting)
(FUM ~ Wilmington Yearly Meeting)
7896 Church Street
Highland, Ohio 45132
Hwy 73 ~ from Wilmington take Antioch Road to Highland

TIMELINE:

June 3rd, 1877 ~ First known as New Lexington Meeting and then Fairfield Meeting.
1918 ~ The first of three parsonages was purchased
1938 ~ Dedication of Sunday School rooms.
January 1961 ~ The meeting has been known as Highland.

Fairview Monthly Meeting ~ Near New Vienna, Ohio (Clinton County)

2005-10-17T12:33:00.000-05:00

Fairview Monthly Meeting
(FUM ~ Wilmington Yearly Meeting)
6796 Antioch Rd.
New Vienna, Ohio 45159
1 mile E. of Ohio Rte. 729
3 miles North of New Vienna, Ohio

http://home.cinci.rr.com/jrzuehlke/fairviewmtg/index.html

TIMELINE:

Around 1860~ Friends began to meet for worship in their homes and a Sunday School was established in the Hoskins Schoolhouse.
1868 ~ John Henry Douglas, a Quaker evangelist worked with the families in the area and held revivals.
July 1869 ~ Fairview become a meeting for worship established by Fairfield Quarterly Meeting with approal of Fairfield (Leesburg) and Clear Creek (Samantha) Monthly Meetings. The first meetinghouse was a frame building, 30 X 50 feet with a partition in the center to separate the men's and the women's business meetings.
1910 ~ The present brick meetinghouse was dedicated.

Friend Thomas Beals ~ First Quaker Missionary in the Northwest Territory

2005-10-14T11:37:00.000-05:00

Long before General Mad Anthony Wayne pacified the west consequently opening the Ohio territory for settlement, Quakers were concerned about the Native Americans that lived in the Northwest Territory. One of them was Friend Thomas Beals (1719~1801), a very weighty Friend, preacher, minister and founder of meetings. As early as 1775, twenty years before the Greenville Treaty, Beals made a remarkable journey to visit the Shawnee and Delaware and others in the Northwest Territory. After holding many satisfying meetings with the Indiana and seeing the rich land, he predicted that eventually there would be a great gathering and settlement of Friends north of the Ohio River.

Thomas Beals was accompanied by his nephew, Bowater Sumner, William Hiatt and Daniel Ballard and their intention was to visit the Shawnee and Delaware tribes of Indiana. However, early in their journey near Clinch Mountain in Virginia, the group was arrested and jailed. They were going to be placed on trial because people were afraid that they were conspiring with the Native American. When it became known that one of them was a Quaker preacher, the officers at the fort asked for him to preach before the trial began. Thomas Beals, a powerful preacher, held a meeting for worship with them and his words helped to convert a young man at the fort and the Friends impressed the rest present by their fervor.

The Quakers were freed and they continued on their journey to pay a religious visit to the Indians. They crossed the Ohio River into what is now the state of Ohio (in the area that later became the eastern part of Indiana Yearly Meeting). After they had many successful meetings with the Natives Americans, they returned home where Beals made his famous prediction concerning the Quaker settlement in Ohio and Indiana.

Also see:

The Famous Quaker Rev. Thomas Beals by Sandra Branson Young
http://bransoncook.systemaxonline.com/RevThomasBeals.htm

Thomas Beals: First Friends Minister in Ohio by Harlow Lindley
http://www.the-roundup.com/quaker/beals/bealsthomas.html

Thomas Beals' Genealogy publilshed online by Duncan Rea Williams III
http://www.drwilliams.org/genealogy/196.htm

Fall Creek Monthly Meeting ~ Hillsboro, Ohio (Highland County)

2005-10-14T09:59:00.000-05:00

Fall Creek Monthly Meeting
(FUM ~ Wilmington Yearly Meeting)
11345 Karnes Rd.
(between US 50 & OH 138)
7 miles E. of Hillsboro
Hillsboro, Ohio 45133

TIMELINE:

1806 ~ Miami Quarterly Meeting authorizes a meeting for worship for "Friends of Fall Creek on the waters of Paint Creek".
On July 7th, 1811 ~ Fall Creek Monthly Meeting was set off from Fairfield Monthly Meeting, also see, Old Fairfield Meetinghouse ~Highland County, Ohio. The original log cabin meetinghouse was located a half mile east and a hlafmile south of the present meetinghouse. The old Quaker cemetery is on the original site.
1877 ~ The present brick meetinghouse was dedicated. At this time, Fall Creek, Walnut Creek and Hardin's Creek meetings merged into Hopewell Monthly Meeting.
1901-1909 ~ A parsonage was built.
1920 ~ Fall Creek once again becomes its own monthly meeting.
1937 ~ A Sunday School room and basement were added to the meetinghouse
1964-1965 ~ A bathroom, kitchen and rest rooms were added.
1980 ~ New pews were added.

Leesburg Monthly Meeting ~ Fairfield (Highland County)

2005-10-14T08:55:00.000-05:00

Old Fairfield Meetinghouse & Graveyard

Old Fairfield Meetinghouse restored.

Leesburg Monthly Meeting

(Formerly know as Fairfield Monthly Meeting)
(FUM ~ Wilmington Yearly Meeting)
South & Church Streets
Leesburg, Ohio

TIMELINE:

1802-1803 ~ Bathsheba Lupton, wife of William Lupton, rode on horseback from cabin to cabin encouraging Friends to meet for worship. These early meetings for worship alternated between the Lupton cabin at Fairfield and John Beals' cabin on Hardin's Creek.
1804 ~ A primitive pole and log cabin meetinghouse was built on the site of the Old Fairfield Meetinghouse, south of present Leesburg. It is the first house of worship of any kind in Fairfield township of Highland County. A second more substantial log cabin meetinghouse was later built by Jonathan Johnson.
July 18th, 1807 ~ Fairfield Monthly Meeting established.
1822 or 1823 ~ The second cabin is replaced with the brick meetinghouse.
1914 ~ The new meetinghouse was built in Leesburg, Ohio.
1916 ~ The name of the monthly meeting was changed from Fairfield to Leesburg.
1924 ~ The present parsonage was bought.
1980 ~ An annex to the meetinghouse was added.

The earliest pioneers to settle in and about the area of Leesburg (then Ross County) were Quakers: Nathaniel Pope from Virginia, who had earlier traveled with Quaker preacher Thomas Beals ~ First Quaker Missionary in the Northwest Territory , John Walters and James Howard (or Hayworth). Before moving to this inland area, they had settled for a season or two at "Quaker Bottom", located on Paddy's Run about a mile above the mouth of the Guyandotte River on the north side of the Ohio River. This was the first settlement of Quakers in Ohio. Thomas Beals and others had settled here. They had planned on staying in southern Ohio but they were not able to purchase land at a reasonable price.

They traveled up the Scioto River on a flat boat and drove the cattle by land. The Popes and their companions eventually bought and settled on the site of Leesburg in 1801-2. According to the History of Ross & Highland Counties, Ohio with Illustrations & Biographical Sketches (Cleveland, Ohio: W.W. William, Printer, 1880), p. 406-407:

Nearly all of the first settlers in Fairfield (township) were Quakers or Friends, and the first religious meetings were held by them. Their simple faith is still predominant in the township and its neighborhood, and has always nurmbered among its adherents more than all other combined. Methodism did not have an early beginning in the township, and Presbyterianism never gained a regular foothold. . .

The Friends coming from Virginia and North Carolina, and some of the earliest with the fresh fervor, awakened by their meeting at Quaker Bottom~the first Friends' settlement in the Northwest Territory~were quick to effect the establishment of religious institutions in the new settlement. Else where we have given an account of the pioneers Quakers of Fairfield, Nathaniel Pope, the Beals, Evan Evans, the Luptons, and others. They began to hold meetings as soon as a sufficient number had arrived. Just precisely when the first Friends' meeting was held cannot be discovered, but it was probably late in 1802, or early in 1803. Bathsheba Lupton is accredit with being the founder of the Fairfield meeting. It is said that, noticing the tendency on the part of the young men and others to make Sunday visits to the Indian encampments, she resolved to effect a change in their habits and customs before they were so far perverted by their life in the wood as to make the return to godliness impossible. Acccordingly, this solemn mentor of morals in the wilderness, mounted a horse and road from cabin to cabin, exhorting in some, administering a stern rebuke in others, and proclaiming everywhere seemliness of piety and the exceeding wrong of leading worldly lives. The result of Mistress Lupton's zealous actions was a meeting, and a beginning having been made, meetings were thereafter regularly held. Up to the time of the build of the meetinghouse at Fairfield, the Sunday gatherings of Friends were held alternately at John Beals, on Hardin's Creek, and at the Lupton's in the Fairfield neighborhood. Bathsheba Lupton died in 1847, aged eighty-seven. . .

It is a matter of record that the first marriage in the township was that of Quakers. Enos Baldwin and Sarah Hunt, respectively the son and daughter of the first Friends (Jesse Baldwin and Phineas Hunt) who settled in the Northwest Territory. They were married at William Lupton's cabin on a Sunday, in the month of November 1804.

The first burial made at the little burying ground by the present Fairfield meetinghouse, was made in 1804, and was that of a woman named Ballard. The second was also a woman named Britton. The church was not built at that time, and the ground now so thickly studded with the long, low mounds and the simple memorial stones, was covered with a dense growth of hazel brush and spicewood. . .

Mildred Ratcliffe, the famous Quakeress preacher, who afterward traveled all over the Untied States, came to Fairfield . . . and on the removal of Jacob Jackson, succeeded him as the preacher to the large Society of Friends who gathered at the old meetinghouse. She left in 1816, and finally settled down for a permanent residence near Brownsville, Pennsylvania, where she died (Also see, Memoir of Mildred Ratcliffe, Philadelphia, 1890). . .

Fairfield monthly meeting had, before its division, upwards of one thousand members. During one period of four years it received more that five hundred members. The establishment of other meetings in the township, and the formation of several colonies from the Quaker element of Fairfield, made a large decrease in the number , but it is still a very strong society. Churches were built for the other meetings, one on Hardin's Creek, which is still in use; one of Lee's Creek, west of Lextingon, which has long since disappeared; one at Oak Grove, north of Lexington, on the Urbana Pike, and near the county line, and one in the village of Lexington built within the past few years.

Fairfield Monthly Meeting was divided into Hardin's Creek, Oak Grove and New Lexington (Highland) Meetings.

Samantha Monthly Meeting ~ Clear Creek (Highland County)

2005-10-14T08:20:00.000-05:00

Samantha Monthly Meeting
(formerly Clear Creek Monthly Meeting)
(FUM ~ Wilmington Yearly Meeting)
US 62
Samantha, Ohio (Highland County)

TIMELINE:

September 7th,1807 ~ Redstone Quarterly Meeting in Pennsylvania granted permission for a meeting for worship and a preparative meeting to be established in south central Ohio. It would be on Leescreek and known as Fairfield Meeting, see Leesburg Monthly Meeting ~ Fairfield (Highland County) and Old Fairfield Meetinghouse ~Highland County, Ohio). Meetings for worship were to be established at Clear Creek and at Fall Creek. The two meetings would alternate preparative meetings and monthly meetings.
November 14th, 1812 ~ Clear Creek Monthly Meeting was established. The original log cabin meetinghouse was located on High Top Road. After becoming a monthly meeting, another room was added to the original cabin for the women's business meetings and a large door was cut between the two rooms.
1885 ~ A new meetinghouse was built in the nearby village of Samantha and the meeting became known as Samantha Monthly Meeting.

Campus Monthly Meeting ~ Wilmington College

2005-10-13T15:11:00.000-05:00

Campus Monthly Meeting
Thomas Kelly Religious Center
Wilmington College
(Member of both
Wilmington Yearly Meeting [FUM] &
Ohio Valley Yearly Meeting [FGC])

Pyle Box 651
Wilmington, Ohio 45177

TIMELINE:

1954 ~ Campus Friends became a monthly meeting. The meeting chooses to be an "unprogrammed" meeting. The group originally met in the Fine Arts Building.
1962 ~ The Thomas Kelly Center Religious Center was dedicated. It became the home of the Religion & Philosophy Department of the college, it housed the offices of Wilmington Yearly Meeting, and became the meetinghouse of Campus Monthly Meeting.
1967 ~ Campus Friends begin a dual membership in Center Quarterly Meeting of Wilmington Yearly Meeting and in Miami Quarterly Meeting of Ohio Valley Yearly Meeting.

Also see:
Wilmington College ~ Wilmington, Ohio
Opening and Dedication of the new Quaker Heritage Center at Wilmington College
Who Sends Thee?

Cuba Monthly Meeting ~ Cuba, Ohio (Clinton County)

2005-10-13T13:57:00.000-05:00

Cuba Monthly Meeting

Located on the corner of Cuba & Martinsville Rd.
(FUM ~ Wilmington Yearly Meeting)
P.O. Box 20
Cuba, Ohio 45114

TIMELINE:

September 3rd, 1896 ~ Cuba Preparative Meeting of Wilmington Monthly Meeting is established. The site is known as "Quaker Hill".
June 8th, 1921 ~ The preparative meeting becomes Cuba Monthly Meeting.
1964 ~ An addition for Sunday School rooms is built.
1976 ~ A new parsonage was bought.
1981 ~ Bathrooms are built in the meetinghouse and the interior re-modeled.
1987 ~ Shelter house was built.

New Burlington Monthly Meeting ~ Greene County

2005-10-13T11:47:00.000-05:00

The 1895 New Burlington Meetinghouse

The "old" New Burlington Meetinghouse
comes down to make way for Caesar's Creek Lake.
The "new" New Burlington Friends Meeting

New Burlington Friends Meeting

(FUM ~ Wilmington Yearly Meeting)

Rte. 380 & Cemetery Rd.
Greene County, Ohio

TIMELINE:

September 13th, 1871 ~ New Burlington Preparative Meeting opened. Friends bought the old 1844 Methodist church in which to meet.
1895 ~ A new meetinghouse was built not far from the old Methodist church.
June 22nd, 1922 ~ New Burlington Monthly Meeting is established.
1959 ~ An additon was built onto the church.
October 15th, 1970 ~ The U.S. government buys the meetinghouse since New Burlington was to be re-located due to the creation of Caesar's Creek Lake. The new meetinghouse is built in "Burlington Heights" on Rte. 380. Also see, Caesar's Creek Valley before Caesar's Creek Lake.

Geneva McClure (Mrs. William Coe), in her "Tribiute to a Lost Town" (Wilmington, Ohio: Cox Printing Company, August 1970, p. 7) wrote:

"We had just two churches in town when I was growing up; a Quaker Church and the Methodist Church. They each had youth groups, the Sunshine Society and the Epworth League.

When the Quakers held their revival meeting each night for a week, we kids would all attend, I'm sure a little good rubbed off on us, but at the time, I must admit it was just some place to go."

Sabina Monthly Meeting ~ Sabina, Ohio (Clinton County)

2005-10-13T11:08:00.000-05:00

Sabina Friends Meeting

(FUM ~ Wilmington Yearly Meeting)

Corner W. Elm & Vine Steets
Sabina, Ohio

TIMELINE:

1878-79 ~ Sabina Friends Preparative Meeting was organized during the evangelical efforts of Nathan and Esther Frame of Jamestown Monthly Meeting. They first met in the Sabina Methodist Church. They alternated services with the Methodist minister. The two Bible schools were combined.

1880 ~ The present lot was purchased and a one story brick meetinghouse built. It is still there with many additions.

1881 ~ The first Friends Bible School conducted in the new building.

1895 ~ The parsonage was built.

1898 ~ The meetinghouse was re-modeled.

1933 ~ Interior of the meetinghuse was re-modeled.

1859 ~ A kitchen and bathrooms added.

Chester Monthly Meeting ~ The McMillan Settlement

2005-10-13T10:01:00.000-05:00

A view of Chester Meetinghouse across the fields.

The 1914 Chester Meetinghouse today.

The Chester Graveyard

The old 1844 brick meetinghouse.

Chester Monthly Meeting
(FUM ~ Wilmington Yearly Meeting)

3451 Gurneyville Rd.
8 Mi. N. off SR 68 N
Wilmington, OH 45177 (Clinton County)
Sunday School 8:45 am Worship 9:45 am

TIMELINE:

1824 ~ Indulged meeting under Center Monthly Meeting. They met in a school located on the Thomas McMillan farm.
1828 ~ The present lot was donated and a log cabin meetinghouse built.
182-30 ~ First burials in the graveyard, John Baxter and his wife, Mary McMillan Baxter. The east side of this cemetery was used to bury runaway slaves who died on their journey.
1844 ~ A brick meetinghouse was built.
1914 ~ The old brick meetinghouse was replaced with the present meetinghouse.
1858 ~ A parsonage was built.

Chester Monthly Meeting has been actively involved in the Underground Railroad, in the peace ministry, in temperance, in missionary work and relief efforts, has supported conscientious objectors during times of war, and supported a Japanese hostel in Cincinnati during World War II. They continue their enlightened work.

Newberry Monthly Meeting ~ Martinsville, Ohio (Clinton County)

2005-10-12T15:36:00.000-05:00

There is a large Quaker graveyard behind the
meetinghouse.

Newberry Monthly Meeting
(Martinsville [Newberry] Monthly Meeting)

(FUM ~ Wilmington Yearly Meeting)

112 E. Main St., OH 28
Martinsville, OH 45145
(937) 780-4311
Sunday School 8:30 am Worship 9:15 am

TIMELINE:

1809/1810 ~ First indulged meeting for worship is conducted in the home of John Wright, the first Quaker settler near Martinsville from Newberry County, South Carolina. The meeting was under the care of Clear Creek Monthly Meeting.
1813/1814 ~ Seven acres of land are donated to Friends by General William Lytle. The site of the present meetinghouse and cemetery are on land obtained from Aaron Betts in exchange for some of the Lytle land. The first meetinghouse was made of logs. Later a brick meetinghouse was built. It was destroyed by fire.
Decemeber 2th, 1816 ~ First meeting as Newberry Monthly Meeting.
1844 ~ A large frame meetinghouse was built.
1846 ~ First Day School (Sunday School) is established.
1883 ~ The present meetinghouse was built.
1937 ~ An annex was added to the meetinghouse.
1955 ~ A parsonage was built.
1962 ~ The name was changed to Martinsville (Newberry) Monthly Meeting

Xenia Monthly Meeting ~ Xenia, Ohio (Greene County)

2005-10-12T14:05:00.000-05:00

(Above & Below) The "new" Xenia Meetinghouse
Built in 1960.

The old Xenia Meetinghouse
Chestnut & High Streets

Xenia Monthly Meeting
(FUM ~ Wilmington Yearly Meeting)
Established ~ 1905

502 Chestnut St.
Xenia, OH 45385 (Greene County)
Corner Chestnut & High Sts., off SR 380 N. of SR 68
(937) 376-1010
Sunday School 9:00 AM, Worship 10 AM

TIMELINE:

1897 ~ Efforts to start a meeting in Xenia begin.
1904 ~ With the efforts of Amos Cook and evangelistic Quaker minister, Esther Cook, the small community grows.
May 26th, 1905 ~ Xenia Monthly Meeting formally opens.
1908 ~ First meetinghouse is built on Chestnut & High Streets.
1960 ~ The new meetinghouse is built.

Spring Valley Monthly Meeting ~ Spring Valley, Ohio (Greene County)

2005-10-12T13:00:00.000-05:00

Old Spring Valley Meetinghouse ~ Spring Valley, Ohio
Located at Mound & Water Streets
Now Spring Valley Baptist Church

TIMELINE:

July 11th, 1811 ~ First mention of a request to establish the "Mendenhall Meeting" in the Caesar's Creek Monthly Meeting Meeting minutes. Names associated with the establishment of this meeting are: Mendenhall, Walton, Sanders, Stanfield, Anderson, Sexton and Ellis. The earliest site of the meeting was across from Richland School on Rte. 380 in Greene County.
April 26th, 1822 ~ Mendenahall and Plum Grove Friends ask to have a single Meeting.
February 26th, 1824 ~ The two combine and become "Richland Preparative Meeting", a preparative meetings of Caesar's Creek Monthly Meeting.
1828 ~ The Hicksite Separation does not divide this meeting and Richland Meeting is wholely "Orthodox".
1842 ~ The village of Spring Valley is laid out by the Waltons and the Barretts.
1875 ~ "Richland" Meeting moves into Spring Valley and becomes "Spring Valley Meeting".
1922 ~ The meeting became "Spring Valley Monthly Meeting".
2003 ~ Laid Down

Wilmington Friends Meeting ~ Wilmington, Ohio

2005-10-12T10:58:00.000-05:00

Wilmington Monthly Meeting ~ about 1892

Wilmington Monthly Meeting today
(FUM ~ Wilmington Yearly Meeting)
North Mulberry & Locust Streets

66 N. Mulberry St.
Wilmington, Ohio 45177
Clinton County
(937) 382-2349

Worship 10:00 AM
Sunday School 11:15 AM Fellowship at 11:00 AM
www.wfmeeting.org
wfmeeting@verizon.net

TIMELINE:

1825 ~ An indulged meeting for worship begins in Wilmington.
1826 ~ Visit by Elias Hicks which increases the tension between "Orthodox" and "Hicksite" Quakers and the indulged meeting divides.
1837 ~ Wilmington Friends asked Center Monthly Meeting (Orthodox) for a new indulged meeting.
5th Month 12th day 1868 ~ The first Monthly Meeting was held.
July 18th, 1896 ~ The present building was dedicated.
1931 ~ Callie Fairley Memorial Room and a modern kitchen the basement are built.
1952 ~ Educational wing was added.

One of the famous Quaker ministers of this meeting was noted Quaker theologian, Thomas R. Kelly (see, http://www.barclaypress.com/writers/index.php?authorID=192). Other Wilmington College professors have also served as ministers.

Center Meeting ~ Clinton County, Ohio

2005-09-28T13:40:00.000-05:00

Center Monthly & Quarterly Meetinghouse
Center Road at Anderson Road., V.M.S. 1558
Clinton County, Ohio

The following is taken from an article published in the Wilmington Journal News in 1946:

The grounds upon which Center meetinghouse, shown above, was built were first owned by Gen. Horatio Gates, of Revolutionary fame, in 1793. He sold the country around Center to James Murray, who sent his son there in 1803 to sell the lands. Murray, Jr. went to Waynesville, where he found numerous dissatisfied Friends sojourning and land hunting, as the Maimi lands had no perfect title. Murray donated 15 acres to them for a meetinghouse and sold hundreds of acres adjacent. Center meetinghouse and burying ground trustees were Nathan Linton, James Moon and Isaac Perkins. The first religious meeting in Clinton County was held at the home of Robert Eachus, east of Center, in 1804. A log meetinghouse was erected the same year. The monthly meeting was established in 1807 and a better house was built. It belonged to Miami Quarterly Meeting, Waynesville, and the quarterly meeting was established in 1816 (Center Quarterly Meeting). The building pictured above was erected in 1826 and some of the largest quarterly meetings in the west were held there. Below are the names of some of the noted pioneers who are buried there: Spencer Ballard, Nathan Linton, Rachel Linton, Israel Taylor, Robert Eachus, Isabella Rich, Hannah Taylor, William Doan, Joseph Doan, Eliza Doan. First adult burial was John Vestal, who died in 1804. Some years after the last service was held there, which is believed to have been a centennial celebration in 1926, the building was sold and used as a a place for storage until it was destroyed by fire in 1936.

Subordinate Meetings of Center Monthly Meeting were:

Caesar's Creek Preparataive Meeting 1806/12/01-1810/05/12
Springfield Preparative Meeting 1812/08/08-1818/11/14
Dover Preparative Meeting 1815/11/11-1824/08/14
New Hope Preparative Meeting 1817/08/14-1921/02/05
Lytle's Creek Preparative Meeting 1817-1818
Seneca Preparative Meeting 1822-1824 (later Jamestown Monthly Meeting)
Chester Preparative Meeting 1824-30 & 1886/05/01-1921/02/05
Wilmington Preparative Meeting 1827/06/11-1828/06/09

For more information see, quakermeetings.com: http://www.quakermeetings.com/viewRecord_display?anID=TST436L

Also, see map: Map of Quaker Meetinghouses

Center Meeting Graveyard

Jamestown Monthly Meeting ~ Greene County, Ohio

2005-09-28T13:21:00.000-05:00

Jamestown Monthly Meeting
Davis Street & U.S. 35
Jamestown, Ohio 45335

Jamestown Monthly Meeting was first known as "Seneca" preparative meeting under the jurisdiction of Center Monthly Meeting and then Dover Monthly Meeting. "Seneca" became Jamestown MM in 1910.

TIMELINE:

1812 ~ Meeting for worship begins in the home of Thomas Moorman in Silver Creek Township, Greene County. The meeting is named "Seneca" after "Seneca Preparative Meeting" of South River Monthly Meeting in Campbell County, Virginia.
1816 ~ A log cabin meetinghouse is built on the Samuel Johnson farm.
1824 ~ "Seneca" become a preparative meeting of Dover Monthly Meeting.
1836 ~ The log cabin meetinghouse is replaced by a frame structure. A schoolhouse is built nearby. There is a Quaker graveyard nearby.
1873 ~ Another meetinghouse is built at the corner of Washington Pike (US Rte. 35) and Heifner Road.
April 1884 ~ The meetinghouse is destroyed during the Jamestown "cyclone". The meeting decides to move into the village of Jamestown.
1910 ~ The meeting becomes Jamestown Monthly Meeting. Built the present brick meetinghouse (see photograph above).

For more information, see quakermeetings.com: http://www.quakermeetings.com/viewRecord_display?anID=TST971L

Also, see map: Map of Quaker Meetinghouses

Grassy Run Meeting ~ Clinton County, Ohio

2005-09-28T11:24:00.000-05:00

Grassy Run Meetinghouse ~ no longer extant
Wilson Twp., Clinton County,
Grassy Run Road, at Thorpe, V.M.S. 830

Grassy Run Meeting was a preparative meeting of Dover Monthly Meeting. It became a monthly meeting in 1910.

Information about Grassy Run can be found at quakermeetings.com at: http://www.quakermeetings.com/viewRecord_display?anID=TST825L

Dover Monthly Meeting of the Society of Friends ~ Clinton County, Ohio

2005-09-28T09:46:00.000-05:00

The new meetinghouse at the
Quaker Heritage Center at Wilmington College
is modeled after Dover Meetinghouse.

Dover Monthly Meeting ~
Cemetery behind the building
Union Twp., Clinton County, Ohio,
Dover Road., V.M.S. 1236
http://www.doverfriends.info/

The following is taken from the program of the
150 the Anniversary of Dover Meeting,
September 8th, 1974

Early in the 1800's four families who migrated from Tennessee to settle along Todd's Fork formed the nucleus of a Society of Friends at Dover. The new settlers were welcome by the Indians living there and all lived peacefully together. As more pioneers were attracted to the area, the Quaker group requested the privilege of holding indulged meetings. This was granted by Center Quarterly Meeting. This later was made a preparative meeting. Soon the first meetinghouse built of round logs was built on the ground deeded to the trustees for three dollars.

In 1824 on the 4th day of the 9th month, a Monthly Meeting was established, including Senaca, now Jamestown Meeting. In 1840 Grassy Run preparatiave meeting was established; this with Dover and Seneca Meetings was granted the privilage of becoming its own montly meeting.

In 1844 the log building that served as meetinghouse at Dover was replaced by the brick structure which still stands. The new building, like many Quaker meetinghouses then had a partition in the form of shutters that raised or lowered as the occasion demanded. The shutters were opened during the worship hour, closed for business sessions. Men and women had their separate business sessions. Later these shutters were removed.

In 1954 a new addition and restroom facilities wre added, the men of the meeting donated the labor.

In 1970 another major improvement in the building included wall paneling, drop ceiling, new heating system and repairing the roof. This was done by the women and men, donating the money and labor. We are proud of our efforts.

Jamestown (Seneca) Meeting was a preparative meeting of Dover Monthly Meeting until 1910/08/06.

Grassy Run Meeting was a preparative meeting of Dover Monthly Meeting from 1835/12/09-1910/08/06

For further information go to quakermeetings.com: http://www.quakermeetings.com/viewRecord_display?anID=TST608L.

Also, see map: Map of Quaker Meetinghouses

A TIMELINE OF DOVER HISTORY:

1804 ~ The Haworth and Wright families (from Tennessee) and the Dillon family settle in the Dover area.

1808 ~ As an indulged meeting it met in the home of Ezekiel Frazier and was known as "Frazier's Meeting". They also met in a vacant house for a while until the group decided to purchase land for a meetinghouse and graveyard from Amos Hodson. They then built a log meetinghouse.

1813 ~ The indulged meeting became a preparative meeting and was named "Dover Meeting" by Jesse Dillon.

1824 ~ Dover was established as a Monthly Meeting. Seneca (Jamestown) meeting was made a preparative meeting of Dover Monthly Meeting.

1830 ~ Grassy Run preparative meeting of Dover MM was established.

1831 ~ David Baily of Dover Meeting travels with a party of Friends and Shawnee chiefs to present to congress a memorial in the behalf of the Shawnee at the Quaker Mission to the Shawnee at Wapakoneta, Ohio. The leader of that group of Friend Henry Harvey of Springfield Monthly Meeting. The members of Dover were also involved in the Underground Railroad and many homes were stops along the way.

1844-1845 ~ The present brick meetinghouse was built. The builder was John Oren, Jr.

1924 ~ Celebration of the Centennial of Dover Monthly Meeting.

1954 ~ Renovation of the building: addition to the building and a water system.

1970 ~ More renovation and updating of the building.

Opening and Dedication of the New Quaker Heritage Center at Wilmington College

2005-09-26T15:04:00.000-05:00

The Meriam R. Hare Quaker Heritage Center

MISSION

To educate present and future generations of diverse audiences about the historic and living traditions and concerns of the Religious Society of Friends.

PURPOSE

To educate by acquiring, preserving, displaying and interpreting artifacts; by providing tours, presentations, lectures activities, and programs on site; by outreach activities, and by maintaining an online presence.

The Quaker Heritage Center is a result of the vision and generosity of the late College trustee, Meriam R. Hare, '49. Through her estate, Meriam gave the largest gift in Wilmington College's history. In her last will and testament, Meriam established the Quaker Heritage Center: "The remaining balance of my estate, I give and bequeath to Wilmington College, to be used for the expansion of exising or construction of new facilities to provide space, adequate for the processing and display of artifacts and archives to preserve and present to future generations the Quaker Heritage."

On Sunday afternoon, September 25th, 2005, the opening and dedication of the new Quaker Heritage Center at Wilmington College was celebrated at 1:30 P.M. in the Hugh G. Heiland Theatre. The speakers at the celebration were:

Daniel A. DiBasio, President of Wilmington College

Christine Hadley Snyder, Chair of Wilmington College Board of Trustees

Ruth Dobyns, Curator of the Quaker Heritage Center

T. Canby Jones, Professor Emeritus, Wilmington College

Tom Hamm, Earlham College, Friends Collection and College Archives

Joe Volk, Friends Committee on National Legislation

Margaret Fraser, Friends World Committee for Consultation, Section of the Americas

Ron Rembert, Wilmington College Professor, Religion & Philosophy

Martha Hinshaw-Sheldon, Wilmington College Campus Minister

Music was provided by the Wilmington Yearly Meeting Choir, Allen Schwartz and the Wilmington College Chorale.

Judith P. Sargent, the Chairperson of the "Wilmington Yearly Meeting Heritage Fund Quaker Courtyard Project" spoke about the fundaising effort underway to erect a bronze sculpture, "Who Sends Thee?" and four testimony gardens with benches on the Wilmington College campus, which will serve as a visible witness to Quaker values and heritage: the Quaker Testimonies of Integrity, Equality, Simplicity, and Peace. The gardens will be situated between Watson Library and the new Quaker Heritage Center. For more information please contact the Wilmington College Advancement Office at 937-382-6661, ext. 273.

Also see, Who Sends Thee?

INTERIOR PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE QUAKER HERITAGE CENTER~
MEETINGHOUSE & MUSEUM

The Meetinghouse

The Museum

Also see, Campus Monthly Meeting ~ Wilmington College located in the Kelly Center.

Miami Monthly Meeting of Friends Graveyard in Waynesville, Ohio

2005-09-26T12:44:00.000-05:00

Miami Monthly Meeting of the Society of Friends in Waynesville, Ohio is in the midst of a project to clean up the old Friends Graveyard located next to the 1836 Red Brick Meetinghouse across the street from the 1811 White Brick Meetinghouse.

The next work day is scheduled for Sunday, October 2nd, 2005 after the meeting for worship in the White Brick and carry-in lunch at the Red Brick. Work crews are clearing away brush and little trees. They plan to re-set fallen tombstones.

Who Sends Thee?

2005-09-08T11:46:00.000-05:00

Above: A wax maquette of
the proposed life-size bronze sculpture
to be placed near the
Quaker Heritage Center at Wilmington College

Sculptor: Allen Cottrill

http://www.alancottrill.com/

Wilmington Yearly Meeting of the Society of Friends is fundraising to make the sculpture a reality, and contribution checks should be made to:

Wilmington College, with the memo "Who Sends Thee?" sculpture Heritage Fund

Please send to:

Wilmington College
Office of College Advancement
Pyle Center Box 1307, 251 Ludovic Street
Wilmington, Ohio 45177-2499

Also see: Wilmington College ~ Wilmington, Ohio

The the visit of Isaac & Sarah Edwards Harvey with
Abraham Lincoln is the inspiration for the above sculpture.

Isaac Harvey had received the typical local common school education of the time but he also was an avid reader and a well-informed man. He was a farmer and owned 200 aces of land in Adams Township, Clinton Co., Ohio. He also owned a sawmill on his property. He was a devout Quaker and was politically a Republican.

The story of Isaac and Sarah’s journey to Washington D.C. to visit Abraham Lincoln is a wonderful example of how the individual “concerns” of a Quaker could lead him or her to put personal conviction into practice, no matter how difficult or seemingly impossible. Isaac, whose farm was near Wilmington, Ohio, had made it a point to go see the horrors of slavery himself. He had traveled by himself through the south to see the situation of the slaves. Consequently, he felt called to visit the president, Abraham Lincoln, to lay before him his belief that the Federal government should compensate southern slave owners for their slaves and then free them.

The story of Isaac and Sarah’s journey to Washington is enshrined in an article that was written by Nellie Blessing-Eyster and printed in the Harpers Monthly Magazine in September 1870. The story is also found in Henry W. Wilbur’s book President Lincoln’s Attitude towards Slavery and Emancipation (Philadelphia, Pa.: Jenkins, 140 on. 15th St., 1914).

The Blessing-Eykster version of the story stresses the simplicity of the Harveys, their somewhat spontaneous decision to go to Washington, and their good fortune of running into Salmon P. Chase, a fellow Ohioan and Secretary of the Treasury, who helped them get to see the president. However, it is evident from papers in the Robert T. Lincoln collection at the Library of Congress, that Isaac Harvey had taken some time to plan his trip and had written to a number of politicians for letters of introduction in his quest to see Abraham Lincoln. There is also some question as to the actual date of their meeting with Lincoln, either in 1861 or 1862. It could be possible that Nellie Blessing-Eyster embellished the story by transferring the Harvey visit of 1861 into 1862 a few days before the proclamation of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Whatever the date, Isaac and Sarah did meet with Abraham Lincoln for about a half-hour and relayed their “concern” and suggestion. They learned that there had already been an attempt by the government to buy the slaves as Isaac suggested but it had not worked. Isaac asked the president to write a “minute” which he would then take back to the meeting to prove that he had seen the president. This, according to the Blessing-Eyster version of the story, all happen two days before the Lincoln issued his proclamation of emancipation of the slaves. Unfortunately, Lincoln's hand written note was destroyed many years ago.

Also see,

History of Clinton Co., Ohio: Its People, Industries and Institutions by Albert J. Brown (Indianapolis, Ind.: B. F. Bowen Co., Inc, 1915) p. 719-720.

“Ohio Quakers leave special heritage of abolitionist talk with Lincoln”, by Lloyd Ostendorf, Dayton Daily News (Dayton Leisure section), Sunday, February 7th, 1982, p. 6.

The Evans Family of Waynesville

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The Evans Home on North Main Street,
Waynesville, Ohio.
The Surveyor's Office (no longer extant)
is on the right

Benjamin and Hannah Smith Evans immigrated from Bush River Meeting in South Carolina to Waynesville, Ohio with their children.

1 Benjamin Evans b: 12 OCT 1760 d: 10 JUL 1830

+ Hannah Smith b: 3 JUL 1767 d: 19 SEP 1853

2 Thomas Evans b: 12 DEC 1791 d: 11 MAY 1852 (Bd. of Earlham College)

+ Hannah Pedrick d: 11 JAN 1828

3 Benjamin Evans b: 6 NOV 1814 d: 23 JUL 1837

3 Lydia Evans b: 13 AUG 1816

+ Joseph C. Cooper

3 Margaret Evans b: 26 AUG 1818

+ David S. Burson (noted early educator in Ohio and Indiana)

3 Isaac P. Evans b: 1 MAR 1821 (President of Evans Linseed Oil Co. of Indianapolis and Richmond and on Bd. of Earlham College)

3 Ann Evans b: 18 APR 1823

3 Mary Evans b: 5 AUG 1825

+ Elizabeth Robinson b: 24 JAN 1802

3 William R. Evans b: 3 DEC 1834

+ Margaret Hadley b: 13 OCT 1836

4 George Evans

3 Owen Evans b: 8 DEC 1836 d: 21 NOV 1839

3 George L. Evans b: 17 SEP 1838

3 Joseph R. Evans b: 16 NOV 1840 (Partner with Isaac P. Evens and on Bd. of Earlham College)

2 David Evans b: 30 JUN 1793 d: 19 NOV 1861

+ Rachel Burnett

3 Dr. John Evans b: 9 MAR 1814 (Territorial Governor of Colorado)

3 Joel Evans b: 23 JAN 1816 d: 17 SEP 1907

+ Susan R. Sharp b: 24 MAY 1815 d: 30 NOV 1840

4 Elizabeth S. Evans b: 1838 d: 30 AUG 1861

+ Elizabeth Satterthwaite b: 20 JUN 1820 d: 4 DEC 1872

4 Rachel Caroline Evans b: 6 JUN 1845

4 John S. Evans b: 31 JUL 1849

4 David Evans b: 4 DEC 1851

3 Seth Evans b: 21 OCT 1817

3 Evan Evans b: 1 JUL 1820 d: 21 OCT 1821

+ Patience

4 Lydia Evans

4 John Evans

4 Pamelia Evans

4 Hannah Evans

+ Bales

3 Owen Evans b: 17 AUG 1821 d: 29 JAN 1823

3 Rebecca Evans b: 15 AUG 1823 d: 25 DEC 1845

3 Benjamin Evans b: 16 DEC 1824

3 Mary Evans b: 27 JUL 1826 d: 9 APR 1850

3 Hannah Evans b: 3 APR 1829

3 Ann Evans b: 1 MAY 1831

3 Jason Evans b: 31 MAR 1833 d: 23 AUG 1907

2 Elizabeth Evans b: 6 FEB 1795

2 Owen Evans b: 16 MAR 1800 d: 2 JUL 1827

2 George Evans b: 25 FEB 1802 (Bd. of Earlham College)

+ Sarah (Mary) Hasket

2 Sarah Evans b: 6 MAR 1804 d: 24 JUN 1851

2 Mary Evans b: 22 FEB 1806 d: 18 AUG 1830

+ Richard Pedrick

2 Jason Evans b: 25 NOV 1807 d: 11 MAR 1876 (Wealthy pork packer and great benefactor of Miami Valley College in Springboro, Ohio)

+ Amirah Haines b: 22 JAN 1804 d: BEF 1836

+ Mary W. Haines b: 12 AUG 1815 d: 25 APR 1889

3 Sarah Evans b: 12 JUN 1837 d: 7 OCT 1916

+ William F. or J. Lippincott b: 4 NOV 1828

4 Jason Evans Lippincott b: 1 JAN 1861

4 Catharine B. Lippincott b: 15 AUG 1863

4 Mary Evans Lippincott b: 23 AUG 1865

4 Jesse T. Lippincott b: 23 FEB 1876

3 Susan Evans b: 1 JAN 1841 d: 15 SEP 1898

+ Briggs Cunningham b: ABT 1839
3 Benjamin Evans b: 23 APR 1843 d: 14 MAY 1913

NOTABLE EVANS:

David Evans,
son of Benjamin and Hannah

David Evans (1793-1861) and his bride, Rachel Burnett, were the first couple to get married in the newly built White Brick Meetinghouse of Miami Monthly Meeting in Waynesville, Ohio on June 2, 1813. Rachel was a devoted Quaker and Temperance woman. David and Rachel built what became known as the Evans’ house (see above and to the left) in Waynesville located on North Main Street, two doors south of the old Waynesville Academy. David and Rachel owned the entire block of land bordered by Main Street to Chapman Street, to Third Street, to Franklin Road, and back to Main Street. Thier property became known as “The Evans’ Addition” to the town of Waynesville. Information about “The Evans’ Addition can be found in Warren County Deed Book # 27, page 172. The addition to the town was made in 1846. see maps of Waynesville at Old and New Maps of Waynesville and Corwin, Ohio.

David was a Wayne Township Trustee from 1851-1844 and was a trustee of the Waynesville-Wilmington Turnpike, 1851-1852 (Miami-Visitor, May 16, 1851). He was an agent for the Union Insurance Company (Miami-Visitor, January 16, 1852). He carried on his father’s (Benjamin's) Auger trade and also had a mercantile business in Waynesville and he was an executor of wills and settler of estates. He often was called to be the official guardian over minors. For example, after the tragic death of Noah Haines and many in his family in 1834, David Evans became the guardian of his surviving children: Noah (age 19), Ann (age 17), James (age 16), Seth (age 14) on September 14, 1835 (OCP67, #14).

David Evans was a highly esteemed citizen. His son, Dr. John Evans, became the governor of the Colorado Territory in 1861 (The Evan’s Family by Jane and Robert W. Evans, 1994, p. 12). David Evans was also the clerk of Indiana Yearly Meeting (Hicksite) for many years. He was the author of a pamphlet published during the heat of the aftermath of the Hicksite Schism entitled “Calumny Refuted, and the Members of Miami Monthly Meeting of Friends Defended against the wanton and malicious charges and foul reproaches cast upon them, by their quondam brethren in a late publication, entitled, “ A Testimony of Miami Monthly Meeting of Friends (Orthodox) concerning Joseph Cloud” (Sesquicentennial Scrapbook [Published by Indian Yearly Meeting FGC, 1970] pp. 15-17). David Evans was buried in the Friends Graveyard in Waynesville, on 11th mo. 20th day 1861.

Joel Evans,
son of David and Rachel

Joel Evans was an important figure in Waynesville. As a young man he learned the trade of his father, David, becoming an Auger. In 1840 Joel and his first wife Susan Sharp Evans moved to Jay County, Indiana where they lived near Camden. Susan died November 30th, 1840. After her untimely death in Indiana, he returned to Waynesville where he lived for the rest of his life.

Joel had been a surveyor (He began his surveyor business in 1844.) a builder (from 1851-1861) and in 1866 became the Surveyor of Warren County. He ran for County Surveyor as early as 1851 on the Whig Ticket (see Miami-Visitor, August 1, 1851). He won the office in 1866. He was the mayor of Waynesville in 1855 (see Miami-Visitor, April 4th, 1855). He put out his shingle in Waynesville often advertising in the Miami-Gazette: Joel Evans, Surveyor, Conveyancer and Notary Public, Waynesville, Ohio (see, July 5th, 1865). He was elected to the Board of Warren County Commissioners from 1871 to 1874. As a builder (architect) he drew up the plans for the Warren County Children’s and Orphan’s Home at Lebanon and was the superintendent of its construction in 1874. He was on the first Board of Trustees of this Children’s and Orphan’s Home. He served for two terms.

His surveyor’s office was located on North Main Street next to his parent’s home (see photograph above). He plotted the "Evan’s Addition" to Waynesville wherein was located the Waynesville Academy. He surveyed and plotted Miami Cemetery in 1867 and he was on the Miami Cemetery Board of Directors for many years. He was elected to the Board of Education in Waynesville beginning in 1873 and served as clerk for many years. He was also one of the first Directors of the The Waynesville National Bank, which was founded in 1874. Other directors were: S. S. Haines, S. W. Rogers, Jonas Janney, E. A. Brown, A. P. O’Neall and B. A. Stokes.

On August 18th, 1869, Joel Evans penned a very lengthy article for the Miami-Gazette entitled, “Facts and Figures” which reflects his interest in mathematics, trigonometry and natural law. His conclusion is rooted in his Quaker faith:

As the ancient philosophers said of Deity, so is it true of his universe, “its center is everywhere, and its circumference nowhere.” In the contemplation of these truths, what a ample field of reflection is opened before us, and “A soul without reflection, like a pile without inhabitants, to ruin runs.” And when we reflect that all truths are of Divine origin, part and parcel of the attributes of Deity, fixed and eternal, existing in the beginning, unchanged and unchangeable forever, how many finely wrought theories, the productions of Man’s feeble and fallible imagination, have fallen and must continue to fall when found opposing these immutable laws of nature.

According to Clarkson Butterworth (Membership of Miami Monthly Meeting in 1897): Joel Evans, b. 1 mo. 23rd 1816-d. 9 mo. 17th 1907). P. O. and residence, Waynesville, Ohio. His first wife and present third one were not members. His second wife, and mother of his son David was Eliza, daughter of John and Elizabeth (Linton) Satterthwaite. Joel’s parents were David and Rachel (Burnet) Evans, which David was the son of Benjamin and Hannah Evans and which Rachel was the daughter of John Burnet, brother of Daniel who married Ann Gause and in 1845 was living with Ann in the large brick house now gone at or near the site of the present home of Eli D. Burnet here in catalogued. About 1823 and I do not know how long before and after that place was the home of said David and Rachel (Burnet) Evans and their family. Said Rachel’s father, John Burnet, having died his widow married Job Jefferies . . . Descendents of this Job Jefferies still live north or northeast of Oakland in Clinton Co. Ohio. Joel’s first wife, Susan (Sharp) Evans had issue but none are living (Their daughter was Elizabeth S. who died in Waynesville August 30th, 1861 at the age of 22 year 7 months and 10 days.). His second, Eliza (Satterthwaite) Evans had besides David, and John S., a daughter Rachel Caroline (Carrie) who married Seth W. Brown (1841-1923), now a member of Congress from this congressional district. His present wife was Cynthia Fitzpatrick and has no children.

Late in his life, Joel bought the Italianate Victorian house on North Main Street from John and Clara Funkey. His third wife Cynthia Fitzpatrick Evans (1850-1928) was a lavish entertainer and the house was perfect for her social galas. Cynthia owned the mansion up until her death on April 16, 1928. For more information see 1882 History of Warren County, Ohio (Chicago: W. H. Beers & Co., 1882), p. 839-841 and Waynesville’s First 200 Years, 1797-1997 [The Waynesville Historical Society, 1997], p 185.

Above: The Funkey~Evans House

Jason Evans,
son of Benjamin and Hannah

Jason Evans, originally from Waynesville and a wealthy self-made man, was always very generous in his support of schools. His advantages of schooling were limited when a youth but he attained the equivalent of a business education and taught mathematics in the Waynesville public schools. He also was the clerk of Miami Monthly Meeting while he still lived in Waynesville. Before he and his wife Mary moved to Cincinnati in 1843, he was from 1832 to 1840 owner with Stephen Cook of the Jennings Mill along the millrace in Waynesville. He also owned the Buena Vista Saw Mill one mile below Waynesville. After becoming sole owner, Evans sold the Jennings Mill to William Oliphant for $14,000 in 1840.

Jason Evans became a very successful businessman and banker in Cincinnati. He was a prominent member of Cincinnati Monthly Meeting being at one time its clerk, a trustee, its treasurer and an elder. He was the largest contributor to the establishment and sustaining of Miami Valley Institute ~ A Hicksite Quaker College in Springboro, Ohio and controlled the majority of the stock. The Wrights of Springboro and the Butterworths of Foster’s Crossing supplied the liberal philosophical point of view for Miami Valley College and provided administrative and teaching skills, as well as money. Jason Evans, however, provided the bulk of the material wealth needed to accomplish the mission.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Evans family members were very prominent people moved beyond Waynesville into southwest Ohio (Waynesville and Cincinnati) and Indiana (Indianaoplis and Richmond). The family took great interest in Quaker Colleges, Earlham in Richmond, Indiana (Orthodox) and Miami Valley College in Springboro, Ohio (Hicksite).

Thomas and George were on the Board of Earlham from 1846-1852. Isaac P. Evans, the son of Thomas was on Earlham’s board in 1854, 1865-1867, and 1873-1878. Thomas had also been on the Board of the Harveysburg Academy in the 1840s. Isaac P. Evans was the President of Evans Linseed Oil Co. of Indianapolis and Richmond. Other members of the Evans family over the years have served on Earlham’s board: Joseph R. Evans (1852-1907), a half brother to Isaac P. Evans and business partner, was chairman of the board from 1882-1907. Also, Edward D. Evans, the son of William R., who was a son of Thomas by his second wife. He was the president of the Evans Milling Company, Indianapolis.

The Evans family is an example of a Quaker family that although divided by the Hicksite Schism, but still remained united although there were some lingering bitter feelings. The following story gives an indication of the tension created by the Hicksite Schism. In August of 1828, Miami Quarterly Meeting refused to accept the Orthodox statement of faith “A Testimony and Epistle of Advice”. As the disgruntled Orthodox left the White Brick Meetinghouse the two brothers, Thomas and David Evans, one Orthodox and the other Hicksite, grabbed the minute books. Thomas, the Orthodox Quaker had the books in his hand but David, the Hicksite, stood on his coattails and ripped them off as Thomas rather unceremoniously exited out of one of the White Brick’s windows!

David Evans became the first clerk of Indiana Yearly Meeting (Hicksite) in 1828-1829 and then from 1831-1837, in 1852-1853 and from 1857-1860 (see, Quakers on the American Frontier by Errol T. Elliott [Richmond, Ind.: The Friends United Press, 1969], pp. 391-392).

Springboro Monthly Meeting of Friends

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Friends Graveyard ~ Springboro, Ohio
Warren County
(Site of the first Quaker Meetinghouse)

The first Friends Meetinghouse in Springboro, which is no longer extant, was located just south of the village. It stood next to the old Quaker graveyard. It stood in the northeast corner of the graveyard lot (see above). It was a one story white washed brick that faced south away from the village and Factory Road. It must have looked like a small version of the White Brick meetinghouse in Waynesville. It had a plain interior. The walls were roughly plastered and white washed. The wood was also painted white except for the partition screen, the ceiling and the benches, which were all unfinished. The men’s side had an old fashioned fireplace. On the women’s side was a spider-leg stove. There was a raised platform along the north side for the facing benches. The other benches facing north were five deep. After the Hicksite Schism in 1828, this small white brick meetinghouse, which had been built around 1824-1825, was retained by the Hicksites and was used for fifty years. The Orthodox Friends built another meetinghouse on the east side of Springboro (see directly above right). The Orthodox Meetinghouse also has a cemetery.

The Hicksite Quakers of Springboro decided to tear down their old meetinghouse around 1873. In 8th mo. of 1873 they began to raise money for building a new Hicksite Meetinghouse. Shortly before this Miami Monthly Meeting in Waynesville had also decided to refurbish and remodel part of the interior of the 1811 White Brick. Dr. Aron Wright donated the land for the new Hicksite meetinghouse, which was near the Wright mill and millpond, and also donated a further $600.00 towards the building of a new frame meetinghouse. The new meetinghouse stood where the IGA Store now stands at the corner of Rtes. 741 & 73 (see photograph directly above on left).

The major contributors to the building of the new Hicksite Meetinghouse in Springboro were also all highly involved in the support of Miami Valley College which had opened in 1870: Aron Wright ($600.00), Emily Wright ($200.00), Hannah Wright ($50.00), Lydia Wright ($50.00), Edward J. Heston ($200.00), Mary Davis ($200.00), Jesse Wright ($50.00), Job Mullin ($80.15), David Chandler ($15.00) and Moses. W. Hollingsworth ($25.00). The amounts of their donations for the new meetinghouse are found on microfilm at the Quaker Collection at Wilmington College, the minutes of Springboro Monthly Meeting & Executive Committee. A wonderful description of the first old meetinghouse is also found on the same microfilm.

The Springboro Monthly Meeting, a preparative meeting of Miami Monthly Meeting in Waynesville and a meeting for worship, was set up in Springboro on 5th mo. 9th 1818. It became a monthly meeting 1824. It had been severely hurt by the infamous Hicksite Schism in 1828 and never fully recovered its stamina from that experience. Miami Monthly Meeting in Waynesville had not suffered so severely. Springboro Monthly Meeting continued to grow smaller until 1898 when it became an “Execute Meeting” responsible to Miami Monthly Meeting. Springboro Quakers were strongly "Hicksite". The Orthodox meeting closed in 1875. However, the Hicksite Quaker meeting in Springboro was intimately involved in the establishment of Miami Valley Institute ~ A Hicksite Quaker College on the east edge of town.

Also see: See, Thomas Hill's Monthly Meetings in North American: A Quaker Index:
http://www.quakermeetings.com/viewRecord_display?anID=TST1771L (Hicksite), and,

http://www.quakermeetings.com/viewRecord_display?anID=TST1772L (Orthodox)

The Orthodox Friends in Springboro had one subordinate meeting: Sugar Creek Preparative Meeting (Orthodox), which met from December 19th, 1822 ~ November 13th, 1841. It was located just east of Centerville, Ohio near of intersection of Clyo Road and Rte 725 (Montgomery County). The meetinghouse is long gone but the cemetery is still preserved (see historical marker below):

The Sugar Creek Friends Cemetery below

Davis Furnas ~ A Leader of Miami Monthly Meeting & Civic Servant

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In 1882
Shortly before his death

Davis Furnas

1829- April 7th, 1906

Clerk of Miami Monthly Meeting (Hicksite)
from 1880-1894

His biography in the
1882 Warren County, Ohio History can be found at:

http://www.rootsweb.com/~ohwarren/Beers/V/way/0841.htm

Davis Furnas was the son of Seth and Dinah Furnas. He was the brother of Dr. Robert F. Furnas. Davis Furnas was married three times:

Jane Satterthwaite ~ married September 1, 1852 at Miami Monthly Meeting in Waynesville, Ohio. They had six children, three sons and two daughters surviving: Seth, Elizabeth Bogardus, Anna Blackburn, John and Edwin.
Sarah Truman ~ d. 1881
Sidney Blackburn ~ d. 1912 (of Fishertown, Pennsylvania)

The following is Davis Furnas' obituary found in the Miami-Gazette, April 18th, 1906:

DAVIS FURNAS, PIONEER RESIDENT PASSES AWAY. Was Minister in the Friends Society, Prominent for many years in the Community and one whose loss will be greatly felt. Davis Furnas, a pioneer resident of Wayne township, died at the Furnas homestead in East Wayne township about eleven o'clock Saturday night. Few men have been so closely and prominently identified with this community as has Davis Furnas. Practically all his long life was lived here. In every undertaking effecting the public welfare his influence was felt and he commanded the respect and esteem of everyone. For many years he was a minister in the Society of Friends, and his loss will be especially felt there.

Funeral services were held from the Friends White Brick Meeting House Tuesday morning and was very largely attended. Rev. Philip Trout, Rev. Benjamin Hawkins, Rev. J. F. Cadwallader, Rebecca Merritt, Bethia Furnas, Matilda Underwood, Chas. F. Chapman and Jesse Wright all spoke during the service, each testifying to the worth, the honesty, the ability, the influence for good, of the long life of him who had passed away.

After the service at the Meeting House the solemn cortege wended its way to Miami Cemetery where the precious remains were placed in their last resting place.

He had been thrice married, his first wife being Jane Satterthwaite, to whom he was married in 1852, and who was the mother of his five children: Seth, Elizabeth Bogardus, Anna Blackburn, John and Edwin, all of whom, with the exception of John, survive their father. His widow was before her marriage Miss Sidney Blackburn of Fishertown, Pennsylvania, a lady of exceptional culture and intelligence. Besides these, there are about twenty grandchildren, and a large number of other relatives and a host of friends who sincerely mourn him.

The following sketch of the life of Mr. Furnas appeared in the Warren County Centennial Atlas which was published about two years ago:

"Davis Furnas was born in Wayne township, Warren County, Ohio, in 1829, and has always resided in this township. He was the son of Seth Furnas, who was the fourth son of Robert Furnas. Davis Furnas lived the busy life of a successful farmer, and has performed many public services. He was township trustee for twenty years; served a greater time as school director; was township superintendent of the public schools for three years; served as juror many times; he appraised real estate and performed many other public duties. He served the Friends as clerk of their Monthly, Quarterly and Yearly Meeting for many years, and has done a pretty full share of traveling, east and west. He has seen great changes in the customs of the people, and in their modes of living. It is almost impossible for the youth of the present day to even imagine the changes that have taken place in this country within his memory."

Joseph Cloud ~ Traveling Minister

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Traveling minister Joseph Cloud was an influential minister who encouraged Friends in South Carolina and Georgia to leave the south and move to the Northwest Territory and who held meetings for worship in Waynesville during one of his travels in 1800.

“In the summer of 1800, Joseph Cloud, from North Carolina and Jacob Jackson, from Tennessee, ministers, paid a visit to Ohio, held their first meetings at George Harlan’s Deerfield; then proceeded to Waynesville and held one or two meeting there, and, lastly one at High Bank. This meeting and that at Deerfield were those alluded to in the memorial of Joseph Cloud on their way to and from Waynesville” (MEMORANDA: of the early settlement of Friends in the North-west Territory, and especially of Thomas Beals, who was the first minister of the Gospel in the Society of Friends who crossed the Ohio River by Gershom Perdue (Indianapolis, Indiana: Edited and reprinted by Willard Heiss, 1974), p. 7).

Joseph Cloud and family would later settle in Waynesville in 1805. He, and fellow Quaker minister, Roland Richards, would be rival ministers in the newly established Miami Monthly Meeting.

Friend Joseph Cloud was born in Chester Co., Pa., on March 1, 1743. His parents were Mordecai Cloud and Abigail Johnson Cloud. He and his second wife, Hannah, were two of the first Friends at Cane Creek Monthly Meeting in North Carolina to be recorded as ministers. According to Cane Creek Monthly Meeting Minutes, Joseph Cloud made many “traveling minister” trips between 1779 and 1804 to Tyson’s’ Settlement, to “Friends on the Western Waters”, to eastern Pennsylvania and to Europe in 1804. In 1799 he visited Pee Dee Monthly Meeting during the time of great decline in the number of Friends in North Carolina as Friends moved into the Northwest Territory. The meeting was set down shortly after his visit. (See, Cane Creek: Mother of Meetings by Bobbie T. Teague [Greensboro, N.C.: North Caroline Yearly Meeting of Friends, 1995], pp. 26, 41 and 94).

“In 1800 Joseph Cloud, a minister of North Carolina who had been among the meeting on ‘the western waters’, visited South Carolina and Georgia, no doubt in the interest of removal. Borden Stanton wrote them urging them to go west in 1802. A certificate from Wrightsboro Monthly Meeting to Cane Creek Monthly Meeting, N. C., dated June 4, 1803 is the last evidence we have of Georgia Friends. They had departed to the great west” (quoted from Week’s Southern Quakers and Slavery, p. 124 in Hinshaw’s Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Vol. I (North Carolina) [Baltimore: The Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1991], p. 1041).

Joseph Cloud died near Waynesville in Warren County, Ohio July 24th, 1816. It is believed that he is buried in the old Quaker Graveyard in Waynesville, although there is no record of it. The burial is mentioned in Memorials of Deceased Friends Who were Members of Indian Yearly Meeting. (Orthodox) published by Direction of the Yearly Meeting (Cincinnati: E. Morgan & Sons, No. 111 Main Street, 1857), p. 30.

Joseph Cloud was married four times. He was married first to Mary Earl Underwood Cloud (b. 3 mo. 22nd 1743 in Chester Co., Pa. ~ d. 1 mo 10th 1789 in her 46th year, buried in Cane Creek Cemetery) in 1763. They had eleven children: Abner (1764), Samuel (1766), Jacob (1767), Jonathan (1772), Anne (1773), Joseph (1775), Mary (1777), Mordecai (1780), Daniel (1783), Joel (1785), Abigail (1788).

His second marriage was to Mrs. Hannah (Beals) Hoggatt on April 22, 1790. Hannah Cloud, the wife of Joseph and the daughter of John Beals, died on 2 mo. 4th, 1804, aged about 59 years and was buried at Center Monthly Meeting on February 6th. She died a little under two years before Joseph and two of his children moved to Miami Monthly Meeting. Joseph Cloud and children Joel and Abigail received on certificate at Miami Monthly Meeting from Cane Creek Monthly Meeting in North Carolina, May 10th, 1805. Hannah Beals Hoggatt was the niece of famous Quaker minister, Thomas Beals, who was the first Quaker Missionary to the Indians of the Northwest Territory in 1775.

His third marriage was to Jane Ridgeway McKay (Hinshaw says she was Jane McCoy) at Waynesville in October 1806 (She died December 1806). For more information about Jane Ridgeway McKay, see The Robert McKay Clan website webmastered by Michael McKay, http://www.geocities.com/mckyrbnsn/lines/mackay/21.html. Andrew McKay was Jane Ridgeway Mckay's first husband.

His fourth marriage was to Mrs. Mary (Cook) Hunt in 1810. Joseph moved his membership to Center Monthly Meeting in Clinton County 5th mo. 30 1810 to marry Mary Cook Hunt on 7th mo. 7 day 1810. See website: http://home.sprynet.com/ ~jrichmon/clou0001.htm. Also see, Hinshaw’s Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Vol. I (North Carolina) [Baltimore: The Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1991], pp. 348, 380, 651, 676 and 1041).

Early Friends in the East petitioned the Continental Congress expressing their concerns about slavery on 4th day of the Tenth Month 1783. They expressed their moral objections and fears for the future of the United States if slavery were not dealt with properly (NARA~Seattle, M247, r 57, I 43, p. 337, Papers of the Continental Congress, 1774-1783). Five years later, Friends at the Yearly Meeting held at Wells Meeting in Perquimans County with representatives from North and South Carolina and Georgia again expressed their concern about slavery pointing out that Friends themselves “had yet to cleanse their hands of slave holding”. A new committee of 24 Friends was appointed to lead the fight against slavery. One committee member was Joseph Cloud, another was John Beals (probably his second wife’s father) (see, http://www.rootsweb.com/~quakers/petition.htm).

The Will of Joseph Cloud is located in the Warren County, Ohio Probate Archives in the county courthouse in Lebanon, Ohio. OCP 13 #15 ~ DE O P.113 ~ 2 SEP 1816. Date Signed: 24 AUG 1813. Residence: Caesars Creek. Exec: Benjamin Butterworth. Heirs: Widow Mary, son Abner, Son Samuel, son Jacob, son Jonathan, son Joseph, son Joel, dau. Abigail, dau. Anne, gr. dau. Lucreta, son Daniel, son Mordecai (Warren Co., Ohio 1803-1859, Will & Estate Records [Cardinal Research, 9500 Creekside Dr., Loveland, Ohio 45140, 1993], p. 22.)

Joseph Cloud and Roland Richards ~ Two early founders of Miami Monthly Meeting

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The story below illustrates how the early Quaker pioneers and ministers were very human and it opens a window upon the realities of establishing a new monthly meeting in the wilderness.

(Story taken from “Settlement of Miami Monthly Meeting, Ohio” (Friends’ Intelligencer & Journal, Volume 45, 1888, pp. 577-579) by R. H (Robert Hatton)

Of the pioneer settler of Miami Meeting few memoranda now exist. They were more particularly acquainted with the use of the axe than that of the pen. The observation of Joseph Cloud, one of them, probably conveys their feelings correctly: “When I die, Just say Joseph Cloud is dead.” While not destitute of literary ability, the necessity of a living overshadowed other considerations excepting religious duties. . . Roland Richards came from Virginia with a large family of daughters and I think, one son. The daughters were Abigail, who married Ezekiel Cleaver, Hannah married David Holloway; Mary married William Mills, Sarah married Judah Foulke; Katharine married Isaac Mills, Sidney married _____.

Roland Richards and his wife Lydia were advanced in years when they arrive he being an acknowledged minister, and sitting at the head of the meeting. He was one of primitive appearance, and adhered to the broad pronunciation. A stranger called to see him and inquired if “Mr. Ro-land Richards lived there,” when the old man replied, “No, Ro-land Richards don’t, but plain Row-land Richards does.” He was tenacious of his views of discipline. A young couple, somewhat related, proposed marriage, to which he strongly objected, but Friends generally assented, the parties not being nearer than third or fourth cousins. When the time for its accomplishment came, Roland continued the sitting long and then rose and observed that he supposed there was couple present to be married and he supposed they might as well proceed to say the ceremony, and then he walked out, not being willing to sanction the marriage by his presence. He was doubtless sincere in his views and his daughters were all an honor to their education. He went to Ohio from Virginia, but did not long survive, his widow living several years after him.

Between him and his fellow minister, Joseph Cloud, the want of congeniality of sentiment was evident. Joseph was from one of the Carolinas, and imbued with some jealousy, which then as well as now had influence against those of a northern or eastern State. Joseph was rustic in appearance and home surroundings, while Roland Richards possessed more of the manner and habits of the Virginia gentleman. Of their ministry probably no fault could be found, each filling his allotment with true dignity, and being careful to mind his own calling. But in regard to business in the Society a difference of view was often found, accompanied with bluntness of expression. On one occasion Joseph gave his view of the subject before the meeting, at some length, and when he sat down Roland arose and sonorously asked, “And who is this that darkeneth counsel with words without knowledge?” to which Joseph quickly answered, “If I have darkened counsel do thou unfold it.”

Roland Richards has the distinction of being the first Quaker schoolmaster in the meeting school in Waynesville.

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Roland Richards (b. October 29th, 1728 ~ d. May 21, 1815) son of Samuel, was the father of 15 children, 5 died in childhood, 3 boys survived and 7 girls survived. An examination of the Richards family will illustrate the inter-relationships among the large pioneering families and also the migration routes taken by early settlers.

The Richards family journey began from Philadelphia, Pa., then to Virginia, then to Ohio and then to Indiana. Roland Richards was married twice. His first wife was Mary Miles (b. October 25th, 1727 at Radnor, Delaware, Pennsylvania) (see, The Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Vol. VI. (Virginia) [Genealogical Publishing Company, 1994], p. 604). They had two children together: Abijah Richards (b. May 23, 1753-d. March 1819) and Ebenezer Richards (b. July 18, 1754). Little is known about Ebenezer who died in 1775. He probably did not marry. Abijah Richards married Esther Daniel, Jr., the daughter of William and Esther Graham Daniel of Loudon Co., Va.) at Goose Creek Monthly Meeting, Va. on 3 mo. 29th. On 9th mo. 24th day, 1787 they moved their membership to South River Monthly Meeting in Virginia 1787 (see, The Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Vol. VI (Virginia) [Genealogical Publishing Company, 1994], p. 695). Eventually Abijah and Esther settled in Columbiana County, Ohio, Middletown Monthly Meeting, via Westland Monthly Meeting in 1801. Their seven children were: Samuel, Esther, Abijah, Mary, Rowland and Eli (see, The Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Vol. IV. (Ohio) [Genealogical Publishing Company, 1994], pp. 55-56, 653).

Roland Richards married Lydia Townsend, daughter of Charles, on 9 mo. 8th 1763 and had 13 more children. Seven of the daughters married and moved west with their husbands:

1. Abigail, b. 10 mo. 7th 1764, married Ezekial Cleaver (7 mo. 4th 1787) and settled in Waynesville. Ezekial Cleaver of Frederick co., Va., the son of Ezekiel and Mary, later of Gwynedd, Montgomery Co., Pa, deceased, married at public Meeting at Crooked Run, Abigail Richards, daughter of Rowland and Lydia Richards of Frederick Co., Va. on 7 mo. 4th 1787. They had four children: Mary (1789), Abigail (1792), Ezekial (1794) and Peter (1796) (see, The Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Vol. VI. (Virginia) [Genealogical Publishing Company, 1994], p. 593. Information about the marriage certificate of Ezekial and Abigail Cleaver can be found on ancestry.com (Frederick County, Virginia, Hopewell Friends History (database online). Orem, UT: Ancestry.com, 1997. Original data: Joint committee of Hopewell Friends. Hopewell Friends History 1734-1934: Frederick County, Virginia: Records of Hopewell Monthly Meetings and Meetings Reporting to Hopewell. Strasburg, VA: Shenandoah Publishing House, 1936).

2. Samuel, b. 11 mo. 27th 1765 ~ d. 12th mo. 29th 1787

3. Elizabeth, b. 11 mo. 13th 1767 ~ d. 2 mo. 17th 1788

4. Susannah, b. 10 mo. 16th 1769 ~ d. 2 mo. 9th 1788

5. Eli, b. 9 mo. 16th 1771

6. Hannah, b. 1 mo. 31st 1774, married David Holloway (6 mo. 23rd 1771 ~ d.12 mo. 31st 1847) on 3 mo. 12th 1794 and settled in Waynesville. The following is taken from an article, “Miami Monthly Meeting, Part I” by Robert Hatton printed in the Miami-Gazette (March 15, 1876):

David Holloway (b. June 23rd, 1771 Stafford, Va.~ d. December 31st, 1847 in Richmond, Indiana) was his (Roland Richard’s) son-in-law, having married (March 12th, 1794 at Hopewell Monthly Meeting) his second daughter Hannah (b. January 31st, 1774 in Philadelphia), who was an excellent Friend. David had much of a consequential air about him, and in the earlier part of his time was tenacious of plainness, bringing his children to meeting, etc., and would close his store on meeting days. It is related of him that when suspenders were first brought about, his sons, then in their teens, procured some, which their father no sooner discovered, that he took them away and burned them. Subsequently, the youngsters procured flax and twisted it into a substitute. On this becoming known to David he destroyed them and reprimanded his children. This produced a dislike to the society and when they reached majority they left Friends and married out from among them. No doubt David was perfectly sincere in his views, as he never adopted the condemned suspenders in his own wardrobe. About the year 1815 he moved to Cincinnati and the general depression of the commercials affairs in 1819-20 added to some unfortunate endorsements resulted in the loss of most of the acquirements of years of active labor. In 1822 he removed to a farm in Indiana, about four miles east of Richmond, where he remained a few years; and after several other changes closed his life from a cancer. His very superior wife survived him several years.

Hannah and David Holloway had seven children: Dayton [sometimes spelled, Daten] (b. 1795), Lydia (1796), Margaret (1799), John (1801), Abigail (1803), Hannah (1807) and David P. Holloway (1809). David P. Holloway, the grandson of Roland Richards, was destined to be a Congressman, see: http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=H000730.

7. Lydia (1), b. 3 mo 24th 1776 ~ d. 7 mo. 28th 1777

8. Townsend, b. 3 mo 25th 1778 ~ d. 3 mo. 5th 1788

9. Mary, b. 9 mo. 12th 1780, married William Mills, son of early settler James Mills who came to Waynesville with Abijah O’Neall from Bush River Monthly Meeting and settled in Waynesville. William Mills (d. 2 mo 2nd 1859) married Mary Richards (d. 3 mo. 6th 1837). They had 10 children: Elizabeth (1803), Rachel (1805), Isaac (1807), Roland R. (1809), James (1812), Lydia (1814), Deborah (1817), Franklin (1819) and twin girls, Ruthanna and Ruth (1820) (see, The Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Vol. V. (Ohio) [Genealogical Publishing Company, 1994], p. 100. Mary Richards Mills (buried on 3 mo. 7th, 1837) and her son Franklin (buried on 2 mo. 21st 1837) are buried in the Hicksite Friends Cemetery in Waynesville, Fifth Row, Numbers 8 and 9.

10. Lydia (2), b. 10 mo. 18th 1782, married John Mullin (b. 4 mo. 7th 1752) on 10 mo. 9th 1799, his second marriage and settled in Waynesville. By his first wife, Catherine Haines, John Mullin had eleven children. By his second wife, Lydia Richards, he had one son Samuel Mullin who was born September 12th, 1800 in Frederick Co., Va. and died on February 28th, 1870 in Warren County, Ohio (Richard Haines and His Descendants: A Quaker Family of Burlington County, N.J. since 1682 by John Wesley Haine (Boyce, Va.: Carr), p. 2:74.

11. Sarah, b. 8 mo. 28th 1784, married Judah Faulke and eventually settled in Waynesville area. Judah Faulke, the son of Joshua and Hannah of Warren County, Ohio married at Miami Monthly Meeting, Sarah Richards, the daughter of Roland and Lydia Richards of Warren Co. on 6 mo. 15th 1808 (see, The Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Vol. V. (Ohio) [Genealogical Publishing Company, 1994], pp. 56 and 115. Judah and Sarah must have settled for a number of years in eastern Ohio or Western Pennsylvania since on 2 mo. 24th 1819 Judah and Sarah Faulke were received on certificate back to Miami Miami Monthly on 2 mo. 24th 1819, along with their children: Amelia, Cadwallader, Jesse Mary (male), Grace, Silas and John) (see, The Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Vol. V. (Ohio) [Genealogical Publishing Company, 1994], p. 56. It is reported that Jesse M. Foulke, the son of Judah and Sarah of Highland Co., Ohio was married in Clear Creek Meetinghouse to Mary Baker, the daughter of Amasa and Sarah of Highland County, Ohio (see, The Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Vol. V. (Ohio) [Genealogical Publishing Company, 1994], p. 302). The Faulkes had settled in Highland County.

12. Catherine (b. 7 mo. 30th 1786 ~ d. 7 mo. 24th 1860 in Warren Co., Ohio) married Isaac Mills (d. April 2nd, 1860 in Warren Co. Ohio), brother of William Mills (see above, who married Catherine's sister, Mary Richards) and settled in Waynesville. Isaac, son of James and Lydia Mills (who traveled to Waynesville from Bush River Monthly Meeting with Abijah O’Neall) of Warren Co., Ohio married Catherine Richards, the daughter of Roland and Lydia Richards of Warren Co., Ohio on 11 mo. 18th 1807 (see, The Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Vol. V. (Ohio) [Genealogical Publishing Company, 1994], p. 100.) They became members of Springboro Monthly Meeting and from there transferred their membership to Duck Creek Monthly Meeting in Indiana on 10 mo. 30th 1827 (see, The Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Vol. V. (Ohio) [Genealogical Publishing Company, 1994], p. 973). They had 7 children: Sarah, Eli, Samuel, Roland R., Noah, Mary Ann and Joel T. Mills. An unnamed child of Isaac Mills is buried in the Hicksite Friends Graveyard in Waynesville on 4 mo. 30th, 1842 Second Row, #47).

13. Sidney (sometimes spelled Sitnah), b. 10 mo. 5th 1789, married Jacob Paxon on 10 mo. 15th 1806 at Miami Monthly Meeting and settled in Waynesville (see, The Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Vol. V. (Ohio) [Genealogical Publishing Company, 1994], p. 108 and 115).

Abijah and Ann Kelly O’Neall & Samuel and Hannah Pearson Kelly ~ Early Quaker Settlers

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Abijah O’Neall was born in Winchester, Va. on January 21, 1762. The family moved to Bush River, South Carolina in 1779 and their place was know as O’Neall’s Mills. During the Revolution, the O’Nealls did not volunteer for the army although they were sympathetic to the cause of American freedom. In 1781 the British forces under Col. Tarleton camped on the O’Neall farm during the Battle of Cowpens effectively destroying their property. British officers attempted to force Abijah O’Neall to reveal the movements of the American army under Col. Morgan. He refused and was beaten severely. His head was cut open and his scalp was hanging in tatters. He was carried to the home of John Kelly whose daughter, Anna, nursed him back to health. They fell in love and were married at Bush River Monthly Meeting on December 9th, 1784.

Abijah O'Neall was a successful farmer and merchant in South Carolina, but was disturbed by the institution of slavery. He traveled to the Northwest Territory to scout out a variety of opportunities to purchase land. His brother-in-law, Samuel Kelly was negotiating with Dr. Jacob Roberts Brown for the option on his Military Land claim near Waynesville. This land consisted of 3,110 ⅔ acres on the east side of the Little Miami River across from Waynesville. Kelly and O’Neall made a journey to see Dr. Brown’s land before their purchase.

Abijah O’Neall requested a Certificate of Removal from Bush River Monthly Meeting and sadly they refused saying that he was insane to take his family into the wilderness. He realized that the real reason was that he was manumitting all his slaves and they were threatened by what he was doing since many Friends owned slaves at that time. None-the-less, since he was very much his own person, he manumitted his slaves and moved. The process of manumission in South Carolina was a long and difficult process. The Master had to give bond and security that the slaves freed would not end up wards of the state or cause a crime. Because of these stipulations, Abijah O’Neall had to travel back to South Carolina a number of times to deal with problems related to his ex-slaves.

In September of 1799 fourteen wagons left Newberry. It took 42 days to get to Waynesville. The travelers were: The O’Nealls, David and Ellis Pugh, William Mills, Robert Kelly and Isaac Perkins. The O’Nealls lived in the then tiny village of Waynesville for only a short time. In the spring of 1800 they moved to their farm across the Little Miami River. The farm became known as “Diamond Hill” farm. Abijah was also a surveyor and teamed up with another early settler, Joel Wright, in the acquisition of land and the sale of land. Abijah started one of the earliest schools in the area on his property across the Little Miami River from Waynesville. The first teacher was Joel Wright who was also an excellent teacher. For more information about the Wright family see, The Jonathan Wright House in Springboro, Ohio: The Home of the Founder of Springboro and a Station on the Underground Railroad .

For more information about Abijah O’Neall and Samuel Kelly, Sr., see: Proceedings; Centennial Anniversary, Miami Monthly Meeting, Waynesville, Ohio, 10th month, 16-17, 1903 (Waynesville, Ohio, Press of Miami Gazette, 1903), pp. 116-125, the wonderful website of the O’Neall Family, http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~joneall/famhisty/aoneall_lifetimes.html), and Genealogy: O’Nealls and Related Families, Vols. 1-4 (Compiled by Albert E. O’Neall, 1994), pp. 12-13 and 18-27).

Samuel Kelly, Sr. died at the age of 91 and was buried in the Friends Hicksite Graveyard in Waynesville on 2 mo. 6th day 1851, 9th Row, #15. His wife, Hannah Pearson Kelly, was buried in the Friends Graveyard on 7th mo 27th day 1839 (Fifth Row, #14). They had eight children together.

See, the following article online about the history of the Kellys: THE KELLY FAMILY ~ SKETCH READ AT THE CELEBRATION OF SAMUEL KELLY'S 92D BIRTIDAY ~ 17 December 1890
http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~joneall/famhisty/kelly/kelly_family.html