FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP
JOHN BACH The subject of this sketch
was born in Malaga township, Sep 18 1846.
His parents, John BACH, Sr., (deceased Oct 8 1862), and Christina
HEIN. They settled in the county
in 1840. He married in this township,
Feb 3 1872, Louisa WEBER, who was born in Pittsburgh, PA, Jul 4
1850. Her parents came here in
1847. They were Thomas WEBER,
who died Feb 5 1877, and Eva STOFFEL.
Their children are: Lora B., Katie C. and Thomas H. Mr. BACH is a school director in
subdistrict number 3, and has held that office for two years. Mr. BACH s parents were natives of
Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany. His father
returned to Germany after being six years in this country, and brought over his
wife. They lived in Malaga township
until the spring of 1850, when they moved into Wayne township, where they
resided until his death. His wife still
resides there, a widow. Mrs. BACH s
parents came from Bavaria, Germany, and located in Pittsburgh, PA, where they
lived about five years, then came to Summit township for one year, then to
Franklin, on the farm where Mrs. WEBER now resides. John BACH is a farmer and stock-raiser. Postoffice, Swasey.
J. W. M. BROCK is a son of Isaac A. BROCK
and Elizabeth MUGG. They died in
southern IL. He was born in Belmont
county, Mar 11 1822, and came to Monroe county in 1828. He was married in Monroe county, Oct 9 1842,
to Maria MORRIS, who was born in Greene county, PA, Jan 28 1824. Her parents were Elihu MORRIS &
Mary MORRIS. The children of Mr.
& Mrs. BROCK are: Elihu C., born Sep 24 1843, died Aug 9 1855; Nathaniel
N., Jul 10 1845; John W., Aug 29 1850, lives in Washington county; Viola M.,
Jul 15 1858, died Aug 30 1858. Mr. BROCK
was in the war of the rebellion, being captain of Co. D, 27th
OVI. His son, N. D. BROCK, was a
private of Co. C, of the 161st OVI.
Mr. BROCK was chosen first lieutenant of Co. D, 27th
OVI, Aug 18 1861; was promoted to captain May 15 1862. He served under General John C. Fremont in
MO, under General John Pope at the capture of New Madrid, Merriwether s
Landing, and at Island Number 10. He
was in the siege of Corinth in 1863; was under General Rosencranz at the battle
of Iuka, Corinth and New Madrid. He
then went to Memphis; from Memphis via Chattanooga to Resaca GA, and was
engaged in all the battles and skirmishes from there to Atlanta GA, where he
was wounded Jul 22 1864. He was there
furloughed, and honorable discharged on the 6th of Oct 1864. Isaac A. BROCK, the father of the
subject of this sketch, was born in the year 1790, in the blockhouse where
Cincinnati now stands, and had many hardships to contend with. He saw for many years the rough side of
pioneer life. Captain J. W. M. BROCK
at one time in the war mistook the command, and with his company charged and
took a battery of six light guns from the Confederates. No better or braver soldier ever drew sword
in OH than Captain BROCK. The
subject of this sketch has been one of Ohio s brave soldiers in the late
war. No man stands better in the
community, or is more generally esteemed by all his acquaintances. He is a resident of Franklin township. By trade he is a carpenter and joiner, but
is now engaged in the mercantile line.
Adress, Stafford, Monroe county, OH.
WILLIAM M. DANFORD
was born in Seneca township, Monroe county, OH, Mar 26 1848. He is a son of William & Margaret DANFORD. He was married in Marion township, Noble
county, Ohio, Mar 29 1877 to Sallie A. WILSON, who was born in Belmont
county, OH, Jan 13 1857. Her parents
were Samuel & Eliza WILSON.
The child of Mr. & Mrs. DANFORD is Carl Clyde, born 27 Jan
1879. Mrs. DANFORD s father was
a soldier in the late civil war. He was
first lieutenant of Governor Johnson s body guard for a time; afterwards
participated in several of the battles of the south; then, losing his health,
went to a Nashville Hospital. After
partially recovering his health, spent the balance of his time as a physician
in the hospital. He was honorable
discharged at the close of the war, and died from an accidental gunshot wound
in the ankle at Carlisle, AR in May 1879.
Mr. DANFORD was a school-teacher from 1867 till 1877, keeping
school in Monroe & Noble counties, and was employed fourteen terms, seven
in Monroe, and seven in Noble. He
taught 60 months, and had 401 different pupils in his schools. Mrs. DANFORD s great-grandfather s
name was William PORTER, of Boston, Belmont county. Her grandfather s name was Tilghman BRASHER,
of Morristown, now deceased. Her
grandmother s name was Emily A. BRASHER, of Morristown, and now Emily A.
OKEY, of Summerfield. Mr. DANFORD
is a resident of Franklin township, and is engaged in farming and
stock-raising. Address, Swasey, Monroe
county, OH.
JOSEPH DRAPER
was born in VA, Mar 10 1836, and came into Monroe county in the same year. He is a son of William DRAPER and
Elizabeth ANTILL, who died in 1848.
They came into the county in 1836.
Mr. DRAPER was married in Franklin township, Monroe county, OH,
Nov 29 1863, by Rev. Richard CARTRIGHT, to Mary WEBER, who was
born Sep 18 1846 in Germany. Her
parents were Thomas WEBER, who died Feb 5 1877, and Eva STOFFEL. They came to Monroe county in 1847. The children of Mr. & Mrs. DRAPER
are: Maggie E., born Apr 15 1866; William H., Jan 22 1868; Thomas M., Sep 11
1870. All of the children live at
home. Mr. DRAPER enlisted at
Stafford, OH, Aug 11 1862 in Co. F, 116th OVI, was mustered into the
service at Marietta, OH, as corporal of Co. F, Oct 22 1862, by Captain
Mullenburg. He went from there to a
Shenandoah Valley, WV, and was engaged in the following battles: Romney, Winchester,
Piedmont, Cedar Creek, Fisher s Hill, Petersburg, Lynchburg, and other
hard-fought battles, to the number of sixteen.
He was under the command of General Cook, was with him at Winchester;
was transferred to General Siegel s command in the spring of 1863; served under
him about four months, and was then transferred to the command of General
Hunter, and was with him on the famous Hunter s raid. After they returned from the raid, General Philip Sheridan took
command of the army, and they endured all the hard fighting incident to the
campaign in the valley. Mr. DRAPER
was promoted to be sergeant of Co. F, Jan 16 1864. His company was transferred to the 62nd OVI in Jun
1864. He served his remaining time in
that regiment. He was one of the many
soldiers in our late war who was broken down in health, but he does not draw
pension. He served three years, and was
honorable discharged at Richmond, VA.
Mr. DRAPER s parents were among the first settlers of this
township, coming here when it was a wilderness. He took up government land and went into the woods and cleared up
a farm, which he still owns. He is
still living, and is one of the few old pioneers that still remain. He raised a family of six children, of whom
Joseph, the subject of this sketch, was the second. Mr. DRAPER is a resident of Franklin township, and is
engaged in farming and stock-raising.
Address, Swasey, Monroe county, OH.
RICHARD GIBSON and his wife, Wilmina GIBSON,
and both natives of Calvert county, MD, the former born Jan 13 1817, and the
latter Feb 20 1822. Their marriage took
place near Barnesville, Belmont county, OH Nov 25 1841. Their children are: John, born Sep 16 1843;
S. W., Jun 23 1846, resides in Franklin township; William T., Nov 4 1848;
Martha A., Feb 6 1856. John, the oldest
son, enlisted in Aug 1862, joining the 92nd OVI. He was in WV the fall and part of the winter
of 1862. From there he went with his
regiment to Nashville, TN, where he was taken sick with measles, which settled
on his lungs, causing pneumonia, from which he died Mar 10 1863. Mr. GIBSON settled in Monroe county
in 1842. Her parents are Samuel &
Ellen GIBSON. His wife died Mar
13 1879. Her parents are John R. &
Rebecca GIBSON. Mr. GIBSON
is a farmer and stock-raiser. Address,
Swasey, Monroe county, OH.
WILLIAM T. GIBSON
was born in Monroe county, OH, Nov 4 1848, where he still resides, engaged in
farming and stock-raising. His wife,
Mary A. STARKEY, is also a native of this county, where she was born Oct
21 1853. Their marriage was solemnized
Mar 13 1873, in Monroe county. Their
heirs are: Rozelle, born Jun 21 1874; Clarence R., May 7 1876; Henry P., Dec 6
1877; Albert C., Mar 5 1880. William s
parents are Richard & Wilmina GIBSON. Mrs. GIBSON s parents are Henry & Mary STARKEY. Mr. STARKEY was in the war of 1861,
enlisting in Oct 1863, in the 51st OVI, serving until the close of
the war. Mr. GIBSON s postoffice
address is Swasey, Monroe county, OH.
WILLIAM GIBSON is a native of Belmont
county, and came to this county in 1855.
He is a son of John R. GIBSON, now dead, and Rebecca HUNT. His wife was Mattie REED, to whom he
was married in Franklin township, Nov 25 1863.
She was born in this township, her parents being Edward REED
& Mary LEMLEY (both deceased), who came into this county in 1832. Mr. GIBSON enlisted in this township
as a private soldier in Co. D., 92nd OVI, in Aug 1862. The regiment went direct to Marietta,
OH. From there they went to Gallipolis,
to garrison that place at the time the rebels were driving Lightburn out of the
Kenawha valley. From there they made
two expeditions into Virginia, and were then mustered into the service at
Gallipolis, OH, Oct 7 1862, and immediately took part in an expedition under
General Cox, and drove the rebel army out of the valley and beyond the Kenawha
mountains. They started for Nashville
Jan 7 1873 [Note by typist: probably 1863], marched to Carthage, Jun 5,
left there for Murfreesboro Jun 25, and had a hard fight at Hoover s Gap, but
were victorious with large loss to the rebels.
The next battle of note was a Chicamauga, Sep 19 and 20 1863. The 92nd was in Gen. Turchin s
famous charge on the evening of the 20th, in which Mr. GIBSON
commanded his company, the captain being wounded early in the fight. Mr. GIBSON was promoted second-lieutenant
of Co. D, Oct 29 1863. He then came
home, to Monroe county, and recruited 32 men for the regiment. He was promoted, Jan 8 1864, to
first-lieutenant of Co. D. He joined
the regiment, Mar 1864, at Ringgold, GA, and from there went to Atlanta and participated
in its capture. He commanded Co. E for
six months, taking command at Atlanta.
He is now a merchant of Franklin township. Address, Swasey, Monroe county, OH.
JOHN P. MARTIN was born in Belmont
county, Feb 18 1851, and settled in this county in 1869. His father, Solomon B. MARTIN, died
in 1863; his mother, Delilah PILES, lives in Middleburg, Noble
county. His wife, Susan HAGERMAN,
daughter of Peter & Lavina CARMICHAEL HAGERMAN, was born in
this county, Feb 16 1847. They were
married in Stafford, Nov 24 1870.
Children: William G., born Nov 5 1871, died Sep 16 1879; Eury H., Mar 3
1873, died Apr 3 1873; Emma O., Feb 6 1874; Martha F., Nov 2 1876, died Feb 28
1877; John N. Jun 28 1878. Mr. MARTIN s
wife s great-grandfather was in the war of 1812, and her brother, James C. HAGERMAN,
in the war of 1861. Mr. MARTIN
is doing a good business of manufacturing wagons of all kinds, shoeing,
repairing and all kinds of work in this line.
Address: Stafford, Monroe county.
ALEXANDER PICKENS
son of William & Nancy ALEXANDER PICKENS, was born in Belmont
county, Aug 31 1811, and settled in Summit county in 1846. He was married in Woodsfield Jul 22 1880 to
Margaret SMYTH, who had her birth in Centre township, Monroe county, Dec
17 1829. Her parents, Arthur SMYTH
(deceased) & Nancy HAMILTON, came into the county in 1820. Mr. PICKENS has held the office of
clerk of Franklin township for one term, and held that of trustee of school
lands for several years. Mrs. PICKENS
had a brother, John SMYTH, who was in the late war, member of 116th
OVI, served about three years, was in all the engagements of the regiment, and
was honorable discharged at the close of the war. Mr. William PICKENS, father of Alexander, came from
Campbleton, Scotland, when a young man, after learning his trade of cabinet
maker, and located at Philadelphia.
After two years he went to York PA, where he married Nancy, daughter of
James ALEXANDER. About 1790 he
bought, at the Pittsburgh sales, land in Belmont county, OH, and settled on it the
following year. The settlement was
known as Scotch Ridge. In 1794 Mr. PICKENS s
father also located on Scotch Ridge, while Belmont county was still a
territory, and built a saw-mill on Little Short creek. He raised nine children, five sons and four daughters,
of whom Alexander was the fifth son.
The old farm, taken up in 1796, is still in the family, owned by John
C., the 4th son. Mr.
Alexander PICKENS spent part of his early life trading prior to settling
in Franklin township. Mrs. PICKENS
family were among the very early settler.
Business, farming and stock-raising.
Postoffice, Swasey.
GEORGE REED is a farmer and
stock-raiser of Franklin township. He
was born in Monroe county, OH, Aug 25 1820.
He was married Mar 25 1857, to Hannah R. RODECKER, who was born
in Fayette county, PA Jun 7 1835. Their
children are: John W., born Aug 11 1858; Martha J., Apr 3 1860; Asa McClelland,
Feb 3 1862; Frank, Oct 11 1864; William, Sep 12 1866; Joseph, May 25 1868; George,
May 15 1870; Emily, Jan 10 1872; Mary, Apr 25 1876; James A., Jul 20 1878;
Forest H., May 5 1879. Edward REED,
father of the subject of this sketch, was a native of Greene county, PA. When a young man he enlisted in the war of
1812, in which he served some time.
After the war he settled in Belmont county, at the mouth of Captina
creek. He then married Mary, daughter
of George LEMLEY. About the year
1820 he came to Monroe county that which is now Greene township he lived
there 12 years and removed to Franklin township, where he purchased a large
tract of land, which he cleared up and improved. He had a family of three sons and six daughters, of whom George
was the second son; he gathered together a liberal supply of this world s
goods, and lived to a good old age to reap the benefit thereof. He was one of the hardy men who came into
Monroe county at an early date, and helped lay the foundation to make this
beautiful county what it is today.
Address Mr. REED at Swasey, Monroe county, OH.
THOMAS WILSON is a farmer and dealer in stock. Postoffice, Stafford. His father, William WILSON, settled
in this county in 1817; his mother was Mary HUPP. He was born in Franklin township, Dec 11
1836; was married here, Apr 30 1858, to Rachel HANNAH, born in Guernsey
county, Apr 1 1836, daughter of John & Elizabeth PIERCE HANNAH. Mr. WILSON has held several offices
in this township, and has been a justice of the peace for 15 years. In the late war he enlisted as second
lieutenant, was mustered as captain of Co. K, 92nd OVI, in 1862;
mustered out by reason of disability, Jul 1863. His brother, William B., was a member of Co. D, 92nd
OVI; was in the battle of Resaca and all the service to finish of the war. Mr. WILSON s grandfather, William WILSON,
settled on the clear fork of the Little Muskingum river, in 1817, then a
wilderness. He and a few others
organized a church, Methodist Episcopal, and built a log meeting-house, on the
site of the present beautiful edifice known as the Southerland church. William WILSON (father of the subject
of this sketch) and his brother Thomas, still live on the lands their father
settled upon nearly 70 years ago. Both
are hearty old gentlemen, true types of the earlier settlers of this country. Mr. Thomas WILSON has been for six
years a local minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Transcribed by Dr. Shirley A.
Harmon, e-mail: Shirley Harmon
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