Sarah (Green) Canode was a widow when she married Nathaniel Sisson.
SOURCE: Vinton County Newspaper McArthur Democrat Enquirer January 15, 1915
"FIRST WHITE BABE BORN IN VINTON COUNTY WAS MRS SARAH SISSON"
"Interesting Historical Factrs Reproduced From Old Issue of Democrat Enquirer"
"The clipping reproduced below is from an old issure of the Democrat Enquirer and will be read with much interest no doubt. It was found by Mrs Emily Parrish of Jackson Township, among old papers, but Mrs Parrish does not remember how long ago the article was published. Neither is the name of the writer, who signed his name "B" know, The subject of the sketch, Mrs Sarah Sisson has been dead for several years. The reproduced clipping follows:
EDITOR DEMOCRATIC ENQUIRER:
While at Middleport recently,. the writer made the acquaintance of a Mrs Sarah Sisson, wife of Nathaniel P. Sisson, deceased a lady whose history will no doubt be of interest to both old and young in the village of McArthur.
Mrs Sisson is a very pleasant and agreeable conversationalist. She has a remarkable good memory and told the following story of her life in a lively and interesting way.
She was born on the 10th day of March, 70 years ago, in McArthurtown, Ohio. (Randy Sue's note is that adding 70 years to her birthdate would make the article done about 1886) Her father was Wm,. Green , the first shoemaker who ever worked this town. His clearing was the first or near the first , made within its present limits, and his daughter, the subject of our sketch, was the first white child who ever claimed McArthur as its birthplace. The exact location o fher father's house the writer must leave to some of McArthur's pioneers. (Could be missing a line from the xerox here..don't know for sure)
She left McArthurstown in 1831. Later in 1835, a blacksmithshop stood on her father's lot which had been sold to Jonathon Brine. Her recollection of Mr. Brine was quite distinct. His wife's maiden name was Bobo which was also the maiden name of Mrs Amos Shry. the writer cannot recall their first names which Mrs Sisson gave. Her mother's nurse at the time she was born was Margaret Dunkle. Mrs Green died January 27,1831 and was buried in the old cemetery by the side of Mrs Bobo,(Margaret Graham Bobo) mother of Mrs Shry and Mrs. Brine. Mrs Sisson also had a brother Samuel Green, with his wife and child buried here.
When talking of Mrs Bobo and her daughters, she recalled Ezekiel Bobo. Mr Bobob had a birthmark on his neck the shape of a human hand. This was caused by a fright his mother recieved from Indians during the war of 1812.
Her father went to Chillicothe to mill. The wolves would howl around the house during his absence and give Mrs Green and her children all they could do till his return.
When she left McArthur shortly after her mother's death. Sarah was fifteen years old. She remembers at that time Jes Will and a Mr. Burt were merchants, Chas Brown a saddler, Hiran Hulbert, Pearly Brown, Pinckney Brown, Jacob Shockey, David Jones, father of Capt H.C. Jones, Ezra Bothwell, Jonathon Winters, father of Ex Sheriff Winters, Aaron Lantz, who then lived on a farm west of town, the Catlins, the Kelches and others Jacob Kelch was a blacksmith.
Isaac Pierson made her a present of a town lot being the first child born in the town. This property she held for some time and afterward sold. The only church in the place was the Methodist. They met for worship in the log church which stood in front of the old cemetery. It was Mrs Sisson's impression that the railroad passed directly through this cemetery, and she was pleased to know that it does not.
It was a real pleasure to meet this good old lady and talk to her of a past that seems weird and strange to us. Some few of the very old people may remember Sarah H Green, who left this place sixty four years ago. But how long ago that seems! Truly it seems as if a by gone age spoke to us out of its dust and ashes for:
"The mossy marbles rest,
On the lips that she has pressed
In their bloom.
And the names she loved to hear,
Have been carved for many a year
On the tomb."
Yet on the other hand, this bright, cheery, intelligent old lady is as young as any of us. In spite of her four score years she takes as much interst in today as she ever took in yesterday , and her life is too full of sunshine for the shadows to be over long. B. "
