HISTORY OF HOCKING VALLEY
CHAPTER XLI.
John Geiger, a native of Maryland, born in the city of Balti- more, Dec. 19, 1810, was a son of John Geiger, a native of France. In 1821 his parents came to Ohio and located in Morgan County, where he was reared. He was married when twenty-seven years of age to Mary T. Burgoon. They have six children---James, Phillip, William, Mary Ann, Julian and Francis. Mr. Geiger came to Laurel Township in 1848 and located on section 24, where he still resides. He has 200 acres of highly cultivated land, with a good residence and farm buildings. Politically he is a Demo- crat. He has been Justice of the Peace six years. He is a mem- ber of the Catholic Church.1136
ied in the Antioch cemetery. Our subject remained with his par- ents until he reached his majority and received a common-school education. He taught his first and last term of school in the Kline district during the winter of 1860. At the breaking out of the late civil war he was engaged in learning the carpenter's trade, but Oct. 5, 1861, enlisted in Company H, Sixty-first Ohio Infantry, as a private; was soon elected Second Lieutenant, and Oct. 2, 1862, was promoted to First Lieutenant, and Jan. 1, 1864, to Captain, which commission he held at the close of the war. During his service in the army he participated in several hard-fought battles, among which were Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Johnson's Landing, Miss., and was on the gun-boat Pittsburg when she ran the blockade of Vicksburg. He was mustered out of the service at Columbus Ohio, Jan. 14, 1865, after serving four years and three months. On leaving his company he came to Rockbridge where he now re- sides. He was married June 30, 1864, to Miss Elizabeth Weltner. They have six children---A. Eugene, Iola Bell, Winona E.,William M., Eva J. and Bertha E. Mr. Huls was appointed notary public in April, 1882. He and his wife are active members of the Advent Christian church. Henry Troxel, farmer and stock-raiser, was born in Hocking County, Ohio, Jan. 1, 1825, the son of Jacob and Catherine Troxel, natives of Pennsylvania, who came to Ohio in June, 1808, and settled in what is now Good Hope Township, within a half mile of where our subject now resides. They remained here about five years, then moved to Fairfield County, where they remained until the father's death. The mother was again married and went to Illinois, and there remained until her death. Our subject was reared on the farm and received his early education in the common schools, but this was very limited on account of his father's death, which occurred when he was only eight years old. He was mar- ried in 1852 to Miss Annie Housman. His wife died about two years after their marriage. He was again married, in 1865, to Miss Susan Fimfrock, daughter of Peter and Elizabeth Fimfrock, residents of Fairfield County. They have four children---Charles L., Eva E., Annie R. and Henry Boyd. Mr. Troxel has a fine farm containing 496 acres of improved land, on which is a pleasant residence and substantial farm buildings. He also owns a tract of land in Fairfield County containing 160 acres. He is a man pos- sessed of great native mental vigor, and a liberal share of good, sound judgment, as is shown by his success through life. He has1146
always taken a lively interest in the matter of education, and one of his principal aims is to give to his children what he was de- prived of---a good, thorough education. He and his wife are mem- bers of the Advent church. John Weltner, farmer, was born in Fayette County, Pa., Sept. 13, 1816, and is the son of John and Mary (Blosser) Weltner. He came with his parents to Wood County, Va., when an infant, and at the age of sixteen came to Ohio and located in Fairfield County, engaged in teaching school, which he continued for about twenty years. He was married Jan. 16, 1840, to Miss Elizabeth Beery. They have had thirteen children, nine of whom are living---Christian H., Elizabeth R., Joseph C., Sarah E., John W., Daniel C., Will- iam D., Effie A. and Clara C. Mahala C., Mary F., Martha J. and Lydia A. are deceased. Mr. Weltner came to this township in the spring of 1841 and located on the farm where he now resides, which contains 600 acres of improved land, with substantial farm buildings. He has held the office of Township Clerk for six years, and has been Justice of the Peace nine years. He is politically a Republican. David Zeller, farmer and stock-raiser, was born in Good Hope Township on the place where he now resides, Aug. 4, 1836, and is the son of Jacob and Catherine Zeller, who were among the pio- neers of this township. He was reared on the farm, received his early education in the common schools, and has always remained on the place of his birth. He was married Feb. 24, 1859, to Miss Mary Fulmer, daughter of John and Rickey Fulmer, residents of Fairfield County. They have eleven children---Daniel H., Jacob I., Ellen S., Lina M., Addie C., Cora C., Harvey E., Alice E., Charles H., Homer W. and Orion E. Mr. Zeller has a fine farm contain- ing 157 acres of improved land on which he has erected a very pleasant residence. He has held the office of Township Trustee several years. He has ever taken a lively interest in the matter of education. Mr. Zeller and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. He is a member of I. O. O. F., Hocking Val- ley Lodge No. 262, located at Logan. Politically Mr. Zeller is a Republican. Jacob Zeller was born in Pennsylvania, Jan. 6, 1801, and is the son of John and Elizabeth Zeller, who came to Hocking County in 1804 and located at Enterprise. At that time there were only three families in this vicinity. They remained there until his mother's death, and shortly after his father came to Good Hope1147
Township, and at the time of his death was living with his son on the place where he now resides. Our subject was reared on a farm and remained with his parents until he was about twenty-three years of age, then came to Good Hope Township and settled on the place where he now resides. He was married May 12, 1822, to Miss Catherine Goss, daughter of Martin Goss, a resident of this township. They have had ten children, seven still living---Benja- min, Henry, Margaret, Jacob N., David, Catherine and Sarah. Mary, Eliza and Asa are deceased. Mrs. Zeller died Jan. 4, 1874. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, as was also his wife. Mr. Zeller retains his strength remarkably for a man of his years, and by his integrity has always won the respect of his fel- low citizens.
MARION.
TOPOGRAPHY AND BOUNDARY.Marion Township is in the north range and second from the east- ern line of the county, and about two-thirds of it lies further north than the general northern boundary line of the county. The gen- eral appearance of the county is extremely broken and rough, although the soil is usually good and produces good crops. Marion Township is bounded on the north by Fairfield County, on the east by Perry County and that portion of Falls Township called Falls- Gore, on the south by Falls Township proper, and on the west by Good Hope Township and Fairfield County. It is watered in its northern part by Rush Creek,which flows nearly across the township from east to west, and is the principal water-course in this part of the township, while across the southwest corner flows the Hocking River, into which empties Crockett's Run, a small creek in that portion of the township.
AREA.
The township has been exclusively settled by farmers and stock- raisers, there being no town or village within its borders. It is six miles square. The inhabitants of this township are generally of German descent.
FIRST SETTLERS.
It was about in 1808 that the first white settler made his home in Marion Township, and this was probably Christian Beery, who came from Fairfield County about the time mentioned above, and settled on Rush Creek, section 7. He was soon followed by George
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Hansell, George Engle, and perhaps a few others, and in about 1811 came Abraham Beery, George Beery, Jacob Miller, and about two years later Jacob Good and another Christian Beery. These nearly all settled on and near Rush Creek, on sections 6, 7 and 8. These were the pioneers of the township, and they blazed the way for those who followed. Mr. Rudolph Scherchel settled in the town- ship in 1825, and for half a century was a leading citizen of the township. He was a Prussian by birth, and brought with him a colony of his countrymen. He died Aug. 25, 1875.
FIRST THINGS.
The first church was erected by the Lutherans on Rush Creek, near Christian Beery's cabin, and the first good man who had charge of it as Pastor was Rev. Reefman. This church flourished for a long time, but finally there was a division among them, and part of the members formed a new society and built a church near the old one. The first mill was built by Amos Davis on Rush Creek, where Hite's mill now stands, in 1831, and this gave to the early settlers a means of converting their wheat and corn into flour and meal without going to some distant town for this purpose. The first school-house was built near Christian Beery's. It was only a small shanty, built of logs. It bore no comparison to the nine roomy, comfortable school-houses in the township of to-day, being built in the homeliest, simplest fashion, and furnished in the most frugal and primitive style.
POPULATION.
The number of inhabitants in 1840 was 1,370, composed of a hard-working class of people who exerted their every energy to transform the dense wilderness into comfortable homes and productive fields. After this time the increase in population was very slow until 1870, when it had only reached 1,561. In 1880 it had so depreciated in its population as to only reach 1,426. This was probably owing to the fact that the township had developed no mineral resources, and was thrown entirely upon its agricultural features, which are not very attractive to the young people of to-day, and they accordingly went forth into the busy marts of the world to seek a more pleasant and lucrative way of obtaining a livelihood than digging it out of the hills of the home
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on the farm, receiving a common-school education. In 1865 he purchased the farm where he resides and has been engaged farming and wool-growing, making fine stock sheep a specialty. In April 1879, he was elected Justice of the Peace of Marion Township and re-elected April, 1882. Sept. 29, 1859, he married Mary, daughter of Peter and Margaret (Pultz) Beery, of Hocking County, by whom he has three children---Margaret E., wife of John H. Bright; Mary A., wife of William Risley, of Falls Township; and Almeda. Ma- linda and Emerson died in infancy. His wife died in 1871 aged thirty-one years. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. May 21, 1872, he married Martha, daughter of Edward and Jemima (Fast) Tigner, of Hocking County. They have three children---Charles A., Amanda J. and George W., all at home. Alice C. died aged two years. Himself and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Isaiah Frasure, farmer and wool-grower, eldest son of George and Mary (Ruble) Erasure, was born in Auburn Township, Fair- field Co., Ohio, Aug. 9, 1829. In 1831 his parents removed to Falls Township, Hocking County, and afterward removed to Marion Township, where he lived until manhood. In 1877 he purchased the farm where he now resides in Marion Township, and has been extensively engaged in wool-growing and farming, making fine stock sheep a specialty. He is a member of Hocking Valley Lodge, No. 191, I. O. O. F., Logan, Ohio, and has filled all the chairs in the lodge. He is also a member of the Encampment, No. 262, Logan, and has filled all the chairs in that body. Oct. 22, 1849, he married Mary, daughter of John G. and Rebecca (Howser) Blosser, of Hocking County. His wife died Jan. 17, 1882, aged fifty-two years. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Oct. 14, 1882, he married Lydia, daughter of Thomas J. and Christina (Friesner) Durr. Mr. Frasure is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. His wife is a member of the Dunk- ard church. Noah Grimm, farmer, second son of Jacob and Margaret (Holt) Grimm, was born in Rush Creek Township, Fairfield County, Jan. 18, 1822. His parents came from the Shenandoah Valley, Va., to Ohio in 1818, and first settled on Rush Creek. He lived with his parents until eighteen years of age. At eighteen years of age he was apprenticed to Jacob Beery to learn the carpenter and joiner's, also cabinet-maker's, trade. He worked at the trade a few months when his health failed and he returned to his father's and worked1152
on the farm two years. He then worked at his trade till 1848. From 1848 till 1860 he was engaged in milling. He then returned to his father's farm and three years later sold his interest and pur- chased the farm where he now resides. He served as Assessor of Marion Township one year. Sept. 21, 1851, he married Nancy, daughter of John and Aseneth (Speer) Hamilton, of Hocking County, by whom he has five children---Aseneth, wife of Baxter M. Shaw of Neosho County, Kan.; Israel, a machinist of Indianapo- lis Ind.; Sarah A., Amos and Phoebe, at home. John died aged twenty-three years, Jacob aged eight years and William in infancy. His wife died Oct. 7, 1882, aged fifty-six years. She was a member of the German Baptist church. He is a member of the same church. David Hamilton, deceased, was born in Pennsylvania, March 19, 1825, and came to Ohio with his Grandfather Hines and lived with him until sixteen years of age. His grandparents dying, he worked for his brother until twenty-one years of age. He had no education until after his marriage. At twenty-one years of age he began clearing land his grandfather gave him. In 1856 he sold his farm and purchased land on Laurel Run. Nov. 15, 1861, he enlisted in Company K, Fifty-eighth Ohio Infantry, as a pri- vate and was appointed First Sergeant of his company and served as such until his death. He was engaged in the battles of Fort Donelson and Shiloh, and soon after the battle of Shiloh was ta- ken sick with typhoid fever and died on the steamer Tycoon, 100 miles south of Cincinnati, May 13, 1862. Dec. 21, 1845, he mar- ried Mary, daughter of Mathias and Hannah (Blosser) Lecrone, of Fairfield County, Ohio. They have five children---Noah, of Hock- ing County; Elizabeth, wife of J. N. Shaw, of Neosho County, Kas.; Minerva, Amos, Jacob, of Neosho, Kas. Mrs. Hamilton sold the farm and settled the business and has purchased another farm, and her son Amos lives with her. He is a school-teacher and manages her farm. Nicodemus D. Hufford, M. D., third son of Christopher and Mary (Reaner) Hufford, was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, June 14, 1826. When twenty-one years of age he rented land, and the next two years, in connection with farming, studied medi- cine. He then began teaching school, and continued reading med- icine for three years. He then located at Straitsville, Perry County, and practiced until 1861. In August, 1861, he was com- missioned as recruiting Lieutenant and enlisted in Company H, of1153
Alexander McCune, M. D., third son of Alexander and Mar- garet (Mitchel) McCune, was born in Allegheny County, Pa., Dec. 28, 1806. When six years of age his mother died, and he lived with John Wilson until seventeen years of age. He then was apprenticed to William Crawford, of Pittsburg, to learn the cabinet trade, and worked with him four years. He then worked at jour- neyman work in different places till 1832, when he established a shop in Williamsburg, Guernsey County, and there began reading medicine with W. B. Stotler, M. D. In 1838 he removed to He- bron, Licking County, and began practicing medicine. He practiced in Hebron, New Salem, Bremen and Geneva till 1865, when he came to Marion Township and purchased the farm where he now resides. He is the oldest practicing physician in the county. He was Land Appraiser of Marion Township for the year 1870. He is a Master Mason, member of Mingo Lodge, No. 171, A. F. & A. M., Logan , Ohio. June 3, 1832, he married Margaret, daughter of Archibald and Elizabeth (Doughty) Crawford, of Monroe County, Ohio, by whom he has two sons---Henry, of Kansas and Alexander M., Of Fairfield County, Ohio. John V. was in the late war and died in 1862. His wife died in 1841. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. October, 1842, he married Amanda, daughter of Andrew Craiger, of Fairfield County, by whom he has eight children---Hilas, Rufus, Hiram, Margaret E. (wife of Henry Jurgensmier), Isabel (wife of Robert Bell), Eliza E. (wife of Will- iam Palmer), Emily (wife of John Shinniff). His wife died April 14, 1861. Jan. 14, 1864, he married Mrs. Harriet, widow of Will- iam Plummer, and daughter of John and Margaret (Rosser) Rosser. Himself and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.1155