1883 History of Hocking Valley, Chap. 48

HISTORY OF HOCKING VALLEY

CHAPTER XLVII.

 
     William Fee is one of Swan's most worthy citizens, and the larg-
est land-owner in the township; He was born in Gallia County,
Ohio, six miles from Gallipolis, Sept. 16, 1821.  His father,
Thos. Fee, was born Sept. 14, 1782, and was nearly grown when he
with his father, John Fee, came across the Ohio River from Virginia
into Ohio, and located in Gallia County.  He was married Aug.11,
1803, to Sarah Collins, who was born Dec. 24, 1788, in Greenbrier
County, Penn.  Her father, Jesse Collins, was an early settler in
Gallia County.  In September, 1827, Thos. Fee moved his family
to Hocking County, and located in what was then Starr Township,
but is now Brown Township, Vinton County.  His brother, Wm. Fee,
was then living in Hocking County, and the brothers traded farms,
Thomas coming into Hocking County and William going to Gal-
lia County.  Thos Fee made this farm his home till the time of
his death, Aug. 11, 1846.  His wife survived him a number of
years and died at the residence of her son, Wm. Fee, Sept. 5, 1865.
They reared a family of seven children---Mary, John, Margaret,
Jane, Sarah, Christinia and William.  Wm. Fee was six years old
when his father came to this county.  He was married July 7,
1842, to Clarissa Johnson, who was born in Jackson County, Feb.
12, 1826.  She died Oct. 24, 1849.  They had a family of four
children--John V., born .July 24, 1843, died in infancy; Thos.
Jackson, born June 17, 1844; Sarah Jane, born March 8, 1846;
and George M., born Nov. 24,1847.  July 25, 1850, Mr. Fee married
Mary Engle, who was born Feb. 18, 1820, in Hocking County,
Falls Township.  To them the following children were born---
Elizabeth, born May 9, 1851; Maria, born April 20, 1854; Mary,
born March 22, 1857, died April 17, 1861; Jacob, born Oct. 8,
1860, and Wm. Sanford, born June 28, 1863, died Aug. 29, 1865.
Mr. Fee moved to the farm where he now resides November, 1855.
He owns 1,211 acres of land, all but 209 acres in Swan Township.
Politically he has al ways adhered. to the Democratic party.  He
has served four years as County Commissioner.  The first year was
appointed to fill vacancy caused by his brother John resigning to
take a representative position.
     Isaac Hawk, deceased, was born in Pocahontas County, Va.,
Dec. 26, 1790, a son of Jacob and Sarah (Bumgardner) Hawk.  In
1814 he came to Ohio, making the trip on horseback, and located
in what is now Vinton County. , His brother John Hawk preceded
him to Ohio, entered land, married and settled on his place where
he lived till his death. Isaac Hawk entered land in Jackson Town-

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ship.  His farm contained 309 acres, which with the exception of
forty acres purchased afterward, was entered in the beginning. On
this place he resided nearly fifty-three years.  In the fall of 1816
he was married to Sally Swisher, a native of Virginia, born Jan.
16, 1796.  In 1809, when she was thirteen years old, her father moved
to Gallia County, Ohio.  Isaac Hawk was a hard-working man.
Coming into an almost unsettled country, he made his home with
his brother, John Hawk, a few years, and in 1820 erected his log
cabin on his land, and moved into it.  On this place he reared eight
children out of a family of eleven---Mary, Rebecca, Iagnes,
Mahalia, Christina, Eli, Catharine and Elizabeth. Two daughters
and one son died in childhood.  A few years after Isaac settled
here his parents came and entered and bought land in Elk Town-
ship.  There were fifteen children in Jacob Hawk's family, eleven
sons and four daughters; five of the sons married in the Swisher
family.  At the time of Jacob Hawk's death, Feb.18, 1870, at the
age of ninety-one years, he had 110 grandchildren and twenty-
two great-grandchildren.  Six of his children are living---Mary,
Rebecca and Catharine are living in this county; Christina
in Missouri; Iagnes in Kansas; Mahalia in Illinois.  Rebecca
Hawk, of whom this sketch is obtained, was born Jan. 27, 1820.
She was married in 1851 to Robert Smith.  The latter was born
in Pennsylvania, where Pittsburg now stands, March 4, 1814.  His
parents were natives of Ireland.  In 1850 he came to Vinton from
Muskingum County, and the following year was married.  His
death occurred Jan. 18, 1861. Mr. and Mrs. Smith had two chil-
dren---Sarah and William.
     Robert A. Hays was born in Richland Township, Aug. 7, 1845,
and lived with his parents till his twenty-fifth year.  He was mar-
ried Oct. 19, 1870, to Erminia Deaver, who was born May 21,
1853, in Vinton County, a daughter of Simeon and Elizabeth
(Milligan) Deaver, residents of Elk Township.  Mr. Hays has
lived in Swan Township since he was married, and in 1876 bought
his present farm on section 26, containing 160 acres.  He is one
of the substantial young farmer of Vinton County, and is every-
where recognized as a young man of good judgment and decision
of character.  Mr. and Mrs. Hays have two children---Almonta
D., born Jan. 16, 1872, and Lizzie E., born Nov. 1, 1874.  In May,
1864, Mr. Hays enlisted in Company E, One Hundred and forty-
eighth Ohio National Guard, and was in the service six months;
discharged Dec. 15, 1864.  He entered the 100 days' service,

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     Samuel Vinton Karns

     Alexander McClannahan was born in Washington County, Md.,
June 28, 1813.  He was reared in Perry County, Ohio, and March
12, 1837, he married Nancy Ann Davis, born in Fairfield County,
Nov. 25, 1817, a daughter of James M. and Catherine Siniff Davis.
Their children are---William S; Catherine Jane, wife of John M.
Huff; Matilda Ann, wife of Andrew W. Shuch; Mary Emily, wife
of Erastus Fouch (the last three reside in Hennepin County, Minn.),
and Harriet Elizabeth.  The year after his marriage he and his
father-in-law bought a piece of land together, and seven years later
the land was deeded to Mr. McClannahan.  He left Perry County in
1851 and settled in Elk Township, Vinton County, where he bought
ninety acres and lived five years.  He then sold out and came
to Swan Township where in 1856 he purchased his present farm of
eighty acres which to-day contains 162 acres.  He was formerly a
Whig in politics and now is a Republican.  He has been Treasurer
of Swan Township several years and Township Assessor one
year.  His parents, Alexander and Nancy (Miller) McClannahan,
were natives of Maryland.  In 1819 they located in Perry County,
Ohio, where they died, he in the fall of 1851 and his wife in the
spring of the same year.  They reared a family of thirteen children,
ten sons and three daughters, our subject being the second son.

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     William S. McClannahan, son of Alexander and Nancy Ann
McClannahan, was born in Perry County, July 25, 1838.  April 
19, 1861, he enlisted in the three-months' service, in Company D,
Eighteenth Ohio Militia, and was discharged Aug. 26, 1861.  He
then enlisted in the three-years' service March 25, 1862, in Company
D, Second West Virginia Cavalry.  He participated in several bat-
tles, among which were the battles of the Shenandoah Valley,
Winchester, Cedar Creek, Waynesborough, Five Forks and Saylor's
Creek.  He was present at the surrender of General Lee, April 9,
1865, and was discharged at Wheeling, W. Va., July 5, 1865.  He
was married Jan. 14, 1864, while home on a thirty-days' furlough, to
Rachel Reed, born in Perry County, Ohio, July 30, 1838, a daugh-
ter of John and Eleanor Reed.  The latter moved from Perry
County to Vinton County after her husband's death.  Mr. McClan-
nahan has resided on his father's farm attending to the farm duties
since his return from the war.  Sept. 4, 1869, he was appointed
Clerk of Swan Township to fill a vacancy, which position he has
since held by re-election.  Mr. McClannahan has one daughter, Ida.
     Simon Morgan

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