Biography of John Edgington

The name of Edgington is a well known one throughout Rock Island County. It is the name of one of the county’s earliest pioneer families. It is also the name of one of the county’s most prosperous little villages, named in honor of one of the founders of that family, John Edgington, the subject of our sketch, a man who in his long lifetime spent in this county, lived to see it grow from a waste of prairie and wilderness into a wonderfully fertile farming community, dotted here and there with busy little villages and cities devoted to manufacture and … Read more

Slave Narrative of Perry Sid Jemison

Interviewer: Bishop & Taleman Person Interviewed: Perry Sid Jemison Location: Steubenville, Ohio Place of Birth: Perry County, Alabama Age: 79 Place of Residence: 422 South Sixth Street, Steubenville, Ohio WPA in Ohio Federal Writers’ Project Written by Bishop & Isleman Edited by Albert I. Dugen [TR: also reported as Dugan] Ex-Slaves Jefferson County, District #2 PERRY SID JEMISON [TR: also reported as Jamison] Ex-Slave, 79 years (Perry Sid Jemison lives with his married daughter and some of his grand-children at 422 South Sixth Street, Steubenville, O.) “I wuz borned in Perry County, Alabama! De way I remember my age is, … Read more

Roll Of Capt. William Foulks Company

(Probably from Jefferson County) Served from August 25, 1812 until February 28, 1813. Capt. William Foulks Lieut. John Burkdale Ensign Robert Ramsey Ensign Jacob Crouse Sergt. John Hester Sergt. John Cannon Sergt. John Huston Sergt. John Chaney Sergt. Henry Fisher Sergt. John Charing Corp. Alexander Armstrong Corp. James Swin Corp. Addison McKinnon Corp. Rudolph Brandaberrv Corp. Andrew Armstrong Corp. James Anderson Fifer Daniel McConkey Privates Black, John Bowman, Christian Brady, William Brandaberry, Jacob Burback, Arthur Caughey, James Cox, Thomas Cramer, John Credmer, John Crevan, John Cripps, John Cross, James Crouch, Henry Crowl, Henry Davis, Abednegn Davis, William Fish, Richard Fisher, … Read more

Slave Narrative of George Jackson

Interviewer: Bishop & Isleman Person Interviewed: George Jackson Location: Steubenville, Ohio Place of Birth: Loudon County, Virginia Date of Birth: Feb. 6, 1858 Age: 79 WPA in Ohio Federal Writers’ Project Bishop & Isleman Reporter: Bishop [HW: Revised] Topic: Ex-Slaves. Jefferson County, District #5 July 6, 1937 GEORGE JACKSON Ex-Slave, 79 years I was born in Loudon County, Virginny, Feb. 6, 1858. My mother’s name was Betsy Jackson. My father’s name was Henry Jackson. Dey were slaves and was born right der in Loudon County. I had 16 brothers and sisters. All of dem is dead. My brothers were Henry, … Read more

Moravian Massacre at Gnadenbrutten

George Rogers Clark

In the early part of the year 1763 two Moravian missionaries, Post and Heckewelder, established a mission among the Tuscarawa Indians, and in a few years they had three nourishing missionary stations, viz: Shoenbrun, Gnadenbrutten and Salem, which were about five miles apart and fifty miles west of the present town of Steubenville, Ohio. During our Revolutionary War their position being midway between the hostile Indians (allies of the British) on the Sandusky River, and our frontier settlements, and therefore on the direct route of the war parties of both the British Indian allies and the frontier settlers, they were … Read more

Biography of John Porter

John Porter. This is the name of one of the old pioneers of Kansas territory. It was fifty-seven years ago when he established his first home within the limits of the presant Shawnee County and there began working out his own destiny and to some extent the destiny of Kansas as a free state and the welfare of his children. It is a name that will always be spoken with respect, and those who bear it in the future will have reason to congratulate themselves in the splendid character of their pioncor Kansas ancostor, John Portor. He was a native … Read more

Roll Of Capt. Allen Scroggs’ Company

(Probably from Jefferson County) Served from September 21, 1812 until November 30, 1812. Capt. Allen Scroggs Lieut. John Ramsey Ensign John Caldwell Sergt. William Wilkin Sergt. William Dunlap Sergt. William Holson Sergt. William Robertson Corp. Samuel Avery Corp. Joseph Haverfield Corp. John Connaway Corp. John Wallace Privates Abbott, Benjamin Baricklow, Fanington Beamer, Adam Bebout, Peter Belknap, Horace Brokan, John Brokan, William Buris, Homeny Cann, James F Connaway, Michael Dewalt, John Findley, David Fivecoats, Michael Fletcher, Archibald Foster, Benjamin Francis, James Gladmore, Michael Gray, Ebenezer Heinary, Abraham Hill, William Hitchcock, John Holly, Samuel Jack, Edward Johnson, Henry Laurence, Duber Lees, Samuel … Read more

Slave Narrative of Thomas McMillan

Interviewer: Bishop & Isleman Person Interviewed: Thomas McMillan Location: Steubenville, Ohio Place of Birth: Monroe County, Alabama Place of Residence: 909 Morris Ave., Steubenville, Ohio WPA in Ohio Federal Writers’ Project Bishop & Isleman Reporter: Bishop July 7, 1937 Topic: Ex-Slaves. Jefferson County, District #5 [HW: Steubenville] THOMAS McMILLAN, Ex-Slave (Does not know age) I was borned in Monroe County, Alabam. I do not know de date. My father’s name was Dave McMillan and my mothers name was Minda. Dey cum from Old Virginny and he was sold from der. We lived in a log house. De beds hed ropes … Read more

Roll Of Capt. James Alexander’s Company

(Probably from Jefferson County) Served from August 23 1812 until November 30, 1813 Capt. James Alexander Lieut. Henry Boyles Ensign John Myers Sergt. Samuel Andrews Sergt. Alexander Barr Sergt. Martin Saltzman Sergt. James Tobin Corp. David Williamson Corp. Amos West Corp. John Anderson Corp. James Lyons Corp. Hugh Adams Privates Alexander, William Barr, James D. Barr, John Bawers, John Bay, Joseph Bennet, William Bennet, Griffith Berry, James Brooks, William Call, David Call, John Casselman, Darid Casselman, William Crawford, Benedict Culp, Jacob Duke, William France, John Gamble, Henry Grover, Jacob Groves, Peter Hartman, George Householder, George Hytes, George Hytes, John Johnston, … Read more

Biography of R. T. Updegraff

R. T. Updegraff has been perhaps the leading individual factor in the commercial and business development of the Town of Maple Hill in Wabaunsee County for the past thirty years. Mr. Updegraff came to Kansas after completing his education, and the vigor and enterprise which characterized his early life in this state have borne abundant fruit in several different lines. Mr. Updegraff was born at Mount Pleasant, Ohio, November 28, 1862. He is of old Quaker family, the religion of the Friends having received the allegiance of the Updegraffs for many generations. The Updegraffs first came out of Holland in … Read more

Roll Of Capt Thomas Latta’s Company

(Probably from Jefferson County) Served from September 15, 1812 until March 21, 1813 Capt. Thomas Latta Lieut John Buck Lieut. Hugh Christy Ensign William Prichard Sergt. George Browers Sergt. George Brown Sergt. Alexander Patterson Sergt, Alexander Valters Sergt. George Emaling Sergt. John Haughey Sergt. Issac Wolms Sergt. Richard Brown Corp. Cornelius Peterson Corp. William Betz Corp. James Holes Corp Mathew Palmer Privates Adams, John Adams, Thomas Agler, William Allbaugh, George Allbaugh, Solomon Argo, Jeremiah Bailis, William Bair, David Baird, Andrew Bamhill, William Barnes, John Beamer, Adam Beamer, Adam, Jr. Bell, Adam Bell, William Boils, Richard Bratell, John Brockar, John Brockar, … Read more

Biography of Charles L. Ong

Charles L. Ong and his family bore an important part in the pioneer commercial and civic life of several communities in Western Kansas and he spent his last years at Salina. Mr. Ong brought his family to Kansas in 1883. Though the name had the flavor of foreign origin, it is in fact one of the oldest in America. The forebears of the late Charles L. Ong came out of England, crossing the ocean on the ship Lyon, and reaching the American colonies on February 5, 1631. Dr. A. R. Ong, A. M., M. D., now deceased, a brother of … Read more

Biography of Thomas Watson Roach

Thomas Watson Roach, for twenty-one years president of Kansas Wesleyan Business College, and a former president of Kansas Wesleyan University at Salina, had not merely found but had made for himself a distinctive place in educational history of the Sunflower State. He came to Kansas more than forty years ago. His name is closely associated with several progressive movements in Kansas educational affairs. He was the pioneer worker for the consolidation of country school districts. He also did the first practical work toward procuring uniformity of text books throughout the state. But even more important than all this he will … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Walter Cain Ong

Ong, Walter Cain; lawyer; born, Jefferson County, Ohio, Nov. 24, 1848; son of Moses Harlan and Mary Cain Ong; educated in the district schools; High School at Mt. Pleasant, O., Richmond College; graduated in 1870, B. A, degree; law course, University of Michigan, LL. B., 1873; admitted to the bar, 1875; married Jefferson County, Ohio, April 8, 1875, Anna M. Mansfield; issue, four children, two living and two deceased; elected prosecuting attorney of Jefferson County, in 1875; served four years; practiced law at Steubenville, O., until June, 1882; came to Cleveland, and practiced until 1886; in 1893, elected to the … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Dan Freeman Bradley

Bradley, Dan Freeman; clergyman; born, Bangkok, Siam, March 17, 1857; son of Dan Beach and Sarah (Blachly) Bradley; educated, Oberlin College, 1882, Oberlin Theological Seminary, 1885, Oberlin Honorary Degree Doctor of Divinity, 1909; same degree, Cornell College, 1904; married, Oberlin, O., July 9, 1883, Lillian Jaques; three sons, Dwight J., Robert G., and Theodore Bradley; pastor Steubenville Ohio, Congregational Church, 1885-1887; Yankton, S. D., 1887-1892; Grand Rapids, Mich., 1892-1902; pres. Iowa College, Grinnel, Ia., 1902-1905; pastor Pilgrim Church, Cleveland, 1905 to date; has gymnasium, branch of public library cooking school and mothers club; has been instrumental in the organization of … Read more