Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/812

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��BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES:

��DURBIN, SCOTT (deceased), was born in Washing- ton Co., Penn., in 1791, and moved to Fairfield Co., Ohio, in 1804, and soon after to Knox Co. and took a job of clearing 25 acres for Amos. Rice, near Ankney- town, for 160 acres near Bellville. He was married to Margaret Davis, in 1812, and moved in a small cabin he built about one and a half miles south of Bellville. He assisted in driving tlie Greentown Indians and served in the war a short time. From this first cabin, he built one on his own land and moved into it. He next moved southwest of Bellville three miles, then two miles south of Mt. Vernon, then near Anknejtown, Where he discontinued housekeeping. He died in Williams Co., Ohio, in November 186::!. Mrs. Durbin was born in Virginia, near the Warm Springs, in 1792, and moved to Mt. Vernon when 17 years of age. At this date, March, 1880, she is alive and in the 88th year of her age. His children are George W., born July 14, 1813; John, Sept. 10, 1815; Mary H., Oct. 6,1817; Samuel, Sept. 17, 1819; Lorenzo, Sept. 7, 1821 ; Eliza- beth, Sept. 23, 1824; Simeon, May 19, 1827; Isabel, Aug. 14, 1829; Scott, Sept. 5, 1833; Thomas, May 27, 183-3; William, April, 1837.

DURBIN, JEHU, was born in Jefferson Township Sept. 14, 1824, and is a son of Thomas Durbin ; he was brought up on a farm. He was married Feb. 20, 1849, to Nancy Aungst ; they commenced to keep house in Jefferson Township, and have lived in it to this day ; Mrs. Durbin was born in the township also, on Dec. 17, 1822, and is a daughter of George Aungst, who migrated to Jefferson Township in an early day ; their children are Lorenzo D., born Dec. 10, 1849 ; Sarah Jane, Aug. 6, 1851 ; George W., March 14, 1853; Sam- uel, Dec. 26, 1854; Joseph J., Dec. 1, 1856; James C, Jan. 28, 1859; Arabella, March 4, 1861 ; Aaron, April 25, 1863 ; Lorenzo was married to Mary Elizabeth Teeter, Dec. 23, 1875, and lias two sons ; George W. was married to Elizabeth Garber in 1879. Mr. Durbin has held the office of Township Trustee, and other local offices. Farming has been his main occupation through life ; when young, he did some teaming to and from the lake, and of late years has given his attention largely to stock-growing. He was in the war of the rebellion as a teamster. Samuel, his third son, has been successfully teaching school for several years.

ELLER, JACOB, fiirmer ; was born in Jefferson Township Sept. 5, 1851, and was married Jan. 10, 1875 ; she is a daughter of Samuel Hamilton, and was born in Jefferson Township Aug. 5, 1856; their oldest child was born Jan. 30, 1876; Almira Ellen was born Sept. 22, 1877, and Minnie Alice April 1, 1879. Mr. Eller is Joseph EUei-'s oldest child; he has made his residence in Jefferson Township since his marriage.

EVARTS, REUBEN, was born near Hamilton, Can- ada, Dec. 12, 1809, and came with his father to Richland in February, 1816, who settled in Jefferson Township in March, 1817; in 1834, he purchased the east half of the northwest quarter of Sec. 16. On April 5, 1840, he married Rebecca Howard, who was born in Somer- set Co., Penn., April 12, 1818, and made said purchase their home during their married life ; the children born to them were twelve — Andrew, Cyrus, Eli and Levi, Annette, Reuben, Comfort A., Alverda, Robert, Rebecca J., John H. and Sarah C; Eli and Levi are twins, the

��former born late in 1843 and the latter early in 1844 ; Cyrus died Feb. 8, 1844; Mrs. Evarts died Sept. 21, 1876. Eli was married to Sarah Lafferty Dec. 22, 1868; Reuben, Jr., to Annette Rhodes Dec. 22, 1870; Andrew to Mariah Stanton Feb. 20, 1871 ; Alverda to Peter Horn Sept. 17, 1874; Comfort Ann to James M. Reed Sept. 24, 1874 ; Levi to Ella C. Ridenour Dec. 2, 1874; Annette to Adam H. Zimmers Dec. 28, 1875; Robert to Abbie B. Cutting Oct. 10, 1877; Rebecca to Joseph Shelly Feb. 20, 1879. Mr. Evarts is a descend- ant of two families of Massachusetts ; his grandfathers, Gilbert Evarts and Joel Bigelow, moved to Addison Co., Vt., in 1755; here Timothy Evarts was born, brought up, and married. Before the war of 1812, he was en- gaged in the business of transportation on Lakes On- tario and Champlain, and had his home near Hamilton, in Canada; here Reuben was born. At the opening of the war, Timothy Evarts, with others, were requested to take the oath of allegiance in support of the British, and upon their refusal, were persecuted, arrested and paroled ; at the close of the war, he was destitute, by confiscation of property and other privations, and he, in company with others, procured two row-boats and commenced a journey for Ohio ; by mucli tribulation and braving many dangers, he succeeded in reach- ing the new purchase, and in March, 1817, arrived in Jefferson Township ; in 1818, he entered the west half of the southeast quarter of Sec. 22. He was the first Clerk of Jefferson Township as now constituted, taught school, and became a valuable citizen in many respects ; he died on the northeast quarter of Sec. 16, in 1846. Reuben Evarts, whose name heads this article, com- menced to teach school in 1827 or 1828, and taught fourteen winter terms in succession, excepting 1836-37, when he took a journey to Iowa; in 1828, he com- menced to work on the Ohio Canal, and labored on it two summers; in 1831, he commenced to make pumps, and for twelve years it was his exclusive summer occu- pation. Mr. Evarts has filled all the township offices ; in 1843, he was elected Justice of the Peace, and con- tinued in the office thirty-six years, during which time he solemnized over three hundred marriages, settled thirty-six estates, wrote many wills in Richland, Knox, Morrow, Ashland, Sandusky and Ashtabula Cos., and no decision of his was ever reversed on appeal or error; he was an agent of the Washington Sanitary Commis- sion during its existence. Mr. R. has taken an active interest in preserving the pioneer history of Richland Co., and is one of the best-informed men on this sub- ject. He resides on his farm south of Bellville, and is yet vigorous in body and mind, and spending his days in the enjoyment of home and social surroundings.

FARQUHAR, ALBERT G., farmer ; born in Frederick Co., Md., May 20, 1804 ; he came with his father to Ohio in 1805, and the next year to Knox Co., in which he lived until after marriage. He was united in matrimony to Hannah Gibson on the 11th of December, 1837; she was born May 15, 1808, and came with her parents to Knox Co. in 1818. He still resided in Knox Co. after marriage until December, 1852, when he bought a part of Sec. 31, in Jefferson Township, where he has since lived. Children — Mary Elizabeth, born Jan. 1, 1832; Ruth Ann, July 5, 1834 ; Amanda Malvina, June 19, 1840. The mother died Dec. 3, 1871. Mr. Farquhar

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