Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/910

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���WALKER, ROBERT; he was born in Knox Co. (now Morrow) in 1809, on tlie John Walker farm, one-half mile north from Chesterville ; remained there till he was 25 years of age. He was married, May 1, 1834, to Mary Mettler, who was born in Northumber- land Co., Penn., Dec. 13, 1813 ; they had the following family: Elizabeth, born .July 18, 1835; Smith A, born Aug. 15, 1838; William W., born March 17, 1841; John L., born July 10, 1844; S. Findley, born Sept. 11, 1848; MaryE., Feb. 13, 1851; Robert Miles, Aug. 26, 1854. Elizabeth married AVilliam B. Millikin; Smith A. Walker married Sarah Gass ; William W., died near Pana, 111., Feb. 16, 1873; John L. Walker married Laura Brown ; S. Findley married Anges E. Mitchell ; Mary Walker resides with her par- ents ; Robert Miles died March 11, 1858. Mr. Robert Walker came to Richland Co. in May, 1 834 ; located in Springfield Township, and engaged in the tannery business ; continued till within a few years. His father, John Walker, settled in Knox Co. in 1807 ; settled seven miles west of Fredericktown ; his nearest neighbor resided three and a-half miles ; they were surrounded by Indians ; Mr. Walker was drafted in the war of 1812; the night after the 21'^™^'' family slaughter, Mrs. Walker took up her family of small children and went to the block house for shelter ; she took three children on horseback, and wrapped them up in blankets ; they were compelled to make this retreat for their safety ; the country, at that time, was a dense forest, infested with wolves, bears, panthers and wild

��cats. Robert Walker's grandmother was taken prisoner at one time by the Indians, and made a Very narrow escape. Smith A. Walker enlisted in the 15th 0. V. I., under Capt. Dawson, in 1861 ; he was taken prisoner at Stone River ; was held by the rebels sixteen days ; he then came home ; was exchanged and returned to his regiment on the march to Atlanta, Ga. ; he was wounded in the left arm ; when his time expired he returned home ; he afterward went as substitute and remained during the war.

WALKER, JAMES P., farmer ; P. 0. Ontario ; he was born near Iberia, Morrow Co., Jan. 6, 1851; married Sept. 3, 1872, to Margaret H. Sipes, who was born in Mor- row Co. March 4, 1850 ; they have two daughters — Ella, born Oct. 22, 1875 ; Ada, born Aug. 16, 1879 ; Mr. Walker has been engaged in farming, is the owner of a good farm and is an enterprising and active man.

WARK, R. F., physician, Ontario ; he was born Dec. 25, 1831, in Zanesville, Ohio. He was educated in Dis- trict No. 1, Highland Township, Muskingum Co. ; he commenced teaching school at the age of 16 years, in Sub-District No. 3, same township, and continued teach- ing in the same neighborhood thirteen years. He studied medicine with Dr. J. W. Craig, of Mansfield, and attended the Cleveland Medical College in the winters of 1862-63, and graduated in 1864 ; then went to Sago, Muskingum Co., Ohio, and remained there for ten years engaged in the practice of medicine. He then returned to Ontario and resumed his practice, has a family of two daughters and two sons.

��TROY TOWNSHIP.

��ABERNETHY, ALEXANDER, M. D., Lexington; Dr. Abernethy is the oldest resident physician of Troy Town- ship. He was born in Pennsylvania in the year 1810; graduated at Jefferson College in Philadelphia in 1831 ; preached in Ferry Co., Penn., for six years ; he then came to Ohio and settled in Lexington in 1836 ; at that time, Lexington had about fifty dwellings, three churches, two stores, one mill and one hotel ; the country was sparsely settled, the roads in a bad con- dition, and the Doctor visited most of his patients on horseback, riding many weary miles through the country for small compensation. In 1843, he married Katharine Fulton, by whom he had four children. AVhen the gold fever of California struck the Eastern States in 1850, the Doctor, like thousands of others, started for the Pacific coast ; he arrived safely, lie stayed in Cilifornia about eighteen months, when he again returned to his home in Lexington. Previous to his trip to California in 1850, he served two terms in the Ohio State Legislature. The 'Doctor according to his quaint expression, has "seen much of the dark as well as the light side of life," his medical practice having extended over a period of more than thirty years ; he is now living a retired life in the vil- lage of Lexington, known and respected by all.

��BEVERSTOCK, A. B., retired merchant, P. 0. Lexington. Allen B. Beverstock was born in the State of Vermont in the year 1804 ; in 1819, he removed to New York, remained there until 1821, when he turned his face westward and emigrated to Ohio, settling in Monroeville, Huron Co. ; here he clerked for the Hollister Company ; trading for furs and pelts from the Indians was a large source of in- come to this company ; he remained in Monroeville until 1832, when he removed to Lexington, "Richland Co. ; here he engaged in the dry-goods business and also other business enterprises, by which he amassed a goodly fortune. Mr. B. was married in 1828 to Miss Reed of Monroeville, by whom he had one child ; his first wife having died, he married Miss Underbill in 1837, by whom he had six children ; Mr. B. continued in business until 1864, when he retired. When the late rebellion broke out, two of Mr. B.'s sons, Frank and Bar- ney, went to the war; Frank served the interests of his country faithfully, sharing in all the marches, battles and skirmishes for nearly two years, when he was cap- tured and languished in the rebel prison-pens for fifteen weary months ; he escaped once, but was recaptured, and was finally exchanged through the influence and money of his father. Barney's experience wa^ not so

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