Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/941

 WORTHINGTON TOWNSHIP.

��929

��here they continued to reside about eight years, during which time the husband was employed as a day laborer; At the end of this period, Mr. Pealer leased a quarter- section of land, situated near Newville, of Peter Alex- ander. By the terms of the leaser, the lesse was to have three crops for clearing and fencing the land ; the whole farm being covered with a heavy growth of timber. In the spring of 1848, having cleared a small tract, he erected a caliia thereon, into which he re- moved with h's family. He and his eldest sons, who were at that time mere lads, went at once to work to free a portion of the soil of its incumbrance ; while on this farm they commenced a job of clearing on New Year's Day, and by dint of hard labor had nine and one-half acres ready for cultivation the following spring; they cultivaied this field in corn and raised a very good crop, and by fall they had five and one-half acres more cleared which they sowed with wheat. Mr. Pealer continued to reside on this farm eight years ; after his lease expired he farmed for Mr. Alexander on shares ; the ground being new and fresh, and Mr. Pealer an excellent farmer, his crops during this time were most abundant ; purchased 96J acres of land of Abner Davis, situated in Section 11 of this township, for which he paid $1,600 ; he immediately removed to this farm and with his usual energy set abcut improving and culti- vating it ; the annual products of this farm have, as a general thing, been quite abundant, and the labors of the Pealer family have bem amply rewarded ; each of his sons is now the cwner of more or less land. In 1860, Mr. Pealer boight of Robert MCon- kie 50 acres of land adjoining lis first purchase, for which he paid $1,132; he sulsequently bought 30 acres of the Stein heirs, for wlich he paid $1,718; his last purchase was 15 acres, wlich he sold for about the same he paid for it. John F.and Margaret Pealer are parents of ten children — eighi sons and two daugh- ters ; the following are their naaes in the order of their birth : Jane, Eve, John Alam, John Christo- pher, Fredrick A., John Philip, Jihn Martin, George Alexander, Peter Alexander and Clrk Alexander; the last three were named for Peter Alxander, who was a bosom friend of Mr. Pealer ; their wo daughters were born in Germany and died there ; ae at the age of 10 months and the other at the age of 8 years ; their three eldest sons were also born injrermany ; all the others were born in this township Adam and Clark live with their parents and are singly Peter is married and lives on the old home farm ; FreJerick A. lives on the Stein farm, of which he is the o%ner ; John C. re- sides in Boone Co., Mo., and owns a frm of 200 acres : John Philip lives in Fayette Co., III.; le owns 80 acres of land ; he served as Tax Collector 3 yars, and is now Sheriff of the county. John Martin wasa soldier in the late war ; a Corporal in Co. I., 64th Lg., 0. V. I.; he participated in many hard-fought battle ; he was in the service two years, and was a brave andtrusty soldier ; at the battle of Chickamauga, he was sot through the right lung ; he was taken to the hospitnat Nashville, Tenn., where he died from the effects if his wound, Oct. 27, 1863 ; he was buried at Nashvib ; George A. was a private of Co. B, 120th 0. V. j, in the late war ; he was in the service one year, luring which

��time he was engaged in five battles ; he was hon- orably discharged from the service on account of physical disability, incurred by the exposures inci- dent to camp life ; upon receiving his discharge, he returned to his home and friends, where every pos- sible effort was made to restore him to health, but all in vain ; he is buried at St. Johns, Monroe Township.

RAMSEY, JOHN, farmer ; P. 0. Butler ; was born in Stark Co. March 27, 1812; he has been a farmer all his life, but at the same time has found time to turn his attention to other matters, which has shown his abili- ties as a financier ; during the war, he made money as a producer of wool ; he has held a number of oflBces. He commenced dealing in live stock in 1855, making more extensive purchases and sales than any man in the county ; latterly he has been speculating exten- sively in grain. April 26, 1838, he was married to Eliza Brown, by whom he had three sons and one daughter, who are now living ; his first office was Constable ; has served a number of years as Justice of the Peace ; in 1854, he was elected Commissioner ; served six years ; afterward again elected to the same office ; has been Township Treasurer four years ; has also served fifteen years on the Board of Education. He is the owner of 300 acres of land located in Sec. 16, 21 and 35. His father, Andrew Ramsey, was a native of the State of Pennsylvania ; he was married in West- moreland Co., that State, to Isabel Halferty, in 1810; they started for Ohio the same year on horseback, and settled about five miles from Canton, in Stark Co.; he entered 160 acres of land, remained on it five years and sold it for f 750 ; in 1815, became to Worthington Town- ship, where he bought 160 acres of land for $3.50 per acre ; he was the first Constable elected in the township; he also was Trustee several terms. He belonged to the Union Church ; he and wife were the parents of two sons and two daughters ; the mother died in September, 1862 ; his death occurred December 6, 1863. The subject of this sketch has been administrator of various estates; often collecting as high as $20,000, thereby showing the confidence and trust, not only in his honesty, but his business abilities, in which he is held by his fellow-citizens. In early life he united with the Union Church; in 1869, united with the Evangelical Church.

RIDER, WILLIAM, farmer; P. 0. Newville; was born in Monroe Township, Richland Co., Ohio, Jan. 1, 1830; his father, Henry Rider, was of German de- scent and a Pennsylvanian by birth ; his mother's maiden name was Mary Zimmerman ; Henry and Mary Rider are the parents of thirteen children, ten of whom attained to the estate of manhood and woman- hood ; Henry Rider and wife came to this county about A. D. 1823 ; Mr. Rider entered a quarter-section of land in the southeastern part of Monroe Township, which he improved and cultivated and on which he continued to reside as long as he lived ; he died Jan. 15, 1867 ; his wife died June 26, 1870 ; they are buried in the Schrack graveyard in Monroe Township. William Rider, third son of Henry and Mary Rider, was united in mavriage to Miss Rebecca Jane, second daughter of AVilliam and Isabelle McClellan, April 8, 1858 ; Miss McClellan was born in Worthington Township Aug. 1, 1828 ; her father was born in

��^

�� �