The Powell Families of Morrow County, Ohio

ELDER PETER POWELL, minister; Marengo; was born Oct. 18, 1804, in Fairfield Co., Ohio; his parents, Moses and Rebecca (Meredith) Powell, were natives of Virginia, and about the year 1800, emigrated to this State, locating in Fairfield Co. They had nine children— Stephen, John, Aaron, Peter, Elizabeth, Prudence, Nancy, Isaac and Moses. The died in 1817 and the father in 1826; they mother were members of the Baptist Church. When Elder Powell was a boy, the opportunities for obtaining an education in Ohio were of the most meagre and primitive kind; the country was an unbroken forest, the settlements were but few, and but recently made, and the little community that could boast of a log cabin school-house, was considered highly fortunate; but Mr. Powell made the most of his opportunities, and in the course of events, became a minister of the Gospel. May 3, 1827, he was married to Esther, a daughter of Elder Christian and Christina Coffman; her parents came from Virginia to Ohio in 1808, and become residents of Fairfield Co.; they were the parents of eight children, as follows — Anna, deceased; Esther, Rebecca, Gideon, Rachel, Fannie, Joshua and Joel. The father was an Elder in the Baptist Church for over fifty years. Mrs. Powell was born March 29, 1809; after marriage they settled in Hocking Co., and engaged in farming. In 1832 they found a home on a farm in Trenton Tp., Delaware Co., and in 1834 moved to Lincoln Tp., now in this county, where they engaged in the nursery business, which proved a successful enterprise; in this a snug fortune was realized, a portion of which Mr. Powell distributed

+ among his children. A few years ago he purchased twenty acres of land in Harmony Tp., where he now resides; he retired from the active duties of life, devoting, however, some of his time to the ministry which he entered in 1843. He now has two regular appointments, one in Westfield Tp., of this county, and the other in Harlem Tp., Delaware Co. Mr. and Mrs. Powell are the parents of six children — Ann, who married George Ulrey, they have two children — Esther B. and Sarah M.; John (whose biography appears in Lincoln Tp. Rebecca, who became the wife of James S. Dunham, and has seven children — John B., Minerva J., Monroe H., Peter I., Esther A., Amos M. and Minor B.; Isaiah, who married Elizabeth Long, nine children have been born to them, viz. — John O., William and Allen, deceased, Barton. Emily, Peter J., Manford P., deceased, Tilman and an infant not named; Maria J. married Eli Ulrey, to whom three children have been born — an infant deceased, Delbert D., and Lyman P.; the sixth of the family, Minerva married John W. Porter, they have had two children — Alice F., deceased, and an infant un-named. A party, consisting of Elder Powell’s paternal grandfather and a brother Robert, and the Elder’s father, while crossing a ford of Cheat river (afterwards called Powell’s ford), in West Virginia, were assailed by the Indians; the grandfather was shot, and his brother Robert was tortured to death by pine sticks being stuck into the flesh of his legs and set on fire. Mr. Powell’s father, Moses, escaped.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

JOHN POWELL, farmer; P. O., Cardington; was born in Delaware Co., O., Feb. 10, 1830; he is of Welsch descent; his parents were born in Fairfield Co., O. They came to Delaware Co. in a very early day, where they resided until 1833, at which time they came to Morrow Co. Mr. Powell was raised on a farm, and resided with his parents until of age, at which time he began business for himself. He received a common school education; he was married Dec. 20, 1849, to Mary E. Stephens, whose parents were very early settlers in Morrow Co.; from their marriage there were eight children, two of whom are dead; Peter C., Margaret E., George M., Isaiah D., Clement L. V., Sanford D., Maria E., John W. Mr.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

THOMAS H. POWELL, farmer; P. O., Chesterville; is the son of Daniel Powell, born in 1805, and Anna (Ayres) Powell, born in 1808, both in Pennsylvania. They were married in 1827 in Ohio, having emigrated to Welsh Hills at an early day, and made their ! final settlement in this township on what is now the residence of Aquilla Jarvis. Here the father died Dec. 24, 1866. The mother attended a fourth of July celebration at Mt. Gilead, and on the fifth of the month expired, in the year 1876 or 1877. They had seven children — Levi, Eliza J., Sallie A., Maria, Thomas, Diana, Elizabeth M.; the parents were Baptists. Thomas was born July 31, 1838, in what is now Morrow Co., and was named for Rev. Thomas Powell, who gave I him a horse and $25, He attended school some in his younger days, and worked for his father on his farm, and was married in 1857, to Elizabeth, daughter of James and Matilda Gale. Her father was born in Maryland, and her mother in Pennsylvania, and they had eleven children, seven of whom survive — Frederick, Elizabeth, Mary, Abner, Amy A., John and Sarah E. Mrs. Powell was born

Oct. 4, 1839, and she and her husband settled after marriage on a portion of his father’s farm, and in 1870 he bought the hotel in Chesterville, and kept tavern for eighteen months, in which he was successful. Selling there, he came to the present farm in the spring of 1873. He has now 143 acres of finely improved land; was once Constable, and has been township Trustee. He and his wife are members of the Regular Baptist Church. He cast his first Presidential vote for Douglas, and has since been identified with the party. His union blessed him with eight children — Mary E., married William Fogle; Benjamin F., Eliza C., James A., Murray, Millie, Laura and Hannah.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

EVAN W. POWELL, farmer; P. O., Mt. Gilead. Among the influential self-made men who settled in this township from the " Old Dominion," the above named gentleman is worthy of more than a passing notice; he is the second son of Peyton and Permelia (Fox) Powell, born in Loudoun Co., Va., March 15, 1822; he spent his youth on a farm, and at twenty-three had the oversight of a plantation for two years. In the fall of 1847 he came to Ohio, andere long was engaged to teach school in Congress Tp., of this county; he accepted the position with some misgivings about his qualifications, but by hard study his labors were crowned with good success. The wages at that time attained the modest sum of ten dollars per month and board; he next engaged to work on a farm some six month at the same wages, and during that fall cast his first vote for General Taylor, having been disfranchised before by the " property test,'' in his native State; he then returned to Virginia where he taught subscription school; having some pupils whose attainments were equal to his, he worked on bravely, sometimes until two o'clock at night, to keep ahead of them, thus catching the spirit of the true teacher; with his matter ever fresh in his mind, he took his pupils through without their ever suspecting the trial it cost. In 1849 he attended the boarding school of Franklin Taylor, during the spring and summer, and continued to teach until 1851. He united his fortunes with Miss Elizabeth Everett, Sept. 20, 1849; she is a daughter of Eli and Nancy (Davis) Everett, born in Harrison Co., Ind., March 21, 1827; her father was a surveyor and settled in the Hoosier State very early. In the spring of 1851 Mr. Powell set out for Ohio with his family, arriving May 2, at Williamsport; he at once began looking for a home; he visited Indiana, but soon returned and located on the present place, which then consisted of eighty acres; in June he purchased it of Elijah Whistler, who had settled there some seven years before, and made small improvements. Mr. Powell has since added seventy-three acres to his first purchase and erected substantial and elegant buildings on the same; his estate now includes about one hundred atid thirty acres of tine farming lands, on the south branch of Owl Creek, also valuable timber lands. Mr. Powell is the father of thirteen children, nine of whom are living — Mary E., born Oct. 2G, 1850, married William Virtue, a carpeifter of this township; Louis K., Feb. G, 1852; graduated at the Otterbein University in 1875; he read law with Olds & Dickey, and was admitted to the Bar, in 1878; he is at j)r(S('nt Mayor of Mount Gilead, and School Kxaniiner; is a young man of brilliant promise, and the partner of Thomas Dalrymple, attorney-at-law; Ora Virginia, born June 1, 1853; now- Mrs. James McCammon, of Gilead Tp.; Margaret P., Oct. 4, 1854, married John Rus- S(>11, Treasurer of Morrow Co.; Charles R., March 5, 1856; Walter P., Dec. 5, 1857; Frank, Aug. 12, 1859, died Aug. 27, 1861; infant daughter; Frank E., Apr. 17, 1862; Evan W., Dec. 29, 1863, died Oct. 2, 1865; George W., born December 3, 1865, died March 7, 1867; Thaddeus S., May 16, 1867; Anna B., March 4, 1871. The home of our subject he has striven to beautify with the culture and refinement of the age, and the high social standing and moral worth of his family attest the wisdom of such a course. Mr. Powell early united with the United Brethren in Christ, and is now Trustee of the Williamsport Ciiurch. He was a Whig in the days of old "Rough and Ready," and joined the Republican ])arty at its organization. His parents were both natives of Virginia. His father followed the trade of blacksmith, and served in the war of 1812; in later years he was a miller of the soil. He departed this life during the late civil war, and his companion followed him in 1867; both had reached the lime allotted to man of three-score-years-and ten. Ten children were born to them — William, Amy, Elizabeth, Evan W., Margaret, George, Charles, Thomas, Gurlev and Harriet.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.