The Walton Families of Wyandot County, Ohio

JAMES H. WALTON.

Agriculture finds in Tymochtee township, Wyandot county, Ohio, one of its ablest and most skillful representatives in the person of the subject of this sketch, who was born on his father’s farm in this township April 26. 1831, and is a son of

'Matthew and Catherine (Shepler) Walton, who settled here among the pioneers and Indians in 1827 and were largely instrumental in clearing up the land from the wilderness and in developing the civilization which at this day blessed Crawford county, of which Wyandot county was then a part, and of which civilization Wyandot county now has its full share.

Matthew W alton was a native of Allen county, X. J.. was born October 20, 1707, and there grew to manhood. In 1818 he came to Ohio and located in Ross county, his father, William Walton, being the leader of this movement. There he married Miss Shepler August ti. 1819. This lady was a native of Pennsylvania, born November 20. 1799. After clearingup a farm from the woods and suitably improving it, Mr. Walton resided in Ross county until 1827, when he came to Wyandot county, then a part of Crawford county, driving across the country with a team. He bought eighty i acres in the woods in section 10. Tvmochtee township, on which he lived a short time only and then purchased one hundred and sixty acres in section 27. deep in the woods, without a road within miles. Here he erected a cabin of round logs, in which he passed the remainder of his life, dying June 1. 1860, his wife having passed away March 12, 1854. Mr. Walton was a very public-spirited man, voted the Republican ticket, and did all in his power to aid public improvements, such as the laying out of roads, etc.

To Matthew and Catherine (Shepler) Walton were born ten children, in the following order: Sarah Ann, born May 1.

j 1820, died June 2. 1860; William, born June 15, 1822, died November 15, 1822; Richard, born April 10. 1826; Irvin, born October 20. 1828; James H., the subject of this sketch; Cassandra, born November 10, 1835: Daniel, born September 8, 1837. died in Des Moines, Iowa; and Matthew, born March 8. 1841, deceased.

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- ate son, and on October 26, 1854. he married Miss Barbara Coon, who was born in Sycamore township, March 20, 1831. She was a daughter of Adam and Elizabeth ( Heckenthorn ) Coon, the former of whom was born January 23. 1803, and the latter August 30, 1807. Mrs. Walton was called away September 6. 1900. and left three children, viz: John Orlenthus, who married

Mary Cletus Gribben. but still lives with his father and owns the old homestead; Adam, who is married to Mary E. Buck, and has two children, Grace F. and F water Bixby Walton: Laura E., wife of Henry Houck, of Columbus. Ohio, the mother of two children. Hazel P. and Barbara C. John O. supplemented a good common-school education by attendance at the Ada Xormal Institute and also at Lebanon College. He has made a specialty of mathematics, of which science he is very fond. For over twelve years he has successfully taught school in Wyandot county, and has as such earned for himself a splendid reputation. Aside from pedagogy, he has also spent much time in Pennsylvania in the capacity of a salesman. As stated above, he also operates the old home place.

On marrying Mr. Walton lived on the old home farm for one year, then lived in Sycamore township while; he next returned to the old homestead and at the death of his father purchased the place, which comprised two hundred acres, of which he has sold forty acres to Elias Ellis. Mr. Walton also owned a farm of one hundred and fifty-seven acres, of which he sold fifty-seven acres to Joseph VanDcren, and later sold a small tract to another party, leaving his son Adam the possessor of seventy-three acres. Mr. Walton carries on general farming. and also fatten and sells stock. Of recent years he has lived a retired life. His farm is nicely improved and is under a high state of cultivation; everything is neat and tidy and Mr. Walton is recognized as one of the best agriculturists in Tvmochtee township, if not in the county of Wyandot.

In politics Mr. Walton is a Republican. He cast his first presidential vote for Franklin Pierce, the Whig candidate, and has never since found reason to change his ad-

I ference to the party, but has never sought an office of any kind. He is a member of the Evangelical church, but belongs to no secret societies. In the church, however, he is very active, and for the forty years in which he has been a communicant has liberally aided financially in its support and for many years has been superintendent of the Sunday school.

Since the loss of his life-companion. Mr. Walton has led a retired life, but he has not lost his interest in the progress and well-be- 1 ing of his township and freely contributes of his means toward every project designed for i the township’s weal. He is highly respected j by his neighbors, and is regarded all over ' the township as one of its best and most ! prominent citizens, and this is a reputation he certainly is entitled to. as all admit.

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

L. R. WALTON, one of the leading farmers and stock dealers of the county, was born near the village of Old Tymochtee, June 16, 1833. His parents, Matthew and Catharine (Shepler) Walton, were natives of Trenton, N. J. They were married in their native county, and subsequently removed to Ross County, Ohio, from which place they came to Wyandot County in 1826-27. Mr. Walton entered eighty acres of land three miles east of Old Tymochtee, and resided on that till July, 1833, when he purchased 160 acres three and a half miles southeast of Old Tymochtee. He cleared most of this farm, and remained on it till his death, which occurred June 1, 1861, at the ripe age of sixty-two years. Mrs. Walton preceded him in March, 1855, at the age of fifty. Their union was best with ten children, five of whom are living at the present time, their names as follows: Andrew Irvin, a resident of this township; James H., on the old homestead in this township; L. R., our subject; Casander, wife of Elijah Lake, and Matthew, a resident of Upper Sandusky. L. R. Walton, whose name heads this sketch, was reared on the homestead and educated in the common schools. September 8, 1853, he was married to Miss Catharine J. Hufford, daughter of Christopher and Catharine (Corfman) Hufford, who were early settlers in this township. Mrs. Walton, a native of this township, was born June 9, 1834. To Mr. and Mrs. Walton have been born four children; of these, two are Jiving — Barbara E., wife of Madison Stokely, and Birt. Clayton died at the age of six years and nine months; Casper at the age of nine years. In 1865, Mr. Walton bought eighty acres where he now resides. He made subsequent additions to this purchase till he owned 240 acres of land. He has since disposed of a part of his farm to his daughter, and now owns 165 acres, which is under excellent cultivation and finely improved. He has an artificial fish pond covering half an acre, which is supplied with water from a spring thirty rods away, being conveyed by an underground pipe. In May, 1883, he purchased sixty-five German carp, paying therefor $40, and has since paid considerable attention to fish culture. Mr. Walton has engaged extensively for the last fourteen years in handling stock. He ships on an average forty car loads annually, principally to Buffalo, N. Y., and East Liberty, Penn. Mr. Walton ranks as one of the leading live stock men of the county. He is a citizen of public spirit, and has always performed his part in public improvements and enterprises of the county. He served his township as Trustee three years. He owns Section F, containing half an acre, in Pleasant Ridge Cemetery, and has taken great pains to improve it.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

JOHN WALTON, Deceased.

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John Walton was a native of the Buckeye state, was born December 17. 1833. in Ross county, and was a son of Matthew and Kate Walton, natives of the same county, but early settlers in the county of Wyandot, having purchased a farm in Tymochtee township, which they cleared up and resided upon the remainder of their lives. The late John Walton grew to manhood on his father's homestead in Tymochtee township, and at the government land sale bought an eighty-acre tract in Eden township, in section 1. This land was the wildest of the wild, but by dint of hard labor he converted

' it into a profitable farm, on which the surviving members of his family still make their home.

John Walton was twice married. His first wife bore the maiden name of Lovina Arrowsmith, and to this union were born six children, who were named, in order of birth: Madison, Mark, John R., Andrew

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Mrs. Sarah Walton was the mother of one child by her first marriage. Jeremiah, who died in 1888, aged thirty years. To the union of John and Sarah (Corfman) Walton were born four children, namely: Viola, who is the wife of Aaron Corfman, a farmer in Eden township: Minnie, deceased wife of Sherman I. Poole, who left one child, Craig; Sheridan and Sherman, twins; both the latter are still unmarried, live with their mother and farm the old home piece.

May 2. 1864, the late John Walton enlisted in Company A, One Hundred and Forty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, but really had no opportunity to display on the battlefield his devotion to the flag in the face of the enemy. The seeds of disease were sown in his system in the early part of his enlistment and he was honorably discharged in September, 1864. But the insidious disorder finally resulted in his death about twenty years later, on May 2t. 1883. in the midst of his family, who had the sorrowful consolation of witnessing his departure to the unknown real beyond. He was a consistent member of the Methodist Protestant church and in politics was a stanch Republican. He was a loving husband and a kind and indulgent father, as well as a steadfast friend, and never lost the respect of any person who once formed his acquaintance. PI is amiable widow, as has been intimated above still resides on the old homestead, and is one of the most highly respected ladies of Eden township and whose many warm friends are devotedly attached to her, won by her many womanly graces of head and heart.

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

LEMAR WALTON was born in Ross County, Ohio, August 8, 1822. His parents were John and Casander (Ritter) Walton, natives of New Jersey and Kentucky respectively. They were married in Ross County, September 19, 1819, and removed to this county in 1833, where the father died August 25, 1835. They had nine children: Henry, Lemar, William H. and John W (twins), Samuel A., Melinda A., Eleanor, Nancy and Nelson. Lemar, Samuel A. and Melinda A. are the only ones living; the mother died August 5, 1849. Lemar Walton was married April 3, 1849, to Magdalene Huflford, daughter of Christopher and Catharine (Corfman) Hufford, of Tymochtee Township; her parents were natives of Maryland and Ohio respectively. They settled in this county in 1828, where Mr. Hufford still resides; his wife died August 20, 1851. Mr. and Mrs. Hufford ara the parents of nine <;children — Magdalene, George W., Catharine, Barbara, Conrad, Mary, Lydia, Elizabeth and Sarah M. Elizabeth is deceased. Mr. Walton has always engaged in farming: he purchased his present farm of eighty acres in 1851, and has reared a family of ten children: Samuel A., Isaiah W., Mary E. and Sarah E. (twins), Willis C, Eliza Ann, Levi F., Jasper N., Allen L., and Florence J. Sarah E. is deceased, died September 26, 1872. Mr. Walton owns 218 acres in this county, and in 1873 purchased 160 acres in Kansas, which he gave to his sons; he and wife are members of the Evangelical Church, of which faith their son, S, A. Walton, is a minister in Madison County, Iowa.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.