The Watt Families of Allen County, Ohio

ROBERT WATT, one of Jackson township’s prominent farmers, has resided for the past 53 years on his present farm in section 20, which now consists of 225 acres. He belongs to one of the old pioneer families of Allen County. He was born in Champaign County. Ohio, November 16, 1827. and is a son of Samuel L. and Olive (Walton) Watt.

Samuel L. Watt was born near Marysville, Kentucky, and accompanied his parents to Champaign County, the family consisting of four sons and three daughters. His father. Thomas Watt, who was born in Ireland, emigrated to America, settled first in Pennsylvania, went from there to Kentucky and later to Champaign County, Ohio, where he died aged

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So years. He was a farmer and wood-worker, an expert manufacturer of wagons and ploughs. His children were: Robert, John, James, William, Samuel, Joseph, Margaret, Polly and Betsey. William was the first judge in Allen County. Joseph died in the War of 1812. All the Watt Brothers entered land in Allen County and all settled along Hog Creek. Samuel L. Watt owned several different tracts of land, and at one time a farm of 120 acres.

Samuel L. Watt married Olive Walton who was born in Quebec, Canada. She came to Union County, Ohio, with her parents who were Joseph and Deborah (Gilbert) Walton, natives of Canada. For his second wife Mr. Watt married Mary Greer. The children of the first marriage who reached maturity were: Deborah (Jamison), who died in Iowa; Robert. of this sketch; Joseph, deceased in young manhood; James, deceased; Thomas, of Michigan; Harriet, widow of John Guthrie, of Nevada; Christina (Leech), who died at Walla Walla, Washington; and Nancy (Enos), of Oakland, California. The children of the second marriage were: John J., of Louisiana; Samuel L., of Sac County, Iowa; Olive (Conley), of Iowa; Lydia (Stouker), of Iowa; Sidney. of Iowa; and Sarah Frances, of Missouri.

In 1852 Mr. Watt moved to Sac County, Iowa, driving through with an ox team. Two months were spent on the journey and when he reached there he located near Sac City, the county seat. He laid out Jackson township there and named it after his old home township in Allen County. He became the first county judge of Sac County, where he died.

Robert Watt, our immediate subject, remained at home until he was 20 years old and then went on a rented farm for a year before buying 40 acres of timber land in section 20, Jackson township. Little by little he kept on buying land and clearing it until he owned some 500 acres. Of this he retains 225. having divided the rest among his children. For 40 years he lived in the first little frame dwelling which he built with timber taken from his place, but it finally gave way to the handsome, modern brick residence in which he has lived ever since. Mr. Watt can look back over years of honest industry. He cleared 100 acres of land by himself and he has assisted his children to build comfortable homes on land which he has helped them to acquire. He has done a great deal of teaming and has had contracts for public work. He and his sons have done the greater part of the pipe laying in their section of the county. As a farmer, he has devoted the most of his attention to the raising: of grain and the breeding of draft horses.

In his 20th year Mr. Watt was married to Eva Staley, who was born in Pickawav County, Ohio, May 13, 1825, and came here with her parents when seven years of age. She is a daughter of Jacob and Eunice (Fisher) Staley, natives of Virginia. They have five children living, as follows: Samuel J., of Jackson township; James R., of Jackson township; Marion; and William Henry and Jacob Allen, of Jackson township. Two sons and one daughter died young.

Mr. Watt has been a life-long Democrat. He has been offered many of the local offices, but has accepted only that of township trustee. He is one of the reliable, substantial and representative men of his township.

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

WILLIAM WATT, merchant, Lafayette, was born in Jackson Township. this county, April 4, 1839, son of William and Elizabeth (Hawk) Watt, early settlers of Allen County, Ohio; the former a native of Brown County, Ohio, and at one time judge of the court, Lima, died in October, 1838, aged forty years; the latter, born in Maysville, Ky., died November 14, 1883, aged eighty-nine years. They were the parents of ten children: John, Susannah, Mary, Sarah, Willis, Elspy, Margaret, Samuel, Eliza J. and William. Our subject remained upon the farm until sixteen years of age. when he entered the employ of Dr. N. Sager, with whom he remained nine years. He was then employed by a Mr. Fisher till 1872, when he formed a partnership with J. W. Umbaugh, and the firm selling out in 1875, Mr. Watt has since conducted the business for his own account, his stock consisting of nearly everything needed by the farming community. The better to accommodate his trade he erected in 1879, a large two-story frame building, with three store-rooms. He also erected, the year previous, a fine brick residence. During the Rebellion he enlisted in Company F, Fourth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, in February, 1864, and remained in the service till the close of the war. Our subject was married, June 17, 1860, to Miss Sarah Cloore, born in Pickaway County, Ohio, January 7, 183S, daughter of Daniel and Thursa (Ewing) Cloore, both deceased. By this union were born five children: Walter, Lulu (wife of Charles Wamsley), Arthur, Pert and Harry. Mr. Watt has been a member of the Christian Church for several years. Politically he is identified with the Democratic party. He has served the township as clerk, and is the present treasurer. He has also held the position of freight, ticket and express agent of the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad fourteen years.

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

L. WATT, one of the highly esteemed Biy residents of Lima, now living retired in his pleasant home at No. 133 North Pierce street, can remember when this busy, populous city consisted of but a few scattering houses, not more than one or two being constructed of brick. He was born in this city, April 27, 1836, and is a son of Hudson Watt, once a very prominent citizen here.

Hudson Watt was the pioneer shoe manufacturer in Allen County and was identified with nearly all the early important business enterprises. He was born at Flemmingsburg, Kentucky, and came in 1808 to Ohio, settling in Champaign County. After his marriage in 1829 he continued to live there until 1833, when he came to Lima and immediately became one of the leading factors in the development of the city’s resources. He was, as noted, one ott the earliest as well as one of the largest shoe manufacturers in this section, and later he embarked in a general mercantile business which he continued during his business career. He was very active in the Whig party and later became just as closely allied with the Republican party. For years he was a leading business man of Lima. He retired in 1868, his sons succeeding him.

W. L. Watt was reared and educated at Lima and was about 20 years old when he entered his father’s general mercantile store, although he had been more or less connected with the shoe manufacturing business from early youth. At that time his father did business under the firm name of H. Watt, which at a later period became H. Watt & Sons and still later, upon the father’s retirement, Watt Brothers.

The opening of the Civil War turned the young merchant's attention from his former peaceful pursuits and, in July, 1861, he enlisted as a private in Company I, 27th Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf. which was mustered into the service at Camp Chase, Columbus, Ohio. The regiment was assigned to the Army of the West and spent the first nine months in Missouri, mainly pursuing the Confederate forces under General Price, finally, after a pursuit of 3,200 miles, engaging the enemy in battle at New Madrid, Missouri. Later the 27th Ohio went down the Mississippi River to Fort Pillow and then back again and up the Tennessee River to Pittsburg Landing. The regiment then took part in the siege of Corinth Mississippi, occupying Corinth until the battle of Iuka, after which they were assigned to provost duty at Memphis for six months. Returning then to Corinth, the 27th Ohio was a part of the Ohio brigade, which fought the battle of Corinth on October 3-4, 1863. They then started for Chattanooga, Tennessee. Reaching Pulaski, they assisted in opening up to traffic the Nashville & Decatur Railroad. In the following spring they moved on to Chattanooga. The regiment, a part of General McPherson's force, went through Smoke Valley and flanked the Confederate troops at Resaca, earning well-merited applause from their comrades and the country in general.. The 27th Ohio made a fine record in all the battles of the campaign which resulted in the capture of Atlanta, taking part in the siege of that city, and it was Mr. Watt's bride, as- Seen eee ee sisted by another, that made the final charge which drove the enemy across the Chattahoochee River on that memorable occasion. It was during that gallant charge that Mr. Watt suffered the injury which retired him from active service for a time. A bullet wound in the kneepan is not a pleasant thing to endure and Mr. Watt was obliged to lay aside his musket for a time.

At Marietta, Georgia, to which point he was conveyed, he met an old friend and rested with him from July 5th until July 18th, when he returned to his regiment, being under the necessity of wading the Chattahoochee River in order to rejoin it in front of Atlanta, where he arrived in time to participate in the battle before that city of July 22nd. It was on this day that the brave and beloved General McPherson fell. On he third day the movement was made by General Sherman’s forces, which resulted in the Confederates evacuating Atlanta. The 27th Ohio helped to fight the battle of Jonesboro and was then sent to Marietta, where our subject was put in charge of a battery and sent on to Chattanooga to turn over some ordnance. In November, 1864, he came home, with the rank of captain, his commission dating from July,

Mr. Watt then entered his father’s store as a salesman and in 1866 he became a member of the firm. After his father’s retirement from business in 1868, the firm became Watt Brothers, and this continued for six years, when the firm style became J. D. & W. L. Watt, and this was retained until 1882, when our subject withdrew. He then embarked in a shoe business in which he continued until the winter of 1886-87. Since then he has occupied himself in extensive dealings in real estate, having large interests in this direction, and he has also done considerable building.

On January 2, 1860, Mr. Watt was married to Marion Augusta Fowler, formerly of Rochester, New York, and they have one child, Jessie, who is the wife of M. L. Johnson of Petoskey, Michigan where Mr. Watt and wife have spent the past 26 summers.

Mr. Watt was a member of the first City Council of Lima, serving two terms, and has been a member of the Board of Education for one term. He belongs to Mart Armstrong Post, No. 202, G. A. R. For many years Mr. Watt has been a member of Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church, and has served as a member of the board of trustees since 1866.

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