David Boyd

DAVID BOYD.

One of the venerable pioneers and honored citizens of Seneca county is Mr. Boyd, who is now living retired from active business, after a long life of signal industry and well directed endeavor. His career has been characterized by an inflexible integrity of purpose and he has ever commanded the fullest measure of esteem in the community where he has passed so many years of his life, his home being in Jackson township.

Mr. Boyd claims the old Keystone state as the place of his nativity,, having been born in Perry county, Pennsylvania, on the 22d of February, 1822. He was reared and educated in his native county and when fourteen years of age entered upon an apprenticeship at the blacksmith trade. After attaining maturity he removed to Cumberland county, where he was employed at his trade for a period of two years-

He then set forth for Ohio, making the trip on foot and locating in Richland county, where he remained one year, at the expiration of which time he came to Seneca county and established his home in Jackson township, where he has ever since resided. He at one time owned a farm of three hundred and sixty acres, but has disposed of this property with the exception of one acre, where he has maintained his home from the time when he first located in the township. Upon locating here he established a blacksmith shop, and here he continued in the active work of his trade until 1 89 1, when he retired. His services were in demand by a large circle of patrons, and he is well known to the people of this section of the county.

In 1844 Mr. Boyd was united in marriage to Miss Rosana Weiser, who was born in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, on the 9th of February, 1822, and they became the parents of five children, namely: Hugh W. A., w'ho is engaged in farming in this township and who served as a valiant soldier during the war of the Rebellion, having enlisted, in June, 1863, as a private in Company C, Eighty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he served six months, the regiment having been in pursuit of Morgan on 'his famous raid and having participated in the engagement at Cumberland Gap. On the 2d of May, 1864, Mr. Boyd re-enlisted, becoming a member of the One Hundred and Sixty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in the one hundred day?' service, being assigned to duty in the defense of the national capital. After the expiration of his second term Mr. Boyd returned to his home, and in October, 1864, he again tendered his services to the Union, becoming a member of Company G, One Hundred and Eighty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, which was with General Thomias in the Franklin and Nashville campaign, and in this regiment he served until the close of the war, when he received his honorable discharge and was duly mustered out. He retains a vital interest in his old comrades in arms and is prominently identified with the Grand Army of the Republic, being a member of Norris Post, at Fostoria, of which he has ever served as commander. Jacob H. C. Boyd, the second son of our subject, was likewise a soldier in the Civil war, having served for seven months in the One Hundred

Google and Eighty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and he is now a successful farmer of his township. John A. S., Benjamin F. and David I. died in early childhood.

In politics Mr. Boyd is a stanch Republican, and he has served as trustee of his township. His religious faith is that of the M'methodist Episcopal church, of which he has been a member since 1848, his wife also being a devoted member of the same. Mr. Boyd has eleven oil wells on his place and the same are being profitably operated. He has attained prosperity through his own well directed efforts, and in the evening of his life enjoys the due reward of his active and useful career.

As printed in A centennial biographical history of Seneca County, Ohio (1902). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.