E. C. Abbott

E. C. ABBOTT.

E. C. Abbott has spent his entire life within the boundary lines of Pleasant township, as did his father before him. He is a grandson of John Abbott, born in New York State, and of English ancestry, who came to Brown county before the close of the eighteenth century. E. C. Abbott was born in Straight Creek, the early county seat, in 1833, son Charles and Sarah (Brown) Abbott, successful farmers there. Charles Abbott was born on the same creek, one mile above, in 1809. and died in 1896, and the mother was born along the creek, one-half mile from her husband, in 1814, and died in 1856. The father’s farm consisted of one hundred and sixty-six acres, and there the first county court was held. He was then nine years old, and, although a bashful boy, peeped in to see what was going on, and the loud talk of the lawyers and the writing he saw them doing made a great impression on the country lad, making a scene he never forgot. He was very successful as a farmer and, in 1830, married Sarah Brown. By this marriage there were six children, the only survivors now being the subject of this sketch and his brother, Levi, who lives in Georgetown. Not only the parents, but the grandparents of Charles Abbott, as well, came to Brown county, making the trip from New York in a very early day.

Mr. Abbott attended school at. Straight Creek and was reared to farm work, remaining at home until his marriage. He then kept house with his parent for a time and conducted the home farm. He purchased a farm at Free Soil, below Georgetown, which was his home for a period of thirty-three years, and he spent seventy years of his life in farming, a remarkable record. He retired from farming in 1902 and since then has resided in Georgetown. He lives in a nice home on North Main street and is well known there. He is a man of quiet, unassuming manner and much interested in his business affairs. He has well earned the rest and comfort he now enjoys and is much respected by all. He is genial and friendly and enjoys the society of his fellows, being well known and popular. He is not active in political affairs and votes independent of party, although he formerly voted the Democratic ticket.

In 1856, Mr. Abbott was united in marriage with Miss Sarah Davidson, who was born in White Oak, Brown county, in 1831, daughter of William and Katherine (Knouse) Davidson, who lived three miles from Higginsport and were successful farmers. Mr. Davidson was born in Brown county, in 1784, and his wife in Pennsylvania, in 1793. He died in 1839 and she in 1859. He was a millwright by trade and he and his wife had ten children, all now deceased, Mrs. Abbott, the last survivor having died January 2, 1913, lacking from January until June of being eighty-two years old. The grandfather of Mrs. Abbott, Joshua Davidson, served in the Revolutionary war and lived to be nearly one hundred years old.

Six children blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. E. C. Abbott, all born in Pleasant township: Flora, wife of Isaac M. Rainey, who lives on a farm of one hundred and fifty acres near where her father was born, and they have one child, Paul Reese; Charles W., who married Miss Mary EHis, who died, and he later married Ella McBeth, and they have three children, Malcolm, Agnes and Ruth, and live on his grandfather’s old farm;

Henry T., of Lafayette, Ind., who married Miss Emma Jane Wilson, and the)' have two children, Corwin C. and Eva; Erank P., of Los Angeles, Cal., who married Miss Ruth Hanselman, and they have two children, Ray and Mildred; Alice is at home with her father; Lena May is the wife of John F. Burris, of Norwood, Ohio, and they have four children, Gertrude, Carl, Virgil, and Beatrice. Mrs. Abbott was a member of the Methodist church and Mr. Abbott formerly belonged to the New Light church, until it was discontinued. In June, 1912, Mrs. Abbott fell and broke her hip, which resulted in her death, in January, 1913. She was a great sufferer from this cause, but bore her pain with great fortitude and bravery of spirit. Mr. Abbott is largely self-made and comes of good old pioneer stock, for his parents and grandparents had to clear the land for their farms and were very industrious and thrifty people.

As printed in History of Clermont and Brown counties, Ohio, from the earliest historical times down to the present (1913). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.