In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1906) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1838, Juniata County
From History of Allen County, Ohio : containing a history of the county, its townships, towns, villages, schools, churches, industries, etc; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; biographies; hist (1885), History of Allen County, Ohio, and representative citizens (1906)
FRANKLIN ROUSH, farmer and wood stirrup manufacturer, P. O. Lima, was born in Juniata County, Penn., October 1, 1838, son of Henry and Elizabeth (Morehead) Roush. Henry Roush came to Allen County in 1852, and located in Bath Township on the farm now occupied by his widow, a part of which he cleared and improved. He was twice married, his first wife being Elizabeth Morehead, by whom he had nine children: George, John, Joseph, William, Catherine (wife of Willis Copeland), Henry, Franklin, Philip and Jacob. His second wife was Susannah Winegardner, by whom he had four children: Theodore, Jane (wife of Samuel Boose), Emma (wife of F. M. Roberts) and Ephraim. Henry Roush died in 1882 at the age of seventy-nine years. Our subject was reared in Bath Township, this county, from fourteen years of age, and was educated in the common schools. He was in the late war of the Rebellion, enlisting in 1861 in Company D, Eleventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was honorably discharged after four months’ service. He enlisted again, February 28, 1864, in Company D, One Hundred and Ninety-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, serving seven months, when he was honorably discharged. He was married, March 6, 1862, to Mahala, daughter of George N. and Nancy (Sly) Harvey, of Bath Township, by whom he has eleven children: Willis, Bertha (wife of Charles Mumaugh), JohD, Araminta, William, Mary, Alanson. Ollie, James D., Iona and Grace May. Nancy (Sly) Harvey, Mahala (our subject’s wife) and Grace May (daughter of our subject), are each youngest in families of eleven children. After his marriage Mr. Roush engaged in farming in Bath Township. In 1865 he removed to Lima, this county, residing there until 1877. In 1867 he embarked in the manufacture of wood stirrups in Lima, in which he has done quite an extensive trade, and is still carrying on this business in connection with his farming interests. In 1877 Mr. Roush returned to Bath Township, living on the old homestead for three and one-half years, when he purchased the farm he now occupies. He and his wife are members of the Disciples Church, as are also their two eldest children. He is serving his third term as township trustee of Bath. In politics he is a Democrat.
As printed in History of Allen County, Ohio : containing a history of the county, its townships, towns, villages, schools, churches, industries, etc; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; biographies; hist (1885). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]
The Roush family originated in Germany. George Roush, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Union County, Pennsylvania. There his son Henry was born, December 25, 1803. He died here at the age of 78 years. During a few years of his early manhood he followed the trade of blacksmith, but the remainder of his life was spent in agricultural pursuits. He was at one time captain of a company of State militia. Politically he was a Democrat; in religion, a Lutheran. He was a hard-working man, honest and upright, and left 100 acres of good land to his family. He married Elizabeth Morehead, who belongs to a Pennsylvania-Dutch community. She died when our subject was only four years old, the mother of these children: George, of Michigan; John, of Lima; Joseph, of Macon, Georgia; Katherine (Copeland) of Lima; William, who died in Kansas; Henry, of Iowa; Franklin, of this sketch; Philip, of Allen County; and Jacob, of Illinois. The father married again and the children of his second union were: Theodore, of Lima; Jane
(Boose), deceased; Emma (Roberts), of Bath township; and Ephraim, of Bath township.
Franklin Roush remained in Pennsylvania until his father moved to a farm in Bath township, about 1851. Being 13 years old at that time, he was able to give considerable assistance about the farm, where he remained until he was 17 years old. He then went to Iowa where he stayed one year. At that time a large part of the present populous State was nothing but a wilderness and where he stayed while in Iowa was so secluded that it could only be reached by ox teams. It took him a month to make the trip over the 1,000 miles of road. He worked in the wilderness for one year and then turned eastward and proceeded as far as Illinois, where he took the cars and came home. Two years he.spent here and then went back to Illinois and spent a summer, and in the following spring, when the Civil War broke out, he was one of the first in his neighborhood to offer his services to his country.
Mr. Roush enlisted in April, 1861, from Greenville, Darke County, Ohio, entering Company K, nth Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., under Captain Newkirk. During his four months of service he was not out of the State, but before he was discharged he assisted in the building of Camp Dennison. He was then taken sick and for a whole year he was in poor health, or he would have immediately re-entered the army. He farmer for a time but in the spring of 1865 he again enlisted, this time in Company D, 192nd Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., under Captain Lybrand, and was sent with his regiment to guard Harper’s Ferry. He was mustered out on September 1, 1865. For the following 12 years Mr. Roush lived at Lima, working at first for others; but later establishing a business of his own in the manufacture of wood stirrups and saddle trees. For three years he was in partnership with Messrs. King and Day, and the business was prosperous, furnishing employment for 29 hands, 1876 being the banner year. Subsequently Mr. Roush bought out his partners and continued the business alone for a number of years.
[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]
- ]j rlT tot II to;ti* -i
[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]
In 1862 Mr. Roush was married to Mahala Harvey, of Allen County, who is a daughter of George and Nancy Harvey, and they have a fine family of children, named as follows: Willis, living at home; John F., of California, who has one son; Bertha Ellen, who married Charles Mumaugh, of Bath township and has six children; Araminta, living at home; William, a traveling salesman, who has one child; Mary, living at home; Alanson George, of Cleveland; Oliver S., of Lima, who has one child; James Delbert, of Cleveland, who has two children; Ina Pearl, who married Harry Lewis and has one son; and Grace May, living at home. The last named, the nth member of the family, shares this distinction with both her mother and grandmother.
Mr. Roush has always been a Democrat, and on numerous occasions he has been elected to office. He has been township trustee for six years and has been assessor, councilman and a school official in Lima and in Bath township. He is one of the comrades of Mart Armstrong Post, No. 202, G. A. R., at Lima. For a number of years he has been a member of the Christian Church, of which he is one of the deacons.
Mr. Roush is a man of sterling character and is truly representative of the best type of Allen County farmers and first-class citizens.
As printed in History of Allen County, Ohio, and representative citizens (1906). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Named in this biography: M. Roberts (b. 1851) Samuel Boose (b. 1842)
The printed record stops around 1885. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.