Henry Green Clay Alkire

As printed in 1906

ENRY GREEN CLAY ALKIRE, a worthy member of one of the most prominent families of Darby township, Pickaway County, and a highly esteemed citizen and representative agriculturist, resides on a farm of 195 acres,: which extends through Darby township, Picky away County, and Pleasant township, Aladison County, Ohio. Mr. Alkire was born in Fountain County, Indiana, December 2, 1834, and is a son of Joseph and Tillitha C. (Dehaven) Alkire.

The Alkires originated in Holland and the family records can be traced as far back as William II, Prince of Orange. The Hague records present the information that near Arnheim, on the Rhine, in Holland, in 1626, there lived a family bearing a coat of arms which was given by this Prince of Orange, with the baronial name of Algire. This insignia may be thus described: Arms on a silver shield;

crest, a falcon, red beak and feet, a bunch of grapes and a wineglass, a pike and cross swords, with the motto, Cum Salus. It would not be very difficult for the present generation to decipher the meaning of these symbols, helped out with the Latin inscription. That the Algires were noblemen was proved by the composition of the shields, only men of rank being permitted the use of gold or silver. The middle class used leather and wood shields. In religious belief the Alkires became notable during the Reformation, espousing the Lutheran cause.

Still other Alkires or Alkirks were found in Scotland and that they were of the same family is proven by their possessing the same coat of arms. In the 17th century, one Almonas Algire left the British Isles and accompanied Lord Baltimore to the English Colonies. He subsequently settled on Albemarle Sound and assisted the Governor of Virginia in his various campaigns against the Indians. There was an Alkire at the battle of Fort Chillicothe, Ross County, Ohio.

The Algire or Alkire family of Pickaway County trace their direct ancestry to Almonas Alkire who was married to Alary Crayman in 1720 near Aloorefield, Virginia. They had four children.

Joseph W. Alkire, father of our subject, was' born in Kentucky November 24, 1805, and was quite young when his parents moved to Ohio and settled in Pleasant township, Alad-; ison County, where lie lived until the death of his father. At the age of 18 years he went to Indiana and took possession of a piece of land which he probably had inherited, and shortly afterward was married to Tillitha C. Dehaven. She was born in Kentucky, January 7, 1805, and had been taken to Indiana with her parents. She died in Pike County, Illinois, whither the family had moved in 1843, after selling the Indiana farm. Our subject and a sister, Nancy, who married Hiram Smith, both now being deceased, were born in Indiana. While the family lived in Illinois, two more children were added to the household: Jacob, who died in Illinois, at the.age of 11 years, and Mahala, who subsequently married America Murry, and died also in Illinois.

The first wife of Joseph W. Alkire died about 1855 and he was later married to Katherine Taylor. Before they left Illinois, they had one child — Louise. Mr. Alkire then decided to move to Southwestern Missouri and sold his Illinois property. He died in Missouri in 1872.

Henry Green Clay Alkire was nine years old when his parents moved to Illinois, but when his. father married again he returned to- Ohio, leaving his...farm of 40 acres in his father's care. He made his home until his marriage with his uncle, Henry Green Clay Alkire, on the farm he now owns and occupies. This property was killed to his son, Stephen A. Alkire, by the uncle above mentioned, and in 1879 our subject bought the farm and has resided here ever since.

On May 10, 1857, Henry G. C. Alkire was united in marriage with Harriet Snyder, who had also made her home with the elder Henry G. C. Alkire, and they continued to reside on the farm until 1864. During this period four children were born here, three of whom they lost in 1863. The survivor, Stephen A., grew to manhood and subsequently married Maggie Leach, who was born in Ohio. They have four children, two sons and two daughters.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

The Alkire home, a two-story frame dwelling of 1 1 rooms, is set in the midst of one of the most beautiful groves in Pickaway County. The other buildings are substantial in character and the whole appearance of the place gives testimony as to the pride and affection its residents feel in it.

Mr. Alkire is still actively interested in all that concerns the township, and consents to serve as school director as a matter of duty. He has never been much interested in politics, although as a very well-informed man he keeps posted on all that is going on in the world. Like the rest of his family, he is a quiet, observing man. one whose word or integrity is never questioned in his community, always ready to promote objects of general welfare, devoted to his family and respected and esteemed as a neighbor.

As printed in History of Pickaway 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.