Jacob H. Stevens

JACOB H. STEVENS.

A deep interest in the pioneer days through which many of the older residents of our enlightened country have passed, with honor to themselves and benefit to the younger generation, is but a natural feeling; and those wdio still remain to show the honest, sturdy and many stock of which pioneers were made, receive but their just tribute of gratitude. Among the old settlers of Auburn township, Crawford county, Ohio, no one is more highly esteemed than Jacob H. Stevens, who is the subject of this biography.

Jacob H. Stevens was born in Columbiana county, Ohio, on October 31, 1817, and he was a son of Amos and Hannah (Cunning Stevens, who reared a family of eleven children, five daughters and six sons, but of these only two survive, these being Jacob II., of this sketch, and his brother Amos, of Arkansas.

Amos H. Stevens was born near Allicott's Mills, Maryland, on October 16, 1778, and he was a son of Augustus and Sophia (Young) Stevens, these parents being of English and Welsh extraction. Later Grandfather Augustus Stevens moved to Washington county, Pennsylvania, and there made his home on a farm, imt finally came to Columbiana county, Ohio, and spent his last days with his son Amos. Amos Stevens was given as good school opportunities as were then possible, but books were scarce and even the rich could secure for their children what we would now regard as only the outlines of an education. Some brothers of the father of our subject resided in Beaver county, Pennsylvania, and it is probable that Amos Stevens also resided there a time, but after his marriage he and his voting wife came to Geauga county. Ohio, prior to 1802, when it was admitted as a state. At that time the country was a vast wilderness, with no hierhwavs and no means of communication with civilization except by long and toilsome journeys through the forest, and with the wild beasts of the woods still in their accustomed haunts and the equally savage Indian a frequent visitor. Within three miles of another intrepid pioneer, Amos Stevens erected his log cabin and became a resident of the "Buckeye state," although at that time the name had not yet been bestowed upon it.

The causes which induced Mr. Stevens to leave this section are not known to the family, but he later removed to Columbiana county and there entered a one-quarter section of land, and again built a pioneer cabin of logs, and once more began the clearing and then cultivating a farm. Here he sk m made many improvements, erected a more modern residence, added sixty more acres of land and made this a pleasant home, where the family lived until 1834, when he sold this property and came to Crawford county. Here Mr. Stevens located in Cranberry township, where he purchased two hundred and forty acres of land from Isaac Mathews, this property having been entered some ten years previously. But a small tract of this land had been cleared and upon it stood a small log cabin, which served through one winter as a shelter to the family of Mr. Stevens, in the following spring a more commodious one being erected. Here Amos Stevens lived and labored and here he died. In his later years he accumulated much more property, buying and entering different tracts, until he owned at one time fully six hundred acres of Ohio soil. Physically he was a typical pioneer, strong, energetic and courageous, a man who dared every danger and feared no hardship. In his religious life he was a strict Methodist and was. in fact, a local preacher of that faith, going many miles to perform the sacred duties of that calling. In his political belief he was a Whig and from principle became a great abolitionist.

The mother of our subject was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, on July 2, 1784, and she was a daughter of Robert and Nancy (Young) Cunning, the former of whom was born in Ireland. The latter was a native of England, and the maiden name of her mother was the same as that of G. M. Stevens, also born in England, but of no kindred. G. F. Cunning came to America prior to or about the time of the Revolutionary war, and was a member of the patriot army. Mrs. Stevens lived until in her ninety-second A-ear, dying on June 8, 1876.

Jacob H. Stevens, who is the subject of this sketch, remained at home until his twenty-sixth year, attending school in his early youth in the old school house, in the clearing, where he well recalls the luncheon floor, the

5o6 CENTENNIAL slab benches and the greased paper for windows. He was the strongest of his father's sons, and probably was the most willing, and he assumed much of the most laborious part of the clearing and cultivation; as must be remembered, this was done with no machinery and very little apparatus. About his twenty-sixth year he and his father came to an agreement as to his future. Three of his brothers and several of his sisters had been given assistance by the father, when thev left home, and our subject felt that some like provision should be made for as faithful a sun as he had been. The father intended, doubtless to be just, but he imposed hard conditions. A tract of heavily timbered forest land, covered with underbrush, one hundred and fifty acres of the home farm, should be his for the sum of eight hundred dollars, which was to be paid to his father, in installments. He had no money to start a career in any other place, and he accepted his father's proposition and began with energy to clear his land.

In 1849 our subject was married to Miss Sarah J. Wallace, who was a native of Pennsylvania and was the daughter of Jefferson Wallace, who came to Richland county, Ohio, at an earl)- day, later removing to Cranberry township, in Crawford county. Ten children were born to our subject and wife, the five survivors being among the best and most reliable citizens of this county, and thev are as follows: Amos W., of Auburn township; Almira, the wife of Frank Albright, of Whetstone township; Sherman H., of Cranberry township; Julia jVL, the wife of Freeman Brown, of Shelby, Ohio; and Nora, the wife of AVillis A. Brown, of Tiro, Ohio.

After subject had succeeded in paying for his farm and in placing it in a prosperous condition, he began the purchase of other land, the first tract being one of eighty acres adjoining his own land, which belonged to his brother. Late in the '50s he bought one hundred and twenty acres in Sandusky township, another of one hundred acres in the same township, this being followed by a purchase of one hundred and twenty acres in Liberty township, and his last purchase being in 1882, when he became the owner of one hundred and forty-seven acres in Auburn township. This land Mr. Stevens acquired for his children, and after he had become satisfied that he could do well for all of them he bought a small tract of sixty-four acres, a part of which is within the corporate limits of Tiro, and removed to it. There he and his most estimable wife resided until her death, on December 26, 1893, when he deeded this land to his daughter, Mrs. Brown, and went to live with her.

In his political life Mr. Stevens has been a Republican for many years, although his strong temperance principles induced him to vote with the Prohibition party for a time. He is distinguished as being the oldest living resident of Auburn township. His years have reached eighty-four, but his mind is clear and his memory of past events is vivid. Many of his years have been spent in the most laborious toil, but he has always possessed both energy and ambition, and stands to-day as a worthy representative of the perseverance, courage and zeal, which has made the extraordinary progress possible, which has given Crawford county its prominence in this state, which latter has become known as the "New Mother of Presidents," well deserving the title.

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