Jacob Miller

As printed in 1902

JACOB MILLER.

Jacob Miller, more familiarly known as “Uncle Jake," is one of the oldest living residents of Wyandot county, Ohio, if not the very oldest, having come to this locality almost seventy years ago. He was born March 31, 1822, in Pendleton county, Ya., and is a son of Isaac and Margaret ( Lair) Miller. His grandfather, Anthony Miller, was a native of the German Empire and was the first of the family tk cross the Atlantic to find a home in America. He was a gunsmith and blacksmith by trade, but also carried on farming operations in the United States.

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Jacob Miller did not have the advantage of a schooling, attending but a few days, not long enough to learn to read and write. He remained at home until, he was twenty-two years of age, when he was joined in marriage with Miss Harriet Beals, of Perry. Wvoming county, X. V. She was born August 24. 1828. and is a daughter of Samuel and Parntelia (French) Beals, who came front York state to Ohio at a very early day and settled in Wyandot county. He was a farmer and leased land from the Indians for many years, later going to the state of Indiana, where he died. His wife survived him and moved to Iowa, where site died. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Miller are Rosanna, who married Alphonso D. Fesser, of. Allen county. Ohio, and is deceased; John, a farmer of Hardin county: Isaac, a farmer of Tyner City. Inch: Samuel, a farmer of Crawford county; and Harriet Jane, who died young.

Mr. Miller moved to his present place May 9. 1846. It was in its original state, not an axe had been stuck in a tree when it cane in his possession and his first attempt at improvement was the construction of a cabin of round logs. This building was 20x26 feet in size and was heated by a large fireplace which was built in one end of the room. There were eighty acres in the tract he purchased and a pleasant thought in connection with it is, that every improvement on the land was placed there by himself and every tree planted by his hand. He has engaged in general farming and is one of the well-known and popular agriculturists of Antrim township. He is a renowned hunter and great numbers of game have been filled to earth by his skillful markmanship. Deer, wolves and foxes were common trophies of the hunt and one week he shot twenty deer, selling eighteen of them for one dollar each. He has earned daily a dollar with his trusty gun. Much of his younger years was spent in company with the Indians and their customs and habits were so firmly impressed on his mind that he is still able to recall many stories of the early life and adventure of the early settler and red men, can speak their language and sing their songs, as well as go through their dances with all the ability of a native. His reminiscences of pioneer times are interesting in the extreme when given in his graphic and entertaining manner and lead us to realize to some-extent the dangers and obstacles encountered by our ancestors when they redeemed this beautiful and productive land from its wild and almost useless state.

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2gs clock, the three-cornered cupboard, the tin candlesticks and the old-fashioned picture of Washington and such prints which adorned the wails of our forefathers. “Lucie Jake's" old violin sits on the old-fashioned press, and shows recent usage. Pie has a deer call which a Wyandot Indian gave him: this was made of white walnut and imitates ]>perfectly the cry of a young lamb or fawn.

As printed in Biographical memoirs of Wyandot County, Ohio : to which is appended a comprehensive compendium of national biography ... embellished with portraits of many national characters and well known residents (1902). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.