In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1902) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
From A centennial biographical history of Crawford County, Ohio .. (1902), History of Crawford County and Ohio : containing a history of the state of Ohio, from its earliest settlement to the present time ... a history of Crawford County ... biographical sketches, portraits (1881)
JAMES P. BE ALL, farmer; P. 0. Bucyrus; i was born May 13, 1828, in Harrison Co., Ohio, and is the son of James P. and Minerva (Hough) Beall; his father was a farmer, and he remained on the farm until he was 23 years old; his father being in moderate circumstances and having a large family to support, young James was compelled to work, and thus lose many advantages of schooling. He received a moderate education, however, and worked some two 3'ears for $10 per month, and also split rails at 37 cents per day; in the fall of 1852, he came to this county, and rented a farm in Bucyrus Township, adjoining that of A. J. Caldwell; the next year he worked by the month for Enos Barrett, receiving $240 per year and house rent, etc.; in December, 1854, he bought 120 acres of the land which he now owns, and which at that time was but little improved; he has improved his farm and added to it, so that at present he is the prosperous owner of 392 acres of well-tilled land, and has erected substantial buildings, all being the result of Mr. Beall's labor and industry, united with good management, as he commenced life for himself with only $7. When he first purchased his land, he raised large crops of grain until the land was sufficiently cleared, and, since then, he has dealt in the best breeds of sheep, such as the Merino, having a fine flock of 500, and handling at times from 300 to 1,800 head. He is a Republican in politics, and was formerly a Whig, casting his first vote for Gen. Scott. Both himself and wife are members of the M. E. Church, of which he is a Trustee. He was married, Dec. 27, 1848, to Miss Mary Keckler, of Harrison Co., Ohio; of this marriage, there have been seven children — James P., deceased; those still living are: John W., Mary M., Laura E., Dorsey L., Eva M. and Nora E. The father of Mr." Beall was born in
Washington Co., Penn., in 1797; he was first married to Jane Albert, of Pennsylvania, and of this marriage there were two children, one of whom is still living — Jane, the wife of Aaron Chance, of Bucyrus Township; this first consort died in about 1821, and Mr. Beal, Sr., came to Harrison Co. the following year, and, some time after, he married Minerva Hough, of that county; he was one of the earliest settlers in that region, and for twenty-one years the elections were held at his house; he was County Commissioner there, and also held several township offices; he settled in Bucyrus Township in 1854, where Christopher Mason now lives, and resided there until his death, in 18()9; his mother died in 1875. Of this marriage, there were the following children — Cass Andrews, deceased; Elizabeth, deceased; Colmore C, deceased; James P., our subject; Cyrus H., deceased; Rebecca, deceased; John W.. deceased; Minerva A., Zephaniah, Mary A. and Susannah; the last three died in infancy.
As printed in History of Crawford County and Ohio : containing a history of the state of Ohio, from its earliest settlement to the present time ... a history of Crawford County ... biographical sketches, portraits (1881). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
JAMES P. BE ALL.
For almost half a century James Perry Beall has been a resident of Crawford county, and throughout the greater part of the period has been identified with agricultural pursuits, but at the present time he is living retired. He has passed the Psalmist's span of three score years and ten, and in the evening of life is enjoying a well earned rest — the fitting crown of many years of labor.
He was born on a farm in Harrison county, Ohio, May 13, 1828, his parents being James Perry and Minerva (Huff) Beall. The father was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, in 1797, and was a son of Colmore Beall, who was of Scotch lineage. Representatives of the family have become very numerous in the country since the first of the name took up his above in the Keystone state. The family there founded has since scattered until it is now represented in various states of the Union and its members have become prominent in business, professional and political life. The father of our subject was reared in the country of his nativity and was there married to a Miss Albert, by whom he had two children — Zenas, now deceased, and Mrs. Jane Chance, now a resident of Todd township, Crawford county. The father was a farmer by occupation. His first wife died in Pennsylvania and afterward, when a young" man of about twenty-seven years, he came to Ohio, settling in Harrison county where his father had entered land from the government.
James P. Beall, Sr., settled in the midst of the wild forest, becoming one of the pioneers of the county where he resided for thirty years. Pie then sold his property there and came to Crawford county where he resided until his death, which occurred in 1870, when he was seventy-three years of age. After taking up his above in Harrison county he had formed the acquaintance of Minerva Huff, whom he married. She was of a Virginian family and was born in the Old Dominion. By her marriage she became the mother of ten children: Casander, William, Elizabeth and Colmore, all now deceased: James Perry, of this review; Cyrus, who died while serving in the Union army during the Civil war; Rebecca, deceased; John, who also died while a Union soldier; Minerva, deceased; and Zephaniah. who also served in the Civil war and is now a resident of Fulton county, Indiana. The mother died about 1874. at the age of seventy-three years.
Mr. Beall, whose name forms the caption of this review, was reared in Harrison county, Ohio, amid pioneer scenes and privations, and was educated in the old primitive log school house, which was built with a huge fireplace in one end large enough to hold immense logs. The windows were made by removing a log from one side and one end, and filling the aperture with glass. The desk was formed of boards resting on pegs driven into the walls, and there were slab seats, resting on wooden pegs. In such a school Mr. Beall learned to read, write and "cipher," but was only instructed in arithmetic for thirteen days. In after years, however, he applied himself to study at home, even after his marriage continuing his educational work, for he realized the value of education and wished to prepare himself for the duties of life. He worked on the home farm and remained under the parental roof until his marriage, which occurred in 1848. For three years thereafter he worked as a farm hand in Harrison county, and rather than remain idle one spring, before the time for farm work, he spent one week at splitting rails for thirty-seven and a half cents per day. He thus began an independent career under rather difficult circumstances. During the fifth year after his marriage he cultivated a rented farm of one hundred and thirty acres and after paying his rent in cash he had four hundred dollars clear above all expenses. This was the result of hard work and good management. In 1852 he came to Crawford count)', and the first year he was here was the year he rented lands and cleared the four hundred dollars, and the next year he could not rent to suit him. and, being offered a good proposition to work as a hired hand, he accepted the proposition. In 1854 he purchased the farm upon which he now resides, comprising one hundred and twenty acres of rich land. He has since prospered in his undertakings and at one time had extensive landed possessions, but has since sold much of it, although he still owns two other farms in connection with that upon which he now resides. He has engaged quite extensively in raising stock, mostly sheep and hogs, but for several years has lived a retired life, having in the meantime acquired a handsome competence, which supplies him with all of the comforts and many of the luxuries of life.
In 1848 Mr. Beall was married to Miss Mary Ann Kecklar, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1827 and went to Harrison county, Ohio, with her parents during her early girlhood. Mr. and Mrs. Beall have had seven children: James Perry and John \Y., who are deceased; Mary.Margaret, the wife ot Charles B. Henry, a farmer of Bucyrus township; Lauraette, the wile of Edward Hill, also a farmer of Bucvrus township; Dorsey Lincoln, an attorney living in Toledo, Ohio; Eva Minerva, the wife of Wesley Beal, an agriculturist of Bucyrus township; and Nora Ellen, the wife of John I. Milliken, who also engaged in the tilling of the soil in the same township. Both Mr. and Mrs. Beall are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. He joined the church in early manhood and for many years he has been a leader in church work, serving as Sunday-school superintendent, church steward and in other offices. He has labored earnestly and conscientiously for the spread of the cause of Christianity among the people of this locality and has molded his life according to the teachings and tenets of the religious organization with which he is connected.
Mrs. Beall's parents were John and Rosanna (Gordon) Kecklar. Her father and mother were born in Pennsylvania, but her grandparents, both paternal and material, were born in Germany, and on coming to this country settled in Pennsylvania. Her paternal grandparents were Michael and Alary Ann Kecklar, and the maternal grandparents were Josiah and Martha Jane Gordon. They lived and died in the Keystone state. Mrs. Beall was born in Adams county, Pennsylvania, in 1827, and when she was seven years of age her parents came to Ohio and settled in Harrison county. Here her mother died, but her father died in Kansas, while on a visit to a daughter living in that state. Martha Jane, Mary Ann, Rosanna, Josiah and Malinda are the living children born unto John and Rosanna Kecklar. Their father was a blacksmith by trade, but farmer the greater part of his life.
An uncle of Mrs. Beall, Josiah H. Gordon, soon after his marriage removed to the south and was there living when the Civil war came on. In the conflict he became a Confederate soldier and rose to the rank of general and was killed in battle. By profession he was a lawyer, and he was one of ability.
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.
Named in this biography: Aaron Chance John I. Milliken Wesley Beal (b. 1865)
The printed record stops around 1902. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.