James S. Christie

As printed in 1881

JAMES S. CHRISTIE, real estate and insurance agent, Springfield. James S. Christie is one of the oldest business men of Springfield; he was born in New Boston, N. H., Sept. 6, 1798; the maiden name of his mother was Rebecca Smith; her marriage with Robert Christie was consummated in 1796; she died in 1804, leaving four children— James S., Mary, Jesse and Rebecca (deceased in 1845). Mr. Christie married his second wife, Mrs. Sarah Ordway, in 1807; she was the mother of Sewell and John Ordway by her first husband; by her union with Mr. Christie, she became the mother of Sarah and Robert Christie, and one other child, that died in infancy. They emigrated to Vermont, and from there to Springfield, Ohio, arriving in October, 1817. Mr. Christie, being a carpenter, and aided by his son James, the subject of this sketch, built a large flat-boat, and launched it at Olean, the head of navigation on the Allegheny River: they were joined by two other families who wished to come West, and their passengers were thus increased to thirty; the river in many places was very rough, and they were forced to employ Indian pilots; Indian wigwams lined the entire west bank of the river, but they treated our voyagers kindly. They arrived safely at Cincinnati in June, 1817, and, in the fall of the same year, came to Springfield, which was at that time only a small hamlet, containing perhaps 400 inhabitants; there is but part of one brick house now standing that was here when Mr. Christie came; the magnificent city of Springtield, with her population of 21,000, and her large manufactories, have all grown since his coming. James was married to Miss Laura Beardsley, Feb. 22, 1824; her parents were natives of Connecticut, and her father, Elijah Beardsley, was a Revolutionary soldier; his wife was Miss Sarah Hubbell; they ¢ame to Ohio in 1811. James and his wife are parents of eleven children, four living—Mary, Edward P., Harlen P. and JamesB.; all are married and living in Springfield except Harlen, who resides in Decatur, Ill. Mr. Christie engaged in contracting and building until 1847, when he established a planing-mill and sash-factory, which he managed for ten years. In 1860, he was elected Justice of the Peace, and served six years, since which time he has engaged in the real estate and insurance business, etc., etc. He furnished three noble sons to do battle for their country during the late civil war, who enlisted at the first call for troops, and gallantly engaged in severalof the hardest-fought battles of the war. One wonderful circumstance connected with the Christie family is inthe fact of the celebration of the golden wedding of the three children who came to Springfield in 1817, and all of them are as hale as many persons many years younger. Mr. and Mrs. Christie have been members of the Presbyterian Church nearly half a century, forty-seven years of which Mr. Christie has been an officer in the church; would ihat we had many more like them. His father, Robert Christie, died in Sep.

As printed in The History of Clark County Ohio, (1881). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.