ELIJAH COX, an old and well-known citizen of grant County, was born in Wayne
county, Ind., May 24, 1812, and is the third son in a family of eight children born to the
marriage of THOMAS COX & MARY DOLLERHEID, both of whom are natives of North Carolina.
Elijah was reared by his parents to manhood. About the year 1840 he settled on a farm in
Washington twp. in this county. In 1853 he removed to Iowa where he lived ten years.
Returning to Washington Twp. he located on a farm until 1874, when he came to his present
home on the Marion and Salem pike. He married, May 10, 1832, NANCY CHANCE, who has been
by his side as his life companion for over fifty-four years. She is the daughter of
REDDEN & SARAH (MOREMAN) CHANCE, and was born in Richmond Co., N.C., Jan. 30, 1811.
Although considerably advanced in years Mr. and Mrs. Cox enjoy fair health and bid fair to
live many years longer, and thus fulfill the wishes of their many friends.
CHRISTOPHER SEARS, an old and respected citizen of Wash. twp., was born in
Highland Co., Ohio, Aug. 7 1814, and is a son of JOHN & PENELOPE (JOHNSON) SEARS, both
natives of Virginia. His father dying when he was two yers. of age, he removed with his
mother to Greene Co., Ohio, where he lived until nine yrs. old, when they removed to
warren Co. Ohio. Here he worked on a farm by the month until he attained his majority.
In the fall of 1839, he came to Grant Co. and located upon the farm he now occupies.
Beginning life a poor boy, with a linited education, he has struggled against poverty and
under adverse cincumstances until he now has a good farm and a comfortable home. Aug. 24,
1837, he was united in marriage with LYDIA J. CRAU, a native of Clinton Co. Ohio, born
Nov. 15, 1815, and eight children have been the fruits of this marriage; AMOS W., born
June 15, 1838, died Mar. 12, 1857; ISABEL, born Oct. 7, 1840, died April 2, 1878;
CAROLINE, born Oct. 21, 1!
842; MARY, born July 1, 1845; JOHN, born Aug. 18, 1847; MARIA, born June 3, 1849; GEORGE
A., born Dec. 29, 1851, died Jan. 27, 1875, and ALICE J.born Jan. 18, 1855. Mr. and Mrs.
Sears are members of the Wesleyan Methodist Church.
ELI PEARSON, a native of Grant Co., was born on a farm in Center twp. Mar.
9, 1837. His father, JOSEPH PEARSON, was a native of Virginia, born July 12, 1807, and
was a blacksmith by trade. He came to Grant Co. in the fall of 1836, and located upon a
farm in Center twp. In the spring of 1865, he removed to Minn., where he lived nineteen
yrs. He then removed to Chattanooga, Tenn., where he died Oct. 10, 1884. The mother of
our subject, JANE (FRASIER) PEARSON, was a native of Penn., and died in Grant Co. in 1839.
ELI remained upon the old home place until twenty-five yrs. of age, during which time he
worked on the farm in the summer and attended the district school in the winter. In 1862
he went to Wash. twp. where he rented land and farmed until June, 1866, when he located
upon his present home and where he has ever since resided. JOSEPHINE B., dau. of JAMES
& SARAH ANN (HAYES) PHILLIPS of Wash. twp. born May 6, 1843 in Belmont Co., Ohio,
became his wife N!
ov. 3, 1861, and three children are the fruit of their marriage: MARRIAN, born Aug. 20,
1862; ADDIE H., born June 13, 1865, and MILTON H., born Oct. 4, 1868. Mr. and Mrs.
Pearson are members of the Christian Church.
HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY
1886
JCT