Hi all. As I said I would try to do occasionally, I am posting another article which I
obtained from the Persi Periodicals at the Allen Co. Library in Fort Wayne. If you find
some usefull info... great. If not.. I hope you enjoy it anyway. I have scanned this and
tried to check for errors. Excuse the different fonts, etc. Scanning is lots quicker
than typing, but does have some dissadvantages.
Rex Bertram
PO Box 651
Redkey, IN 47373
I do Free Genealogy Look-ups from many sources. Check out my web page.
Temporary web page address:
http://www.angelfire.com/in4/genealogyhelp/lookup.html
HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY, INDIANA by
E. TUCKER, 1888
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES - WAYNE TOWNSHIP
ABRAM I. CHENOWETH
Abraham I. Chenoweth, the first of the Chenoweth family of whom we have any record, came
from England to America in 1720. They were two brothers, named Arthur and Richard
Chenoweth, who settled in Berkeley County, VA, and each married and had several children.
Arthur had several sons, named James, John, Abraham., William Thomas, Arthur and Richard.
The fifth son. Thomas Chenoweth, married Mary Pricket, who bore him twelve children,
namely, Martha, Sarah, Mary, John, Thomas, Arthur, Richard, William, Elijah, Ann, Hannah
and Abraham. This youngest son, Abraham Chenowith married, Rebecca Herr, May 1, 1790. They
had fourteen children, whose names were Martha, William, Jacob, Ann, John, Susannah, Mary,
Noah, Sarah, Hannah, Abraham, Rebecca, Joel and Gideon. Their third son, John Chenoweth
married Mary Barger, April 13, 1820, and by her had six children, namely, William, Jacob
B., Abraham J., John B. Susan and Rebecca. John Chenoweth, the father, died on the 26th
day of January. 1!
851, and of the children, William died February 20, 1837, and John B. died August 7, 1853.
The mother died October 12, 1876. The others of the family are yet living.
Of the last above-named children, Abraham J. Chenoweth is the subject of this sketch, and
was born in Pike County, Ohio, on the 9th of July, 1826. When quite young, his parents
removed to Darke County, Ohio, and settled in Washington Township. Here he grew up
surrounded by the privations of a frontier life, and accustomed to the labor and toil of
the backwoods. He was educated in the primitive schools of that day, and acquired the
rudiments of an education. On the 25th day of August, 1848, he was married to Miss Celt a
Harris, a native of Campbell County, VA, and the daughter of Benjamin and Susan Harris,
who were among the pioneers of this county. From this marriage have sprung eight children,
six of whom are living.
In November, 1848, Mr. Chenoweth came to this county and settled on the northeast quarter
of Section 26, in Wayne Township. Of this land, he had received from his father eighty
acres, and by purchase from his brother, Jacob, he had acquired the other eighty. The land
was wholly unimproved. In fact, Mr. C. cut away the underbrush and trees to make an
opening for his tog cabin, into which he removed and began the work of life. As a farmer
he was eminently successful. To the original homestead he added other lands, until at the
time of his death he was the owner of 576 acres.
Mr. Chenoweth united with the M. E. Church when he was fourteen years of age, and for
thirty-eight years he was a consistent and influential member thereof, having been a
Class-Leader thirteen years. He was exact in all his business transactions, cordial with
his acquaintances, a kind-hearted and generous ma-n. He died of typhoid fever November 9,
1878, and his mortal remains were followed to their final earthly resting place in Union
City Cemetery, by a large and sympathizing company of sorrowing relatives and friends.
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Mrs. Celt H. Chenoweth was born in Campbell County, VA, March 1, 1828, and is the daughter
of Benjamin and Susan Harris. When she was in her eighth year, her parents moved to
Warren County, Ohio. and in the same year to Greene County from which place, after a
short sojourn, they removed to Randolph County in- 1836, and settled on a piece of land in
Washington Township. She received such education as the common schools of that day could
afford, and grew up as the daughter of an early settler. When ten years of age, she
united with the M. E. Church, and has ever since remained a member. On the 25th day of
August, 1848, she was married to Abraham J. Chenoweth, with whom she lived a pleasant,
useful and prosperous life of a little more than thirty years, and whose respected and
honored widow she now is. Her residence is yet on the old homestead, where she receives
from her neighbors the respect and esteem which her virtues merit, and where she enjoys
the competence which h!
er industry and economy helped to accumulate.
JOHN T. CHENOWETH
^
John T. Chenoweth5 born in Maryland in 1826. He came to Randolph County, Ind, in 1840.
He was thrice married, to Rhoda Parker in 1847, to Hester Ramsey in 1852, and to Emily
Lawrence in 1859. They have had eleven children, five of whom are living. Mr. C. is a
Methodist and a Republican, thriving in business, and respected and esteemed in social
life. He is a farmer by vocation: has been Assessor for both Green's Fork and Wayne
Townships, and came within a few votes of obtaining, the Republican nomination for
Commissioner of Randolph County. Three of his brothers were in the Union army. Benjamin
F., Fifty-seventh Indiana Infantry, had a finger shot off: discharged June 22, 1863.
George W., Sixty-ninth Indiana Infantry, taken prisoner and released on parole at
Richmond, KY, August 30, 1862: wounded at Thomson's Hill, not very far from Grand
Gulf, Miss., May 1, 1863: died May 14, 1863, of the wound received as before stated.
Joshua B. joined the Eighty-fourth as a rec!
ruit. ACCOUNT OF LAND OWNED BY THE WILLIAM CHENOWETH FAMILY: John T. Chenoweth, Wayne
Township, Jericho, 265 acres; W. C. Chenoweth, Green's Fork Township, 120 acres: Sarah
Ann (Banks), Darke County, Ohio, 240 acres: Charles W. Chenoweth, Green's Fork
Township, 200 acres; Oliver M. Chenoweth, Green's Fork Township, 180 acres; Edwin M.
Chenoweth, Wayne Township, 140 acres;
Benjamin F. Chenoweth, Green's Fork Township, 76 acres; Joshua B. Chenoweth, Wayne
County, 155 acres: homestead. Green's Fork Township, 236 acres; Henrietta K. (Brown),
Wayne County (dead), 160 acres. Total 1,762 acres. The Chenoweth family held a large and
interesting re-union August 26, 1882, at the old homestead near Arba. Ind. The family is
numerous and wide-spread, and they belong to the enterprising and influential portion of
the community.
ANCESTRY 0^ EZRA CODDINGTON
William Coddington (grandfather of Ezra Coddington, resident of Wayne Township, Randolph
Co., Ind.) was born February 8, 1751, and died in 1827. Hannah Coddington, wife of William
Coddington, was born September 26, 1754. Their children were as follows: Isaac, born
December 19, 1774, and died April 12, 1797; John, Born April 4, 1777, and died in Illinois
in 1845 at the age of sixty-five years: Betsey, born January 14, 1780: Robert, born
December 10, 1781, died March 10, "1782; Benjamin, born June 19, 1783, died March 3,
1855, aged seventy-two; Martha, born December 5, 1785, died in two months. Benjamin
Coddington was the father of Ezra Coddington. Benjamin's
^3
wife, Martha, was born February 12, 1786, and died October 15, 1826, aged forty years.
Their children were as follows: Abraham, born June 14, 1805 (Ezra Coddington's oldest
brother); Hannah, born June 12, 1807, living, has twelve children: Ezra, born May 12,
1809, is living, and has had seven children: Aza, born July 28, 1811, living, was never
married, resides in Randolph County, Ind.: John, born May 30, 1815, died May 31, 1836,
aged twenty-one years, one day: Lydia, born October 10, 1816, died April 14, 1861, having
had nine children; Samuel, born September 21, 1820, died July 16, 1863, four children:
Effee, born December 16, 1822, living, has four children;
Elizabeth, born June 26, 1825, living, has two children; Eleanor, born in 1827, died in
1878, eight children; Sarah, born in 1828, died in 1876. Thus, Ezra Coddington was one of
eleven children, only six of whom are now living. An ancestor, probably the earliest in
America of the family, was William Coddingtons who, with eighteen others removing from
Massachusetts to Narragan-sett Bay, purchased Aquitneck, settling in 1638, and of the
little colony, William Coddington was chosen their first Governor. From him, as the
original stock, are reckoned to have sprung the various branches of the connection
throughout the country. Ezra Coddington's great-grandfather, whose name also was
William Coddington, resided in New Jersey, where the family was numerous, but the exact
connection from this William back to the William, Governor of Aquitneck and its infant
colony, we are unable to trace. Ezra's grandfather, after his marriage, moved from
New Jersey to Maryland some time after t!
he Revolutionary war, and after his marriage, which latter event occurred, however,
before the war, say 1772 or 1773, as his oldest child was born in 1774. His subsequent
life was spent in Maryland, but the date of his death is to us unknown. He was
well-to-do, having been the owner of 300 acres of land. Ezra's father, Benjamin
Coddington, was born probably in New Jersey, and was taken by his father to Maryland upon
their removal thither. Benjamin Coddington, father of Ezra R. Coddington, being married
about 1804, removed from Maryland to Perry County, Pike Township, Ohio, sixty miles south
of Columbus in 1816, remaining in the same county till his death in 1855. Ezra
Coddington's grandfather, William Coddington, was a soldier through the entire war of
the Revolution, being probably in the naval service. His great-grandfather's children
were Robert, William, Benjamin, Betsey, Samuel - only five. The connection has been
numerous, influential, and spread extensively thr!
ough the country.
BENJAMIN DIXON
Benjamin Dixon was born in North Carolina, emigrated thence to Butler County, Ohio, and
yet again to Randolph County, about 1835. He was married four times: his wives were Sarah
Gullett (sister of Ezekiel Gullett), the mother of ten children; Sarah Eisenhour, married
in Indiana, one child:
Nancy Bright, married in Indiana, no children: Keziah (V) Barnes, a widow lady with a
family of children. The fourth wife is still living with her son, John Barnes, at
Spartansburg. Mr. Dixon died about T876; he was very old; his hair white as snow, his
step feeble and tottering and his frame trembling and decrepit; his surviving widow is
also venerable with age. Mr. Dixon's children were Zilpha, Alfred, Andrew, Levi, Mary
(died at twenty-one from bleeding at the nose), John, Silas, Sarah, Hugh (died at two
years). Eight grew up and were married and had families before any of the eight died. Mr.
Dixon was a farmer by occupation, a Presbyterian in religious profession, and a Democrat
in politics. Failing to maintain a Presbyterian Church, those
44
who has belonged thereto joined other denominations, and about 1850 he attached himself to
the Disciple Church, and remained with it till his death. The older members of the Dixon
connection are all dead. The last, Silas, departed this life, a feeble old man, in the
winter of 1880-81. The settlers in 1835 were Peter Hoover, John Dixon, Smith Masterson,
Mr. Kennon, Robert Murphy, two families by the name of Powell, James Griffis. John Dixon,
brother of Benjamin Dixon, came before the other members of the connection.
ROBERT MURPHY
Robert Murphy was born in Trumbull County, Ohio, in 1804, his parents having emigrated
thither from Pennsylvania. He came to Butler County, Ohio, in 1816, removing to Darke
County, Ohio, in 1820. His marriage to Elizabeth Devall took place in 1827 (who was born
in 1807, and died in 1847. They came to Randolph County, Ind., in 1834, where he entered
eighty acres of land (-at two entries), and upon that land he has resided ever since
(forty-eight years). Mr. M. has been the father of fifteen children, as follows: Benjamin,
born 1828, October 19: William, born 1829, October 27; Asylum, born 1830, November 15;
Alzinah, born 1831, November 30: Robert, born 1833, September 14; Albert, born 1834,
December 8; Martin, born 18365 March 7; Elizabeth, born 1837, May 3;
David, born 1838, August 5; Elcy, born 1839, December 23; Thomas, born 1841, October 12;
Rachel, born 1842, September 8; Moses, born 1844, March 4; Asa, born 1845, November 10;
John B., born 1847, March 1. His wife died March 1, 1847, upon the birth of her last
child, and for that long time, more than thirty-five years, Mr. M. has lived unmarried. He
has been Trustee of the Township many years. Administrator of many estates, etc., showing
the confidence reposed by his fellow-citizens in his judgement and integrity. Eight of
his children are still living, viz.: Benjamin, residing in Iowa, eight children: Albert,
residing in Minnesota, seven children: Martin, residing in Union City, Ind., four
children: Elizabeth (Locke), widow, one child; her husband was a soldier in the Union
army, and was killed near Vicksburg, summer of 1863: David, resides on the home place,
five children; Elcy (Harris), widow, lives near her father's, eight children; Moses,
resides in Union City, two ch!
ildren: John B., resides in Minnesota, two children. He was originally a Presbyterian, but
after coming to this region of country he joined the Protestant Methodists, and is
connected with them still. Mr. M. has for fifty years or more, endeavored to exemplify the
pure religion of the lowly Jesus by a meek and faithful Christian life, and in his old age
he tries to serve and honor his loving Savior stilt. In politics, he is a sterling
Republican. His first Presidential vote was given, in 1824, for John Quincy Adams, and
since that time he has voted for President fourteen times.
HENRY OHLER
Henry Ohler was born in Tippecannoe County, Ind., in 1831. He is a son of Adam and Sarah
Ohler, who removed to Ohio in 1834. He was married to Miss Sarah J. Shrees December 13,
1866, and they have had seven children, six of whom are living. He came to this county in
1868, and bought a farm of 148 acres four miles southwest of Union City, upon which he now
resides. During the late war, he served four months as a member of the One Hundred and
Fifty-second Regiment Ohio National Guards. His wife is a member of the Christian Church
at Salem: but he holds no church relations.
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