JAMES B. HILL
James B. Hill, of Sheffield Township, is a son of William Hill, who settled
in the township in March, 1836. William Hill was born in Pennsylvania,
February 25, 1796, and was there married to Isabel Barker, a native of the
same county, born September 12, 1795. Some time after his marriage, he moved
to Butler County, Ohio, coming thence to Tippecanoe County. Not having money
to pay for land, he rented for several years, but by economy and industry,
and the assistance of his sons as they grew older, he was enabled, in 1847,
to buy 100 acres, sixty acres being prairie on Section 6, and the rest
timber land elsewhere. He afterward bought eighty acres on Section 8, near
Dayton, where he made a homestead, living there until his death August 23,
1862. His wife survived him ten years, dying May 28, 1872. Of the ten
children born to them seven are living-Eunice, widow of Robert Goldsberry;
Martha wife of Abram Goldsberry; James B.; William, a physician of
Bloomington, Illinois; Charles, who lost his eyesight when twenty-four years
of age; David and Mrs. Emeline Payne. The deceased are Mary, Mrs. Sarah
Young, Mrs. Ray and Harrison. Mr. Hill was a typical pioneer, and although
he came to the county a poor man, with a large family, fought his way
through many difficulties to a condition of comfort and competence. In
politics, he was a Whig and then a Republican. In religion, he and his wife
were members of the Presbyterian Church. James B. Hill was born in Butler
County, Ohio, August 4, 1827, and has been a resident of Tippecanoe County
since 1836. In 1855, he bought the farm that his father rented for eleven
years, which is still his home, where he has lived forty-two years of his
life. It contains 120 acres of valuable land, and in addition to this he
owns land elsewhere in the county. Although he has in the main been
successful, he has had considerable trouble. December 8,1884, his dwelling
was burned, involving a severe financial loss. He has replaced it by a fine
frame dwelling at a cost of $2,400, and his surroundings indicate the
intelligence and good judgment of the owner. He is a representative citizen
of the township and one of its enterprising and leading businessmen. In
politics he is a Republican. He and his wife are members of the Presbyterian
Church. Mr. Hill was married March 29, 1849, to Jane Rogers, daughter of
Elisha Rogers, of Clinton County, Indiana. She died February 8, 1870,
leaving five children, four of whom are living-William, a physician of
Dayton; Mrs. Sarah Ellen Hagerty, of White County, Indiana; Samuel and
Flora. Three of their children are deceased, two preceding the mother-Dora
A., Laura B., and Harry. September 29, 1871, Mr. Hill married Mary E.
Hagerty, who died January 15, 1879, leaving three childrenDella Elida,
James, and Albertus. Mr. Hill subsequently married Mrs. Margaret M.
(Southard) Ross, a native of Clinton County, Indiana. Her first husband,
John F. Ross, died in March, 1861, leaving two sons, Charles W. and John F.,
both merchants of Frankfort, Indiana.
From interviews in this 150th year of Dayton's existence, we know
that of
James Hill's first marriage, his son Samuel was the father of Wilma
(Mrs. D
R.) Baker. They were living out on Dayton Road, where the Ferguson's now
live, when she was born, in a house which belonged to Dr. William Hill, her
uncle. While Wilma was small the family moved to what is now the highway
west of Dayton, and the home where she grew up was torn down in recent years
to make way for the interstate highway. Dr. Hill lived in Dayton in the
first house west of the Post Office and his office was in his home. He came
to Dayton to begin his practice here in 1880 and died in 1896, preceding his
wife by two years, leaving three daughters who were young ladies only
recently out of school.
_Biographical Record and Portrait Album_ (1888), pp. 817 and 451; _Sesqui
75_ (Dayton, IN, 1975), p. 42.
N.B. Albertus (listed above) married Lulu Stufflebaum and is the father of
two of the Hill graduates of Dayton High School: Chester and Delmer.
There is also a bio about James B. Hill's life in Clinton County:
HILL, James B
The foundation of prosperity in Indiana is agriculture and the
faithful husbandman can truly be called a pillar of the state, though in an
inconspicuous way. Such was James B. Hill, the memory of whose labors
remains, though he has passed from this life.
Mr. Hill was born in Hamilton, O., August, 1828. When he was but a
lad of eight years his parents brought him to Tippecanoe county and settled
on a farm where they remained during the life-time of the parents. The
tribulations endured by the early pioneers were not unknown to the
Hill family but they weathered the hardships in grand style and succeeded.
Mr. HILL was married to Mrs. Margaret (SOUTHARD) ROSS, a widow, on
February 12, 1880. She was the daughter of Aaron H. and Nancy (LEMON)
SOUTHARD. Her father was a native of New Jersey, and came to Butler county,
Ohio, when but a baby. Afterward he moved to Jefferson, Ind., where he was
a merchant, then to Frankfort. He has the distinction of being one of the
earliest settlers in the county following his trade as a merchant all the
time. At one time it was estimated that he owned a large part of the east
side of Frankfort. He had six children, four of whom are still living. No
children were born to and Mr. and Mrs. James HILL, but she has two children
by her first husband, John F. ROSS, they being Charles W. and John F. ROSS.
Mr. SOUTHARD was a merchant in Frankfort, all his life. He had no
ambitions to shine in the limelight of publicity by entering political life,
but he supported the Democratic party very materially. He attended the
Presbyterian church.
James B. HILL was a farmer most of his life, following that vocation
in Tippecanoe county until he moved to Frankfort about fifteen fears ago.
The remainder of his life he spent retired. Fraternally, he was a member of
the Masonic Order, and in religion was a Presbyterian.
_Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records of Many of the Old
Families._ By Hon. Joseph Claybaugh. Published 1913 by A. W. Bowen & Company
Indianapolis, Indiana, Pages 655 656
> From: Aaron Hill <mrmayor(a)hotmail.com>
> Anyone researching William HILL? He appears to be related to Owen HILL and
> John Wilson HILL.
> Name: William Hill
> Birth: 25 FEB 1796 in Pennsylvania
> Death: 23 AUG 1862 in Sheffield Twp., Tippecanoe Co., Indiana