HUGH WALLACE was born in Kentucky August 14, 1778; came to Bethel Township about 1798, and began working for David Lowry, with whom he stayed several years. He was married to Margaret Smith, who died in 1814, and he then married Eleanor Richison, who was born in the Northwest Territory in 1793, and had nine children, seven yet living. He was in the war of 1812, and died in 1864. His widow died in 1875.

(my note: according to census records Hugh was born in PA)

SMITH WALLACE, farmer; P. O. Donnelsville; is a son of Hugh M Wallace who was born in Kentucky, Aug. 14, 1778, and lost his parents when young, but remained in his native State until about 20 years old, when he came to the Northwest, stopping in what is now Bethel Township, Clark Co., Ohio; here he began work for a previous settler, David Lowry, who had erected a rude pioneer grist mill on Donnel's Creek. His labors continued for Mr. Lowry several years, and it is supposed that he married in the year Ohio was admitted in the United States, Margaret Smith (an aunt of Gen. Warren Keifer). She was born in what is now Bethel Township. Their union lasted only a few years, when the terrible destroyer, consumption, tore her from the earthly care, leaving husband and one child. The latter soon too passed into eternity and the former during their union had entered the southwest corner of Sec. 27, Bethel Township. After continuous efforts and hard labor, he had paid eighty dollars, but failed to complete the task, hence lost both land and money. 

After the death of his wife, he remained in the employ of Mr. David Lowry until the desperate red man's deeds in 1812 were to be suppressed. In this struggle he was a participant, enduring many privations, but on July 6, 1814, he married for his second wife, Eleanor Richison, who was born in the Northwest Feb. 10, 1793. Nine children were born to them, of whom seven now survive. Soon after this marriage, Hugh again, with renewed efforts, entered the same quarter section; by perseverance and determination succeeded in completing his task. This dense wilderness was gradually converted into open fields. 

When they first settled on this farm, Mrs. Wallace and her mother Mrs. Richison, would frequently walk to Dayton, do their trading and return the same day with groceries, etc., on their backs, making a round trip of about 35 miles. Thus Hugh and family trod the path of life until Feb., 15, 1864, when his death severed the union, and she , too, passed away July 1, 1875, and thus ended the life of two worthy pioneers of Clark Co. 

Smith Wallace was born June 23, 1817, on the farm he now owns, on which his entire life, save 5 years, has been spent. His early life was spent in assisting his father to clear up the farm on which he cultivated crops. The log schoolhouse in which he procured most of his education was at a distance of only half a mile. His marriage was celebrated May 11, 1843 with Sarah Stevens, of Shelby Co., Ohio, where she was born, Aug 4, 1822. The fruit of this union was nine children, of whom seven are now living. After the marriage, he settled on the home farm and continued to cultivate it until his younger brothers were of sufficient size to take charge under the father's supervision, thence he settled near Springfield as a renter, and five years later, returned to the home farm, which he purchased, and is now well situated, though he and family labored long and hard. 

On June 3, 1868, when a large, new brick house was just completed, her death severed the union. He married again on Dec. 10, 1874, for his second wife, Julia A. Copp, who was born in Logan Co., Ohio, January 4, 1838, and died in the faith of the Christian Church, Oct. 26, 1879, leaving husband and one child, a daughter, Gracie A. 

Mr. Wallace has been solicited to fill various offices of trust in county and township, but as yet never accepted. The family have been members of different Protestant churches, and no doubt much good has grown of their labors.

JAMES EDWARD LOWRY, county commissioner, and owner of 225 acres of highly cultivated farm land, located in Bethel Township, Clark County, Ohio, was born on his present farm August 27, 1852, and is a son of Robert Mitchell and Elizabeth (Bancroft) Lowry.

David Lowry, his grandfather, was one of the first settlers of Clark County, coming here in 1795 with J. Donnell, who laid out Donnellsville. They came from Virginia to Cincinnati, Ohio, where they joined the surveying party of Rogers and Clark. The entire party came up the Miami River as far as Dayton and encamped at the mouth of the Mad River. The next day-Sunday-Mr. Lowry and Mr. Donnell strolled up Mad river until they came to Jackson's Creek and Mr. Donnell drove his stake into the ground on the present of the Donnellsville elevator. David went on further and took up the site of the present C. W. Minnich farm. In 1796 he brought his parents to this place, where the remainder of their lives was spent. David Lowry was married twice; first to Sarah Hamer, of Clark County, by whom he had children-Mary, Nancy, Elizabeth and Susan. His second wife was Jane (Wright) Hodge, widow of a Mr. Hodge and a native of Botetourt County, Virginia, where she was born September 26, 1778. To them were born four children-Martha, David, W., Robert M. and Sarah R.

Robert M. Lowry, father of James Edward, was born in Bethel Township in 1815 and spent his life on the old home place, passing away in 1902. He made many hunting trips to Michigan and while there married Elizabeth Bancroft, of White Pigeon that state. She was born in Canada October 4, 1820, and died October16, 1887. They had five children, namely; Selina E, who died when young; John, now deceased; Martha, who died aged sixteen years; David, who died in infancy; James Edward, the subject of this sketch.

James Edward Lowry, like his father, has spent his life on his present farm, engaged in farming and stock-raising. his education was obtained in the district school and the normal school at Lebanon, Ohio. He was married October 26, 1886, to Emma O. Wallace, who is a daughter of Smith Wallace and Sarah (Stephens) Wallace. One child has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Lowry, namely, Martha, who is attending Wittenberg College.

Politically Mr. Lowry is a Republican, and in 1905 he was appointed to fill the unexpired term of County Commissioner Joseph H. Collins. After serving one year he was nominated at the county convention in 1906 and elected to the office that same yea. Fraternally he is a ember of the Knights of Pythias, Mad River Lodge No. 374, of Enon.

sources:

"20'th CENTURY HISTORY OF Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio and Representative Citizens" edited and compiled by Hon. William Rockel, Springfield, Ohio 1908

"History of CLARK COUNTY, OHIO" W. H. Beers & Co. 1881

Samuel S Miller. This gentleman is one of those who, born in Clark County in an early day, have grown to maturity amid pioneer surroundings, and in boyhood and youth taken such a part as their advancing strength would allow in the work and development which was going on around them. In looking back upon the labors and privations by which the wilderness was made to blossom as the rose, we should not forget that to the class represented by our subject scarcely less gratitude is due than to their progenitors, the pioneers of this country. Mr. Miller is a man of intelligence, well posted regarding events which are transpiring in various parts of the world, and the improvements which are being made in various departments of labor. In 1887 he published a pamphlet entitled “Early Times on Donnel’s Creek”, an interesting volume which shows much care in it’s compilation.

Mr. Miller is of German lineage, his grandfather, Frederick Miller, having either been born in Germany or was the son of German parents. While a resident of Botetourt County, Va., in which he lived prior to 1818, he was a farmer. In that year he removed to Ohio, accompanied by his wife and seven children, the entire journey being made overland with teams. He located in Clark County, buying a tract of timber land in what is now Bethel Township, in which but little improvement had been made at that date, the county seat being but a small village. A cabin of round logs had been built on the land and a clearing of forty acres made, this being one of the largest clearings in the vicinity. His purchase was a quarter-section, for which he paid $1,000.

For some time after the removal of Frederick Miller to this county, wild game of various kinds abounded here, deer, wild turkeys and bear being especially numerous. In 1822 Mr. Miller breathed his last, and there being no cemeteries here, his remains were deposited on his own farm. The place has since been set apart as a burial ground, and is called Bethel Cemetery.

The maiden name of Mrs. Miller was Elizabeth Peery. She was born either in Germany or Pennsylvania, and spent her last years on the home farm, dying in 1844.

In the family of the couple above mentioned was a son, John, who was born in Augusta County, Va., in November, 1798. He was twenty years old when he accompanied his parents to the Buckeye State, and here he resided with his father until the latter’s death. He then bought the interest of the other heirs in the homestead and enlarged the farm by purchase, on which he continued to reside until called hence, in April, 1863, in the sixty-fifth year of his age. He married miss Johanna Smith in 1824, who was born on her father’s farm in the same township, December 27, 1806. she is still living, at the advanced age of eighty-four years. She has reared eight children, named respectively: Harrison, Elizabeth, Samuel S., Milton J., Catherine, Charity, John Peery and Clinton.

In the maternal line the subject of this sketch derives his descent from the Rev. Peter Smith, who was born in Wales in 1753, and in early life came to America, settling in New Jersey, where he married Catherine Stout, whence he afterward removed to Georgia. In one of these states his son Samuel, grandfather of our subject, was born. Peter Smith practiced medicine and preached the Gospel, leaving his Southern home on account of his dislike to the institution of slavery. Turning his footsteps northward he located in Kentucky, the removal being made with pack horses. Mrs. Smith had three small children, the youngest of whom she carried in her arms, the others (twins) traveling in baskets tied together and placed before her. After spending a short time in Kentucky they came into the Northwest Territory, in 1794-95, locating in Hamilton County. The records of the old Baptist Church at Duck Creek, Columbia Station, near Cincinnati, show that the Rev. Peter Smith and his wife Catherine united with that church by letter in 1795, and that the husband was ordained minister in 1801. In an account of the Centennial Celebration held June 21, 1890, of this the first Baptist Church in the Northwest Territory, the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette says, “In 1801, under Elder Peter Smith’s preaching, a great revival came, and in a few months over one hundred and fifty members were added to the church”. In 1805 they came to Clark County, and near the present site of Donnelsville bought nine hundred and sixty acres of land, which Mr. Smith afterward divided among his children. He was one of the early ministers of the county, and at his home, where religious meetings were frequently held, he organized a society of Christian believers. There he died in 1816, his remains being buried on his own farm, the place afterward becoming Donnelsville Cemetery.

Samuel Smith married Elizabeth McCleave, a lady of Scotch-Irish descent and a native of the United States. He settled on the tract of land given him by his father, and followed farming there during his entire life. He died in 1856.

The natal day of Samuel S. Miller was July 20, 1829, and his birthplace his father’s farm in Bethel Township. In the early schools, which did not include instruction in the varied branches taught today, with a couple of terms in Wittenberg College, he received his education, and as soon as his strength would permit he began to assist his father on the farm. When seventeen years old he began teaching, his first term being in the home district, and the labor of a pedagogue was pursued by him several terms. He afterward turned his attention exclusively to farming, locating on a part of the homestead, which he subsequently sold, buying and building on the tract which he now occupies, near Springfield. On May 13, 1856, he was united in marriage with Miss Margaret Palmer, who has proved to be an efficient and loving helpmate, a devoted mother and a true Christian, for “lo, these many years”. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have four children-Orion P.; Cyrus I., who married Mamie Judson: Bertha A. and Milton. Both parents belong to the Christian Church. Mr. Miller was formerly a Whig, but has been a Republican since the formation of the party.

Mrs. Miller was born in Miami County, being a daughter of John and Margaret (Hance) Palmer. Her father was born in Bristol, England, September 19, 1791, and her grandfather, Robert Palmer, was also an Englishman. The latter came to America in 1807, accompanied by his wife, Elizabeth, and two children, and locating near Fishkill, N. Y., remained there two or three years. He then made an overland journey to Ohio, locating near Dayton, but after a short sojourn removing to Miami County, and settling in Lost Creek Township. He bought a tract of land, which was partially cleared, and upon which a log cabin stood, residing there until his death. The father of Mrs. Miller was sixteen years old when his parents brought him to America, and he resided with them until his marriage, in 1819. His wife was born in Kentucky March 11, 1800, and was a daughter of William and Margaret (Northcutt) Hance, who located on a farm in Lost Creek Township, Miami County, at which home William died in 1833, aged eighty-four years. John and Margaret Palmer inherited the farm of Robert Palmer, remaining there until 1857. They then sold, and until August, 1881, made their home at Troy. They then came to Springfield, residing with Mr. and Mrs. Miller during the remainder of their lives. Mr. Palmer breathed his last December 11, 1882, aged ninety-one, his wife surviving until June, 1884, aged eighty-four.

source: Portrait and Biographical Album of Green and Clark Counties, Ohio Chapman Brothers, Chicago, 1890
            page 584

copyright Jo Hubbard 1999

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