COOK, SWOOPE, FISHER (Ross Twp., p. 465)
Christopher W. COOK is the s/o Christopher & Mary COOK. They were natives of Prussia, & there their son was born Jun 20, 1825. His wife, Elizabeth SWOOPE, was born in Bavaria, Jul 11, 1831. Her parents were George SWOOPE & Susan FISHER. They are both now dead. They came to Butler Co. in 1844, & Mr. COOK came here in 1845. Their marriage took place Dec 7, 1848. They have had 8 children. The first was born Nov 18, 1849 & died four days thereafter. Mary C. was born Aug 22, 1852; George H. was born Feb 2, 1855; another child was born Apr 6, 1858 & died the next day. Frederick William was born Oct 19, 1860; Margaret was born Jan 28, 1864, dying Mar 15, 1864; John was born Aug 4, 1865; & Anna Elizabeth, Dec 4, 1867. Mr. COOK has been supervisor one term. He has always followed the calling of a farmer.

CRAWFORD, ARTHURS, McHENRY, POTTENGER, BRYANT, DeLONG, NICHOLS (Ross Twp., p. 465)
John A. CRAWFORD was the s/o John A. CRAWFORD, Sen., & Mary ARTHURS. He was born at Cincinnati, OH, Dec 26, 1826, & was married Jun 6, 1850 to Phebe McHENRY in Hamilton Co., (OH). Her parents were Joseph McHENRY & Nancy POTTENGER, & she was born in Hamilton Co. on the 27th of Nov 1830. They had four children. Joseph H. was the eldest. He was born Aug 6, 1851. Mary E. was born Apr 15, 1853; Nancy E., Aug 31, 1856; Sarah B., Feb 3, 1860; & John N., May 31, 1862. Three of the children have been married. Nancy E. married William BRYANT Jan 10, 1881; Sarah B. married Nathan BRYANT Jan 11, 1881; & Joseph H. married Eliza DeLONG Jul 15, 1875. She bore him two children, Leora May, Sep 8, 1876, & Walter Clarence, Jan 12, 1879, both still living. Their mother is dead. She died on the 24th of Mar 1879. Joseph still lives on the farm occupied by his father, and with is brother, John W., carries it on. Mary E. also lives at home. She teaches school, as did her two sisters prior to marriage. Mr. John A. CRAWFORD was a cabinet-maker by trade, & generally followed that occupation, while his sons carried on the farm. At one time he was in the mercantile business. This was in the years 1868 & 1869. He was enrollment officer in Colerain Twp., Hamilton Co., (OH) during the late war. Mrs. CRAWFORD's great-grandfather, Van McHENRY, was a captain in the War of 1812. Her children's great-grandfather NICHOLS was also in the War of 1812. He was a sailor for 22 years. Mr. CRAWFORD's death occurred Jan 12, 1880.

DESCOMBES, YEAKLE, GARNER, KEIVER (Ross Twp., p. 465)
David DESCOMBES, s/o Jacob DESCOMBES & Lydia YEAKLE, was born in St. Clair Twp., Jun 6, 1835. His father was a native of France, & came here in 1810. He died in 1845, & his mother died in Nov of the same year. Mrs. DESCOMBES was born in this county. David DESCOMBES was married Jul 4, 1861, to Lydia GARNER, dau/o Samuel & Eliabeth KEIVER. They came to this county at an early period. Mr. & Mrs. DESCOMBES have had two children. Minnie May was born Jun 12, 1863, & George, Apr 28, 1868. He died Jun 29, 1869. Mr. DESCOMBES by trade is a wheelwright, as well as a cabinet-maker & carpenter. He has followed these different vocations from boyhood until the past two years, since which time he has paid his attention to the farm. He also makes a specialty of raising fruit--apples, peaches, grapes, & small fruit. He had a brother, Francis, who was in the Mexican War. Mr. DESCOMBES was school director of St. Clair Twp. for 1872 & 1873.

DICK, GILLESPIE, RHY, PARKS, McCLOSKEY (Ross Twp., pp. 465-466)
Captain Samuel DICK, now deceased, was born in Cincinnati, (Hamilton Co.), OH, Oct 5, 1797. He was the s/o Samuel DICK, Sen., of whom a full account will be found near the beginning of this book, & Martha Allen GILLESPIE. Samuel DICK, Jr., followed the business of a farmer all of his life, living for many years on the north half of a section of land entered by his father about the year 1809, & now owned by his heirs. Capt. DICK was twice married. His first wife was Elizabeth RHY, who bore him one son, David Howen, who was born Aug 9, 1832 & died Sep 5, 1850. He then married in Ross Twp., Butler Co., on the 20th of Mar 1834, Isabella PARKS, dau/o Arthur PARKS, who was born Feb 2, 1779, & Elizabeth McCLOSKEY, born Apr 14, 1784. They died in Hamilton Co., (OH). The daughter, Isabella, was born Mar 31, 1817. They had 14 children. George was born Apr 2, 1835. Rebecca B. was born Oct 20, 1836 & died Feb 18, 1852. Culbertson P. was born Jul 1, 1838; James, Apr 16, 1840. Samuel A. was born Nov 13, 1841 & died Jun 12, 1871. John W. was born Oct 6, 1843. Martha was born Dec 14, 1845 & died May 7, 1877. Robert L. was born Apr 27, 1848; Jennie, on the 17th of Feb 1850; Susan, Feb 28, 1852; Annie R. , Dec 21, 1853, Effie J., Feb 5, 1856; Sarah, Sep 5, 1857, dying Oct 10, 1880; & Isaac N., Aug 1, 1860. Eighteen grandchildren are now living, & six others are dead. All of Capt. DICK's children have been married except six, & three of those are deceased. He was always a farmer. His death occurred on the 1st of Jan 1871.

DEMORET, BELSER, ALEXANDER, TIMBERMAN (Ross Twp., p. 466)
Bartholomew DEMORET was born in Cincinnati (Hamilton Co., OH), May 30, 1809, & came to Butler Co. with his parents, Nicholas & Lydia DEMORET in 1816. Bartholomew DEMORET has never moved since he arrived in this county. His motto is, that a "rolling stone gathers no moss." He is a farmer, & was married in 1834 to Elizabeth BELSER, dau/o George & Elizabeth BELSER. Their children are as follows: Joseph L., born Oct 21, 1835; Rebecca, Oct 22, 1837; Bartholomew, Oct 30, 1839; Seba ALEXANDER, Feb 7, 1842; Miranda, Dec 1844; George Lee, Dec 1847; Nancy TIMBERMAN, 1849; Margaret Jane, Oct 12, 1852. His father was in the war with the Indians in 1792. Mr. DEMORET has accumulated considerable means by his own industry.

EMRICK, SWAB, FISHER (Ross Twp., p. 466)
Charles EMRICK was born in Pike Co., OH, Mar 4, 1839. His father was Peter EMRICK, & his mother Rosanna EMRICK. He settled in this county in 1865. He was married on th 25th of Aug 1860, in Pike Co., to Mary Ann SWAB, dau/o George A. & Susan SWAB. The former died Dec 14, 1856 & the latter Jul 1875. Mrs. SWAB's maiden name was FISHER. They came to this county about 1836. Mr. & Mrs. EMRICK have had six children, of whom John M., the eldest, was born Nov 6, 1861 in Pike Co., as were the next two, Charles A., born Sep 26, 1862, & Louisa C. born Mar 12, 1865; Mary C. born Feb 4, 1871; William H., born Sep 2, 1872; & George F., born Jul 24, 1880, are natives of this county. By occupation Mr. EMRICK has been alternately a wheelwright & a stone mason, but latterly he has devoted all of his attention to his farm & stock-raising. He had two brothers, Philip & Jacob, in the late war, serving for four years.

GAILEY, YEAKLE, SCHMIDLER, SCHEIN, SARVER (Ross Twp., p. 466)
Henry GAILEY was born in Ross Twp., Aug 2, 1840. He is the s/o Baltzer GAILEY & Mary YEAKLE, who came to this county about 1830. His father was a native of Germany, emigrating to PA at an early day. His mother was born in PA, but came to this county a few years prior to her husband. He died Jul 31, 1870, aged 73 years, 6 months, & 13 days, & the mother died Jul 31, 1874, aged 74 years, 6 months, & 4 days. Henry GAILEY was married Nov 26, 1878 to Catherine SCHMIDLER, dau/o Conradt SCHMIDLER & Rosa SCHEIN. They came to this county about 1850. Mrs. SCHMIDLER is still living in this county, but Mr. SCHMIDLER is in KS. Mr. & Mrs. GAILEY have but one child, John W., who was born Oct 12, 1879. Mr. GAILEY was supervisor in 1866, & has been school director for 7 years. He had a brother Jacob in the late war, a member of the 26th Regiment, who died of disease contracted in the service. Mr. GAILEY is a farmer, in that following his father, who was also a distiller, although for the last few years of his life paying all his attention to the farm. That now belongs jointly to Henry GAILEY & his nephew, Baltzer J. SARVER, the 161 acres being equally divided between them. Mr. SARVER was also born in this county, near Amanda, his mother having died when he was a baby. After this his grandfather adopted him as his own.

GARVER, LINGLE, LIPPERT, BEELER, SHAFER, SEALS, STARETTE, MITCHELL, RILEY, RITTER (Ross Twp., pp. 466-467)
Joseph GARVER was born in St. Clair Twp., Nov 28, 1812, & is the youngest s/o Samuel GARVER, who died on the 26th of Nov 1869, aged 81 years & 7 days. Catharine LINGLE, his mother, who was married Mar 7, 1808, died in 1813. Samuel GARVER married for his second wife Catharine LIPPERT, Jul 21, 1814. He came to this county in 1804, & was drafted in the War of 1812. His brother took his place, &, according to the law, his youngest son should have received 80 acres of land, but has never made any effort to obtain it. Joseph GARVER was married on the 20th of Mar 1833 in the township of St. Clair to Miss Hannah BEELER, who has borne him six children. Mrs. GARVER is the dau/o George J. BEELER, who died Jan 3, 1847, aged 75 years, & Elizabeth SHAFER, who died Mar 3, 1847, aged 75 years. They came to this county about 1821 or 1822. Mr. GARVER has followed farming all his life & has met with success. His children are William J., who was born Nov 10, 1835; Mary E., born Sep 9, 1837; Sarch C., born Oct 9, 1840; Samuel B., born Sep 7, 1843; Joseph J., born Aug 4, 1850--died Dec 30, 1850; Emma P., born Jan 22, 1854.

Mr. GARVER has been a school director for 15 years, & in other places has filled important trusts. He remembers the first wagon his father brought to this country, & also when he & his father had to carry 100 bushels of wheat to mill on horseback, where they sold it. At one time, desiring to buy a plow, he was compelled to go to Cincinnati three times with grain before he could obtain enough money to make the purchase, & his means were still so small, that had he not goods to bring back he could not have accomplished it. The price of the plow was $9.00. Mr. GARVER built his own wagon and borrowed a horse from his father, which gave him a full team. Several of his children are now married. William J. married Elizabeth SEALS, Feb 15, 1878; Sarah C. first married William STARETTE, Oct 30, 1862. He died in the service during the late war. She afterwards married on the 15th of Feb 1867, James MITCHELL. Samuel married Catharine RILEY, Feb 14, 1866; Emma J. married Millard F. RITTER, Dec 26, 1878. Mr. GARVER has 7 grandchildren living; one, Hannah Jane STARETTE, died Oct 27, 1860, aged 5 years 3 months 14 days. Four of Mr. GARVER's children were born in the same house as their father. All the buildings on this place were built by him, he being an excellent mechanic, brick or stone mason, carpenter, blacksmith, & wagon-maker. Mr. GARVER has never served as an apprentice. His wife has now a pair of shoes he made for her more than 20 years ago, & they are still good ones. He is also a first-class cabinet-maker, & his tools are all of his own make.

HANCOCK, McALISTER, HARRISON, GRAVES, LINTNER, DOUGLASS, HALL, DeCAMP, MUSSEY, OLIVER (Ross Twp., p. 467)
Alfred HANCOCK, M.D., was born in Reily Twp., Nov 27, 1820. His father was a farmer, & he remained with him until the age of 16, attending school & helping him on the farm. After that date he attended & taught school until 1844, when he began the study of medicine under Dr. McALISTER of Oxford (Butler Co., OH), there remaining about a year. He went to Cincinnati & attended the Ohio Medical College, then under the supervision of Professor HARRISON, until his graduation. He then returned to Butler Co., beginning practice, & has been here ever since, with the exception of a year & a half. His father was Joel HANCOCK, [s/o John HANCOCK & Nancy Ann GRAVES from VA to KY to OH], & his mother Jane LINTNER, [dau/o Peter LINTNER & Mary DOUGLASS]. He is the second child of his father's first wife, Jane, who died in 1821. His father married twice, [his second wife being Sarah HALL]. His grandfather, John HANCOCK, was in the Revolutionary War, & his father, Joel, was in the War of 1812.

Dr. HANCOCK was married on the 23rd of Jan 1845 to Emeline DeCAMP, dau/o Walter DeCAMP & Sarah BIRD, who came to this county in 1812 from NJ, & are still living. She was born in 1828. Doctor & Mrs. HANCOCK have had three children. Walter was born May 25, 1847; Joel, Feb 26, 1849; & James, Oct 5, 1854.

His son, Walter DeCamp HANCOCK, was born in Hanover Twp., Butler Co. His early education was liberal, & completed at the Miami University in 1869. He then began the study of medicine under the direction of his father until the Fall of 1870, when he became an office-student of Professor W. H. MUSSEY, of Cincinnati, remaining under his direction until his diploma was received from the Miami Medical College on the 29th of Feb 1872. He held an appointment as assistant physician to Rose Hill city branch hospital during he small-pox epidemic of 1871 & 1872. He then engaged in general practice with his father at Millville (Butler Co., OH). In the Summer of 1875 he spent most of his time in Vienna, Austria, attending the clinics & receiving private instruction. He also spent more or less of his time in the medical department of the universities at Munich, Tubingen, Heidelberg, Strasbourg, & Paris, & in a number of hospitals in London, England. Returning to his home, after a year's absence, his field of general practice has been much extended. He has much skill, & has had success as a physician & surgeon.

HOLLE, IRENCUP, SCHWARTZ (Ross Twp., p. 467)
John HOLLE, of this township, was born in Germany on the 9th of Jan 1836. His father was Jerome & his mother Leuria HOLL, both of whom are dead. John HOLLE learned the carpenter's trade, & generally follows that as his business, but for the past five or six years he has paid all his attention to the farm on which he resides. In Jan 1856, he married in Cincinnati, Frances SCHWARTZ, dau/o Jacob & Frances (IRENCUP) SCHWARTZ, both of whom live in Hamilton Co. Mr. HOLLE came to this county in 1870. He is the father of nine children: William, born Jul 24, 1867; Jacob, born Sep 28, 1869; Henry, born Nov 3, 1870; Joseph, born Jan 10, 1872; Clara, born May 29, 1873; Peter, born Jan 2, 1875; Augusta, born Jul 28, 1876; George, born Dec 1, 1878; Leuria E., born Feb 1, 1880. Joseph died Jan 22, 1872; Peter, Jan 11, 1875; & George, Feb 10, 1879.

HOOVER, CORWIN, HUNT, BOAL, HOOVER, ANDERSON (Ross Twp., p. 467)
Dr. Charles C. HOOVER was born near Felicity, Clermont Co., OH, Feb 21, 1851. When two years old his father, Daniel R. HOOVER, removed to Lebanon, (Warren Co., OH), the former home of his wife, Susan (CORWIN) HOOVER, a comily were originally from PA, & were among the earliest settlers of Clermont Co. The BOAL family were old settlers in this county. James BOAL came here from Dauphin Co., where he was born in 1787, & was married in this county to Susan ANDERSON, dau/o Isaac ANDERSON. She & two of her children, Mary & Robert, & a young lady residing with them, were killed by lightning Apr 5, 1826. There were 7 persons in the room at the time. Mr. BOAL was a hatter by trade, & started the first hat factory in Hamilton, on the corner of Second & Basin in 1812. He died very suddenly near Sharon.

HAWK, STONEBREAKER, GARNER, REGAN, WETSEL, GEIDNER, BARKLET, LONGFELLOW (Ross Twp., pp. 467-468)
Benjamin HAWK was born Jun 16, 1824. His parents came to this county in 1802, & are now both dead. They were Philip HAWK & Catherine STONEBREAKER. Mr. HAWK was twice married. His first wife was Clarissa Ann TURNER, who bore him three children, James, Alfred T., & Noah H. James was born May 30, 1846, & married Catherine GARNER in 1870. Alfred was born Apr 10, 1848, & married Mary REGAN in 1868. Noah H. was born Oct 17, 1850, & died Feb 5, 1851. His second marriage was to Mahala WETSEL, the dau/o Jacob WETSEL & Magdalena GEIDNER, Apr 15, 1852. They came to this county in 1836, & are now both dead. She was born in Milford, Lehigh Co., PA, Jan 20, 1832. By this wife he had 8 children. Lewis C. was born Apr 20, 1853, & was married to Tillie BARKLET in 1880. Edith L. was born Aug 22, 1854, & was married in 1876 to James LONGFELLOW. Charles H. was born Aug 26, 1858; he lives in Richmond, IN. George E. was born Aug 28, 1860. Mary V. was born May 26, 1856, & died Sep 25, 1858. Franklin A. was born Dec 31, 1863. Harry M. was born Nov 18, 1867, & died Jun 28, 1868. Joseph C. was born Aug 14, 1868.s born in Milford, Lehigh Co., PA, Jan 20, 1832. By this wife he had 8 children. Lewis C. was born Apr 20, 1853, & was married to Tillie BARKLET in 1880. Edith L. was born Aug 22, 1854, & was married in 1876 to James LONGFELLOW. Charles H. was born Aug 26, 1858; he lives in Richmond, IN. George E. was born Aug 28, 1860. Mary V. was born May 26, 1856, & died Sep 25, 1858. Franklin A. was born Dec 31, 1863. Harry M. was born Nov 18, 1867, & died Jun 28, 1868. Joseph C. was born Aug 14, 1868. Two of Mr. HAWK's sons were in the War of the Rebellion. James was in for 18 months, & Alfred T. in the hundred days' service. Mr. HAWK was a school director for two terms, and a clerk of the board. Mrs. HAWK had several uncles in the Revolutionary War. He died April 10, 1880.

LEWIS, MARSHALL, DICK, GILLESPIE (Ross Twp., p. 468)
Andrew J. LEWIS, s/o James LEWIS & Maria MARSHALL, was born in Hanover Twp., Feb 11, 1833. His parents came to the county in 1808. The father died Jul 3, 1864, but the mother is still living in Hamilton. His grandfather was in St. Clair's defeat. Andrew J. LEWIS was married Jan 22, 1834 to Martha J. DICK, dau/o James DICK & Martha T. GILLESPIE, who was born Jan 22, 1834. Mr. DICK was born in 1809, in Ross Twp., & his wife in the same year. The latter died Aug 4, 1841, & the former, Dec 4, 1867. Mr. & Mrs. LEWIS have had seven children. Harry was born May 10, 1857; James D., Mar 3, 1859; Rosa, Oct 10, 1864; Martha E., May 10, 1865; Anna M., May 25, 1869; Charles G., Oct 8, 1872; David E. His brother, Robert, was a member of the 9th OH Cavalry, & served about one year at the close of the war. Mr. LEWIS has generally followed the occupation of a farmer, but has controlling interests in the Blanche mine in CO, & owns and controls four other mines, the Don Pedro, Silver Lake, Divide, & Premier, and spends a portion of his time in that country.