History of Ross County Ohio United States of America

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Farmer and Banker, Daniel McLean was born, October 3d, 1805, in Ross county, Ohio, and is the youngest child of Duncan and Elizabeth (McGaraugh) McLean. His father was a native of Scotland, who through life followed agricultural pursuits. He emigrated to America in 1760, and settled first in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, removing to Ohio in 1805, and located in Ross county, where he resided until his death, August 2d, 1806. He had married Elizabeth, daughter of Joseph McGaraugh, an early settler of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, of Scotch-Irish extraction. She died January 1st, 1850. Daniel obtained only a limited education, being that obtained in the common schools in the neighborhood of his father's farm. When fourteen years old he became a clerk in a store in Washington, Fayette county, where he labored very industriously until 1830, when he went into business on his own account, keeping a general store, and was thus employed for some ten years. In 1840 he removed to his farm in Union township, adjacent to Washington, where he has since resided. In 1863 he was elected President of the First National Bank, and associated banking with agricultural pursuits; commencing with a capital of $75,000, which has since been increased to $300,000. His political views are those of the Republican party. He cast his first Presidential vote for John Quincy Adams. In 1826 he was elected Coroner of Fayette county, and served in that office for four years. In 1842 he was appointed Associate Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of the same county, by the Governor of Ohio, and in 1843 was elected to the same office, being on the bench about eight years. In 1851 he was elected a Director of the Cincinnati, Wilmington & Zanesville Railroad Company, and served in that capacity for thirteen years. He is a large stockholder in the Dayton & Southeastern Railroad, and in the Springfield, Jackson & Pomeroy Railroad Companies. He is also largely interested in the capital stock of the Coal & Iron Company of Wellston, Jackson county. Religiously, his views are not circumscribed by the creed of any particular church. Socially, he is pleasant, frank, and affable. He has led a temperate life, and has been a hard worker, giving his whole soul to whatever matter engaged his attention. He started out in life with no capital but his industry, energy, and perseverance, and having been the architect of his own fortunes, can point to his present commanding position as the result of what untiring diligence can perform. He may with great propriety be termed a self-made man. He was married in 1830 to Helena, daughter of Dr. John Boyd, a prominent physician and early pioneer of Highland county, Ohio. She died in 1849, having been the mother of five children. He was again married in 1852 to Mary Sprague, a native of Berkshire county, Massachusetts, who died in 1854. He was united in marriage, in 1856, to Matilda, daughter of Isaac Hagler, an early pioneer of Fayette county, who is still living.

From: The Biographical Encyclopedia of Ohio of the Nineteenth Century. Columbus, OH, USA: Galaxy Publishing Co., 1876.

John McDougall, governor of California, was born in Ross county, Ohio, in 1818; son of John McDougall, representative in the state legislature, 1813-15, who removed to Indianapolis, Ind., about 1820. He attended school there, participated in the Black Hawk war in 1832 and was superintendent of the Indiana State prison in 1846. He rendered distinguished service in the war with Mexico, 1846-47. He removed to California in 1849, was a member of the state constitutional convention, was lieutenant-governor of the state, 1849-51, and upon the resignation of Governor Burnett, Jan. 9, 1851, he succeeded to the office and served out the term. During his administration the famous San Francisco vigilance committee was organized. He was subsequently elected to the state senate. He died in San Francisco, Cal., March 30, 1866.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Anthony Walke, late Statesman, was born September 13th, 1783, in Norfolk, Virginia, and was the eldest son of William and Mary (Calvert) Walke of that city. He is the fourth in descent from the founder of the American branch of the family, who, emigrating from the island of Barbadoes, landed in Virginia, and in 1692 married Mary Lawson, of Princess Anne county in that colony. From their son Anthony--who was married April 4th, 1725, to Anna, daughter of Captain William Armistead, of Eastmost river, Gloucester county, Virginia--was descended Colonel Anthony Walke. He was a man of wealth and unbounded liberality, who by his large contributions to the church is most favorably noticed by Bishop Meade in his "History of the Church in Virginia." He not only donated lands, but erected a church edifice about twelve miles from Norfolk, and which is yet standing. Colonel Walke was twice married. His first wife was Jane, daughter of William Randolph, of Turkey Island, James River, and the issue were two sons, Anthony and Thomas, the former the celebrated "Parson Walke," and both were members of the Convention of 1788, which met to adopt the Federal Constitution, and both voted in its favor, as also of the Bill of Rights. His second wife was Mary Isham, a daughter of Colonel Edward Moseley, whose family was one of the oldest and most respected in eastern Virginia. By this union were born to him three sons, William, John, and Edward H.; the two latter died young. The eldest of these three, William, was the father of the Anthony Walke whose sketch is now about to be given, and who also died in the prime of life. He was a young man of great worth and promise. After receiving a liberal education he retired to his farm, called the "Ferry Plantation," and devoted himself to agricultural pursuits. He was a member of the Legislature at the time of his death. He married Mary, daughter of Cornelius and Elizabeth (Thoroughgood) Calvert. This latter was the daughter of Adam and Elizabeth (Mason) Thoroughgood, and the last mentioned was sister of the patriot and statesman George Mason, whose statue is in Richmond. Colonel Thoroughgood, brother of Adam, was an officer under General Washington, and was wounded shortly before Cornwallis' surrender. Thomas Calvert, United States navy--Mrs. William Walke's brother--was First Lieutenant of the United States frigate "Constellation," thirty-eight guns, when, under Commodore Truxton, and after a desperate action, the French frigate "L'Insurgente," of forty guns, was captured. William Walke left two sons and three daughters, none of whom survive save William, who is at present one of the oldest and most respected citizens of Norfolk. All the daughters were married, and among their descendants are some of the most worthy and respectable citizens of Norfolk and of eastern Virginia. In few families of this country has wealth continued so long. A considerable portion of the estate owned by Colonel Anthony Walke is still in the possession of his descendants. Anthony Walke, late of Ohio, was educated at Yale College, and was a fellow-student of the late distinguished John C. Calhoun, of South Carolina. Soon after arriving at manhood he was elected a member of the Virginia Legislature from his native county, where he was highly esteemed. During Jefferson's administration he was selected as the Agent of the United States government to deliver to the Dey of Algiers the tribute which the Barbary powers exacted from Christian nations for the privilege of trading in Mediterranean ports, and this was the last tribute from the American government, except that which was finally and effectually paid by Decatur in powder and ball. On his return to the United States the vessel in which he had embarked was driven by stress of weather on the coast of France, and as he had no passport, was arrested on suspicion of being a British emissary. After a month's imprisonment he was released through the intervention of Livingston, the United States minister to the French Republic. Having obtained permission to travel through France on his return home, he visited Boulogne while Bonaparte was in the midst of his great preparations for the invasion of England, and where he witnessed a review of the French "Grande Arm?e." Early in the present century he removed from Virginia to Ohio, but owing to continued ill-health returned to his native State. During the war of 1812, when Norfolk was threatened by an English squadron, he was attached to the mounted patrol organized for the purpose of watching the movements of the enemy; and on one occasion he participated in the capture of a considerable number of officers and sailors who had come ashore on a foraging expedition from the British fleet, then lying in Hampton Roads. A few years thereafter he returned to Ohio and became a permanent resident of the Scioto valley. He ever took a lively interest in questions of State and national policy, and he will be remembered by many as an able writer and speaker. He often represented Ross county in the lower branch of the Legislature, and also in the State Senate; and, as was said of him by the editor of the Ohio State Journal, he was in truth a "gentleman of the old school," polite and respectful to all, maintaining through life a high character for integrity, truthfulness, and the faithful discharge of all his duties, whether regarded as a public man, as a private citizen, or as a Christian. For fifty years he was a member of the Presbyterian Church, and during a long period was a ruling elder in that denomination. He was married in 1805 to Susan H. Carmichael, of Princess Anne county, Virginia, and who died November 10th, 1874, in the eighty-ninth year of her age, one of the oldest and most esteemed residents of Chillicothe, distinguished for piety, Christian charity, and kindness to all. Five sons and one daughter survived her departure; the latter is the wife of James Dun, of Madison county, Ohio. Of the sons, Rear-Admiral Henry Walke, United States navy, of Brooklyn, New York, is an able and distinguished officer. Dr. Cornelius Walke, another son, resides in New York city during the winter and at Cornwell's Landing (North river) in summer. John Walke is Judge of the Probate Court of Pickaway county, Ohio; Anthony and Thomas Walke are residents of Chillicothe, Ohio, the latter being Judge of the Probate Court of Ross county. Another son, William, died some years before his father. The latter died March 19th, 1865, in the eighty-second year of his age.

From: The Biographical Encyclopedia of Ohio of the Nineteenth Century. Columbus, OH, USA: Galaxy Publishing Co., 1876.

Farmer, Merchant and Banker, James Pursell was born, October 21st, 1813, in Ross county, Ohio, and is the second of six children, whose parents were Reuben and Mary (Jenkins) Pursell. His father was a native of western Pennsylvania, who followed through life mechanical pursuits. He removed to Ohio about the year 1805, and settled at first in Ross county, where he resided until 1832, when he removed to Fayette county, which became his future home, and where he died in 1864. His wife was also from western Pennsylvania, having been born in Washington county; she was the daughter of William Jenkins, an early settler in eastern Ohio; she died in 1856. James worked on a farm until he was twenty-four years old, attending the common school during the winter season--in all about three terms. In 1835 he went to Washington, Fayette county, but moved a little later into the country. In 1840 he returned to Washington, having been elected Constable of Union township, adjacent to the town, and was engaged for about a year attending to the duties pertaining to that office. He was appointed, May 8th, 1841, Auditor of Fayette county by the County Commissioners, and was elected at the following general election, October, 1841, to the same office, and thrice re-elected, holding the position altogether about nine years. After the expiration of his official duties he became interested in a woollen mill, and was industriously engaged as a manufacturer, and also in buying and selling real estate, continuing in these two avocations for about five years, when he relinquished the factory, disposing of the same to his brother, and confining his attention solely to dealing in lands for a year or two. He then erected a warehouse and engaged in the lumber business, and also in conducting a large grocery establishment, both of which occupied his attention for several years. In 1858 he started the Fayette County Bank, over which he exercised a general supervision until about 1867, when he disposed of the same to the First National Bank of Washington. In 1867 he returned to the grocery and lumber business, in which he continued until 1869, when he disposed of the former, although he carried on the lumber trade until 1874. In the last-named year he became President of the Merchants' and Farmers' Bank of Washington, and has been identified with its interests in that capacity ever since. He is largely interested as a stockholder in the Dayton & Southeastern, as also in the Springfield & Pomeroy Railroad Companies. He was elected to the Ohio Legislature in 1861, and re-elected in 1863, serving four years in that body. He was appointed, 1869, by President Grant Collector of Internal Revenue for the Sixth District of Ohio. His political creed is that of the Republican party; was formerly a Whig, and gave his first vote for General Harrison for President. Personally, he is of pleasant and social manners, and is much esteemed by his fellowtownsmen. He has always led a temperate life, and has ever been distinguished for untiring energy and industry. His pecuniary circumstances were limited when he started in life, and his present competence is the result of his persevering efforts. He was married, May 25th, 1841, to Margaret Hartzell, of Pickaway county, and is the father of seven children.

From: The Biographical Encyclopedia of Ohio of the Nineteenth Century. Columbus, OH, USA: Galaxy Publishing Co., 1876.

History of Ross County Ohio

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