Madison County History and Genealogy

History and Genealogy



The Pioneers and Early Settlers


From History of Madison County, Ohio, Chester E. Bryan, Supervising Editor, B.F. Bowen & Co., Indianapolis (1915)

From the best available sources it appears that the first pioneer of Paint township was Andrew Sifrit, who was born near Winchester, Virginia, in 1750. When a young man he enlisted in the army and served for eight long years with the American forces during their struggle for independence. As a reward for these services, he afterward received a warrant for two hundred acres of land. He married Susan Shrock, by whom he had nine children. She died and he later married, for his second wife, Hannah Morrills, also a native of Virginia, by whom he had twelve children. Thus he was the father of twenty-one children. In 1803 he, with his family, emigrated to Ross county, where he remained for one year and then, in 1804, pushed on to Madison county, settling in Paint township, on land later owned by John Paulin, on what is known as Sifrit run. He, it is believed, was the first white settler in Paint township as it is now known, but at that date it was in Darby township, in Franklin county. Here he and his family erected a double log cabin and commenced to make a farm and home. They had willing hands and hearts and knew how to use them, and from year to year their comforts and conveniences increased, neighbors began to appear, and everything began to put on a more comfortable and pleasing aspect. Mr. Sifrit died at the advanced age of ninety eight years.

Peter P. Helpenstine, a native of Virginia, received a grant for a large amount of land for his services as a major during the Revolutionary War. He started for Ohio, in October, 1805, and, arriving at Chillicothe, he became acquainted with Col. Elias Langham, who was going up into the "Barrens" to lay some warrants. David Watson had accompanied Mr. Helpenstine from Virginia, and now they associated themselves with Colonel Langham and came with him up to Madison to locate and lay and survey their land. About February 14, they finished their work and returned to Chillicothe, where they remained until September, 1806. They returned to Virginia and at once made preparations to return to their new lands. Mr. Helpenstine and family, Jonathan Minshall and family and Walter Watson and family, with their connections, to the number of thirty-nine persons. with six or seven wagons, started for their new homes in the wilds of Ohio. This caravan arrived at Chillicothe by the last of October, 1808. There they left their families, while Mr. Watson, with his family, located on a place which his son David had previously rented for him. Mr. Helpenstine proceeded to his land and, with the assistance of David Watson and others, erected a cabin, in his new and permanent home, and here he remained through life, being, it is believed, the second settler in Paint township.

David Watson was born in Maryland, October 17, 1783, and, with his father, Walter Watson, and his family, became settlers in Ohio in 1806. In 1807, with Mr. Helpenstine and family, David Watson came to Paint township and here was married to Mary Helpenstine, for whom he formed a special attachment when she was but ten years of age, while residing in Virginia.

George Blougher, of German descent, came with, or about the same time as, Robert Hume, in 1804. He worked one year for him, clearing his land, for which service Mr. Hume deeded him one hundred acres of land, upon which he settled and remained throughout life. About 1810-12, a Mr. Harpole settled on the Hume land and became owner of quite a large amount of land; but little is known of him.

James Withrow, born in Pennsylvania, emigrated to Madison county in 1807 and settled on Walnut run, in Paint township, and, in the following year, removed his family to his new home in the wilderness. Here he took up two hundred and fifty acres of land. He had but three neighbors, David Watson, Jonathan Minshall and Peter P. Helpenstine. Mr. Withrow was a man of wide experiences and of great influence. He served as a major in the militia for several years. He built a saw-mill on Walnut run about 1815, which was the first mill in this vicinity and one of the first in the county. The power for this mill was furnished by the stream. It remained in operation for ten or twelve years. He was a man of great firmness of character. All his life he was an active member of the Presbyterian church. They had a family of seven children: Ann married Abraham Phifer, and died about 1873; Margaret died unmarried; David married Mary Harvey, and settled in the township, where he died without issue; Isabel married John Stroup, by whom she had five children; Robert married Ann Carr; Washington married Catharine Truman and settled on the home place; Samuel married Charlotte Rankin.

John Stroup settled on the Buffenberger land about 1810, where he remained through out life. He was a native of Pennsylvania.



John Phifer, a native of Virginia, came to Madison county about 1810, and located on Paint creek, also on the Buffenberger lands. He was a blacksmith by trade, which business he followed, along with farming, throughout life. He raised a family of three sons and four daughters. George Phifer, his son, who married Tabitha Dean, was also a blacksmith by trade and followed it for several years. Soon after marrying, he moved to London, where he became a prominent and successful business man. Abraham Phifer, another son of John, and a brother of George, married Ann Withrow and settled near his father. He devoted his life to farming, at which he made a great success. John, the third son, died when very young. The daughters were Dolly, Clara, Betsey and Nancy. All married, had families, and became prosperous and good citizens.

Peter Buffenberger, a native of Virginia, came to this county when a young man and, about 1810, located on Paint creek, in this township, and entered largely into the stock business. About 1816 he fenced in a large tract of these prairies. He married, at the advanced age of seventy-five years, Angeline Hutson, by whom he had two children, Eugene and May. Mr. Buffenberger died a few years after his marriage, leaving his family four thousand two hundred acres of fine land, besides seven hundred acres which he had previously deeded in fee simple to his wife.

About 1810 George Linson, a native of Virginia, settled on Paint creek, just below the Buffenberger tract of land. He had married in Virginia, and came here in very limited circumstances. He entered upon the stock business, was very successful and made money rapidly, becoming the owner of over two thousand acres of excellent land.

George Chappell, who was a resident of this township until his death, settled near Walnut run about 1810. He was a native of Virginia. He married Margaret Green and had four sons and two daughters. He served in the office of justice of the peace for several years.

Rev. William Sutton, a minister in the Methodist Episcopal church, it is believed, was born in Virginia, but became a settler of Paint township about 1810, locating on the Hume land. He married Hannah Coberly. He resided here but a few years, when, as a Methodist minister, he had to adopt an itinerant life; but the greater part of his life was spent in the service of the ministry within Madison county. Lewis Higgins, a native of Virginia, settled on the Hume tract about 1811. Reuben Gregg, a native of Virginia, emigrated to Chillicothe in 1810, and to Madison county in 1811, locating in Paint township, about half a mile below where the village of Newport is now situated. He married Phoebe Harpole, and remained a resident here until his death. Thomas Coberly, also a native of Virginia, emigrated to Ohio and, about 1810, purchased one hundred acres of land in Paint township, upon which he located and where he resided until his death; James Chapman was born in Frederick county, Virginia, in 1801. In 1816 he became a settler of Paint township, and later married Ann Chapman, likewise a native of Virginia, by whom he had nine children.


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