From History of Madison County, W. H. Beers & Co, Chicago, 1883
The first settler that we have been able to gain any account of within the precincts of Oak Run Township was William Jamison, who came to his county from Kentucky and located just south of the mouth uf Glade Run, about 1805. He purchased 200 acres of land, upon which he resided till his death. He became quite a prominent and prosperous farmer of that day. He married Ann Brown, of Brown County, Ohio, by whom he had three sons and three daughters—Ira, the oldest son, became a minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church, and died in Hancock County, Ohio. The second son died young. William, the youngest son, arriving at manhood, emigrated West and is now a resident of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. The three daughters were named Zelah, who married a man by the name of Ferguson; Cynthia married Levi Poulston, and the third daughter (name forgotten) married a man by the name of Foster; all three of the daughters are now deceased.
John Simpkins, a native of Maryland, came to this county about the same time as the Gwynnes, it is believed as early as 1808; he purchased land in this township on Walnut and Oak Run, which now is owned by Mrs. Eliza Chrisman, and here settled and made some improvement and became a leading active man in the secular affairs of the county; served as Treasurer of the county in 1816; Collector in 1817; was an Associate Judge and also a Justice of the Peace; the latter office he filled for many years. He finally moved to Missouri, remaining but a short time, when he returned to this county, entered upon the mercantile trade, which he followed through the greater part of the remainder of his life. He had two brothers, James and Thomas; the latter was stabbed and killed on the streets of London; the former subsequently returned to his native State. Maryland. Two brothers, Elias and Van De Lashmut, natives of Maryland, came to Madison County, it is believed, as early as 1810, and purchased land on Deer Creek, on the boundary line between Fairfield and Oak Run Townships. At about the same time came John De Lashmut, a cousin of the above; also two brothers, Otho and Nelson De Lashmut, also cousins of the former; the latter was a brick-maker by trade. Elias was the principal active man among them; was Sheriff of Franklin County in 1807-09, and it appears owned the greater part of the land they purchased, and after a few years entered upon the mercantile trade, and was one of the early merchants of London, where he carried on business for many years. John DeLashmut subsequently moved West, and settled somewhere on Red River.
John Jones came from Franklin County and settled on Oak Run, one mile above its mouth, about 1808; resided here some eight or ten years, and opened out the farm and made considerable improvements, then moved away. Thomas Nash, a native of Kentucky, settled near the month of Oak Run about 1812; after residing there a few years, he removed to Indiana. William Sly settled on Turkey Run, on Surveys 10,904 and 12,304, at an early day, and was becoming somewhat prominent as an active, energetic man, but finally moved to Sandusky, where he died. John Linsey, a Virginian, settled on Oak Run, one mile above its mouth, on the land first settled and improved by John Jones, mentioned above, about 1818. He resided here about six or eight years; was quite active and energetic, gained some wealth and moved to near Sandusky, where he purchased land and died there, leaving a large estate.
Montgomery Wilson was one of the early settlers of this township, of whom but little is known, except that he was a blacksmith by trade, and located temporarily wherever his business or inclination led him.
Joseph Rea was born in Pennsylvania in 1754; he married Elizabeth Conn, who was born January 27, 1762; they were married January 10, 1783. They emigrated to Virginia; thence, in 1810, to Ross County, Ohio; and thence to Madison County, about 1818. and settled on Oak Run, where they died about 1829. They had a family of nine children; all grew to maturity, but are now deceased. Of their children, Mathew was born in Rockbridge County, Va., in 1793; he became a resident of London in 1818, and married Ann Amos, who was born in Maryland November 15, 1802; they were married in London by Patrick McLene, Esq., and, in 1835, settled in Oak Run Township, where he became a very successful farmer and stock-raiser, and accumulated a good property. She died in 1857, and he in 1873. They had seven children; three now survive; Robert and Jerry, two of the surviving children, are large land-owners in Oak Run Township, and are among the most respected citizens of the county.
James Foster came from Ross County and settled on the north side of Bradford's Fork, about 1820; a few years later, his brother John came and settled near him; they married two sisters by the name of Bougher. They became prosperous farmers and large land-owners; they were active business men and filled many offices of the county and township. James served as County Commissioner.
Jonathan Farrar was a native of England but became a settler in Oak Run Township, on land now owned by Mr. Chenoweth, about 1825. Mr. Farrar was as excellent man and quite a judge and admirer of fine stock. He, with Charles Phellis, Esq., and Mr. Browning, were appointed a committee by the Stock Breeders' Association of Madison County to go to England and purchase a quantity of fine blooded stock. John C. Robison, an Englishman by birth, possessed of a good education and a teacher in his younger days, came from Pennsylvania to Madison County, and about 1831-32, located in Oak Run Township and erected a saw and grist mill on Oak Run, since known as the Harvey Mills and the Gregg Mill. He sold the mill to Jonathan Harvey, and thence removed to Kentucky, where he entered upon teaching, and while engaged in this profession was stabbed and killed by one of his scholars.