ISAAC
GRAY came to this county in October, 1811, and settled in
Wayne Township, near where Samuel Pennington now lives.
He was born in North Carolina in 1762, but moved to Grayson
County, Va., in 1801. His wife was Lydia Robinson,
her father, John Robinson being a native of Maryland.
Mr. Gray had nine children, all of whom were born before
he came to Ohio. He purchased of John Ballinger a
squatter's right or lease at the place above mentioned, and
remained eighteen months. For this claim, he traded two
horses and a wagon, and with the right he received the corn
raised thereon the same year. In 1812, he purchased of
John Barrett, a Dutchman, a tract of one hundred and fifty
acres of land, now owned by Jacob H. and B. A. Linville.
For this land, he paid two horses and a wagon. He
improved this land and erected the house now on it. He
spent the remainder of his days here, dying in the year 1831, at
the age of sixty-nine. His wife was an ardent Quaker, and
their house was for many years not only a preaching place for
the early missionary preachers of that denomination, but a place
of rest and welcome was well. Here Mildred Ratliff,
John Garwood, Phineas Hunt, Priscilla Hunt and many others
preached the Gospel. Mr. Gray served the township
for many years in various capacities, and the elections were
often held at his house. His oldest daughter, Elizabeth,
became the wife of Ross Thomas. She lived and died
at the Henry Breedlove farm. John, the
oldest son, married Ellen Thomas, daughter of John
(Mingo) Thomas. He died in 1836. Hannah
married Richard Thomas. She died in 1829.
Jehu died unmarried in 1822. Mary married
Aaron Guthridge, in 1819. They had no children.
Her husband died in Mingo March 17, 1874, aged eighty years.
Mary still lives, and, at the age of eighty-four years,
is noted for her remarkably well-preserved mental faculties and
her great store of pioneer reminiscences. It is safe to
say that no man or woman in Central Ohio has at command such an
inexhaustible fund of old time information. She is the
only survivor of the once numerous family of Isaac Gray.
Asa married Mary Ann Johnson for his first wife.
His second wife was Catharine walker, who still lives.
He died in 1870, and is buried at Ryan's, in Salem Township.
James married Hannah Robinson, and occupied the
homestead until his death, which occurred in 1850. His
widow died in September, 1874. Rebecca married
Samuel B. Lippincott. She died in September, 1831.
Rachel married Samuel Taylor. She died in
1845.
Of the mother of this remarkable family, something more
deserved to be said than that she lived and died. When the
country was entirely new, and the roads and means of travel were
very difficult, she served her fellow-beings as a nurse in times
of sickness. For years from far and near her services were
eagerly sought and freely bestowed on the suffering. By
day and night, in sunshine, and storm, over roads next to
impassable, sacrificing her own personal comfort, enduring
fatigue, without pecuniary reward, she cheered the faint, raised
the fallen and comforted the dying. She outlived her
husband twelve years, dying in 1843. |
