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DISTINGUISHED PIONEERS
of Licking County, Ohio
(Source: Centennial History of Licking County,
Ohio by Isaac Smucker
Publ. Newark, Ohio: Clark & Underwood, Book and Job Printers - 1876)
WILLIAM DRAGOO was captured in the Monongahela
country, in 1786, by the Indians, and taken to the Mad River,
following a trail up the Licking and Raccoon Valleys, through
Raccoontown, an Indian town on the Raccoon creek, situated near the
present village of Johnstown. He lived with the Indians about
twenty-five years and afterwards was long a Citizen of Licking
County, dying some thirty years ago. He was married twice and
raised two sets of children, the first being half Indians, their
mother being a squaw. Billy Dragoo, as he was
familiarly called, never wholly abandoned his half-Indian,
half-civilized habits and modes of life, but continued to spend most
of his time hunting, fishing, and trapping. He also continued,
until near the close of his life, to wear silver ornaments in his
nose and ears, with other Indian trappings and jewelry. Mr.
Dragoo was an inoffensive man, esteemed by his acquaintances,
and left some descendants, who still remain in our County.
PATRICK GASS had a temporary residence in Licking County.
He had been a member of the celebrated Expedition of Captains
Lewis and Clark, from St. Louis to the mouth of the
Columbia river, in the years 1804-05-06, and acquired an extensive
reputation as the historian of said expedition. He died in
Brooke County, West Virginia, April 2, 1870, in the ninety-ninth
year of his age, having been for many years, the last survivor of
the famous expedition.
JOHN SPARKS was also a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition,
and lived for many years in Licking County. He died in 1846,
at the advanced age of eighty-eight years.
AMOS H. CAFFEE came to Newark in 1811, and was afterwards and
until his death in 1862, a leading and public spirited citizen, and
valuable man. He held the offices of Clerk of the Court,
County Recorder, Post Master, Mayor of Newark and various other
positions of honor. Mr. Caffee was patriotic to the
core, and rendered some service to his country during the war of
1812, and none felt a deeper interest in the perpetuation of our
republican institutions, and in the success of the Federal army
during the Great Rebellion.
HON. WILLIAM STANBERY came to Newark in 1809, being then a
young lawyer from New York city. He was a man of great talents
and recognized as the leading lawyer of Licking County for forty
years. Mr. Stanbery's professional services were in
great demand, and he attained great distinction at the Bar. He
also served in the State Senate in 1824-26, and in Congress from
1827 to 1833. Mr. Stanbery died at "Oakland," his
country seat near Newark, January 23d, 1873, at the advanced age of
eighty-five years. He was a native of Essex County, New
Jersey, where he was born August 10th, 1788.
JUDGE FIDLER settled in Licking County in 1811. He was
a West Virginian, and spent a number of years before his removal to
this County as an itenerant preacher. From 1801 to 1807 he
ministered to the Frederick, Pittsburgh, Erie, Clarksburg, Botetourt
and Staunton circuits. He was elected an Associate Judge in
1813 and served as such until 1823. Judge Fidler left
this County in 1835, and located in Miami County, where he died in
1849, at the age of seventy-one years. He was a man of
considerable ability, and of fair character. His associates on
the Bench of Judges were William Wilson, Henry Smith, William
Hains, Anthony Pitzer and Zachariah Davis.
HON. STEPHEN C. SMITH was a native
of New Jersey, but settled in Muskingum County, before the war of
1812, served as Associate Judge some time, and as Adjutant in
Colonel Cass' regiment. He also represented said County in
the State Legislature in 1813-14 and 1815, and Licking County in
1826-27. He was a man of ability.
COLONEL JOHN HOLLISTER was a prominent settler near the mouth
of the Rocky Fork, in 1806, and was a man of wealth and influence,
and made himself useful among the Pioneer settlers of our County.
ZACHARIAH ALBAUGH was a Revolutionary soldier, and was a long
time resident of Newton Township, where he died November 9th, 1867,
at the ripe age of more than a hundred years!
THOMAS McKEAN THOMPSON
COLONEL CORNELIUS DEVINNEY
ELIAS HOWELL
THEOPHILUS REES DR.
JOHN J. BRICE WILLIAM
O'BANON BENJAMIN
GREEN and RICHARD PITZER
REV. JOSEPH THRAP
MAJOR ANTHONY PITZER
ALEXANDER HOLDEN, ESQ.
REV. THOMAS DICKSON BAIRD
JUDGE HENRY SMITH |
