Samuel Steele Dean
Samuel Steele Dean, proprietor of "The Elms," was born on the farm on which he is now living, five miles east of Xenia on the Jamestown pike, in New Jasper township, and has lived there all his life. He was born on April 17, 1850, son of Joseph and Hannah (Boggs) Dean, the former of whom was born in Kentucky and the latter in Ohio, who had established their home on that farm shortly after their marriage in 1826 and who spent the remainder of their lives there.
Joseph Dean was born in Montgomery county, Kentucky, December 31, 1804, son of Daniel and Jeannete (Steele) Dean, the former of whom was born in Londonderry, Ireland, in 1765, and was nineteen years of age when he came to the United States, settling first in New York and then in Virginia, where he presently married, and later moving to Kentucky, whence he moved up into Ohio and located in Greene county, where he spent the remainder of his life. He was the only son of Roger and Mary Dean, residents of Londonderry and stanch Seceders, the former of whom, after the birth of his son Daniel and a daughter, came to America with a view to setting up a home for his family on this side of the water, but who, through some cause never explained to his family, was lost before he could follow out his design. When nineteen years of age his son Daniel came to this side and presently was joined by his mother and sister, the family for a time making their home in New York and then going to Virginia, whence they moved to Kentucky and from there to Ohio, Mary Dean spending her last days here, her death occurring on June 21, 1825, she then being eighty-five years of age. It was about the year 1785 that Daniel Dean, who in Virginia had married Jeannete Steele, who was born in Augusta county, that state, moved with his wife and his mother from Virginia to Kentucky and settled at Winchester, in the latter state, where he erected a mill and in the vicinity of which place he bought a farm. There eleven children were born to him and his wife. They were Seceders and were so averse to rearing their children on slave soil that in April, 1812, they disposed of their interests in Kentucky and moved up into Ohio, locating in Greene county. Here Daniel Dean bought about two thousand acres of wilderness land in New Jasper township and established his home. He died there in 1842, at the age of seventy-seven years. His wife died when seventy-three years of age.
Having been but eight years of age when he came with his parents to Greene county in 1812, Joseph Dean grew up on the home farm in New Jasper township and received his schooling at Xenia, walking six miles night and morning to do so. He remained on the home farm until his marriage on November 6, 1826, to Hannah Boggs, who was born in Jackson county, this state, a daughter of Andrew and Elizabeth Boggs, who later moved to Gallia county, where she grew to young womanhood. Andrew Boggs was a cattle buyer and drover, who later moved from Ohio to Kosciuski county, Indiana, where the family is still represented. After their marriage Joseph Dean and his wife started housekeeping in a house on the west edge of Cedarville, but presently he bought a tract of one hundred and fifty acres from his father, just south of the Jamestown pike, in New Jasper township, and there began farming on his own account, spending the rest of his life there. He added to his holdings until he became the owner of four hundred and ninety-eight acres in New Jasper township. About 1841 he built a large brick house which is still standing on the farm. He erected a large barn in 1846. Reared a Seceder, after the "union" Joseph Dean joined the First United Presbyterian church at Xenia. as did his wife, who was reared a Methodist. During ante-bellum days Joseph Dean was an ardent Abolitionist and upon the organization of the Republican partv became an adherent of the principles of the same. He died on September 14, 1883. The death of his widow occurred on March 7, 1888. They were the parents of eleven children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the last-born, the others being the following: Washington, born on August 10, 1827, who died at the age of twenty-six years; Julia Ann, April 27, 1829, who married William Strouthers and moved to Monmouth, Illinois, where her last days were spent; Daniel Milton, May 19, 1831, who for years was engaged in farming in Cedarville township and who upon his retirement from the farm moved to Cedarville, where he died on December 1, 1912; Louisa, who died in infancy; Willis, who also died in infancy; Lewis Henry, March 5, 1838, who served as a soldier of the Union during the Civil War, a member of the Ninety-fourth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and who later moved to Pawnee county, Nebraska, where he died in February, 1917; Ann Lavina, February 16, 1840, who married S. W. Oldham and is now living at Dayton; Judge Joseph Newton Dean, August 22, 1842, a veteran of the Civil War (Company B, Fortieth Ohio Volunteer Regiment), formerly judge of probate for Greene county and for years a lawyer at Xenia, who died on January 18, 1913; Eliza Jane, August 9, 1844, who married the Rev. Andrew Renwick, a minister of the United Presbyterian church, and who died in April, 1882, and Mary Campbell, August 9, 1847, who married J. N. Wright and who since the death of her husband has been making her home with her daughter at Detroit, Michigan.
Samuel Steele Dean was baptized in infancy by the Rev. R. D. Harper, D. D., and at the age of fourteen years, in October, 1864, united with the First United Presbyterian church at Xenia, with the congregation of which he has since been affiliated. Reared on the home farm, he received his early schooling in the district school in the neighborhood of his home, supplementing the same by a course in the old Xenia College on East Church street, and later took a course in a business college at Indianapolis. In the meantime he continued his labors on the farm during the summer vacation periods and after a while began farming "on the shares" for his father, continuing thus engaged until after his marriage in the spring of 1876, when he bought from his father the farm where he is now living. Mr. Dean's original purchase at "The Elms" was a tract of eighty-two acres, to which he has gradually added until now he is the owner of a farm of three hundred and fifty acres in New Jasper township. In 1898 he erected his present dwelling house, one of the finest brick country houses in the county: setting well back from the highway and approached by way of a lane, the entrance to which is guarded by an attractive stone gateway. In addition to his general farming Mr. Dean has for years given much attention to the breeding of fine horses, Percherons being his specialty, and in this connection has done much to improve the strain of draft horses in this part of the state. He also feels about three hundred hogs annually. Mr. Dean is a Republican.
Mr. Dean has been twice married. While on a visit to Olathe, Kansas, in the winter of 1874-75 he there met Sadie J. Thompson, of that place, and on March 2, 1876, the Reverend Wilkin, of Olathe, officiating, was united in marriage to her. She was born in Randolph county, Illinois, August 11, 1848, daughter of Andrew M. and Margaret (Day) Thompson, who moved from Illinois to Olathe, Kansas, in March, 1864. In this latter place Sadie J. Thompson united with the Reformed Presbyterian (Covenanter) church in September. 1865. During the years 1870-73 she taught public school in Kansas and from 1873 until her marriage in 1876 kept house for her father. Upon coming to Greene county with her husband she united, in October, 1877, with the First United Presbyterian church and remained a faithful member of the same until her death on December 14, 1890, she then being forty-two years, four months and three days of age. That union was without issue. On December 17, 1891, Mr. Dean married Fannie E. Scott, who was born in the neighboring county of Warren, daughter of Vincent and Elizabeth Scott, the former of whom was engaged in mechanical trades at Lebanon, and to this union have been born four children, S. Arthur, Robert Southwick, Leslie Scott and Elizabeth Hannah, all of whom are still at home. S. Arthur Dean, who is now operating his father's farm, was graduated from Cedarville College and later from Miami University, after which he took a year of special work in the agricultural department of the State University at Columbus. Robert S. Dean also was graduated from Miami University and later turned his attention to the study of medicine, being now (1918) in his fourth year at the Western Reserve Medical School at Cleveland. Leslie S. Dean is now a student at Cedarville College in his junior year, and Elizabeth H. Dean is a senior in the preparatory department of Cedarville College. It is but fitting to note in connection with this mention of the Dean family in Greene county that all the eleven children of the pioneer, Daniel Dean, grew to maturity, married and had large families of their own. There were thirty-six members of the family who served as soldiers of the Union during the Civil War and all continued in service throughout their respective terms of enlistment and returned home, with the exception of one who died at the front. The late Judge Joseph N. Dean, brother of the subject of this sketch, enlisted on August 17, 1861, and was mustered out on October 17, 1864. During the battle of Chickamauga he was slightly wounded in the face. He had there aided in capturing three pieces of artillery, for which conspicuous act of bravery he was recommended for a commission.
From History of Greene County Ohio, Its People, Industries and Institutions, vol. 2. M.A.Broadstone, editor. B.F.Bowen & Co., Indianapolis. 1918