John Crider
John Crider, deceased, was one of the representative men of Spencer township, for many years, during which time he was closely identified with its material development. He was born in Knox County, Ohio, in 1843, and was a son of David Crider, a native of Virginia, who early settled in Knox County and was a pioneer in Spencer township, in 1851.
The late John Crider was reared in Spencer township from the age of eight years and attended school during his boyhood as opportunity presented. His father had entered a farm in section 23, Spencer township, and young Crider assisted him in converting it from a swamp and wilderness into the valuable propety it subsequently became. After his marriage he settled in a log house on this property, and even at that time the only roads in the vicinity were very poor corduroy roads. It required years of hard work to clear away the forest growth to drain the land and to put it under cultivation. Later, when oil was discovered on the property it was greatly enhanced in value. Now six oil-wells are operated where, in the young manhood of Mr. Crider, stood giant forest trees underneath which roamed deer in numbers and where wild turkeys nested.
In 1865 Mr. Crider was married in Allen County to Mahala Osborn, who was born in Greene County, Ohio, in 1847, and is a daughter of Lewis and Sarah (Farris) Osborn. One of her grandfathers was William Lee, who was drowned while attending to his duties as lock tender on the Miami and Erie Canal. For his second wife he married Mrs. Elizabeth E. (Sampson) Farris and the survivor of their family is one son David Lee. Mrs. Crider was four years old when her parents moved to Allen County and settled in Amanda Township. She was the only child of her parents and from the age of two years was reared by her grandfather. He was a native of Kentucky and settled on land where the city of Cincinnati now stands, at a time when only five houses had been built in the embryo city. He raised broom- corn on the very site of some of Cincinnati 's tallest buildings. He was also one of the earliest settlers in Amanda township, Allen County, coming to Spencerville when it was yet called "Arcadia" and was a village of 75 people.
Mrs. Crider has passed through many pioneer hardships and can recall a great many interesting events connected with her early life both before and after her marriage. She became accomplished in all the housewifely arts and frugal ways necessary at the time and, with a just amount of pride, says that she could yet spin and weave if necessity required. Since the death of her husband, on February 11, 1887, she has resided on the farm, which is under lease. It has been greatly improved and is one of the township's fine properties.
Mr. and Mrs. Crider had three children: Ida Elizabeth, who died aged eight years; Clarence Clyde and John Edward. Both of the sons are interested in the oil business. Mrs. Crider was one of the first members of the Union Christian Church, and her membership has never changed. She has in her possession the original deed to her home farm which was given David Crider in 1851.