Colonel John Minor
The father of Mrs. Millikin, Colonel John Minor, was of the fifth generation from Thomas Minor, who was born in England in 1608, and who emigrated to America in 1630. John Minor, fifth son of Stephen Minor, was born in Loudoun County, Virginia, on the fifth day of January, 1747. He married Cassandra Williams in Maryland on the 20th day of February, 1771. She was born on the twenty-second day of December, 1753, and was the sister of General Otho Holland Williams, who was a distinguished officer under George Washington, in the war of Revolution, and acquired high distinction for his gallantry at the battles of Guilford, Hobkirk’s Hill, and Eutaw.
Colonel Minor was the youngest son of his family, and soon after the death of his father resided with his brother William, in Washington County, Maryland. His active, adventurous temper soon impelled him to go further west and engage in the stirring excitement of which existed at that point in the history of Western Virginia and South-western Pennsylvania. He and his brother William found new homes on Whitely Creek, west of the Monongahela, in what ultimately proved to be in Washington County, Pennsylvania. There he and his brother had removed prior to his marriage, and he had provided a Western domicile for himself and intended wife before that event. "He had led the way in settling west of the river, and maintained his leadership in all that concerned the development of the country and the protection of its settlers."
Holding a commission as colonel from the governor of Virginia, all South-western Virginia (sic) being then regarded as within the boundaries of Virginia, he was thus recognized by the settlers as commander-in-chief of the militia in that region of the country.
Under the instructions of General Morgan he built stockade forts, and appointed spies and rangers, to insure, as far as possible, protection to settlers against the depredations of the Indians. The cabins of himself and his brother were fortified stockades, and were known as the Minor forts, to which settlers resorted when dangers were apprehended from the approach of the treacherous Indians.
Colonel Minor, under orders, built the flotilla of boats designed for the transportation of the regiment of enlisted soldiers under the command of General George Rogers Clark, who descended the Ohio River with a view of reaching British posts on the Wabash and on the Mississippi. The boats were constructed at the mouth of Dunkard Creek, in Greene County, under the immediate supervision of Colonel Minor. Their completion was greatly retarded by the raids of Indians, which Colonel Minor had to repel by organized companies of flying militia, under his command.
After Indian troubles had ceased, and peace prevailed in Western Pennsylvania, and the true location of Washington County had been defined and settled, Colonel Minor was three times elected as a member of the Legislature from that county. He procured ultimately the passage of a law which authorized the organization of the county of Greene out of the territory which belonged to Washington County. Subsequently, he held several offices in the new county of Greene, and for several times served as an associate judge of the Court of Common Pleas. Of hima gentleman, in writing of the early history of Greene County, recently said: "His life was one of eminent success and usefulness. He was probably the most prominent public man that Greene County has ever produced "a man of moral worth and character."
Mrs. Cassandra Minor died on the third day of March, 1799, aged forty-five years, and Colonel Minor died on the 30th day of December, 1833.
The result of the marriage of Colonel Minor with Miss Williams was the birth of twelve children – six sons and six daughters. One of the later, Joan Minor, became the wife of Dr. Millikin, as before stated. After the death of the mother of these children Colonel Minor married a daughter of Colonel George WILSON, by whom he had one son, L. L. Minor, an attorney at law, now residing at Wayneville, in the county of Greene, and one daughter, Minerva Minor. None of the children of Colonel Minor now survive, with the exception of L. L. Minor.
From A History and Biographical Cyclopædia of Butler County Ohio, With Illustrations and Sketches of its Representative Men and Pioneers, Western Biographical Publishing Company, Cincinnati Ohio, 1882.