Murtlo Hill
Murtlo Hill, a leading citizen of Concord Township, belongs to old pioneer families which have been identified with the development of this section of Delaware County almost from its first days of settlement. Mr. Hill was born in Concord Township, Delaware County, Ohio, on a farm one-quarter of a mile distant from his present home, April 22, 1862, and is a son of Solomon and Mary (Jackson) Hill.
He is a great-great-grandson of Joseph Hill, who originally resided in the vicinity of Wurtemburg, Germany. At one time this Joseph became mixed up in a quarrel and during the heat of it struck the other man and thought he had killed him. His friends, being of the same belief, advised him to enlist in the army. He did so, entering the service in Hungary and serving seven years. He subsequently heard from home that the other man had recovered, and, in company with 12 other men, none of whom wanted to spend their lives in the Hungarian service, made his escape. Providing themselves with cavalry horses, they rode to the coast, where they swam their horses to a small island about half a mile from the coast, from which they knew a boat would sail for America. They were pursued and fired at, but escaped injury. They traded their horses and personal belongings for a passage to this country, and after landing in America they went to Pennsylvania. Mr. Hill married in this country. He served under Braddock in the French and Indian War, and during the rout which followed that rash general's disastrous defeat, while driving an amunition wagon, picked up a flint-lock rifle, which interesting relic is now owned by his great-great-grandson. Murtlo Hill.
The first member of the Hill family to come to Ohio from Pennsylvania was Stephen Hill, the great-grandfather of Murtlo. He brought his family with him into the wilderness, reaching Concord Township by means of a row boat on the Scioto River. Here he took up 1,300 acres of Government land, and it may be well to remark that the subject of this sketch is the only one of the Hill name now living on the original tract. He chose for his permanent location a spot that resembled his old home in Rostraver Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, where the land lay high and dry above a swift current, and he lived to see the wisdom of his choice, his large family thriving in this healthful place. He married Marium Martin, and they had the following children: Rachel, who married Joel Marsh, an early settler and prominent man of Delaware County; Betsey, who married Christopher Freshwater, and resided in Concord Township; Sally, Benjamin and Joshua, all unmarried, who resided in the stone house situated on the west side of the Scioto River and were locally known as hermits, Joshua and Sallie never having left their home for 40 years. Adam, who was married (first) to Hester Marsh and (second) to Mary Gooden and David, Joseph, Stephen, Mary and George. At that time Westerville and Worthington were the nearest markets. The Hills raised many hogs and drove them back to Pennsylvania to sell, the family mainly subsisting on game, which was plentiful, during the early years. The Hill log cabin was of the first built in Concord Township, and the second Stephen Hill built the first hewed log house.
Stephen Hill (2d), grandfather of Murtlo Hill, was born in Pennsylvania in 1796. He accompanied his parents to Ohio and died in Concord Township in 1871, aged 75 years. He married Susan Lukenbill, who was born in 1805 and died in 1877, aged 72 years. She was a daughter of David Lukenbill whose wife was a Croninger. They had nine children—Dolly, Kate, Susan, Polly, Margaret, Lydia, John, Peter and Henry.
Stephen Hill (2d) had four children—one son and. three daughters, namely: Solomon; Sarah Ann, who married John Crawford, is now his widow and lives on a part of her father's farm; Cynthia, who is the widow of James Crawford, and resides in the city of Delaware; and Elizabeth, who married Henry Cole, and resides in Michigan.
Solomon Hill, father of Murtlo Hill, was bom May 28, 1825, on the farm in Concord Township, on which his father settled and where he grew to manhood. The Hills, as indicated above, originally owned a large body of land in Concord Township, and the Girls' Industrial Home now stands on a part of the original Hill estate. All of the bricks used in the construction of these buildings, with the exception of the pressed brick, were made on the place. Solomon Hill was clerk at the Mansion House, which was the leading hotel at White Sulphur Springs, for a number of years and for nine years he was postmaster and 15 years storekeeper at Rathbone, Ohio, and was mainly instrumental in securing an overland stage route from Delaware to this station.
Solomon Hill was married (first) to Rachel Kilbury (now deceased), and there were two children born of that marriage—Asa and Melvina, both of whom are deceased. In 1860 Mr. Hill was married (second) to Mary Jackson, who was a daughter of William and Catherine (McKitrick) Jackson. William Jackson was born January 27, 1813, in Stark County, Ohio, and was 11 years of age when his parents, Francis and Fanny (Diltz) Jackson, came to Licking County, Ohio. The latter, who was unable to speak English, had been chosen by lottery by her husband, who could not speak Dutch, from a ship load of maidens, good and virtuous girls, who. according to a common and reputable custom of the day had come from a port in Holland for the purpose of marrying and accompanying settlers into the wilderness. She proved a most estimable woman, one who was helpful to her husband in every way and one to whom her descendants can refer with feelings of the highest respect and deep affection.
When William Jackson was fifteen years old his father died and about a year later he secured work on public buildings of various kinds, which kept him employed until he was 22 years old. He assisted in building the National turnpike road in Licking County, which runs but a few feet distant from the grave of his father, who was buried on his own farm, stepping off the distance for his grave before the highway was constructed. In 1839 he moved to Jerome Township, Union County, where he lived until 1864. He then removed to Concord Township, Delaware County, where he acquired a farm of 236 acres, on which he died in 1894. He married Catherine McKitrick, who died in 1890, aged 71 years. She was a daughter of James and Mary (Smith) McKitrick. Her father, who was of Scotch-Irish extraction, resided first in Licking County, Ohio, and died at the age of 97 years, while en route to Oregon after having lived in Scioto Township. He was twice married and his children were: John, James, George, Eliza, Emily, Ann, Susan, Harvey and Freeman. James McKitrick served as a soldier in the War of 1812, and held land warrants from the Government for that service.
To William and Catherine Jackson were born twelve children, five of whom still survive, namely: Mary, who is the widow of Solomon Hill; Elizabeth, who married Harvey Turner, and resides in Licking County; Susan, who married (first) Tillman Seiner, (secondly) Henry Zimmer, and is now deceased; James, who married Annie Fox, resides in Concord Township; William Hobbs, who was a brave soldier in the Civil War, and died in the service; Lewis, who never married, and is now deceased; Marcella. who married Stephen Nestley, and resides in Licking County; Arthur, who married Susan Held, died in Concord Township, in September, 1907; Emily, who died in infancy; Smith Atwood, who died aged 18 months; and Emma, who was married (first) to Daniel Corbin, (second) to Lincoln Diven. and (third) to Albert Marcum, resides in West Virginia, and Harvey, who married Anna Zimmers.
The children of Solomon and Mary (Jackson) Hill were: Ruth, who married Dunbar C. Kilbury, resides at Hewitt, Arkansas, and has three sons—Marley Cyrus, Frank Richard and Robert Murtlo; Murtlo; and Susan, who was born February 10, 1872, and died in infancy.
Murtlo Hill was reared on the old homestead farm and attended school in the neighborhood, in what was then District No. 5, but in township changes has become District No. 4, after which he went into partnership with his father in a mercantile business which he continued for 24 years. Failing health caused him to sell his store and to turn his attention to a more active life, which he finds in managing his farm ot 50 acres and in attending to a farm implement, buggy and wagon business, in which he is in partnership with his brother-in-law, D. C. Kilbury. Mr. Hill owns other property and is interested in other enterprises. He possesses the entire outfit of The Moyer Medical Company, which he purchased from Mr. Moyer's heirs.
In 1892 Mr. Hill was married to Mollie E. Sheen, who was born at Zanesville, Ohio. She is a daughter of Patrick Sheen, of that city, where her ancestors were very early settlers. Mr. and Mrs. Hill have two children: Ruth, who was born December 10, 1894, and Mary Harland, who was born March 5, 1897. Both daughters attend the same school in which their father was educated.
In National politics, Mr. Hill is a Republican, but in local matters he makes an independent choice. He is a member of Hiram Lodge, No. 18, F. & A. M. at Delaware, of the Red Men and of the Elks, Tribe No. 112, at Hyattsville. He belongs also to the Lakeside Club, of the latter place.
From 20th Century History of Delaware County, Ohio, and Representative Citizens, Edited and compiled by James R. Lytle, Delaware, Ohio, Biographical Publishing Co., Chicago, 1908