Joshua Mahan
Joshua Mahan, county commissioner, was born in Boss County, Ohio, December 18, 1836, and a son of Joshua and Sophia Mahan. His father is a native of Virginia, and his mother of Maryland. They came to this state about the year 1813, with a family of three children, one son and two daughters.
The subject of our sketch was married, September, 1858, to Miss Margaret Plyley, daughter of Joseph and Margaret Plyley, of Ross County. They have a family of five children: John C., Spencer, Mary B., Rosco L., Dilla May, and three who died in infancy.
He is a member of Bloomingburg Lodge, No. 449, F. A. M., and also a Granger. He received his education in Ross County, where his youth was spent. He was elected county commissioner last fall two years ago, and still fills that office. He has one of the many fine farms in Madison Township, and is one of the best and most enterprising farmers in the county. He is a very social, pleasant man, and one who is well qualified to fill the responsible position he now holds.
From R. S. Dills' History of Fayette County
The parents of Joshua Mahan, with whom this narrative deals, came to Ross county, Ohio, from Virginia in 1813, bringing with them a family of three children, one son and two daughters. Although he is now seventy-eight years of age, Mr. Mahan is hale and hearty and can recall many interesting incidents surrounding his boyhood days. Since locating in Fayette county, Mr. Mahan has been very successful and now has a fine estate of three hundred acres in Madison township, where he has lived many years.
Joshua Mahan, the son of Joshua and Sophia (Beck) Mahan, was born December 18, 1836, in Ross county, Ohio, east of Chillicothe. His father was a native of Virginia and his mother of Maryland and they came to this state and located in Ross county several years after their marriage. They reared a family of three cliildren : Martha, deceased; Harriett, deceased, and Joshua. Joshua Mahan. Sr., died and his widow later married James B. McCoy, and to her second marriage was born one daughter, Mary, who is now deceased.
Joshua Mahan was educated in the schools of Ross county, receiving his meager education in a rude log school house. At the age of twenty he began renting land and shortly after his marriage bought his first land in this county, and to this he added from time to time until he is now the owner of about three hundred acres of fine farming land in the county.
Mr. Mahan was married in September, 1858, to Margaret Plyley, the daughter of Joseph and Mary (Baldwin) Plyley, of Ross county, and to this union have been born seven children: One who died in infancy; John, deceased; Spencer, who married Lo Daxis ; Roscoe ; Delia May; Mary Belle, deceased, and Hattie Jane, deceased.
Mr. Mahan has long been identified with the Democratic party and was elected as county commissioner in 1889. Fraternally, he is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons and also of the Patrons of Husbandry, belonging to both lodges at Bloomingburg. He is a man of social qualities. pleasing disposition and easily makes friends wherever he goes. He is one of the oldest men of his township, and at the same time one of the most active in furthering everything which he feels will benefit the community in any way
From History of Fayette County Ohio - Her People, Industries and Institutions by Frank M. Allen (1914, R. F. Bowen & Company, Inc.)