John Smith
For many years John Smith, who died at his home in Ceasarscreek township, this county, January 31, 1883, eighty-four years of age at the time of his death, had been a resident of this county since he was eighteen years of age and in consequence was thoroughly familiar with the main facts of the development of this region during the long period covered by that tenure of residence. John Smith was a Virginian, born in Rappahannock county, in the Old Dominion, February 14, 1798, and was eighteen years of age when he came over into Ohio, riding through on horseback, and located in Greene county. For decades after taking up his residence here he made it a point every ten years to ride back to his old home in Virginia, going over the ground on horseback he had covered upon coming out here in 1816. In due time after his arrival here Mr. Smith got a tract of land in Caesarscreek township, married Margaret Burrell, a member of one of the pioneer families of this section, she having been born in Caesarscreek township on August 16, 1806, and established his home in that township, continuing to spend the rest of his life there. Originally a Whig, he became a Republican upon the organization of the latter party. He was one of the early assessors of Caesarscreek township and, as is related elsewhere in this volume in a further reference to this pioneer, had quite a time convincing some of his neighbors that it was their duty to return their property for taxation. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
John Smith was twice married. His first wife, Margaret Burrell, of whom further mention is made elsewhere in this volume, together with something relating to the history of the Burrells in this county, died on January 23, 1849, being then in the forty-third year of her age, and he later married Nancy Wright, this latter union being without issue. By his first marriage John Smith was the father of twelve children, namely: Burrell, William, Eleanor, Henry, Susan Ann, Eli, Elizabeth, Nancy, Alfred, Mary Jane, Margaret, born on February 21, 1844, who is now living on her farm in Jefferson township, this county, widow of James W. Clark, and Emily.
Margaret Smith was married on May 8, 1878, to James W. Clark, who was born in Rappahannock county, Virginia, and who had rendered service as a soldier of the Confederacy during the Civil War. Not long after the close of the war James W. Clark came to Ohio and located in this county, where in the spring of 1878 he married Margaret Smith. For eight years after his marriage he made his home on a farm in Jefferson township and then bought the farm of thirty acres on which his widow is now living in that same township, rural mail route No. 3 out of Jamestown, and there he spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring on July 26, 1904. To Mr. and Mrs. Clark was born one child, a son, John Edgar, who died in the days of his childhood. Since the death of her husband Mrs. Clark has continued to make her home on the home farm, the place being looked after by Orville Fawley, who with his family has made his home there since March 20, 1905. Orville Fawley was married on December 22, 1909, to Myrtle Sturgeon and has three children, Helen M., George A. and Aletha I. Mrs. Fawley was born at Jamestown, this county, daughter and only child of Albert and Flora (Tidd) Sturgeon, the latter of whom, a daughter of Josiah B. Tidd, died in 1902 and the former of whom is now living in the village of Selma, in the neighboring county of Clark. Mr. Fawley was born at Paintersville, a son of George and Laura Fawley.
From Portrait and Biographical Album of Clark and Greene Counties, Chapman Bros., Chicago, published 1890