David Pfouts
David Pfouts was born in Paint Township August 10, 1818. George Pfouts, the great-grandfather of our subject, a native of Italy, emigrated to America at an early day, and located in Pennsylvania. He was very friendly with the Indians at that period, and spent several weeks each fall in fishing and hunting with them. As a token of their friendship, they presented him with a tract of several thousand acres of land, on which he settled, and which today is known by the name of the Pfout's Valley. His son, George Pfouts, the grandfather of our subject, was a surveyor by profession, and a soldier in the War of the Revolution. He married Sally Woodrown, and afterward Ann Eagler. He first located in Stark County, Ohio, where he built a grist-mill on Sugar Creek, near Wilmot, known as Fox's Mill. He afterward moved to Paint Township, Wayne County, where he died. He was a member of the Whig party, and of the Presbyterian Church.
Reuben Pfouts, the father of our subject, was born in Northumberland County, Penn., in 1784, and married Miss Ann Eagler, a native of Jefferson County, Ohio. About 1815 they moved to Stark County, and afterward to Paint Township, Holmes County, where he entered six quarter-sections of land, and became one of the wealthy men of the township He erected a saw-and-grist mill on Sugar Creek, which is yet known as Pfouts' Mill. He was a prominent member of the Whig and Republican parties. He died in 1859, and his widow in 1867. They reared a family of thirteen children, seven of whom are still living, viz: Ann, David (our subject), Rebecca (wife of Henry Parker), Reuben (in Stark County, Ohio), Caroline (wife of Mathias Roush, in Akron), Alfred and John.
Our subject received the benefit of only two months' schooling. He remained on his father's homestead until 1843, when he was united in marriage with Miss Nancy, daughter of John Freed, of Paint Township, and engaged in operaating the grist-and saw-mills many years. In 1855 he located on his present farm, where he has since resided. In 1882 he retired from active work, and put the management of the mills into the hands of his son. Mr. Pfouts has eleven children, all of whom are living: Elizabeth, wife of Cyrus Mizer, of Tuscarawas County (has five children: Ada, Nora, Jesse, Mary and Martin); Caroline, wife of Joseph Herald, of Paint Township (has four children: Maud, Grace, Lemuel and Howard); Daniel, a farmer of Knox Township, married Miss Lucy G. Thorn; Mary, wife of George Bair, of Mansfield, Ohio (has two children: Dwight and Nola); Julia, Ann and Ellen are living at home; John, a miller of Paint Township, married Miss Frances Deal (has three children: Lemen, Nana and Wendle); Reuben, of Paint Township, married Miss Laura Barkey; David and Delpha are at home. Mr. Pfouts is a Republican, politically, and has filled various township offices.
From Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Wayne and Holmes, Ohio, J. H. Beers & Co., Chicago, 1889