Peter Painter
Peter Painter, one of the wealthy and successful farmers of Holmes County, Ohio, is a native of the county, born September 23, 1823, a son of William and Elizabeth (Hinkle) Painter, natives of Westmoreland County, Penn., his father of Scotch and his mother of German descent. The grandfather of our subject, George Painter, settled in Holmes County in 1809, and here his son William was reared. William Painter was a miller by occupation, and also engaged in hotel keeping. His wife died in 1841, aged forty-eight years, and he survived until 1877, dying at the advanced age of seventy-five years. They reared a family of six children, two of whom are living: Elizabeth, in Ottawa, Ill., and Peter. Peter Painter was reared to the occupation of a miller, working for his father until twenty years of age, and since then has been engaged in farming, and dealing in stock of all kinds. He started in life a poor young man, and cut oats for 25 cents per acre, paying 50 cents per bushel for onions. He earned his first money splitting rails at 50 cents per hundred. His first land was obtained in exchange for a two-horse team, and this, which consisted of 192 acres, was traded for a hotel which he conducted about twenty-two months. He then traded this for land, and from this time continued to deal in land, buying and selling; at one time he owned over 2,000 acres in the West, being one of the largest landowners in Holmes County. He laid out the town of Holmesville in the year of 1848, and within the past year he donated seventy-five acres of land near Millersburgh, worrth $100 an acre, for the establishment of an Orphan Children's Home. He is now living retired from active labor on his homestead, which is a fine farm of 367 acres adjoining Holmesville. Mr. Painter has been twice married; first, July 6, 1844, to Sarah Albertson, a native of Holmes County, born in 1821, a daughter of John and Nancy (Bell) Albertson. Of her virtues as a wife and helpmeet we can do no better than to quote a few lines from an article written at her death:
We never knew a woman more devotedly attached to her husband, or more affectionately interested in the welfare of her children. She was pre-eminently a "keeper at home" and a "helpmeet" in the highest scriptural meaning of the term. It may be truthfully said of her that she lived almost entirely for the good of others. Her every-day life was a living exemplification of the true and beautiful religion of Christ, so that when she came to die death had no terrors for her; she was ready to depart and rest with the Lord in peace. She enjoyed the love and good-will of a large circle of friends, which was made manifest by the fact that the funeral was said to be the largest one ever seen in the county.
To Mr. and Mrs. Painter were born ten children, seven of whom are living: Amanda J., wife of William A. Dorland; Martha R., wife of Thomas Everly; Sarah E., wife of William H. Miller; Nancy C., wife of Albert W. Miller; Maria M., wife of Albert Close; William A. and John T. The deceased are Lavina E., George P. and Mary E. Mrs. Painter died in 1880, and Mr. Painter afterward married Etta L. Dunlap, a native of Knox County, Ohio, born September 26, 1842, a daughter of Salathiel and Anna (Burkholder) Dunlap, who were of Scotch and Irish descent. Mrs. Painter is a refined and cultured lady, and for twenty-five years was a school teacher. She is an active member of the Disciples Church, as is also Mr. Painter. In politics he is a Republican. After a long, well spent life Mr. Painter can now with pride view the results of his years of hardship, and is enjoying the fruits of his labor, surrounded with all the comforts and luxuries of life, and he attributes all his success to the influence of his mother and wife.
From Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Wayne and Holmes, Ohio, J. H. Beers & Co., Chicago, 1889