Herman I. Dawson
Herman I. Dawson, one of Cross Creek Township's substantial and representative citizens, resides on his valuable and well improved farm of 195 acres, and was born in Harrison County, Ohio, December 4, 1854. He is a son of George W. and Esther A. (Irons) Dawson.
George W. Dawson was a son of Nathaniel and Amelia (Howard) Dawson. In addition to operating a farm, George W. Dawson was a carpenter and followed that trade for many years. His death occurred August 11, 1891. He married Esther A. Irons, a daughter of Joseph and Sarah (Moore) Irons, and she still survives and makes her home with her children. These were four in number: Herman I.; Carrie E., deceased, who was the wife of Robert F. Arthurs; Howard, who is a resident of Pittsburgh; and Effie, deceased, who was married first to S. P. George, and second to J. S. Garvin.
Herman I. Dawson attended school with more or less regularity until he was about twenty years of age, in the meanwhile also working at farming and teaming, and after his school days were entirely over he entered into farming as his life work, renting land at first from his father and after the latter's death, bought out the other heirs and now owns the homestead with the exception of his mother's dower right.
On March 6, 1884, Mr. Dawson was married to Miss Mary V. Gamble, a daughter of Capt. Thomas and Matilda (Morrison) Gamble. Mrs. Dawson was born and reared at Steubenville and is the eldest of her parents' children, the others being: Anderson; William; Logan; Lola, who is the wife of Edward Brown and lives in Kansas; Daniel W. and Mason. To Mr. and Mrs. Dawson the following children have been born: Dwight L., Anna B., Edward L., Forrest H., Harry E., Georgia L., Herman McKinley, Ellwood L. and Gladys. Death has entered this happy family on three occasions—Edward L., Forrest H. and Harry E., all having passed away, the first named in his twenty-first year. Mr. Dawson and family belongs to the Methodist Episcopal Church. In politics he is a Republican and he has served three terms as a member of the township school board.
From 20th Century History of Steubenville and Jefferson County, Ohio, by Joseph B. Doyle. Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co., Chicago, 1910