John Thomas Daugherty
John Thomas Daugherty, whose farm of 134 acres is situated in Section 29, Wells Township, Jefferson County, Ohio, lying on both sides of the Rush Run turnpike road, about seven miles west of Brilliant, has so far passed the whole of his busy life on this farm and was born in his present dwelling, November 16, 1842. His parents were John and Sarah (Jones) Daugherty, and his grandfather was John Daugherty.
Grandfather John Daugherty was born in Ireland and he was young when he came to the United States and located at Philadelphia. He married there and it was more than one hundred years ago that he and his wife came into the wilderness of Jefferson County, having crossed the mountains and forded streams, in their one-horse wagon. They were hardy and courageous pioneers and when they secured 160 acres of wild land they felt compensated for their labors to obtain it. John Daugherty soon had a rude log cabin erected and in that first house on the farm he died before his son John had reached marriageable age. He was twice married, Thomas and David being born to his first uion, and Letta, Nancy and John to the second.
John Daugherty (2), father of John Thomas Daugherty, was eight years old when his parents came to Jefferson County, and as he grew to manhood assisted his father to clear off' the timber. After the latter 's death he purchased the interests of the other heirs, then sold forty acres, which he subsequently bought back and later added thirty-seven acres of the Scott farm, and at one time owned 204 acres, which, at the time of his death was divided among his five heirs, his two sons receiving 134 acres and his three daughters seventy acres and the comfortable brick house that he had built on another part of the farm. He married Sarah Jones, who was born in West Virginia, on the present site of Bethany College, and she was one of a family of twelve children. She survived her husband for ten years, his death occurring in 1897. They had seven children: Mary L., who died at the age of forty years and was the wife of Frederick Counselman, who is also deceased; John Thomas; Sarah E.; Caleb J., who died at the age of thirty-seven years; Nancy J., who died in infancy; David, who was killed on the railroad, at the age of forty years; and Phrania.
John T. Daugherty obtained his education in one of the old-fashioned schoolhouses that had slab benches. The pupils sat with their backs to the center of the room, facing their primitive desks arranged along the walls. Not many of these old landmarks remain in Jefferson Countv. the spirit of progress long since having brought about much better school facilities. In 1865, when Mr. Daugherty wished to marry, his father showed his approval by fitting up forty-four acres of the farm and stocking it and turning it over for the son's use. Mr. Daugherty remained on that section until 1908, when he moved to his present home, buying out his brother David's interest. He has always followed general farming. Formerly the land was valuable both for cultivation and for its coal deposits, but the latter have been sold to the U. S. Coal Company.
On November 9, 1865, Mr. Daugherty was married to Miss Frances McCullough, who died in her forty-second year. They had four children, namely: Eliza R., who married William Hoobler and has two children—Darrell and Eugene; Elizabeth, who died at the age of thirty-five years, and was the wife of John Vermillion; Caleb M., who operates the farm for his father, and who married Nettie Marshall, and has one child, John Marshall; and John Earl, who married Myrtle McDevitt, and died in 1908. When his youngest son married, Mr. Daugherty fitted up a farm for him, having already provided a home for the older son. In his political views Mr. Daugherty is a Democrat and his son votes the same ticket. Mr. Daugherty has witnessed many wonderful changes and he can remember when he helped in the last clearing on the farm. This is one of the old and highly respected families of Wells Township.
From 20th Century History of Steubenville and Jefferson County, Ohio, by Joseph B. Doyle. Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co., Chicago, 1910