James Lafferty
The parents of James Lafferty were both Irish and English extraction, being born in America in the old Keystone state -- Pennsylvania. The ancestors all lived to a good old age. His mother died at the ripe old age of 84, while the grandmother on his father's side lived to the enormous age of 111 years. An aunt, Mrs. Hamilton, lived to the age of 96. James Lafferty comes from a long lived ancestry. His parents were farmers and lived on Mingo Creek, Washington Co., Pa. James Lafferty, son of John and Mary Lafferty, was the oldest of a family of eleven children, seven brothers and four sisters. The sisters all have gone over to the majority; the five brothers are still living, the youngest of whom, is 68 years old. James Lafferty was born on a farm in Washington Co., Pa., Dec. 4, 1808. Here he lived till the age of nine when the family moved to Harrison Co., O., bought a farm of 160 acres of land all in the woods. Here the subject of this sketch lived on the farm as all his ancestors did, developing those muscles of iron and mind of pure mould capable of standing, like the mighty oak, against a century of storms. They battle with all the hardships of pioneer life in that early day, living in a cabin and working among the roots. Here at the age of 24, Mr. Lafferty was united in marriage to Mary Patterson of his neighborhood, with whom he spent 24 happy years of his life. James Lafferty and wife, together with the whole family moved to Richland County in 1838, the father locating on what is known as the old Lafferty farm, two miles east of Bellville, where James located in the town of Bellville. The old Block House was remaining yet and Huron Street was Main Street. Soon Mr. Lafferty was engaged to drive stage for the Ohio Stage Company in whose employ he spent many years, making Truksville or Ganges, Mansfield, Bellville, Mt. Vernon, Centerburg, Sunberry and Columbus. Always four horses and sometimes six horses were driven to these stages. Mr. Lafferty prided himself in keeping fine horses. There were no railroads or telegraph lines. From ten to sixteen passengers were drawn with the stage, taking from 1¼ to 1½ hours to drive from Bellville to Mansfield. James Lafferty moved to Mansfield in 1841 as deputy sheriff under David Wise. Afterwards he engaged in buying horses, shipping them to Canada and Buffalo. In 1841 when the California fever swept over this country taking so many of our citizens to the Pacific coast, while many a poor fellow perished on the long tedious journey, James Lafferty, in company with twenty others, bought tickets for $300 apiece to San Francisco, Cal., setting out for New York City on their way to California -- the country of gold. At New York they took a boat to Aspinwall and crossed over the isthmus of Panama on mules and on foot. The mountains are very steep and precipitous. The boat must sail around South America to get to the Pacific ocean. On this trip around it was wrecked and never came. The unfortunate company lay in Panama more than three months while many of their company died from fevers. Mr. Lafferty with many others returned home losing their $300, the price of the ticket. On his return to Mansfield he again entered the office of deputy sheriff and kept the jail for a period of four years, during which time Mrs. Lafferty died. After a time he married Maria S. Patterson, Oct. 25, 1855, who was then engaged in teaching in Bellville Union Schools, under Supt. Moses Dickey, now "Judge Dickey" of Cleveland. James Lafferty is well remembered by many of the older people of Mansfield. Mr. Lafferty now moved to Haysville and kept hotel one year when the war broke out. He then, at the call of his country, enlisted in the three months' service. Served his time out and then re-enlisted in the three years' service, continuing until his health failed him. During his army life he was in the battles of Second Bull Run, Cedar Mountain and several others. He was honorably discharged on account of poor health; recruited up, got a position in Nichollsville, Ky., and continued there for sixteen months till the war closed. It is due to be said in this connection that Mrs. Lafferty, his wife, went into the army with him, with a regular commission as army nurse, and continued throughout the war. Mrs. L. is very handy around the bed of sickness, and it is no small compliment that her hands have relieved the wants and lessened the dying groans of many a comrade on the fields of war. James Lafferty passed from this life quietly at his home on Huron Street, Friday, April 6, 1894. He was 85 years, 4 months and 2 days. His body was laid to rest in Bellville Cemetery on Sunday. Rev. C.W. Caldwell, of the Presbyterian church, officiated.
From The Bellville Independent, April 12, 1894, Vol. 6, No. 48