Thomas Graham
Thomas Graham was born in County Donegal, Ireland, in 1779. He was married to Isabella Thompson. About the year 1832 they immigrated to New York city, where they lived about eight years. The family at this time consisted of four children, viz., Frank, John, Mary, and Ellen. Of this number Frank and Mary are residents of this township. John and Ellen both died here. In 1844 Mary married Joseph Holiday in New York city. They lived there to have born to them six children, three of them now living. In 1861 Mr. Holiday died, and his widow came the same year to Shelby County, and has since that time made her home with her brother Frank. In 1840 Frank, the eldest of the family, came to Shelby County and bought eighty acres of land, nearly all in the timber. He then returned to New York and brought his parents. They lived on this place to improve it, then traded it for one hundred and sixty acres, where he now lives.
It will be remembered that the Grahams came from Ireland, where they knew nothing of the use of the axe, then lived in the city of New York for eight years, never having seen a rail fence, much less having made rails or cleared land. It need not be wondered at that they made very awkward work at their commencement in the woods. Frank relates that one day, shortly after their arrival here, he told his father that if he would cut and split a few rails, enough to make a pen, he would go and buy a few pigs, for an lrishman’s home is never complete without pigs. Accordingly the old gentleman started with his axe, and attacked the first nice-looking tree he came to. This proved to be a white elm, which is proverbial for not being very easy to chop or split, but he worked with a will until the return of Frank several hours afterward, when he asked his father how he was getting along. He said very well; he had got four mighty nice rails made, but he thought the bloody things were hard to split. So they thought they would try another tree, and see if that would do any better. They next tried a nice-looking little beech, but this proved as obstinate as the first. They then concluded to go and get the opinion of a neighbor as to what kind of timber he used to make rails. The neighbor told them to take ash or hickory, but they said they did not know one kind of timber from another. So their neighbor went with them and showed them the kinds that would split easily. They then went to work and soon had their pen built. Perseverance and practice soon gave them the use of the axe, and it was not long before they understood woodcraft as well as their neighbors.
From History of Shelby County, Ohio; R. Sutton & Co, Philadelphia PA, 1883