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About the year 1801, he disposed of all his property in When my grandfather died, by his will he bequeathed all
Pennsylvania and removed to Ohio, where he purchased four his property to my grandmother, except his own farm, which
sections of land on Little Sugar Creek, parts of them now lying he gave to my oldest sister, Rebecca. When my grandmother
in each of the counties of Holmes, Stark, and Wayne. died, her step-children were still further disappointed in not
sharing with my father in her estate.
My father was then about six or seven years old. To each
of his sons and daughters grandfather gave a farm. He also My father was born June 24, 1794. I can give no account of
reserved one hundred and sixty acres of land for his wife, and his life or actions, further than that he went to Ohio at about
retained the remainder in his own right. He further assisted the age of six years, until his nineteenth year. I know that
each of his children with money to improve their lands. he had acquired a good common school education, and had
probably received all the advantages in that way which could
His two eldest sons, Simeon and David, soon became possibly be conferred in Ohio at that early period of its history.
dissatis ed with their new homes in Ohio, sold their farms
and returned to Pennsylvania. Before their departure, my At the age of nineteen years, he determined to assume the
grandfather gave each a full share of what money had yet responsibility of controlling his personal a airs. He sold his
remaining. They retraced their steps and again took up their farm to my grandfather, and with all the money he could
abode in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where many of command started for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he
their descendants now reside. purchased a small stock of assorted merchandise.
I regret extremely that my information regarding my At that day it took six weeks to make the trip to
grandfather’s life is so meager and that this biographical Philadelphia and return back home. This journey my father
sketch of his history is so unsatisfactory. I can only remember made on horseback. He had his goods transported in heavy
of seeing him once, and then my attention was particularly Pennsylvania freight wagons, drawn by eight large horses, over
directed to his quaint, old-fashioned pantaloons, gathered in the Allegheny Mountains, and conveyed to New Philadelphia,
folds around the waist and very roomy in the seat. He lived the county seat of Tuscarawas County, Ohio. There he engaged
on a farm, at the time of his death, one and a half miles from in mercantile pursuits for the rst time on his own account.
Mt. Eaton, in Wayne County, Ohio. He departed this life on
November 17, 1833, age 78 years. In his younger days, my father was remarkably fond of all
outdoor amusements and trials of feats of strength, in which
After his death my Grandmother Pfoutz lived with my father. he greatly excelled. Although he was but of medium stature, he
I remember her well as a woman over the medium height, was compactly built with limbs rmly knit, and was capable of
digni ed in her deportment, and possessing a strong mind great endurance. He was swift of foot, and in wrestling never
and great intelligence. When she was not reading, her time met his equal.
was spent in kitting, and habits of industry she maintained
till her death, which occurred on April 30, 1839, at the age of When he was about thirty years old, in a friendly encounter
68 years. She sleeps by the side of my grandfather in the little of strength with a friend, he threw his competitor with such
graveyard at Mt. Eaton. force as to break an arm and otherwise severely injure him,
and from that time until the end of his days he was never
My grandfather’s third son, Reuben, married in Ohio, and known to indulge in wrestling again.
lived and died on the farm given him by his father. He was
the father of thirteen children. Rebecca, the eldest daughter of No one who ever knew my father long and well could forget
my grandfather, married General Abram Shane, an o cer in his loud, joyous laugh, while his general goods spirits, ne
the army during the war with Great Britain, in the year 1812, social qualities and his obliging, generous disposition made
by whom she had one son, who was drowned in the canal, at him the idol of his companions. His love of practical jokes was
the age of nineteen years, at Canal Dover, in the year 1842. excessive, and the pranks that he and his friend, Alexander
Sarah, the second daughter, married Levi Edgerton, a man McConnell, often played upon others a orded the early
of very sprightly mind, but too much addicted to the use of settlers of New Philadelphia subjects for laughter for many
ardent spirits. She had a large family of children and died at years.
Mans eld, Ohio.
My father’s business adventure proved a success and he
Chapter 2 largely increased his stock of goods and wares, regularly
George Pfouts, Junior journeying to the Eastern cities on horseback to purchase
supplies.
My father, George Pfouts Jr., was the only child of his
mother, and his father loved him “more than all his children” At the age of twenty-six years, he and my mother were
because he was the son of his old age. This preference which married. She was but sixteen years old and the acknowledged
my grandfather showed for my father gave o ense to his other belle of the neighborhood. In stature by mother was rather
children, and they complained because he received a larger below than above the medium height-her form in girlhood
patrimony than the others. For these reasons there was but was light and symmetrical, and her face decidedly pretty
little fraternal regard shown for my father by the children of and agreeable. I have no doubt in her younger days she was
my grandfather by his rst marriage. fully aware of her personal attractions, and in after life I have
Montana Freemason Page 34 July 2019 Volume 95 No. 5