A Centennial Biographical History of Hancock County, Ohio, 1903

SAMUEL H. ELSEA

One of the well known and respected farmers of Jackson township, Samuel Henry Elsea, is a representative of an honored pioneer family of Hancock county that was established here when conditions were very different from those now existing. The green woods stood as they came from the hand of nature and few roads penetrated into the forest. The homes of the settlers were widely scattered and the tents of the red men were frequently seen, while bears, wolves and other wild animals haunted the forest. Deer were frequently shot by the hunter and lesser wild game was often upon the table of the pioneers. Farm implements were very crude compared to those of the present day and the most far-sighted could hardly have imagined the changes which would occur and make Hancock county a thickly settled region, rich in fine farms and thriving towns. The Elsea family bore their part in the work of improvement and development here and like the others of the family the subject of this review has always been known as a worthy and progressive citizen, as he has carried on his work along agricultural lines.
Samuel Henry Elsea was born April 18, 1838, on the old family homestead in Eagle township, being the third in order of birth among the children that came to that household. His father, Moses Elsea, was born April 24, 1812, in Virginia, a son of William and Mary Elsea, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Maryland. William Elsea followed teaming in his native state and afterward removed to Pickaway county, Ohio, where his death occurred. In his family were ten sons and two daughters. Among the number was George, who lived for a short time in Hancock county, but afterward located in Putnam county; William, who resided for a few years in Eagle township and then went to Putnam county; and James, who lived and died in Eagle township, and his son Jacob is still living there.
After the death of the father Moses Elsea became responsible for the family, the other sons being much younger. He brought his mother, his younger brothers and his sisters to this county, and the mother spent her remaining days in Eagle township, reaching an advanced age. Moses Elsea was married in Pickaway county, January 14, 1833, to Mary Ann Oman, who was born in that county, June 27, 1815, a daughter of Moses and Elizabeth Oman, who were natives of Pennsylvania and at an early day located in Pickaway county. They had a large family, of whom two sons, John and Peter, came to Hancock county, while Sarah married John Knight and both died in Eagle township, and Elizabeth became the wife of Clement Jester and lived in this county until her husband's death. Moses Oman was the owner of an extensive farm in Pickaway county. In Hancock county he entered one hundred and sixty acres of land for each of his two sons, John and Peter, and eighty acres for his daughter, Mary Ann. All three came to the county in the spring of 1834, settling upon their land. They had to cut their way through the woods for miles, so wild and unimproved was this district. The brothers had a good team, but the father of our subject performed his farm work in an early day with ox teams. John and Peter Oman each built a good cabin. Their father came with them on their first trip in order to see them comfortably established and usually visited them once a year after that. After his death, which occurred in Pickaway county, his widow lived with her children in this county, spending her last years with her daughter, Mary Ann. She died suddenly in the night when about eighty years of age. The farms of the Oman brothers and their sister all adjoined, but they had lived in the county for several years before they knew anything of Findlay, where they afterward did their milling. For the first season they made their own living off the land. The woods were full of game so that they had an ample supply of venison and wild fowls. Many bears were also in the forests and wolves were frequently heard howling around their cabin homes, sometimes even jumping against the door.
After his marriage Moses Elsea devoted his attention to the work of clearing his farm, and after getting a start in this way he also did some teaming to Sandusky and Upper Sandusky, hauling his own produce to market there and bringing goods back on the return trips. He soon began to buy more land, and also purchased the farm of John Oman, who removed to Indiana. He added other tracts from time to time and also assisted others who wished to make purchases, including his brother, William, and his brother-in-law, David Loy. He gave each of his sons a farm and yet at the time of his death still had between four and five hundred acres of land. He lived to see all of his children married and with homes of their own which he had assisted them in obtaining. His estate, at the time of his demise, was valued at between fifty and sixty thousand dollars, and yet all through his life he had been most generous in helping others, and had given away much money and land. Mr. Elsea had no educational advantages in his youth, but after he was married he learned to read, and through reading, observation and experience he continually broadened his knowledge and kept well informed on all public questions of his day. In politics he was a Democrat until the organization of the Republican party, when he joined its ranks. He retained the management of his business affairs as long as he lived, and continued his farm work until within a few years of his death, when he removed with his wife to Findlay, spending his last days there in quiet retirement. Even on the night he died he chatted cheerfully, seemingly being in usual good spirits. He had been ailing for some days previously but no one thought death was so near. He died March 30, 1885, and his wife passed away in Findlay April 11, 1884. They had eight sons and four daughters.
The subject was reared under the parental roof, and bore his part in the work of the farm, thus gaining a practical experience of farm work that enabled him to carry on business for himself in a profitable manner when he had attained his majority. As a companion for life's journey he chose Miss Margaret Ella Line, a daughter of Conrad and Catherine Line, of Eagle township, where she was born July 19, 1841. They were married October 18, 1860, and in the spring of 1862 came to their present farm, which was then in the woods. He was drafted for service in the war and went to Lima, but his brother, Newton, was determined to go if Samuel did, so that it was arranged that Newton should go as his substitute. This cost him four hundred and fifty dollars, whereas if he had gone he would have received twelve hundred dollars from others. He also had to pay about three hundred and fifty dollars each year to his father for land, and other expenses had to be met, but prices were high about that time and he had considerable walnut and other timber on his place, the sales of which brought to him excellent returns. Thus he was enabled to meet the payments on his place, and inside of five years he found himself ahead on his payments and began to build a barn. He lived in his original cabin until he erected his present brick residence, and as his financial resources increased he bought more land on the state road near Findlay. He also made other purchases, and has given to each of his children a good tract of land or its equivalent, while he still has one hundred and fifty acres in the old homestead and one hundred and twenty acres in another farm, while his wife has forty acres in Eagle township. He has bred good stock--sheep, hogs, horses, and cattle, and his sales of stock have annually augmented his income. He believes in tiling, and has therefore drained his land until it is very productive, and everything about the place is kept in first-class condition.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Elsea have been born four children who are yet living, and they lost one. Lorena Ellsworth, born October 25, 1865, died May 25, 1880. Conrad Moses, born February 5, 1862, is a farmer of Jackson township, and married Amanda Beard, by whom he has two children, Samuel Merley and Charles. Mary C., born August 8, 1863, is the wife of Albert Lincoln Miller, of Findlay. Lucinda and Matilda, twins, were born July 31, 1872. The former is the wife of Charles Shank, of Jackson township, and their children are Carl Henry and Edna. Matilda is the wife of Josiah Pepple, a farmer of Jackson township, and they have two sons, Ezra Lloyd and Albert Laurence.
In 1856 Mr. Elsea voted for Fremont and has since remained a stanch Republican in national affairs, but at local elections does not consider himself bound by party ties. When fifteen years of age he became a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and both he and his wife are now identified with Center Chapel, although she was connected with the United Brethren church for a number of years. Mr. Elsea has in his possession the old family Bible, and a valuable watch, which was carried by his father when a young man and which he himself carried several years. It was then worn in turn by all the younger brothers, eventually reverting to the father, and our subject purchased it upon the settlement of the estate. This in brief is the life history of one of the native sons of the county connected with its history from pioneer days. He has been a witness of much of the growth and development of this part of the state and like the others of the family has borne his part in the work of agricultural improvement here. He has always lived at peace with his fellow men, being just in his dealings and upright in his conduct, and through earnest labor he has prospered.