Transcription contributed by Arne H Trelvik 24 September 2005

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971

FREDERICK CLINE, retired farmer, Foster's Crossing. This well-known gentleman represents another of the old and first families of this township. He was born in Lancaster Co., Penn., April 14, 1796; his parents, Frederick and Hannah (Espy) Cline, were born in Pennsylvania, and were each born from German parentage. In 1800, Frederick Cline, Sr., with his wife and children, descended the Ohio River on a flat-boat as far as Columbia, where they disembarked, and came to Deerfield Township and settled on land in Sec. 23. They were parents of thirteen children, eleven of whom grew to manhood and womanhood, and at present but four survive, viz., Hannah, Ann, Elizabeth and our subject; they who died after arriving at maturity were John, George, Jacob, William, Mary, Peggy, Sallie, Jacob and an infant. Frederick Cline died April 13, 1843, aged 77 years; his wife departed this life Sept. 30, 1849, aged 88 years and 4 months. John and George, sons of Frederick Cline, Sr., were in the war of 1812. Jacob and John Cline, uncles to our subject, served through the war of the Revolution. Mr. Cline, Sr., was a man of herculean strength, and, having a frame of iron, was incapable of fatigue. Our subject was only 4 years old at the time his parents came to Ohio; consequently, has a vivid recollection of the scenes of those pioneer days; to say that he has seen the full change and helped to perform his share of the tremendous labor is in the least not to say too much. April 13, 1820, he was married to Maria Monfort, by whom he had eight children, two living, viz., George W., now a prominent lawyer in St. Louis; and Ellen (now Mrs. Richey); the deceased are Jacob, McKendry, Hannah, Peter M., Mary and Frederick. Mrs. Cline died Sept. 6, 1840, aged 39 years. His second marriage was celebrated with Elizabeth Richey in July, 1842. For eighty years, Mr. Cline has lived within a stone’s throw of where his father built his first cabin; he owns 190 acres of land, and is comfortably situated. Though his frame is bending under the weight of four score and four years, his mind is yet unimpaired, and he is yet able to vividly portray the exciting scenes of pioneer days.