Milton Gallaher

Died, on Saturday last at the residence of his father in this vicinity, Milton Gallaher, of a lingering disease.

Source: The Western Star, Friday, 3 May 1833 [copy obtained from obituary collection at the Warren County Genealogical Society]

also see tombstone photo at Baptist Graveyard [now called Pioneer Cemetery]

Samuel Gallaher

Died. - On Friday evening last, Samuel Gallaher, an old and respectable citizen of this place.

Source: The Western Star, Friday, 27 Dec 1833 [copy obtained from obituary collection at the Warren County Genealogical Society]

also see tombstone photo at Baptist Graveyard [now called Pioneer Cemetery]

Sarah Holcroft Gallaher

(Communicated)
Obituary of Mrs. Sarah Gallaher

In the Star of the 13th inst., the death of Mrs. Gallaher, caused by her dress taking fire, was mentioned, but the long residence of the deceased in this neighborhood ___ ___ to demand a more particular notice.

Mrs. Gallaher moved to this neighborhood in the winter of 1796, and with her husband, the late Samuel Gallaher, and two children then born, formed the fourth family of settlers in this neighborhood. Ichabod Corwin, John Shaw and Henry Taylor had preceded Mr. Gallaher some months. The latter being a millwright, in 1797 built a mill for Henry Taylor on Turtlecreek about a quarter of a mile below the fork of the creek, west of Lebanon, which for some twelve years did a considerable business, and being the first mill in the neighborhood, was a valuable improvement. In 1803, Mr. Taylor sold this mill and the farm connected to it to Martin Earheart, Sen., who kept it running until the water gradually lessening in the summer, made the mill seat valueless, and it was abandoned.

Mrs. Gallaher was at her death almost 89 years full, her birthday being in June, and until about a year before her death, had enjoyed not only good health, but retained her physical powers with uncommon vigor, and to the time of her first paralytic attack, in February, 1861, was strong and active. Born and reared to womanhood some thirty miles south of Pittsburg, then a new country, she was accustomed from childhood to a plain, hardy, backwoods life and exercises, and to these agencies she owed much of her strong constitution and vigorous health. Mrs. Gallaher was hardly ever sick, I think, though, frequently exposed to hardships which even men of hardy constitutions can seldom endure. In her younger days, in Western Pennsylvania where she lived, it was customary for women to enter the harvest field, and make their hand with the sickle. I have often understood from those who knew the facts, that Mrs. Gallaher wielded the sickle with such skill and endurance the few men were willing to take their land beside hers, and not unfrequently she led the field. Though women did not enter the harvest fields in this neighborhood, even in early times, yet they sometimes engaged in those sports which are now considered as only belonging to the sterner sex. Mrs. Gallaher used the rifle with as much certainty and skill as nay man, and often after settling on the farm where she and her husband died; she used to shoot turkeys, squirrels, and even larger game when they made their appearance near her residence.

Mr. and Mrs. Gallaher reared nine children, all but two born in this neighborhood, some of whom survive.

Source: The Western Star, Thursday, 27 Mar 1862 [copy obtained from obituary collection at the Warren County Genealogical Society]

also see tombstone photo at Baptist Graveyard [now called Pioneer Cemetery]

CLOSE OF A LIFE’S WORK SPENT ALMOST ENTIRELY WITHIN WARREN COUNTY

The funeral services of the late William Gallaher were held at the residence south of Lebanon on Wednesday afternoon of last week and were largely attended. They were conducted by Rev. J. P. Porter, of the Methodist church, and from the paper which he read, the STAR is permitted to make the following extracts:

Before the beginning of this century which is now nearing its close, a young couple, Samuel and Sarah Gallaher, came from near Pittsburg. Descending the Ohio river on a flatboat, and landed at Columbia, just above Cincinnati. This was in the year 1795. During the same year Mr. Gallaher came to Lebanon to build a mill for Mr. Henry Taylor, the first settler in the town of Lebanon, for which Mr. Taylor gave him, according to contract, one hundred acres of land just south of Turtlecreek, a part of which is now within the corporation of Lebanon. This farm Mr. Gallaher very soon traded to Mr. Jonas Simmons for the farm lying just north of the Hart schoolhouse, which is still in the possession of his descendants.

Here Mr. and Mrs. Gallaher reared a large family of sons and daughters, all but one of them coming to manhood and womanhood. And here the mother died in 1862, in her eighty ninth year, the father having died in 1833, while on a business trip to Cincinnati. There were twelve members of this pioneer family, eight sons and four daughters. Of these Harvey married Ann Williams, a native of this county, a sister of Milton Williams, who for many years a prominent attorney of Lebanon. He settled in Clinton county, where his family was brought up and where some of them still reside. John married Nancy Sellers and emigrated to Clinton county, Ind. Another brother, Laomi, also made his home near to his brother in this neighboring state. James married Miss Reform Coffeen and purchased a farm near Red Lion, where he died of cholera in 1835. Milton was the victim of consumption and died in young manhood at his father’s home. Matilda married Britton Baird and they made their permanent home in Jay county, Ind. Mary married Aaron James; their home was in Warren county, but she lived only a short time after her marriage. Elizabeth became the wife of John Sellers and lived near Springboro until about two years ago, at which time she died at the great age of ninety six years. Catharine was the wife of William Gallaher; her home was in Warren county until after the death of her husband, when she went to Kansas with her family, where she has since died. Carvel, the youngest of the family, married Cynthia Ann Keenan and became possessed of the homestead, where he still lives with his son. He is the only surviving member of this large family, whose lives were so intimately associated with the early history of this county.

William, the fifth son, the subject of this sketch, was born April 4, 1808, and died April 14, 1895, being just ten days over eighty-seven years of age. His home, throughout his long life, has been in Warren county, except, perhaps, one year, which he spent in Clinton county, and he had lived on the farm where he died fifty-one years.

He was united in marriage in 1834 to Miss Mary Jane Corwin, also a native of Warren county, a daughter of Benjamin And Rebecca Corwin. She was a niece of the Hon. Thomas Corwin.

Five children were the result of this union, three sons and two daughters. One son died in infancy. The oldest son died of typhoid fever at the age of twenty-three. Sarah married Peter Sellers. Ann married Albert Wilkins; her home is in Cincinnati. And the remaining one, Mr. William Francis Gallaher, has alwas [sic] occupied the homestead.

The wife and mother of his children died May 13, 1870. For nearly twenty-five years Mr. Gallaher has been a widower and his home has been with his son, where he will be very greatly missed, so greatly was he interested in the members of the household, and they, in turn, ardently attached to him.”

Source: The Western Star 25 April 1895 [copy obtained from obituary collection at the Warren County Genealogical Society]