My Genealogy Hound

GIDEON KEYT, farmer; P. O. Piqua; born in Piqua March 8, 1828; is the son of James D. and Elizabeth (Widney) Keyt. His father was born in New Jersey and his mother in Pennsylvania. He came to this county in 1819, and she at a much earlier date, the time and history of her father’s family being fully written in the sketch of Stephen Widney in this work. James and Elizabeth were the parents of nine children, of whom six are living, viz., Sarah B., John W., Rachel W. (deceased), Gideon, James (deceased), William J., Elizabeth (deceased), Mary and Margaret J. James, the father, lived in Piqua till 1830, when he bought the farm upon which Gideon now resides, and moved on to it, where he lived till 1842, thence to Piqua, where he lived till his death, which occurred in 1849. While on the farm, he made many improvements, and erected the buildings now there; the farm consisted of 160 acres, of which he brought 75 acres into cultivation; after his death, his family moved back on to the farm where the son Gideon still resides. Mr. Gideon Keyt was united in marriage in December, 1864, with Elizabeth Ward, daughter of Elijah and Hannah Ward; he was born in Darke Co. Ohio, and she in Pennsylvania; by this union they have five children, viz., James Ward, Gideon E., Hannah Elizabeth, Laura Rachel (deceased) and Margaret Ellen. The Keyt family were among the early settlers, and, of course, experienced and endured the hardships and deprivations of such early life. Gideon and his father were both masons by trade, as well as farmers, and while in Piqua followed that trade, but since the death of the father Mr. Keyt has followed the occupation of farmer exclusively. During the war of the rebellion, he enlisted in the 100-day service, in the 147th O. N. G., in which he served till the expiration of his time, and received his honorable discharge and returned to his home and family. The Keyts, both father and son, have been great workers in establishing schools and schoolhouses; the father worked hard and fought down all opposition, which was very great, to establish District No. 5, but finally accomplished it; and later, his son Gideon had his struggle to establish District No. 9, but which at last he accomplished; their successes in this work have caused many families to rejoice, by giving privileges and conveniences for their children to schools, which before they did not possess. Here in this record, while we have the history of some of the early settlers, by the parents, we also, by the son, have a record of one of the patriots, who, in time of our country’s danger, came to its defense.