My Genealogy Hound

JOSEPH REEDER, farmer; P. O. Pleasant Hill; was born in Washington Township, Montgomery Co., in 1827, the 12th day of July; he is the son of William Reeder and grandson of Joseph Reeder. Joseph R. and family emigrated to this State in the beginning of the present century; they made the voyage down the Ohio River on a flatboat, landing in Cincinnati in 1801, their property consisting of a cow, a horse, and a two-wheeled cart; with these they took up their journey northward, penetrating the wilderness as far as Montgomery Co., where they located on Sugar Creek; here he entered a piece of land and built a rude cabin to serve as a temporary dwelling. William Reeder was his only child; his birthplace was Virginia, and he was only a boy when his parents settled in Montgomery Co.; he was possessed of great muscular strength, and could perform the remarkable feat of lifting a barrel of cider to his mouth, drinking out of the bung hole; farming was his exclusive occupation till his 30th year, when he met with an accident which prevented him from active work on the farm; but being of an ingenious turn of mind he engaged in various pursuits, as shoemaking, blacksmithing, coopering, carpentering, etc., in the meantime managing the farm till our subject grew up. He was married twice and reared a family of eight children, four sons and four daughters; his death occurred in 1865. Our subject was the youngest of this family; he early formed habits of industry and good management, which have served him well through life; agriculture has been his chief occupation; in 1852, his father disposed of his land in Montgomery Co., and purchased a farm near West Milton, in this county. To our subject fell the duty of caring for his parents and two grandmothers in their old age; his paternal grandmother lived to the remarkable age of 95 years, retaining her mental and physical powers unusually well till her death. Feb. 18, 1855, our subject celebrated his nuptials with Miss Mary Furnas, daughter of Joseph Furnas; in 1856, he disposed of his farm at West Milton and purchased in Newton Township; the following year, he made a trip to Kansas, with a view of locating there; he found the people much agitated over the slave question, and he returned content to remain in his native State; he has a farm of 250 acres near Newton, and 40 acres where he resides. Mr. and Mrs. Reeder are the parents of three children, one daughter now married, and two sons. Mr. R is a consistent member of the F. & A. M. Society of Pleasant Hill, and has held a connection with this fraternity for fifteen years.