My Genealogy Hound

CROGHAN DAWSON, farmer and stock-raiser; P. O. Lexington; was born in Madison Co., Ohio, Oct. 10, 1822, and is a namesake of Maj. Croghan, who defeated the British and Indians at Lower Sandusky, Ohio, in 1812; his father, James R. Dawson, was born in Bourbon Co., Ky., Oct. 10, 1794; he moved to Ohio when about 15 years of age, and, in 1816, married Miss Mary Ogden; they removed to Illinois in the fall of 1832, locating in what is now Money Creek Township, this county. The subject of this sketch worked on his father’s farm until 20 years of age, after which he became a tiller of the soil on his own account, combining with it wolf-hunting, both as an amusement and, to some extent, a necessity in these early times, as his wolfship possessed such fondness for the flesh-products of the farm that it became necessary to kill wolves as well as weeds. In 1849, he married Miss Elizabeth Haner, who was born in Fayette Co., Ohio; her father’s family came to this county when she was a child, settling here as early as 1829; they have nine children living — Merritt, Ezra, Azor, James B., Ella (wife of E. Campbell), General McClellan, Dolly, Captain John and the youngest, who is now waiting for that legacy—a name; they have lost one child — Emma, who died in 1854. Mr. D. owns 956 acres of farm-land, valued at $30 per acre; he has also given great attention to stock-raising, and, in 1858, commenced shipping cattle quite extensively, and continued until 1870. He has served one term as Assessor of Lexington Township.