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Below is a family biography included in The History of Miami County, Ohio published by W. H. Beers & Co. in 1880.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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JOHN B. DEWEESE, engineer, Troy. The subject of this sketch was born in this county in the year 1832; he is a son of Joshua and Mary (Gerard) Deweese; Joshua was the son of Samuel, the first Baptist preacher in the Miami Valley; Mary Gerard Deweese was the daughter of Henry Gerard, who came to this county in an early day, in company with Jacob and John Knoop, who made the first settlement in Staunton Township, where he lived to see the county change from a wilderness to one of the banner counties of the State; he was the father of twenty-two children; Mary, the mother of our subject, was, it is claimed, the first white woman born in Miami Co., in the year 1800, in which place she lived till her decease, in 1878; she was the mother of fourteen children, thirteen of whom reached maturity. Mr. Deweese has always lived near Troy; his early education was very limited, and, although he never attended school more than six months in his life, by close application and natural genius combined, he has educated himself as a successful business man; he has mechanical genius, by which he has constructed a patent grain dump, now in successful operation; for the past twenty-five years he has followed his trade, except during the war. Sept. 5, 1861, he enlisted in the 42d O. V. I., under Col. James A. Garfield, in whose command he remained about one year; he was afterward under Cols. Sheldon and Pardee; was in the fight at Paintsville, and was penned in with his comrades at Cumberland Gap; the battles of Chickasaw Bayou, Arkansas Post, Vicksburg, and twice assisted in the taking of Jackson, Miss., and other battles of the Department of the Gulf; he was discharged, after three years and three months’ service, at Columbus, Ohio. Oct. 13, 1852, he celebrated his marriage with Caroline A. Hosier; they are parents of four children— Jason R, born Aug. 10, 1853; Charles W., born Oct. 21, 1856; Callie B., born Oct. 8, 1858; and Nancy J., born Dec. 25, 1860 —all of whom are with their parents except Jason R., who died in his 3d year.

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This family biography is one of 964 biographies included in The History of Miami County, Ohio published in 1880 by W. H. Beers & Co.  For the complete description, click here: Miami County, Ohio History and Genealogy

View additional Miami County, Ohio family biographies here: Miami County, Ohio Biographies

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