Record Of The Hester Family

Generation 4

Page 1

Martin Hester, the eldest son of John, Sr., and Elizabeth (Mason) Hester, was born in Greene county, Pa., September 6, 1787. His youth was spent on his father's farm acquiring habits of industry.

Though having but a limited opportunity for schooling in the Subscription Schools, he learned to read and spell in Dillworth's Spelling Book and went as far as the rule of three in Gough's Arithmetic. But, later, as he had opportunity, having a taste for reading, he became well informed on many subjects.

In 1807, when twenty years of age, he removed with his father's family to Columbiana county, O., where he was married to Mary, second daughter of Rev. John Stough, November 30, 1809.

He soon bought and settled on a piece of land near by, where he lived until A.D. 1815, when he entered 160 acres of unbroken forest land in Orange township (Richland), now Ashland county, O., to which he removed. Having partly cleared this and built a good house on it he sold it for $600 and removed to Bronson township, Huron county, O., in 1827.

Here he bought 122 acres of almost entire woodland. The timber was the choicest. On this he built a frame house and eight years later erected a commodious brick. The brick and lime were made and burned on the premises. The trimming stone, which was hauled from Florence, Erie county, seventeen miles, with a three hourse team, was dressed on the place. The timber and the choicest lumber were taken from the farm and all the doors and sash and flooring made by hand and even the lath slit out by hand, and shaved shingles were made on the premises from pine shingle bolts brought from Canada. The house stands in fair repair, after being occupied by him and his descndants for seventy years.

He was a man of untiring industry. His integrity and reliability won for him the confidence of all who knew him.

In politics he was a lifelong, decided Whig or Republican. He reared a noble family of four sons and one daughter.

In the year 1820 he was converted and joined the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he remained a faithful and an official member till the time of his death, January 31, 1870.

A Real Pioneer Mother
_______

Mary Stough was born February 15, 1789, in the Glades of West Virginia, 160 miles west of Hagerstown, Md., and twenty miles from the nearest known neighbor.

When three years of age her mother died and her father took her and three other young children on horseback to Hagerstown to her mother's people. They had the small-pox on the way, and his horse was unjustly taken from him, but by the help of Providence and kind friends he got through.

When she was seven years of age her father remarried and commenced in the woods in Fayette county, Pa. Later he moved to Washington county, Pa. When she was seventeen years of age, 1806, the family moved to Columbiana county, O.

Her father, who was a pioneer minister, was moving forward with the very earliest emigrants. Here again they commenced in the unbroken forest. November 30, 1809, she was married to Martin Hester, when they commenced life in the woods. March, 1815, they moved to Ashland county, O., again in the unbroken wilderness. They brought cattle with them but had no enclosure to keep them, and the cattle went back to Columbiana county, O., and my father went after them, which required a week's time, the distance being onehundred miles, and left mother with three young children alone in their cabin home. One day while her husband was gone for the cattle there came six armed Indians to the house with their rifles, tomahawks and scalping knives in their belts. Mother did not run or scream, but gave them some turnips which they peeled with their scalping knives and ate and then went away. The youngest child screamed and ran under the bed. Mother was glad to see the Indians go.

In 1827 they removed to Bronson, Huron county, O., where they had to clear away the native forest to build their house, and moved into it in November. There was no floor, chimney, doors, windows, siding, ceiling, lathing, plastering, stairs, nor loft. But they soon had a comfortable home, where she lived for thirty-six years, until her death, June 15, 1863, at the age of seventy-four years---after, as it were, starting life for seven times in the unbroken forests. Her life was one of great industry, economy and thrift, and she was a lifelong, devoted and earnest Christian.

Her home was always noted as being the most welcome stopping place for friends and Christians, and especially for ministers. She was greatly respected and beloved by all who knew her, and her children rise up and call her blessed.

For further sketch of Mrs. Mary (Stough) Hester, see Stough part of book.

[In above photo, the book's author, Martin M. Hester, is seated at the right]


Children of Martin and Mary (Stough) Hester, being the fourth generation, were: