© 2001, 2002 Leona L. Gustafson (previous Arapahoe County GenWeb Coordinator) & The Arapahoe County COGenWeb Project

I, Milton Bell Case, was born in Wayne County, OH, eight miles southwest of Wooster, on July 25, 1818. I was the oldest child of my parents. My father was raised a Presbyterian in faith, my mother a Lutheran, until she was sixteen years old, when she got religion and joined the M.E. Church, for which she was driven from home.  But she stood by her hope and soon her brothers and sisters, eighteen in number, began to turn in the same course.  She married Samuel Youngs Case in 1817.  He was not a religious, but a good moral man.  She was a strong willed woman and stood by her faith.  My memory reaches back to forth and fifth year, when my mother took me by the hand and went to the silent grove, knelt down and prayed.  In her prayer would say "Oh, Lord, make a man of my boy after thine own heart."  The impressions, on such occasions, never left me.  When I was twelve to fifteen I would go with my mother, three miles on foot, when the team had been at work all week, to Milbrook to church, and help her carry the baby.  When I was fifteen, the ME preacher found our neighborhood, found a few old methodists and organized a society of seven members.  Here Bishop Thompson preached his first sermon.  I have heard him say, afterward, he was so frightened that he almost made up his mind never to try again.  A young man that had been to college and had learned a smattering of short hand writing, sat up on a stand in the corner of the room and was trying his hand at reporting.  It alarmed the afterward Bishop.  When I was sixteen, there had come in a few more Methodists and a few new recruits, two of whom were my father's brothers, one of whom became a leader.  The society and the neighbors sat to and builded a hewed log meeting house on father's place, 24x24.  Some brought in two, three or half a dozen hewed logs, some shingles, others lumber for floor, etc., a couple of carpanters made the window and door frames, one double door and three windows, so they were fixed. It always went by the name of Case's Meeting House. When I was seventeen, at a revival, I joined the church. Built fires, swept and cared for the old house a good portion of the time until I was twenty, and that summer I went to Ceneca Co. Took my church letter with me. Here I subscribed for the Western Christian, had it follow me for twenty-five years, wherever I located. In the fall of 1840 I started West Stopped twenty-five miles west of Cincinnati. Taught school six months. In the spring, started on west, my certificate in pocket and the paper to follow. Taught school in Illinois, six months. 1842 went back home. Taught school the next winter near enough to the old meeting house to get there nearly every Sunday. In 1843 married Catherine Wolph, the daughter of a Methodist Class Leader. At a camp meeting that summer had a solicitation to go to Texas, as a teacher, but declined. In the fall moved west to Iowa, in Des Moines Co. In the fall of 1844 moved to Fairfield, Jefferson Co. , Here I made the window and door frames for the first ME Church erected in the town. I moved to Libertyville in the fall of 1849, where I plastered the little brick church, and was appointed one of the class leaders and steward. Here I made up my mind never ask a member for a quarter, that the preacher didn't visit, as they would say "the preacher in so stiff to see us, he can look for his pay some other place". As that is not Methodism, I have paid it out of my own pocket, rather than be answered that way. Elder Hayden says "that is right, report such preachers to me, will you?" I was always used, in my young days to see the preacher visit every member once a quarter, at least. From Libertyville I moved to Glenwood, Mills Co., Iowa a new ex-morman town. A Mr. Mann came on as preacher, formed a class and appointed me Leader. Soon formed a Sunday School and put me in as Superintendent. It appeared to me that they saddled all on me. The next year Wm. Armstrong came on the circuit (stationed preachers were as yet scarce, especially in the West). He was a man of vim and get up and do. He went to work to build a church, got up a subscription, let a contract to John Carter, he got out the timbers for the frame and some lumber. Times took a change, everything got high in price, he made up his mind that he was going to lose money on the contract, so he said he would be obliged to have more money for the job, and got mulish and would not stir a peg. I was contracting then. He was a member of the church. Armstrong said to me "Brother Case you will be obliged to take that job off Carter's hands, or it will not be built, and these fellows around here will say we are failures, and took a larger bite than we were able to chew". and said he would see that I was made whole, for the house must be built. So I undertook to finish it. Had from six to ten men employed all the time on the church and other buildings, done all my own superintending and worked too, and sometimes went, after supper, and plastered until 10-12 o'clock and then up and at it in the morning. We finally got through with it, but it left me two hundred and fifty dollares behind, which I had to stand, and was not able to do it either, as I was financially broke when I got to Glenwood. I was a man, at that time, Father Minard said I could do more carpenter work than any two men in Mills Co., and when in 1855 I was getting ready to go to Nebraska, He said he could not see how Glenwood would get along without me, as everything of a religious character and the same of temperance, had to have Case, even the Know-nothings, se said. He was an old fashioned ME preacher and was in the Methodist(preacher was)in Missouri. Father Minard came to my house one day, says he, there is a young woman that has come from Missouri, we must go and see her. So we went, made our business known. She had not brought her letter, so he sent for it for her. After that she became very well acquainted with my wife. She was raised a Quaker in North Carolina. In May 1855 I moved over to Cass Co. Nebraska and settled on a claim.The first thing was to see about a preacher. Old Father Good, the first superintendent of Colorado, was superintendent of missions in Nebraska then, so he sent us Father Gage to preach. He preached at our place that summer, mostly in the grove by the shanty, organized a society of about ten members, had a Sunday School a few times. The latter part of the summer things began to move smoothly. The third day of October my wife died. That broke me all up. I had six little children, I scattered them among my friends. Went to the legislature at Omaha, got a clerkship in the council. When I came back I said I was going to sell out and go back to father in Ohio, but my friends strongly objected, said I had a good place, that I better get me a house-keeper that would take care of my children, if I left they would too. So I went over to Glenwood and married Elizabeth Hobson. That Daddy Minard went to see about her letter. I could not think of having a partner that was not a Methodist. I fixed up my house and got all my children together again. They all felt at home once more. That summer, 1854, my wife had a brother-in-law (Ruel B Davis) come from North Carolina, with his family. We sold him our claim and went four miles south on the weeping Water, took up another, built a house, got things to going. The second summer, the whole family took the fever and ague and were so worn out with it that only got onehalf of our potatoes dug before it froze up, dug four hundred bushels.Here our two girls were born, Martha C and Eliza Anne, and the children had four miles to go to school or board away, so in the fall of 1857, the time of the financial crash, we moved to Nebraska City. I went into cabinet work, built a shop with another man, but times were so hard, it was hard to make anything. Sold our land to my first wife's father, bought a place eight miles south of Platismouth. This was the time of the Pikes Peak excitement. We fixed up the place, fenced the land, got in a crop. The next spring 1860, a brother-in-law of my first wife came one evening and said "I am going to Pikes Peak with a load of flour, and I want you to go along, it will cost you nothing". Times were hard and no money in the country,so I said yes. On the 28th day of May we started across the plains, had a pleasent time, met returning pilgrims, by the hundred, some jovial, some morose, glum, and some mad and swearing. It was amusing to see the different dispositions of mankind. We arrived at Boulder, Colorado on June 28. Went up to Gold Hill, where five thousand men and thirteen women celebrated the forth of July. The most pleasent, harmonious celebration ever attended. No whiskey was allowed on the Hill, consequently, no drunk men or quarrels. Thirty-nine lashes on the bare back for the man who would take another man's pick or shovel out of his prospect hole. I prospected around for some time, found nothing that suited me. Went to the big Tompson, where Loveland is now, and cut hay for a month. Then to Gold Dirt on South Boulder Creek to work on a new mill at carpenter work. Knocked around until the next June. Struck out on a wild goose chase to find a six dollar to the pan gulch on the western slope. Did not find it. Found five thousand men hunting for it. Returned to California Gulch, now Leadville, bought a claim, went to work, done no good here. We met Elder Chivington, afterward Colonel, organizing churches and Father Dyer, the Snow Shoe Itinerant. Father Good had been over the ground the year before as Superintendent of Missions. Now comes the rebellion. A great many men that had spent their last dollar, had eaten up their last grub and worn out their clothes, joined the army. Elder Chivington joined as Major. My oldest son, John W came out in the fall of 1860. He was with me all summer, Our claim at California Gulch did not pan out, so then we went across the Continental Divide to Kent Gulch on the Taylor River, bought a claim, made nothing, then returned to Denver. Here I went into I.I. Walley's cabinet shop, went to turning wood for him. John went to Boulder to work on a farm. The last of December an old neighbor from Nebraska came out with a load of grub, said my wife wanted to see me, said I had better go with him home. The object was to do the cooking on the road. So I went, had thirty days of fearful cold weather, got home the 27 day of Janurary in a foot of snow, found my family all OK. I rested and recruited until warm weather came, put in a crop of wheat and corn then cast around to get a job to make a little money. There was no money in the country then except what came Colorado, by men that took a load of supplies to Denver or the mining camps. No one could get sugar and coffee on the Missouri River for produce, corn was 10 cts per bushel in trade, sugar and coffee was cash. While I was away the merchants took pity on my wife, as she was a widow, and would let her have coffee and sugar for butter and eggs. Butter 8cnt per lbs. eggs 4cnt per doz, but when I got home, that would not work. I found no work unless I went to the Missouri bottom, where it was wet. I went to Wm. Davis, a shoemaker, told him I wanted a pair of heavy hip boots, but I had no money. I would be obleged to pay for them in corn. I said "how many bushels of corn will pay for them". After quite a parley, he said "fifty bushels", but would not do it for anyone else for that. Well, I said "that setteles it, I am going back to Pikes Peak, I can get a good pair of boots in Denver for two days work". I went home, says to my wife "I am going back to the mountains can you and the children make it through?" She says "we will try" So I went to Wm Spratland who was going out with some teams, told him I had a boy 14, he and I wanted to drive a team to Denver for him said what is the show? Well, he says "I can get all the drivers I want for their board through, but seeing it is you, I have a fine team of four yoke of cattle, if you and your boy will drive them through I will board you and give your wife twenty-five dollars out of the store" I said "all right we will go" So we struck out, with five other teams, were forty-five days to Denver, arrived on the fourth day of July. I went into the cabinet shop of I.I.Walley. The boy into a printing office. I could make two to three dollars per day, he got one dollar and board ourselves. We got a room and batched. After we had worked some time, Benjamin Dunagan of Bolder came into town on his way to Iowa for a load of flour, etc., from his farm, had three teams. I said "if you will bring my family out with you I will give you one hundred". He was going to drive some loose stock. I said " I have two boys able to drive stock". He thought a little, says, "if you will git a wagon that is down there, for thirty five dollars, I have a large yoke of cattle I will put to it and bring your family and one thousand lbs of their goods" So I said "alright", I will do it". Dunagan was not a man that hurried through life. When he got to the Missouri River, he dallied around and did not get started back until the twentieth of September, and then was sixty-five days on the plains in reaching Boulder. I had a house to receive my family, Had plenty of work that winter and the children went to school to a K. Brown, who started a school in summer before. I made for him the desks to start with, the first desks ever made in Denver, for school. The next spring, 1863, I bought a place on the old Arappaho townsite, below Golden City, went to making a farm, got things in tolerably good shape. In the fall, moved back to Denver so that the children could go to school. I went to work in the cabinet shop. The oldest son in a commission store, the third son was still in the store with Noteware & Pease. That winter my oldest son J W fell into an open cut in the sidewalk on Larimer Street and broke his kneecap, which laid him up for three months. I had to stay with him most of the time. I got discouraged about our farm, a homestead, and sold it, about the worst mistake I ever made. Had a good 160 acre lot, a good well of water. I then bought a place between the hogback and the main mountains, 2miles from Golden, moved to it directly after the Cherry Creek flood, which was in June 1864. Had a crop in before we moved. In the fall moved down to Golden City for the children to go to school. This summer, W.H. Harrison, my youngest brother came. He lived with us. In the fall he and I went to the Laramie Plains on a hunt and trapping expedition. In the spring of 1865 we moved back to the ranch, got a good crop of vegetables, ect, but in September the grasshoppers cme by the millions and ate nearly all we had not marketed. We milked forty cows, made chees and butter. I went to Central City that winter, sold butter at $1.50 per lbs and eggs three dollars per dozen. There was plenty of money in this country then. In the spring, sold the place and said "Ho for California", but fefore we got ready to start the Indians blocked that game. Then we went back to Denver, I went again to work in the cabinet shop. In the spring of 66 we rented a place on the hill, where Elitch's Gardens are now, and put in a crop, sowed one hundred fushels of oats which cost eleven cents per ls and thirty bushels of wheat which cost eighteen cents per lb. failed in a crop for want of water. The sixteenth day of May came a foot of snow, and cold enough to freeze our corn, therefore, we were discouraged. We sold what crop we had, our teams, wagons, ect. to pay our debts and then were fifteen hundred dollars in debt, which we paid afterward, by working, at five to seven dollars per day, building mills, houses etc., at Georgetown. My oldest son was married and had a team of ponies and wagon, and we one pony, so we gathered some traps, old guns,etc., and the three oldest boys and I started for the Laramie Plains, on a hunt and trap, on the head of the big Laramie River. We caught seventy-two beaver, some martin, cats, fox, lynx, large gray wolves and about seventy-five deer and antelope hides and one elk that weighed over five hundred lbs. We captured six stray horses that had run there until they were about as wild as deer. When we came back to Denver, I succeeded in persuading the three boy, Samuel, Scott and Arthur, that we had enough grub, and I could get five dollars per day to work at carpenter work, so we would get through the winter and they should go to the Denver Seminary to school. Mary J., my oldest daughter, had been going before, and by a good deal of persuasion, they consented. After they got to going they outstripped everything in school. Came out late in the spring well pleased with their venture. On the first of July, the two boys and I went to Georgetown on a contract to build a house, found good times, plenty of work at five dollars per day, so the first of September, one of the boys went down with the team, for we had earned a pair of ponies before we left Denver, and moved the family up. We got some lots. Arthur, the sixteen year old boy, cut the timber and slid it down the miountian, and by odd times, we had up a house 16x30 feet, 1 1/2 story. So we were once more getting on our feet. Then we got a job on a mill on the other side of the Continental Divide, to work on a mill and other houses, staid at it, the three boys and I, until we earned twenty-seven hundred dollars, and then built the Suckey and Shenango Mills, paid our old debts and put six thousand dollars in digging holes for silver and gold, but never struck it rich. When Colonel John M. Chivington and Govefnor Evans conceived and inaugurated the plan of building an M. E. Church, the Lawrence Street First M.E. Church of Denver, We put in one hundred and thirty dollars of our hard work. So when they put up the First M.E. Church in Georgetown, we put in thirty five dollars. I.H. Beardsley was the preacher at Georgetown, after Murry and Amsberry. When he came, the first thing was to fimd his members. He came to our house, knocked, came in, the baby was sitting on the floor, he went to it, took its hand, said howdy, your mamma does not know who I am, then turned to her and said "I an the Methodist Preacher sent to your town". I said to my wife "that is the kind of preacher I like to hear of and see," so we became fast friends. When the conference came, the next year, I took the team, took him and wife to Pueblo to conference. When conference was over, we went up the Arkansas to Canyon City, Fourtyfive miles, then across to Colorado City, 45 miles and then back to Georgetown, 175 miles. When at the examination at conference, the Bishop said, Who is here to represent Brother Beardsly? Beardsly replied, "Brother Case is here,he is one of the stewards at Georgetown, hear him". By the way, Beardsly said he used to preach to A.B. Case near Adler Lake in Wayne Co.,Ohio. On our way back, we stopped over at Colorado City a few days to attened the fourth of July celebration, and while there I was shown a piece of land, vacant, two miles from where Colorado Springs now is, which I filed on and moved to the next January, 1871. Builded a house on this land, 18x30 feet, two rooms below and two above, afterward added 20x24 for kitchen, dining room, etc,. In June Colorado Springs was located and surveyed, then there was a boom, everything ran well for three years when, all of a sudden, everything stopped. I had went into deep, got in debt, borrowed money, and the boys and I lost all. Then a big gold excitement, at Sunshine in Bolder Co., occurred. Gathered up and went there, in '76. The boys went to the Black Hills, dug holes hunting for gold, and found nothing In the fall of '78 moved down to Boulder. The boys came back from the Black Hills that fall. So in January '79 we went with the team to Leadville, in the time of the big excitement, and went to work, as carpenters, at four dollars per day, and digging holes to find that big nugget. John W. and Samuel Y. were burning lime below Pueblo, and doing well, furnished us a portion of the money to work with. Spent six or seven thousand dollars in digging holes, but never struck it rich. Would go up every spring, stay until winter set in. In 1881 I moved the family on a piece of land that I had taken up near Loveland, on the Big Thompson Creek. Builded a shanty and a good cistern, fenced the land and got things to going at home, would put in a crop and then leave for Leadville. In the fall of 1883, when I went home, a company was formed to build a big ditch from the Tompson for errigation purposes. Had borrowed thirty thousamd dollars from the Hartford Insurance Company, through F.C. Henry of Denver. The farmers were building the ditch. There were three tunnels to cut through ridges of rock or hogbacks, as they were called. In bidding for the work on the tunnels, I got two of them, one, seven, the other twenty-one hundred feer long. Was to have thirty-seven thousand dollars. One half cash, the other half, stock in the ditch. So on the second day of January, 1884, all things in order, went to work. On that day my wife went to one of the neighbors to his sick wife, got into the buggy to return home and before the team started, sh dropped over dead. Ten days before W.S. Case was married, and eight days before Martha C. was married. We had siven minor children and Eliza Anne, who was twenty-six year old then, the youngest Ralph E. was three years and nine months, therefore Eliza was elected to take care of them. She done it like a heroine. They are all gone, now eleven years, except Alveria May and Ralph Emerson, the two youngest. Charles M. died the others are scattered. In June following, Arthur L. died and was buried beside her. I sublet the shorter tunnel and half of the long one, got in on the longer four hundred feet,and sublet it to our workman, so that I would have had seven thousand dollars for my trouble and work. Now Mr. Henry gets in trouble with the Hartford Company and puts twenty-one thousand dollars of our money in his pocket, which breaks the whole thing up. So five of us closed liens on it, bought in and own it yet, with thirty-two thousand dollars worth of work done on it, after fothering with it for five years. Eliza rented her place, where we then lived, as we had lost all our property, and started on a three year tramp. Had two wagons, five horses and a cow. Spent there months about Leadville and then brought up at Grand Junction on the first day of October,1888. Here concluded to stay the winter, as they had a good school. On the last of March I concluded o go to San Diego California, as W.S. was there, and there was an excitement in Lower California about rich gold mines, so I made up my mind I would like to see the country, so Ernest and I packed our duds and went. Spent the summer and made nothing, as a white man has no business in Mexico among Indians and Mexicans. I came back to San Diego and staid there two months, came back to Grand Junction, went to work building a house of eleven rooms, done most of the work myself, hired nothing only top the chimney. The two boys done some of the work. Was not content with that, bought two more lots, built a six room house, borrowed more money, spent Eliza's home, a thousand dollars, and then the bottom fell out of the boom, and we lost all. And now , 1895 and am seventy-seven years old and am worn out and have no money or property to go on, but such is life. My foys and I have spent twenty-five thousand dollars of our hard work digging holes to find that gold nugget, but have failed so far. The boys are all at it yet, still think they will find it. My Grandfather, Isaac Akright, was born in England in 1724. When he was fourteen years of age he was apprenticed to a carpenter to learn the trade, all boys were required to learn a trade in thos days, in England, whether rich or poor. He was dissatisfied with his boss, became acquainted with a sea captian who persuaded him to go on the sea and be a sailor, so he skipped with him, came to America and concluded he had enough of sea life and skipped again. When the revolutionary war commenced he enlisted and served through it. When the second war with England commenced, he enlisted again and served through it. He drew his pension until his death, which occurred in 1831. He was worn out and troubled with rheumatism before he died. Lived around among his children. Was obliged to use a crutchand cane to walk, sometimes had to be helped up out of his chair. I have, many times, gave him his cane when it got out of his reach, and helped him up, when I was a little tad, and would say "Mother, think I will ever get that way?" and the old man would laugh and say, you may. He was always cheerful, humming some kind of a tune. He married a Dutch women, the name I have forgotten, by whom he had nineteen children. I never saw all of them. There were Benjamin, Isaac, Abraham, John, Samuel, Jacob, William, Polly, Hannah, Jane, my mother, Elezabeth, Margret, Rachel, Libbie, that I have saw. He raised them in Beaver Co. Penn., where several of them lived and died. The oldest started to go to England, and was ot heard of by the others again.. The others nearly all settled in Wayne County, Ohio, afterward, the most of thenm went to Indiana. John went to Michigan. I have heard the old man sit and cry and say "My sister Jenny goes in her silk every day, with a boy to hold up her tail, as he called it and I am here poor, I would like to see her. I have nothing but myu pension of eight dollars per month". My mother, Jane Case nee Akright, was raised in Beaver Co., Pa joined the M.E. Church when she was sixteen years of age. Her father and mother were Lutherans and did not like these noisy Methodists, who threw a little fall into the people's mouths to make them shout and make a noise. They said toher "you must leave home if you go with them". She said "they love Jesus and so do I". So she left, but before a year, others began to go the same road, and the old folks concluded they were in error, so said to her "Jand come back home and forgive us". So nearly the whole family became Methodists. Mother had a strong mind of her own, and was not easily swerved by any one, and had the conviction to do right. She took an interest in her children's future welfare. I have a very vivid recollection of my early days when I was four and five years old when she would take me with her to the silent grove, kneel down and pray and say "O Lord, make a man of my boy after thine own will". Such thing never lost their impressions on me in after life.

M.B.Case
Lucinda Johnson,
Onstead, Lenawee Co.
Michigan.
Elizabeth King.
Haw Patch, Lagrange Co.
Indiana
Cyrus Culbertson.
Sumner, Lawarence Co.
Illinois.

Our Great, Great, Grandfather, Augustus Case, was born on Long Island, wher he lived and died. He had one son, Joshua, who died in Sussex Co., New Jersey, who had five sons and one daughter of whom Augutus Case, our grandfather, was one. A chronological and genealogical sketch of Augustus Case, and family, who was born in the State of New Jersey, of Scotch descent and of Celt origin. At the time of the Scotch Rebellion the Case tribe were divided, some held to the English power, the others Dissenters, who were banished from their country, so became scattered. Augustus Case enlisted and served through the Revelutionary War. I have heard him say "my feet have oft left their mark in blood on the frozen ground", and the sweetest morsel he ever tasted was the fried insole of his old shoe, all for liberty. He drew a pension, until his death, of eight dollars per month. He was born July 17, 1759. He had four brothers nd one sister, Samuel , Joshua, Caleb, the other I lost his name, After the war he and Samuel went to Washington Co., Penn., where he married Elizabeth Bell and raised six children, Amnar, Samuel, John, Elizabeth, Onesimus and Joshua. His brother, Samuel died without children. One brother went to Canada in time of the war. The other two enlisted, and he lost track of them. His sister married a Mr Broadrick and setteled in Bartholomew Co. Indiana. She raised a family, of whom Case Broadrick, the Jurist of Kansas is a grandson. J.I. Case, the farm implement man, was a grandson of one of his brothers, as near as can be ascertained. When the second war with England occured, he again enlisted to serve his country. And when it was over, he, in 1816 moved to Wayne Co. Ohio, where he lived and died in 1852, March 12. His wife Elizabeth, died Sept 12 1817. She belonged to the Presbyterian Church. That part of Ohio was sparsely settled , at that time. Neighbors were few and far between. Game was plenty, such as bear, deer, turkey, pheasants, quail, coon, ect. About the first thing was a log distillery to supply the whiskey. Every man is supposed to keep a jug in his house, to have his tansy fitters, and treat his neighbors when they dropped in to see him. But seldom see a man drunk. Would get his gallon jug filled for twenty-five cts. or a bushel of corn or rye, and that sometimes would last a year. At that time it took three gallons each for every man, woman and child in the United States, but now, 1890, it takes fifteen gallons each, according to the statistics, and that at four to five dollars per gallon. There was no coffee, in those days except wheat or rye coffee. Tea was red root, sassafras or some other herb. I never saw a grain of modern coffee until 1827, and that was packed across the Alleghenies from Philadelphia, and cost one dollar per lb. and a man got thirty one cts. per day and board for a day's work, or a bushel of wheat. There was no Cleveland or Chicago then. Salt was packed or hauled from the Kanawha. And those were the days when people enjoyed themselves. They were not afraid to go to meeeting on Sunday, fbarefooted. I have saw good, christian men at church barefooted. In 1839 grandfather setr him out an orchard, builded himself a good, log house and double log barn, shingle roof, bored holes in his lap shingles with his gimlet, to drive the nails in. Some of the neighbors did not have nails, instead made wooden pins, bored holes with the gimlet and fastened on the shimgles by that means. In 1831 grandfather went to a house raising, when he came home in the evening he felt his whiskey so much that he stumbled when he undertook to make a fire. His youngest son, Joshua, took hold of him and said "what is the matter, father?" He says "guess I took to much whiskey today. He studied over it all night. The next morn he sent Joshua over to father's to tell him to come over "I wish to see him". So when father dot there, he says "I was a little boozy last night and I think it is time this was played out, and if you all say so, we will get into the wagon and go to Milbrook and sign the temperance pledge". This was the time when moral sentiment began to revolt against the use of whiskey. So they went and signed. Said the Whjiskeyites, "we will not help you harvest, or raise a house". But the temperance cause progreessed and they waded through whithout whiskey. After grandmother's death, Elizabeth took charge of the house affairs at the age of fourteen, for fourteen years, until she married Wm. Kean in 1831. Then Onesimus married Sarah Williams and took charge of everything, which relieved grandfather much toil. But would do the chores, feed the pigs, ect. But when he was 80 years olf would take his grub hoe and go quarter of a mile and grub a few rods of ground of large saplings. So he enjoyed life until he died in 1852, three years after Onesimus died. Onesimus had nine children when he died. They and their mother took care of grandfather until he died. On his funeral day, one hundred and fifty people ate dinner at the old home. They laid him away in the graveyard at the old Case Meeting House on father's place, where the most of the old ones lie. There are but two Cases left in the old neighborhood, where there was thirty or forty. It was never said that Augustus Case used profane language> In politics, he was a Whig. A millwright and carpenter by trade.

M.B. Case

Samuel Youngs Case , son of Augustus Case was born and brought up in Washington Co., Penn born Sept 22 1796. Was frought up on a farm. In 1816 came to Wayne Co., Ohio with his parents. In1817, Aug 20, married Jane Akrignt, in twenty three days after his mother died. He fuilt a house on the South end of his father's place, lived there five and half years, where I and my two oldest brothers were forn. Then he moved North sixteen miles to a new place en heavy timber, Oak, Beach, Walnut, Hickory, Sugar maple, ect., where he commenced to make a farm, which was a hard task in that country. Raised a little wheat and corn, etc., took his wheat and corn to Rover's or Pettenger's mill, hitched his two horses in the whimwheel and I would drive them around and grind the grain. If the horses did not get too tired, would bolt the wheat, but the corn never, we shifted it through a hand sifter made of raw hide deer skin with holes punched through it. It was seldom they called a doctor in those days. He raised nine children, and when I left home at 23 he had never paid ten cents for medicine for a doctor for one of them. Wh lived on this place fiyr years, When I was 7,8,and 9, in the spring I would gather the sugar water from the troughs and carry it to camp to make the sugar and molasses, of which they always had plenty. I have went to the barrels oft took out a lump or handful. In the spring of 1828, he went back adjoining his father GFot eighty acres of land with a cabin and four acres cleared and fenced where now lives my brother Reason, a well nine feet deep, which is there yet, 1895. The land was covered with brush, such as white oak, red oak, jack oak, hickory, sassafras, hazed, etc., which all had to be grubbed out ready for the plow. I have grubbed many a day and only got over 8 or 10 rods, where it was the thickest. In those days every family made their own clothing and bedding, raised their own sheep and flax, spun and wove it themselves, and made it up into clothes. Those that were able would get a talor or tailoress to make up the coats, vests and such. In those days, money was scarce in Ohio, and commerce was scarce. Cleveland had started, which was when the N.Y. and Erie Canal was finished. And then a man's wages came up to fifty cents per day and wheat to fifty cents per bushel, before that it was 31 1/4 cents per day, or bushel. I recollect once, father went to his Uncle John Lorance, 26 miles and worked for 37 1/2 cents per day to get money to pay his tsx, which was two dollars and sixty cents. He had his place, two horses, ten head of cattle, twelve sheep, hogs, ect., that was his tax. In 1834 the Methodists undertook to build a church, or meeting house as it was called then, father gave them an acre of ground for it and a graveyard afterward was added to for school house and more graveyard. Here Biship Harris done his first preaching, and near, at Sammy Clark's Bishop Tompson preached his first sermon. Here father lived until he died in 1870 April 7. Jane Akright, wife of Samuel Y. Case, was forn and brought up in Beaver Co., Penn. Came to Ohio in 1816. Was of rather small stature, dark red hair. Was a rustler, worked day and night to see her children provided for, with clothes, ect., spun the wool and flax, wove the cloth, spun the yarn, knit the socks, and made butter, raised the chickens, ect. Father was a man that never got excited at anything, even steady temperament. Always looked out for the year's provisions for the family. Kill his beef in the fall take the hide to the tanner, so as to get his leather for the next year. Made his own and family's shoes, until the older children were grown.

M.B. Case

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