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WHO WAS WHO in PLUM TOWNSHIP
~ Titusville Herald
By H. W. Strawbridge ~ 1950s - 60s

William H. August

William Hiram August was born near Diamond on Nov. 10, 1828. He was the second son of John C. and Mary Proper August. His birthplace may have been one and three-fourths miles southeast of Diamond where once long, long ago buildings sat by a large spring in the hollow north of the old Peebles road. A huge pine tree still stands near the spring and thick brush and trees now cover the area which is State Game lands. It was on this place that William’s parents lived for many years. William had a limited education.
William’s grandfather, Benjamin August, had been the first settler in Plum Township around 1798. Benjamin settled a ways southwest of Diamond. He was born on Nov. 13, 1771, in Petersburg, Russia, though he was of German parentage. He was a tailor prior to his settling in Plum. He lived in bachelor style until 1804, when he married Mary Miller who was born Sept. 22, 1788, in Huntingdon County, Pa.
Benjamin was a veteran of the War of 1812. He was an early township constable. He died March 9, 1850, and his widow on July 30,1875. They reared a family of 14 children, the oldest of whom was John C. August, born in 1806, and the father of William H. August.
It was around the time of the closing of the Civil War that Mr. and Mrs. John D..August and their younger children moved from Plum Township to Padanaram Corners, just north of Andover, O. They lived their remaining years there. William, or “Bill” as he was always called, and the other older children stayed in this section.

Married Near Tidioute

On Sept. 4, 1853, Bill married Miss Maria Jane Russell at Cobham, which was a settlement located a few miles above Tidioute, across the river from present Route 62. Maria was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Russell and was born aug.19, 1836, at Parker’s Landing. When she was an infant her parents moved to Cobham where she grew to womanhood. There is not too much at Cobham anymore. Maria used to relate how they forded the river there many times.
Bill and Maria lived on the present Edwin Pringle place just south of Diamond. This farm was a small one with over 40 acres. Bill’s father owned this land at the time the young couple moved on it. Bill received a patent or state deed for 47 acres, dated June 8, 1865. Bill cleared part of his farm anyway, that western part near his uncle Miller August’s line. The same barn is on the place today, although it was then a low shed barn. A few years after Bill’s death, the barn was jacked up and a basement put under it. The house is changed altogether. A dug well supplied water on the place.
Bill and Maria were charter members of the Diamond United Brethren Church which organized in the original Diamond schoolhouse in the winter of 1859 – practically 100 years ago. Later a church structure, probably a small one, was built which accommodated their meetings until 1868 when the congregation built the present building which has served since, although it has been completely renovated.

Hauled Oil to Oil City

In 1861 or 62 Bill teamed and hauled oil from the Blood Farm on Oil Creek to the river at Oil City. Mrs. Caroline August Blood, wife of the owner of Blood Farm, John Blood, was an aunt to Bill. Bill, in his later years, spoke about the high prices during the oil boom and Civil War days. Horsepower was at a premium. He said that a teamster wouldn’t think of hitching up his team for less than $5.
His uncle John Blood’s large farm spread over both sides of Oil Creek, taking in well over 400 acres. The farm had provided more oil than the balance of the oil region prior to one of the most destructive oil fires of that time.
John and Caroline Blood sold their farm in 1863 for a fortune and moved to New York City for a few years. Later they quit the city and went back to the country, though not here. In 1897 Caroline was still living at Kingsville, O. She was probably a widow then.
Bill August made a lease with Doe & Smith of Diamond, oil speculators, in 1864. It pertained to 5 acres of his land. Likely not much ever came of the affair.
Bill and Maria August were parents of the following children with their birth years: William J. August (1855), Mary E. August (1856), Mrs. Viola I. Billig (1858), James William August (1859), John Charles August (1862), Warner Albert August (1866), Frank Theadore August (1868), and Mrs. Blanche Simmons (1873).
Their first two children, William and Mary, died on the day each was born. After the last one’s death Bill and Maria adopted a daughter, Caroline Russell August, born in 1855. Caroline married William R. Brown in 1874, and he died several years later. Their home was in the vicinity of Andover, O., and they had several children. Caroline’s second husband was John Patterson who farmed. He may have died a distance north of Diamond. She later lived at Geneva, O.
Viola married James Billig of Plum Township in 1877. They had four children, three of whom reached maturity. James was a farmer and they finally settled at Hannaville where Viola died in 1905.
James August married Miss Luella Grove in 1881, and they lived at Olean, N.Y. They had one daughter. James worked in the shops at Olean. He died in 1925.

J.C. August Died in 1949

The next brother, J.C. August, married Miss Ruhama Jane Hays of Sunville in 1884. They first lived on the John Grove farm northwest of Diamond, before moving onto the Fertigs farm(later Terrace Farm) near Titusville. In 1901 they moved back to Diamond where they spent their remaining years. Ruhama died in 1922, and he married Mrs. Belle Proper in 1926. She died in 1935. J.C. August was for many years Sunday School superintendent of the Diamond U.B. Church, and active in the other community organizations. He died in July, 1949, having been the last surviving one of his brothers and sisters. He and Ruhama had four children, the two surviving ones being Floyd B. August of Titusville and Ivo S. August of Gresham.
Warner A. August married Miss Vernia Proper in 1892, and they had three children, one of whom, Harry August, survived. He lives in Ohio. Warner was primarily a farmer. He was killed in an auto accident in November, 1930. She died the following year.
Frank August married Miss Luella Dickson in 1891. They had two children. Frank drove a milk wagon for many years. First he drove for his brother, J.C. August, delivering in Titusville. Then he managed the dairy of Jacob Sheasley near Franklin, and drove the milk wagon there. He died in April, 1937, and his widow is still living with her grandson, Don Keith, on the Franklin-Polk road. She is in her 91st year.
Blanche married Albert Simmons in 1891. She died in 1896. Mr. Simmons died as a result of auto injuries in October, 1949. They had three children, one of whom is living. He is Clyde Simmons of Titusville.
Bill August was not a very tall man, and he weighed approximately 165 pounds. He was a quiet, serious natured man. He had a dark beard which never turned white.
Maria was short and heavy, probably having been five feet tall and weighing at least 180 pounds. She had curly hair and blue eyes. She was quiet in a crowd, but a good visitor if talking to one or two persons. She had always been a lover of horses, always riding them when she had the opportunity until age forced her to stop. She had the high esteem of everybody.
For 15 years Bill and Maria lived near the present gate of the Terrace Farm. He was hired by his son, J.C. August to work on that farm. They moved back to their Diamond farm in 1900. While they were gone, his brother-in-law and sister, James and Viola Billig, lived upon their Diamond farm.

Neighbors Traded Work

Bill neighbored considerably with two nearby men – Jackson A. Proper and William H. Proper. They traded work a lot. Maria used to call quite often on Mrs. William Proper, and would comb out Mrs. Proper’s hair about every time.
An interesting little fact is that it is remembered what the names of Bill’s last team of horses were. They were “Deck” and “Charlie”. Deck was a brown horse and Charlie a grey.
In September, 1903, Bill and Maria observed their golden wedding at their home with a large crowd on hand. There were many relatives present from the Andover, O., district. It was a nice warm day and all grouped in the yard to have a photograph taken.
William H. August survived only four weeks after their golden wedding, at which time he had been in fine health and good spirits. He died in his home on Oct. 1, 1903, after a week’s illness of pneumonia.
Services for the oldtime Diamond resident were conducted on the following Saturday afternoon in the UB Church.
Sometime after his death a sale was held. It is remembered of the sale not ending until well after darkness. Eventually the place was sold. Maria went to Olean, N.Y., and kept house for quite some time for her son, James, whose wife had died. Then she came back to Diamond and stayed for periods of time at the homes of either J.C. or Warner August.
During winters she generally stayed with her son Frank, near Franklin. The explicit date can be remembered when Maria went down to Frank’s one winter. It was on Dec.30,1916. Mrs. Edith August, who lives in Gresham, took her husband’s grandmother down that day in the sleigh. She arrived back to Chapmanville the next day and was told that Mr. and Mrs. Harry Whitman of Chapmanville had a baby boy born earlier in the day. The little youngster was given the name of his grandfather – William F. Whitman.
Mrs. Marie August died on Sunday, May 2, 1920, at the home of her son, Warner August, between Stone Springhouse Corners and Kightlinger’s Corners. It is the present Roy J. Sterling home. She had caught a cold a week previous and she died rather unexpectedly. She was the last surviving charter member of the Diamond Church, having belonged to it for 61 years.

Transcribed by Paula Harry
dharry@pa.rr.com

Disclaimer:there may be errors due to transcription of information from both early and late (current contributors) work.