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

Lewis Miles

Lewis Miles, a veteran of the War of 1812, was born in the state of Maryland on June 26, 1790. His parents were Thomas and Elizabeth Miles, who emigrated from Maryland to Plaingrove, Lawrence County, Pa. Thomas was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. He died in 1817, and his widow in 1838. The Miles family was one of the Scotch descent.
It was sometime prior to the War of 1812 that Lewis moved from Lawrence County to Mercer County. During the summer of 1813 he volunteered for service in the war. He served as a private in Capt. David Robinson’s Company of Pennsylvania Militia. He was discharged at Erie later in the summer.
A record of his description shows him having been about six feet in height with dark brown eyes and a light complexion.
On April 27, 1815, Lewis was married to Miss Elizabeth Foster at her father’s home in North Liberty, Mercer County, with Rev. William Woods performing the rites. Elizabeth was born June 4, 1793, a daughter of Hugh and Elizabeth Foster Sr. Her mother died in 1814, and her father in 1816.
Lewis and Elizabeth apparently lived their first 24 years in Mercer County. They may have lived in Pittsburgh awhile too, because the record states one of their sons was born at Pittsburgh. Record also states another son was born at North Middlesex, Mercer County, while still another son was born at North Liberty.
They had a total of ten children, who with their years of births were as follows: Elizabeth Miles, 1816; Hiram Miles, 1818; Thomas Miles, 1819; Hugh Miles, 1821; Harriet Miles, 1824; Minerva Jane Miles, 1826; Milton Miles, 1828; Asa Miles, 1831; Hannah Moore Miles, 1834; and Clarissa Ann Miles, 1836.
Elizabeth died May 3, 1842, at the age of 26. She was unmarried.
Hiram was married in Titusville to Miss Mary Foster on July 27, 1841. Hiram farmed and they lived their entire life at Wallaceville. They had 11 children who were Lewis Miles, Plumer Miles, Norris Miles, Sylvester Miles, Hugh Miles, Mrs. Margaret Spangler, Mrs. Mary Miller, Mrs. Louisa Kopf, Mrs. Gertrude Cochran, Mrs. Kissandra Richey and Carrie Miles. Carrie died as a little child. Hiram died of a short illness on Sept. 28, 1899. His widow died March 3, 1906 of pneumonia. They are buried at Wallaceville. Thomas was married to Miss Catherine Proper of Troy Township on March 21, 1841. They lived at Wallaceville where Thomas farmed. Their children were Mrs. Audelia Grove, Andrew P. Miles, Lewis M. Miles, Mrs. Rachel Peebles, Mrs. Lizzie Miles, Mrs. Martha Peebles, Melvin W. Miles, Lydia E. Miles, and Clarissa J. Miles, the last three dying very young. Mrs. Thomas Miles died Feb. 6, 1876 of an abdominal ailment. Thomas later married her sister, Miss Hannah Proper. She died Mary 20, 1888. Thomas died of a heart ailment on Sept, 1897. They are buried at Wallaceville.
Hugh married on May 23, 1862 to Miss Ellen Miles of Mercer County. They lived at Fagundus where Hugh became quite wealthy in the oil business. They had no children. Around 1901 they were robbed at gunpoint in their home of a considerable amount of money. Mrs. Miles let this work on her mind to the extent that it was blamed as the indirect cause of her death on Sept. 12, 1906. Hugh died July 16, 1913, of apoplexy, aged 91. They are buried at Tidioute.
Harriet was married to Rezin R. Grove of Plum Township and they lived near Sunville where Rezin farmed. They had eight children as follows: George W. Grove, John M. Grove, Jacob Grove, Lewis Grove, Mrs. Adeline Davidson, Mrs. Mary Richey, Ellen Dunbar and Mrs. Ann Davison. Harriet died in 1888 of what may have been a consumptive condition. Rezin died Aug. 6, 1902. They are buried at Sunville.
Minerva Jane was married to Daniel Foster who was a veteran. They lived in Plum Township for awhile, then moved near Fagundus. They finally moved to Rockford, Ill., where they died. They reared a family of children, of whom one daughter was active in Salvation Army work. A little son, Daniel, died in 1863, and is buried at Sunville. The date of Minerva Jane’s death is not available, but she was living yet in 1902.
Milton was married to a lady who is said to have been from the Cochranton-Deckers Run area. It isn’t definitely known what her name was, but it is thought to have been Lizzie Beaty. They lived in the Cochranton-Deckers area. They had one daughter, Mary E. A. Miles, who died in 1882 at the age of 15. Milton died April 13, 1888, and Is buried at Sunville. Three months after his burial he was disinterred and his grave dug deeper. His coffin was them cemented in.
Asa was married in Sunville to Miss Maria S. Brown on May 3, 1860. They lived at Wallaceville seven years where Asa farmed the old homestead. They then sold out and moved to Fagundus, residing near the place of his brother, Hugh. Asa worked on oil leases. They had two daughters, neither of whom married. They were the Misses Lillian and Ida Miles. Asa died of cancer in Akron, O., on Nov. 5, 1906. His widow died of pneumonia in Avon, O., on Sept. 19, 1908. The couple is buried at Tidioute.
Clarissa married Isaac W. Davison of Sunville. They had three children- John Davison, Lewis Davison and Clara Davison. Clarissa, their mother, died on April 11, 1863, at the age of 26. Her husband later remarried. They are buried at Sunville.
A person who is well versed in data regarding the above ten children is Mrs. Jennie Grove, nearly 99, of Franklin. Her husband, the late Lewis Grove, was a grandson of the original Lewis Miles. Mrs. Grove recalls eight of the ten children.
Lewis Miles and his family moved from Mercer County to Plum Township in 1839. On May 11 of that year he contracted 500 acres east of Wallaceville from the Samuel Dale estate. Either there had been a large springhouse on it when he moved up, or else Lewis built the springhouse while first, because his family lived tradition states the family lived overhead in the springhouse while Lewis built the log house. The log house sat halfway between the present house and the woods, which are to the west.
This would be the present Conrad Whitman property. It left the Miles family when Mr. and Mrs. Heber Miles sold the property to J. C. Hummer in 1947, thence Mr. Hummer sold it to the Whitman family.
Lewis did not keep the entire 500 acres. He turned over a portion to his son, Hiram, and other portion to his son, Thomas.
Shortly after moving to Plum, Lewis and Elizabeth joined Cherrytree Presbyterian Church. Probably because it was too great a distance to travel to church, they later transferred their memberships to the Sunville Presbyterian Church. When attending church at Sunville, it is said that Elizabeth rode while Lewis insisted on walking. He must have been a great walker.
Two of their children united with the Sunville Church. They were Minerva Jane Foster and Harriet Grove.
Besides his chief occupation of farming Lewis was also quite a handyman. While living in both Mercer County and Plum township he made a repaired boots and shoes for his family and neighbors. He also made quantities of kegs, buckets, meat tubs, pork and flour barrels and churns too.
He generally got 50c for making a pair of shoes, and for repairing them his charges varied, like 15 and 20 cents. He generally got 25c for a butter keg, 35 or 40 cents for buckets, 25 or 30 cents for flour barrels, one or two dollars for a meat tub, and a dollar for a churn.
Some of his oldtime neighbors in the Wallaceville-Sunville area with whom he did business 110 or 120 years ago were Joseph Campbell, Samuel Hawthron, Thomas Green, Peter Grove, Miles McAlevy, William Cowan, John Davison, James Davison, Philo Williams, James Loker, John Rodgers, Samuel Thomas, Robert Brown, W. W. Davison, Dr. Fielding Donaldson and Daniel Ware.
In 1848 and 49 Lewis spent a considerable number of days laying road and poor taxes, and also laying out new roads in the township.
In 1850 Lewis was an assistant assessor in Plum.
Lewis received a warrant for 160 acres of land in 1857. This was a bounty for his services in the War of 1812.
Apparently being in failing health, Lewis made his will on May 5, 1859. To his wife, he willed the land he then resided on during her lifetime; also, all the horned cattle (except one yoke of cattle), sheep and hogs during her lifetime. After her death Asa was to get the farm. Asa was also willed two work horses, the yoke of cattle, one wagon, all farming utensils and “the rifle gun.” Asa was required to pay all debts, pay Milton $100, and give to his sister, Hannah, one cow, one bed and the bedding.
Lewis Miles died on March 15, 1860, and is buried in the Sunville Cemetery.
His son and daughter-in-law, Asa sold the homestead to his brother, Thomas Miles, for $3,000. During that same year Thomas bought out his mother’s dower or third interest in the farm for $900. She then made her home with Thomas’ family.
This arrangement continued until December, 1817, when another change was made in the family affairs. An article of agreement was made between Daniel Foster of Fagundus (Thomas’ brother-in-law) and Thomas wherein Daniel and Minerva Jane agreed to take their mother, then 78, and support and keep her the rest of her life. Thomas was to pay Daniel the sum of $50 provided their mother lived longer than the three-year period. Mrs. Miles not only lived the three years, but lived an additional 10 years after that.
She died at Fagundus on Oct. 8, 1884, at the advanced age of 91. She was buried at Sunville beside her husband who had gone more than 24 years previously.

Transcribed by Chrissy Wolfgong

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