Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-01-23
JosFpH GRFFI,Fy.

the oldest inhabitant of Perry township,
In this county.
Mr.. Greeley. his had an opportunity
which happens 10 f,w-that of reading
his own obituary.
Your reporter had pleasant interview
with the old gentleman on last Monday,
in which he informed us that he chad
read the notice and thought there was
not much truth in it,"
During our conversation he gave us the
following account of his long and some
what eventful life, which may not be
without interest to mlny of his numer-
GUS acquaintances.
Joseph Greeley was born In the town
OF Wilton, Hillsboro county. New Hamp-
shire, on the last day of the year 1886, and
has, therefore, just completed his 87th
year.
His fathers name was Nathaniel Gree
ley, who had family OF fourteen children
Joseph being the eleventh.
Although NJ. Greeley was born in the
same county as the distinguished Philos-
opher of his name, he never heard of tina t
Individual until afCcr he had migrated to
Ohio in 1885 r ferring to the gencalogy
OF the Greeley family, these two men are
cousins in the third degree OF relation
ship.
Nathaniel Greeley riskcd lis fortune In
the Revolutionary struggle, and was
present ut Burgoyne's surrel der to Gen.
Gates at S lratoga, In l777.
Mr.. Greeley says he rccolI, cts distinctly
when Gen. Washington died, being at
that time about 13 years old.
About thus time his father moved to
Andover, Vermont, where he had pur-
chss d tract Of land. joseph RENAME
on the farm until nineteen years of age
and was then apprentic2d two years at
the carpenter trade, at which he labored
eleven years. In the meantime he bought
! fifty acres of land in the woods and when
thirty years old married and began clear
in4 1t off. With view to facilitate the
improvement If it, he built saw-mi l.
His father having acquired the title to
s)me State lands, gave him fly acres
located o the top of a mountain, which
he aft :rwards sold for two pairs OF cali
skin boots, valued at fourteen dollars.
We can form a good idea of its value,
from the opinion Of one of his neighbors
at the time, who, upon hearing of the
sale, said: "rhat was a big strike,
You have sold it well"
1t was at this period his troubles began.
'MisfJrtunes were of daily occurrence
his limbs were several times broken and
bruised his family was sick. In order
to "get through" it became necessary
to sell Lis property. After paying off his
debts, he found himself penniIess. He
resolved to leave Vermont and go to the
West. Through the kindness of his
neighbors, he was enabled to make q
start. Accordingly he left for Ohio and
was assisted by the people on his way.
NJ. Greeley at this time had seven
chidren-six sons and daughter four
OF whom are now living with their father.
His Oldest son, being subj ct to fits,
became so bldly afr cted, that when he
| died at twenty ,ne years of age, he was
utterly helpless bodily and mentally.
Another son died in infancy. Tae
youngest son, Elmon Greeley, purchased
eighty acres Of md in IOnia Co Mich
where he Intended to settle. At the out
! break of the war in 1861, he eenlisted In the
/ 81 Mich. Infantry, and was killed in the
, folio wing year, at the battle of Fair OAKS,
Va, two bullets lodging in his head.
/ lie is de, cribtd as person with more
than ordinary intellectual ability and of
a robust physicll consti ut.ol. At the
line # his death, he hal nearly COM
| pleted his twenty-ninth wear.
| Mr. Greeley came o Ohio in 1885. and
settled in Lagrange, Lorain county.
! Herr. he bought three sores nf lind on
crt dit, for which he agreed to ray fifteen
dollars. By the free of energy and pr
! severance he managed to paw it in two
wears. After clearing the lard and plant
! ing an orchard. he sold it for one hundred
dollars. He then pur, hised twenty. four
acres more of wild land and commenced
| in the woods third time.
Mr.. Greeley relat the following in
cident that happened about this period.
One evening in winter, he discovered the
! track of woanded deer across his land.
! Provisions of every kind being limited.
he determined 10 f ,llow it with an 'ea of
capturing If. Taking two of his hoys
with him. the three started in pur .ut
! with lighted torches. Aft r folio wing
awhile. tbey found the deer lying by tn
/ Il ie Of a log Mr.. Greeley went to the
oppo ,ite 81 e. anl reaching over the log.
! took i by the horns. The ol gRntl'maa
>a' s "the tigh5 was lively frr sho I
tjma. bnFi ; for | 2 being br ken, he
I tinaiiv sue eded in cDr qu-ring it.
The next thing was To get the animal
| homr," aui the method of d Il g so, we
| give in his own language:
" suck to the horns le ding l., v hilr
! the two boy brought mp rhe rear, push
iL along, The deer b C ming exhWsred
| lay down on e way. an ] we then drag
z d it along on the snow until sc reschPd
the hOu Of one of our n"ighhnrs This
finil had rec 'ntly moved in fro n V r.
mont, and were in bed at the line we ar
rived Learning VIII u we had got. and
never having seen II wild deer, they re-.
qurstrd us TO bringit into the house for
exhibition. After satisfying their curl
Osi,y, we bntchercd and hauled our meat
home on hand sled'
Mr.. Greeley lived in Lorain con, ty,
seventeen years, and removed TO w Cd
county in the fall of 1852. He bought
siXfy acres Of land where he now lives
in Per y township for fiSa hundred dol
lars. IL Is lDca5td on SAM, ii lge, and a
p'ach orchard planted by Mr.. Greeley
. family Is said to br one of the best of its
kind in the township.
Mrs. Greeley died in the spring OF 1853,
in the Goth year of her age. Mr.. Greeley
has heard OF the death of all his brothers
and sisters eXcaDt one His eldest sis