Submitted by Miriam Zieber
(188 Cambridge Rd., King of Prussia, PA 19406)
from "A Standard History of the Hanging Rock Iron Region, Ohio", 1916, pp. 1047-1049
Some of the best managed farms in the Hanging Rock Iron Region are found in Jackson Township of Vinton County. One of these is the home of Albert S. Pettit on rural route No. 1 out of Creola. Mr. Pettit has been a factor in that community for some thirty or thirty-five years.
While most of his career has been spent in Vinton County, to which he came with his parents in the spring of 1866, he was born in Morgan County, Ohio, near the Village of Triadelphia in Deerfield Township July 11, 1861. He was reared at the old family homestead in the northeast corner of Jackson Township of Vinton County in section 1, and has never strayed far from the scenes of his youth. His present home is near the Hocking County line, and he owns eighty acres of well cultivated land in section 2 of Jackson Township. He has one of the very substantial rural residences of the county, a nine-room house, and with a large barn 40x40 feet. He also owns 120 acres in section 1 of the same township, a part of the old homestead, and that land is also well improved and cultivated to general crops and devoted to stock raising. In his farming operations Mr. Pettit has long been considered one of the most progressive men of the township.
His ancestry is partly French. His grandfather, Samuel Pettit, was born in New Jersey, from which state see page 134 he removed to Pennsylvania, and there married a Miss Sniff. After their marriage they undertook the pioneer adventure of moving into Ohio and establishing a home in Morgan County, which was then almost a wilderness. They located in Deerfield Township, and entered a tract of new land from the Government. Samuel Pettit was still in the prime of his years and vigor when he volunteered his services for one of the community enterprises that made a noteworthy feature in pioneer community life, a house raising. While thus engaged a log fell upon him and his death resulted from the injuries. His widow survived him a great many years and died at the home of her daughter at the age of ninety-two. She was a very vigorous woman, somewhat stern in disposition, and exercised a somewhat dominating influence over her family and in her community. She was the mother of five sons and one daughter: Manuel, who died at the age of eighty-five; Mahlon, who died at the age of eighty; John, mentioned below, who lived to be seventy-three; Samuel J., who died at the age of sixty- eight; Elizabeth who married Lewis Rempson, who died while a soldier in the Civil war, and she lived to a very great age.
John Pettit, father of Albert S., was born in Morgan County, Ohio, April 26, 1815, a date which of itself indicates the very early settlement of the family there. He died at the old homestead in section 1 of Jackson Township in Vinton County, July, 1878. He was only seven years of age when his father died, and he was reared in the home of an uncle, Jonathan Sniff in Muskingum County. On reaching manhood he returned to Morgan County, and was married in Deerfield Township to Amanda Brewster. She was born in Morgan County July 7, 1822, a daughter of Harvey and Ann (Roberts) Brewster, who were both born in one of the eastern states and came in the early days to Morgan County securing a tract of wild land which they improved as a home. They died past eighty years of age. The members of the Sniff and Brewster families were Presbyterians in religion, while the Pettits were Methodists. After marriage John Pettit and wife lived in Morgan County until all their children were born. Albert was the youngest son and was eight years younger than the next oldest in the family. From Morgan County they moved to Jackson Township of Vinton County, where the parents spent the rest of their days. The mother died May 11, 1899. They were active members of the Locust Grove Methodist Episcopal Church and the father was a republican in politics. Their children were: James, who lives near Lewiston in Logan County, Ohio, where he has a nice home, and by his marriage to Elizabeth Johnson has a family of sons and daughters; Nathan R., whose home is at Logan, Ohio, married Harriet Campsey, who died some years ago, leaving eight or nine children; Elmer O. died when five years of age; Roxanna is the wife of Jacob Milhon.
Albert S. Pettit was married in Jackson Township to a native girl, Miss Jennie Schooley. She was born in Hocking County February 27, 1861, and was reared and educated there. Her parents were Joseph and Jemima (Bermillion) Schooley. Her father was born in Louden County, Virginia, June 24, 1798, while her mother was born in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, May 27, 1822. Joseph Schooley went with his parents to Ohio when a boy, and they all settled in Tuscarawas County, where is parents died. His mother was Miss Hibb, an English woman. After his marriage in Tuscarawas County Joseph Schooley moved to Washington Township in Hocking County, where all his children were born. He finally came to Jackson Township in Vinton County, and died there at the age of seventy-nine, while his widow passed away several years ago at the home of a daughter near Grand Junction, Colorado, at the age of eighty-seven. Joseph Schooley was a Quaker by early training, but usually supported the Methodist Church to which his wife belonged. The children in the Schooley family were: Naomi, who died as the wife of William Krishbaum, who now lives at Ashville, Ohio, and she left ten children, five daughters and five sons. The next in order is Mrs. Pettit. Alice married Morgan Grant. Jasper N., a resident of Jackson Township, married Leah Lowrey, and has three daughters.
Mr. and Mrs. Pettit have taken great pains in the rearing and training of their own children, and those still living are already well established in homes of their own. Their oldest, Percival P., born July 16, 1884, was educated in the Ohio University at Athens and is now employed in the oil fields, and married Lulu McHenry of West Virginia. Clyde E., born April 21, 1885, received good advantages in the way of schooling and assists his father in the management of the home farm. Raymond died at the age of sixteen at the entrance to a promising manhood. Lenore M., born July 7, 1893, completed her education in the Ohio University at Athens, and is now the wife of D. W. West of Hocking County, and they have a daughter, Grace L., who was born October 4, 1915. Mr. and Mrs. Pettit are active members of the Locust Grove Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he is a steward. In politics he is a republican.