My Genealogy Hound

WM. McGRIFF, farmer, Sec. 14; P. O. Castine; a son of John McGriff, who was one of the pioneers of Butler Township. William was born in Butler Township in 1814, and grew to manhood during the pioneer days of Darke Co.; before he became of age, he bought his time in order to go to school, and, although he had received almost no education during his youth, he soon became sufficiently learned to pass the necessary examination in “reading, writing and arithmetic,” and began teaching, first in summer, and attending school in winter, then taught winters and farmed in summer; this he continued several years, but when he had accumulated enough to get a good start at farming he turned his attention to that altogether, and has been quite successful. He was married in 1839 to Mary, daughter of Phillip Shank, a pioneer of Twin Township; after their marriage, they began domestic life in Twin Township after the usual primitive style, with scarcely any furniture or cooking utensils; the first fall he killed one hog, which he had fattened, partly with corn and partly with acorns he had gathered for that purpose. It would seem impossible for a young couple to start in this way now, and, indeed, they would be the laughing stock of the community; yet most young couples, in those days started with similar outfits, and many of them, like Mr. McGriff, became the substantial citizens of the county. He became a citizen of Butler Township about 1846, having at that time purchased a tract, partly in Twin and partly in Butler, the building being in Butler; he has since erected a commodious brick house on the same tract in Twin Township, where he now resides; he now has three 80-acre tracts and one 20-acre tract in Butler Township and three 80-acre tracts in Twin Township, most of which he has cleared, and all of which he has improved very materially. Thus it will be seen he has been an important factor in the improvement of both Butler and Twin Townships; he has been an industrious, enterprising, energetic farmer and a good citizen. His wife, who belonged to one of the early and respected families of Twin Township, was a devoted wife, a kind mother and an intelligent, useful woman; her decease, which occurred Jan. 25, 1879, was a severe affliction, and all the more so on account of there never having been any serious sickness in his family previously, they having raised a family of five sons and two daughters without a single death, and all but the two youngest sons, who are at home, are married and respected citizens of Darke County.