Union County, Ohio Biographies Project - Joseph Harrison
Hamilton
JOSEPH HARRISON HAMILTON
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Joseph Harrison Hamilton, third son of William and
Lydia Hamilton, was born in Muskingum County July 23, 1826, and moved
to Union County at the age of twelve years. Though not full
grown. he could render material help in the work of clearing up the
farm. He could drive the oxen, burn the brush, plow and hoe the
corn, bring the cows from the forest pasture, and was the first to
carry the mail from Richwood to Marysville and return. In the
winter of 1811, he and a number of' associates made a profession of
religion, and united with the Methodist Protestant Church. In the
spring of 1843, his church gave him authority to speak to the people on
the subject of religion. He spent the week in labor on the farm,
and on Sabbath he visited points at schoolhouses and in the cabins of
the settlers to hold religious services. His educational
advantages were limited to the winter school, except a three months'
select school conducted by his brother John in Marysville. February 17,
1844, his church authorized him to preach the Gospel, and in August, of
the same year, he united with the Muskingum Annual Conference, with the
view of making the ministry his life work. He has now spent
almost thirty-nine years in the ministry, during which time he has
performed an unusual amount of labor, preaching a considerable part of
the time three times on the Sabbath, and often during the week time,
but in the thirty-nine years has only been off duty four Sabbaths in
consequence of sickness. He has preached in Muskingum and Licking
County five years, Coshocton four, Lancaster two, Circleville two,
Steubenville five, New Comerstown one, McConnelsville two, served as
President of his conference one year, and has preached in Mt. Vernon
and Knox County for nearly seventeen years. During his residence
in Knox County, he has attended over 400 funerals, and married over 400
couples. Hundreds have been added to the church through his
instrumentality. He often delivers addresses on different subjects that
find a place in print. On the 31st day of August, 1848, he
married Charlotta M. Rodman, near Zanesville. They have three
children, one son and two daughters, all live in Mt. Vernon. The
son is a printer, and for three years was publisher of the Mt. Vernon Republican,
while the father was editor and proprietor. He is now in his
fifty-seventh year, and performs the labor ordinarily performed by two
men.