Union County, Ohio Biographies Project - Nathan Howard
NATHAN HOWARD
Nathan Howard was a farmer near Milford
Center. He was born in Union Township, Union County, September
21, 1831. His parents, William and Nancy (McDonald) Howard, were
natives of Windham, Conn. His father was born June 18, 1802, and
his mother June 10, 1807. They were married in Union County in
1830. His parents, William and Phebe Howard, were also natives of
Windham, Conn.; the former was born January 18, 1749, and died July 18,
1822, and the latter born July 15, 1759, and died December 3, 1806.
John and Sarah (Bennett) Howard parents of the last named William
Howard, were born in Ipswich Mass., February 15, 1715, and October 21,
1722. They were married in Hampton, Conn., January 8. 1840; he
died June 16, 1789, and she March 19, 1812. John Howard was the
eldest son of John and Mary (Martin) Howard, also natives of
Ipswich. John was born in 1683, and his wife February 22,
1713. They settled in the Howard Valley, near Hampton, Conn., in
1733. This John Howard was a son of William Howard, who was born
in Ipswich in 1634 and died in the same place, July 25, 1709. His
father, Thomas Howard, was born about 1600, and emigrated from England
to America only fourteen years after the landing of the Pilgrim
Fathers, and died near Ipswich, Mass., April 15, 1686. William
and Nancy Howard, the parents of the subject of this sketch, emigrated
West and settled in Union Township, Union County, in 1830. Mr.
Howard died June 10, 1839, and his widow, February 15, 1876. They
were the parents of three children-Nathan, the subject of this sketch;
Harriet L. and William. Mrs. Howard was a daughter of Thomas
McDonald, who moved from Ross County, Ohio, to Union in 1808, and
settled a mile and a half north, above Milford Center, on the north
side of Big Darby, and there cleared a large farm and reared a family
of thirteen children, of whom Mrs. Howard was the fifth child. Mr.
McDonald - died March 26, 1855, aged eighty-five. Mrs. Howard was
left a widow with three children in 1839. The farm contained 500
acres, but was all wild land, and 200 acres were not yet paid
for. She was a lady of unusual business qualifications and
judgment, and conducted the farm successfully till her children were
grown. Our subject was reared to manhood on the farm and received
the rudiments of his education in the common schools. When of age
he was given the business of the farm, which he managed till 1859, when
the farm, which contained 600 acres, was divided between him and
William, the daughter, Harriet L., having died a short time
before. In 1860, he moved to a log cabin which had been erected
by Thomas McDonald, and lived in it six years: then occupied a frame
till 1876, when he built his present large and commodious brick
residence at a cost of $6,000. The homestead farm is known as the
"Indian Field Farm," and is one of the best improved on the
creek. Mr. Howard has continued to buy and add land to the
homestead till he now owns a tract of 1400 acres, ranking at the
present time as one of the wealthiest and largest land owners in Union
County. He was a member of the company that imported among the
first French and Clydesdale horses to the United States. Mr.
Howard has been extensively engaged in breeding and rearing French
horses and thoroughbred short-horned cattle. For the last five
years he has kept Shropshiredown sheep for mutton purposes. He is
a regular exhibitor of fine stock at the annual fairs, of which he
served as member of the Agricultural Board ten years and Vice President
two years. He was Assessor of Allen seven years and in 1880 was
elected to the Board of County Commissioners. Mr. Howard is a
successful business man. He was married September 21, 1859, to
Helen M. Hathaway, daughter of Ebenezer and Mary A. (Hopkins)
Hathaway. Mrs. Howard was born in Union Township May 17,
1839. Four children were born to this Union; of them three are
living, viz., Charles M., Corrie and Otto N.; Hattie C. is deceased.