Stephen B. Day, p.23

STEPHEN B. DAY. Artemus Day, the great-grandfather of this gentleman, was of Scotch-Irish descent, and served as captain during the Revolutionary war. He took part in several engagements under Gen. Washington, and died about 1774, leaving Bethany Day, his widow, in New Jersey, with ten children, viz.; Axtell, Bethuel, Artemus, Luther, Daniel, Parmelia, Lydia, Mary, Sarah and Phoebe. In 1789 Mrs. Day and her children bade adieu to their home, and moving west settled on the headwaters of Ten-Mile creek, in Washington county, Penn., where they toiled bravely for a livelihood until the war of 1812 began, when the fifth son, Daniel, enlisted as a soldier. At the close of the war he returned home and settled on Ruff's creek, Greene Co., Penn.

Luther Day, son of Artemus Day, was born in 1773 in New Jersey, came west with the family, and after remaining a few years was united in marriage with Mary Van Kirk. The young couple then settled near Sparta, Morris township, this county, where he engaged in the business then most common among the early settlers--farming and distilling. He followed this vocation till about 1833-4, when the tidal wave of a mighty reform spread over the country; the temperance cause swept everything before it, revivals of religion were held in every church and almost every household; the whole land was roused, and Luther Day caught the inspiration. He signed the pledge, joined the church, burned his stillhouse and stilltubs, crushed to earth the worm so long harbored in his dwelling, and then became, as he ever after remained, an ardent worker in the cause of Christianity and temperance. He began teaching school, which vocation he followed in the winters for many years, working on the farm in summer. Being a good reader, he was selected by the congregation of the Upper Ten-Mile Church to read sermons for them during the absence of a pastor, and in this position aroused the members to fresh enthusiasm. He died in 1875, leaving a family of seven children: William (who married Sarah Patterson, and they were the parents of seven children); Daniel (wedded to Lavina Clutter); Priscilla (wife of Franklin McVay, had four children); Arvida (married to Elizabeth Baldwin, and they were the parents of five children); Lavina (wife of Demas Lindley); Maria (married to Ira Dille, and had three children); and Artemus (married to Eliza Day, a distant relative, and had one child).

Daniel Day was born in 1814 on the home farm, and at the age of twenty-three was united in marriage with Lavina Clutter, to which union were born six children. Mrs. Day died in 1855, and in 1861 he married Catherine Gantz, who bore him four children. Mr. Day had the following family: Children of first wife--Miranda (Mrs. L. W. Day), Priscilla (deceased), Stephen B. (subject), Wade J. (united in marriage with Ella Iams), Celesta (deceased) and Martha (wife of John Caldwell; she had moved to Aleppo township, Greene Co., Penn., and died leaving four children). Mr. Day's children by the second wife were: one that died in infancy; Samuel L. (married to Lizzie McCarroll); Margaret (Mrs. William Clutter), and Lavina. Mrs. Catherine Day died in 1887, leaving him a widower the second time. He now lives with his son, Samuel, on the farm where he was born.

Stephen B. Day is the eldest son of Daniel Day, and was born in Morris township, Washington Co., Penn., January 19, 1842. He remained on the home farm until the Civil war began, and then, August 14, 1861, enlisted in Capt. A. J. Greenfield's company, Ringgold Battalion, afterward called Company B, Twenty-second P. V. C. He served thirty-eight months, and, though taking an active part in many engagements, was neither wounded nor taken prisoner; on one occasion, however, his horse was shot from under him, and several comrades were at the same time killed. After his return from the war he lived for some time in Morris township with his father, teaching school during the winters and working on the farm in the summers, till he was twenty-seven years of age. On December 17, 1868, he was united in marriage with Rebecca J. Closser, who has borne him six children: Ransom M., born April 30, 1870 (at the age of nineteen he entered the Southwestern State Normal School at California, Penn., and was graduated therefrom July 1, 1891; also graduated in the commercial course at the Duquesne College, Pittsburgh, June 22, 1892; on June 28 of same year he was married to Minnie H., daughter of John Chambers, and granddaughter of ex-Judge Chambers, of Amwell township); Margaret I., born September 11, 1871 (at the age of fifteen she became a member of the Christian Church at Lone Pine; on September 28, 1892, she was united in marriage at the home of her parents, by Rev. I. N. Fry, to Albert S., son of William B. Crothers, of Taylorstown, Washington Co., Penn.); Minnie L., born May 20, 1873 (she also united with the church at an early age, and on December 24, 1891, was married at Cumberland, Md., by Rev. Miller, to James Dever); and Daniel C., born June 10, 1875, Herschell Mc., born August 17, 1881, and Florence M., born June 29, 1887, all three at present living with their parents. The principles of Republicanism and temperance were instilled into the mind of our subject by his parents, and he has remained an earnest worker in the Republican party. After his marriage he removed to the farm in Amwell township owned by his father-in-law (Daniel Closser), where he now resides.

Text taken from page 23 of:
Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893).

Transcribed April 1997 by Paula Talbert of Caldwell, OH as part of the Beers Project.
Published April 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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