O. F. LYON, a resident of Amwell township, Washington Co., Penn., is of Scotch-Irish descent. His great-great grandfather, Nathaniel Lyon, emigrated from the Highlands of Scotland to this country in the early part of the eighteenth century, and settled near Morristown, New Jersey. Nathaniel Lyon had five sons: Ezekiel, Nathaniel, Benjamin, Stephen and John. These brothers all immigrated to western Pennsylvania, and for a time remained at, or near, what is now Brownsville, Fayette county. Here Ezekiel, the eldest, built a woolen mill and manufactured cloth for many years. Nathaniel, the second son of this family, immigrated to Ohio in the early days, and settled on the Muskingum river. Stephen, the fourth son, was a cripple and worked at the trade of tinsmith. The fifth son, John, settled in Virginia, at or near the flats of Grave creek, and there lived and died.
Benjamin Lyon, third son of Nathaniel, and great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born in 1752 near Morristown, N. J., where he had his home until after the Revolutionary war, in which he served during the entire conflict. He was married in 1777, while a soldier, to a Miss Wilcox who, with her father, mother and one brother had started from London, England (the father, Mr. Wilcox, during a storm while they were crossing the ocean, was drowned). The mother, Mrs. Wilcox, with her two children, reached this country safely, and settled in Philadelphia. After the war, Benjamin Lyon immigrated to Western Pennsylvania, and settled on a farm at the headwaters of Mingo creek, about one mile north of Dunningsville, Washington Co., Penn. This farm was for many years owned by Andrew Crouch (deceased), and is now owned by his son, John Crouch. The original mansion house and home of Benjamin Lyon, on this farm, is still standing, it is a frame building, and was built by his own hands, he being a mechanic. He lived on this farm until the death of his first wife in 1801. She was buried in a graveyard on the adjoining farm, known for many years back as the "Todd farm." Benjamin Lyon, soon after the death of his wife, sold out and moved to Smith Creek, Greene Co., Penn., where, in 1812, he married the Widow Rogers and by her had one son (Mathias), born June 9, 1813 (now living in Chillicothe, Mo.). By his first wife he (Benjamin Lyon) had children as follows: Betsy, born April 27, 1778; Phoebe, born November 10, 1781; Sabia, born December 9, 1783; Nancy, born March 30, 1787; Noah, born March 27, 1790; William, born March 9, 1795; and Joanna, born December 13, 1800. Religiously, Benjamin Lyon was a Baptist, and was very strong in the faith. He died in 1836, at the age of eighty-four, and was buried on the Thomas Smith farm, two miles from Waynesburg, Pennsylvania.
William Lyon (grandfather of O. F. Lyon) was born March 9, 1795, in Nottingham township, Washington Co., Penn. He was married September 7, 1816, to Elizabeth Hathaway, who bore him eight children, viz.: Morgan Lyon, born July 17, 1817; Thomas Harvey (residing at Linden, Washington Co., Penn.), born September 4, 1819; Harrison (deceased), born December 24, 1821; Jackson (deceased), born October 17, 1824; Louisa (Mrs. Homer, deceased), born May 27, 1827; Richmond (deceased), born January 28, 1829; Perren (residing at Orange, Cal.), born May 10, 1832; and William Sealy (residing at Rochelle, Ill.), born February 26, 1835. He lived in Greene county for a short time, then bought a gristmill on Ten Mile creek, Washington county (now known as Lindley's Mills), which he owned and operated until 1842, when he sold out, and with his wife and children moved to Clark county, Ind., where he remained until the fall of 1844, when, on account of sickness of nearly all his family, and death of two of his sons (Harrison and Jackson), he returned to Pennsylvania and located at Beck's Mills, three miles east of Canonsburg, Washington county, where he died November 9, 1845; Elizabeth Lyon, his widow, died April 10, 1864.
Morgan Lyon (father of O. F. Lyon) was born July 17, 1817. His education was obtained at common schools, and for some time he taught school in his own neighborhood; when not teaching he worked with his father in the mill. On November 25, 1838, he was married to Clarissa Jane McVey, who bore him nine children, viz.: Oscar F. (whose name opens this sketch); Emma A. (Mrs. Samuel Bane, deceased), born September 17, 1841; Elizabeth A. (Mrs. Evans Bane, residing in Moniteau county, Mo.), born March 22, 1844; Harvey R., born September 9, 1846, was a soldier in Company K, Sixteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, war of the Rebellion (now residing in Denton, Tex.); William A., born January 13, 1849 (was a soldier in Company K, Sixteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, died at Alexandria, Va., June 1, 1864, of wounds received in action); David H., born October 1, 1851 (died in infancy); Sarah L., born March 29, 1855 (residing in Moniteau county, Mo.); Clara J. (Mrs. Hoge), born December 12, 1858 (residing in Chillicothe, Mo.), and James M. (residing in Burlington, Iowa), born January 4, 1861.
For a number of years Morgan Lyon followed droving, buying stock in Ohio and western Pennsylvania and driving it across the mountains to the Eastern cities. In 1862 he opened a store of general merchandise at Lone Pine, Penn., and at the same time and place owned and operated a coal mine. Here he continued in business (which proved to be very profitable) until 1869, when he sold out and moved to Moniteau county, Mo. and purchased the farm upon which he lived until his death. Politically, he was a Whig, and after the organization of the party he became a Republican, being always interested in public affairs, and intensely loyal. He was especially earnest in promoting the welfare of the public schools, was a great reader, well posted on the general topics of his time. He was always an earnest believer in the Christian religion, and died strong in the faith, January 29, 1891.
Clarissa Jane Lyon (mother of O. F. Lyon) was born May 20, 1820, a daughter of Stephen and Amy McVey, who were of Scotch-Irish origin, and whose ancestors were among the early settlers of western Pennsylvania. Mrs. Lyon had four brothers and three sisters, viz.: Silas (deceased) Harvey (residing at Washington, Penn.), Franklin, a carpenter (deceased), Charles (a soldier in the Sixteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, war of the Rebellion), Sarah Waddell (residing at Millsboro, Penn.), Ann Vorhees (deceased), and Amy, living at West Union, Penn. Mrs. Lyon was always a consistent, Christian woman, a devoted wife and mother. Forgetting self, she lived and toiled solely for the good of her family and those around her. She and her husband were formerly members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, but in later years both united with the Christian Church. She is still living on her farm (left by her husband) in Moniteau county, Mo.
O. F. Lyon, eldest son of Morgan and C. J. Lyon, was born December 1, 1839, in Morris township, Washington Co., Penn. At the age of two years he went with his parents to Indiana, returning with them to Pennsylvania when he was about five years old, and settling in North Strabane township, Washington county. Here he remained going to school in the winter time, and working on the farm in summer. At the age of seventeen he learned the carpenter's trade, which he followed until the opening of the war of the Rebellion, when he enlisted, September 16, 1861, in the first three- years' call, in Company A, Eighty-fifth P. V. I., serving until November 22, 1864. He was with Gen. McClellan in the Peninsular campaign of 1862; with Gen. Foster's expedition from Newberne, N. C. via Atlantic Ocean to Hilton Head, S. C., January, 1863; with Gen. Gilmore, in the Department of the South, during 1863; with Gen. Butler, around Petersburg and Richmond, Va., in 1864. He participated in the siege of Yorktown, battles of Williamsburg, Savage Station, Fair Oaks and Black Water Va., siege of Morris Island, and Fort Wagner, S. C., sometimes called the Sixty-one-days' fight; White Marsh Island, Ga.; Bermuda Hundred, Ware Church, Appomattox, Strawberry Plain, Deep Bottom, Chapin Farm, Va., and others. At Fair Oaks his life was saved by his belt clasp, which was struck and broken through by an ounce minie ball. After his return from the war Mr. Lyon entered the store of his father, and on February 18, 1866, was united in marriage with Catharine Ferrel. The following children have been born to them: Jennie C., born May 26, 1867 (educated at Oberlin, Ohio, and now teacher of music at Braddock, Penn.); Emma A., born August 17, 1869 (graduated at Bethany College (W. Va.), and is now missionary in Nankin, China, under the control of the Foreign Missionary Society of the Christian Church); Ella L., born June 7, 1872 (graduate of the Washington Business College and teacher of stenography and typewriting); William M., born October 20, 1874, and Sherman L., born December 12, 1883, both students.
Soon after his marriage Mr. Lyon engaged in farming and stock-raising, and in 1872 purchased the farm upon which he has since lived. He is an active Republican, and has served two terms as justice of the peace in Amwell township. He and his family have for many years been members of the Christian Church, and are prominent in the community.
Text taken from page 254 of:
Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893).Transcribed June 1997 by Neil and Marilyn Morton of Oswego, IL as part of the Beers Project.
Published June 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.[ [Back to Beers Table of Contents] [Back to Beers Project Page]