Stratton House Inn :: Little Home Histories, Part 04 -- Joel Bailey.
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by Leeds, Eliza Foster.

See previous entry: Little Home Histories, Part 03 -- Jesse and Asenath Patterson Bailey..

Joel Bailey was the son of Edmund and Margaret Bailey. He married Ruthanna Patterson in April 4th, 1844, and they lived south of Barnesville, Ohio. They were members of Somerset Monthly Meeting, but soon moved to a home three miles east of Barnesville, at the place now known as Quiet Side, the home of Henry and Eliza Leeds, on the Sandy Ridge road.

Their membership was transferred to Stillwater Monthly Meeting.

The house, a two story frame building was built a portion at a time on the site of the present dwelling. A kitchen was added later, which was moved from the place now occupied by William H. Sears. A well about thirty-five feet deep was dug near the house. This is still in use.

The Baileys had five children. After his wife's death in November 29th, 1856, Joel married Lydia Holloway and they had two children.

An incident during the early infancy of one of the children is still vivid in William Sear's memory. It was about 1859, when he was but a young boy, that he and his mother were calling on Lydia, who was ill in bed. While there, a severe hail storm wrought such havoc that the west windows were broken. Esther Sears picked up the tiny babe and ran to the closet and held it inside, protecting it in the half open doorway as the closet was too small to admit her.

In the following summer, a late freeze caused much damage. The "June Frost" destroyed corn that was knee high and all the wheat, clover, garden vegetables and flowers.

Joel's Blacksmith shop, which was located on the main road, was just south of the house. Here he was mostly occupied. His brother assisted in the caring for the needs of farmers and neighbors. The shop has long since been torn down.

On the terrace in back of the house, stood the old sorghum mill which was often running night as well as day. When a lad, William Sears remembers hauling the cane from a distant hill with two yoke of oxen and bringing it to Joel's mill.

Joel Bailey and his family travelled the two miles to Stillwater Meeting twice a week, driving his horses over the poor roads.

He passed away at his home in 1876.

Source: Written by Eliza Foster Leeds, Barnesville, Ohio (Not a relative)

See next entry: Little Home Histories, Part 05 -- Lindley Patterson and Elizabeth (Stanton) Bailey.

For the table of contents and first entry in this series, please see: Little Home Histories, Part 01 -- Table of Contents and Introduction.


This entry is adapted from Little Home Histories in Our Early Homes, Belmont County, Ohio, which was published in 1942. Its publication was coordinated by Robert D. and Beulah Patten McDonald. This entry has been reedited for inclusion in the Pierian Press Fulltext eBooks database, and is included on the Stratton House Inn Website by special permission. This entry is licensed for use ONLY on this Website. It may be used for educational purposes and personal pleasure under fair-use provisions via this Website. Please note that the Stratton House Inn iteration of this entry does NOT include the subject headings assigned each chapter for use in the Fulltext eBooks database.

DATABASE: Fulltext eBooks: Copyright (c) 2002 The Pierian Press, Inc. All Rights Reserved
ENTRY NUMBER: EBK30013704

 

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