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WILLIAM DILBONE, farmer; P. 0. Piqua; was born in Spring Creek Township Feb. 1, 1837, and is a son of John and
Pamelia Dilbone, and a grandson of Henry and Barbara (Milhouse) Dilbone. John was born Nov. 25, 1806, and came
with his father and mother to this county in 1807; they were subsequently the parents of four children - John.
Margaret. Priscilla and William; the last named was only in his 7th month when their parents were massacred by
an Indian, Aug. 18, 1813; after dinner, Mr. Dilbone went up to the spring some distance northeast of the house,
to get some water to take to the flax patch southeast of the house, where his wife and children were to meet him;
John took care of the rest of the children while his father and mother were engaged in pulling flax in the southeast
corner of a cornfield; toward evening they were aroused by the sharp bark of a young dog, and, on looking up, a
shot was fired from the corn on the north by an Indian, who dropped his gun and rushed forward with knives and
tomahawk to complete his villainous deed; the father though pierced through by the shot, escaped to the woods on
the south; the mother ran into the corn on the west, but was overtaken and tomahawk and scalped; the Indian then
came near the children, who were sitting in the shade of a walnut stump, but, at this juncture the report of a
gun was heard at no great distance to the southeast. and the red villain fled, not even stopping to get his gun.
The second child, Margaret had been sent home on some errand, and was just returning, when she met her brothers
and sister on their way to the house; on reaching homed, they met Mrs. Winans to whom they related what they had
seen and heard and what they supposed had happened to their parents. This lady then informed a neighbor. William
McKinney, who came and had John go with him to see what might be the fate of his father and mother. They found
her dead body lying in the corn. The neighbors in wild excitement collected together late in the evening and went
with the children to a place near Troy where they stayed for a short time till all became quiet again. The next
day a party of men went in search of Mr. Dilbone, who was still alive. but died Aug. 20. He was found lying between
two small oaks on which Iris name was afterward carved. One of the trees having died was recently cut down. the
other is still green and has long since overgrown the name. After this sad affair, the children were taken to a
kind of block house near where their grandfather Millhouse lived. In this neighborhood, John stayed until some
time in 1826, he married Pamnelia Denman and moved on the farm entered by his father. Here our subject was born
and raised and still resides, owning 6 1/3 acres of the old farm besides 70 acres in Sec. 2. On the 24th of January.
1858. he married Alvira Balzell, who was born in Mercer Co. in 1840, and left an orphan quite young, when she was
brought to Miami Co.; for some years previous to her marriage, she supported herself by weeks' work; she was an
exemplary and happy wife until her health declined. In April, 1875, while at church, she was attacked with a faintness
and was never able to sit up a whole day at a time until death called her to that land whence no traveler returns;
the last six weeks of her life she suffered unspeakably, not being able to turn in bed without assistance; not
withstanding, she bore her afflictions with meekness and patience. departing this life Dec. 21, 1875 a consistent
member of the Christian Church. She was the mother of seven children, leaving four to the care of her husband -
Mary E., born Aug. 30, 1858, now Mrs. Leckey; Joseph F., April 14, 1861, who met his death by the accidental discharge
of a gun while hunting on the day of his sisters wedding, Jan. 16, 1878; Emma A., Sept. 8, 1863, and Elmer A.,
May 17, 1870. Since her sister's marriage, Emma has been her father's only help.
From:
History of Miami County, Ohio
Published by: W. H. Beers and Co.
Chicago 1880
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