ton was the Jailor about the year 1811, and was at the same time on 

 the jail bounds for a surety debt, and was therefore his own Jailor; 

 but violated neither his duty nor the obligations of his bond. 



He took part in the war of 1812. Joined the army uf Gen. Harri- 

 son and was at the battle of the Moravian towns, where though now an 

 old man, he displayed his usual courage and intrepidity. His skill 

 and courage and knowledge of the Indian character were of great 

 value throughout that contest. He gave his youth, his manhood and 

 his old age to the service of his country. One who knew him and his 

 history well, says "that after he joined the adventurers in Kentucky, 

 about 2 or 3 years before the declaration of American Independence, 

 he was engaged in all the battles and skirmishes between the white 

 inhabitants and the savages." He was also an intrepid leader in most 

 of the expeditions against the Indian towns northwest of the Ohio. 

 Those conflicts continued during the long period of twenty years. He 

 was one of the Judges at the first municipal election held in this 

 town, that first election being in 1816, and he, Anthony Patrick and 

 George Hite, being the Judges. Congress assisted him in his old age 

 by making a generous provision for him. If ever soldier- — if ever 

 great and distinguished service to one's country might deserve it, 

 surely Simon Kenton deserved of the people of Ohio some memorial 

 testifying their appreciation of his services and their reverence for his 

 memory, but so far no token or monument marks the place of his 

 burial — he lies 



"Unhouored and unsung." 



William Owens is supposed to have been the first settler in the 

 county. In the year 1797 he settled on what was afterwards known 

 as Owens creek, about two miles below where Westville now stands. 

 Most of his fiirm was that on which the late Henry Blose lived. 

 Pierre Dugan, a Canadian Frenchman, some time prior to the year 1800, 

 settled at the head of the prairie east of Urbana, which took its name 

 from him and is known as the Dugan prairie. Some question is raised 

 as to whether he or William Owens was the first settler. His log 

 cabin stood somewhere not far from the homestead of James Long, 

 deceased. Captain Abner Barrett settled on- the head waters of Buck 

 creek, about six miles east of Urbana. John Runyon, John LafFerty, 

 Jacob Minturn and Justis Jones settled near and south of where 

 Texas bow is, and not long after Henry and Jacob Van Meter. 



