Jonathan Behymer emigrated from Holland to Jamestown Virginia early in the 17th century. He was born in Holland on the river Sheltd must have been prominent people of importance living near Groningen Fort where the military school is now. Pompelius was military Governor of Holland at that time. Jonathan Behymer moved from Jamestown to Botetourt County 23 miles south from Fincastle the county seat of Boutetourt County. Made a home there in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains made mills on the tributary streams of the James River. He was a good millwright and learned all his sons to build mills. Here in this home Jonathan was a Dutch scholler.

Here in this new home my father Samuel Behymer was born in 1763 and Jacob, Nathaniel, David, and Anna were brothers and sister of my father. And Martin and Joel and Solomon were Father's half brothers. And lived in and near the Blue Ridge Mountains until 1801. Then Father exchanged his little farm and mill to a neighbor Colonel Lucas for 2004 acres of wild land never had white man struck an ax in it yet. His new land is 16 miles above Cincinnati in Clermont County on the Ohio River. Cincinnati was a small town then. Father was of the very first settlers of Clermont County. Father, Jacob, and Nathaniel with their families emigrated to this new Western Territory with their young families each one moving in two horse wagons to make their new homes in Clermont County. Starting from the Old Virginia Home in the springtime they in part made their roads and bridges many small streams on the way to the new home arriving in the fall. Commenced making their cabins and clearing away the dense forest for farms. The brothers now developed the land - Father's share was 858 acres part bottom and part hill land. Father first built a sawmill and afterward a gristmill and done sawing for the settlers who were coming in rapidly and settling up the County; Father furnishing lumber for their new homes.

Samuel Behymer was a large man 6 feet high straight as an Indian, weighed 200 lb.. Good complexion, black hair and eyes, and a wonderful strong man and good millwright, and built many mills in Virginia, on the Licking River, in Kentucky, and Ohio. The first home made in Ohio was a hewn log house. And in 1829, built the stone house on opposite page. Containing four rooms, and a kitchen on rear north east corner. Jesse Geers did the carpenter work, and John Chiver did the stone work, and will last for centuries. The lumber for the home was sawed on the mill, and doors and windows and floors all planed by hand, and the shingles for roof all raised and shaved from timber on the farm.

Samuel Behymer was born in 1763 in Botetourt County Virginia, and married Catherine Logan. William, John, Anna, Jane and Katherine were children from this union. Emigrated from Virginia to Clermont Ohio in 1801. Bought 2004 acres wild forest land, from Colonel Lucas before starting west - after arriving late in fall of year. Built a log house, built saw and grist mill on Ten Mile Creek, a stream running through middle of farm.

Father's second wife, my mother Mary Parvin, was born in Trenton, New Jersey, and to this union was born Samuel, Lewis, James P., John R., Findley, Aaron S., Henry.

Samuel Behymer was born in Botetourt Co., VA in 1763 - South of Fincastle (12 miles) the county seat and was educated in the Dutch schools and married Catherine Logan. William, John, Anna, Jane and Elizabeth were the children of this union. Father emigrated from the old Virginia house in 1801, to the new home in Clermont Co.,Ohio. Bought 2004 acres of wild forest land of Col. Lucas before starting west - after arriving late in fall of year built a log house, built saw and grist mill on Ten Mile Creek, a stream running through middle of farm. Father's second wife, my mother - Mary Parvin, was born near Trenton, N.Y. (N.J. ?) and to this union were born Samuel, Lewis, James, Riley, Findley, Aaron, Henry.

Samuel Behymer's parents were emigrants to Virginia from the River Sheldt, Holland in and about the year 1750 and were people of great importance and prominent in their community, living near where the Gronegen Fort - where the military fort now stands and the training school is now kept by the authorities of Holland. At the time of their emigrating was governed and trained and kept by Pompelcy, then Military Governor of Holland. Samuel Behymer father's name was Jonathan and landed in Virginia about 1750 and first settled near Jamestown, VA - moved from Jamestown to Boutetourt Co., made mills and a beautiful home in beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains - the mills were on tributary streams of the James River. He was a good millwright and learned all his sons to build all kinds of water power mill and they built many mills for other parties living in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Here in this new home my father {Samuel} was born in 1763 and Jacob, Nathaniel, Joseph (later changed to John), Enos and David and Anna - all moved to Ohio except David and Anna - who always remained in the old Virginia home. In 1801 Father exchanged and sold his Virginia farm and Mill to a neighbor - Col. Lucas, who was a soldier in the Revolutionary War and had received wild land from the government for pay for his services. And this new land and forest no white man had ever struck an ax in it yet, 16 miles above Cincinnati. Father, Jacob, and Nathaniel and their wives all emigrated to this new home, starting in early spring, each having a span of horses and wagons each, came together to this new home in part making roads and bridging the streams through the wild woods and late in fall, they safely arrived at the end of the long journey, ready to commence life where Dan'l Boone and Simon Kenton blazed the way with gun and courage in the new territory. And the three brothers now divided the land - Father took 878 acres on Lower Ten Mile Creek, Nathaniel taking his part on Upper Ten Mile and Jacob took the Locust Corner of Past Pleasant Hill. Part of this land was heavily timbered giant poplars, oak, ash, walnut, hickory, beech and charming sugar trees which were held in high esteem and tapped and in early springtime the roar of the fire and furnace could be seen away into the night and the mothers had pancakes and hot biscuits and sugar tree molasses that beat the band. Oh the charming tough lumps and the fined grained sugar and big sweet stir off we had and golden taffy parties - Oh twas a sweet coming together those days - we young folks had a grand and charming time - we were brim full of life and vim and the whole country teemed with a new life - life was sweet and our coming together was earnest and real.

Jacob Behymer's family {Brother to Samuel}

John, Daniel, Adam, Elias and Solomon were all earnest thrifty farmers. Solomon was a fine blacksmith and now living near Griggsville, Ill. - for a long time has farmed {?} {2 children by first wife Anna Magdalene(?), John married Jane Meeker; Sarah (Sallie) married Joseph Windsor} {by second wife Disdema (Manning) Bonny married 1817} Nathaniel Behymer's family {Brother to Samuel} Dr. Thomas Behymer, Lewis, Daniel, Simeon, Nancy and Nathaniel. Daniel and Simeon were very fine carpenters and contractors in Cincinnati, moving to Indianapolis and made beautiful homes there and raised fine educated families - many of their children were teachers and educators in the city schools. Nathaniel (Sr.) was a good millwright and made a saw and grist mill on south fork of Upper Ten Mile. Opposite the brick house where Joseph Windsor lived, and his home was where the turnpike makes the curve leaving the creek ascending John Donham's hill - and he was a very good Dutch and English Scholler and often when I was a lad I remember of him come often to our house and Father and him would read and translate from the Dutch bibles and tell us the meaning in English. I remember these three brothers very well - they were 6 feet high straight as an Indian and clever clear clean conscientious good citizens. John (corrected from Joseph) Behymer's family{Joseph B. married Christina Lazenna and lived in Illinois - his daughter married Christian Custard} John Behymer lived south of Esquire Wagners old mill just across the creek and farmed and cleared away the forest and made a new home. One daughter married Esq. Chapman Archer - one married Christian Custard - one married Thomas Littleton and in the year 1812 he died and just north of Esq. Wagners Old Mill half way up the hill in the green blue grass pasture, and sloping toward the south, overlooking his old home, he is sleeping, and his tombstone is marked John Behymer. Died 1812.

Enos Behymer {Enoch?}

Lived only a short time in Clermont Co. moved west. I learned that one of his descendants is living in St. Louis and working on the staff of the Globe Democrat. {Francis Albert Behymer also worked for St. Louis Post Dispatch, starting in 1888 and still there in April 1946}

Michael Behymer {Son of Joel}

Was married November 5, 1835 to Mary Ann Archer, daughter of Esq. Chapman Archer and Sophia Behymer-moved to farm the following spring and was a very prominent farmer, a good M.E. Church member a friend to church and schools and a fine citizen. Ch: Cassie married John Woodlief, of Batavia. George to Belle Riley, Flora to Jasper Tone, Bennet to Mip Nash, and Edgar. I remember when a lad I used to help Mike and Ann in harvest and help thrash the grain and they had the very best in the neighborhood and they were a very live pair and abreast of the times in every way in their well managed home they were truly a success.

My Father Samuel, Nathaniel and Joseph (changed to John) were all very fine mechanics and millwrights and could make mill wheels of great speed and power - and each made mills on Ten Mile Creek and father made mills for Gen'rl Jim Taylor on the Licking River, Ky. And while visiting the Behymers at Morning View, 30 miles southeast of Cincinnati. I was there shown the old mill sight and down the deep well where father drinking a century ago - and the wild deer and bear and wild turkeys were very plentiful and father was a sure shot and many a tale he told of his success killing wild game in sunny hills of Ohio and Kentucky. And while at Morning View my relatives planned to take me to a mill on Bear Grass Creek which father built for Joseph Cox still grinding 8 months of the year, but it was a rainy day and I was prevented from the pleasures of seeing the mill.

Joel, Solomon {Samuel's brothers} and Martin {nephew to Joel and Solomon} were brothers. Solomon lived in the northern part of Pierce Township and was a farmer. Daniel, Joseph and Samuel were children of Solomon. That I remember when I was a lad - they were grown men as I remember then - Dan'l and Joseph were feeble in intellect and made there home among strangers, changing places very frequent. When Joel, Solomon {Samuel's brothers} and Martin emigrated from Virginia Joel secured the farm he always resided on. Solomon his home in Northern Pierce. Martin chose Ten Mile Creek, Ky. Of his family I remember Thomas, Leroy and Sarah - Leroy was a strong man - perhaps the strongest of all Behymers. At the fairs in Kentucky he was by odds the greatest lifter on the scales - none at the fairs could register his lifting powers - their capacity would not be great enough to register his lifting powers. Oliver Behymer, living at Morning View, Ky was the finest all around specimen of manhood I have ever known. I have known him to crib 100 bushels of corn in one day. I have known him to cut, split and cord 3 cords of wood in one day - could out-run in footrace every one at the muster and hop and jumping he was a clipper and at the great woodchopping he was a champion - at the shooting matches he won 15 turkies of the 16 put up and his brother Freeman won it. Also and everafter they ruled him off the shooting board - with the sickle, the scythe, the cradle he was the smartest of all - he had the courage to dare to do and excel in all things. And I remember the Amelia lode and Withamsville lodges made a proposition to have a day to hunt game rabbit and quail and the lodge that killed the least pay for all and Oliver Behymer belonged to Amelia lodge - and on the great hunting day Oliver killed more game than all Withamsville lodge. As a fisherman too he is a great success - in 24 hours he caught and afterwards sold in Cincinnati market $30.00 fish with hooks and trot lines near New Richmond. Now 83 years of age and yet hale and active and a very garry specimen of manly manhood. I loved him as a dear brother.

{Oliver and Freeman were sons of William, grandsons of Samuel}

The old Behymers were ardent believers in a great and good God - a kind Heavenly Father. The names of their children teach us this. All the men folk names are Bible names - Joel, Samuel, Jacob, Nathaniel, Daniel, Joseph, John, Simeon, Aaron, David, Enoch, Thomas, Benjamin, Michael, Solomon, Luke and Mark - all bible names.

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