Rev. Henry H. Witter
In 1640, William Witter crossed the Atlantic, a fugitive from England, his native country, because of his religious belief. He was a Baptist, and settled in Lynn, Massachusetts. June 15, 1651, Obadiah Holmes, Robert Crandall, and John Clark, held a religious meeting at the house of William Witter, and were arrested by the authorities from Boston, who were prosecuting the Baptists when opportunity offered. Crandall and Clark were released, but Holmes was whipped, receiving thirty-nine lashes, and fastened to a cow, which was driven through the Boston Commons. Witter was not arrested; but being advanced in years, died soon after.
Our subject is a lineal descendant of the Witter above mentioned. His father, Elijah, was born in the State of New York, in 1807, and his mother. Amy Ann Ballon, in Rhode Island, in 1811. Her parents were fugitives from France, because of their political proclivities. There were ten children of this family, seven sons and three daughters, of which seven are living. The parents and children are members of the Baptist Church.
Mr, Witter was born December 31, 1836, in Madison County, Ohio; lived there till fourteen years of age, then removed with his parents to Union County, this state. At the age of nineteen, he entered Granville College, and began preaching at the age of twenty-one. His license to preach was issued when in his twenty-second year. With the exception of four years, spent on the farm after leaving school, he has been a minister in the Baptist Church ever since. His ministerial career opened at Milford Center, where he remained two years, then removed to Prospect, Marion County, and after laboring four years, removed to New Vienna, Clinton County, and at the close of five years (in 1878) came here. His labors have been crowned with success.
He is a radical temperance advocate, and has been a faithful worker in the cause. He has held two public religious discussions; one with Rev. R. G. Galbraith, Presbyterian minister at Frankfort, Ohio, the other with Armanus Hixon, German Baptist, at Fairview, in this township. He has also discussed, through the secular press.
March 4, 1862, he was married to Sarah Ann, daughter of Wilson Reed, of Milford Center, the union being blessed by five children: Otis Lincoln, Minnie, an infant, Elijah, and DeGrace; one died in infancy, and Elijah when about eleven years of age. His son Otis is attending Granville College, and his daughter is a student in the Female Seminary at the same place.
From R. S. Dills' History of Fayette County