Wilson Compton
This gentleman bears the distinction of owning and occupying the highest point of land in Spring Valley Township, Greene County. He is recognized as one of its leading farmers, and has spent his entire life within its limits, having been born at his father’s old homestead, September 7, 1841. The place lies a little over a mile east of Spring Valley, and forms one of the old landmarks which was built up from the wilderness by one of the earliest pioneers of this region. The family has been long and favorably known in this county, and has contributed its full quota toward its growth and development.
The subject of this notice is the son of Henry and Catherine (Mock) Compton. Henry Compton was born about 1798, in North Carolina. In 1804 he came with his parents to Greene County, the journey being made overland with a wagon, and young Compton traveled on foot a large portion of the way. The family settled near New Burlington-a half mile northwest of the place—and after his marriage Henry Compton and his young wife located a half-mile further West. A few years later they moved to the one hundred-acre farm where their son Wilson was born. The father proceeded with the improvement and cultivation of his land, clearing the timber and adding thereto until he became the owner of two hundred and two acres, and gave each of his children a farm. The father of our subject in his early manhood belonged to the old Whig party, and after its abandonment identified himself with the Republicans. He, however, never aspired to office, being content to live the life of a private citizen. He was first married to Miss Mary Horner, by whom he became the father of three sons—Stephen, the first-born, died in Fayette County, where in company with his brother he purchased a large tract of land, they finally owning two hundred acres each; Ezra is now a resident of Fayette County, this State; the third son was Martin, who resides in the vicinity of Earlham, Iowa. His second wife was Catherine Mock, who was born December 29, 1810, on a farm adjoining that where her husband lived. She was the daughter of John and Mary (Horney) Mock, and of this union there were born three sons and one daughter, viz: Eber, Amos M.; Cynthia, now the widow of James H. Daugherty, of Xenia, and who was a manufacturer of Linseed oil; and our subject. Henry Compton departed this life November 20, 1879, at the old homestead in Spring Valley Township. He was the son of Stephen and Dinah (Millhouse) Compton, who were natives of North Carolina. Grandfather Compton was a farmer, and came to this State in 1801, securing three hundred acres of land in Spring Valley Township, Greene County. He was a Whig, politically, and lived to be over eighty years old. His wife was of Scotch and Irish extraction.
The subject of this notice was reared a farmer’s boy and attended the district school, remaining under the parental roof until removing to the farm which he now owns and occupies, this removal being made in November, 1889. He is owner of the homestead and takes care of his mother. In politics, he is a sound Republican, and in 1889 was elected real-estate appraiser of Spring Valley Township. He was married January 10, 1867, to Miss Rachael A. Gaddis. This lady was born near Harveysburg, Warren County, this State, July 8, 1844, and is the daughter of Allen and Rachael A. (Mershon) Gaddis, who were natives respectively of Pennsylvania and Kentucky. The mother died about 1845, leaving two sons and a daughter—George, William and Rachael. Mr. Gaddis was subsequently married and removed to Decatur, Ill., where he died November 8, 1865. Mr. and Mrs. Compton are the parents of two children—Rosa G. and Birdie. They are members in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
The mother of our subject departed this life at his home, April 6, 1890.
From Portrait and Biographical Album of Clark and Greene Counties, Chapman Bros., Chicago, published 1890
The late Wilson Compton, who died at his home in Spring Valley in November, 1912, and whose widow is still living there, was born on a farm about a mile and a quarter northeast of the village of Spring Valley on September 7, 1841, son of Henry and Catherine (Mock) Compton, both members of pioneer families in this county.
Henry Compton was born in North Carolina in 1798 and was but seven years of age when he came to Ohio with his parents, Stephen and Dinah (Millhouse) Compton, Quakers, who drove through and settled on a tract of land about where now stands the mill at New Burlington, where they established their home. It was amid that pioneer environment that Henry Compton grew to manhood. He received his schooling in the neighborhood schools and for some years after his marriage continued to make his home on his father's land and then bought a tract of one hundred acres a half mile west of that place, to which he later added until he became the owner there of more than two hundred acres. He had other farm holdings in this county, his land here aggregating about four hundred and seventy-five acres, besides which he was the owner of six hundred acres in the neighboring county of Fayette. He spent his last days on his farm, his death occurring there on November 20, 1880, he then being eighty-two years of age. Henry Compton was twice married. His first wife was Mary Horner, member of one of the pioneer families of this county. To that union were born three sons, Stephen and Ezra, who estabhshed themselves over in Fayette county, and Martin, who moved to Iowa. Following the death of the mother of these sons Henry Compton married Catherine Mock, who was born on the farm adjoining that on which her husband lived, December 29, 1810, daughter of John and Mary (Horney) Mock, and to that union were born three sons and one daughter, Eber, Amos M. and Wilson, who became Greene county farmers, and Cynthia, who married James Dougherty, a Xenia manufacturer. The mother of these children survived her husband about ten years, her death occurring on April 6, 1890. Her father, John Mock, came to this county from North Carolina in 1804, served as a soldier of the War of 1812, moved over into Fayette county in 1853 and there died in 1862.
Wilson Compton was reared on the home farm in the vicinity of Spring Valley and in the schools of that village received his schooling. As the youngest son he remained at home and gradually assumed the management of his father's farming interests on the home place, making his home there after his marriage in 1867. After his father's death he inherited the homestead place of something more than two hundred acres and continued to reside there until in 1889, in the fall of which year he bought "Oakhill," the highest point of land in Spring Valley township, and there resided until his retirement and removal to the village of Spring Valley, where he built a house and spent his last days and where his widow continues to make her home. In addition to his farm "Oakhill," a little more than a mile east of Spring Valley, Mr. Compton retained possession of the old home place in the neighborhood. He was a Republican and in 1890 served as real-estate appraiser for the township of Spring Valley.
On January 10, 1867, Wilson Compton was united in marriage to Rachel A. Gaddis, who was born in the vicinity of the village of Harveysburg, in the neighboring county of Warren, July 8, 1844, daughter of Allan and Rachel Ann (Mershon) Gaddis, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Kentucky, who had come to tliis state with their respective parents in the days of their youth and who were married at Kenton. Allan Gaddis was a farmer in Warren county. His first wife died in 1845, leaving two sons and a daughter, George, William and Rachel, and he later married and moved to Decatur, Illinois, where he died on November 8, 1865. To Mr. and Mrs. Compton were born two children, daughters, Rosa G. and Birdie, both of whom are still living. Rosa G. Compton married F. B. Smith, of Spring Valley, and has one child, a daughter, Rachel Smith, born on July 27, 1893, who married Lindley Marlett, of Springfield, this state, and has a daughter, Rose Marie. Birdie Compton married William Alexander, a member of the old Alexander family of this county, further mention of which is made elsewhere in this volume, and lives on the old Compton home place in Spring Valley township. She and her husband have three cliildren, Mildred, Robert E. and Virginia. Mrs. Compton is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, as was her husband.
From History of Greene County Ohio, Its People, Industries and Institutions, vol. 2. M.A.Broadstone, editor. B.F.Bowen & Co., Indianapolis. 1918