CHEADLE, Gilman

GILMAN CHEADLE, died December 17th 1891 in his 85 year. He was born in Morgan County, Ohio March 10, 1807. His parents came from Vermont a few years prior to his birth and were of English descent.
He was left an orphan at an early age, dependent on his own exertions. This rough struggle with adverse circumstances, left its impression on his character. While developing the aggressive persistent combative elements to struggle successfully with the world, the more noble and finer sentiments of the mind and heart suffered irreparable loss. Nevertheless his life was brightened by many deeds of benevolence, and needing hands stretched out were not passed by unheeded. He married at the age of 21 years after which he engaged in running a flat boat on the Muskingum and Ohio rivers. Where in a few years by active industry and close application to business, combined with economy, he had saved several hundred dollars, with which, with his young wife and children, he started in the fall of 1834 for the North West country. Winter coming on he stopped in Marion Ohio till spring when he again pushed on to the Maumee.
He put up long enough in Perrysburg to go to Wapakoneta to the U.S. Land office, where he entered 440 acres of land, which he had never seen, and in what is now Fulton County.

Here, his life work commenced in earnest. Enduring hardships of which we know very little, but with which all pioneers endured uncomplainingly, born up by the hope of finally seeing their work crowned with success. Here he cleared up a large farm in that dense forest known as the “Six Mile Woods,” mainly by the strength of his own good right arm. He made a comfortable home for wife and little ones. The orchard which he planted have furnished fruit for children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, and the maple groves still remains that have furnished sweet for all.

Here perhaps his happiest days were past, watching the development of his children and the improvement of the country. In after years, he added to his already large farm so that he was enabled to give to each his six remaining children, (three having died in infancy, and one in early manhood) 80 acres of land.

In the winter of 1871, he removed to Wauseon which became his permanent home and the remainder of his property he invested in real estate in that place. He was rather unfortunate in his last few business transactions but left ample means to satisfy every legal claim and a competency for his aged widow.
In 1828 he married Susannah Rockey Feller who patiently labored by his side, for over sixty years, enduring privations, encouraging him with her sympathy and rejoicing in his successes.
She is now tenderly cared for by her daughter Mrs. R.S. Sharpe on what was part of their original farm.