ALONZO J. FURROW

Among the native sons of Miami County is numbered Mr. Furrow, who was born in Staunton township, October 18, 1842.  His father, Jeremiah Furrow, was born in Virginia, April 15, 1804, and was a son of Adam Furrow, a native of the Old Dominion.  About 1811 his father and grandfather removed  from Virginia to Ohio making the journey with a four-horse team.  They located on the farm where our subject now resides, the grandfather entering now resides, the grandfather entering the land from the government.  In this way he secured a tract of eighty-three acres, upon which a log cabin, and later he erected a part of the house in which Mr. Furrow of this review is now living.  The tract was covered with a heavy growth of timber, and nearly all of the land in the county was in its primeval condition, awaiting the touch of civilization to transform it into valuable property which would yield its tribute to the efforts of the cultivator.  The Indians still roamed through the forests, but usually manifested a friendly spirit toward the settlers.  Adam Furrow reached the advanced age of eighty-nine years, passing away on the 30th of September, 1854.  His wife bore the maiden name of Mary Grimes, and by their marriage they became the parents of eight children, namely: Abel, David, Jacob, John, James, Jeremiah, Elijah and Elizabeth.

Jeremiah Furrow, the father of our subject, wedded Sarah Covault, who was born December 3, 1810.  Their marriage was celebrated March 26, 1828, and was blessed with twelve children, namely: Fernando, born July 22, 1829; Sylvanus, born December 22, 1830; Mary C. born December 22, 1830' Mary C., born December 6, 1832; Jane, born April 7, 1834; Martha, born September 23, 1836; Clarinda, born December 5, 1838; Angeline, born November 25, 1840; Alonzo, born October 18, 1842; Sarah, born June 23, 1845; Lavena, born August 22, 1847; Charlotte, born July 23, 1830; and Elizabeth, born in April, 1853.  The father of this family aided in building the canal and was lineman and pay-master of the canal for forty years, but continued to reside on the old homestead in Miami county.  He was a member of the Masonic fraternity and was a valued member of the Methodist Episcopal church.  He died September 5, 1890 and his wife passed away June 6, 1888.

Mr. Furrow of this review was only four years of age when his father returned to the old homestead, and here he has since lived, with the exception of the period of the war.  When the south attempted to overthrow the Union, men came from the workshops, the offices, the stores and the fields, represented every class of life, and on the 11th of August, 1862, Mr. Furrow also joined the boys in blue, becoming a private of Company A, One Hundred and Tenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry.  The first engagement in which he participated in which he participated was at Winchester, Virginia, later took part in the battles of Mine Run and the Wilderness and at the latter was captured and sent to one of the southern military prisons.  After a week spent at Danville he was transferred to the Andersonville prison, where he remained for a little more than four months when he was transferred to Florence, South Carolina, and was there paroled.  He then returned home on a twenty days' furlough, and when his time of vacation had expired he returned to Camp Chase.  He then received a thirty days' furlough, and on the 10th of June, 1865, was honorably discharged, for the war was ended and the Confederacy was overthrown.  Since that time Mr. Furrow has remained continuously on the farm, and is to-day the owner of eighty-three acres of land on section 18, Spring Creek township, where he is successfully engaged in the cultivation of the cereals best adapted to this climate.

On the 1st of February, 1866, Mr. Furrow was united in marriage to Miss Lou Riddle, a daughter of Manning Riddle.  Six children have been born of their union, namely: Edna, born March 4, 1867 and now the wife of Harry Cecil; Nellie, who was born October 12, 1869, and died January 7, 1871; Charlie, who was born June 4, 1872; Bertha P., born December 16, 1875, and died September 27, 1876; Elfie M., who was born in November 29, 1878, and is the wife of Floyd Holmes; and Harry P., who was born April 9, 1883.

Mr. Furrow votes with the Republican party and is well informed on the issues and questions of the day, both politically and otherwise.  He holds membership with Alexandria Post, G. A. R., and with his comrades of the blue recalls scenes around the old camp fires and upon the tented fields of the south.  His entire life has been passed in Miami county, and the fact that those who have known him longest are numbered among his warmest friends is an indication of an honorable career.