ZENAS PIERCE, who for twelve years has served as justice of the peace at Pleasant Hill, is one of the substantial as well as representative men of this section, owning two improved town properties and an excellent farm of forty-six acres situated in Newton Township. He was born in Union Township, Miami County, Ohio, April 17, 1834, and is a son of Samuel and Millie (Iddings) Pierce.

Samuel Pierce was born in Pennsylvania, October 15, 1785, and lived to be seventy-eight years of age. His parents took him to Virginia when eight years old and when nineteen he came to Ohio and located in Miami County, building the third log cabin that was erected in West Milton. He was a carpenter and wagonmaker by trade. Although he acquired many farms he did little actual farm work after clearing up his first property, finding profitable employment for his time in work at his trade and also in dealing in farm lands and in stock. He had fourteen farms at one time and to each of his twelve children he gave a good property. He was a Republican in politics and served for two terms as county commissioner. On May 3, 1810, he married Millie Iddings and they had the following children: Ruth, Margaret, Malinda, Gainer A., Almira, Samuel, William, Hannah, Mary, John, Clarkson, Zenas and Benjamin, the last mentioned of whom died an infant.

Zenas Pierce attended the district school in Union Township nearest his home and then worked on the farm for his father until he reached his majority and then went to farming for himself in the same neighborhood and remained on the farm until he was about forty-five years old and then conducted a hardware store at Bradford for seven years, after which he moved his store to Pleasant Hill. He soon took so active an interest in the public affairs of the place that he was elected a member of the town council and subsequently justice of the peace, in which office he has served his fellow citizens to their entire satisfaction, dispensing justice impartially and according to legal procedure. He has been a zealous Republican ever since he cast his vote for John C. Fremont for President of the United States.

Mr. Pierce was married (first) September 6, 1864, to Elizabeth McCormick, who died May 2, 1880. Her parents were Jacob and Hannah (Hiatt) McCormick, the latter being a daughter of William and Elizabeth Hiatt. The children of Jacob McCormick and wife were: Amy, Sylvanus, Lacy, Nancy, Eliza, Robert, Elizabeth, Rohanna, Aaron, Lewis, Hannah, Jennie, Margaret and William. Jacob McCormick resided on his farm of 160 acres in Franklin County, Indiana, and also owned eighty acres in Stark County. He died in February, 1871, and his burial was at Marion, Indiana. In politics he was a Republican. He was a member of the United Brethren Church. Mr. Pierce was married (second) September 27, 1880 to Hannah Jennie McCormick, a sister to his first wife. He has seven children, all born to the first union: Clarkson, John, Hannah, Samuel, Abraham S., Zenas and Roland N.

For a period of thirty-five years, Mr. Pierce has been a member of the lodge of Odd Fellows at Pleasant Hill, in which he has passed all the chairs. He is also a charter member of the local Grange. His religious connection is with the Society of Friends, in Union Township.