Stillwater Valley Gazette

February 15, 1872

KENSINGER, JOHN - Departed this life, at 5 o'clock A. M., February 7, 1872, Mr. John Kensinger, at the aged of 75 years and 4 months. The deceased was well known throughout the counties of Montgomery, Miami, Darke, Shelby, Mercer, and many other counties of the northwestern part of Ohio, by nearly all the early settlers of this part of the State. He came to the Miami Valley as early as 1808, and has been a citizen of Miami County since 1812. In the year 1813, although but a youth in years, he enlisted as frontier guardsman, and during the years 1813 and 1814, with his pioneer comrades, spent many days and many sleepless nights, hovering near the Indian towns on the head waters of Greenville Creek, Stillwater and Miami Rivers, watching for indications of hostile intentions on the part of the red men of the forest, when such were discovered. Messengers were hastily sent to the settlements with the warning, when women and children were gathered into Fort Rowdy, situated on the present site of our town of Covington, Fort Williams, near the present site of Pleasant Hill, Miami County, Ohio, Fort Laramie, and Studebaker's Blockhouse. After which the brave pioneers shouldered their trusty rifles, hastily filled their haversacks with Johnny cakes and jerked venison, and shied quickly to the trackless forest to repel the incursions of the foe, protect the growing crops and stock belonging to the settlers. Mr. Kensinger assisted in opening roads, and guarding trains, hauling provisions to the army, during the Treaty of Greenville. Subsequently, he assisted in the survey of lands, the location of roads, and erection of mills and dwellings, the establishing of schools, etc. In short, he was an active, intelligent and useful citizen in every department of life; a man of sanguine temperament, strong convictions, in whose mind a love of country was paramount to all other earthly consideration, a kind father, a good neighbor, a firm believer in the divinity of Christ, and rested his hopes of heaven upon the propitiation made by the shedding of the Savior's blood for the sins of the world.

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