Another pioneer of Miami county and Springcreek township passed away in John
Dilbone who died Sunday at 3 pm. after two weeks illness from kidney troubles.
The deceased was born in Pennsylvania Nov. 15th, 1806 and came to Miami county
and settled on the old homestead five miles north east of Piqua with his parents
the following year. On August 18th, 1813, John Dilbone, then but seven years of
age, saw his mother tomahawked and his father mortally wounded by an Indian. The
parents after dinner went to a field of flax which was in the south east corner
of a cornfield. John took care of his brother then but 7 months old, and two
sisters. Toward evening the parents were aroused from their work by the sharp
bark of a young dog, and upon looking up, a shot was fired from the corn on the
north by an Indian, who dropped his gun and rushed forward with knives and
tomahawk to complete his dastardly deed. The father, though pierced by a bullet,
escaped to the woods on the south, the mother ran into the corn on the west, but
was overtaken, tomahawked and scalped. The Indian then began his search for the
children who were sitting in the shadow of a walnut stump, but at this juncture
the report of a gun was heard not far from the field, and the red devil fled,
not even picking up his gun.
John accompanied William McKinney to search for his parents. They found the
mother dead. On the following day a searching party was organized and the father
was found, but he died on the 20th. He was found living between two small oaks
on which his name was afterwards carved. The children were taken to a kind of a
block house near where their grandfather Millhouse lived. In 1826 John
Dilbone was married to Pamelia Denman and moved on to the farm entered by his
father, and there he has ever continued to reside. He was well known in this
city, both on account of the history connected with his life as well as for his
own character.
The remains will be taken tomorrow at 11 o'clock to Fletcher for interment.