Jonas VINING

  General Notes:

Bennington township Morrow County, Ohio
In 1816, Jonas Vining, Joseph Powers, Samuel Page, Joseph Horr and Peleg Sherman appeared, and began to make homes in the forest. Peleg Sherman was a wagon maker, and did not erect his shop until 1819. The others were farm ers, and all settled near Pagetown.
The following is related of Jonas Vining He had gone to the Sunbury Mills, and, being obliged to wait until late at might for his bag of flour, resolved to start for home, though the night was dark and the path obscure. It was a chilly night late in autumn, and the wind sighed mournfully through the branches of the trees, and the sudden rustling of leaves and weird creaking of the trees kept the traveler on the anxious lookout for signs of danger. The wolves began uttering their discordant notes, and, to add to the unpleasant situation, heavy thunder was heard in the distance. Mr. Vining drew his "great-coat " closely about him, and urged his horse on as fast as could be safely done through the deep woods. Finally a startling wail, ending with a peculiar, heavy tone, was heard above the rustling leaves and sighing winds, and lie knew that he was followed by a panther. He heard it bounding lightly over the leaves to "leeward," endeavoring to ascertain by scent the nature of the game it was in pursuit of. It appeared several times, but only for an instant, as it flitted through the glades of the forest. It finally veered off into the wilderness, and its screams were lost in the sounds of the gathering storm. When his jaded horse carried him into the clearing at home, which he reached in safety, it was almost daybreak.
The village of Morton's Corners, formerly known as Nimmons' Corners, and still later as Macon, was surveyed and platted by James Eaton on the 14th of April, 1838. Francis C. Olmstead, then owning quite a tract of land at that point, was the projector and proprietor, his land having been purchased of John C. Nimmons. The village was first called Olmsteadville, after its projector. Many years before the town was laid out, Jonas Vining, one of the earliest settlers, had entered the land after purchasing the land warrants of Jonathan Dayton, and had owned it until eight or ten years before the village was platted.
In 1828, Vining sold the land to Nimmons' who, eight years afterward, transferred it to Olmstead.

Children
1. Betsey VINING b: 1788
2. Luther VINING b: ABT 1790
3. Sarah VINING
4. Nancy VINING
5. Polly VINING
6. Calvin VINING b: 28 MAR 1803 in Chenango, Broome Co., NY
7. Rufus VINING b: ABT 1800 in NY
8. Fannie VINING
9. Benjamin VINING b: ABT 1806 in Chenango, Broome Co., NY
10. Lydia VINING
11. John Bradley VINING b: 1810 in Chenango, Broome Co., NY

Jonas married Sarah PAGE, daughter of Isaac PAGE and Sarah BRADLEY. (Sarah PAGE was born about 1771 in New York.)