This venerable gentleman, one of the best known citizens of the village of Cheviot in this township, is of Irish lineage on both sides of his family. His paternal grandfather, James Wills, immigrated from Ireland to the new world about the year 1780, with a brother, and settled in eastern Pennsylvania for a time, but shortly afterwards removed to the present Fleming county, Kentucky, upon or near the site of Flemingsburgh. He was among the earliest pioneers to this part of the "dark and bloody ground," and was driven from his improvements by the marauding savages as many as three times, once being obliged to remain away for the period of two years. When preparing for flight, Mr. Wills was compelled to bring all his farming utensils in which there was iron, to prevent their falling into the hands of the Indians. He had many troubles with the redskins, and for a long period could hardly consider his life secure at any moment. James Wills is believed to have been a native of county Down, Ireland, so also was the maternal grandfather, George Dowler. He came to this country in 1790, and likewise located in eastern Pennsylvania, where he died some years afterwards. His son, George Dowler, jr., was a man of marked ability, and became a prominent minister in the Methodist Episcopal church. When his family removed westward, he was kept behind in Wheeling, through his mother's fear of the Indians, and grew to manhood in that place. After the death of the elder Dowler, his widow married James Grimes, of eastern Pennsylvania They removed to Hagerstown, in the same State, and remained there until 1795, when they came to Newtown, in Anderson township, Hamilton county, Ohio, being among the very first settlers of this region. Here Mr. Grimes spent the remainder of his days, in the peaceful pursuits of agriculture, and died about four years after his immigration.
        Samuel, son of James, and father of Thomas Wills, was born at the pioneer home near Flemingsburgh, Kentucky. He learned the trade of a stone-mason, and became proficient in all branches of the business. About 1808 he went to Newtown, in search of work, and there met Miss Mary, daughter of James Grimes and Mrs. Dowler Grimes, aforesaid, whom he married the next year. He died in 1822, when Thomas was but seven years old. About two years afterwards Mrs. Wills was united in marriage to William Hatfield, a shoemaker at Newtown. Thomas was the third son of the previous union. Upon the remarriage of his mother, he lived with his grandmother three years, and then returned home, where he learned the trade of shoemaking with his stepfather, and followed it in the paternal shop until the age of seventeen, when he left Newtown. In 1839 he removed to Cheviot, in Green township. Nine years after he was married to Miss Eliza Richardson, by whom he has had seven children, of whom three are still living. He continued the boot and shoe business and remained at it as long as he was able to work. He was soon called, however, to the performance of public duties, in which he was more or less engaged all the rest of his life. When he settled in Cheviot that region was almost entirely isolated, and material for official service was rather scarce; he was hence, in a manner, forced into prominent positions which he would not voluntarily have asked or accepted. For twenty-nine years he was a justice of the peace
in this township, retaining remarkable popularity, and commanding general approval by the integrity and impartiality of his decisions. For thirty-one years, the entire period of a generation of the human race, he was postmaster at Cheviot. In 1865 he was chosen by his fellow citizens to a yet more responsible position, as director of the county infirmary, and was thrice reelected, serving in all, three terms in that position, with entire acceptance to his associates of the board and to his constituents. He then declined further service, on account of increasing infirmities and disabilities; and has since declined to assume official duties. He died Sunday, February 27, 1881, in the sixty-sixth year of his age, leaving abundance of proof that the sunset of his life was as glorious and peaceful as had been the purity of his relations toward his fellow men.

        Elizabeth Bates, wife of Joshua Bates, railroad contractor, resides in Mount Airy, Green township. Mr. Bates removed to his present elegant homestead in 1859. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. John Bates (son) was a soldier in the cavalry service under Kilpatrick, during the late war.
 

        Enoch Jacobs was born in the town of Marlborough, State of Vermont, June 30, 1809, and was married to Electa Whitney, of said town, June 22, 1831. His father, Nathan Jacobs, was born in Connecticut in 1762, and emigrated to Vermont in 1799. He was a soldier in the War of the Revolution. He married Sarah, the daughter of Captain John Clark, of revolutionary fame, about the year 1784. She was a native of Old Hadley, Massachusetts. The subject of this sketch emigrated to Brooklyn, New York, in 1827, where he engaged in mechanical pursuits till 1843, when he removed with his family to Cincinnati.  Between that time and the breaking out of the civil war in 1861, he was engaged in the manufacture of iron work, being junior partner in the firm of Vallean & Jacobs. The people of the south being their largest customers, financial ruin followed. His oldest son, Enoch George, enlisted in the Second Ohio volunteer infantry, three months' service, and was in the battle of Bull Run. He afterwards enlisted in the Twelfth Kentucky volunteer infantry, Federal regiment, where he was commissioned first lieutenant, and was in the battle at Mill Spring and the siege of Knoxville. He re-enlisted as a veteran and served till the army reached Jonesborough, when his health failed, and he resigned his commission. His second son, Henry C., enlisted in the Fifth Ohio volunteer infantry, and served till his death. His third son, Nathan, enlisted in the Twelfth Kentucky volunteer infantry, and was commissioned first lieutenant in company I Of Third regiment. He was a brave and gallant young officer, While temporarily absent from his regiment he was waylaid and murdered by a bushwhacker, near Somerset, Kentucky, about the twentieth of February, 1863.
        The elder Jacobs was for a time with the First and Second Ohio infantry regiments, comprising Schenck's brigade, and took part in the battle at Vienna, where occurred the first bloodshed in the war south of the Potomac. He afterwards identified himself with the Twelfth Kentucky, commanded by Colonel W. A. Hoskins, and recruited men for it, in which two of his sons hold commissions. He took part in the battle of Mill Spring, and wrote the first published account of that battle. It appeared in the Cincinnati Commercial, and was copied by papers all over the country, and in Europe.
        A month later he took part in the battle at Fort Donelson, having obtained a position on the staff of Colonel Bausenwein, commanding the brigade on the left of the right wing under General Mc Clernand, and with a detail of twelve men Mr. Jacobs accepted the surrender of two rebel batteries. About a month later while on his way to join the Twelfth Kentucky en route from Nashville to Pittsburgh Landing, a railroad accident occurred at Green river bridge, Kentucky, in which he permanently lost the use of his right arm. In 1863 he was elected justice of the peace in Mill Creek township, and served till he removed with what was left of his family to Waynesville, Warren county, in 1865. He resided at Walnut Hills from 1847 till 1865, and took a leading part in organizing in that place the first free school in the State under the school law of 1849 and its amendment in 1850. He served nine years as trustee and secretary of the board with the late Dr. Alien of Lane seminary as president. In the winter of 1870-71 he accompanied the Government commission, on the United States steamer Tennessee, to Santo Domingo as the special correspondent of the Cincinnati Commercial. He traveled extensively over the island, and no correspondent went where he did not. The following winter, 1871-72, he returned to Santo Domingo, in the interests of the Cincinnati Commercial and New York Tribune. During that winter he gathered much testimony as to the alleged complicity of high officials in a scheme of speculation in connection with a proposition of our Government to purchase the island. This has been hitherto withheld from the public.
        In January, 1873, he was appointed United States Consul to Montevideo, in the republic of Uruguay, South America. The United States Minister, Mr. Stevens, being absent, the work of the legislation devolved upon him in addition to the duties of the consulate. As the country was cursed with constant revolutions, it required all his energies in extending protection to American citizens; but the work was faithfully done. In 1874 he came home for his family (wife and daughter) by way of Europe, and with them returned by the same route to his post of duty. His health failing he resigned his commission and came home by way of Europe in June, 1876. In October or that year he removed to Mount Airy, and finished his official life with six months' service as mayor of that village.