Tunnel Hill Cemetery Harrison County, Ohio (view image full screen)

James Fisher's Homestead Monroe Township, Harrison County, Ohio Photos taken October 18, 2008 by Eric & Liz Davis

View Larger Map of Tunnel Hill Area Geographic Coordinates: 40º25'16.29"N by 81º13'21.97"W

B4 James Fisher, born September 1782 in Frederick County Maryland, died May 1866 in Harrison County, Ohio; married May 13, 1806 Elizabeth (Betsy) Kale in Jefferson County, Ohio. Elizabeth was born 1789 in Hampshire County, Virginia, died January 4, 1860. James and Elizabeth are buried in Tunnel Hill Cemetery, Bowerston, Harrison County, Ohio. Eight children.

Elizabeth was the daughter of John Kail (originally Johannes Georg Kolh), born May 22, 1756 in Stouchburg, Berks County, Pennsylvania, died April 6, 1821 in German Township, Harrison County, Ohio (view John Kale's Will transcription), and Catherine Rouch, born July 9, 1757, died October 9, 1853. John married Catherine Rouch in 1774 in Hampshire County (West) Virginia. John Kail and Catherine (Rouch) Kail are buried in Zion Cemetery, Harrison County, Ohio - Row 19.

Elizabeth (Betsy) Kale's grandfather was Hans Gerg Kohl, born April 16, 1726 in Waldangelloch, Palatine, Germany, died July 26, 1797 in Capon Bridge, Hampshire County, River Road, (West) Virginia. Hans emigrated to America (the Colonies) in 1731. He was a veteran of the Revolutionary War, and served in the 8th Virginia Regiment. Her grandmother was Anna Christian Elizabeth Wagoner, born December 13, 1748 in Christ Lutheran Church, Tulpehocken Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of Tobias Wagoner, D.D., and Mary Christina Dorothea De Gregors.

James Fisher was issued at least four Land Patents for Harrison County land:

1. September 1, 1819: he received a Patent at the Steubenville Land Office for, "the South East quarter of section eight in township fourteen of range seven".

2. September 15, 1823: he received a Patent for, "the west half of the South west quarter of Section Two, in Township fourteen, of range seven, in the District of Steubenville, and the state of Ohio containing Eighty Acres and fifteen hundredths of an acre".

3. May 30, 1826: he received a patent for, "the West half of the North East quarter of Section Seven , in Township fourteen, of Range Seven, in the district of lands offered for sale at Steubenville, Ohio, containing seventy-nine acres, and fifty-nine hundredths of an acre".

4. November 18, 1833: he received a patent for, "the South East quarter of the North Est quarter of Section Eight in Township Fourteen of Range Seven in the district of Lands subject to sale at Steubenville Ohio, containing Thirty Nine Acres and Seventy Four hundredths of an Acre."

On August 3, 1855, James and Elizabeth Fisher signed a Deed with the Steubenville & Indiana Railroad Company for Three Hundred and Fifty Dollars for land to build a railroad. This railroad, later the Pennsylvania, and later still the Panhandle Railroad, was build through the Fisher homestead land soon after, ca. 1856.

A photograph from the Photo Archives of the Ohio Historical Society, shows this site of the Fisher homestead in the Train Wreck on the Panhandle Railroad at Fisher's Crossing, which took place on January 20, 1903

WILLS :HARRISON COUNTY COURTHOUSE, CADIZ, OHIO Volume c page 392
Record of the Will of James Fisher Deceased

In the name of the Benevolent Father of All:

I James Fisher of the County of Harrison in the State of Ohio do make and publish all former Will and Testament hereby revoking and making void all former wills by me at any time heretofore made. And First I resign my Soul to God, who gave it, and my body to its mother dust, directing that my body be decently interred in the burying ground at Weyands Meeting house by the side of my beloved, wife Elizabeth Fisher. (now deceased) and that my funeral be conducted in a manner corresponding with my Estate and situation in life. And as to such worldly estate as it has pleased God to in trust me with, I dispose of the same as follows:

FIRST: I direct that all my just debts and funeral expenses be fully paid as soon after my decease as possible, out of the first moneys that shall come into the hands of my Executors, from any portion of my estate, real or personal. Also I direct that a fair valuation an appraisement of all my personal property be made according to Law and sold and the proceeds there of distributed among my several children and grandchildren as here in after directed by me. I will that my son George Fisher shall have his share of the following describe tract of Land, The West half of the south west quarter of Section No. two (2) of township Fourteen (14) and Range Sever (7) in the Steubenville Land District, Ohio.

I will that my son John Fisher shall have for his share the following described tract of land the west half of south west quarter of No. twelve (12) of township six (6) of Range two (2) if the Zanesville Land district of Ohio

I will that my son Henry Fisher shall have for his share, the following described tract of land, the west half of the south east quarter of Section no eight (8) of township fourteen (14) of Range seven (7) in the Steubenville Land District, Ohio. All of the above described lands have been deed by me this day to said sons in the manner above described as their share of my real estate by general warranty and further I will to my sons, George Fisher and Henry Fisher the following described tracts of land. The east half of the south east quarter of section eight (8) of township fourteen (14) of range seven (7) of the Steubenville land district, Ohio, containing one hundred and twenty acres, said lands I have valued at sixteen dollars per acre, which amounts to nineteen hundred and twenty dollars and I have this day also deeded said one hundred and twenty acres by general warranty to my said sons George and Henry Fisher and divided it equally as set forth in said deeds between them and Said sons are to pay into my Estate for said one hundred and twenty acres of land each the sum of nine hundred and twenty dollars. They having received by deed form me over their shears of my real estate said amount. And I also will to my daughter Sarah Delong the sum of one dollar, she having received of me the sum of two hundred and ninety nine dollars, being the amount of money that each of my daughters shall have for their share on the distribution aforesaid. And I will to my daughter Polly Pepels the sum of forty dollars it being the amount of her shear unpaid she having received from me the sum of two hundred and sixty dollars. And I will to my daughter Mahala Cairns the sum of three hundred dollars for her shear. And I will to my deceased daughter's (Elizabeth Delong's) heirs the sum of six dollars (the amount of their mother's shear unpaid.)

And after the foregoing distribution, I will that my grandson Wilson S. Fisher shall have from my estate the sum of two hundred dollars; the balance and remainder of my estate I will to be equally divided into eight shares, and each of my sons, George, John, James and Henry shall receive each one shear.

And my daughter Mahala Cairns shall receive one shear. And my daughter Polly Peppels shall receive one shear with this proviso that her son Lemuel G. Cairns shall receive the sum of One hundred dollars out of his mothers shear. Polly Peppels. And I will that Wilson S. Fisher shall receive one shear. (I will this shear to him in lieu of his mother Sarah Delong. And I will that the last remaining shear shall be paid to my deceased daughter Elizabeth Delong's heirs. each of said heirs to receive an equal part of the said shear.

And lastly I hereby constitute and appoint my son George Fisher and Henry Fisher to be Executors of this my last Will and Testament, and ratifying, and confirming this and no other to be my last Will and Testament..

In Testimony Where if I James Fisher have hereunto set my hand and seal, this twenty fourth day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and Sixty.

/s/ James Fisher (seal)

Signed, published and declared by the above named James Fisher, as his last Will and Testament, in presence of us at his request have sign as witnesses to the same in the presence of each other.

John Plowman,       Jacob Myers.

Will duly probated March 25th, 1867
Taken from Will record C, page 392-393, Harrison Co. Ohio.

Children of James Fisher and Elizabeth Kale:

C1 George Fisher, born August 31, 1806, Ohio, died June 2, 1893. Married June 12, 1832 Sybilla Margaret Shamel in Tuscarawas County, Ohio. Margaret was born October 25, 1811, and died May 7, 1890. Both are buried in Tunnel Hill Cemetery, Bowerston, Harrison County, Ohio.

C2 Elizabeth Fisher, February 5, 1810, died April 25, 1839. Married May 15, 1828 Abraham DeLong, born 1796 died December 30, 1871.

C3 Sara Fisher, born January 17, 1812, died March 3, 1894. Married February 13, 1840 Abraham DeLong (her sister Elizabeth's widower).

C4 John Fisher, born 1816. Married Eliza ____, born 1811 in Kentucky.

C5 James Fisher, born Novenber 24, 1819, died January 7, 1882; buried in Ridge Graveyard, Archer Township, Harrison County, Ohio.

C6 Henry B. Fisher, born May 24, 1822, died May 5, 1905 in White Pine, Tennessee; married Mary Amadilla Dunlop, born February 7, 1823, died October 17, 1864. Amadilla was the daughter of William Dunlap and Anna Newton. Henry served in the 170th Reg. OVI in the Civil War.

C7 Mary "Polly" Fisher, born after 1825, died after 1963; married (1) April 12, 1843 John Casper Peppels/Peoples/Pepper by Thomas McClintock, Justice of the Peace ; married (2) _____ Cairns (?). NFI.

C8 Mahala Fisher, born October 27, 1826. Died April 27, 1904; married April 5, 1847 Samuel Cairns; Samuel was born ca. 1825, died June 5, 1855.