By: Mark Holtsberry
Nathan Wyatt was a prosperous agriculturist and stock raiser of Latty Township. He was known for being one of the leading citizens in the area and was born November 10, 1844, in Wilkes County, North Carolina to David and Parmelia (Winkler) Wyatt.
His family was one of the oldest families of North Carolina. David and Parmelia, or Milly as she was known, raised eight sons and six daughters. Nathan’s opportunities for receiving an education were limited, so most, who knew him, would say Nathan was a self-educated man.
When war between the states or Civil War broke out, October 19, 1863, at Camp Holmes, Raleigh, North Carolina, Nathan was drafted into the Confederate Army. He served in Company D. 26th North Carolina Infantry. Other records show that the date was November 19, 1863.
On April 28, 1864, Nathan got sick and was allowed to come home. Other records show that he went home and never returned to the Company, thus listing him as absent without leave, or AWOL. He had served six months and eighteen days.
In 1868, Nathan left his home in the mountains of North Carolina and walked some three hundred miles to Catlettsburg, Kentucky; came by boat to Cincinnati; traveled by train from Cincinnati to Belfountain, Ohio. From there, he made his way on foot to Covington, Miami County, Ohio. When he arrived, in his possessions were two suits of clothes, five dollars in silver and the same amount in gold.
Nathan became a farm laborer and worked in Newberry for about seven years in the tile making business. It has been said, that Nathan worked at a tile mill, in Van Wert County, called Hattlery Tile Mill. In April of 1872 Nathan’s father, David, passed away, followed by his mother Parmelia, in 1878.
Nathan married Sarah c. Fristoe, December 21, 1876. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Fristoe of Shelby County, Ohio. In 1877, Nathan and Sarah, moved to Latty Township, Ohio. They settled on a 160 acre farm in Section 26. Nathan also worked for Willard E. Eaton and B.W. Longsworth at their tile mill. He purchased tile to be used on the farm to improve production.
By 1880, Nathan and Sarah had two children and were living in Blue Creek Township. Nathan and Sarah were the parents of ten children, the last, Nathan E. was born May 3, 1896. Nathan’s wife, Sarah passed away, June 16, 1897, then his son Nathan E., passed away June 7, 1898.
Nathan remarried a gal named Ida Jay, from Miami County, Ohio, June 1, 1899. By 1900, Nathan, Ida and 9 children were living outside Grover Hill, still on the 160 acre farm. By 1910, Nathan, Ida and five children were still running the family farm.
At one time, Nathan was reported to have been paying more money in taxes than any other citizen of Latty Township. Nathan was elected and served six years as a Township Trustee. Also serving as a member of the Board of Education, a member of the Republican Party, a member of the Middle Creek Christian Church, a member of 1.0.0.F lodge of Miami County, Chapter #574.
Nathan was also a stockholder in the Grover Hill Exchange Bank. Nathan was a large man, noted to be six feet one inch tall, weighing about one hundred eighty four pounds. He was known for his honest dealings, being thrifty and upright in all his business dealings. He passed away October 3, 1919 in Paulding, Ohio. He was buried beside his first wife, Sarah, in Middle Creek Cemetery, Grover Hill, Ohio. His second wife, Ida, passed away, in 1921. She was also buried in Middle Creek Cemetery.
Unitl Next Time
