Isral Rankin

SOURCE: Commemorative Biographical Record of Harrison Co., OH, Beers, 1891, Page 235.

ISRAEL RANKIN, the only representative of one of the oldest families in Harrison County, was born Nov. 20, 1830, and is a son of James and Hester (Earley) Rankin. His early life was spent in assisting in the duties of the home farm, and in attendance at the district schools of his neighborhood. August 18, 1870, he was married to Sarah, daughter of Adam Dickerson, and settled on the place where he was born and still resides, and where, until Aug. 29, 1886, his wife share his joys and sorrows. Her remains now rest quietly in Rankin Cemetery. His children are named Elizabeth Jane, James Jamison and William Dickerson. From his early youth he has been an earnest supporter of the democratic party, and has held various offices in the gift of the people, as trustee, land appraiser, etc. He has always taken an active part in the political movements of his township, and has never missed an election since he was of age. Like his ancestry he has been a member of the Rankin Methodist Episcopal Church and has held all the offices in that organization, and now occupies a prominent position in its financial and temporal welfare. He is a member of the F. & A. M. at Flushing, No. 298, in which he has been worshipful master for the past twenty-five years. He was high priest of Cadiz, R. A. Chapter, No. 98, and a Sir Knight at St. Clairsville Hope Commandery, No. 26. He is the only man in the township who has the order of high priesthood, which was conferred Oct. 11, 1866, at Toledo. He is also a member of the Masonic Veterans of Ohio, organized at Columbus, Ohio, in 1870, by John D. Caldwell, of Cincinnati. Prominent in social, financial, religious and secret organizations, he is one of Harrison County's representative men. Following is a chronological sketch of the Rankin family, as represented by it in Harrison County.

William Rankin, the progenitor of the family in this country, was born in Scotland about the year 1720, and emigrated in the eighteenth year of his age to try his fortune in the Shenandoah Valley, and was married to Miss Abigail Tassia; and the fruits of this marriage were nine sons and two daughters, as follows: William, David, Matthew, John, James, Zaccha, Thomas, Mary, Abigail, Samuel and Jesse. From there, with the exception of the son William, they moved to Washington County, Penn., where the father purchased a tract of 1,800 acres, of Col. Crawford, and lived in a block house or fort on the waters of The Raccoon Creek, in what i now known as Mount Pleasant Township. James was subsequently killed by the Indians on his way to Pennsylvania from Kentucky, where he had purchased a large tract of land. Thomas, in after years, moved to Harrison County, Ohio. Jesse Rankin, the youngest son of William, was also one of the early pioneers of Ohio, but did not remain here. Thomas Rankin was married to Miss Nancy Foreman, and by this marriage were born five children, as follows: James, William, David, Jane and Nancy. Thomas remained in Washington County, and participated in many battles with the Indians, one of which was the Poe battle, at the mouth of Tomlinson Run, on the Ohio River, and in this right there were three Indians to one white man. Mr. Rankin had taken shelter behind a tree, and an Indian seeing him there, drew his gun to fire, but in cocking it he broke the main spring; one of his comrades seeing the situation, fired and killed the Indian, when Mr. Rankin picked up the Indian's gun and participated in the tight. In 1805 he came to Ohio and settled in Moorefield Township, Harrison County. The Rankin Methodist Episcopal Church was the third organization of the kind in eastern Ohio; located in Moorefield Township, and organized in 1815, on land given as a donation by Thomas Rankin, by a deed, dated, 1819. This church was first organized by Rev. James Roberts and Thomas Dickerson about 1814. Among the names found enrolled at that time were Thomas Rankin, Sr., Mary Rankin, James Rankin, Hester Rankin, Arthur Barrett, Sr. , Isaac Barrett, William Jones, Rachel Jones, Sarah Foreman, Martha White, Mary A. Moffit, Mary Love, John Porter, Samuel Jones, and others. Having no house in which to worship, this faithful band of pioneer Christians was compelled to worship in the log cabin of Thomas Rankin. The first trustees of the church were Thomas Rankin, Leonard Barnes, Ephraim Sears and Edward Ruby.

James Rankin, the eldest son of Thomas Rankin, was born in Mount Pleasant Township, Washington Co. , Penn., December 22, 1784, and was married to Miss Hester Earley, December 15, 1809. Miss Earley was born May 31, 1793, near Chartiers Creek, Washington County, Penn. They were surrounded by a family of eight children, as follows: Jane, Thomas, Margaret, Nancy, Sarah, William, Matilda and Israel, of whom three are dead, Jane, Thomas and William; they all became heads of families. During the War of 1812 Mr. James Rankin served a term as a minute-man, and in 1813 settled in Harrison County, Ohio, on the farm where Israel Rankin now resides.

Thomas Rankin died May 12, 1832, and his remains were followed to the cemetery adjoining, and Rankin Church by a large concourse of mourning relatives and friends, their loss being deeply deplored.

Contributor: Michael Smoke (49199710) • mikesmoke@comcast.n