General Notes

SAMUEL J. CALDWELL, Butler County, was born March 12 1840, in this county, and is the son of James and Martha (Ried) Caldwell. The former was a native of this county; was born March 10, 1810; he was a wealthy farmer, and died in 1845. His father was George W. Caldwell, a native of Virginia, and who in early youth came to Logan County, now Butler, where he died about 1837. He was the son of Oliver Caldwell, who came from Scotland, and lived and died in Virginia. The father of subject, James Caldwell, married Martha Ried, a daughter of Cunningham and Peggy (Ewing) Ried, of Butler County. To them were born George W., William C., Samuel J., Daniel C., and Mary m. (Mansfield). Samuel J. was brought up on a farm, and received but a limited education. He was married January 15, 1863, to Margaret R., daughter of William and Margaret (Wright) Caldwell. She was born September 30, 1839, and died December 3, 1872. This union was blessed with the birth of the following children: James W., Margaret L., and Lille B. A coincidence in the history of this branch of the Caldwell family is the fact that subject, his wife, both their parents and their children were born and reared in the same house, and the homestead of the grandfather still remains in possession of the family. Mr. Caldwell is a man temperate in all his habits, industrious and economical. He owns 1,061 acres of improved land. His dwelling is one of the finest and best in the county, and his barns and other buildings are excellent; he has six barns, one of which is 161X50 feet, and twenty feet high to the eaves. He has also fifty acres in fruit, 200 pear trees and other varieties of fine fruit. He owns nearly 100 horses and mules, and fifty head of cattle. He deals in tobacco, and frequently has on hand at one time 400,000 pounds of the leaf. He is a member of the Masonic order, and in politics a Democrat.