Originally published as a Letter to the Editor | Bellefontaine Examiner | Early 1940’s

Editor, Examiner:

Dr. Phebe Haines Sharp the first pioneer physician of what is now Logan County, was my great-great-grandmother, as well as of several others living in the county. She was born at Eversham, NJ, May 26, 1759.

In a recent issue, The Examiner mentioned approval of the grant by the County Commissioners to re-mark her grave so as to make the monument accessible to the passersby on the Middleburg and East Liberty pike (old road).

Phoebe Sharp and her husband were the first settlers in what is now Logan county. Likewise, she was the first pioneer doctor practicing over a wide are in Zane township, which at one time comprised all of Logan county.

She rode on horseback on her professional trips.

When nearing death, she asked that she might be buried on a pleasing slope near the road she had often traveled (only an Indian trail when the family came), that her many patients passing might be reminded of her counsels for health and for happiness during her calls.

In obedience to her request, her body was so placed. A double marker on which her initials carved, as to the Friends belief. This stone has been gone for years and stones off the farm were placed on her grave. Conforming with the desires of many other families, the Sharp descendants appointed a committee to arrange for permanent marking of the resting place of this pioneer doctor.

The road at this point has been excavated several feet lower than the adjacent field. It was necessary to get the consent of the owner of the field, which was most graciously granted, for a fence around the grave. The land now belongs to Chauncy A. Cochran, of Youngstown, and has belonged to this family many years now since the death of Joshua Sharp, son of Job and Phebe Sharp.

On February 27, 1796, John and Fanny White deeded to Job Sharp 120 acres of land near Cedar Mountain, Virginia. Before 1800, Philip Slaughter had acquired 1,000 acres of land in this Northwest Territory, being Survey 3154 on the headwaters and tributary streams of Big Darby Creek. This survey was made by Lucas Sullivant on May 20, 1797. Slaughter bought this survey from Revolutionary War soldiers who were in the Virginia Continental line, namely John Liner, Armistead Long, and James Hipkinstate. The survey was divided evenly 500 acres to Job Sharp for the 120 acres in Virginia, the price being $800. Afterwards, other early settlers purchased the other 500 acres in the survey. Job Sharp was a soldier in the Virginia Continental Line and went into Virginia from Pennsylvania.

The deed of exchange was October 8, 1800, recorded October 20, 1800. The Sharp family came to reside on this farm on December 25, 1801.

I have been gathering historical information for several years and I found that this Sharp family’s ancestors came form Northamptonshire, England, in 1682 with William Penn. William Sharp and Thomas [our line], were sons of Francis Sharp of St. Ann, Limehouse county, Middlesex, England and grandsons of Thomas Cooper of 16 George Street, same county.

The children who accompanied them were John, William, and Hugh Sharp. Records say there were brothers and the children of William Sharp. These people were from the landed gentry in England.

John Sharp married Elizabeth Paine on April 17, 1688, daughter of John Paine from Friends Meeting in Burlington, NJ. William Sharp married Mary Austin, daughter of Francis Austin in 1716.

On this same voyage in 1682, another family by the name of Richard and Margaret Haines came with William Penn from Northamptonshire, England, with their six children. The father died on the voyage, leaving the widow and children: John, Richard, William, Thomas, Mary and Joseph. They were wealthy land owners in England. They all settled in Burlington county, NJ.

It’s this line from which Phebe Haines Sharp is born. Her mother was Rebecca Sharp and her father was Solomon Haines.

As to the monument, we have found two parts of the original millstones that Job Sharp used in the first corn cracker mill, which was built in 1803, in Zane Township on the farm. We would like to have one of these built into the new monument.

Anyone who would like to contribute to this fund should call Mrs. Lee DeWeese. Perhaps our doctors should all have a share in this undertaking as well as the descendants.

-Mrs. Dow Aiken, Bellefontaine

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