Sarah P. Cox

One of the first families of settlers in the Franklin/Carlisle area were the Barkalow family. They were also one of the first families in the State. The ancestral name was spelled "Buckaloe." These early Buckaloes were among the first immigrants from Holland to New York, then called New Amsterdam, the year being about 1625.

After assisting in the settling of New York and New Jersey, they then traveled to Maysville, Kentucky, and from thence to Ohio. This fine family settled in the choice lands around Franklin, helped fell the trees, and herd out the wolves and bears.

After the settlement of Franklin, many of the family then began a northward trek through the State and reached Shelby County, where they again cleared the land and settled. All the Barkalows of this area are descended from Arthur and Sarah Barkalow who were born in the early half of the eighteenth century, and who spent their entire life in New Jersey.

They were the parents of eleven children, namely, Eleanor, William P., Tobias P., John, Sally, Daniel, Derrick, Nathaniel and a set of triplets, who died unnamed. William P., Tobias P., John, Sally, and Derrick, all came from New Jersey to Maysville, Ky., where Derrick married his wife, Rachel Corwin, sometime in the 1790's.

William P. came to Franklin about the year 1800. He bought a tract of land from the Government consisting of 1000 acres, which extended from Dry Run to the Hydraulic Dam (near the Miami Valley grounds), and from the Great Miami River west to where Carlisle now stands. The price paid for this fine land was $1.25 per acre with the deed being signed by Thomas Jefferson.

All the land bordering the river on the western side of the Miami was treeless, and was for many years called "The Big Prairie"; early Middletown was given this name.

This particular section of land has quite a history to it. It was part of the Congress lands owned by the United States Government. One source says that from 1790 to 1798, the stretch of land west of the river was located in the Indiana Territory, with Vincennes as the county seat. From 1798 to 1803, it was part of Hamilton County. From 1803 to 1815, part of Butler County, and from thence time it was located in Warren County.

Arriving from Kentucky about the year 1805, William's three brothers and Sally shared in the acreage acquired by William. Of these 1000 acres William kept a triangular tract with the base along the river and the point along the Miami Valley Fairgrounds (now known as the Hollywood section).

(When the brothers and sister first arrived from Kentucky, they found an old cabin on what was then the Levi Croll farm. Here they spent their first winter.)

Derrick took the land surrounding this triangle, and Sally Cox took the upper tract just below the Chautauqua Dam. Tobias settled farther south, near where Poasttown now exists.

John lived and died near what is now called Rhode's Hill, toward Red Lion on S.R. 123.

Arthur and Sarah, the parents, were slaveholders, and as their children married they gave them each a slave. Tobias owned "Old Quash"; Sally Cox, "Old Aunt Ruth"; William, "Ebenezer"; and Derrick, "Old Black Charlie." John was never given a slave and seemed to own nothing.

These four brothers witnessed the many log-rollings, corn- husking bees, and also the growth of the country as it now stands.

Derrick and Rachel built them a house and started their home on what was known as the Max Emley farm. Rachel used to visit her parents at Maysville, Ky., traveling all the way on horseback unattended, with a child in front of her and one at her back.

After John's death, his widow and children were furnished a livelihood by his brothers and sisters. This early family, the Barkalow's, was faithful Presbyterians as well as Old School Baptists. They were factors in establishing the New Jersey Presbyterian Church in 1813, and the Tapscott Old School Baptist Church, both located in Carlisle.

Many families are descendants from the Barkalow family, far too many to mention here. None of the family seems to have attained great or noted stature, but "A good name rather to be chosen, than great riches."

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ohwarren/Bogan/bogan281.htm 1st w/o John Cox(1777-1849), d/o Arthur Barkalow(1740-1801) & Sarah Polhemus(1744-1799). Known to be buried here with husband, but stone missing.