Beschreibung:

Oil on canvas, 24.5 x 30.25 in., artist unknown. Framed, 29 x 35 in. Accompanied by sheet of paper identifying the subject as Grand Father of Henry Miller/ Jonathan Miller Buried in Mt. Vernon Cemetery. Ca 1813. The Prominent Miller Family of Upper Arlington, Ohio Jonathan Miller (1759-1849) was born a British citizen in Funkstown, PA. Early in his life, his family moved to Fayette County, PA and settled there for quite some time. His family were Dunkards, a small group of conservative Schwarzenau Brethren Baptists who strongly opposed the Revolutionary War. According to family lore, despite his family’s beliefs, Miller supposedly ran away from home at fifteen to become a drummer on the front lines. He helped liberate his country by serving in the Virginia Cavalry in 1778 where he fought with General Washington at Chestnut Hill. He served again as an Ensign under Captain Daniel Clapsaddle in the Flying Camp, Washington County, MD from 1780 until 1781. During that time he married his cousin, Mary Hickman. They had six children that survived to adulthood, many were very successful. After most of his children married and moved out of the house, he moved to Mt. Vernon, OH in search of new opportunities in 1814. He was an energetic, successful merchant and did well in the state. Within a year, he was appointed Assessor of Taxes in Knox County, OH and elected as the county’s commissioner. The next year, he was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives and founded the Owl Creek Bank. He died at Mt. Vernon, OH in the winter of 1849. Miller and his children's success in business led to many important connections in Ohio. His grandson, Henry Miller (1819-1890), who built the Miller Farm, had several businesses. With his brother John, he bought the Ohio State Journal in 1858. He was a partner in Miller, Comstock & Smith, which manufactured and sold uniforms and boots to the government during the Civil War. He also owned real estate, toll roads, railroads, and more. The Millers were related, by blood, to several families of distinction, including the Ewing family, which had strong political ties in Lancaster, OH. They were cousins to James G. Blaine. The Millers were also cousins to General William T. Sherman's wife, Ellen Ewing Sherman. Henry Miller's son, James T. Miller (1846-1920), served as the first mayor of Upper Arlington, OH in 1918. James had eight children with his wife Esther, the first six being girls. They were all members of the DAR. Miller contributed significantly to the development of Upper Arlington. In 1913, he sold 840 acres of his farm, and the land would eventually turn into Upper Arlington. Miller hosted many famous guests at his impressive home including President Warren G. Harding and sharpshooter, Annie Oakley; both of whom became family friends. The family also had close relationships with Ohio politicians over a period of almost 100 years, including James Garfield and William McKinley and his wife. Condition: Some cracking of the canvas.