An American Family History

William Pierce Fox was born on July 28, 1833 in St. Clair Township, Butler County, Ohio. He was the oldest son of Levi Fox and Eliza Yerkes. 

He married Julia Anne Beeler on December 24, 1855. Julia was born about 1835 in Ross Township, Butler County, Ohio. Her parents were Daniel Beeler and Elizabeth Yaekle.

William and Julia's children were:
Mary J. Fox (1858, married Wesley Harper),
John W. Fox (1861, married Emma Johnson),
Michael Fox (1865),
Rebecca Fox (1867),
Delila (Ella) Fox (1869, died young),
Julia Elda Fox (1872, married William C. Fouts),
Daniel Levi Fox (1874),
Maud Fox (1876?), and
Ida Fox (1879, married Jesse Wallace).

They remained in Butler County, Ohio when the rest of his father's family moved to Iowa. They appeared in the 1860 census in St. Clair Township. The household at that time consisted of William P. age 26 who was a farmer, Julia A. age 25, Mary J. age 2, and Ann L. Bealer (Beeler) age 14.

They moved to Carroll County, Indiana at the beginning of the Civil War in November, 1862 to be near William's maternal grandfather, Josiah Yerkes. 

His father, Levi sold him sixty acres on February 2, 1867 in Lucas County, Iowa. The formal description of the tract transferred was the E ¾ of the S½ of the NW¼ of Section 35.

They appeared in the 1870 census of Washington Township, Carroll County, Indiana. The household consisted of William age 36, Julia age 35, Mary age 11, John age 9, Michael age 5, Rebecca age 3, and Delila age 1.

William sold the first of his lots in Lucas County to John Hickle on February 24, 1872. That lot was described as the N 1/6 of the E ¾ of the N½ of the NW¼ of Section 35. He sold another of the lots the same day. He sold a third lot on October 23, 1872 and a fourth, on April 28, 1873. There seem to have been five lots total, and the 1895 plat suggests that he kept the fifth for himself.

At the time of the 1880 census, he was living in Washington Township, Carroll County, Indiana. The family consisted of William, Julia, Rebecca, John W., Michael, Ella, Daniel and Maud. There is a notation that the ages were written in later and they appear to be in error. Mary and Julia do not appear in the 1880 census.

His wife Julia died on February 11, 1887.

At the time of the 1900 census, he was farming in Washington Township, Carroll County had four children living with him. The household consisted of William who was born in July, 1833, Rebecca born in April 1868, Julia E. born in February 1872, David L. (probably Daniel) born in February, 1874, and Ida M. born in June, 1879. These children were all born in Indiana. Maud was no longer listed. 

He died on December 14, 1907 of  "extension of paralysis" in Carroll County, Indiana and was buried on December 16, 1907 in Paint Creek Cemetery with his maternal grandparents.

St. Clair Township, Butler County, Ohio was organized in 1803. It included the present townships of Oxford, Milford, Wayne, Reily and Hanover and was bounded on the north by Preble County, on the east by Lemon Township, on the south by the Miami River and Ross Township, and on the west by the State of Indiana.

The Public Land Survey System is used to survey and spatially identify land parcels in the United States. Range is the distance east or west from a referenced principal meridian in units of six miles. A Section is approximately a one-square-mile block of land. There are 36 sections in a township. A Township is a parcel of land of 36 square miles or a measure of the distance north or south from a referenced baseline in units of six miles.

Children of: Levi Fox and Eliza Yerkes William Pierce Fox Josiah B. Fox John Newton Fox Anne E. Fox Sarah Hartley Joseph Teas John Tease Barbara Hannah Tease Tuttle Levi Fox and Sarah Hartley Teas Missouri Fox Clowser Levi Fox, Jr. Nebraska Fox Stephens

Mr. John Fox received a message Friday conveying the sad intelligence of the death of his brother, William Fox, of Carroll County, Indiana, with paralysis. Mr. Fox is now the only surviving member of his family. He himself is quite ill and was unable to go to his brother's funeral. The news of the latter's death was a severe shock to him.
Herald, December 19, 1907

DEATH WELL KNOWN CITIZEN OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP

William Pierce Fox was born in Butler County, Ohio, July 28, 1833 and died at his home in Washington Township last Friday morning, at the age of 74 years. He was united in marriage to Julia Anne Buler, December 24, 1855, and they moved to Carroll county in November, 1862, which place he has ever since made his home. 

Mrs. Fox departed this life February 11, 1887. He was the father of ten children, four boys and six girls and three boys and four girls survive him. Mr. Fox had been an invalid for the past seven years and since December, 1902, he had been unable to speak a word. He meekly bore his suffering and patiently awaited the call of his Master. Besides the seven children he leaves one brother, seven grandchildren and a host of friends and neighbors to mourn his departure.

The funeral was held Monday morning at the Paint Creek church, Rev. Beckett of Galveston, officiating. Interment in the Paint Creek cemetery