This comes from a "history" of Washington Co., KY, that I found at the Ft. Wayne Library...it looks like copied newspaper articles bound into a book. Apparently there was a column in the early 1900s which related stories and family histories of the settlers. Please disregard the typos. From the Jan. 16, 1936, issue: (noted as Article 98 - there weren't that many in the book though) THE PILE FAMILY This family, the name always spelled "Pile or Piles" never "Pyle" in the records of Washington Co., ranks with the earliest of the pioneer settlers in these parts. Three prominent members of this family have left their names and deeds conspicious in the annals of Washington County and the town of Springfield. William Pile, born about 1764, and whom I take to the the eldest of three and possibly four brothers who came ot Kentucky at or about the time that Washington County was formed, was a resident of the town of Springfield from about the time of its establishment until the day he died in the year 1807. Besides his property in the town proper, he owned a plantation of considerable acreage bordering on the southwest limit thereof. It appears that he divided his time between his town property and the country estate. On September 7, 1796, a license was granted to William Pile to keep a tavern "at his house in the town of Springfield," for the space of one year. I do not find that this license was renewed at any later date, hence the conclusion that he did not engage in the business for any great length of time. William Pile was appointed overseer of the road from Springfield to Waller's Mill, November 7, 1797, and overseer of the road from Samuel Silvers to the Bear Wallow, January 2, 1798. The latter appointment was probably a tempoary one for the record shows that after the space of three months (April 3, 1798), he was succeeded by another. Waller's Mill was a fluorishing water grist mill on Cartwright's Creek and on the plantation of John Waller. It was sold in 1806 to the Rev. Edward D. Fenwick and thereafter became a part of the establishment of St. Rose, The mill was operated for many years by the Dominican Fathers at St. Rose but was finally abandoned and torn down....[*- denotes more not of importance to this transcription] As one of the early trustees of the Town of Springfield, William Pile was associated in the management of the town's affairs with Felix Grundy, afterward a noted lawyer, statesman and United States Senator from Tennessee. Pile and Grundy, together with Josiah Wilson, Benjamin Hardin, Jesse Head and William H. Hays, directed the progress of the thriving little metropolis of Washington County through several of the most trying years of it's history. On January 1, 1799, William Pile was sworn a Justice of the Peace for Washington County and thus did he become a member of the County Court. Here again, he was associated with Jesse Head [*]. On July 2, 1799, the two men were made a committee to superintend the erection of stocks and pillory on the public ground in Springfield. Pile continued a member of the court until May 2, 1803, when he resigned. William Pile married prior to the formation of Washington County. His wife's given name was Mary, as is evidenced in numerous deeds and in the settlement of William's estate. That William and Mary Pile were the parents of several children is evident from the settlement records, but their names are not given. William Pile died in November, 1807. Benjamin Pile brother of William Pile, was settled in Kentucky before the formation of Washington Co., which was created in 1792, and he became a resident thereof to continue as such to the day of his death in 1824. The home of Benjamin Pile was only a few miles north of Springfield and bordering on what was then known as the Frankfort Road but what is now known as the Springfield-Bloomfield Road or State Highway No. 55. Today, as one travels along this highway he discovers the two stone slabs that stand on a knoll a few yards eastward from the right-of-way marking the graves of Benjamin Pile and his wife, Ruth Pile. [Wonder if they're still there...?] By occupation Benjamin Pile was a farmer and by "profession" a blacksmith. He was one of those characters who lives and works [words missing] the poet Longfellow was later to immortalize. The labor on his plantation was performed by his numerous slaves. To his blacksmith shop he gave his personal attention. He was not just an ordinary blacksmith but rather a craftsman in that line of endeavor. Besides himself there were numerous aides in the shop in the person of boys who were bound to him by the Washington County Court from time to time "to learn the art and mystery of a blacksmith." I have noted two orders of the Court in which Benjamin Pile figured. One William Jones was bound to him June 4, 1795, and James Howard on September 7, 1796. There is a record in the archives of Washington Co. that attests to the workmanship of Benjamin Pile and his aides in the blacksmith shop. It is in the form of an order on the sheriff to pay said Pile the sum of 9 shillings for making a pair of handcuffs. Date Feb. 5, 1795. Like his brother William, Benjamin Pile engaged for a time in the business of tavern keeping. A license was granted him to keep a tavern "at his house in the county" January 7, 1796. Posted in a conspicious place in his house he kept the following tavern rates, fixed by the Court, where they might be seen by all who made his tavern a stopping-place for food, drink or loding for man or beast: Good whiskey per gal. 0.5.0 Good whiskey per qt. 0.1.6 Good whiskey per pt. 0.0.9 Good whiskey per 1/2 pt. 0.0.6 Good whiskey per gill 0.0.4 Good rum per gal. 1.0.0 Good rum per qt. 0.5.0 Good rum per pt. 0.2.6 Good rum per 1/2 pt. 0.1.6 Good rum per gill 0.1.0 Good Peach Brandy per gal. 0.9.1 Good peach branch per qt. 0.2.3 Good peach brandy per pt. 0.1.3 Good peach brandy per 1/2 pt. 0.0.9 Good peach brandy per gill 0.0.6 Hot breakfast 0.1.0 Cold breakfast 0.0.9 Hot dinner 0.3.0 Cold dinner 0.1.0 Hot supper 0.1.0 Cold supper 0.0.9 Pasturage 12 hours 0.0.4 Stableage to hay or fodder 12 hours 0.0.9 Oats or Corn per gal. 0.0.6 Loding 1 night 0.0.6 Note: The prices listed were according to the English monetary unit of pounds, shillings and pence, still in use in Kentucky in that day. [*not necessary, I know...but interesting!] In addition to his blacksmithing Benjamin Pile seems to have dabbled a bit in the businses of burying the dead. The records show that on several occasions he was employed by the County Court to "take care of and bury" certain poor persons. See recod of Feb. 7, 1797. Then, too, he was overseer of the road from the Courthouse to the Beech Fork "at John Bullock's" May 2, 1797. Benjamin Pile, according to the inscription on his gravestone, was born in 1766. He died in May or June of the year 1824. Ruth Pile, his wife, was born in 1767 and died in 1827. The value of the personal estate of Benjamin Pile, including Negroes of whom there were 14, was approximately $4,000. (See appraisal 1824.) His son, William, was made administrator and his settlement papers show that he paid Wm. E. Head, of Springfield, $24 to make his father's coffin. Benjamin Pile and Ruth, hiw wife, were the parents of 9 children who lived to survive them. They were: William, m.Polly Janes, July 20, 1801; Samuel, m. Minney Ellison, Sept 4, 1820; Richard, m. Margaret Barlow, Oct 25, 1819; Benjamin, Jr., m. Rhody Weathers, Feb. 28, 1823 [or 1825]; Elizabeth m. John H. Parrott, for sometime a deputy of the Washington County Court, July 28, 1817; Rebecca m. Jacob Barlow Sept 6, 1809; Nancy, a minor at her father's death in 1824 was made the ward of her brother-in-law, John H. Parrott, and m. Isaac Weathers Feb. 28, 1825; Susannah and John (Joseph?) were under age in 1824 and made wards of their brother, William Pile. Benjamin Pile, Jr., son of Benjamin and Ruth, established his home in the vicinity of Maud. His house was one of the largest brick homes erected in this part of Kentucky in that day. Among his children were: A daughter, Emeline m. Robert Bush; and a son, John Henry Pile, m. a Reed. The late J. Wm. Bush was a son of Robert and Eleline Pile Bush. Mrs. Lula Rose Pile Stuhr of San Francisco, Calif., is a granddaughter of John Henry Pile. The third of the earlier Piles was Thomas Pile who was a constable of Washington County in 1797 and a deputy sheriff undre Josiah Wilson in 1801. If any of the readers of this department are in possession of additional data relating to the Pile and kindred families I shall be pleased to have it for use in a future sketch." End of this article...The William Pile who md. in 1801 is also noted as being born in 1791...thus I believe the author of this article had confused that marriage with another William...maybe the one Ron and I are looking for...??? There is a follow-up article which I'll type next. Rachel -- Find out more at: http://www.bright.net/~buzmeyer Wohleben Family Online Reunion -- http://www.bright.net/~buzmeyer/wohleben/index.html Auglaize Co. OH GENWEB Coordinator -- http://www.genweb.brightusa.net/index.html Pickaway Co. OH GENWEB Coordinator -- http://www.rootsweb.com/~ohpickaw/index.html