Excerpt from Clarksfield pioneers book

Asa Wheeler, Sr., lived in Connecticut at the time of the war of the Revolution. He was drafted into the army and was put to work as teamster and helped to draw pork to Danbury after the town had been burned by the British, a depot of supplies having been established there by the military authorities. He was only eighteen years old and did not relish army life, so he managed to slip away one morning at sun rise. He was a noted runner and it is related that he reached his home, seventy miles away, at sunset. The officers were never able to catch him again. He came to Trumbull county, Ohio, where his wife died. His son Asa was married to Olive Minor, a sister of Daniel Minor, at Vienna, Trumbull county. In 1818 they came to Clarksfield with one child, Lovina, and the old gentlemen came with them. They settled on a piece of land up the river from the home of Benjamin Stiles, near the bank of the river. He raised his house July 13, 1818. Mr. Wheeler set out an orchard there, which was one of the first orchards in the town, if not the very first. In a few years he and his brother-in-law, Joseph Bartholamew, bought out Levi Barnum, who had built the mill, afterwards known as the "Hayes" mill, on the east branch. The business did not pay well enough for them to meet their obligations and they were glad to sell out to Johnson Wheeler (not a relative.) Mr. Wheeler then lived in different places; indeed, some say that he lived in more different houses than any other man in town. He worked for Captain Husted for some time running the grist mill and lived in a log house near the residence of William Stiles. In 1840 he lived in Wakeman and run the mill there. At the time of his death he lived at the Hollow in the house now owned by Dr. C. H. Foss. His children were Sally Lovina, who married Wheeler Percy and who died in 1897; Bethia, the first white girl born in Clarksfield, whose birthday was Nov. 15, 1818. She died in 1836. Anson W., who married, first, Martha Easterly and second, Amanda (Johnson) Wilson, and who lives in Pennsylvania at present. Lucretia, who married Oliver Dunning and lives in Missouri. Mary Ann, who died in 1869. William W., who married Martha Prosser and who lives in California. Lucy, who married Cyrus Dunning and who lives in Nebraska. Lemuel, who is unmarried and lives in Nebraska. In 1836, Mrs. Wheeler died. He then married Sophia Hill, a sister of Ben Hill. She had a daughter, Betsy Wheeler, who is unmarried and lives with her brother Lemuel. Asa Wheeler died in 1875, eleven days after his wife, at the age of 81. Olive Wheeler’s mother came to live with her and the two old people, Asa Wheeler, Sr., and Mrs. Minor, concluded to get married. They afterward went to Daniel Minor’s to live. Asa Wheeler was living at "Hayesville" before 1826 and his wife is said to have taught the first school in that part of the township, the school being held in their house.