Josiah Mongar

osiah Mongar was "an early settler in Darke County, Ohio (according to the 1882 Randolph County history book by Ebenezer Tucker) who died in Nebraska in 1874 at ... age ... 80." In partnership with his son-in-law, John D. Carter, who married Maria Mongar, Josiah Mongar bought a woolen Mill in Winchester about 1849. After fire destroyed it about 1851, they moved operations to what became Union City, Darke County, Ohio, erected the first sawmill there in 1852 and also operated a woolen Mill and a dry goods store. Tucker indicates Josiah Mongar also operated a dry goods store at Salem on the Jay-Randolph County line. This may explain how Henry Clay Mongar met Jarusha Ann Cline, whose family lived near Salem in Madison Township, Jay County, Indiana.

Josiah Mongar was among 38 Winchester property owners voting unanimously in 1838 to incorporate. At one time, he also owned and operated the Franklin House, an early Winchester hotel. Josiah Mongar also served as postmaster of Winchester from 1840 to 1844 and was also the Justice of the Peace there.

A Whig, Josiah Mongar headed a "Company of 100 men in uniform" which marched in a rally for William Henry Harrison held at Greenville, Darke County, Ohio, in the 1840 "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too" presidential campaign. A thousand people from Randolph County, Indiana, were among an estimated 100,000 attending the rally.

Josiah Mongar also had a role in founding Union City, which sits astride the Indiana-Ohio line. A Darke County, Ohio History lists him among the property owners who in 1853 ask the Darke County Board of Commissioners to incorporate Union City, Ohio. Randolph County, Indiana, and Darke County, Ohio, histories also indicate that Josiah Mongar made the Ohio side's original plat. (Date of incorporation was Dec. 6,1853 for Union City.)

One History says Josiah Mongar "owned 40 acres now at the center of the Union City, Ohio, corporation on both sides of the railroad. He donated 10 acres to the Bee Line Railroad as grounds for shops, switches, warehouse, etc., and also erected a sawmill about the same time ... on the corner of Division Street and the railroad." Alfred Lenox, who came to Randolph County, Indiana, in mid 1852, identified Josiah Mongar and John D. Carter as among those already "on both sides of the line, but mostly in Ohio" when he arrived.

Union City, Ohio was first platted in 1838; it was platted again in 1853 by Josiah Monger. Surveys were anchored on original 1798 federal government survey. (Interesting article on surveying in the area was written in the newspaper in July 1980). (Source of Information came from Union City, Ohio web site.)

Submitted by Ann Mongar