Joshua Gatch Redkey, one of the most prominent and progressive farmers of Paint township and influentially identified with the educational and agricultural interests of Highland county, comes of a widely distributed and strongly connected family.
As far back as 1808 Adam and Mary (Davis) Redkey came to Ohio with their seven children and settled on the west bank of Rattlesnake creek, in Paint township. The father bought land and made one payment, but on his way to Pennsylvania in 1810 to secure money to complete the purchase he was stricken with fever and died. His five sons, whose names were Joshua, John, Jacob, Adam and George, all became land owners and citizens of influence, whose descendants are intermarried with the strongest familes of Paint township. They had been reared as Methodists and eventually became identified with the Abolitionists, Adam being in later years one of the conductors of the underground railroad.
Joshua Redkey left a son named Daniel, who was born in Paint township September 19, 1819, and married Mary, daughter of John Glaze, who settled in Brush Creek township about the year 1811.
Daniel Redkey lived in Marshall township from 1844 until 1874, and became the owner there of about 230 acres of land. Later he purchased from James Carothers a farm in Paint township of 195 acres, where he spent the remainder of his days. He was prominent in connection with township affairs, active in Methodist church circles and a stockholder in the female college at Hillsboro. He died January 17, 1878, as a result of an injury received from a falling scaffold while engaged in building a barn. The two children resulting from his union with Mary Glaze are Martha, now the widow of Joel Brown of Paint township, and Joshua Gatch Redkey. The latter was born in Marshall township, Highland county, Ohio, February 3rd, 1856, gre up on the farm and received his education in the district schools. He was nineteen years olf when the change of residence was made to Paint township and he carried on the business of the farm in conjunction with his father until the latter's death.
Since that event he has had supervision of the 425 acres of land left by his father, which he has managed with great skill and energy and much improved in every way. He ranks as one of the most enterprising of Paint township's successful farmers, paying especial attention to the breeding of Poland-China swine, the polled Durham cattle and other fine stock.
In former years Mr.Redkey wrote a good deal for the agricultural papers, and he has always been an advocate of higher education, especially among the agricultural classes.
He was one of the organizers of Paint Township Farmers' institute, of which he was president three years and is now vice-president. He has also long been conspicuous in connection with the Knights of Pythias, being the author of the first by-laws written for the lodge at Rainsboro, is a charter member of lodge No. 453 at Rainsboro and has instituted or assisted in instituting nine different lodges of the Knights of Pythias. From 1894 until 1893 he was representative of the grand lodge of this fraternity, has served as district and county deputy and for seven years was keeper of records and seals. He was also president of the township school board for a number of years.
February 11, 1881, Mr.Redkey was married to Amanda, daughter of Davis H. Lucas, a member of one of the oldest and most substantial of Marshall township families. She died April 5, 1902. The household now consists of his aged mother, who has been an invalid for six years, and two children, Clarence E. and Stanley R. Mr. Redkey is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he has been recording steward for fourteen consecutive years.
Source: The County of Highland: A
History of Highland County, Ohio, from the Earliest Days, with Special
Chapters on the Bench and Bar, Medical Profession, Educational
Development, Industry and Agriculture, and Biographical Sketches, Vol 2 – by Rev. J. W. Klise, A. E. Hough, Editor. Madison, Wis. Northwestern Historical Association. 1902.
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03 Dec 2014 update
