Husband of Ann (Bull) Marshall
Father of Robert T. Marshall
"Early Family Has One Bear of a Tale" by Rosalie Yoakam in her column, History She Wrote, Neighbors Section of "Dayton Daily News", July 24 - 30, 2008:
In 1804, John Marshall was clearing trees and shrubs from Lot No. 193 in Greene County. He had married Ann Bull, a widow. Now it was time to build a house and prepare a garden.
His work was interrupted by the discovery of a bear cub, so young it was barely the size of a cat. The Marshalls decided to raise it as a pet. It would be welcome company since there were few neighbors.
Their cabin, erected on April 27, 1804, was the first built in what was to become the city of Xenia. Their dwelling was located at the corner of present day Third and West Streets.
The pet bear grew to full size and seemed as docile as any dog or cat. Sometimes it stretched by the fireplace in the cabin and slept. Other times it followed John to work as he cleared the land.
When the Marshalls had their first son, Robert T. Marshall, on Sept. 4, 1804, he was the first white child born within the city of Xenia.
One morning Ann Marshall put "Little Robbie" into the cradle and rocked him to sleep. Her husband was near the house planting the spring garden, so she decided to help with the task. Before leaving the cabin she glanced back at the baby tucked in the bed and the bear sleeping nearby.
Absorbed in hoeing the garden patch, time passed quickly for Ann. Suddenly her thoughts returned to the baby, she leaned the hoe against a tree and rushed into the cabin. There she saw the infant's covers thrown on the floor, the cradle empty and the baby and bear missing. She rushed to the door and shouted that both Robbie and the bruin were gone.
John, upon seeing the condition of the room, assumed their confidence in the bear had been misplaced. He seized the rifle from above the door and the parents went on a frantic bear hunt in the nearby woods.
After an unsuccessful search, Ann decided to return to the cabin for a more thorough examination of the room. Looking under the bed she saw something way back underneath. She crawled back and found the bear and Robbie fast asleep, the child clutched to the bear's chest.
Ann slapped the bear's head; it yawned, stretched and let go of the baby. Robbie suffered no ill effects from the event and lived to the age of 72. He died in Urbana on Oct. 25, 1875 and was buried at Massie Creek Church.
The story of this incident likely became an often told family tale. The account recorded in "Robinson's History of Greene County" does not tell what happened to the bear.
You may contact this columnist at [email protected]
Father of Robert T. Marshall
"Early Family Has One Bear of a Tale" by Rosalie Yoakam in her column, History She Wrote, Neighbors Section of "Dayton Daily News", July 24 - 30, 2008:
In 1804, John Marshall was clearing trees and shrubs from Lot No. 193 in Greene County. He had married Ann Bull, a widow. Now it was time to build a house and prepare a garden.
His work was interrupted by the discovery of a bear cub, so young it was barely the size of a cat. The Marshalls decided to raise it as a pet. It would be welcome company since there were few neighbors.
Their cabin, erected on April 27, 1804, was the first built in what was to become the city of Xenia. Their dwelling was located at the corner of present day Third and West Streets.
The pet bear grew to full size and seemed as docile as any dog or cat. Sometimes it stretched by the fireplace in the cabin and slept. Other times it followed John to work as he cleared the land.
When the Marshalls had their first son, Robert T. Marshall, on Sept. 4, 1804, he was the first white child born within the city of Xenia.
One morning Ann Marshall put "Little Robbie" into the cradle and rocked him to sleep. Her husband was near the house planting the spring garden, so she decided to help with the task. Before leaving the cabin she glanced back at the baby tucked in the bed and the bear sleeping nearby.
Absorbed in hoeing the garden patch, time passed quickly for Ann. Suddenly her thoughts returned to the baby, she leaned the hoe against a tree and rushed into the cabin. There she saw the infant's covers thrown on the floor, the cradle empty and the baby and bear missing. She rushed to the door and shouted that both Robbie and the bruin were gone.
John, upon seeing the condition of the room, assumed their confidence in the bear had been misplaced. He seized the rifle from above the door and the parents went on a frantic bear hunt in the nearby woods.
After an unsuccessful search, Ann decided to return to the cabin for a more thorough examination of the room. Looking under the bed she saw something way back underneath. She crawled back and found the bear and Robbie fast asleep, the child clutched to the bear's chest.
Ann slapped the bear's head; it yawned, stretched and let go of the baby. Robbie suffered no ill effects from the event and lived to the age of 72. He died in Urbana on Oct. 25, 1875 and was buried at Massie Creek Church.
The story of this incident likely became an often told family tale. The account recorded in "Robinson's History of Greene County" does not tell what happened to the bear.
You may contact this columnist at [email protected]
Husband of Ann (Bull) Marshall
Father of Robert T. Marshall
"Early Family Has One Bear of a Tale" by Rosalie Yoakam in her column, History She Wrote, Neighbors Section of "Dayton Daily News", July 24 - 30, 2008:
In 1804, John Marshall was clearing trees and shrubs from Lot No. 193 in Greene County. He had married Ann Bull, a widow. Now it was time to build a house and prepare a garden.
His work was interrupted by the discovery of a bear cub, so young it was barely the size of a cat. The Marshalls decided to raise it as a pet. It would be welcome company since there were few neighbors.
Their cabin, erected on April 27, 1804, was the first built in what was to become the city of Xenia. Their dwelling was located at the corner of present day Third and West Streets.
The pet bear grew to full size and seemed as docile as any dog or cat. Sometimes it stretched by the fireplace in the cabin and slept. Other times it followed John to work as he cleared the land.
When the Marshalls had their first son, Robert T. Marshall, on Sept. 4, 1804, he was the first white child born within the city of Xenia.
One morning Ann Marshall put "Little Robbie" into the cradle and rocked him to sleep. Her husband was near the house planting the spring garden, so she decided to help with the task. Before leaving the cabin she glanced back at the baby tucked in the bed and the bear sleeping nearby.
Absorbed in hoeing the garden patch, time passed quickly for Ann. Suddenly her thoughts returned to the baby, she leaned the hoe against a tree and rushed into the cabin. There she saw the infant's covers thrown on the floor, the cradle empty and the baby and bear missing. She rushed to the door and shouted that both Robbie and the bruin were gone.
John, upon seeing the condition of the room, assumed their confidence in the bear had been misplaced. He seized the rifle from above the door and the parents went on a frantic bear hunt in the nearby woods.
After an unsuccessful search, Ann decided to return to the cabin for a more thorough examination of the room. Looking under the bed she saw something way back underneath. She crawled back and found the bear and Robbie fast asleep, the child clutched to the bear's chest.
Ann slapped the bear's head; it yawned, stretched and let go of the baby. Robbie suffered no ill effects from the event and lived to the age of 72. He died in Urbana on Oct. 25, 1875 and was buried at Massie Creek Church.
The story of this incident likely became an often told family tale. The account recorded in "Robinson's History of Greene County" does not tell what happened to the bear.
You may contact this columnist at [email protected]
Father of Robert T. Marshall
"Early Family Has One Bear of a Tale" by Rosalie Yoakam in her column, History She Wrote, Neighbors Section of "Dayton Daily News", July 24 - 30, 2008:
In 1804, John Marshall was clearing trees and shrubs from Lot No. 193 in Greene County. He had married Ann Bull, a widow. Now it was time to build a house and prepare a garden.
His work was interrupted by the discovery of a bear cub, so young it was barely the size of a cat. The Marshalls decided to raise it as a pet. It would be welcome company since there were few neighbors.
Their cabin, erected on April 27, 1804, was the first built in what was to become the city of Xenia. Their dwelling was located at the corner of present day Third and West Streets.
The pet bear grew to full size and seemed as docile as any dog or cat. Sometimes it stretched by the fireplace in the cabin and slept. Other times it followed John to work as he cleared the land.
When the Marshalls had their first son, Robert T. Marshall, on Sept. 4, 1804, he was the first white child born within the city of Xenia.
One morning Ann Marshall put "Little Robbie" into the cradle and rocked him to sleep. Her husband was near the house planting the spring garden, so she decided to help with the task. Before leaving the cabin she glanced back at the baby tucked in the bed and the bear sleeping nearby.
Absorbed in hoeing the garden patch, time passed quickly for Ann. Suddenly her thoughts returned to the baby, she leaned the hoe against a tree and rushed into the cabin. There she saw the infant's covers thrown on the floor, the cradle empty and the baby and bear missing. She rushed to the door and shouted that both Robbie and the bruin were gone.
John, upon seeing the condition of the room, assumed their confidence in the bear had been misplaced. He seized the rifle from above the door and the parents went on a frantic bear hunt in the nearby woods.
After an unsuccessful search, Ann decided to return to the cabin for a more thorough examination of the room. Looking under the bed she saw something way back underneath. She crawled back and found the bear and Robbie fast asleep, the child clutched to the bear's chest.
Ann slapped the bear's head; it yawned, stretched and let go of the baby. Robbie suffered no ill effects from the event and lived to the age of 72. He died in Urbana on Oct. 25, 1875 and was buried at Massie Creek Church.
The story of this incident likely became an often told family tale. The account recorded in "Robinson's History of Greene County" does not tell what happened to the bear.
You may contact this columnist at [email protected]
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