NOBLE COUNTY OHIO - BIO:  PARRISH, Isaac
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>From the 
The Ohio Biographies Project
http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~usbios/Ohio/mnpg.html
a part of
The U.S. Biographies Project
http://members.tripod.com/~debmurray/usbios/usbiog.html


HON. ISAAC PARRISH, son of Edward Parrish, who settled in Sharon Township
in 1819, was not only the first lawyer who resided within the territory now
forming Noble County, but he was also the first and only resident of the
county who ever held a seat in Congress. He was a man of more than ordinary
ability, and was a shrewd politician. He was considered a good speaker, and
during his public life delivered many public addresses in this and
neighboring counties. He was enterprising and ambitious, somewhat
visionary, and often impractical, but always thoroughly in earnest in
whatever he undertook. He was an early merchant in the village of Sharon
and afterwards was engaged in milling business at the same place. He
projected a railroad which ultimately merged into the old Calico railroad
scheme, by which he and others were heavy losers. He did not devote himself
closely to law practice for any long period, but bore a good reputation in
his profession throughout southeastern Ohio.

Isaac Parrish was born in Belmont County in March, 1804. He was mainly
self-educated. He read law in St. Clairville and was probably admitted to
the bar there. He practiced in Guernsey, Belmont and Morgan Counties; was
elected prosecuting attorney at Cambridge and rose to prominence. In 1838
he was elected to Congress from the Eleventh district, Guernsey County. He
was a candidate for re-election but was defeated by Hon. Benjamin S. Cowen,
of Belmont. He then removed to Morgan County and in 1844 was elected to
Congress over Dr. Perley B. Johnson, the Whig nominee, after a close and
exciting contest. He was active in organizing Noble County, hoping Sharon
might secure the county seat. After his second term in Congress, he devoted
himself mainly to milling business in Morgan and Noble Counties. In 1854 he
removed to Des Moines, Iowa, where he practiced law for a time. He then
went to Harrison County, Iowa, where he died in 1860. He was a Democrat, an
earnest partisan and very popular with his party. He was genial and
agreeable and readily made friends among all classes. He was married in
Belmont County to Rachel Haines, and had a family of four sons and two
daughters that grew to maturity.


History of Noble County, Ohio Published by L.H. Watkins & Co. of Chicago
1887 The Legal Profession


Transcribed by Deb Murray <debmurray@worldnet.att.net>