generations. John O'Harra, the grandfather, was born in Virginia, was an early settler in Franklin County, Ohio, and during the War of 1812 he conducted a hotel at Franklinton. His son Hugh O'Harra, was born in Virginia in 1856 and was but a child when he accompanied his parents to Ohio." (Taken from sketch of grandson John Cochran O'Harra in History of Pickaway County, p. 608).
John (O'Harra) O'Harrow marries Priscilla Slagle, daughter of Jacob and Hannah (Burrill) Slagle in 1791. The Slagle family live on the Potomac River with land holdings both in Maryland and Virginia. There are several O'Harra families in this area where Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia converge. Our John O'Harra could have emerged from any of them.
In an excerpt from Jacob Slagle's will (15 Dec 1800, it reads:
Third, I give and bequeath unto my son Joseph Slagle all that tract of land I bought of Michael Collier, lying in Allegheny County and State of Maryland, and also one other tract of land lying and being in the County and State aforesaid, whereon John O'Hara now lives and which tract of land I bought of James Martin.
It appears as though John O'Harra marries Priscilla Slagle and continues to work on the Slagle land until Old Man Slagle's death-- at which time the land is bequeathed to Priscilla's brother! Time for the family to move on.
There were already a number of Slagle children and many other O'Harra families living in the Ohio country. It made sense for John and Priscilla to follow.
We already know that John and Priscilla O'Harra are operating a hotel in Franklinton, Ohio, by 1812 (thanks to grandson John Cochran O'Harra's sketch).
After the death of Priscilla's mother, son Joseph is sent back to Virginia to collect the remaining inheritance.
John O'Harra is buried in the Reber Hill Cemetery in Pickaway Co., Ohio. The stone read: John O'Harra, died 19 DEC 1832, age 72 years (making his birth year 1760).
Priscilla is buried at the Harrison Township Cemetery, Pickaway County, Ohio. Her inscription reads: Prescilla O'Harra, wife of John O'Harra, died January 9, 1870, age 96 years.
John and Priscilla O'Harra were the parents of ten children. They have many, many descendants in the Pickaway/Franklin county area, throughout Ohio, and the rest of the county.
http://boards.ancestry.com/surnames.oharra/42/mb.ashx
