313 MATTHEW, son of Jacobus (133), was b. June 15, 1788; baptized at New Hackensack, N.Y., on the same day. He m. first, Mary Lennington, Jan. 17, 1811; and, second, Abiah Leonard, Nov. 14, 1819. He d. jan. 4, 1865.
When comparatively a young man he and his brothers, Peter (3140, William (315), and James (320), left their homes in Dutchess County and migrated to Ohio. He and Peter visited several sections of the State, riding up and down the Alum Creek bottoms and were favorably impressed with the general fertility of the soil, but finally concluded to locate where the village of Westerville, in Blandon township, Franklin County, is now situated, so named in honor of this family. This was in 1816.
Tradition has it that they stopped on their way at Granville, in Licking County, which had been already settled by people from Connecticut. Coming as they did from the cold, stony and sterile soil of the Hudson River valley, and hearing of the fertile hills on the Alum Creek, they pressed on, finally returning to their Dutchess County homes to prepare for removal.
As early as 1804 they had bought lands, perhaps through other parties. It is probable that both Matthew and Peter Westervelt made purchases before returning to New York and removing to Ohio, which event occurred in July, 1818. The earliest Methodist society was organized in 1819, and among its first male members were Matthew, Peter and William Westervelt. The first church was of hewed logs, and in 1836 it was decided to erect a brick building, Matthew donating a lot on which the present church is now situated.
This public enterprise was the result of what in those times was called "the great camp-meeting," which was held on the land of Matthew Westervelt, south of where the main building of Otterbein University is at present. As a result of that gathering a new Methodist church was erected costing about $3,500, and the Blendon Young Men's Seminary founded, which was the predecessor of Otterbein University, one of the noted colleges of the State. The seminary was incorporated on Feb. 9, 1839, Matthew Westervelt being one of its first trustees. He gave the school twenty-five acres of land, a part of which is still occupied by the college property and campus. The Westervelts hoped to make the school the leading college of Western Methodism, but, owing to a rival at Delaware, Ohio, the patronage fell off, and in 1847 it was transferred to the United Brethren.
These men and their families were honest, fair-minded, God-fearing people, leaving behind them a good name "which is far to be preferred than great riches." They were hardy pioneers, who faced all the dangers of early frontier life, to carve homes and fertile farms out of the almost untrodden wilderness. In those early days they took an active part in politics, and on coming to