WILLIAM O. AYER, a prominent citizen of Grass Township, is a native of Hamilton County, Ohio, born April 22, 1827, the fourth in a family of nine children born to Isaiah and Sarah (Mastin) Ayer, who were natives of Maine and Virginia respectively, and who came to Ohio in company with their parents when quite young. The father of Isaiah and grandfather of William was a ship-carpenter by trade, operating the first ship yard west of Pittsburgh and constructing the hulls of some of the first steamboats that ran on the Ohio River in 1812, Isaiah was a farmer by occupation, and William was raised on the farm, where he remained assisting his parents until he attained his majority, receiving a common education, such as the schools of his day afforded. October 15, 1848, he married Mary J. Stanberry, and to them have been born five children, one now living, Robert H., who married Minerva C. Butler. In 1853 he came to Spencer County, Ind., settling on the farm where he now lives, when the entire place was yet in timber, and where he had to clear a place on which to build his cabin. Two years after his removal to this county, he invented the half shovel plow for new ground, out of which grew what is now called the diamond shovel plow. The neighbors, who had with difficulty used the full shovel plow, came from far and near to witness the working of the new patterned plow. He never had it patented, preferring to give his friends the privilege of constructing and using it themselves. Mr. Ayer has made farming his occupation through life, and has been very successful, owning 200 acres of well improved land. He is a stanch Republican in politics, and he and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

SOURCE: History of Warrick, Spencer, and Perry Counties, Indiana : from the earliest time to the present ; together with interesting biographical sketches, reminiscences, notes, etc., Page 527, Publication date 1885, Publisher Chicago : Goodspeed