Philander Wiseheart was born on December 29, 1837. He was the son of James and Sarah Wiseheart, the former born March 25, 1807, and the latter born March 7, 1812. On February 10, 1831, they were united in marriage and settled in Fall Creek Township, on government land, near the present site of Mechanicsburg, where they continued to reside all of their active lives. They cleared away the forest and brought the land under cultivation, leading the simple, rugged lives of all early settlers. They were highly respected by their neighbors and were possessed of strong religious convictions. They were consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Wiseheart home was the center of the religious life of the neighborhood and the stopping place for all itinerant ministers, who for the lack of accommodations, often held services at their residence. James Wiseheart seems to have been a man of strong character and public spirit who took a great interest in educational and religious matters and the cause of both was muck benefited by his efforts in the early days of Henry County.
   James and Sarah Wiseheart were the parents of a large family, thirteen children being born to them, namely: Jackson, Mary Ann, Louisa, Willis, Philander, Nelson, George, Melvina, Richmond, Elizabeth, Charity Ann, Volintine and Lorinda. Those still living of this family are: Louisa, now Mrs. Joseph W. Franklin; Charity Ann, now Mrs. John Davis, and Lorinda, now Mrs. Frank McWilliams. All of the children, both living and deceased, except Jackson, who had his residence in Iowa and Georgia for a short time, have resided in Henry County all of their lives, and all of the survivors now live in Fall Creek Township, except Richmond, who is a resident of New Castle. (Richmond later moved to Pasadena, California.
   James Wiseheart, the father, died Oct 2, 1868, but his widow survived him many years, her death taking place on June 29, 1890. They are both buried in the old Mechanicsburg cemetery along with many other Wiseheart family members.