Descendants of "Old" Job Smith and Allied Families

Edward W. Osburn's church assignments in Ohio

2011-03-20T17:27:00.000-07:00

Edward's church in Wadsworth, Ohio. He was assigned there from 1900 to about 1902.

Edward's church in Shreve, Ohio, 1902 - about 1905.

Counter

2011-02-28T10:39:00.001-08:00

Counter on 2/28/2011 = 118.
Counter on 4/10/2011 = 292.
Counter on 5/23/2011 = 413.
Counter on 12/29/2011=847.

Harmon Osburn - Abt. 1870 or before

2011-02-28T10:24:00.000-08:00

Here's another photograph of Harmon Osburn, probably 1870 or earlier. The back of the photo states it was taken in Rushville, Indiana. Harmon and his family moved from Rush County to Greencastle in 1870 - that's the basis for the dating. The photo image was kindly given to me by my cousin Kay Osburn, Harmon's great-granddaughter.

Children of Don Eugene and Alma Lawson Osburn (or Osborn)

2011-01-25T07:51:00.000-08:00

Well, I don't know why I've perseverated on finding Don Eugene Osburn (or Osborn or Osborne, or maybe Osburne), and his children, other than, I guess, trying to find out about the descendants of my great-x2-grandparents, Harmon and Eliza Packard Osburn.

Having deduced that Eugene's eldest child, Dorothy Day Osburn, had married Claude Sipes, I "googled" Dorothy Sipes and found the obituary of Grace "Patches" Osborn Hiddleson at http://cagenweb.com/yolo/yolobits/hi.htm , search on "Hiddleson" - Dorothy Sipes was a sister who had predeceased Grace. Grace Hiddleson clearly must have been Eugene and Alma Lawson Osburn's youngest child. She died only a few years ago at age 97 - as I was on my "quest". How I wish I had had the opportunity to talk with her.

I then learned that David Osborn (Osburn with an "O") had died in the late 1940s in New York. I was noodling around records for another Osburn, and ran across David Eugene Osborn on a list of burials at veterans cemetery gravesites. I know that David was in the U. S. Navy. So I searched a veterans cemetery gravesite locator, and found, under "Osburn" with a "U": David Eugene Osburn, Ch Com Steward, U.S. Navy, World War II, date of death 5/24/1950, buried at Section H, site 11086, Long Island National Cemetery, 2040 Wellwood Avenue, Farmingdale, NY 11735. No additional information. But I think this must be "my" David Osburn - my second cousin once removed.

Claude and Dorothy Day Osburn Sipes

2011-01-23T08:58:00.000-08:00

My great-grandfather, Edward W. Osburn, listed the children of his brother, Benjamin Franklin Osburn. They included Don Eugene Osburn (1866 – 1951).

Eugene was a missionary. His first wife was Amy Lawson, who died in 1908 in India about a month after giving birth to her third child.

Eugene and Amy’s first child was Dorothy Day Osburn, born 1899 in Louisiana, shortly after they had returned from their work in Liberia, Africa. Eugene and Amy were living with his parents, Benjamin Franklin and Mary Torr Osburn, in Indiana when the 1900 U. S. Federal Census was taken. Dorotha D. (sic) is listed in Benjamin and Mary’s household. Dorothy is again listed in Benjamin and Mary’s household on the 1910 census, absent Eugene, who was then living in California, and, of course, her late mother. Thereafter I had found no record of her, and assumed she had died.

My cousin Melvin Praiswater sent me the two pictures exhibited here, and from the inscriptions on the back, it became obvious that the reason Dorothy “disappeared” (she didn’t know she’d disappeared) from the record (the record searchable on today’s internet) was that she had married Claude Sipes. I understand they lived most of their lives in Arizona, but I have no knowledge of their subsequent life together.

It was then that I was able to trace Eugene and Amy’s youngest daughter, Grace Alma Osburn (or Osborn as she spelled it), by “googling” Dorothy Sipes. I think I see the subject of another post…

It's Osburn, with a "U"

2011-01-23T08:42:00.000-08:00

The name "Osburn" has been spelled variously as "Osborn", "Osborne", "Osburn", "Osburne". One Osburn researcher wrote to me:

"As a comment on the name spelling, I have numerous instances in which the father and the son spell the surname differently. That is in addition to a 150 year old letter written in the hand of one of my family members in which he spells his surname three different ways--all in the course of a two-page letter. It's no wonder there is considerable confusion about the "correct" spelling of the name, or when it may have changed."

My great-x2-grandfather, Harmon Osburn, spelled his name with a "U", as did my grandfather Edward Walker Osburn and my granduncle Benjamin Franklin Osburn.

Here are examples of how Harmon, Edward, and Benjamin Osburn signed their name - Osburn:

Harmon Osburn:Benjamin Osburn:Edward Walker Osburn

Edward W. Osburn and Mary Osburn Adkinson

2010-11-28T19:31:00.000-08:00

My cousin very kindly gave me access to her old family photographs, which included this picture postcard of brother and sister, Edward Walker Osburn and Mary Almira Osburn Adkinson, taken in Atlanta in 1905. You'll find write-ups of Mary Adkinson and Edward W. Osburn, including other pictures, in previous posts.

2010-09-27T08:39:00.000-07:00

I've found this website by Ron Salzman - http://www.e-familytree.net/surnames.htm - that enumerates some of my Smith and Lindley ancestors surnames. As stated by the compiler, "It is important to understand: This is SPECULATIVE DATA. Most of it is unverified. Use it for hints and pointers, but DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH!"

Information regarding (referencing, here, the weblinks to Mr. Salzman's webspages) David Smith (http://www.e-familytree.net/f11221.htm#f134649), descendants of his son James Smith (http://www.e-familytree.net/f14077.htm#f134453) via his son Arnold Smith, Captain James Lindley and his ancestry (http://www.e-familytree.net/f4963.htm#f137100), and others can be found at my website at http://oldjobsmith.com

Benjamin Franklin Osburn and Mary Torr Osburn

2010-07-25T15:02:00.001-07:00

Benjamin Franklin Osburn was the second child of Harmon and Eliza Packard Osburn. He was born October 29, 1834 in Ohio, probably in Clermont County. The family moved to Rush County, Indiana in 1836 or 1837. "He was educated in the common schools and Asbury University, from which he graduated in the early sixties. He paid his way through college by teaching." [Source: E. W. Osburn, Benjamin's brother] "[A]t the age of eighty [he] could still read his Latin and Greek." [Source: Mabel Osburn, Benjamin's niece] "After graduation he bought and moved to a farm of 160 acres four miles east of Indianapolis just south of which was founded the town of Irvington." [E. W. Osburn]

He married Mary Torr, daughter of James and Leah Torr, November 3, 1865 in Putnam County, Indiana. [Ancestry.com, Indiana Marriage Collection 1800-1941]. Mary Torr was born in February, 1846 [her age is listed as 14 years on the 1860 census for the James and Leah Torr household in Madison Township, Putnam County, Indiana; and her month and date of birth are the 1870 census for the Benjamin Osburn household in Warren Township, Marion County, Indiana]. She died after 1920 [she is listed on the 1920 census for Imperial County, California, living in Don Eugene Osburn's household, aged 73].

Benjamin and Mary Torr Osburn resided in "a rude log house in which they lived for many years. They celebrated their golden wedding in 1915 in the new house built of boulders which had been gathered from the farm. A remarkably fine residence taking the place of the log cabin first built." [E. W. Osburn]

"He was a very earnest worker in the Roberts' Parks M. E. Church, Indianapolis. Afterward he moved his membership to Irvington, where he was founder of the first M. E. Church and first superintendent of the Sunday School. He died [June 26, 1919 at Colorado Springs, Colorado] at the age of eighty-four and was buried at Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis. [E. W. Osburn]

HTML clipboard[See also: Ancestry.com, Indiana Marriage Collection 1800-1941]. Mary Torr was born in February, 1846 [her age is listed as 14 years on the 1860 census for the James and Leah Torr household in Madison Township, Putnam County, Indiana; and her month and date of birth are the 1870 census for the Benjamin Osburn household in Warren Township, Marion County, Indiana]. She died after 1920 [she is listed on the 1920 census for Imperial County, California, living in Don Eugene Osburn's household, aged 73].

Harmon and Eliza Packard Osburn

2010-06-05T14:27:00.000-07:00

Harmon Osburn was born June 3, 1812 in Clermont County, Ohio; died June 6, 1883 in Noblesville, Indiana; and is buried in Crownland Cemetery, Noblesville, Indiana. His parents were Benjamin Osburn (1785-1832) and Ruth Duckett (1783-1868). [1]

He married Elizabeth "Eliza" Jane Packard on April 26, 1832 in Clermont County, Ohio. [2] Their youngest son, Edward Walker Osburn, wrote in 1927: "They began housekeeping in a one room log cabin, with a split log floor, near Milford, Clermont County, Ohio.... Father had made a bedstead, a table and two chairs and put them in the cabin, which made it a ready furnished house. Mother had made a bed tick, which she and father filled at a neighbor’s straw stack. Mother had plenty of bed clothes made by her own hands. All furniture and furnishings paid for, they slept at home the first night. Father had fifty cents and a pocket knife. Father was not of his freedom on his wedding day. The next morning after the wedding, both went away to work, Father at fifty cents a day to accumulate money, Mother worked for clothing material and food to take home.... It was agreed that they would never go in debt - if they could not pay then they would do without. To this agreement they adhered without a break, strictly."

"While living there, three children were born; viz, Hannah Packard, April 19, 1833; Benjamin Franklin, October 29, 1834; Anna, October 16, 1835".

“In the year 1836 or 1837 [Harmon Osburn] with his family moved to Rush County, Jackson Township, Indiana, where he entered 160 acres of land, paying the government $1.25 per acre.... Here were born six children: John Wesley, April 29, 1839; Mary Almira and Sarah Elizabeth, July 28, 1843; Martha Jane, December 25, 1848; William Henry, December 22, 1850; Edward Walker, June 24, 1854."

"They made the trip in a wagon drawn by an old mare twenty-two years of age and a year old colt. Closest neighbor was about one and one-fourth miles through very heavy timber - here Mother found work weaving and spinning for which she received raw material for clothing and food stuff for the home. A one large room house was soon erected, puncheon flooring (split logs), home made shingles, log frame and finishing. After the days work and the children were in bed, father and mother worked in the clearing, felling trees and sawing them into lengths, ready for the log-rolling, piling and burning brush, often working until midnight. By spring they were ready for crop planting. When winter came they were quite prepared with food and feed. When we left the farm (1870) the first house was still doing duty as a hen house."

"No better buildings and other improvements within many miles. No finer stock of all kinds in the county - nor was there better machinery or greater yields in the fields. The first mower and harvester were on our farm. The first sewing machine and washer were in our house. Father was many years ahead of his day as a farmer - with diversity of crops, home made fertilizers, drainage, deep plowing and thorough cultivation, his farm increased in productiveness each year. Seldom was a load of grain, except wheat and flax, sold from the place - all went into stock."

In the fall of 1870 Harmon and Eliza and the three younger children moved from the farm to Greencastle, Indiana, the seat of Asbury University, afterward DePauw. In December 1882, Harmon and Eliza moved from Greencastle to Noblesville, Indiana, where a beautiful new house was nearly completed when Harmon Osburn died on June 6, 1883. Eliza Packard Osburn died June 19, 1887, Mares Hill, Indiana, at the home of her son-in-law and daughter, Rev. Lewis Gould Adkinson and Mary Almira Osburn Adkinson. Harmon and Eliza Packard Osburn are buried in Crownpoint Cemetery, Noblesville, Indiana, "near the south west corner of the cemetery, just to the left of the first, or west entrance."

Edward W. Osburn, the youngest child, wrote that Harmon Osburn "converted and joined the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1830. From the date of his conversion until 1883 he was almost continuously an official member and religious leader." Mabel Meredith Osburn Smith, Harmon Osburn's grand-daughter, remembered: "Grandpa led the singing. He wouldn't allow an organ in the church, though he had an organ in his own home. And it was said that at all political meetings in the county he offered prayer. He wouldn't let any political meeting begin unless he opened it with prayer. At that time, there would be three or four churches in a circuit, and one minister to those four churches, and they would go from one church to another, preaching on Sunday mornings, and evenings, and once a quarter they would have what they called a quarterly meeting, and the members from the different churches would meet at one church. And when they met at the church the Osburns attended, Grandpa and the owner of the farm next to him stood one on each side of the door, and as the visitors came out first one and then the other would ask that family to go with him for dinner. So the Osburn barn lot would be full of buggies and wagons, and there would be maybe thirty or forty guests for dinner. Grandma of course had been cooking most of the week, getting ready for all of these people to come to that dinner."

“The use of intoxicants, tobacco and profanity strictly prohibited on the farm and the law was enforced at all times. Even preachers were not allowed to use by-words. Family worship twice a day - visitors, strangers, busy crop times never hindered. Mother's private place of prayer was in the parlor, from which she often came shouting and with glory on her face. Father had his private prayer closet in the barn, he never shouted, but he did sing. They were church attendants, sometimes the roads were bad, sometimes they were good, mostly bad, there was rain and snow and heat and cold, no matter they went to church. So did all the children. If there were visitors they went along. It was only two and one-half miles to the church."

Edward W. Osburn: “As far as I know, neither ever told a lie, not even a little white lie, they never exaggerated, nor misrepresented. In truthfulness, brotherly kindness, love, piety, and down-right godliness and dependability they were the real article....”

References

1. Benjamin Osburn: Born September 17, 1785, died October 30, 1832, buried in Greenlawn Cemetery, Milford, Ohio. Married Ruth Duckett on March 19, 1806. Ruth Duckett (or possibly Ducket or Dusket): Born 17 January 1783, died 16 October 1868.

2. Elizabeth "Eliza" Jane Packard: Born February 16, 1811, Middletown, Delaware; died June 19, 1887, Moores Hill, Indiana; buried in Crownpoint Cemetery, Noblesville, Indiana. She was the daughter of Henry Packard (1784-1853) and Anna Rebecca Briley (1788-1824).

Mary Almira Osburn

2010-06-05T14:16:00.000-07:00

Mary Almira Osburn and her twin sister, Sarah E. Osburn, were born July 28, 1843, in Rush County, Indiana. They were the fifth and sixth children born to Harmon and Eliza Packard Osburn. Sarah died April 19, 1847, age five years.

According to Edward W. Osburn, the youngest of the Osburn children: "After finishing the public school Mary went to a girls seminary (Whitewater College) at Centerville, Indiana, where she graduated." She married Rev. Lewis Gould Adkinson on July 18, 1863, at the home of her parents. Rev. Adkinson "was pastor on the Carthage circuit and had boarded for some time at the Osburn home. He was a member of the South East Indiana Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church and became a very popular preacher and in his later years an educator." Mary Osburn Adkinson accompanied her husband through assignments in Southeastern Indiana, including his appointment as President of Moores Hill College (predecessor institution of the University of Evansville, Indiana) from 1882 to 1887; President of the University of New Orleans (predecessor institution of Dillard University) from 1887 to 1900; and President of Gammon Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia from 1900 until his death in 1906.

Mary A. Adkinson's biography appears in: Willard FE and Livermore MA. American Women. Fifteen Hundred Biographies with over 1,400 Portraits. New York: Mast, Crowell and Kirkpatrick, 1897, Volume 1, page 8. "She began her married life as a pastor's wife in Laurel, Indiana. Removing to Madison, she was four times elected president of the Madison district association of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Since 1873 she has actively engaged in temperance work, and is now (1897) superintendent of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union among the colored people in the State of Louisiana. Mrs. Adkinson is also matron and teacher of sewing and dressmaking in New Orleans University, over which her husband presides." The Yearbooks of New Orleans University listed Mary A. (Osburn) Adkinson in a variety of disciplines relating to homemaking and domestic life. Initially, she was "Preceptress, Sewing, Dressmaking, and Cooking." In 1894-1895 she was "Matron, Industrial Department."

After the death of her husband, Mary A. (Osburn) Adkinson lived in Jacksonville, Florida with her son-in-law and daughter, Edwin and Fannie Adkinson Zeigler. From 1909 to 1917 she was President of the Jacksonville, Florida W.T.C.U. She died June 29, 1918, and is buried with her husband and their two sons, Albert Reed Adkinson and Rufus Harmon Adkinson, in West View Cemetery, Atlanta, Georgia.

Names on the Benjamin Osburn webpage

2010-05-02T11:44:00.000-07:00

I'm posting names, here, of persons whose names appear on the Benjamin Osburn page of my genealogy website. If any of the following names are part of your research interest, and you think we might be related, please send me an email. I apologize for the capitalization. If they can be globally converted to small letters, I'd like to know how.

BENJAMIN OSBURN, EBENEZER OSBURN, FANNIE ELSTUN, DAVID OSBURN, PRECOSIA GATCH, RUTH DUCKETT, MAHALA OSBURN, THOMAS MORRIS, PRESTON MORRIS, DELILAH OSBURN, HARMON OSBURN, PRESTON OSBURN, TILLMAN OSBURN, MARY ANN OSBURN, WILLIAM HENRY MCGREW, ELIZABETH JANE PACKARD, HANNAH PACKARD OSBURN, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN OSBURN, ANNA OSBURN, JOHN WESLEY OSBURN, MARY ALMIRA OSBURN, WILLIAM HENRY OSBURN, EDWARD WALKER OSBURN, ISAAC REED, SARAH E. REED, WILLIAM W. REED, RACHEL A. REED, HARMON OSBURN REED, JOHN H. REED, BENJAMIN E. REED, MARY JANE REED, OLIVER LINCOLN REED, LAURA B. REED, EDITH LILLIAN REED, FRANK A. REED, ETTA P. REED, MARY TORR, DON EUGENE OSBURN, ROXIE GERTRUDE OSBURN, CARL C. OSBURN, ROSE E. LARSH,GRACE M. OSBURN, ELIJAH BILLINGS , BESSIE BILLINGS, EDWIN BURTON, EDWARD BILLINGS, JOHN WESLEY OSBURN, JULIET JOHNSON, JOYCE F. RICHARDS MD, LIDA HOWARD, ISA DOLORES REED, CARRIE LEE OSBURN, ESTELLE OSBURN, MARY ALMIRA OSBURN, WILLIAM HENRY OSBURN, MARY FRANCES BLANCHE, EDNA BLANCHE OSBURN, FERN FRANCIS OSBURN, EDWARD WALKER OSBURN, FLORENCE "FANNIE" HOBSON, ELSIE DINSMORE HARD, MARY JANE REED, WILLIAM ISSAC FRAZIER, OLIVER LINCOLN REED, ANNA STACEY VANDENBARK, CONNIE CLARE REED, MELVIN ISSAC REED, MYRON CONRAD REED, EDITH LILLIAN REED, GENEVA BOOHER, LANE BOOHER, MILDRED EDITH BOOHER, ALETHEIA HAMILTON, ALETHEIA OSBURN, ELLIS MOULDER LEARNER JR, KARL OSBURN LEARNER, WILLIAM ISSAC FRAZIER, MARY GENEVA FRAZIER, MELVIN ISSAC REED, MYRON CONRAD, GENEVA BOOHER, JERROLD BOOHER, MILDRED EDITH BOOHER, KATHERINE FRANCES LEARNER

Edward Foss Osburn, third surviving child of Edward Walker Osburn and Fannie Florence Hobson Osburn

2009-09-15T12:45:00.000-07:00

In July, I visited my cousins in Texas, one on the Smith side, and one on the Osburn side of the family. From my Osburn cousin, I learned about my grand-uncle, Edward Foss Osburn (1894-1969). I never had the honor of meeting him, and as I look back on his life and the pictures my cousin allowed me to copy, I regret not having had the opportunity to do so.

I list here names of persons added to the website. I don’t know how deeply the web-crawlers dig into subordinate web pages, but I do know that they index the blogs, so this is a logical place to list names. I know this works, as I was contacted by a lawyer in San Antonio, Texas, regarding my grand-aunt, Esther Florence Osburn (Edward’s sister) who died in 1983.. The lawyer was cleaning out records of a retired partner, and had one of Esther’s photograph albums to dispose of. This blog became their only source for identifying a relative. Esther had no children. So I became the recipient of the photograph album. Regretfully, there was nothing additional in it to what I already know. I’ll scan the album, eventually, and add it to the website.

Names now added to the website are: Edward Foss Osburn, Vivian Combacker, Marie Combacker, Gratia Combacker, Albert Combacker, John Combacker, William Ferlein, Marianne Ferlein, Lewis Brown, Ada Frances Brown, Frances J. Simonds, Samuel Simonds, Mary Coit. Go to my website, Descendants of "Old" Job Smith. Click on Benjamin Osburn and His Descendants, then scroll down to Descendant No. 18, Edward Foss Osburn. There is a link to the “Ancestors of Vivian Combacker” under Edward’s entry. From the entry page, there are links to photo galleries of Edward Foss Osburn and the ancestors of Vivian Combacker Osburn.

More to come – on the William Arnold Smith family, my great-grandfather’s younger brother, who moved to Texas.

Rev. Louis G. Adkinson, Second President of Gammon Theological Seminary

2009-07-15T16:41:00.000-07:00

Continuing my search for additional information on Reverend Louis G. Adkinson, I went to the Yale University library June 30, 2009, to access the doctoral thesis of Prince Albert Taylor, Jr., on the history of Gammon Theological Seminary, where Rev. Adkinson was president of the faculty from 1901 until his death on January 19, 1906: Taylor, Prince Albert Jr. A History of Gammon Theological Seminary. Submitted in partial fulfillment for the degree of Doctor of Education in the School of Education of New York University, 1948. University Microfilms, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Doctoral Dissertation Series. Publication no. 1155. Quoting from Dr. Taylor's thesis:

Gammon Theological Seminary was “...the first endowed institution in the South sponsored by what was then known as the Methodist Episcopal Church. Since most white Methodists in the South were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, the act of the Methodist Episcopal Church in supporting a Negro professional school is of particular significance.” [1] The Gammon School of Theology was founded under the auspices of Clark University in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1883, pursuant to a donation for that purpose by Elijah H. Gammon. Elijah H. Gammon was an industrialist from Maine. He was "reared as a typical Yankee lad. After a Maine farm childhood, he ‘was converted at the age of seventeen, became a school teacher at nineteen, and entered the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal Church at twenty-four.’ Because of poor health, Elijah Gammon was forced to give up the ministry, and enter the field of industry. In the manufacture of harvesting machinery, he amassed a fortune…Clark University itself had been moved in 1881 to a spot upon five hundred acres of land overlooking the city of Atlanta, and purchased by the Freedmen’s Aid Society…It was at the campus of this school that Bishop (Henry W.) Warren had resided when he met Elijah Gammon.” Gammon provided $20,000 for the establishment of a chair of theology. On May 12, 1883, Gammon Hall’s cornerstone was laid. Gammon Hall was formally dedicated December 1883. Rev. Wilbur P. Thirkield was elected Dean of the School in June 1883. The school became independent in 1888. On February 23, 1888, the application for charter of the independent unit, formerly the Theological Department of Clark University, was formally presented. Dean Thirkield became Gammon’s first president. The name of the institution was formally changed to Gammon Theological Seminary on January 30, 1889. Elijah Gammon died July 3, 1891. [2]

Gammon’s first president, Dr. W. P. Thirkield presented his resignation to the Board of Trustees on January 3, 1900. A faculty administration was decided upon for the interim period. This was a rotation of professors in order of seniority for the post of faculty chairman. In May 1901, Rev. Louis G. Adkinson became Gammon’s second president.

Dr. Taylor writes: “From 1901 – the year of his inauguration – Dr. Adkinson (white) was employed in the capacity of president until his death in 1905. {He died January 19, 1906.} Although Dr. Adkinson served Gammon faithfully and well in all his administrative duties, the three most important factors evident in his administration were:

1. continual contact with the various conferences;

2. their enlightenment upon the work, the aims and the needs of the Seminary;

3. a furtherance of facilities for aid to students in need of financial assistance.

“With the idea of carrying out the first policy, funds were appropriated especially to help the president and the members of the faculty to be present at as many as possible of the various local and annual conferences. When the necessary monies were made available for this purpose, it became possible for Gammon to be adequately represented at these gatherings. In this way, the school’s policies, program and the essential needs in the physical pursuance of its endeavors could be made known to all persons interested in Negro theological and educational work.

“Insofar as greater aid to financially needy students was concerned, several efforts had been made and were being carried out in this direction. As a further step in helping such students and prospective students who could not enter the Seminary or continue to carry on in their work without financial assistance, Adkinson recommended that five hundred dollars of the appropriation for general expenditures of the school be spent in the form of donations for students. His plan, presented to the Board of Trustees in 1902, was subsequently passed and adopted. He and the faculty were thus enabled to determine the worthy recipients of necessary aid.

“Specifically the plan stated that thirty dollars was to be the maximum allowed any one particular student. In return for this grant, the aided student would be expected to remain in attendance at the school for a minimum of six months of the session during which he received the loan. Any recipient of the donation also was asked not to use any other form of school loan in meeting his obligations to the school. President Adkinson was instructed by his Board of Trustees to advise the Cincinnati Board concerning specific phases of the school loan.

“By this expanded program of student aid, a large number of students were given a ministerial training which might otherwise have been impossible because of their financial circumstances.” [3]

Rev. Louis G. Adkinson died on January 19, 1906. He was succeeded as president of Gammon Theological Seminary by Dr. John Wesley Bowen on October 12, 1906.

“Doctors Thirkield, Adkinson, Bowen and Idleman, the men who served as Gammon’s executive administrative officers from the time of the school’s origin as a department of Clark University, to the first European War (1914), could actually be called the pioneer presidents of the Seminary. These men piloted her course through the most dangerous years of her existence, when misstep either in the moral, physical or educational factors of the school’s growth might have fatally retarded her progress.”

“The faculty administered the school’s program for a year before Dr. Adkinson took over the reins. His direct contribution to the Seminary were plans for increased participation of the school’s representatives at the various conferences; and a student loan fund of five hundred dollars, independent of all other student donations. This latter enabled many who would have been unable to avail themselves of the Seminary’s faculties, to participate in its training programs.” [4]

[1] Page 7
[2] Pages 31-32
[3] Pages 78-80
[4] Pages 96-97

Descendants of Joseph Adkinson

2009-06-30T20:16:00.000-07:00

My friend Ruth Adkinson has started to put her genealogical research on her website, Descendants of Joseph Adkinson. (My interest: The genealogy includes my great-granduncle-in-law, Lewis Gould Adkinson, and his wife, my great-grandaunt, Mary Almira Osburn.) Thus far, persons included are:

Abraham Adkinson; Albert Reed Adkinson; Alva Wilson Adkinson; Alva Cassel Adkinson; Amanda J Adkinson; Ann E Adkinson; Arthur Edwin Adkinson; Austin Chester Adkinson; Blanche Adkinson; Cassel Wesley Adkinson; Clarissa A Adkinson; Cora May Adkinson; Earl Adkinson; Effa Adkinson; Elizabeth Adkinson; Elizabeth Adkinson; Elmer Williams Adkinson; Elvia Adkinson; Elvira Adkinson; Emma Adkinson; Ethel Adkinson; Fannie Adkinson; Frances; Francis Adkinson; Frank Adkinson; Frank William Adkinson; Gertrude Adkinson; Hanabel Adkinson; Harold W Adkinson; Henry Adkinson; Henry Ward Beecher Adkinson; Herbert Mayne Adkinson; Hugh Adkinson; Irene Adkinson; Irwin D Adkinson; Isabelle Adkinson; James C Adkinson; Jennie May Adkinson; John Adkinson; John Buford Adkinson; John L Adkinson; Joseph Adkinson; Julia Adkinson; Laura Adkinson; Laura Ruth Adkinson; Lavina C Adkinson; Leslie Adkinson; Levi Adkinson; Lewis Gould Adkinson; Lewis R; Lillie Adkinson; Lincoln Levi Adkinson; Lloyd Verner Adkinson; Malinda Adkinson; Margaret Adkinson; Martha Adkinson; Mary Adkinson; Mary E Adkinson; Mary L Adkinson; Maud Adkinson; Melissa Adkinson; Nancy Adkinson; Nancy J Adkinson; Nellie May Adkinson; Oliver C Adkinson; Oliver Grant Adkinson; Oliver P Adkinson; Omer Paris Adkinson; Ora Adkinson; Paul Adkinson; Rebecca Adkinson; Rebecca E Adkinson; Reuben Adkinson; Rober Adkinsont; Rolland Adkinson; Royal C Adkinson; Ruby Adkinson; Rufus Harmon Adkinson; Ruth Alice Adkinson; Samuel Adkinson; Samuel Thomas Adkinson; Sarah Adkinson; Sylvia Adkinson; Vienna Adkinson; Wade Adkinson; Wesley Adkinson; Wesley Harry Adkinson; Wesley Levi Adkinson; William Adkinson; William N Adkinson; William P Adkinson; Willis Adkinson; Winthrop Ray Adkinson; Olive Susan Buchanan; George L Buck; Jane Campbell; Kate Luella Cassell; Malinda Colven; Edwin Grant Conklin; Isabel Conklin; Mary Conklin; Paul A Conklin; Ella J Danner; Mary E Danner; Maude E Danner; Roy S Danner; W Scott Danner; Charlie Darr; Darr, Eddie Darr; Susan Dickinson; Thomas Downey; Mary Jane Elden; Cyrus Elliott; Samuel Furnish; Eliza Ann Furnish; Orinda Furnish;
Ada L Hart; Ariadna D Hart; Bion C Hart; Cora I Hart; Earnest B Hart; Joseph A Hart; Lena A Hart; Leslie C Hart; Minnie E Hart; Orlando F Hart; Otho B Hart; Wina O Hart; Albert G Herrick; Elias H Keith; Rebecca Larew; Helen Rozanna Magee; Albert Brander McCullock; Ernest Chester McCullock; Rev George McCullock; Eliza McHenry; Jane McHenry; Lydia J Orem; Lyman Osborn; Rose Osborn; Mary Almira Osburn; Frances Ann Roberts; Hamlin Robinson; Samuel Rogers; Nicholas Sedam; Fogleman Shadday; Frank Adkinson Shadday; George Shadday; Grace Eliza Shadday; Ida Rozelle Shadday; May Winiford Shadday; Julia Victoria Sloan; Alan W Smith Smith; Albert Smith; Calvin R Smith; Carrie Smith; Clara Smith; Clarissa Smith; Delia E Smith; Edd Smith; Effie O Smith; Ernest Smith; Irvin W Smith; Isaac Smith; Lela Smith; Mabel B Smith; Mary Jane Smith; Rollin Edward Smith; Albert M Usleman; Gladys Usleman; Otha Thomas Usleman; Nancy Peace Whitney; Jessie Young; Edwin Crooker Zeigler

And more to come.

William Henry Osburn

2009-06-15T16:43:00.001-07:00

My great-granduncle, William Henry Osburn (1850-1932) was associated with the settlement of Oklahoma, the David L. Payne Colony, and the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889. Go to my webpage, and under "Benjamin Osburn and His Descendants", click on "William Henry Osburn".

Lewis Gould Adkinson

2009-05-18T07:12:00.000-07:00

My thanks, again, to Ruth Adkinson, for providing additional information on Rev. Adkinson and his wife, my great-aunt, Mary.

Here is a link to a book that has a picture of Mary Osburn Adkinson on page 8.

Rev. Adkinson's brother Elmer (see Ruth's summary of Rev. Adkinson's siblings) had created a family tree, from which the following additional information is obtained:

Rev. L. G. Adkinson's middle name was "Gould" - Rev. Lewis Gould Adkinson. In addition to their five children listed previously, there were two additional children who died in infancy: Laura Adkinson, their first born; and Arthur Edwin Adkinson.

Rev. Adkinson's daughter Isabella and her husband, Dr. Edwin Grant Conklin, were married June 13, 1889. Their three children were Paul Adkinson Conklin, born November 15, 1894; Mary Conklin, born September 22, 1896; and Isabel Conklin, born June 9, 1901.

I found a photograph of Isabel Conklin on her passport application from May, 1924. The source was a database on ancestry.com - passport applications. Ancestry.com, as I'm sure everyone knows, is a subscription only database. I don't know what the copyright implications are for reproducing public documents they have organized. However, most libraries have a subscription to Ancestry.com - at least my town's library does - and you can access the database and search on "Conklin" for the picture.

Lewis G. Adkinson

2009-05-17T12:51:00.000-07:00

Rev. Lewis G. Adkinson was my great-aunt's (Mary Almira Osburn's) husband, thus my great-grandfather's (Edward Walker Osburn's) brother-in-law. I'm not sure why I became interested in his life. His descendants are my distant cousins, going back to Harmon and Eliza Packard Osburn as our ancestors in common. I guess it's because I'm interested in tracing the descendants of my great-grandfather's siblings.

Rev. Adkinson was quite prominent in his day. He grew up in Indiana and was a well-respected Methodist minister. He was the president of three colleges: Moores Hill College (predecessor of Evanston University, Indiana), New Orleans University (predecessor of Dillard University), and Gammon Theological Institute. I could find a few passing mentions here and there from contemporary sources. Otherwise, I don't think anyone remembers. I have been able to find but one photograph of him, reprinted in a book by the Faculty of New Orleans University in 1935. Another image was provided to me by Ruth Adkinson, a distant cousin. His appointment as president of Moores Hill College in 1882 was reported in the New York Times, as was his death in 1906 when he died in Atlanta, president of Gammon Theological Institute. I know of no connection that he might have had with the Northeast, and wonder why the Times would have reported these events. I guess that is evidence of some national prominence. Now, over a hundred years later, I've have not yet encountered any evidence that he is remembered. Here is what I have been able to piece together.

Sept. 1838 is the approximate date of Lewis G. Adkinson's birth. [1,2] He was the son of Samuel Thomas Adkinson and Jane McHenry Adkinson. [2]

July 28, 1843 Mary Almira Osburn, future wife of Rev. L. G. Adkinson, is born in Rush County, Indiana. [3] Her twin sister, Mary E. Osburn, died April 19, 1847. They were the fifth and sixth of nine children born to Harmon and Eliza Packard Osburn.

Mary’s brother, Edward Walker Osburn, wrote in 1927 [3]: “After finishing the public school Mary went to a girls seminary at Centerville, Indiana, where she graduated. She was married to Rev. L. G. Adkinson about 1863 or 1864 at the home of her parents by the Presiding Elder F. C. Holliday, D. D. Mr. Adkinson was pastor on the Carthage circuit and had boarded for some time at the Osburn home. He was a member of the South East Indiana Conference of the M. E. Church and became a very popular preacher and in his later years an educator. He died and was buried in Atlanta in 1906.”

“Mary was a very loyal and efficient helpmate to her husband. She was always prominent in church and social circles, and an untiring worker in the W. C. T. U. She was President of the New Orleans, La., W. C. T. U. during her residence there and from 1909-1917 was the efficient President of the Jacksonville, Florida, W. C. T. U. She closed her earthly labors in 1918 at 251 W. 115th Street, Jacksonville, Florida, surrounded by her three daughters, Mrs. E. G. Conklin, Princeton, N. J.; Mrs. Fanc Ziegler and Mrs. O. T. Usleman, both of Jacksonville. She was buried at Atlanta with her husband and two sons, Albert R. and Harry (Harmon). Mrs. O. T. Usleman (Jennie) died in 1920 and was buried in Jacksonville. Mrs. E. G. Conklin (Belle) wife of Dr. E. G. Conklin (head of the department of Biology) lives at Princeton, N. J. Mrs. Ed Ziegler (Fanc) spends her winters in Florida and her summers with her sister Belle.”

1860 The U. S. Census for Cotton, Switzerland County, Indiana, lists: Samuel Adkinson (age 55), Jane Adkinson (age 53), Lewis Adkinson (age 21), Elizabeth Adkinson (age 25), Wesley Adkinson (age 19), Elmer Adkinson (age 16), Nancy I. Adkinson (age 10), and Alva M. Adkinson (age 9).

July 18, 1863 Lewis G. Adkinson and Mary Almira Osburn are married, Rush County, Indiana. [3,4]

Oct. 1, 1865 The Adkinson's eldest child, Isabelle "Belle" Adkinson, is born, Madison, Indiana. [1,5] She becomes engaged to Edwin Grant Conklin while he is teaching (1885-1888) at Rust University, Holley Springs, Mississippi. They marry in 1889. E. G. Conklin was professor of biology at Ohio Wesleyan (1891-94), Northwestern University (1894-96), the University of Pennsylvania (1896-1908), and Princeton University (1908 until his retirement in 1933). [6] Isabelle Adkinson dies March 7, 1940 in Princeton, New Jersey. [7] Edwin G. Conklin dies November 21, 1952. [8]

Abt. 1869 Daughter, Frances (or "Fannie" or "Fanc") Adkinson, is born. [1,9] Her husband was Edwin Zeigler. He was born about 1864 in Missouri. They marry about 1901. As of the 1910 census, they had no children. [9]

1870 The U. S. Census for Columbus, Bartholomew County, Indiana, lists Lewis G. Adkinson (age 31), Mary A. Adkinson (age 26), Isabel (age 4), Fannie (age 1); and Laura Allen (age 15 – occupation: Domestic Servant). [10]

Jan. 1870 Son, Albert Reed Adkinson is born. [1] He dies October 11, 1917 in Jacksonville, Florida, and is buried in West View Cemetery, Atlanta, Georgia. [11]

May 1877 Daughter Jennie M. Adkinson is born. [1,13] She marries Rev. Otha Thomas Usleman. She dies in 1921. [1,13] Rev. O. T. Usleman was a Methodist minister. He was born about 1877 in Kentucky [14], and died 1930 in Jacksonville, Florida. [13] An internet search identifies him as associated with the St. Johns River (Miami, Florida District, Fort Lauderdale) Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1914. He was associated with the Anti-Saloon League of America.

1880 The U. S. Census for Lawrenceburg, Dearborn County, Indiana, lists L. G. Adkinson (age 41), Mary A. Adkinson (age 36), Belle Adkinson (age 14), Fannie Adkinson (age 11), Albert R. Adkinson (age 9), Jennie M. Adkinson (age 3), Rufus H. Adkinson (age 5 months), and Louisa Stoll (age 18; occupation: servant).

Jan. 1880 Son Rufus Harmon Adkinson is born. [14] He dies October 20, 1902 and is buried in West View Cemetery, Atlanta, Georgia. [15]

1900 The U. S. Census for New Orleans Ward 13, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, lists G. Lewis Adkinson (age 61), Mary Adkinson (age 56), R. Albert Adkinson (age 30), M. Jennie Adkinson (age 23); and R. Harmon Adkinson (age 19).

Jan. 19, 1906 Rev. L. G. Adkinson dies. An obituary, New York Times, January 20, 1906 states: “The Rev. L. G. Atkinson (sic), D. D., President of Gammon Methodist Episcopal Theological Seminary of Atlanta, died yesterday. Injuries sustained during a fall in the Yellowstone National Park two years ago, complicated by stomach troubles, caused death. Dr. Atkinson (sic) had been involved in educational work for more than twenty-five years. He was sixty-seven years old.” He is buried in West View Cemetery, Atlanta, Georgia.

1910 The U. S. Census for Jacksonville City, Duval County, Florida, lists Edwin G. Zeigler (age 46, born Missouri, married 9 years, occupation: real estate agent); Fannie Zeigler (age 41, married 9 years, no children), Mary A. Adkinson (age 64), Albert R. Adkinson (age 39, occupation “Clerk, Prohibition”), Paul A. Conklain (sic) (age 15, nephew, born in Ohio), Mary Conklain (sic) (age 13, born in Pennsylvania), and Isabel Conklain (sic) (age 6, born in Pennsylvania).

June 29, 1918 Mary A. Adkinson, wife of Rev. L. G. Adkinson, dies, Jacksonville, Florida. She is buried in West View Cemetery, Atlanta, Georgia. [16]

Lewis G. Adkinson’s assignments as a minister in Indiana from 1860 to 1887 can be found in the Archives of DePauw University and Indiana United Methodism. [17] Search for “Adkinson” in the database, Indiana Ministers 1800 -1900. The following were Rev. Adkinson’s assignments in the Southeast Indiana Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church:

1860 Southeast Indiana Conference, Madison District, Canaan Circuit.

1861-1862 Southeast Indiana Conference, Connersville District, Carthage Circuit. [11] According to his brother-in-law, Edward W. Osburn [3], Rev. Adkinson met his wife, Mary Almira Osburn, while boarding with the (Harmon and Eliza Packard) Osburn family while he was on the Carthage circuit.

1863-1864 Southeast Indiana Conference, Connersville District, Laurel Circuit.

1865-1866 Southeast Indiana Conference, Madison District, Madison; St. Johns Circuit.

1867 Southeast Indiana Conference, Jeffersonville District, Kent Circuit.

1868 Southeast Indiana Conference, Madison District, Rising Sun Circuit.

1869-1870 Southeast Indiana Conference, Jeffersonville District, Columbus Circuit.

1871 Southeast Indiana Conference, Columbus District, Columbus Circuit.

1872-1874 Southeast Indiana Conference, Madison/Jeffersonville District, Madison: Trinity Circuit.

1875-1876 Southeast Indiana Conference, Greensburg/Columbus District, Greensburg: First Church Circuit.

1877-1880 Southeast Indiana Conference, Madison District, Presiding Elder.

1881 Southeast Indiana Conference, Moores Hill District, Madison Circuit.

Rev. M. R. Barnes and W. W. Snyder. Historic Sketches of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Madison, Indiana. Madison, IN: The Courier Company, Printer and Binders, 1903: Wesley Chapel and Trinity Church were united in 1881. “The United Church could not have been better suited in its first pastor, Rev. L. G. Adkinson. After he had served the full term on the district, he returned to his former charge, Trinity, universally beloved before with a single exception, and that one became thoroughly reconciled this time and his coming to the charge was filled with joy… Bro. Adkinson had a year of prosperity. He is resourceful, avoids monotony when practical. Makes two attractive services in the reception of members, Baptismal service in the morning, reception at the evening service. Enough of each to make a profitable service with a brief talk without wearying the patience of the audience with a sermon and the service at the same hour. A rest for the pastor and the audience appreciates the variety. He was watchful for all such opportunities. During the year he had been called to the presidency of Moores Hill College to the deep regret of Trinity Church he accepted…” [18]

1882-1887 Rev. Adkinson is President, Moores Hill College, Dearborn County, Indiana. [19]. Moores Hill College was founded in 1854 under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church. It was moved to Evanston, Indiana in 1919 to become the University of Evanston.

John W. Winkley writes: “In June, 1882, another pastor of the Conference succeeded Dr. [John Price Durban] John [vice-president, 1876-1879, president 1880-1882, of Moores Hill College]. He was the Reverend L. G. Adkinson, an effective minister, who proved himself to be an able teacher and executive at the college. For five years he taught classes during the weekdays and on Sundays preached in the churches or delivered lectures. In the year prior to his coming to the college presidency, the enrollment had been only 119 students. The attendance under Dr. Adkinson increased to a high of 168, but in his final year of administration it slipped to 130. He felt that he was continuously fighting an uphill, discouraging battle and he needed a change. He resigned his office in June, 1887.” [20]

1887 Receives Doctor of Divinity degree, DePauw University [21].

1887-1900 Rev. Adkinson is appointed President of the Faculty of New Orleans University. [22]

New Orleans University was founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1873 at the corner of Camp and Race streets. In 1934 it merged with Straight College to form Dillard University. [23]

New Orleans University is described [24]: “The University is situated at 1428 St. Charles Avenue, in one of the most beautiful and healthful sections of the city of New Orleans, La. The ground includes nearly two squares. The main building is of brick, five stories high, furnished with the best of furniture. Besides large parlors and society rooms, there are rooms for 150 students in the building. The heating is by steam and every precaution has been taken for comfort and for safety. A frame building is used exclusively for recitation rooms. It will accommodate 350 students, so that ample provision has been made for all who can attend. The value of the entire property is $ 100,000. It has an industrial school in connection, in the way of carpenter-shop, printing office, tin shop, and surgery school. In about 1889 there was a Medical School established at New Orleans University, and up to 1892 the first class graduated. The charter of the institution admits students of this school to practice in its wards ; also admits them to practice in the State of Louisiana. Rev. L. G. Adkinson, A. M., D. D., the president, is a man of great ability and has accomplished great good during his professorship.”

The Faculty of New Orleans University wrote [25] in 1935: “Rev. Louis G. Adkinson, A. M., D. D., was president from 1887 to 1901. His was the longest term of any president up to that time. He was a versatile man and left his impress on the school and community…Several members of his family were assistant teachers…He was of course a member of the Louisiana Conference and was several times elected as delegate to the General Conference. The Conference Minutes record that at the beginning of the school-years 1897, ’98 and ’99 a yellow fever epidemic caused the city to be quarantined so that the school could not be opened until November, with the result that many students were prevented from attending college….During Dr. Adkinson’s administration the experiment was made with industrial departments and courses were offered in printing, tin-smithing, shoemaking, etc. Soon this industrial work was delegated to Gilbert Academy at Baldwin and New Orleans University devoted itself more exclusively to cultural studies. The night School was begun in 1888. The total attendance grew from 228 in 1887 to a high point of 663 in 1891. A Medical College and Nurse Training School were begun in 1889 and many of the present leaders in the profession of medicine received their training at this school.”

Yearbooks of New Orleans University [26] from 1887 to 1897 (the last year for which I could find a Yearbook during Rev. Adkinson’s tenure as president) list courses of study for the various affiliated schools, and enumerate faculty and students of each of the schools and at all levels of study. Rev. A. D. Adkinson is listed, variously, as:

President of the University; member of the Board of Trustees, Treasurer of the Board, and Chairman of the Executive Committee.

President of the Faculty of the College of Liberal Arts, and Professor of Mental and Moral Philosophy in the College of Liberal Arts, which is described thusly in the Yearbook for 1896-1897: The Department of Mental, Moral and Political Philosophy: “…Department embraces Psychology, History of Philosophy, Christianity, Ethics, Evidences of Christianity, Political Economy and Constitution of the United States. Free and full discussion is encouraged. The methods employed in teaching are such as to stimulate inquiry and give rise to independent thought. The object of this Department is to give the student some glimpse of the possibilities of his being in the field of thought and action, to teach him to think for himself, to develop character and self-government and thus fit him for the duties of life.”

President of the Medical Department, which is described thusly: “A Medical Department (medical school) was organized and opened November 4, 1889, together with a Nurse Training Department…” The school was subsequently named Flint Medical College, in recognition of John D. Flint of Fall River, Massachusetts, benefactor of the school. “The Medical work continued until 1910, when for lack of proper facilities to meet the demands of the American Medical Association the courses were discontinued, and all the students transferred to Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tenn.” [20]

President of the Gilbert Haven School of Theology and Professor of Systematic Theology and Biblical Studies.: From the Yearbook 1889-1890: “Graduates of college, by extra work or having finished the advanced Biblical Course, may complete, in two years, the full Seminary Course, at Gammon Theological Seminary, Atlanta, Ga., or in the School of Theology in Grant Memorial University at Athens, Tenn.” After ending his tenure at New Orleans University, Rev. Adkinson served as president of Gammon Theological Seminary until his death in January, 1906.

Mary A. Adkinson, Rev. Adkinson’s wife, initially was “Preceptress, Sewing, Dressmaking, and Cooking,” and over the years was listed in the Yearbook as responsible for a variety of disciplines relating to homemaking and domestic life. In 1894-1895, the last years for which I copied information, Mrs. Adkinson was “Matron, Industrial Department.”

Fanc Adkinson, Rev. Adkinson’s daughter, was in 1887-1888 the Principal of the Model School. The courses of the Model School were Kindergarten; First, Second, and Third Readers; Mental Arithmetic and Written Arithmetic through Division; Phonetic Exercises, Language Lessons, and Penmanship. Later, she is found teaching Belle Lettres, Elocution, Stenography, Penmanship and Type-writing.

Albert R. Adkinson, Rev. Adkinson’s son, was (1888-1889) President of the Model School; (1889-1890) Principal, Third Grade; (1891-1892) teaching organ and violin; and (1892-1893) Principal, Music Dept.

Isabelle Adkinson, Rev. Adksinson’s daughter, taught music.

Jennie Adkinson, Rev. Adkinson’s daughter youngest daughter, started as a student in the Grammar Department and took courses to or through College Preparation. She also studied piano in the Music Department. In 1894-1895 she was Assistant Professor of Mathematics and English.

Harry (Harmon) Adkinson, Rev. Adkinson’s son, started as a student in the Model School, and in the last Yearbook from which I extracted information about him, he was listed in College Preparatory classes.

1900-1906 Rev. Adkinson is President of Gammon Theological Seminary, (established 1883) Atlanta, Georgia. [24] He dies on January 19, 1906.

Sources and Endnotes

Thank you to Ruth Adkinson for providing me with the picture of Rev. Adkinson at the upper left corner of this post.

[1] The 1900 U. S. Census, 5th Precinct, Orleans County, Louisiana, gives months and dates of birth of L. G. Adkinson, his wife Mary, and children Albert, Jennie, and Harmon. Dates of birth for daughters Isabelle (Belle) and Frances (also called “Fanc” and “Fannie”) are estimated from the 1870 and/or 1880 U. S. Censuses.

[2] Ruth Adkinson: “Samuel Thomas Adkinson (1804PA-1873IND)”, message posted on the Adkinson Family History and Genealogy Message Board, is the only source I have found for L. G. Adkinson’s middle name, “Gould”. It is also the only source I have found for his sons's, Albert R. Adkinson’s, middle name, “Reed”.

[3] Edward Walker Osburn. Children of Harmon and Eliza Osburn. Typewritten manuscript, unpublished, 1927. This has been published as a previous posting in this blog.

[4] Ancestry.com. Indiana Marriage Collection, 1800-1941 (database on-line), Provo, UT. Original data: Works Progress Administration, Index to Marriage Records, Indiana. Rush County, Indiana, Marriage Recotds 1862-1882, BK 9, 10, & 11 …; Book 9; page 98.

[5] Isabelle's precise date of birth is given on her husband's, Edwin Grant Conklin's, passport application, 1910. Source: Ancestry.com, database on-line.

[6] E. Newton Harvey. Edwin Grant Conklin (1863–1952). A Biographical Memoir. Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences, 1958 (http://books.nap.edu/html/biomems/econklin.pdf). Also: Conklin, Edwin Grant. Picture of Dr. Conklin.

[7] Obituary, New York Times March 8, 1940.

[8] Obituary, New York Times November 22, 1952.

[9] U. S. Federal Census, 1910, Jacksonville, Precinct 20, Duval County, Florida.

[10] U. S. Federal Census, 1870, Columbus, Bartholomew County, Indiana.

[11] Deaths reported in Jacksonville newspapers. (Journal of the) Jacksonville (Florida) Genealogy Society, December, 1981, Vol. 9, no. 4, page 226: “Rev. Albert R. Adkinson, aged 45 years, died 11 October 1917 at the home of his sister, 251 W. 11th Street, Jacksonville, Fla. Buried in West View Cemetery, Atlanta, GA. He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Adkinson; his mother, Mrs. Mary A. Adkinson, Jacksonville, Fla., and three sisters: Mrs. Fannie A. Ziegler, Mrs. O. T. Usleman and Mrs. E. G. Conklin of Princeton, New Jersey.”

[12] Florida Death Index 1877-1998. Ancestry.com, database on-line. Identifies Otha T. Usleman’s middle name as “Thomas”.

[13] U. S. Federal Census, 1870, for Kentucky.

[14] The 1900 census gives Harmon’s month and date of birth as January 1881. However, he was enumerated on the 1880 census as having been 5 months old. The year from the 1900 census obviously is in error. His birth date is also erroneous reported as 1889, in the Franklin Garrett Atlanta Necrology collection (see next).

[15] Franklin Garrett Atlanta Necrology On-Line Microfilm Retrieval Guide, Atlanta History Center, Atlanta, Georgia.

[16] Deaths reported in Jacksonville newspapers. (Journal of the) Jacksonville (Florida) Genealogy Society, December, 1981, Vol. 9, no. 4, page 226: “Mrs. Mary A. Adkinson, aged 75 years, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Fanny A. Zeigler, 251 W. 11th Street, Jacksonville, Fla., on 29 June 1918. Buried in Atlanta. Her husband, Rev. L. G. Adkinson, died in 1906 in Atlanta, Ga., her son, Rev. Albert R. Adkinson died in 1917. Surviving are her daughters, Mrs. Zeigler, Mrs. O. T. Usleman and Mrs. E. G. Conklin of Princeton, N.J. Also surviving is a brother-in-law, Rev. A. W. Adkinson of California.”

[17] Archives of DePauw University and Indiana United Methodism, Roy O. West Library, Greencastle, Indiana. Database: Indiana Ministers.

[18] Rev. M. R. Barnes and W. W. Snyder. Historic Sketches of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Madison, Indiana. Madison, IN: The Courier Company, Printer and Binders, 1903. The monograph is found in the Vertical Files of the Archives of DePauw University and Indiana United Methodism, Greencastle, Indiana.

[19] F. A. Cotton. Education in Indiana: An Outline of the Growth of the Common School System. Indiana Department of Public Instruction,1904, page 555.

[20] John W. Winkley. Moores Hill College. An Intimate History. Nashville: The Methodist Publishing House, 1954.

[21] DePauw University, Alumni Register of officers, faculties, and graduates, 1837-1900, page 303.

[22] Henry Rightor. Standard History of New Orleans, Louisiana. Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1900, page 248.

[23] The New Orleans University Collection. The Will W. Alexander Library Archives, Dillard University, 2601 Gentilly Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70122.

[24] G. F. Richings. Evidences of Progress. Philadelphia: George S. Ferguson Company, 1905, pages 106-107.

[25] Faculty of New Orleans University. Seventy Years of Service. Published at New Orleans, LA, 1935. Accessed from the Will W. Alexander Library Archives, Dillard University, New Orleans, Louisiana.

[26] Yearbooks of New Orleans University, accessed from the Will W. Alexander Library Archives, Dillard University, New Orleans, Louisiana. The Yearbooks list and describe New Orleans University – Faculty, Board of Trustees, academic departments, associated schools, and students at all grade, college preparation, collegiate, and professional levels.

Hannah Osburn and Isaac Reed

2009-05-11T08:40:00.000-07:00

I found this in the Howard County (Kokomo) Indiana library, in their genealogy department – this book has a paragraph on Edward W. Osburn’s sister’s husband, hence his brother-in-law, Isaac Reed. Edward’s sister, Hannah, would have been, I believe, my great-(x2)-aunt:

Charles Blanchard, Editor. Counties of Howard and Tipton, Indiana. Historical and Biographical. Chicago: F. A. Battey & Co., 1883, pages 431-432.

"ISAAC REED, County Commissioner, was born in Kent County, Delaware, July 22, 1826, and is the son of William L. and Rachel (Cohee) Reed, natives of Delaware, and of Irish and English descent; his parents had eight children – Isaac, Lydia Brown, William C., Hannah Allen, Sarah, Martha, Mary and Elizabeth Conway, five of whom are yet living. Mr. Reed located in Rush County, Indiana, in 1836; he and his wife were identified with the Methodist Episcopal Church. Isaac spent his early life on a farm, and was married, December 27, 1849, to Miss Hannah Osburn, born April 19, 1833, daughter of Harmon and Elisa J. (Packard) Osburn, natives of Ohio and Delaware. Mr. Reed came to Howard County in 1853, and purchased 160 acres of land in Union Township, which he began to clear and make for himself and family a home. By industry and economy, he has been able to add seventy-six acres more, and now has a comfortable home. Mr. and Mrs. Reed have had twelve children – Sarah E. Powell, born November 2, 1850; William W., born November 10, 1851; Rachel A. Elmore, born June 1, 1854; Harmon O., born May 17, 1856; John H., born September 17, 1858; Benjamin E., born August 5, 1860, died December 8, 1861; Mary J. Frasier, born June 25, 1862; Oliver L., born April 23, 1864; Laura B., born June 19, 1866, died September 1866; Edith L., born September 7, 1869; Frank A., born January 24, 1874, and Etta P., born August 3, 1875. Mr. Reed is an active working politician, voting with the Republican party; he cast his first ballot for Franklin Pierce in 1848; he held the office of Township Clerk for two years, and has served four terms as Township Trustee; he is now holding the office of County Commissioner, this being his second term, and he and wife are active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church."

This is what Edward W. Osburn wrote about his sister (Hannah Osburn Reed) in Children of Harmon and Eliza (Elizabeth) Osburn, 1927: "Born April 19, 1833 in Ohio. Married to Isaac Reed, Rush County, Indiana. Soon after marriage moved to Howard County, Indiana, going onto an unimproved farm of 160 acres near Jerome. After putting on splendid buildings and other improvements, he left this farm and moved to smaller farm at the edge of Jerome. From there they moved to Greentown (Eastern end of town) and from Greentown moved to Jonesboro, where she died, October 4, 1895 and was buried at Kokomo. Some years later Isaac Reed died at Indianapolis. The following children were born: Sarah; Wesley; Anna; Osburn (Oz); John; Jennie; Oliver; Edith; Frank; Pearl. John at Tipton, Indiana and Pearl Keightlinger, Santa Clara, California, are the only ones living as far as known by the writer March 1, 1927."

Isaac and Hannah Reed's tombstone, Crown Point Cemetery, Kokomo, Indiana

This website lists those buried in Crown Point Cemetery,

including Isaac and Hannah Reed, plus children, in-laws, etc.

Here, then, are the descendants of Isaac and Hannah Osburn Reed, starting however with William L. Reed, Isaac’s father:

Generation No. 1

1. WILLIAM L. REED. He married RACHEL COHEE.

Children of WILLIAM REED and RACHEL COHEE were:

i. ISSAC REED, b. July 23, 1826, Kent County, Delaware; d. March 22, 1916, Indianapolis.

ii. LYDIA REED, m. ____ BROWN.

iii. WILLIAM C. REED.

iv. HANNAH REED, m. ____ ALLEN.

v. SARAH REED.

vi. MARTHA REED.

vii. MARY REED.

viii. ELIZABETH REED.

Generation No. 2

ISSAC REED (WILLIAM L.) was born July 23, 1826 in Kent County, Delaware, and died March 22, 1916 in Indianapolis. He married HANNAH PACKARD OSBURN December 27, 1849, daughter of HARMON OSBURN and ELIZABETH PACKARD. She was born April 19, 1833 in Milford, Ohio, and died October 04, 1895 in Jonesboro, Indiana. Isaac and Hannah Osburn Reed are buried in Crown Point Cemetery, Kokomo, Indiana.

Children of ISSAC REED and HANNAH OSBURN were:

i. SARAH E. REED, b. November 10, 1850; m. ____ POWELL.

ii. WILLIAM W. REED, b. November 10, 1851.

iii. RACHEL A. REED, b. June 01, 1854; m. ____ ELMORE.

iv. HARMON OSBURN REED, b. May 17, 1856.

v. JOHN H. REED, b. September 17, 1858.

vi. BENJAMIN E. REED, b. August 05, 1860; d. December 08, 1861.

vii. MARY JANE REED, b. June 25, 1862.

viii. OLIVER LINCOLN REED, b. April 23, 1864.

ix. LAURA B. REED, b. June 19, 1866; d. September 18, 1866.

x. EDITH LILLIAN REED, b. September 07, 1869.

xi. FRANK A. REED, b. January 24, 1874.

xii. ETTA P. REED, b. August 03, 1875.

Generation No. 3

MARY JANE REED (ISSAC, WILLIAM L) was born June 25, 1862. She married ____ FRAZIER.

Child of MARY REED and ____ FRAZIER was (no doubt there were others):

i. WILLIAM ISSAC FRAZIER.

OLIVER LINCOLN REED (ISSAC, WILLIAM L.) was born April 23, 1864.

Children of OLIVER LINCOLN REED were:

i. ISA DOLORES REED.

ii. MYRON CONRAD REED.

EDITH LILLIAN REED (ISSAC, WILLIAM L.) was born September 07, 1869. She married ____ BOOKER.

Children of EDITH REED and ____ BOOKER were:

i. MILDRED EDITH BOOKER.

ii. GENEVA BOOKER.

iii. LANE BOOKER.

Generation No. 4

WILLIAM ISSAC FRAZIER (MARY JANE REED, ISSAC, WILLIAM L.).

Child of WILLIAM ISSAC FRAZIER was (possibly others?):

i. MARY GENEVA FRAZIER.

MYRON CONRAD REED (OLIVER LINCOLN, ISSAC, WILLIAM L.).

Child of MYRON CONRAD REED was (possibly others?):

i. MARGARET KATHLEEN REED.

MILDRED EDITH BOOKER (EDITH LILLIAN REED, ISSAC, WILLIAM L.). She married ____ THOMPSON.

Children of MILDRED BOOKER and THOMPSON were:

i. RONALD THOMPSON.

ii. DEAN THOMPSON.

GENEVA BOOKER (EDITH LILLIAN REED, ISSAC, WILLIAM L.). She married ____ NORVELL.

Child of GENEVA BOOKER and ____ NORVELL was:

i.GERALDINE NORVELL.

LANE BOOKER (EDITH LILLIAN REED, ISSAC, WILLIAM L).

Child of LANE BOOKER was:

i. JERROLD BOOKER.

Generation No. 5

I think that at this point, based upon Edith Lillian Reed's date of birth (born 1869 – see Generation 3), that we may be getting to persons who may still be alive, so I’m stopping the list here.

Indiana and New Orleans

2009-05-05T12:14:00.000-07:00

Over the past two weeks, I have amassed an incredible amount of information on the Osburn family. As noted in a recent posting, I went to Indiana two weeks ago to attend the Indiana Genealogical Society meeting. I took advantage of the time preceding the meeting (indeed, I wouldn't have attended the meeting if I hadn't intended to do some research along the way) to visit cemeteries where my great-grandfather and many of his family are buried, including William Henry Osburn and family. Pictures to follow. Also, I visited the DePauw University Methodist Church archives, subject of a previous posting, and more to come. Then the Howard County library in Kokomo, where there was a treasure-trove of information in the obituaries from the Kokomo newspaper over the past sixty years or so, plus published histories of the county and surrounding counties. Then the Allen County Library in Ft. Wayne, with an incredibly extensive library of material from all over - issues of Georgia Settlers, for instance, from the East Georgia Genealogical Society, issues of the Jacksonville, Florida Genealogical Society journal, books of transcriptions of land records from New Castle, Delaware, plus more. Then the next week, last week, to New Orleans for a fortieth anniversary of graduation reunion with college roommates - pictures follow.

Left to right: Me, Bob Christin, Susan Cowell Lauster, Chuck Lauster,
Mrs. Smith (Cynthia, my wife), Ted Cohen, Cynthia Cohen,
in the lobby of the Hotel Monteleone in the French Quarter.

Sue, Cindy Cohen, Ted Cohen, Chuck and Shelly Repp.
Cindy [my wife] and I are behind the camera.

As my daughter will attest,
no trip is complete without some arms-length photography.

And I'm including the next two because I like the nighttime lighting.

The Hotel Monteleone at night.

Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral, at night.

A few pictures from the Jazz Fest: Two of my favorite New Orleans pianists - Marcia Ball on piano and vocals, and Joe Krown on the Hammond B-3 organ - at the Jazz Fest. Piano and organ, and vocals by Marcia - hard to beat.

Listen to this clip of Marcia Ball!!!

Marcia Ball's fingers

Listen to this clip of Joe Krown!!!!!

Cindy and I were, sadly, disappointed not to see New Orleans pianist Josh Paxton. Josh played at Cindy's birthday party, December 2007, at the Hay-Adams Hotel in Washington, D. C. It was a marvelous evening. His performance calendar on his website indicated he would be at The Pelican Club on May 1. So I made reservations for dinner, table right next to the piano. And he wasn't there. I asked the hostess to tell Josh, next time she sees him, that his Groupies from Connecticut had been there. Josh, where were you? Oh well, a plug - go to the Louisiana Music Factory web site, search on "Paxton", and try out his CDs. Also, he did the James Booker (The James Booker Collection) and The New Orleans Piano Legends transcriptions, published by Hal Leonard Music. Josh, sadly, is under-represented on You Tube. Here's a clip of him backing-up the Pfister sisters. Here's another one. It starts out with Marcia Ball at the right, Joe Krown on the left. Josh comes in about 1:20 into it, replacing Marcia on the right hand side of the screen.

Back to the genealogy:

While in New Orleans, I visited the Dillard University archives, to see what they had on Rev. Lewis (or Louis) D. Adkinson, Edward W. Osburn's brother-in-law, and president of New Orleans University 1887-1900, predecessor institution of Dillard University. I found a picture of Rev. Adkinson in a retrospective book on New Orleans University published in 1935. My thanks to Mr. Michael Campbell, archivist, for his assistance.

Prior to all this, I had found and purchased a copy of the history of Moores Hill College in southeastern Indiana, predecessor of the University of Evanston, where Rev. Adkinson was president from 1883 to 1887. Only one paragraph on him in the book, but a paragraph nonetheless.

Upon returning home last night, I found a package of information from a researcher with the Oklahoma Genealogical Society, who had kindly gone to the Oklahoma Historical Society, to copy the diary entries of Edward W. Osburn's trip to Oklahoma in 1889. As it turns out, Edward had joined his brother, William Henry Osburn - Edward's motive being "just for fun" - during the Oklahoma land rush. The diary, along with articles written about 1926 by W. H. Osburn and published in the Chronicles of Oklahoma, describe Edward's and William's participation in the land rush. William had been secretary of the Payne Colony movement in Oklahoma in the 1880s, and then broke off from Captain Payne and formed his own "colony". He ended his adventures with the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889, during which he led his "colonists" into the Oklahoma territory and saw to it that they got claims established. Then he went home to Kansas, not having claimed any land for himself. Eventually he went back to Indiana, became a Methodist minister, then businessman in Kokomo, dying in 1932.

More to come.

The Smith Family Cemetery, in which Revolutionary War soldier David Smith is buried

2009-04-27T16:55:00.001-07:00

Revolutionary War soldier David Smith and his wife Rebecca Lindley Smith are buried in the Smith Family Cemetery, located at the intersection of Hog Mountain Road and Jackson Trail Road, Winder, Georgia. Barrow County, Georgia Cemeteries (East Georgia Genealogical Society, Winder, Georgia © 2000) records the grave-marker inscriptions of 126 persons buried there, enumerated as of March 30, 1999. Many are descended from David and Rebecca Lindley Smith.

Interested friends and relatives of descendants buried in the Smith Cemetery established the Smith Cemetery Fund in July 1981. The fund was established for the care and maintenance of the cemetery grounds. The late Willis Herman Smith, Sr., David and Rebecca’s great-(x3)-grandson, became the caretaker for the fund and of the cemetery grounds. Following Willis’ death in 2005, responsibility for maintaining the grounds and administrating the Fund was assumed by his children and their families.

Contributions to the Smith Cemetery Fund, to continue the maintenance of the cemetery grounds, are gratefully accepted. Contributions to the fund may be sent to, and a detailed report of the fund accounts may be obtained from:

Cynthia Smith Miller
974 Hog Mountain Road
Winder, Georgia 30680

A visit to the Methodist Church Archives at DePauw University, Greencastle, Indiana

2009-04-27T15:11:00.000-07:00

I went to Indiana last week to search for information on the Osburn and Hobson families. I first went to DePauw University, to the Roy O. West Library, to see what I might find in their Archives of Methodism in Indiana regarding Rev. Edward W. Osburn (my great-grandfather) and others. I attempt here to provide an expanded summary of Edward Osburn's life as a minister in Indiana, 1879 - 1894, when he transferred to the Louisiana Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church and served in New Orleans. The summary includes information obtained from the DePauw University Archives, interspersed with parts of his daughter's (Mabel Meredith Osburn Smith's) recorded Reminicences, passages from Rev. Osburn's typewritten manuscript (1927) "Children of Harmon and Eliza (Elizabeth) Osburn", and information obtained through internet searches, much of it found in Google Books.

Edward W. Osburn wrote (1927): I "was admitted to the North Indiana Conference in 1881, Bishop Matthew Simpson, presiding. Ordained Deacon by Bishop Thos. Bowman in 1883 and ordained Elder by Bishop John M. Walden in 1885." [1]

1879: Assigned to the North Indiana Conference, Kokomo District, Russiaville Circuit. [2]

1881: Assigned to the North Indiana Conference, Kokomo District, Shielville Circuit. [2] Shielville was formerly Buena Vista, later called Atlanta. It is described in the Polk Directory 1882-1883.

Rev. Osburn is mentioned a number of times in M. W. Pershing's History of Tipton County, Indiana. [Page 199]: "Goldsmith Methodist Episcopal church was organized through the labors of Dr. J. A. Bouse, who started a movement for the erection of a church building at the village in 1881...It was attached to the Shielville Circuit, of the Northern Indiana Conference, and in 1882 became the principle head of the Goldsmith Circuit. The pastors of the church have been Rev. E. W. Osborne (sic) and F. G. Brown..." [3]

1882: Assigned to the North Indiana Conference, Kokomo District, Windfall Circuit. [2]

M. W. Pershing, History of Tipton County, Indiana (page 198) writes: "The Methodist Church of Windfall was organized by Rev. George Havens at the village schoolhouse in 1857, with an original membership of four or five families. The school house was used as a meeting place until 1873, at which time a frame edifice was erected, costing eighteen hundred dollars. Rev. George Havens was the first pastor, and after him came... E. W. Osborne (sic)." [3]

The monograph Methodist Church Centennial, Windfall, Indiana, 1853-1953 lists E. W. Osborn (sic) as pastor, 1882 - 1884. It includes a picture of the church of that time, in which Rev. Edward Osburn preached. [4]

1883: Assigned to the North Indiana Conference, Kokomo District, Windfall Circuit. [2]

1884: Assigned to the North Indiana Conference, Kokomo District, Windfall Circuit. [2]

1885: Assigned to the North Indiana Conference, Kokomo District, Cicero Circuit. [2]

1885: "Edward met Florence (Fannie) Hobson at one of the country churches in his charge. They were married on May 13, 1885. [Their first child] Mabel was born on March 18, 1886. She was the eldest of six children, three of whom lived to adulthood." [5]

1886: Assigned to the North Indiana Conference, Kokomo District, Greentown Circuit. [2]

The monograph History of Greentown Methodist Church, 1956 includes in its Roll of Pastors, E. W. Osborn (sic) in 1886. [6]

1887: Assigned to the North Indiana Conference, Kokomo District, Greentown Circuit. [2]

1888: Assigned to the North Indiana Conference, Kokomo District, Sharpsville Circuit. [2]

M. W. Pershing, History of Tipton County (page 198) writes: "In the spring of 1867 Sharpsville was set off from Tipton and made a separate circuit... In town, the Methodists first met in a vacent dwelling house south of the square, then in the schoolhouse, until the church was complete...Since 1885 the pastors have been Revs. A. M. Patterson, Ed Osburn (sic)..." [3]

1889: Edward and his family visit his brother, William Henry Osburn, in Kansas for a year. [5]

1890: "...we moved back to [Jolietville] Indiana." In Jolietville, Edward's charge included "four churches, and one of the churches was in a little village only about two and a half or three miles from Jolietville...And I can remember two Christmases there." [5]

1890: Assigned to the North Indiana Conference, Kokomo District, Jolietville Circuit. [2]

From the pamphlet, Jolietville Church History 1837 - 1957: "In 1890-1-2 E. W. Osborn (sic) was pastor. The second year of his work was especially noted for a very glorious revival. Nearly a hundred joined and the most of them were happily converted. Some of the present most substantial members came into the church at that time." [7]

The pamphlet's cover has this image of the Jolietville Church, where Rev. Osburn preached:

Pastor M. J. Canse wrote (History and Manual of Jolietville Charge, North Indiana Conference, Methodist Episcopal Church 1837 - 1957) (page 9): "The membership has varied from a very strong to a weak society, numbering at its most prosperous time at the close of the [Civil] War about two hundred, and in 1885 about twenty-five, and remained several years at this low ebb until the pastorate of Brother E. W. Osborn (sic) from 1890 to 1892, in which the membership was doubled..." [8]

[page 17] "For many years the two churches of Eagletown (east of Jolietville, described thusly in the Polk Directory 1882-1883) were the United Brethren and the Quaker, but for several reasons, mainly financial, the U. B. Church, during the early part of 1888, disbanded. Its people, for a while, were scattered here and there, and were as sheep without a Shepard... [Father Jabez Neal revived the church.] ...Owing to the close proximity of the class to the Jolietville charge, it desired to be placed on that work. The circuit opened its wide-spread arms and received another child to foster... The Annual Conference of 1890 sent Rev. E. W. Osburn to the charge." [8]

[Pages 23-25] [The Epworth League was formed in 1889 in Cleveland, Ohio by the combining of five youth organizations of the Methodist Episcopal Church, to promote piety among the youth of the M. E. Church.] "In 1889, when A. A. Pittenger was on the Jolietville charge, there was a district conference held at this place... Knowing nothing of League work, except what we got from his (Rev. E. T. Gregg's) talk, we only kept up the prayer meetings for a while. When Brother E. W. Osborn (sic) came onto the work, he found things in this condition and when he returned the second year, 1891, he reorganized the League, and under his direction we run well for a time, but we were but weaklings, and after another season of work we again sank into a lethargic state..." [8]

1891: Assigned to the North Indiana Conference, Kokomo District, Jolietville Circuit. [2]

1892: Assigned to the North Indiana Conference, Kokomo District, Jolietville Circuit. [2]

1893: Assigned to the North Indiana Conference, Kokomo District, Bunker Hill Circuit. [2]

1894: Assigned to the North Indiana Conference, Kokomo District, Bunker Hill Circuit. [2]

1894: Mabel Osburn remembers "About the time I was eight years old, we moved to New Orleans. Papa's health wasn't very good in the northern climate, and he had a chance to go to New Orleans as pastor of [St. Charles Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church, St. Charles Avenue and Calliope Street, near Lee Circle] ...and so we moved down there..." [5]

Sources

[1] Edward W. Osburn. Children of Harmon and Eliza (Elizabeth) Osburn. Unpublished manuscript, 1927.

[2] Archives of the Methodist Church in Indiana, DePauw University, Roy O. West Library, Greencastle, Indiana.

[3] Pershing MW. History of Tipton County, Indiana. Her People, Industries and Institutions. Indianapolis, Indiana: B. F. Bowen and Company, 1914. Retrieved from Google Books on April 27, 2009.

[4] Methodist Church Centennial, Windfall, Indiana 1853-1953. From the Archives of the Methodist Church in Indiana, DePauw University, Roy O. West Library, Greencastle, Indiana.

[5] Mabel Meredith Osburn Smith's recorded reminiscences, incorporated into The Foss and Mabel Smith Story.

[6] History of Greentown Methodist Church, 1956. From the Archives of the Methodist Church in Indiana, DePauw University, Roy O. West Library, Greencastle, Indiana.

[7] Jolietville Church History 1837 - 1937. From the Archives of the Methodist Church in Indiana, DePauw University, Roy O. West Library, Greencastle, Indiana.

[8] Canse MJ (Pastor). History and Manual of Jolietville Charge, North Indiana Conference, Methodist Episcopal Church 1837 - 1897, Noblesville, Indiana: Ledger Publishing House, 1897. From the Archives of the Methodist Church in Indiana, DePauw University, Roy O. West Library, Greencastle, Indiana.

Descendants of John Lindley

2009-01-03T12:58:00.000-08:00

My great-(x5)-grandfather was Captain James Lindley, father of Sarah Rebecca Lindley (she married David Smith - see previous posts). The following list of LINDLEYS is far from comprehensive, and relies extensively on others' compilations. These include Jerry F. Richmond's The Quaker Collection, Roy Lee Stanley's Some Lindley Ancestors (The Lindley/Clack/Betts Ancestors), and Mary Lee Anderson Barnes' website including her page devoted to James Lindley, Tory. I have listed names only. You should go to their websites for individual details - places and dates of births, deaths, and marriages; and anecdotes.

Generation No. 1
1. JOHN LINDLEY (Abt. 1605 - ?)
Child of JOHN LINDLEY was:
1.1. JAMES LINDLEY

Generation No. 2
1.1. JAMES LINDLEY (JOHN (Gen. 1)) married (1) ALICE WALSMITH (possibly “Wilsmith”); married (2) ELIZABETH MANLIFFE.
Children of JAMES LINDLEY and ALICE WALSMITH were [1,3]:
1.1.1. MARTHA LINDLEY
1.1.2. JAMES LINDLEY
1.1.3. THOMAS LINDLEY
1.1.4. MARY LINDLEY
1.1.5. ISABELLA LINDLEY

Generation No. 3
1.1.2. JAMES LINDLEY (JAMES (Gen. 2), JOHN(Gen. 1)) married ELEANOR PARKE. They emigrated from Ireland to Delaware about 1712; and subsequently settled in Pennsylvania.
Children of JAMES LINDLEY and ELEANOR PARKE were:
1.1.2.1. THOMAS LINDLEY
1.1.2.2. RACHEL LINDLEY
1.1.2.3. JAMES LINDLEY
1.1.2.4. MARGERY LINDLEY
1.1.2.5. ROBERT LINDLEY
1.1.2.6. WILLIAM LINDLEY
1.1.2.7. ALICE LINDLEY
1.1.2.8. MARY LINDLEY
1.1.2.9. JONATHAN LINDLEY
1.1.2.10. ELIZABETH LINDLEY
1.1.2.11. HANNAH LINDLEY
1.1.2.12. ELEANOR LINDLEY

Generation No. 4
1.1.2.1 THOMAS LINDLEY (JAMES (Gen. 3), JAMES (Gen. 2), JOHN (Gen. 1)) married RUTH HADLEY, daughter of SIMON HADLEY and RUTH MILLER. Thomas Lindley died during the Revolutionary War on the day of the Battle of Lindley's Mill, fought on his premises, September 14, 1781. It is not known if he was an active participant in the battle itself. See also: The Battle of Lindley's Mill. Thomas and Ruth Hadley Lindley were my great-(x6)-grandparents.
Children of THOMAS LINDLEY and RUTH HADLEY were:
1.1.2.1.1 KATHERINE LINDLEY.
1.1.2.1.2 JAMES LINDLEY, also referred to as "Captain James Lindley", my great-(x5)-grandfather.
1.1.2.1.3 SIMON LINDLEY
1.1.2.1.4 THOMAS LINDLEY
1.1.2.1.5 WILLIAM LINDLEY
1.1.2.1.6 RUTH LINDLEY
1.1.2.1.7 JOHN LINDLEY
1.1.2.1.8 MARY LINDLEY
1.1.2.1.9 ELEANOR LINDLEY
1.1.2.1.10 DEBORAH LINDLEY
1.1.2.1.11 JONATHAN LINDLEY

Generation No. 5
1.1.2.1.2 CAPTAIN JAMES LINDLEY (THOMAS (Gen. 4), JAMES (Gen. 3), JAMES (Gen. 2), JOHN (Gen. 1)) was born September 22, 1735 in Chester County, Pennsylvania, and died February 1779 in 96 District, South Carolina. He married MARY COX May 05, 1753 in Chester County, Pennsylvania, daughter of WILLIAM COX and CATHERINE KINKEY. She was born abt. 1733 in Hockessin, New Castle County, Delaware. James Lindley was a Tory, and was executed - hung - in 96 District, South Carolina, by the Patriots in 1779. Capt. James Lindley and Mary Cox Lindley were my great-(x5)-grandparents.
Children of JAMES LINDLEY and MARY COX were:
1.1.2.1.2.1. SIMON HADLEY LINDLEY
1.1.2.1.2.2. THOMAS LINDLEY
1.1.2.1.2.3 RUTH LINDLEY
1.1.2.1.2.4. CATHERINE LINDLEY
1.1.2.1.2.5 WILLIAM LINDLEY. Mary Lee Anderson Barnes states that William Lindley was "recruited with [his] father by Col. Boyd in 1779 and was captured in Battle of Kettle Creek. Although imprisoned at Ninety-Six and tried for treason, he was released before the execution of his father. He returned to North Carolina and was commissioned 16 July by Col. David Fanning as captain in the Chatham Count[y] Loyalist Militia. He is the William Lindley who was murdered by three Loyalist deserters in Jan. 1782. Fanning reported that Lindley was 'cut to Pieces with their Swords,' and Fanning personally tracked down two of the three men and hanged them."
1.1.2.1.2.6 SARAH REBECCA LINDLEY, b. August 09, 1763, Laurens County, South Carolina; d. May 19, 1857, Walton County, Georgia, my great-(x4)- grandmother.
1.1.2.1.2.7 MARY LINDLEY, married COLVILLE ABERCROMBIE abt. 1802 in Laurens County, South Carolina. Mary Lindley Abercrombie made a deposition, November 20, 1850, in support of Rebecca Smith's (her sister's) application for a pension as wife of Revolutionary War soldier David Smith.
1.1.2.1.2.8 JOHN LINDLEY
1.1.2.1.2.9 JOSHUA LINDLEY
1.1.2.1.2.10 JONATHAN LINDLEY

Generation No. 6
1.1.2.1.2.2 THOMAS LINDLEY (JAMES (Gen. 5), THOMAS (Gen. 4), JAMES (Gen. 3), JAMES (Gen. 2), JOHN (Gen. 1)) was born Abt. 1754 in Orange County, North Carolina, and died Abt. 1810 in Laurens, South Carolina. He married (1) ELIZABETH HALL; (2) ELIZABETH RIDGEWAY.
Children of THOMAS LINDLEY and ELIZABETH RIDGEWAY included:
1.1.2.1.2.2.1 NANCY LINDLEY, m. JOHN BOLT; b. March 24, 1784; d. May 09, 1867, Laurens, South Carolina. Nancy Lindley Bolt made a deposition, June 2, 1855, in support of Rebecca Smith's (her aunt's) application for a pension as wife of Revolutionary War soldier David Smith.

1.1.2.1.2.3 RUTH LINDLEY (JAMES (Gen. 5), THOMAS (Gen. 4), JAMES (Gen. 3), JAMES (Gen. 2), JOHN (Gen. 1))
was born Abt. 1756 in Orange County, North Carolina, and died abt. 1845 in Anderson, South Carolina. She married BENJAMIN SMITH, son of "OLD" JOB SMITH (and brother of David Smith, my great-(x4)-grandfather. He was born abt. 1751, and died abt. 1834 in South Carolina.
Children of RUTH LINDLEY and BENJAMIN SMITH were:
1.1.2.1.2.3.1 REBECCA SMITH m. BENJAMIN CHAPMAN.
1.1.2.1.2.3.2 MARY SMITH m. SAMUEL AGNEW.
1.1.2.1.2.3.3 HANNAH SMITH m. ELIJAH ADDAMS.
1.1.2.1.2.3.4 JONATHAN SMITH
1.1.2.1.2.3.5 WILLIAM SMITH
1.1.2.1.2.3.6 SIDNEY SMITH
1.1.2.1.2.3.7 ELIZABETH SMITH m. HUGH MCKINNEY.
1.1.2.1.2.3.8 JOB SMITH, b. Abt. 1791.
1.1.2.1.2.3.9 DAVID SMITH
1.1.2.1.2.3.10 JAMES SMITH, b. 1789; d. January 22, 1845, Slabtown Cemetery, Anderson County, South Carolina.

1.1.2.1.2.6 SARAH REBECCA LINDLEY (JAMES (Gen. 5), THOMAS (Gen. 4), JAMES (Gen. 3), JAMES (Gen. 2), JOHN (Gen. 1)) was born August 09, 1763 in Laurens County, South Carolina, and died aft. May 19, 1857 in Walton County, Georgia. She married DAVID SMITH, March 1782 in Abbeville District, South Carolina, son of "OLD" JOB SMITH. David Smith was born bet. 1753 and 1755 in South Carolina, and died March 27, 1833 in Walton County, Georgia. David and Rebecca Lindley Smith are buried in the Smith Family Cemetery, Hog Mountain Road, Winder, Georgia. Sarah Rebecca Lindley and David Smith were my great-(x4)-grandparents.
Children of SARAH REBECCA LINDLEY and DAVID SMITH were:
1.1.2.1.2.6.1 JAMES SMITH, b. 1783, South Carolina; d. February 1850, Walton County, Georgia. (My great-(x3)-grandfather.)
1.1.2.1.2.6.2 MARY SMITH, b. Abt. 1785; d. Aft. 1857.
1.1.2.1.2.6.3 RUTH SMITH, b. Abt. 1787; d. Abt. 1802.
1.1.2.1.2.6.4 JOSEPH SMITH, b. Abt. 1789; d. Aft. 18540.
1.1.2.1.2.6.5 JOB SMITH, b. February 15, 1793, Laurens, South Carolina; d. June 08, 1840, Walton County, Georgia.
1.1.2.1.2.6.6 CATHERINE SMITH, b. February 09, 1795; d. Aft. 1857.
1.1.2.1.2.6.7 HANNAH SMITH, b. Abt. 1797, South Carolina; d. Aft. 1854.
1.1.2.1.2.6.8 JOHN SMITH, b. Abt. 1799; d. Aft. 1857.
1.1.2.1.2.6.9 ELIZABETH SMITH, b. 1798; d. Aft. 1880.

1.1.2.1.2.10 JONATHAN LINDLEY (JAMES (Gen. 5), THOMAS (Gen. 4), JAMES (Gen. 3), JAMES (Gen. 2), JOHN (Gen. 1)) was born July 02, 1772, and died aft. 1852 in Cobb County, Georgia. He married NANCY BLAIR abt. 1796. Jonathan Lindley made a deposition, September, 1852, in support of Rebecca Smith's (his sister's) application for a pension as wife of Revolutionary War soldier David Smith.
Children of JONATHAN LINDLEY and NANCY BLAIR were:
1.1.2.1.2.10.1 JONATHAN LINDLEY, JR., b. Abt. 1808.
1.1.2.1.2.10.2 RUTH LINDLEY, b. Abt. 1800.
1.1.2.1.2.10.3 LETITIA LINDLEY, b. September 18, 1803; d. 1872; m. THOMAS CAMP; b. March 02, 1800, Jackson County, Georgia; d. August 27, 1857, Douglas County.
1.1.2.1.2.10.4 JANE LINDLEY, b. December 16, 1804; d. July 30, 1873, Walton County, Georgia.

Generation No. 7
1.1.2.1.2.6.5 JOB SMITH (RUTH LINDLEY (Gen. 6), JAMES (Gen. 5), THOMAS (Gen. 4), JAMES (Gen. 3), JAMES (Gen. 2), JOHN (Gen. 1)) was born Abt. 1791. He married RUTH LINDLEY (1.1.2.1.2.10.2), daughter of JONATHAN LINDLEY and NANCY BLAIR. She was born abt. 1800.
Children of JOB SMITH and RUTH LINDLEY were:
WILLIAM SMITH, b. Abt. 1829.
NANCY SMITH, b. Abt. 1834.
THOMAS SMITH, b. Abt. 1839.
RUTH SMITH, b. Abt. 1841.
MARTHA SMITH, b. Abt. 1843.
ELISHA SMITH, b. Abt. 1845.

1.1.2.1.2.3.10 JAMES SMITH (RUTH LINDLEY (Gen. 6), JAMES (Gen. 5), THOMAS (Gen. 4), JAMES (Gen. 3), JAMES (Gen. 2), JOHN (Gen. 1)) was born 1789, and died January 22, 1845 in Slabtown Cemetery, Anderson County, South Carolina. He married SARAH HUBBARD, daughter of WILLIAM HUBBARD and JANE REEDER. She was born September 25, 1791, and died April 12, 1849 in Slabtown Cemetery, Anderson County, South Carolina.
Children of JAMES SMITH and SARAH HUBBARD were:
JANE SMITH, b. July 02, 1813; m. BENJAMIN MULLIKEN.
WILLIAM J. SMITH, b. December 01, 1815; m. LOUISA ____.
AMANDA SMITH, b. November 26, 1822; m. JOHN COLLINGSWORTH SMITH, January 02, 1840; b. April 30, 1812.
BENJAMIN MADDISON SMITH, b. April 22, 1811; d. October 03, 1864, Jolietville, Indiana; m. MIRANDA SMITH.
JONATHAN HARVEY SMITH, b. January 26, 1821; m. PRUDENCE E. OLIVER.
JAMES MONROE SMITH, b. July 01, 1818; m. HESTER WATKINS.
WARREN A. SMITH, m. JULIA ANN HALLUM.
SARAH ANN SMITH, b. September 08, 1824.
JOHN CLINTON SMITH, b. April 18, 1833.

1.1.2.1.2.6.1 JAMES SMITH (SARAH REBECCA LINDLEY (Gen. 6), JAMES (Gen. 5), THOMAS (Gen. 4), JAMES (Gen. 3), JAMES (Gen. 2), JOHN (Gen. 1)) was born 1783 in South Carolina, and died February 1850 in Walton County, Georgia. He married SARAH "SALLIE" RAGSDALE Abt. 1804 in South Carolina. She was born Abt. 1785 in South Carolina, and died Aft. 1870 in Walton County, Georgia. James Smith and Sarah Ragsdale Smith were my great-(x3)-grandparents.
Children of JAMES SMITH and SARAH RAGSDALE were:
i. FRANCIS SMITH, b. March 17, 1805, South Carolina; d. July 28, 1898, Georgia; m. JOHN S. FARR; b. February 14, 1809; d. March 22, 1902.
ii. DAVID SMITH, b. February 18, 1808, South Carolina; d. November 18, 1896; m. MARTHA (PATSY) WHALEY; b. June 05, 1812; d. August 11, 1900.
iii. ARNOLD PANNELL SMITH, b. June 10, 1811, Jackson County, Georgia; d. April 07, 1890, Jackson County, Georgia; m. (1) FRANCIS ELIZABETH "ELIZA" THOMPSON, January 13, 1835, Walton County, Georgia; b. January 28, 1816, Jackson County, Georgia; d. May 29, 1855, Jackson County, Georgia; m. (2) FRANCIS JOHNSTON, October 16, 1860, Gwinett County, Georgia; b. July 31, 1827; d. May 20, 1906. Arnold Smith and Eliza Thompson were my great-(x2)-grandparents.
iv. CHARITY SMITH, b. March 27, 1813, Walton County, Georgia; d. November 26, 1880, Gwinett County, Georgia; m. STARLING CLACK, July 1833, Gwinett County, Georgia; b. September 22, 1811, Walton County, Georgia; d. July 29, 1873, Gwinett County, Georgia.
v. EDMOND SMITH, b. 1822; d. October 09, 1887, Jackson County, Georgia; m. MARY MILLSAPS, August 08, 1844, Jackson County, Georgia; b. April 1826; d. August 26, 1913.
vi. REBECCA SMITH, b. 1823; m. WILLIAM THOMPSON, January 17, 1844; b. 1825.
vii. SARAH SMITH, m. (1) THOMAS OLIVER NORRIS; b. March 13, 1841; d. February 15, 1906; m. (2) ALLEN RIDGEWAY, November 12, 1847; b. 1826.
viii. WILLIAM JAMES JOSEPH SMITH, b. March 03, 1820; d. March 14, 1902; m. NANCY R. TWITTY, January 30, 1847; b. October 27, 1827; d. August 03, 1873.
ix. RUTH SMITH.

1.1.2.1.2.6.2 MARY SMITH (SARAH REBECCA LINDLEY (Gen. 6), JAMES (Gen. 5), THOMAS (Gen. 4), JAMES (Gen. 3), JAMES (Gen. 2), JOHN (Gen. 1)) was born Abt. 1785, and died aft. 1857. She married ____ BOX.
Child of MARY SMITH and ____ BOX was:
i. JEFFERSON BOX, b. Abt. 1810; d. Aft. 1870; m. BETSY HILL.

1.1.2.1.2.6.5 JOB SMITH (SARAH REBECCA LINDLEY (Gen. 6), JAMES (Gen. 5), THOMAS (Gen. 4), JAMES (Gen. 3), JAMES (Gen. 2), JOHN (Gen. 1)) was born February 15, 1793 in Laurens, South Carolina, and died June 08, 1840 in Walton County, Georgia. He married NANCY CAMP August 10, 1817, daughter of THOMAS CAMP and SUSAN WAGONER. She was born March 07, 1795 in Jackson County, Georgia, and died November 27, 1887.
Children of JOB SMITH and NANCY CAMP were:
i. JOSEPH SMITH, b. April 07, 1819; d. Aft. 1880; m. CHARLOTTE (LOTTIE) HILL, February 15, 1838; b. September 1821; d. Aft. 1900.
ii. GREEN WAGNER SMITH, b. May 27, 1820; d. March 27, 1893; m. MARY ANN (POLLY) ARNOLD, November 04, 1840; b. May 05, 1814; d. May 05, 1901.
iii. MARY CAROLINE SMITH, b. January 07, 1822; d. November 19, 1876; m. ALFORD WHALEY, October 19, 1836; b. May 28, 1810, Hancock County, Georgia; d. February 25, 1877.
iv. DREWCILLAH SMITH, b. March 31, 1823; d. April 08, 1898; m. BAILEY GEORGE NOLAN CHANDLER, March 14, 1838, Walton County, Georgia; b. February 08, 1819; d. July 06, 1884.
v. TRUMAN KELLOGG SMITH, b. May 17, 1824; d. July 24, 1909; m. ELIZABETH TABIATHA JANE (BETSY) CHANDLER, January 20, 1843; b. April 05, 1822; d. May 15, 1909.
vi. SUSAN ANN (SUSANNAH) SMITH, b. March 13, 1826; d. September 30, 1897; m. JOSHUA T. SMITH, February 10, 1842, Walton County, Georgia; b. December 24, 1819; d. February 14, 1896.
vii. SANFORD M. SMITH, b. January 19, 1828; d. March 22, 1900; m. (1) FRANCIS A. FLANIGAN, July 16, 1850, Jackson County, Georgia; b. September 1833; d. January 14, 1859; m. (2) SUSAN MARINA CAROLINE HILL, November 13, 1862, Walton County, Georgia; b. September 09, 1843, Oglethorpe County, Georgia; d. 1931, Walton County, Georgia.
viii. JANE CYNTHY SMITH, b. February 16, 1830; d. February 12, 1892; m. WILLIAM NATHAN HARRIS, July 20, 1848, Walton County, Georgia; b. 1823, Virginia; d. 1898, California.
ix. NANCY ADALINE SMITH, b. May 09, 1832; d. April 17, 1891; m. GEORGE MCINTOSH T. THOMAS, April 11, 1850, Walton County, Georgia; b. December 15, 1827; d. November 14, 1862.

1.1.2.1.2.6.6 CATHERINE SMITH (SARAH REBECCA LINDLEY (Gen. 6), JAMES (Gen. 5), THOMAS (Gen. 4), JAMES (Gen. 3), JAMES (Gen. 2), JOHN (Gen. 1)) was born February 09, 1795, and died Aft. 1857. She married GEORGE WASHINGTON CLACK December 01, 1810 in Jackson County, Georgia, son of WILLIAM CLACK and NANCY TWITTY. He was born Aft. 1780, and died Bef. 1840 in Walton County, Georgia. Catherine Smith Clack made a deposition, February 14, 1855, in support of Rebecca Smith's (her mother's) application for a pension as wife of Revolutionary War soldier David Smith. She included with her deposition, pages torn from her family bible, which are thus preserved in the National Archives along with Rebecca's application.
Children of CATHERINE SMITH and GEORGE WASHINGTON CLACK were:
i. STARLING CLACK, b. September 22, 1811, Walton County, Georgia; d. July 29, 1873, Gwinett County, Georgia; m. CHARITY SMITH, July 1833, Gwinett County, Georgia; b. March 27, 1813, Walton County, Georgia; d. November 26, 1880, Gwinett County, Georgia.
ii. MARY (POLLY) CLACK, b. August 26, 1813; d. May 22, 1895; m. LOVIC BETTS, Bef. 1830; b. October 11, 1807; d. October 17, 1880.
iii. JOHN J. CLACK, b. June 26, 1815.
iv. MARTHA (PATSY) CLACK, b. July 04, 1817; d. Aft. 1900; m. DAVID FUNDERBURG, 1844; b. May 07, 1823.
v. REBECCA CLACK, b. March 08, 1819; m. R. C. HILL; b. Abt. 1821.
vi. THOMAS CLACK, b. May 09, 1821, Walton County, Georgia; d. Chambers County, Alabama; m. EMILY SISSION.
vii. JOSEPH ROBERT "CLAY" CLACK, b. January 16, 1823, Walton County, Georgia; d. September 19, 1903, Walton County, Georgia; m. (1) IRENE HUGHES; m. (2) MARTHA A. ADAMS, January 14, 1849; b. March 28, 1832; d. August 08, 1877.
viii. JAMES C. CLACK, b. January 16, 1826, Walton County, Georgia; d. September 18, 1892, Walton County, Georgia; m. AMANDA JANE HARRISON, August 05, 1852, Walton County, Georgia; b. September 06, 1832; d. May 10, 1904.
ix. ELIZABETH CLACK, b. March 28, 1828, Walton County, Georgia.
x. SEABORN JONES CLACK, b. April 22, 1830, Walton County, Georgia; d. November 04, 1909, Gwinnett County, Georgia; m. (1) DRUCILLA ADELINE HOLLOWAY, September 14, 1855, Walton County, Georgia; b. April 19, 1836, Walton County, Georgia; d. March 19, 1899, Gwinnett County, Georgia; m. (2) ELIZA ANN BROWN, 1899; b. February 1840; d. February 13, 1923, Gwinnett County, Georgia.
xi. GEORGE WASHINGTON CLACK, JR., b. 1832; d. October 04, 1863; m. RHODA EMMALINE HARRISON, June 27, 1855, Walton County, Georgia; b. June 03, 1833.
xii. WILLIAM D. CLACK, b. January 08, 1835.

1.1.2.1.2.6.7 HANNAH SMITH (SARAH REBECCA LINDLEY (Gen. 6), JAMES (Gen. 5), THOMAS (Gen. 4), JAMES (Gen. 3), JAMES (Gen. 2), JOHN (Gen. 1)) was born Abt. 1797 in South Carolina, and died Aft. 1854. She married JAMES JOHNSON.
Child of HANNAH SMITH and JAMES JOHNSON was:
JOEL JOHNSTON, b. Abt. 1822; m. RACHEL SPENCE; b. September 30, 1826; d. December 26, 1904.

1.1.2.1.2.6.8 JOHN SMITH (SARAH REBECCA LINDLEY (Gen. 6), JAMES (Gen. 5), THOMAS (Gen. 4), JAMES (Gen. 3), JAMES (Gen. 2), JOHN (Gen. 1)) was born Abt. 1799, and died Aft. 1857. He married (1) FAITHY A. THOMPSON, daughter of DAVID THOMPSON and PATIENCE CAMP. She was born May 07, 1818. He married (2) NANCY BOWEN. She was born 1807 in South Carolina.
Children of JOHN SMITH and NANCY BOWEN were:
JOB SMITH, b. Abt. 1833; m. MARY SEXTON, October 21, 1857, Gwinett County, Georgia.
JOSEPH SMITH, b. Abt. 1835; m. SARAH C. STEPHENS, February 09, 1857, Gwinett County, Georgia449.
NANCY SMITH b. Abt. 1842.
DAVID SMITH, b. Abt. 1846.
JOHN W. SMITH, b. Abt. 1848.

1.1.2.1.2.6.9 ELIZABETH SMITH (SARAH REBECCA LINDLEY (Gen. 6), JAMES (Gen. 5), THOMAS (Gen. 4), JAMES (Gen. 3), JAMES (Gen. 2), JOHN (Gen. 1)) was born 1798, and died Aft. 1880. She married TEMPLETON WILLIAMS. He died bef. 1850.
Children of ELIZABETH SMITH and TEMPLETON WILLIAMS were:
i. ANDREW JACK8 WILLIAMS, m. MARY ANN CLEGG, February 15, 1852.
ii. THOMAS WILLIAMS, m. TINSEY JANE CLEGG; b. August 06, 1839; d. October 31, 1910.
iii. EDWARD WILLIAMS, b. 1824; m. CASSA ANN CASEY, November 24, 1842.
iv. NATHANIEL WILLIAMS, b. 1827; m. FRANCIS FLANIGAN; b. 1833.
v. DAVID WILLIAMS, b. 1834.
vi. AUGUSTUS WILLIAMS, b. 1836.
vii. CYNTHIA JANE WILLIAMS, b. 1838; m. DR. L. ELDER, December 22, 1853; b. December 1826.
viii. ELIZABETH WILLIAMS, b. 1840; m. NEEHAM HUNT.
ix. FRANCES WILLIAMS, b. 1842; m. E. L. ADAMS; b. 1829.
x. TEMPLETON WILLIAMS, b. 1844.

1.1.2.1.2.10.2 RUTH LINDLEY (JONATHAN (Gen. 6), JAMES (Gen. 5), THOMAS (Gen. 4), JAMES (Gen. 3), JAMES (Gen. 2), JOHN (Gen. 1)) was born abt. 1800. She married JOB SMITH (1.1.2.1.2.6.5), son of BENJAMIN SMITH and RUTH LINDLEY. He was born abt. 1791.
Children are listed above under Job Smith (1.1.2.1.2.6.5).

1.1.2.1.2.10.4 JANE LINDLEY (JONATHAN (Gen. 6), JAMES (Gen. 5), THOMAS (Gen. 4), JAMES (Gen. 3), JAMES (Gen. 2), JOHN (Gen. 1)) was born December 16, 1804, and died July 30, 1873 in Walton County, Georgia. She married HOPE HULL CAMP, son of JOSEPH CAMP and ELIZABETH CAMP. He was born October 30, 1803 in Jackson County, Georgia, and died July 16, 1864 in Walton County, Georgia.
Children of JANE LINDLEY and HOPE CAMP were:
ELIZABETH CAMP, b. 1825, Walton County, Georgia; d. 1895; m. BURTON TREADWELL.
MARTHA CAMP, m. WILLIAM W. PARKS, January 23, 1852.
JOSEPH RAY CAMP, b. January 23, 1831, Walton County, Georgia; d. October 21, 1926, Walton County, Georgia; m. SARAH ELIZABETH WOODS, November 07, 1852; b. February 01, 1833; d. July 06, 1897.
JAMES HARRISON CAMP, b. 1833, Walton County, Georgia; m. MARY BAILEY462, October 18, 1855, Walton County, Georgia.
JONATHAN LINDLEY CAMP, m. (1) ATTALA WINN; m. (2) JOSEPHINE TRIMBLE.
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN CAMP, b. 1837, Walton County, Georgia; m. (1) SAMANTHA BELL462; m. (2) MOLLIE GUNTER.
THOMAS CRAVEN CAMP, b. October 01, 1838, Walton County, Georgia; d. September 16, 1880; m. SUSAN ELIZABETH SMITH.
HENRY CLAY CAMP, b. December 04, 1841, Walton County, Georgia; d. May 21, 1862, Richmond, Virginia.
HOPE HULL CAMP, b. December 09, 1843, Walton County, Georgia; d. May 31, 1863, Chancellorsville, Virginia.
GEORGE WASHINGTON CAMP, b. 1847, Walton County, Georgia; m. MARY FRANCIS COOK, November 14, 1865.
ASBURY MURRELL CAMP, b. 1849; m. MARY HAGOOD.

Generation no. 8 and subsequent generations will be dealt with elsewhere.

Sources

[1] Stanley, Roy Lee. Stanley Family of Jackson/Gwinnett Co., Georgia. Some Lindley Ancestors (The Lindley/Clack/Betts Ancestors).
[2] Quarles, Anita. Job Smith of Bucks County Pennsylvania and His Descendants. (Chapter 11 in Linda G. Cheek, Ancestors and Descendants of Smiths, Easley, South Carolina, 1987, pages 251-261).
[3] Richmond, Jerry F, The Quaker Collection. Significant Early Quaker Lines.
[4] Thomas Clarkson, A Portraiture of Quakerism, London: R. Taylor and Company, 1807 explains the Quaker principle of disowning or excommunication (page 99). Grounds include marrying out of the society (page 164): “Quakers, marrying out of the Society, to be disowned - … - Reasons for this disownment are - that mixed Marriages cannot be celebrated without a violation of same of the great Principles of the Society - that they are generally productive of disputes and uneasiness to those concerned - and that the discipline cannot be carried on in such families.” (page 165) “The Quakers, therefore, consider those, who marry out of the society, as guilty of such dereliction of their principles, that they can be no longer be considered as sound or consistent members.”
[5] Barnes, Mary Lee Anderson. Eli Whaley of Walton County, Georgia, 1775-1855, Some Ancestors and Descendants, Related Families of Grace, Lindley, Smith, Camp, Waggoner. Monograph published: Knoxville, Tennessee. Also: Mary Lee's Family Lineage.
[6] Rebecca Lindley Smith's pension file W.6082.
[7] Cheek, Linda G, Smith Wills-Deeds & Family Histories, Volume 1, (Greenville, SC: The Southern Historical Press, 1993), Werdna (Sally) Fletcher is given research credit. Benjamin Smith is stated to be a "proven" son of Job Smith, Sr.
[8] Affidavit of Rebecca Smith, (May 27, 1850).
[9] East Georgia Genealogical Society, Barrow County, Georgia Cemeteries, (copyright 2000), page 468.
[10] Affidavit of Catherine Clack, (February 14, 1855).
[11] Elaine Spires Smith, "Introduction to the David Smith Family of South Carolina and Jackson and Walton Counties, Georgia."
[12] Affidavit of Mary Abercrombie, (November 20, 1850).
[13] Zenobia Tye Liles, research files, deposited with the Atlanta History Center.
[14] East Georgia Genealogical Society, Barrow County, Georgia Cemeteries, (copyright 2000), page 468.
[15] History of Gwinnett County, Georgia.
[16] G. N. Bagwell, Affidavit - Record from Family Bible of David and Drucilla Thompson, September 19, 1935, Bible in the hands of John Buchannan, College Park, Georgia (1935).
[17] G. N. Bagwell, Affidavit - Record from Family Bible of Frederick Thompson, (September 19, 1935), Bible in the hands of Ray Thompson, Eatonton, Georgia (1935).
[18] Martin, Elizabeth, Descendants of George Washington Clack, database, unpublished.
[19] Elmer Joe Hardegree.
[20] A. D. Hiller, Letter to Mrs. J. S. Plaxoo, (December 22, 1939), summarizing entries on pages ripped from the Clack Family Bible, sent by Catherine Smith Clack with her deposition of February 14, 1855, supporting Rebecca Lindley Smith's application as widow of David Smith.
[21] Cynthia Smith Miller, Benjamin Dunn Smith, and Joann Smith Hammond. Personal communication, 2008, including Manuscript, authorship unknown.
[22] Sams, Anita B, Wayfarers in Walton: A History of Walton County, Georgia 1818-1967, (Monroe, Georgia: Genera Charitable Foundation, 1967), page 778.

Benjamin Osburn and Descendants

2008-12-23T17:20:00.001-08:00

My great-x4-grandfather on my grandmother Osburn's side was Benjamin Osburn (arbitrarily assigned Roman Numeral I to differentiate from his son). The following information on Benjamin Osburn I and his children was obtained by my late wife, Sharry Gamauf Smith. Her source of information has been lost in her files. If anyone recognizes the following information and its source, please let me know, and I will happily give credig. Benjamin Osburn (I), died about 1804 in Clermont County, Ohio. The year and place of his birth are not known to me. His “Known” children were Benjamin II, Ebenezer, and David. He left a will, Clermont County, leaving property to his wife. His estate was settled in 1811. Sons Benjamin and Ebenezer and widow Anna concurred in renouncing rights to property assigned to [illegible]. In a separate document, son David renounced his claim on the estate. Later, widow Anna was already remarried at time of sale of property to ____ Arthur. There is a vague family story that Osburns came from Sussex County, Virginia. Sussex County was formed from Surry County, 1753-1754.

Benjamin Osburn (II), was born 17 September 1785 in, presumably, Clermont County, Ohio. He died 30 October 1832 in Milford, Clermont County, Ohio. His father was Benjamin Osburn, his mother’s forename was Anna, surname not stated. He married, 19 March 1806, Ruth Duckett. The marriage was performed by Moses Frazee. Ruth Duckett was born 17 January 1783, and died 16 October 1868.

Benjamin Osburn (II) served in the Ohio Militia in the War of 1812, from September 14 to December 9, 1814. He served in active military service as a private in Captain John Logan's Mounted Company. He was discharged at Sandusky, Ohio, or possibly at Detroit, on December 10, 1814 (Summary: Page 1; page 2; page 3).

In 1851, Benjamin's widow, Ruth Ducket(t) applied (Affidavit: Page 1; page 2; page 3; page 4) for bounty land pursuant to the Act of Congress passed September 28, 1850. Her declaration establishes:

She, Ruth Duckett, was born abt. 1790: She declared on 2/10/1851 that she was aged 61.

1807 March 19: Benjamin Osburn and Ruth Ducket were married by Moses Frasee.

1814 September 17: Benjamin Osburn volunteered in Clermont County, as a mounted volunteer, on or about September 17, 1841, for a period of 60 days, and served for 96 days. He was honorably discharged at or near Sandusky, Ohio, "as would appear on muster rolls of the Company of Captain John Logan, in the Detachment commanded by General Duncan McArthur." Ruth Duckett appointed Isaac Elstun, Jr., of Clermont County, Ohio, as her attorney. Preston Osburn (Benjamin and Ruth’s son – see below) deposed he had examined the original marriage record in family records and that the record submitted was a true copy.

1832 Oct. 30: Benjamin Osburn died at his residence in Clermont County.

1851 February 10: Ruth Ducket Osburn applied for land bounty certificate.

1851 December 31: The Third Auditor, Treasury Department, certified that Benjamin Osburn served in the War of 1812 under Capt. Logan, from 14 September to 9 December, 1814. [Ruth Osburn subsequently deposed he was discharged at Detroit on 10 December 1814.]

1855 April 24: Ruth Ducket deposed she was still the widow of Benjamin Osburn; that she had previously received 40 acres of bounty lands under the Act 28 September 1850, which she had disposed of; and she was applying for additional bounty lands under the Act of 3 March 1855.

She received BLWt. 89444 for 120 acres.

The roster of Ohio soldiers in the War of 1812 has been transcribed from the Ohio Adjutant General’s office and posted on the internet. Benjamin Osburn is listed on the roll of Captain John Logan’s Mounted Company. (Go to the webpage cited, and search on “Osburn”.) The company is stated to have served from September 14, until December 9, 1814. These are precisely the dates given by Ruth Duckett Osburn for her late husband's service. Ruth Duckett states that Captain Logan’s Company was in the Detachment commanded by General Duncan McArthur. Probably, Benjamin Osburn saw action in General McArthur’s invasion of Upper Canada (Ontario) in October, 1814, with a force of 700 men. On November 6, 1814, at the Battle of Malcolm's Mills, McArthur's forces drove 400 Canadian militia from the field. "In his journals, McArthur stated that his cavalry lost 1 man with 6 wounded." McArthur's forces returned to Detroit on November 17, 1814, after pillaging and burning countryside along the way."

Benjamin and Ruth had (at least) six children: Mahala, Delilah, Harmon, Preston, Tillman, and Mary Anne. The following was on copies of original research notes, without identity of the researcher. I would be pleased to give credit, and/or make corrections for any misinterpretation, if anyone recognizes the source or has additional information. “Benjah” Osburn voted in Miami Township, 8 October 1805. There is no record of his having voted in 1804. Land transactions: Benjamin Osburn acquired land from Isaac Elstun 1811 and 1825; from Wm. Lytle 1815; from __ Johnston 1817 and 1828. The last noted transaction was 1828. Elsewhere says Benjamin Osburn purchased land surveyed by ____ Lytle. In 1826 Benjamin Osburn was a property holder of 99 acres No. 3623, Lindsey original proprietor. Property acquired 1813. [Benjamin Osburn died Oct. 30, 1832.] Sept 6, 1836 - Harmon Osburn signed away rights to this property. Received $100 from Wm. Megrew. Dower rights of widow Ruth protected in document. Miami township: Property holders in 1826 include Aaron Morris, Benjamin Osburn, Henry Packard, Samuel Briley, all intermarried with Osburns. Will of Benjamin Osburn probated Oct. 24, 1840 disposed of this property, named all children but Harmon. Preston and William acquired land. Will of Tillman Osburn, October 1843 bequeathed share to Preston Osburn. Preston Osburn listed as owner of property in 1870 (Atlas of Clermont County). Preston Osburn: 1843 was Trustee and Town Marshall, Milford 1845 was Recorder, Milford Rush County: Tillman Osburn transferred property to Wm. McGrew Oct. 19, 1843.

Descendants of Benjamin Osburn I

Generation No. 1

1. BENJAMIN OSBURN I died 1804 in Clermont County, Ohio [1]. [The roman numeral suffix is applied to avoid confusion with subsequent Benjamin Osburns.]
Children of BENJAMIN OSBURN I were [1]:
1.1 BENJAMIN OSBURN II, b. September 17, 1785, Virginia; d. October 30, 1832, Clermont County, Ohio.
1.2 EBENEZER OSBURN; m. FANNIE ELSTUN.
1.3 DAVID OSBURN, b. October 02, 1786; d. May 02, 1843; m. PRECOSIA GATCH; b. September 16, 1779; d. Unknown.

Generation No. 2

1.1 BENJAMIN OSBURN II was born September 17, 1785 in Virginia [1], and died October 30, 1832 in Clermont County, Ohio [2]. He married RUTH DUCKETT March 19, 1806 or 1807 in Clermont County, Ohio [3,4]. She was born January 17, 1783, and died October 16, 1868. BENJAMIN OSBURN (II) and RUTH DUCKETT OSBURN were buried in Greenlawn Cemetery, Milford, Ohio.
Children of BENJAMIN OSBURN and RUTH DUCKETT were:
1.1.1 MAHALA3 OSBURN, d. Unknown; m. THOMAS MORRIS; d. Unknown.
1.1.2 DELILAH OSBURN, b. December 17, 1806, Miami Township, Clermont County, Ohio; d. February 28, 1888, Newberry, Ohio. DELILAH OSBURN did not marry. She was buried in Greenlawn Cemetery, Milford, Ohio.
1.1.3 HARMON OSBURN, b. June 03, 1812, Miami Township, Clermont County, Ohio; d. June 06, 1883, Noblesville, Indiana.
1.1.4 PRESTON OSBURN, b. June 19, 1817, Union Corners, Miami Township, Clermont County, Ohio; d. December 05, 1896. PRESTON OSBURN did not marry. He was buried in reenlawn Cemetery, Milford, Ohio
1.1.5 TILLMAN OSBURN, b. January 20, 1820, Miami Township, Clermont County, Ohio; d. May 26, 1844. He was buried in Greenlawn Cemetery, Milford, Ohio.
1.1.6 MARY ANN OSBURN, b. January 27, 1822, Miami Township, Clermont County, Ohio; d. September 26, 1870, Newberry, Ohio; m. WILLIAM HENRY MCGREW (or possibly “Megrew”); b. 1815; d. 1868. She was buried in Greenlawn Cemetery, Milford, Ohio.

Generation No. 3

1.1.3 HARMON OSBURN was born June 03, 1812 in Miami Township, Clermont County, Ohio and died June 06, 1883 in Noblesville, Indiana [5]. He married ELIZABETH "ELIZA" JANE PACKARD April 26, 1832 in Clermont County, Ohio, daughter of HENRY PACKARD and ANNA BRILEY. She was born February 16, 1811 in Middletown, Delaware, and died June 19, 1887 in Noblesville, Indiana [5,6,7].
Children of HARMON OSBURN and ELIZABETH PACKARD were [5,8]:
1.1.3.1 HANNAH PACKARD OSBURN, b. April 19, 1833, Milford, Ohio; d. October 04, 1895, Jonesboro, Indiana.
1.1.3.2 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN OSBURN, b. October 19, 1834, Milford, Ohio; d. June 26, 1918, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
1.1.3.3 ANNA OSBURN, b. October 16, 1835, Milford, Ohio; d. March 05, 1885, Noblesville, Indiana.
1.1.3.4 JOHN WESLEY OSBURN, b. April 29, 1839, Rush County, Indiana; d. March 27, 1903, Pueblo, Colorado.
1.1.3.5 MARY ALMIRA OSBURN, b. July 28, 1843, Rush County, Indiana; d. 1918, Jacksonville, Florida.
1.1.3.6 SARAH ELIZABETH OSBURN, b. July 28, 1843, Rush County, Indiana; d. April 19, 1847. Sarah was the twin of Mary A. Osburn.
1.1.3.7 MARTHA JANE "MATTIE" OSBURN, b. December 25, 1848, Rush County, Indiana; d. September 13, 1883, Howard County, Indiana. Did not marry.
1.1.3.8 WILLIAM HENRY OSBURN, b. December 22, 1850, Rush County, Indiana; d. Unknown.
1.1.3.9 EDWARD WALKER OSBURN, b. June 24, 1854, Rush County, Indiana; d. November 04, 1931, St. Joseph, Missouri.

Generation No. 4

1.1.3.1 HANNAH PACKARD OSBURN was born April 19, 1833 in Milford, Ohio, and died October 04, 1895 in Jonesboro, Indiana. She married ISSAC REED, date of birth and death unknown. HANNAH PACKARD OSBURN REED was buried in Kokomo, Indiana.
Children of HANNAH OSBURN and ISSAC REED were:
1.1.3.1.1 MARY JANE REED. 1.1.3.1.2 OLIVER LINCOLN REED.
1.1.3.1.3 EDITH LILLIAN REED.
1.1.3.1.4 SARAH REED.
1.1.3.1.5 WESLEY REED.
1.1.3.1.6 ANNA REED.
1.1.3.1.7 OSBURN REED.
1.1.3.1.8 JOHN REED.
1.1.3.1.9 JENNIE REED.
1.1.3.1.10 FRANK REED.
1.1.3.1.11 PEARL REED; m. ____ KEIGHTLINGER.

1.1.3.2 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN OSBURN was born October 19, 1834 in Milford, Ohio, and died June 26, 1918 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He married MARY TORR in 1865. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN OSBURN is buried in Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis, Indiana.
Children of BENJAMIN OSBURN and MARY TORR were:
1.1.3.2.1 DON EUGENE OSBURN.
1.1.3.2.2 GERTRUDE OSBURN m. A. D. WILSON.
1.1.3.2.3 GRACE M. OSBURN.

1.1.3.3 ANNA OSBURN was born October 16, 1835 in Milford, Ohio, and died March 05, 1885 in Noblesville, Indiana. She married ELIJAH BILLINGS.
Children of ANNA OSBURN and ELIJAH BILLINGS were:
1.1.3.3.1 EDWARD BILLINGS, d. Unknown, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
1.1.3.3.2 BESSIE BILLINGS, d. Aft. 1927; m. EDWIN BURTON; d. Unknown.

1.1.3.4 JOHN WESLEY OSBURN was born April 29, 1839 in Rush County, Indiana, and died March 27, 1903 in Pueblo, Colorado. He married (1) JULIET JOHNSON. She died Unknown. He married (2) LIDA HOWARD. She was born April 26, 1882 in Indianapolis, Indiana, and died Unknown in Wichita, Kansas.
Children of JOHN OSBURN and JULIET JOHNSON were:
1.1.3.4.1 ESTELLE5 OSBURN.
1.1.3.4.2 CARRIE LEE OSBURN.

1.1.3.5 MARY ALMIRA OSBURN was born July 28, 1843 in Rush County, Indiana, and died 1918 in Jacksonville, Florida. She married REV. L. G. ADKINSON Abt. 1863. He died 1906 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Children of MARY OSBURN and REV. ADKINSON were:
1.3.5.1 JENNIE ADKINSON, d. 1920; m. O. T. USLEMAN; d. Unknown. Burial: Unknown, Jacksonville, Florida.
1.3.5.2 BELLE ADKINSON, d. Unknown; m. E. G. CONKLIN; d. Unknown.
1.3.5.3 FANC ADKINSON, d. Unknown; m. ED ZIEGLER; d. Unknown.

1.1.3.8 WILLIAM HENRY OSBURN was born December 22, 1850 in Rush County, Indiana, and died Unknown. He married FRANCES BLANCHE December 31, 1874 in Howard County, Indiana.
Children of WILLIAM OSBURN and FRANCES BLANCHE were:
1.3.8.1 VIRGIL S. OSBURN.
1.3.8.2 EDNA BLANCHE OSBURN, b. December 08, 1879; d. Unknown.
1.3.8.3 FERN FRANCIS OSBURN, b. January 13, 1885; d. Unknown; m. ELLIS MOULDER LEARNER, June 22, 1910; d. Unknown.

1.1.3.9 EDWARD WALKER OSBURN was born June 24, 1854 in Rush County, Indiana, and died November 04, 1931 in St. Joseph, Missouri. He married (1) FLORENCE "FANNIE" HOBSON May 13, 1885, daughter of ABSALOM HOBSON and MARTHA FOSTER. She was born October 07, 1866 in Columbus, Indiana, and died March 22, 1899 in Howard County, Indiana. He married (2) ELSIE D. HARD January 01, 1901 in Wadsworth, Ohio, daughter of THOMAS HARD and MARY ____. She was born August 1876 in Wadsworth, Ohio, and died Unknown. EDWARD OSBURN and FLORENCE HOBSON are the subjects of previous postings.
Children of EDWARD OSBURN and FLORENCE HOBSON were:
1.1.3.9.1 MABEL MEREDITH OSBURN, b. March 18, 1886, Noblesville, Indiana; d. July 10, 1982, Orlando, Florida.
1.1.3.9.2 ORAH M. OSBURN, b. September 18, 1888, Sharpsville, Indiana; d. July 29, 1890, Jolietville, Indiana.
1.1.3.9.3 PAUL TAYLOR OSBURN, b. September 30, 1890, Jolietville, Indiana; d. December 06, 1892, Jolietville, Indiana.
1.1.3.9.4 ITA CRYSTAL OSBURN, b. December 16, 1892, Jolietville, Indiana; d. January 30, 1893, Jolietville, Indiana.
1.1.3.9.5 EDWARD FOSS OSBURN, b. May 17, 1894, Bunker Hill, Indiana; d. November 05, 1969, Iowa.
1.1.3.9.6 ESTHER FLORENCE OSBURN, b. October 15, 1896, New Orleans, Louisiana; d. December 26, 1983, San Antonio, Texas; m. (1) HARRY H. FOWLER, June 24, 1944, Kokomo, Indiana; d. July 31, 1950; m. (2) FRED C. BOEHM, January 26, 1955, San Antonio, Texas; d. November 30, 1970. ESTHER FLORENCE OSBURN is buried in Crownland Cemetery (Lot 8, Section 8), 1776 Monument Street, Noblesville, Indiana 46060.

Children of EDWARD OSBURN and ELSIE HARD were:
1.1.3.9.7 HERBERT C. OSBURN, b. 1905; d. Unknown.
1.1.3.9.8 RUTH M. OSBURN, b. 1906; d. Unknown.

Generation No. 5

1.3.1.1.1 MARY JANE REED died Unknown. She married ____ FRAZIER [8].
Child of MARY REED and FRAZIER was:
1.3.1.1.1.1 WILLIAM ISSAC FRAZIER.

1.3.1.1.2 OLIVER LINCOLN REED
Children of OLIVER LINCOLN REED were [8]:
1.3.1.1.2.1 ISA DOLORES REID.
1.3.1.1.2.2 MYRON CONRAD REID.

1.3.1.1.3 EDITH LILLIAN REED. She married ____ BOOKER. [8]
Children of EDITH REED and ____ BOOKER were [8]:
1.3.1.1.3.1 MILDRED EDITH BOOKER.
1.3.1.1.3.2 GENEVA BOOKER.
1.3.1.1.3.3 LANE BOOKER.

1.1.3.9.1 MABEL MEREDITH OSBURN was born March 18, 1886 in Noblesville, Indiana, and died July 10, 1982 in Orlando, Florida. She married FOSS SMITH January 19, 1906 in Winder, Georgia, son of JOSEPH SMITH and SARAH COOPER. He was born August 11, 1883 in Buford, Georgia, and died October 28, 1941 in Knoxville, Tennessee [10].
Children of MABEL OSBURN and FOSS SMITH were:
1.1.3.9.1.1 JOSEPH EDWARD SMITH, SR., b. January 14, 1907, Chattanooga, Tennessee; d. December 26, 1999, Simsbury, Connecticut.
1.1.3.9.1.2 DONALD FOSS SMITH
1.1.3.9.1.3 PRIVATE.

1.1.3.9.5 EDWARD FOSS OSBURN was born May 17, 1894 in Bunker Hill, Indiana, and died November 05, 1969 in Iowa. He married VIVIAN COMBACKER.
Children of EDWARD OSBURN and VIVIAN COMBACKER are:
1.1.3.9.5.1 PRIVATE.
1.1.3.9.5.2 PRIVATE.
1.1.3.9.5.3 PRIVATE.

Endnotes
[1] Unknown author, Copies of research notes on Benjamin Osburn and Ruth Duckett (or Ducket).
[2] Application for Bounty Land Warrant, Ruth Ducket Osburn, (February 10, 1851).
[3] Certificate to Copy of Record, Benjamin Osburn married to Ruth Ducket, (Batavia, Clermont County, Ohio, 2 May 1960), "March 19th 1806, Then came before me Benjamin Osburn and Ruth Ducket and produced License from Clerk of the Court and requested me to marry them. Accordingly I proceeded and joined them together as man and wife - as witness my hand. [Signed] Moses Frazee, Minister of the Gospel."
[4] Application for Bounty Land Warrant, Ruth Ducket Osburn, (February 10, 1851), states that Benjamin Osburn and Ruth Ducket were married in 1807 (19 March).
[5] Edward Walker Osburn, Harmon Osburn. Eliza Packard. Golden Wedding. (Typewritten manuscript, circa 1927).
[6] Mrs. Martin Busche, The Henry Packard Family Bible Records, Packard's Progress, Vol. 9, Spring 1989, pages 6-7.
[7] Certificate to Copy of Record: Harmon Osburn married to Eliza Packard, Batavia, Clermont County, Ohio, 2 May 1960, "This is to certify that on the 26th day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty-two, Harmon Osburn and Eliza Packard were legally joined in marriage by me, a minister of the Gospel, given under my hand this 26th of April A. D., 1832. [Signed] F. Long."
[8] Edward Walker Osburn, Children of Harmon Osburn and Eliza Packard Osburn. Typewritten manuscript, circa 1927.
[9] Ancestry.com. Indiana Marriage Collection, 1800-1941 [database on-line], Howard County, Indiana, Index to Marriage Records, 1844-1920 Inclusive, (Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005), source citation: Howard County, Indiana, Index to Marriage Records 1844-1920 Inclusive Volu, W. P. A. Original Record Located: County Clerk's Office; Book: C-3, page 89.
[10] Family Bible, Foss Smith and Mabel Meredith Osburn.

The Foss and Mabel Smith Story

2008-12-18T07:05:00.000-08:00

[Foss and Mabel Meredith Osburn Smith were my paternal grandparents. A. B. Smith]

Forward

This narrative of the lives of Foss and Mabel Meredith Osburn Smith [1] is based upon the personal histories of Mabel Smith, recorded some years prior to her death in 1982, and of Foss and Mabel’s eldest child, Joseph Edward (JoEd) Smith, Sr. [2], recorded in 1994. Their personal histories are quoted extensively, to allow the story to unfold as Foss Smith’s wife and son remembered them. The first section, therefore, is Mabel’s remembrance of her childhood. It is followed by a description of what Mabel knew of Foss Smith’s childhood and family prior to their meeting in 1904. This section, understandably, is much shorter than the first. The third section is the combined remembrance of Mabel and JoEd, of the Smith family as it evolved from Mabel and Foss’ first meeting. Other sources are included where available. The photographs were assembled, organized, and documented by Joseph Edward Smith, Sr., in albums for his family members, during the two years prior to his death in 1999.

As an adult, Joseph Edward Smith was known as Ed Smith. But as a child, and throughout his life, his parents, brother and sister, nephews and nieces, knew him as JoEd. In this narrative, he is referred to as “JoEd”. The use of appellations “Papa” and “Daddy”, in narratives of the same events by persons of different generations, may lead to confusion. In what follows, “Papa” refers to Edward Walker Osburn, father of Mabel Meredith Osburn Smith and grandfather of Joseph Edward Smith, Sr. “Daddy” refers to Foss Smith. “Mama” refers to Florence (Fannie) Hobson, Mabel’s mother and JoEd’s grandmother. “Mother” refers to Mabel herself, and is used only by her son, JoEd. The transcribed narratives have been modified as necessary to clarify pronoun references.

Sharry Gamauf Smith
Alexander Blair Smith
August 17, 2003

Mabel Meredith Osburn

Mabel Meredith Osburn was born March 18,1886, in Noblesville, Indiana. She was the eldest child of Edward Walker Osburn and Florence (Fannie) Hobson [Osburn] [3]. The Osburn and Hobson families were farmers. Mabel’s paternal grandparents, Harmon Osburn and Elizabeth Packard [Osburn] had moved to Indiana from Ohio in the 1830s. Edward W. was the youngest of nine children, born in Rush County, Indiana, in 1854. Mabel’s maternal grandparents, Absalom Hobson and Martha Jane Foster [Hobson] were both born in Indiana. Mabel’s mother, Florence, was born in 1866 in Columbus, Indiana, the middle of seven children. Both families were very religious, and for generations had been members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

All the Osburn children (Mabel's father, uncles and aunts) went to college [4]. Edward’s elder male siblings became farmers, while Edward became a Methodist minister. Edward was educated at Asbury University [5] and Garrett Biblical Institute at Chicago [6]. He was licensed to preach, and about 1877, was appointed Junior Pastor of the Little Rock, Arkansas, circuit of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mabel, Edward’s oldest child, remembered: “At one time Papa was a minister in Arkansas. He was a circuit rider. That was where the preachers would go out on horseback. They didn’t have any home. They just went from one district to another, preaching, living wherever they happened to land that evening. All they owned in the world would be their saddlebag on their horse.” Edward, in a memoir written in 1927, described his first assignment: “The circuit embraced a territory approximately eighty miles long and fifty miles wide. For the first year’s service I received $2.45 in cash and two pairs of yarn socks…”

Edward W. Osburn returned to Indiana, and was admitted to the North Indiana Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1881. He was ordained Deacon in 1883, and Elder in 1885. At that time, the M. E. church moved its ministers about every three years. At each of Edward’s postings, he would cover a circuit of three or four churches. About 1884, while serving in Noblesville, Indiana, Edward met Florence (Fannie) Hobson at one of the country churches in his charge. They were married on May 13, 1885. Mabel was born on March 18, 1886. She was the eldest of six children, three of whom lived to adulthood.

Edward was transferred to different circuits every two to three years. The family moved to Greentown, Indiana, in 1887. Their second child, a girl named Orah, was born in 1888 [7]. Mabel remembered: “After living there a couple of years, we moved. Papa’s health was not good, and he had to take a rest for a year. At that time I would have been about three years old [Hence, the trip would have been about 1889.] ….We went in a covered wagon to [Burrton] Kansas to live in a house on an uncle’s farm [William Henry Osburn] …I don’t know what became of the covered wagon, because out there in Kansas we had a horse and buggy, and we would go out over the prairie and shoot rabbits.”

“We had a garden, and when Papa and Mama would go out to work in the garden, they would take Orah and me, and fix a pallet to the side of the garden, and put us there to play while they did their gardening. One day Papa looked up from his hoeing and right there in front of us was a rattlesnake, all coiled up and just ready to strike. Papa just reached over with his hoe and chopped off that rattlesnake’s head.”

"[About 1890] we moved back to [Jolietville] Indiana, and there Orah died [July 29, 1890]. And soon after that my little brother was born [September 30, 1890], named Paul… [8]

“…One morning I came downstairs, and Papa was in the kitchen, and he said you come out here in the kitchen and I’ll give you your breakfast. Mama isn’t feeling very well, so you stay out here with me. And about that time I saw a lady come in the door. She lived down the road a piece, and in those days, instead of coats, ladies often wore big black shawls….She came in and she went in to the bedroom, which was on the first floor. I stayed in the kitchen, and after a while we heard a baby cry. And there was my baby brother. Now, of course I’m old enough to know better, but to me that baby brother came into the house under that big black shawl.

“Paul didn’t live but two years and a half….And then another little sister, Ita Crystal, was born, but she lived only a few weeks. In just those few years Mama lost three small children. So I began to see death at a very early age…I can remember all those children…”

The circumstances surrounding the death of her baby sister Ita must have been particularly and grievously painful:

“Mama was a very sweet person, and everybody loved her. She had a good voice, and sang beautifully. Her brother [Robert L. Hobson], just older than she, had tuberculosis, and wasn’t expected to live. He kept calling and wanting her to come [visit him at their parent’s farm], but Ita was only a few weeks old, so small that Mama couldn’t go right then…This was in the wintertime. As soon as Mama thought the baby was old enough to take out, she took Ita and me, and we went up to the farm, Grandpa’s farm. It was probably fifteen or twenty miles away, and we went up there to see them. And Ita fell sick. We hadn’t been there but a few days…I really don’t know what was the trouble. We tried to keep her alive. They sent for my father, but they couldn’t keep her alive, and she died along in the middle of the night. And my uncle, who was in bed in the next room, kept calling for Mama to come in there. He wanted her to come and sing for him. And with her baby dead in the adjoining room, she went in and stood by his bedside and sang for him. That has always been an example, a lesson for me for courage…and I’ve always said that if Mama could do that, I could take any problem that came to me in life, try to be like she was, strong in the face of anything that came up. Mama has lived with me through all these years, and she’s still a very beautiful memory to me…And I might add that Uncle died just a few days latter [10], so she had a double bereavement at that time.” Mabel was not yet six years old.

In Jolietville, Edward’s charge included “four churches, and one of the churches was in a little village only about two and a half or three miles from Jolietville. Papa had one of the bicycles where you had a great big wheel in front, and a tiny wheel behind, and he would ride up to that church on Sunday afternoons and preach….

“This was the place, I was about five years old then, that I started to school…I had a doll with a waxed face, and my playhouse was in a box out in the side yard. I was told not to leave that doll out in the sun, because the sun would melt the face. But I got in a hurry one day to go back to school, and I just threw something over the doll carriage and left it. When I came back from school, the face was melted, no more wax doll. I haven’t seen a wax doll since then, but that’s what came from not minding.

“And I can remember two Christmases there. One Christmas we gathered in the living room, opening our packages, and Papa rolled in a barrel. When Papa took off the top, there was a whole set of dishes of the latest pattern, one that was popular at the time, and I still have the largest bowl, a vegetable bowl, that belonged to that set of dishes…And the other Christmas, Papa gave Mama a watch, and I still have it. I carried it for probably thirty years, but it doesn’t run anymore. But I still have it.

“It was at Joliettille that three babies died, and when we moved to Bunker Hill, Indiana [about 1893], I was the only child left in the family. Bunker Hill was a small place also. There were three churches to that charge, and the school there was a two story brick…The only two playmates that I remember, although one didn’t last too long, was a little girl who wanted to play with me. She kept coming over, but she didn’t use very good language. She used too many slang words. I wasn’t supposed to use any slang. I couldn’t even use the word ‘bit’ because it was used in gambling....And Papa would send her home every time she came….And the other playmate I had was the little boy next door…who was the same age, and we each had a buckeye (chestnut) tree in the yard, and we’d play with the buckeyes [11], he on his side of the fence and me on mine….He died when he was about thirteen…”

“This was where I joined the [Methodist Episcopal] church when I was eight years old….We’d often go to these country churches. We might go and stay two or three days, and visit among the people, and we always went home with the buggy full of vegetables and chickens and canned goods. I remember at one of the churches, we were there for the Sunday night service. It was storming there very badly and nobody else wanted to go out. Papa went to the church, and when he got there the janitor was the only one there. He had the lamps lighted, but nobody came. But Papa went on with the service, just the two of them, and Papa preached his sermon. He said if the janitor was brave enough to come out in the storm, why he should have his sermon as usual…

“It was during these years in Indiana that I visited most with my grandparents [the Hobsons] who lived in the country….I think I was the only grandchild that visited with them very much, and I suspect they kind of spoiled me. But it was a lot of fun visiting on the farm. Everything was so different. Of course, in those days there were no electric lights. We had lamps, and the glass chimneys had to be shined every morning. There were no bathrooms, no running water. The toilets were in little buildings outside of the house. The water was from the wells, the cisterns, and rain barrels. They would heat the house with fireplaces and big iron stoves in which they burned wood and coal.

“One time, Grandma sent me down to the field to take some fresh water to the men who were ploughing, quite a distance from the house. I went down there. They drank the water. I started back to the house, and looked behind me, and there was a big long snake. I suppose it wasn’t as long as it looked, but it would jump way as high as I was, and it was gaining on me. I was running as fast as I could, and every time I looked around, it seemed to be getting a little closer. I was pretty scared by the time I got back to the house. Of course, they laughed at me that night. They said if I had just gone zigzag along that path, the snake would have gotten dizzy and stopped…”

While at Bunker Hill, Indiana, Mabel’s brother, Edward Foss Osburn , was born in 1894 [12]. He lived to age 75.

“About the time I was eight years old, we moved to New Orleans. Papa’s health wasn’t very good in the northern climate, and he had a chance to go to New Orleans as pastor of [St. Charles Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church, St. Charles Avenue and Calliope Street, near Lee Circle] …and so we moved down there…”

“The church was a big stone church which would seat five thousand people….It was two stories high, and the windows were tall, the height of the sanctuary…The chandelier was a great big gas fixture that came down from the ceiling. I don’t know how many gaslights were in it, but they had a real long pole that they light a candle on, and reach up there and light all the bowls. The church was built before the Civil War. It isn’t there anymore. It was torn down within the past few years, but it was a beautiful church….In back of the sanctuary was a two story building. Downstairs was a big Sunday school room, and above that on the second floor was an apartment where we lived…

“Of course, New Orleans was a lot different from where we had been….There were big markets that covered maybe two or three blocks. One of the markets was about six blocks from where we lived. We’d have to walk there and get all kinds of groceries and meats and vegetables and fruits…Had to carry them. We didn’t have any cars at that time. Sometimes, I had a bicycle, I’d be sent over there to get groceries, and I’d take them home in the wire basket that was attached to the handlebars. There were two little stores not too far from us. I remember there was one store where they sold oysters, and they would send me with a pitcher or quart jar around to this oyster store. They would just open the oyster shells, and let the oysters fall right into the jar…The really big stores, that is , clothing stores, furniture stores, at that time, were all down on Canal Street. That was the wide street that separated the French Quarter from the upper part of the city….At Christmas time, the stores were all decorated. They were just about the most beautiful places, stores, that you ever saw. I haven’t seen anything just like it since….

“I had a bicycle while I was there, and I got a lot of pleasure out of it. Papa also had a bicycle, and we went around everywhere together. I was kind of his constant companion. Anyway, it seemed like that. On the front of his bicycle he had a basket, and in that my little brother (Edward Foss) would sometimes ride….If I went to the store for groceries, I had a basket on the front of mine on the handlebars to hold the groceries, and I went in and out of everything that was running along the avenue….I think I scared everybody because I didn’t pay any attention to anybody, I guess.

“The cotton mills were, maybe, eight or ten blocks from where we lived. They were down on the waterfront, and they had the slums and tenement houses down there next to those cotton mills. Papa took me down there one time…I remember one year we had one of the big floods, and we went down to the levee to see them pile the sandbags along the levee….One time Papa took me to the biggest hospital there in New Orleans…And I went to a mission, Papa started a mission. It was just a big room, chairs in it where they had meetings, and upstairs there were a lot of beds where the men who had no place to sleep, could sleep for the night….I went to the penitentiary one Sunday Afternoon, and about all I can remember is a room full of men, and Papa standing up there and preaching to those men…I lived down there during the time of the Spanish-American War, and there was a camp out from the city. I went out there one day, and I can remember just rows and rows of tents…I saw Ringling Brothers for the first time, and then of course Mardi Gras was a great occasion….The parades came down past the church, so that we could be in the windows up at the front of the church and watch the parades go by…

“And that fall in October my sister Esther was born, and she was a good deal younger than I was. She was always called my baby…” [13]

After four and a half years in New Orleans, Mabel recalled, “Mama became ill, and we knew that she couldn’t get well, and she wanted to go back to Indiana and be with her family….We went back to Indiana and she died just about a week after we had been back there [March 22, 1899]. And we children never went back to Louisiana.” Edward (Mabel’s father) returned to New Orleans to finish out the year. Mabel and her brother and sister stayed with relatives in Indiana, while “Papa went to California. He had friends out there in California, and he just thought he couldn’t go on with his work, with Mama gone…”

“In March, [1900], the next year, after Papa’d been gone a year, he came back, and was appointed to a church in Wadsworth, Ohio. He took us three children, then, to live with him there.” Mabel, the eldest child, took on the duties of housekeeper for her father, and mother to her siblings, a level of responsibility far beyond what would be expected of a young girl. Mabel: “Now, see, I was fourteen at that time, I kept house for Papa, for the family, for a year. Now, I knew how to clean a house…Papa taught me how to cook. And I went to school…. and well did everything there was to do just to keep house…We had company sometimes. Sometimes a visiting preacher, presiding elder, would come around to stay. I remember one time the presiding elder was to have dinner with us on Sunday, and after we’d gone to bed, I remembered that we didn’t have any bread in the house….We were about three blocks from the grocery store. It was getting along late, but everybody had gone to bed. I got up, got dressed, and went downtown, and got a loaf of bread, came back, went to bed. They didn’t hear me at all. You couldn’t do that now. It wouldn’t be very safe for a fourteen-year-old girl to go out at night and down and get bread. Didn’t meet a soul…”

A year later, in 1901, Edward W. married again, Elsie D. Hard, a young lady who also lived in Wadsworth. [14] About a year later the family moved to another small town in Ohio. That fall, Mabel, aged 16, left to go to college, MacMurray Women’s College in Jacksonville, Illinois. She attended MacMurray for one year. [To the right: Picture of the MacMurray College Basketball Team, with Mabel in the bottom left corner.]

Mabel noted, again, that her father’s “health was not very good, he didn’t tolerate well the cold winters in Ohio. He decided to move to a warmer area, where he intended to do evangelistic work.” [15] He moved his family to Tennessee. Mabel transferred to Grant University in Athens, Tennessee, so she could be near home [16]. It was there that she met Foss Smith.

Foss Smith

Foss Smith was born August 11, 1883, in Buford, Georgia. He was the younger of two children born to Joseph Parks Smith and Sarah Adaline Cooper [Smith]. Foss' older sister was Mary Jane Cornelia Smith [17,18].

The Smiths were farmers. Mabel: “They had a cotton farm in Georgia. That was the way they made their living. They used to say there was a depression long about 1900. Cotton sold for five cents a pound, and the farmers through that area could hardly make a living. Eggs were about fifteen cents a dozen, butter about the same….So they had a pretty hard time of it.…” The Smiths were determined that their children receive a good education. Mabel: [About 1892] "The parents took them [Foss and Mary Jane (Janie) Cornelia] to a Methodist school, they were called academies, not too far from where they lived in Georgia. Joseph and Sarah rented a little place for Foss and Janie, two or three rooms…Janie was about fourteen, I guess, and she did the cooking, and took care of everything for the two of them. Foss and Janie stayed there for a year and went to school. And then when Janie was eighteen, at the end of that year she decided to get married. So what would their parents do with Foss?…Foss’ father had “heard of this college [19] over in Athens, Tennessee, which was across the mountains. And they [Joseph, Sarah, and Foss] went across the mountain in a covered wagon. It took them, I think, two days and two nights to make the trip across. You realize back in those times there was nothing but trails across [the mountain]. There weren’t any good roads or anything of that kind . And when they got over there, Joseph and Sarah had decided, Foss was only about thirteen years old then, but he was too young to stay in one of the dormitories, at least they thought he was…So they rented a house there, just a small house, and Foss and Sarah stayed there, lived there all that winter, and Joseph went back home and stayed by himself on the farm in Georgia. And to me that has always been the story of the biggest sacrifice almost anybody could make for their children to go to school…”

Joseph Parks and Sarah Adaline Cooper Smith moved permanently from Georgia, to a farm outside of Cleveland, Tennessee, in 1900. At his death in 1912, Joseph P. Smith was living next door to Foss and Mabel Smith in Athens, Tennessee. Sarah Adaline Cooper Smith died in 1947.

Foss and Mabel Smith

Foss and Mabel met at Grant University, and Mabel observed that “For me, it was love at first sight….[Foss] was medium height, five ten and a half or eleven or something like that, slender, black curly hair, deep blue eyes, had dimples in both cheeks, dimple in his chin, and I thought he was pretty good looking, and so did all the other girls on the campus, but I won out, as you know.”

“Long about the second or third week after school began, there was a school picnic out in the country on somebody’s farm, and we went out in wagons that had a lot of hay in them, and of course, horses. That was before the day of automobiles. And Foss Smith asked me to go. Well, I had never gone out with boys, I didn’t know what to do, of course I wanted to go. You know what I did? I went to the Dean, told him about it, asked him if he thought it would be alright if I went out with Mr. Smith…He thought it would be all right, Foss was a very fine student, a gentleman, he thought my Father would approve. So that was my first date, on that hayride and picnic out in the country….

“We had two years there together, and we were, I guess you might call it, the sweethearts of the campus. Everybody thought we were very well behaved, and one of the professors said we conducted ourselves the best of any couple he’d known, and he had been there a good long while.”

Foss and Mabel graduated in 1905. In the fall they moved to Mt. Zion, near Winder, Georgia, to teach at an academy run by the Methodist church. “In those days the Methodist Church had big academies in out of the way places for children who didn’t live near a school, and Mt. Zion was one of those schools….I guess the village was just a country village built more or less around the school. There was a church and a school, and three or four stores, and a number of houses scattered at a distance….There were two doctors in the community. I lived with one, and Foss lived with the other, right across the road.” Foss was the school principal, and taught grades nine through twelve. Mabel taught the children up to grade four. A third teacher taught the middle grades. “[Foss] was a good disciplinarian… (and) it didn’t take long to get order all through the school….I received thirty dollars a month, and Foss received $100, and I think the other (teacher) probably received $75, but along with that we didn’t have to pay out much for room and board.” [About $8.00 per month.]

Foss and Mabel married on Friday, January 19, 1906. By this time, Mabel’s family had moved to Texas. “ For my wedding dress, I wore the same dress that I wore to graduate from college. We didn’t wear robes in those days, just white dresses, and in those days they were down, rather long, I don’t think quite to the floor, but pretty long. And mine was real pretty. My stepmother had made it by hand, a lot of tucks and lace and so on in it.” Following the wedding, “All Foss had to do was cross the street….Of course, there was no honeymoon. And on Saturday, in those days at the wedding, the bride’s family furnished a big dinner, and the next day the groom’s family was supposed to have a big dinner. So the Martins [with whom Foss was staying] did. They had us all over to their house on Saturday for dinner. And then on Sunday we went to church. But it rained and rained. We had to walk quite a little distance to the church, and it poured down rain, and there weren’t very many at church., And then, Monday morning we were right back in the schoolroom.”

That summer Mabel visited her family in Houston for a month, and in the fall Foss and Mabel moved to East Chattanooga, Tennessee, where Foss served as Assistant Superintendent of Schools, and taught at the junior high school. Their first child, Joseph Edward Smith (JoEd), was born in January 1907. [19]

In the fall of 1907, the family moved to Athens, Tennessee, where Foss took the position of Superintendent of Schools, and also taught in the elementary school. He served as Superintendent of Schools from 1907 to 1911. This was the town where Foss and Mabel had attended college. Mabel: “We knew a good many people in town, and it was nice to go back there because we did know a number of people….Athens seemed more like home to me than any other place that I had lived…”

The family lived close enough to the school, that if a teacher did not show up, Mabel would substitute as teacher. Foss “would send somebody over to tell me to come on over and fill in…I guess I taught everything from first grade up to the fifth…” Mabel: “After three years we built this house up on the hill near the new schoolhouse. It had eight rooms and great big porches on two sides. There were a lot of trees – oaks and maples – around it, and a great big yard.” JoEd, their oldest child, recalled: “My father had about ten acres of land with the house which he built…The house did not have central heating such as we know today, but had grates in every room, and a large space heater that burned wood, in one of the rooms at the foot of the staircase. Heat would rise essentially from that, together with what was generated from the kitchen stove. But that was typical of the way people lived in that area of the country. The house had plumbing. It didn’t have a shower, but it had a tub, and running water upstairs and downstairs. The water had to be heated on the kitchen stove, so that if you wanted to take a bath, I guess the water was carried up to the bathtub on the second floor.”

In 1911, Foss “went over to the college [20] to teach chemistry and physics. JoEd: “Daddy’s [Foss’] specialty was the classics, and it is interesting to note that he had six years of Latin and four years of Greek. However, his teaching was in the sciences and mathematics. I can say without question that Daddy was the best teacher I ever had. I had courses in plane geometry, solid geometry, trigonometry, and chemistry in high school in Marion County. When I went to the University of Chattanooga, I found that the chemistry course I had already had was simply the equivalent of the course I took in college, and the same was true of the course in trigonometry.” Mabel continued to teach: “One year they didn’t have a biology teacher, and I taught for half a year until they could get another teacher in biology.” While in Athens, Mabel gave birth to twin girls, who died shortly after birth and were never named. [They were buried in the family plot in Athens, Tennessee.] Subsequently, their two younger children were born, Donald Foss Smith and Florence Meredyth Smith. The family was complete.

JoEd: “My father’s first purchase of a car was when we were living in Athens, Tennessee, so it would have been about 1916. It was…a Studebaker Big Six, and he paid $1050 for it, which was a sizable sum back in those days. People, for example, working at the table factory were accustomed to earning a dollar a day…This Studebaker Big Six was a touring car. It did not have a hard top. Canvas top that he put in place for covering, and at the same time could be put back and leave the car open. If you got into a rain or something like that you had to hastily get the top in place to shed the water, and also put up side curtains….

“What did my father use the car for? We’d go out on the weekend, usually on a Sunday, for a picnic somewhere. As far as we could go without getting into trouble with the road was maybe fifteen or twenty miles. There was one section of road that started about thirty miles away, and which was up near Louden, Tennessee. It was a ten mile strip of very fine gravel road, that my father liked to drive on because he could get up to forty miles per hour on it…On most roads you only drove twenty or twenty-five miles per hour. Our picnics were quite often over in what was known as the Hiwassee Gap. It was on the Hiwassee River, which came through the Chilhowie Mountains, that river must have originated in North Carolina, and flowed down to join the Tennessee River below Athens. My father had the car until we moved to Chattanooga [21]. He just left it behind, because in those days you didn’t have to go by car everywhere you went. In the first place you didn’t have many places to go to, and secondly if it was any distance you went by train.”

“The Studebaker car gave us a lot of pleasure, but roads in the early 20s limited use for more than local travel. Tires were also a problem. They consisted of inner tubes surrounded by casings mounted on rims, in turn mounted on wheels. Tire failures came when inner tubes were punctured. On failure it was necessary to take the assembly apart, mend the hole with a patch, and then reassemble and mount on the wheel. This took time, strength, and patience. I remember one of the worst trips taken from Jasper to Harrogate, a distance of about 175 miles, over a period of fourteen hours. There were fourteen tire failures on this trip.

“There were lots of short trips for pleasure. They often were drives into the local mountains for picnics. At Harrogate we would drive up the Powell Valley and off to streams flowing from the mountainside. We did take one long trip from Athens to Roncevert, West Virginia. It took several days, with stops at hotels in the small towns. There weren’t any road maps as we have them today. One simply asked for directions on proceeding at each daily stop. The usual answer for travel through the mountains was ‘A Ford can make it, but your car is too big.' Daddy’s standard answer was ‘Anywhere a Ford can go, I can go.' And he did.

JoEd: “Daddy was an excellent surveyor. He worked several summers for the Tennessee Power Company in establishing the location of transmission power lines during the period 1914 through 1918. He spent the summer of about 1925 establishing the anticipated shoreline of a lake to be formed by building a dam in a river in the Tennessee – North Carolina mountain region. It was probably in the upper regions of the Hiwassee, but I’m not sure. Daddy was noted for his agility and fearlessness in climbing over the mountainsides to place his transit, regardless of the hazards. This survey was the last big job in that field.”

In 1918, the family moved to Harrogate, Tennessee, where Foss taught mathematics, chemistry and physics at Lincoln Memorial University. The university took many students on a work-study program. Mabel: “Most of the students at LMU came from the states around there. Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee came together on top of the mountain near the school and a lot of those students came from those states and from up in the mountain…[The school] had jobs for them, on the farm…and around the buildings. [The students] could almost make their way through school.”

JoEd: “My father was a strong believer in not having idle hands around. Even at the age of twelve I was out working in the school gardens, getting paid seven and a half cents an hour. Later on I was on the work force that built a new dormitory there. My father supervised the building of a dormitory, which was given by the DAR to the university, and was known as DAR Hall at the time. I carried bags of cement, and rolled wheelbarrows of bricks around.” Mabel: “The young men worked as carpenters on that building for 15 cents an hour.”

Recreation included picnics and field trips. Mabel: “There were a number of interesting places around there that we would got to, on the mountains and back and forth up into the valleys. Daddy [Foss] taught geology one year, and then Daddy took his geology class into a coal mine up there in the mountains, across the mountain into Middleboro, Kentucky, which has a lot of coal mines through there.”

And other pastimes. JoEd: “We were Methodist in our family, and in the Methodist religion at that time, you might say it was verboten to play cards of any sort. So we would have games which were known as Flinch, and Rook, and Pit, and whenever we played those games, all the blinds in the room where the game was being played would be pulled down, so nobody would know we were sinning. At that time I was probably anywhere from twelve to fourteen years old. My parents were playing with us. Oh, yes, this was a family thing when we played. My mother was the daughter of a minister.”

After three years at Lincoln Memorial University (1918-1921), the family moved to Jasper, Tennessee, a small town about sixty miles south of Chattanooga. JoEd: “[My father] loved farming, and so he decided that he would take a break from full-time teaching and have a farm….He was a surveyor, well known surveyor, for real estate and things like that around East Tennessee. He did that in his spare time, so to speak. He was hired to do a survey on what was known as the Hall farm, down about five miles south of Jasper, Tennessee, located on the Sequachee River, which actually flowed into the Tennessee River about five miles east of this farm. The farm had about seven hundred acres, and my father thought it was just for him. So he not only surveyed the farm, he bought the farm…He found that he had more to handle there than he could take care of, so he sold off part of the farm within a year or so, and wound up with five hundred and fifty acres. We had very good farmland, and cattle, sheep, chickens, pigs…We had to take care of all of those, of course.”

The first year the family lived in Jasper. Both Foss and Mabel taught at Marion County High School. JoEd: “It was the only high school in Marion County. Some of the students there were boarding students, there must have been fifteen or twenty girls and boys who lived there in the dormitory space. There were about two hundred students in the school. About a hundred of those were in the entrance program. As a result of the one-room schoolhouses in the district, they’d have to take a year of remedial training before they could enter high school. After you got into high school, there was pretty rigorous grading, you had to make it otherwise you didn’t advance.”

Foss had an Indian motorcycle. JoEd: “Daddy was very proud of his motorcycle, and it gave some satisfaction for the thrill of speed. I remember Daddy proudly reporting his accomplishment of riding from Etowah to Athens, nine miles over macadam road, in eleven minutes. I rode behind on the motorcycle a few times but at a sedate speed. The motorcycle was used each day for a trip to the farm…about three miles away. He was up by 6 A.M., went to the farm to milk the cows, and returned home to deliver the milk to Mother, who in turn sent some for delivery [by me] to customers,” after which they both would have gone to school.

The second year, they moved out to the farm. Mabel did not teach that year. That year, JoEd remembers riding back and forth to school on horseback. “We were about five miles away from the school on a farm…The roads were such that you really couldn’t drive the family car in the wintertime, because the road would become so rutted from traffic, that it was almost impossible to drive a car over them….The surface was gravel, what was referred to as chert down there as I recall. It was a good surface as long as you didn’t get into the wet winter weather. It was such that my father couldn’t even drive a buggy over it part of the time. We had a buggy and we had horses, so that year the three of us (Foss, JoEd, and Don) as a rule rode horseback…”

JoEd: “The farming didn’t turn out very well for my father financially. He had lots of things for sale, and nobody to buy them. The government didn’t subsidize farming in those days….We were in the midst of a big agricultural glut, and for example he had fifteen thousand bushels of corn in the corncrib, and nobody to buy it….So he decided that when I was ready to enter college, that he would go to Chattanooga and take a job teaching there, and get rid of the farm, which he did.”

In 1923, the family moved to Chattanooga, where Foss took a position teaching mathematics and science at the Central High School. Mabel taught Home Economics. JoEd entered the University of Chattanooga. In 1925, Foss went over to the Baylor School to teach mathematics and the sciences. During these years he earned a Masters degree from the University of Tennessee. In the 1930s he was appointed head of the science department. He taught there for ten years, and was highly regarded as an educator. He was listed in the 1927 edition of Who’s Who in the South, in which it was noted that he was President, Science Section, State Teachers Association of Tennessee [22].

In a history of the Baylor School, the president of a major chemical corporation was quoted in a letter, singling out Foss Smith for recognition, remembering “the freedom of the laboratory and the encouragement given by Professor Foss Smith…Frankly, without Baylor I do not believe that I would have been able to enter M.I.T….nor would I have had such a solid academic background.” Another entry described him: “A sensitive, dedicated man, he gave Baylor his best for ten years [1925 - 1935] and then returned to Lincoln Memorial University.” [23]

Mabel: “After ten years at Baylor Military Academy at Chattanooga we moved back to Lincoln Memorial University which is about sixty miles east of Knoxville right over where Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia meet. Daddy liked to get back to work with the students at the college level. Most of the boys and girls there came from the mountains in the surrounding states, and he felt that to work with them would be more of a challenge.”

“Lincoln Memorial University was named, of course, for President Lincoln, and it’s at the foothills of the Cumberland Mountains, and it’s a beautiful campus. A large farm, old buildings, winding roads, and I don’t know how many varieties of different trees all over the campus. We lived in a big three story house which formerly had been, when we lived there the other time from 1918 to ’21, had been a conservatory of music. But that had been discontinued, and we had a large apartment on the second floor. It was quite an old place and built on the same plan as an old English estate house, and had the stained glass windows inside. The paneling and so on had been sent over from France, and there were a lot of things about it that were very old and well worth seeing and knowing about. And there we had flowers everywhere. Daddy had a green thumb, and we had flowers all around the house. I had a beautiful rock garden which people came by just to see, and we had flowers blooming from early in the Spring until the last ones got frozen with the frost in the Fall.” JoEd: “Daddy was interested in gardening, and whenever possible had a large vegetable garden. As a result we had lots of food for the table, and a substantial overflow for the local market. He was also interested in flowers. His flowers around the Conservatory at LMU were well known in the surrounding areas, and people drove by on Sundays to see them.”

Mabel: “At LMU, Daddy taught chemistry and mechanical drawing, and also he was Dean of Men. And one year I had to teach one semester of biology until they could get another teacher for the department. Later I taught a course in chemistry, but I’ve forgotten exactly what it was called. That was for a semester, so I’ve taught from the first grade on up, and I expect the students knew more about it all than I did anyway.”

“Daddy also had the men’s glee club. I think there must have been at least twenty boys in it, and I played the piano for them. We went out to different schools, high schools and churches, and sang. We had a lot of lovely trips. One trip, we didn’t take the whole group on this trip, we went to Florida in two cars, and we sang first in Jacksonville and then on down in St. Augustine….[Foss] sang bass, and he sang a really deep bass, and we had a couple of boys who sang good tenor, too, so we had a really good group, they were a fine group to work with.”

“During vacation periods, [Foss] visited the high schools of the section in the interest of L. M. U., and was perhaps in closer touch with the parents of the students of the institution than any other member of the staff.”

Except for a bout of typhoid fever, suffered in 1907 and from which he made a complete recovery, Foss Smith was vigorous and active in both work and recreation. In 1941, he suffered a three-month illness about which neither Mabel nor JoEd gave any details. He died at Fort Sanders Hospital in Knoxville, on October 28, 1941. [24] JoEd: “Daddy was well known as an educator, and was president of the Tennessee State Teachers Association for a term. He had been invited to address the convention, and after his speech was nominated and voted to office, even though at the time he was teaching in a private school, namely, the Baylor School. His name is listed in Who’s Who in the South about 1927. On his death in 1941 it was reported on the Knoxville radio station, an honor usually reserved for national figures.”

Mabel: “Daddy was a fine man, and we loved each other very much. We were married 35 years, and I wish it could have been double that number. I have never wished to have any other man in my life. His memory is precious to me.”

The Lincoln Herald, in October 1941, published: “Professor Smith’s career was devoted to the education of the young people of East Tennessee….His extra-curricular activities were extensive and his field trips and excursions with student groups became a major attraction for his classes and the organizations which he sponsored…He was truly an inspiring leader and sympathetic friend to whom all could turn for kindly advice and guidance…The institution (L. M. U.) has suffered a major loss in his death, and thousands of boys and girls whom he loved and inspired during the many years he served on the staff of the University have lost a sincere friend.”

In 1992, Foss’ daughter, Florence Meredyth Smith Giddens, recorded the following, which serves as a fitting summary:

"We hope that these recollections will be of interest to all of the grandchildren whom he never knew. Very often it is hard to relate to someone you never knew, but it is our hope that through these memories you will acquire an insight and appreciation of this very fine person. His last teaching position was at Lincoln Memorial University, and in 1992 through my efforts a photograph of him was enlarged and framed by a professional photographer. It now hangs in the Farr-Chinook Science Hall in Harrogate at LMU, with the following tribute attached:

“Professor Foss Smith was a teacher by original talent, and by cultivation of the divine gift. He had mastery of his subject, power of clear statement, a melodious voice, and a glow of enthusiasm. His classroom standards were exacting, but always within the abilities of the industrious student. As a canvasser for new students he brought to the college a select group. He won and held the confidence of parents and students. He could elicit cooperation, and as Dean of Men wrought strongly upon many generations of students. A prodigious industry, he spared no toil, and literally shortened his life by profuse expenditure of energy in the service of the university...[H]is influence lives on in the hearts and minds of hundreds of students.”

Afterward

Mabel: “We raised three wonderful children....And we loved them very much all the same, but perhaps different abilities that they had. We were a happy family. There was absolutely no quarreling or anything of that kind. They were honest children. We could always depend on them. If we told them to do something they did it whether we were there to see if the task was carried out or not. They were studious and we trusted them and well we couldn’t have asked for finer better children and of course I still love them just the same.

“After Daddy’s death I moved into an apartment in the faculty house on the campus there at Lincoln Memorial University and that was in October and I didn’t do anything that year…But the next fall the president of the university asked me if I would be assistant dean and have rooms over in the France-Poore Dormitory.…And the second year…the Dean of Women…So I took over as Dean of Women..And I guess I was there about five years, until ’46.”

In 1946 Mabel took the position of housemother for the women’s dormitory at MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Illinois, where she had attended her first year of college. She retired in 1953, and moved to Florida, to be near her daughter and family.

Mabel died on July 10, 1982, having survived her husband by forty years. She was buried next to Foss, along with Joseph Parks and Sarah Adaline Smith, and her unnamed twin baby girls, in the family plot in Cedar Grove Cemetery, Athens, Tennessee.

Joseph Edward (JoEd) Smith graduated from the University of Chattanooga in 1927, and subsequently obtained a Ph.D. in chemistry from Brown University in 1931. He took a job with the DuPont Company in Wilmington, Delaware, in 1930, and worked for DuPont until his retirement in 1972. He married Jeanie Blair Smith of Wilmington, Delaware, on April 11, 1936. They had two children, Joseph Edward (Jed) Smith, Jr., and Alexander Blair Smith. Jeanie died on February 28, 1992. JoEd died on December 26, 1999. They are survived by their two children, and four grandchildren.

Donald Foss Smith graduated from the Baylor School in 1930; the University of Chattanooga in 1934; and obtained a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Virginia. He taught in the chemistry department of the University of Alabama from 1951. At his retirement, he was Professor and Chairman of the Department of Chemistry. He married Marion Wright Smith of Big Stone Gap, Virginia, on August 31, 1940. They had two children, Marion Berkley Smith and Donald Foss Smith, Jr. Donald F. Smith was an avid tennis player all his life. He was a star performer on the Baylor School’ tennis team, which was coached by his father, Foss Smith. Donald Foss Smith died June 11, 1997. He is survived by his wife, two children, and four grandchildren.

Florence Meredyth Smith graduated from MacMurray College and obtained her Masters degree from Rutgers University. She taught foreign languages at Lincoln Memorial University, 1941-1942. She married Leland Loran Giddens of Daytona Beach, Florida, on July 21, 1946. The ceremony took place in the faculty apartment of her mother, Mabel Smith, Dean of Women at L. M. U. Florence Meredyth and Leland settled in Orlando, Florida, where Leland had a practice in optometry. They had two children, Pamela Meredith Giddens and John Leland Giddens. Mabel Smith moved to Orlando upon her retirement in 1953, and was very close to her daughter and her family. Dr. Leland L. Giddens died in 1996. He is survived by his wife, Meredyth; two children; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Zenobia Elizabeth Tye Liles, an educator and benefactor of Lincoln Memorial University, for whom Liles Hall at L.M.U. is named, was Foss Smith’s great niece. She was the grandchild and last descendent of Foss’ only sibling, Mary Jane Cornelia Smith [Moore]. She graduated from Lincoln Memorial University in 1941, and in her class was voted “Most likely to succeed”. She obtained her Ph.D. degree from Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. She was one of the original faculty members of DeKalb College, in Decatur,, Georgia, opened in 1964, and taught English until her retirement in 1985. She died on December 2, 1994. Liles Hall at L. M. U. was dedicated in her honor on October 19, 1996. With the passing of Zenobia Tye Liles, Joseph P. and Sarah A. Smith’s line of descendents through their daughter Mary Jane Cornelia died out. All of Joseph P. and Sarah A. Smith’s descendents are through his son Foss, and daughter-in-law Mabel Smith, and their three children.

Endnotes

[1] Foss Smith, b. August 11, 1883, Buford, Georgia; d. October 28, 1941, Knoxville, Tennessee; buried, Athens, Tennessee. Married January 1906, Mt. Zion, Georgia, to Mabel Meredith Osburn, b. March 18, 1886, Noblesville; d. July 10, 1982, Orlando, Florida; buried, Athens, Tennessee.
[2] Joseph Edward Smith, b. January 14, 1907, Chattanooga, Tennessee; d. December 26, 1999, Simsbury, Connecticut; buried, Wilmington, Delaware.
[3] Edward Walker Osburn, b. June 24, 1854, Rush County, Indiana; d. November 4, 1931, St. Joseph, Missouri; buried, Crown Point Cemetery, Noblesville, Indiana. Married May 13, 1885, Greentown, Indiana, to Florence (Fannie) Hobson, b. October 7, 1866, Columbus, Indiana; d. March 22, 1899; buried Crown Point Cemetery, Kokomo, Indiana.
[4] According to Mabel, the oldest brother (her uncle, Benjamin Osburn) at the age of eighty would still read his Latin and Greek.
[5] Indiana Asbury University, Greencastle, Indiana; now DePauw University.
[6] Now known as Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Evanston, Illinois.
[7] Orah M. Osburn, b. September 18, 1888, d. July 29, 1890.
[8] Paul Taylor Osburn, September 30, 1890 - December 6, 1892.
[9] Ita Crystal Osburn, December 16, 1892 - January 30, 1893.
[10] Robert L. Hobson, 1865-1893 (buried February 20, 1893, Crown Point Cemetery, Kokomo, Indiana).
[11] The children’s game of chestnuts, or knockers: Children would collect the largest and hardest chestnuts under the trees. The prickly outer skin was removed, revealing the dark brown nut. A small hole was drilled through the center and a length of string about eighteen inches was threaded through the hole. A knot was tied on one side near the nut to prevent the string from pulling out. A child would suspend the chestnut in the air, holding on to the far end of the string. The other child would hold their chestnut by the string and attempt to hit his playmate’s chestnut. Play would go back and forth between the children until one of the chestnuts broke in two and fell off the string. The child with the intact nut was the winner.
[12] Edward Foss Osburn, b. May 17, 1894, Bunker Hill, Indiana; d. Nov 5, 1969, Iowa.
[13] Esther Florence Osburn, b. Oct 15, 1896, New Orleans, LA; d. Dec 26, 1983, San Antonio, Texas.
[14] Edward W. Osburn and Elsie Hard were married January 1, 1901. They had two children together, both of whom lived to adulthood, and died without leaving children. Edward died in 1931. Elsie's date of death is not known to us.
[15] This was the third time that Mabel cited her father’s health as reason for moving. Edward Walker Osburn lived to be 77 years old.
[16] Grant University is now known as Tennessee Wesleyan College. JoEd: “Grant University was located in Athens, Tennessee, a small town which is between Knoxville and Chattanooga. It was a four year college with also, I believe, a preparatory school, and was sponsored by the Methodist church…Grant University was later made into a junior college…the reason for this being that the Methodist church also sponsored a four year college in Chattanooga known as the University of Chattanooga. For that reason in some references to schools from which our parents graduated you will note that they are listed as graduates of the University of Chattanooga…[For] many years [it] was known as the Athens School of the University of Chattanooga…It might be interesting to note that colleges were much smaller in the earlier part of the century than they are now. In our parents’ graduating class from Grant University there were only six members receiving diplomas.” . According to the Tennessee Wesleyan College website: It began in 1857 as Athens Female College; in 1866, it was renamed East Tennessee Wesleyan College; in 1867, the name was changed to Grant Memorial University; in 1889 it became U. S. Grant Memorial University, with divisions in Athens and Chattanooga; and in 1906, the Athens School of the University of Chattanooga. The college became independent of the University of Chattanooga in 1925 with the name Tennessee Wesleyan College. Tennessee Wesleyan served as a junior college from 1925 until 1954, when it regained four-year status.
[17] Joseph Parks Smith, b. August 13, 1843, Walton County, Georgia; d. November 20, 1912, Athens, Tennessee; buried Athens, Tennessee. Married December 18, 1877, Sarah Adaline Cooper, b. December 26, 1859, Hall County, Georgia; d. August 13, 1947; buried Athens, Tennessee.
[18] Mary Jane Cornelia Smith [Moore], b. November 29, 1878, d. December, 1953.
[19] Joseph Edward Smith, b. January 14, 1907, Chattanooga, Tennessee; d. December 26, 1999, Simsbury, Connecticut.
[20] Grant Memorial University, which had become the Athens School of the University of Chattanooga.
[21] 1923. The family would have had the car during their latter years in Athens, during their first tour at LMU, and while on the farm in Jasper, Tennessee.
[22] Who’s Who in the South. The Mayflower Publishing Company, Washington, DC, 1927, pg. 669.
[23] James E. Hitt. It Never Rains After Three O’Clock: A History of the Baylor School, 1893 – 1968. Chattanooga, TN: The Baylor School Press, 1971, p. 172.
[24] Lincoln Herald, October, 1941.

Sharry Gamauf Smith

Nine days after completing this monograph, Sharry, Joseph Edward Smith, Sr.'s, daughter-in-law, and primary author of this story, became ill. She died three months later. We are indebted to Sharry for her interest in genealogic research, and her drive to tell my grandparents’ story. In the original draft, I had dedicated this monograph to her. She was grateful for the sentiment, but insisted that the dedication be removed. She was not yet ill. This monograph would not have been written, were it not for her. Despite her wishes, I have restored the dedication. Sharry’s gift to the Smith family ought not be forgotten. She assembled the Smith family genealogical records, did the research, and made the contacts with other researchers. She encouraged my father (JoEd) to record his oral history, and encouraged me to transcribe both it, and my grandmother’s (Mabel’s) oral history, upon which this work is based.

As a consequence of her interest and effort, my father took on the project that energized his life in his last years, to leave an organized photographic record of his family. How many modern families have photograph albums full of pictures, with persons and places all unknown, because none of the younger generation had the interest, at the time the older generation was alive, to ask who they were, where they came from, what important events happened to them, and who are all those people in those old photographs? I regret that I did not have this interest when my mother was alive. We have one of her photograph albums, and I can only guess who the people are whose pictures are in that old albums. Sharry uncovered for my father an ancestry he did not know he had. He learned (as did we all) the important part our ancestors played in forming this country; and I learned something about who we are, where we came from, and how we got to be where we are today. In so doing, Sharry and my father became close friends, and when he passed away, the tears she shed were exceeded only by those of our daughter Alexis, who loved and was loved by her grandparents so very much. Sharry gave her father-in-law, husband and daughter, a history that we otherwise would never have known; and brought us about as close together as we could be, with my father, Alexis’ grandfather, in the last years of his life.

Alexander Blair Smith
December, 2003

Other sources of information found on the web:

A search of Google Books for "Foss Smith" yielded the following books with mention of Foss Smith. [The results also included citations to work by Foss Smith's son and grandson, Donald Foss Smith Senior and Junior.]

A Program for Teaching High School Chemistry, 1931, by Foss Smith. This is probably Foss' Master's Degree thesis at the University of Tennessee.

Education Directory, by the United States Office of Education, published by U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1942, lists both Foss Smith and Mrs. Foss Smith as Deans of Men and of Women, respectively, at Lincoln Memorial University. Foss Smith had died the previous year.

Bulletin, by theUnited States Office of Education, published by U.S. G.P.O., 1938

Statistics of Land-grant Colleges and Universities, by theUnited States Office of Education, published by Govt. Print. Off., 1938

New England Loyal Publication Society, East Tennessee Historical Society, New England Loyal Publication Society, Hakluyt Society, published by New England Loyal Publication Society, 1941

The East Tennessee Historical Society's Publications, 1941

Report of the Commissioner of Education, byUnited States Office of Education, published by U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1908. Foss Smith is listed as Principal, Mt. Zion Seminary, Mt. Zion, Georgia

Vocational Education, published by Manual Arts Press, 1914, page 389, describes the Mt. Zion Seminary, Georgia (where Foss and Mabel first taught). "Mt. Zion Seminary is a denominational school, established in 1880 by the Methodist Episcopal Church at a time when few secondary schools were available in the vicinity. As public high schools increased in that section of the state, the patronage of the school began to decline...." About 1913 the school added a vocational education course of study, and subsequently was increasing its enrollment and standing in that section of the state.

The Hobsons

2008-12-16T20:50:00.001-08:00

My great-grandmother was Florence "Fannie" Hobson, who married Edward Walker Osburn (see previous postings).

I don't have much information on the Hobson family, and very little on current day descendants. I would love to hear from anyone who can provide information on descendants of Absalom Hobson - the Greeson, Jessup, Foreman families, and Hobsons; and others whose surnames I do not know.

What information I have comes from Jay Hobson [33], who sent (1994) a print-out of a database of descendants of Francis Hobson (?-1675) to my late wife; limited postings to the Hobson Family Genealogy Forum; Penny Ann Hobson; reminiscences of my grandmother, Mabel Meredith Osburn (Edward's daughter); typewritten manuscripts from Edward Walker Osburn; and public records or on-line databases as cited.

Descendants of Francis Hobson I

Generation No. 1

1. FRANCIS HOBSON I died 1675 in Armaugh County, Ireland. He converted to the Quaker religion about 1655. [1] He died in jail for refusing to pay the parish tax. [1,2]

Child of FRANCIS HOBSON I was FRANCIS HOBSON II, b. Bef. 1673, Drumilly, Laughgall Parish, County Armaugh, Ireland; d. Bet. 1739 - 1741, Ireland.

Generation No. 2

1.1 FRANCIS HOBSON II was born bef. 1673 in Drumilly, Laughgall Parish, County Armaugh, Ireland, and died bet. 1739 - 1741 in Ireland. He married MARY HARDING January 29, 1694. She was born in Lissacurranh, Armaugh County, Ireland, and died in Ireland. [1,2]

Children of FRANCIS HOBSON and MARY HARDING were [1,2]:
1.1.1 FRANCIS HOBSON III
1.1.2 MARY HOBSON
1.1.3 PHEBE HOBSON
1.1.4 RUTH HOBSON
1.1.5 SARAH HOBSON
1.1.6 THOMAS HOBSON

Generation No. 3

1.1.1 FRANCIS HOBSON III was born Abt. 1705 in Drumilly, Armaugh County, Ireland, and died December 17, 1777 in York County, Pennsylvania. He married ANN MACKEY September 25, 1741 in Loughgall Parish, County Armagh, Ireland. She was born Abt. 1712 in Armaugh County, Ireland, and died Abt. 1767 in Warrington, Adams County, Pennsylvania. [1,2,3]

He was granted a certificate on July 4, 1764, to sail to America and go to Pennsylvania to the Friends Society (Quakers) Warrington Monthly Meeting. He was received at Warrington Monthly Meeting on January 12, 1765. At this time Francis Hobson and Ann MacKey had been married twenty-three years. Their son William Hobson was born nine months later, and his mother (Ann MacKey Hobson) was never mentioned again in the Quaker records, except that she was deceased. [3]

Children of FRANCIS HOBSON and ANN MACKEY were [1,2,3]:
1.1.1.1 WILLIAM HOBSON, SR.
1.1.1.2 FRANCIS HOBSON IV
1.1.1.3 JOSEPH HOBSON
1.1.1.4 MARY HOBSON
1.1.1.5 ANN HOBSON
1.1.1.6 ROBERT HOBSON
1.1.1.7 PHEBE HOBSON
1.1.1.8 ELIZABETH HOBSON

Generation No. 4

1.1.1.1 WILLIAM HOBSON, SR. was born June 16, 1766 in York County, Pennsylvania, and died December 15, 1848 in Clark County, Indiana. He married (1) SARAH MILBURN July 22, 1788. She was born May 08, 1771 in Frederick County, Virginia, and died August 22, 1803 in Shelby County, Kentucky. He married (2) ELIZABETH (BETSEY) CEPHERS Aft. 1803. [1,2,3] SARAH MILBURN HOBSON died in childbirth, August 22, 1803, giving birth to son Jonathan. Jonathan died 16 months later. [3]

Children of WILLIAM HOBSON and SARAH MILBURN were [1,2,3]:
1.1.1.1.1 ROBERT P. HOBSON
1.1.1.1.2 MARY HOBSON
1.1.1.1.3 JOHN HOBSON
1.1.1.1.4 MILBURN HOBSON
1.1.1.1.5 JOSEPH HOBSON
1.1.1.1.6 FRANCIS HOBSON
1.1.1.1.7 WILLIAM HOBSON, JR.
1.1.1.1.8 DAVID HOBSON
1.1.1.1.9 JONATHAN HOBSON

Children of WILLIAM HOBSON and ELIZABETH CEPHERS were [3]:
1.1.1.1.10 NANCY HOBSON. Died at age 7 years, 10 months.
1.1.1.1.11 SARAH HOBSON, m. JOHN MARTIN. Sarah Hobson died at age 23.
1.1.1.1.12 JACOB HOBSON. Died at age 87.
1.1.1.1.13 JAMES HOBSON. Died in his 70s due to a fall from a loft.
1.1.1.1.14 WESLEY HOBSON, d. Neosho, Kansas, aged 71 years.
1.1.1.1.15 JESSE S. HOBSON. Died aged 80 years. Buried: Villisca, Montgomery County, Iowa.
1.1.1.1.16 ELIZABETH HOBSON, buried in New Chapel Cemetery, Watson, Clark Co., Indiana. Married JEREMIAH JACOBS.
1.1.1.1.17 GEORGE HOBSON. Died, aged 80 years. Buried: Villisca, Montgomery County, Iowa.
1.1.1.1.18 ETHELINDA HOBSON. Never married. Died, aged 82 years.

Generation No. 5

1.1.1.1.1 ROBERT P. HOBSON was born July 30, 1801 in Shelby County, Kentucky, and died January 03, 1863 in Howard County, Indiana. He married SARAH ANNE HAWN September 26, 1822 in Washington County, Indiana, daughter of CONRAD HAWN and MARY MILLER. [2,4,5] She was born Abt. 1798 in North Carolina, and died Abt. 1871 in Howard County, Indiana. ROBERT P. HOBSON is buried in Alto Cemetery, Harrison Township, Howard County, Indiana. [6]

Children of ROBERT HOBSON and SARAH HAWN were:
1.1.1.1.1.1 ABSALOM HOBSON, b. November 02, 1825, Howard County, Indiana; d. August 11, 1905, Greentown, Indiana.
1.1.1.1.1.2 MARY ANN HOBSON, b. Abt. 1824; d. Bef. 1860.
1.1.1.1.1.3 MARTHA JANE HOBSON, b. September 27, 1829; d. October 20, 1850. [6,7] She is buried in Alto Cemetery, Harrison Township, Howard County, Indiana. [Picture of grave marker]
1.1.1.1.1.4 ELIZABETH S. HOBSON, b. Abt. 1828; d. April 14, 1851. She is buried in Alto Cemetery, Harrison Township, Howard County, Indiana. [2,3,6]
1.1.1.1.1.5 NANCY G. HOBSON, b. March 29, 1832; d. June 19, 1852. She is buried in Alto Cemetery, Harrison Township, Howard County, Indiana. [2,3,6] [Picture of grave marker]
1.1.1.1.1.6 JAMES HOBSON [2,3]
1.1.1.1.1.7 JESSE LEE HOBSON [2,3]

Generation No. 6

1.1.1.1.1.1 ABSALOM HOBSON was born November 02, 1825 in Howard County, Indiana, and died August 11, 1905 in Greentown, Indiana. He married MARTHA JANE FOSTER December 23, 1858. She was born 1837 in Indiana, and died April 01, 1909 in Indiana. [8] ABSALOM and MARTHA JANE FOSTER HOBSON are buried in Crown Point Cemetery, Kokomo, Indiana. [Picture of grave marker.] [Picture of Absalom Hobson.] [Picture of Martha Jane Foster Hobson.]

Children of ABSALOM HOBSON and MARTHA FOSTER were:
1.1.1.1.1.1.1 ANNA E. HOBSON, b. Abt. 1860.
1.1.1.1.1.1.2 VINCENT E. HOBSON, b. 1861; d. 1900.
1.1.1.1.1.1.3 WILLIAM FOSTER HOBSON, b. March 22, 1862, Bartholomew County, Indiana; d. May 10, 1938, Alto, Indiana.
1.1.1.1.1.1.4 ROBERT L. HOBSON, b. 1865; d. 1893. He was buried February 20, 1893, Crown Point Cemetery, Kokomo, Indiana. [Picture of grave marker.]
1.1.1.1.1.1.5 FLORENCE "FANNIE" HOBSON, b. October 07, 1866, Columbus, Indiana; d. March 22, 1899, Howard County, Indiana. [Picture of grave marker.] [Florence Hobson was my great-grandmother.]
1.1.1.1.1.1.6 GEORGIA AUGUSTA HOBSON, b. Abt. 1868, Howard County, Indiana; d. March 9, 1956. [This picture of her grave marker gives dates of birth and death. The associated cemetery record gives her middle name - "Augusta".]
1.1.1.1.1.1.7 MATILDA (TILLIE) HOBSON, b. Abt. 1871.

1.1.1.1.1.2 MARY ANN HOBSON was born Abt. 1824, and died Bef. 1860. She married WILLIAM DAVIS. He was born Abt. 1822 in Kentucky. [7]

Children of MARY HOBSON and WILLIAM DAVIS were:
1.1.1.1.1.2.1 CATHERINE DAVIS, b. Abt. 1844.
1.1.1.1.1.2.2 MARTHA L. DAVIS, b. Abt. 1847.
1.1.1.1.1.2.3 SARAH JANE DAVIS, b. Abt. 1850.

Generation No. 7

1.1.1.1.1.1.1 ANNA E. HOBSON was born Abt. 1860. She married DAVID OSCAR GREESON December 30, 1880 in Howard County, Indiana. He was born Abt. 1860. [Picture of grave marker.]

Children of ANNA HOBSON and DAVID OSCAR GREESON were:

1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1 ____ GREESON, b. March 29, 1882.
1.1.1.1.1.1.1.2 OMA ALBERTA GREESON, b. November 24, 1883; d. 1893. [Picture of grave marker.]
1.1.1.1.1.1.1.3 ____ GREESON, b. July 02, 1886.
1.1.1.1.1.1.1.4 DAVID M. GREESON, b. Abt. 1893; m. AMANDA M. ____. [Picture of grave marker of their daughter Alberta M. Greeson, 1920-1927.]

1.1.1.1.1.1.2 VINCENT E. HOBSON was born 1861, and died 1900. [9,10] He married ELIZA S. ____ October 15, 1891 in Howard County, Indiana. [11,12] She was born 1867, and died March 01, 1930. [10,13] VINCENT E. and ELIZA S. HOBSON are buried in Crown Point Cemetery, Kokomo, Indiana. [Picture of grave marker]

Children of VINCENT HOBSON and ELIZA ____ were:

1.1.1.1.1.1.2.1 ABBA HOBSON, b. Abt. 1893. [14,15] **Probably Anna Hobson - see Endnotes**
1.1.1.1.1.1.2.2 BESSIE F. HOBSON, b. Abt. 1895; m. ENOS PEARL SCOTT. [15]
1.1.1.1.1.1.2.3 NELLIE G. HOBSON, b. Abt. 1898. [15]

1.1.1.1.1.1.3 WILLIAM FOSTER HOBSON was born March 22, 1862 in Bartholomew County, Indiana, and died May 10, 1938 in Alto, Indiana. [16,17] He married ANNA THORNE December 21, 1897 in Howard County, Indiana. She was born 1867, and died September 24, 1953. WILLIAM FOSTER HOBSON and ANNA THORNE HOBSON are buried in Crown Point Cemetery, Kokomo, Indiana. [16,17,18] [William F. Hobson grave marker.] [Anna Thorne Hobson grave marker.]

Children of WILLIAM HOBSON and ANNA THORNE were:

1.1.1.1.1.1.3.1 GEORGE W. HOBSON, b. Abt. 1899. [17,19]
1.1.1.1.1.1.3.2 BLANCHE HOBSON, b. Abt. 1892; m. DANIEL L. BOCK; b. Abt. 1890. [17,20,21,22] The 1930 U. S. Census lists, in East Chicago Ward 5, Lake County, Indiana: Daniel L. Bock age 40; Blanche Bock age 36; Elizabeth age 12, and Daniel age 6. The census gives Daniel L. Bock's profession as attorney of law. [22]

1.1.1.1.1.1.5 FLORENCE "FANNIE" HOBSON was born October 07, 1866 in Columbus, Indiana, and died March 22, 1899 in Howard County, Indiana. She married EDWARD WALKER OSBURN May 13, 1885, son of HARMON OSBURN and ELIZABETH PACKARD. He was born June 24, 1854 in Rush County, Indiana, and died November 04, 1931 in St. Joseph, Missouri. FLORENCE HOBSON OSBURN was buried in Crown Point Cemetery, Kokomo, Indiana. Edward Walker Osburn was buried in Crownland Cemetery, Noblesville, Indiana. [23,24] [Pictures of Florence Hobson: (1) (2) (3).] [Pictures of Edward Walker Osburn: (1) (2) (3).]

Children of FLORENCE HOBSON and EDWARD OSBURN were [25]:

1.1.1.1.1.1.5.1 MABEL MEREDITH OSBURN, b. March 18, 1886, Noblesville, Indiana; d. July 10, 1982, Orlando, Florida. [Mabel was my paternal grandmother.]
1.1.1.1.1.1.5.2 ORAH M. OSBURN, b. September 18, 1888, Sharpsville, Indiana; d. July 29, 1890, Jolietville, Indiana.
1.1.1.1.1.1.5.3 PAUL TAYLOR OSBURN, b. September 30, 1890, Jolietville, Indiana; d. December 06, 1892, Jolietville, Indiana.
1.1.1.1.1.1.5.4 ITA CRYSTAL OSBURN, b. December 16, 1892, Jolietville, Indiana; d. January 30, 1893, Jolietville, Indiana.
1.1.1.1.1.1.5.5 EDWARD FOSS OSBURN, b. May 17, 1894, Bunker Hill, Indiana; d. November 05, 1969, Iowa
1.1.1.1.1.1.5.6 ESTHER FLORENCE OSBURN, b. October 15, 1896, New Orleans, Louisiana; d. December 26, 1983, San Antonio, Texas

[Pictures of Mabel Meredith, Edward Foss, and Esther Florence Osburn: (1) (2). In both pictures, left to right are Mabel, Edward, and Esther.]

1.1.1.1.1.1.6 GEORGIA AUGUSTA HOBSON was born Abt. 1868 in Howard County, Indiana. She married JOHN W. JESSUP December 17, 1886 in Howard County, Indiana. He was born 1861 in Indiana, and died August 14, 1934. [26,27,27a] [Picture of grave marker.] [Picture of Florence Hobson (left) and Georgia Hobson (right).]

Children of GEORGIA AUGUSTA HOBSON and JOHN JESSUP were:
1.1.1.1.1.1.6.1 FRED H. JESSUP, b. 1887, d. December 14, 1942. [28,28a]
1.1.1.1.1.1.6.2 MARY JESSUP, b. Abt. 1897. [29]
1.1.1.1.1.1.6.3 JACOB N. JESSUP, b. November 29, 1887. [30]
1.1.1.1.1.1.6.4 INA V. JESSUP, b. 1890, d. April 25, 1972. [30a] [Picture of grave marker.]

1.1.1.1.1.1.7 MATILDA (TILLIE) HOBSON was born Abt. 1871. She married WILLIAM FOREMAN August 13, 1891. [31,32] [Picture of Tillie Hobson]

Children of MATILDA HOBSON and WILLIAM FOREMAN were:
1.1.1.1.1.1.7.1 AGNES L. FOREMAN, b. April 1895; m. CHARLES C. BINKLEY; b. Abt. 1895, Indiana.
1.1.1.1.1.1.7.2 DOROTHY FOREMAN, b. August 1897; m. CHARLES C. BINKLEY.

Endnotes

[1] Robert Hobson, Hobson Family Genealogy Forum, http://genforum.genealogy.com/hobson/messages/1327.html.
[2] Hobson, JW, Descendants of Francis Hobson (?-1675), personal communication based upon report of database printed April 29, 1994.
[3] Penny Ann Hobson, personal communication.
[4] Indiana Marriage Collection, 1800-1941, (Ancestry.com. Indiana Marriage Collection, 1800-1941 [database on-line]. Provo, Utah: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005.).
[5] Indiana State Library Genealogy Database: Marriages Through 1850.
[6] Alto Cemetery, Harrison Township, Howard County, Indiana.
[7] Penny Ann Hobson, personal communication, Mrs. Hobson refers to 1850 U.S. census for German Township, Bartholomew County, Indiana, for household of William Davis, which includes: William Davis (age 20, birthplace Kentucky), Catherine Davis (age 6), Martha L. Davis (age 3), Mary Ann Davis (age 26), Sarah Jane Davis (age 0), and Martha Holson (sic) ( age 20). She states that Mary Ann and Martha died before the 1860 census.
[8] Penny Ann Hobson, personal communication, who cites Indiana Deaths, 1882-1920, book CH-15, page 30 within the series produced by the Indiana Works Progress Administration, source location City Health Office, Kokomo, Indiana.
[9] Bureau of the Census, United States of America, 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line], (Provo, Utah: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004.), National Archives and Records Administration, 1900, T623, 377; Page:15A. Liberty, Howard County, Indiana.
[10] Crown Point Cemetery, Kokomo, Indiana.
[11] Bureau of the Census, United States of America, 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line], (Provo, Utah: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004.), National Archives and Records Administration, 1900, T623, 377; Page:15A. Liberty, Howard County, Indiana.
[12] Ancestry.com. Indiana Marriage Collection, 1800-1941 [database on-line], Howard County, Indiana, Index to Marriage Records, 1844-1920 Inclusive, (Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005), W. P. A. Original Record Located: County Clerk's Office; Book: C-6; page: 419. Vincent Hobson's spouses name is listed as "Ida Meranda", which is presumed incorrect. The marriage date and location are presumed correct.
[13] Bureau of the Census, United States of America, 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line], (Provo, Utah: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004.), National Archives and Records Administration, 1900, T623, 377; Page:15A. Liberty, Howard County, Indiana.
[14] Bureau of the Census, United States of America, 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line], (Provo, Utah: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004.), National Archives and Records Administration, 1900, T623, 377; Page:15A. Liberty, Howard County, Indiana. --> The name transcribed in the on-line database is "Abba". Based upon other family names, I am guessing that the name has been mistranscribed, and probably was "Anna". <--.
[15] Bureau of the Census, United States of America, 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line], (Provo, Utah: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004.), National Archives and Records Administration, 1900, T623, 377; Page:15A. Liberty, Howard County, Indiana.
[16] Bureau of the Census, United States of America, 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line], (Provo, Utah: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004.), the 1910 census gives her middle initial as "A", i.e. Anna A. Thorne.
[17] Penny Ann Hobson, personal communication, citing William F. Foster's obituary in the Kokomo (Indiana) Tribune, Wednesday, 11 May 1938.
[18] Ancestry.com. Indiana Marriage Collection, 1800-1941 [database on-line], Howard County, Indiana, Index to Marriage Records, 1844-1920 Inclusive, (Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005), W. P. A. Original Record Located: County Clerk's Office; Book: C-5; page: 451. William's father and mother's forenames are correctly identified in this record. William's wife's surname is transcribed as "Thor??".
[19] Bureau of the Census, United States of America, 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line], (Provo, Utah: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004.), Census Place: Harrison Township, Howard County, Indiana. Roll T624_355. Page: 9A. Enumeration District: 140. Image: 1007.
[20] Bureau of the Census, United States of America, 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line], (Provo, Utah: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004.), the 1900 Census gives her name as "E. Blanche Hobson."
[21] Bureau of the Census, United States of America, 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line], (Provo, Utah: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004.), Census Place: Harrison Township, Howard County, Indiana. Roll T624_355. Page: 9A. Enumeration District: 140. Image: 1007.
[22] Bureau of the Census, United States of America, 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line], (Provo, Utah: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004.).
[23] Edward Walker Osburn, Children of Harmon Osburn and Eliza Packard Osburn, Typewritten manuscript, circa 1927.
[24] Edward Walker Osburn, Harmon Osburn. Eliza Packard. Golden Wedding, (Typewritten manuscript, circa 1927).
[25] Family Bible, Foss Smith and Mabel Meredith Osburn.
[26] Bureau of the Census, United States of America, 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line], (Provo, Utah: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004.), National Archives and Records Administration, 1900, T623, 355; Page:5B; Enumeration Distric: 148; Image: 1186 Taylor Township, Howard County, Indiana.
[27] Ancestry.com. Indiana Marriage Collection, 1800-1941 [database on-line], Howard County, Indiana, Index to Marriage Records, 1844-1920 Inclusive, (Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005), WPA Original Record Located: County Clerk's Office; Book: C-5; page 320.
[27a] Crown Point Cemetery, Kokomo, Indiana records.
[28] Bureau of the Census, United States of America, 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line], (Provo, Utah: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004.), National Archives and Records Administration, 1900, T623, 355; Page:5B; Enumeration District: 148; Image: 1186 Taylor Township, Howard County, Indiana.
[28a] Fred Hobson Jessup ( 1887 - December 14, 1942) is listed in this compilation of burials in Crown Point Cemetery, and presumably is the person found on the census record [28].
[29] Bureau of the Census, United States of America, 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line], (Provo, Utah: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004.).
[30] Ancestry.com, Indiana Births, 1880-1920 (database on-line), (Provo, Utah: The Generations Network, Inc., 2004.), Volume I, Letters A-K Inclusive, Book H-2, page 20.
[30a] I found this person's burial entry and grave marker in the same Crown Point Cemetery (Kokomo, Indiana) cemetery section as John W. and Georgia A. Hobson Jessup, and given birth date and proximity of graves, concluded that Ina V. Jessup was John W. and Georgia Jessup's daughter. I have no additional source of information.
[31] Ancestry.com. Indiana Marriage Collection, 1800-1941 [database on-line], Howard County, Indiana, Index to Marriage Records, 1844-1920 Inclusive, (Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005).
[32] Ancestry.com. Indiana Marriage Collection, 1800-1941 [database on-line], Howard County, Indiana, Index to Marriage Records, 1844-1920 Inclusive, (Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005), there are two records in the Ancestry.com database. The date of marriage is transcribed from record stated to be located: County Clerk's Office, Book: C-36; page: 34. This record correctly lists Matilda's (Tillie) parents forenames. The name of her husband is transcribed as "Wm. ??. Foreman", with record stated to be located: County Clerk's Office; Book: C-6; page: 362.
[33] The database print-out provided by Jay Hobson does not pertain to Hobsons in his book, The Hobson Family Lineage. Descendants of George and Elizabeth Hobson. Decorah, IA: The Anundsen Publishing Company, 1994. Page iii of that book lists "Other Hobson Lines Not Related to the George Hobson (1677-1748) Line", including Francis III, 1705-1777.

Timeline - "Old" Job Smith; David and Rebecca Lindley Smith

2008-12-08T18:48:00.000-08:00

See also: Mary Lee Anderson Barnes' Family Lineage website; Patricia Freeman Hardin's website; others to be added.

Timeline - "Old" Job Smith

Job Smith, Sr., was born abt. 1720 in Pennsylvania. He died during the early 1800s in South Carolina. [1] Before 1745, he lived in Fawn Township, Lancaster County, near Muddy Creek, on lands granted to him by William Penn. Anita Quarles [1] lists sons Job Jr., Benjamin, David, John and James. Sons David, Benjamin, and Job, Jr., are described as "proven". [2] Job, Sr.'s other children, by inference "unproven", are identified by Quarles [1] and Linda Cheek [2], and are identified as James, John, Joseph, Eleazer, and four (unnamed) daughters. Cheek [2] does not list a son James. Quarles [1] lists James, not Joseph. Cheek [2] states that Eleazer Smith [4] was hanged at Camden, S. C., 1791, without a trial.

Abt. 1753, the Smith and Lindley families left Pennsylvania, probably together, and migrated to Orange County, North Carolina. Some of them stayed in North Carolina while others migrated South. [1] Two sons of Job Smith, Sr. - Benjamin and David - married daughters of James Lindley - Ruth and Sarah Rebecca Lindley, respectively.

In 1765, Job, Sr., Ebenezer, Benjamin, Joseph, and Aaron Smith were living in the same area of the Long Cane region of Granville County, South Carolina, which later becomes Abbeville District. Job, Ebenezer, and Aaron Smith are believed to have been brothers. Each one was granted land, in June or July, 1765, hence the inference. [2]

29 May 1806: David Smith of District of Laurence (Laurens) state of SC for $300 to John Cross of Pendleton 200 acres on Twenty Three Mile Creek waters of Savannah River being part of two tracts of land granted to Job Smith Sr. and Job Smith Jr.--the tract granted to Job Smith Jr by his Excellency William Moultrie Governor for the time being on first May 1786 containing one hundred and forty four acres--the part granted to Job Smith Sr by Excellency Benjamin Garrard Governor for the time being 15 Oct 1784 containing two hundred acres Sg: David Smith. Wit: Benjamin Smith---John Wilson and Job Smith.

May 27/29, 1806: [David Smith sells the previously mentioned 200 acres on 23 Mile Creek adjacent to Benjamin Smith and Rankin Mills. This land was part of the original land grants to Job Smith, Sr. and Job Smith, Jr. Rebecca releases her dower rights.] Job Smith, Sr. signs and delivers a deed to David Smith. David Smith sells 200 acres of land in Pendleton District to John Cross for $300 - being two tracts of land: One tract granted to Job Smith, Sr. by Benjamin Guerard, 14 October 1784, bordered by Rankin's Mill pond and Waggon Road; the other a tract of 144 acres granted to Job Smith, Jr. by Wm. Moultrie, 1 May 1786, bordered by Benjamin Smith, Wilson, Rankin's Mill. Recorded 28 October 1806. Rebecca Smith signs away her dower rights, substantiating that the David Smith of this transaction is the David Smith, our ancestor; and links him to Job Smith, Sr. and Jr., and Benjamin Smith. Rankin's Mill is mentioned as landmark, suggesting that the grant in 1788, and ½ ownership of a grist and sawmill, is this same David Smith. [3]

REFERENCES:
[1] Anita Quarles, "Job Smith of York County, Pennsylvania, and His Descendants," pages 252-261 in Ancestors and Descendants of Smiths, compiled and indexed by Linda G. Cheek, Easley, South Carolina, Southern Historical Press.
[2] Linda Gale Smith Cheek. Smith Wills-Deeds & Family Histories Vol.1. Greenville, SC: Southern Historical Press, 1993, page 397.
[3] Elaine Spires Smith references Pendleton District, S. C. , Deeds 1790-1806, compiled by Betty Willie (Easley, South Carolina: Southern Historical Press, 1982), page 416, pages 457-458 in Pendleton District Deed Book.
[4] See reference[26] below following "Timeline - David and Rebecca Smith". There is an Eleazer Smith listed on the page of the U.S. 1790 Census following the page containing Job, Sr., Benjamin, David, and Job (Jr.) Smith. There are also many names of Heads of Households that intervene between Eleazer and the other four. I don't imagine this "proves" much of anything, other than substantiating the existance of an Eleazer Smith in the appropriate and approximate timeframe of everything else. From Ancestry.com, the original citation: Year: 1790. Census Place: South Carolina. Roll: M637-11; Image: 0018. Source: Ancestry.com. 1790 United States Federal Census [database-on-line]. Imaged from: National Archives and Records Administration. First Census of the United States, 1790. M637, RG 29, 12 rolls. National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.

Timeline - David and Rebecca Smith

Bet. 1753&1755: David Smith is born in South Carolina. Elaine Spires Smith [1] notes that on the 1800 census for Pendleton District, South Carolina, David Smith is listed as over 45 years old (census tabulations summarized above). Therefore, David would have been born in 1755 or prior. David’s brother Benjamin was born in 1751. Hence, the conclusion that David Smith was born between 1753 and 1755.

Aug. 9, 1761/63: Sarah Rebecca Lindley is born. [2,3]

1775 - ?: David Smith serves as a private in the South Carolina militia under Captain Robert Maxfield, Colonel or Major Reid, and Colonel Pickens and under Captain (Peter) Burns and Captain (John Laurens) Lawrence, in one or two actions against hostile Indians. He serves part of the time as a volunteer and part of the time as a drafted soldier. [4,5] In her affidavit to obtain a pension, as widow of a Revolutionary War soldier, dated May 27, 1850, Rebecca Smith states: “…David Smith who was a private in the militia under Capt. Robert Masefield [probably Maxfield], Col. or Maj. Reid and with Col. Pickens under Capt. Burns and Capt. Lawrence in one or two ____ against the hostile Indians, that from her recollection her husband stated that he served a part of his time as a volunteer and a part of his time as a drafted soldier, that he was in two or three engagements…recollect[s] of hearing him speak of being in one or more battles in South Carolina with the Indians. That her husband served in Abbeville District and adjoining districts in South Carolina…” He was on tour after Indians when Francis Salvador was killed. [6] Mary Abercrombie, Rebecca's sister, states, November 20, 1850: “The said David Smith was also out on tour after the Indians when I was a small girl at the time that Silvadoore got killed.” Francis Salvador – killed in battle with Indians, August 1, 1776. David’s brother Benjamin Smith “talked a good deal about his and his brother David’s services in the war and spoke of their being in a battle and being defeated.” [7]

Mar. 1782/83: David Smith marries Sarah Rebecca Lindley in Abbeville District, South Carolina. [8,9,10,11] Affidavit of Rebecca Lindley Smith, May 27, 1850: Rebecca Smith “further declares that she was married to the said David Smith in the month of March in the year seventeen hundred and eighty three…that she had by her said husband nine children born in lawful wedlock of whom are living Joseph Smith, Mary Smith, Catherine Clack, Hannah Johnson, John Smith, Elizabeth Williams…”

1783/85/86: Letters sent on 31 December 1855 from the Comptroller General’s Office, Columbia, South Carolina, to the pension office in Washington, D.C., show payments made in 1783, 1785, and 1786 to David Smith, private. David Smith was then listed on the payroll of Captain Peter Burns’ troop in the Regiment of Light Dragoons under Colonel Wade Hampton, General Sumpter’s Brigade. Received payments for military service in Revolutionary War.

June 2, 1788: Governor Thomas Pinckney of SC grants David Smith 640 acres in 96 District on Twenty-Three Mile Creek, bounded on the north east by the land of Job Smith (Sr.) and by vacant land, on the south west by land of Jonathan Clark and John Robeson, and on the other sides by vacant land. [12] Six hundred and forty acres was the largest amount that could be granted to a single individual, and the land had to be cultivated twelve months before it could be sold. [13] Originally the price of the land was ten pounds sterling for each one hundred acres, but in 1785 this was changed to ten dollars per one hundred acres. [14] David Smith is also one-half owner along with William Rankin in a grist and sawmill in Pendleton County. [15]

1790: The 1790 U. S. Census lists 119 David Smiths in the United States. There are a total of five David Smiths in South Carolina, two of them in Pendleton. On the same page of one of the the census records are listed Job Smith, Senior; Benjamin Smith; David Smith; and Job Smith. [26] One might assume that proximity implies kinship:

Job Smith, Sr. Free white males of 16 years and upwards, including heads of families: 1. Free white males under 16 years: 0. Free white females including heads of families: 1. All other free persons: 0. Slaves: 0.

Benjamin Smith. Free white males of 16 years and upwards, including heads of families: 1. Free white males under 16 years: 2. Free white females including heads of families: 6. All other free persons: 0. Slaves: 0.

David Smith. Free white males of 16 years and upwards, including heads of families: 1. Free white males under 16 years: 2. Free white females including heads of families: 3. All other free persons: 0. Slaves: 0.

Job Smith. Free white males of 16 years and upwards, including heads of families: 2. Free white males under 16 years: 3. Free white females including heads of families: 5. All other free persons: 0. Slaves: 0.

March 26, 1791: Land transaction: David Smith, miller, to Thomas Robertson, planter, for £30, 128 acres on 23 Mile Creek, waters of Savannah River in 96 District, Pendleton County, part of 640 acres granted to David Smith by Thomas Pinckney, Esquire, 2 June 1788. Witnessed by James Rosemond and Charles Wilson. [16]

Apr. 14, 1795: On the 14 April 1795 Hon Adarmus Burke etc. one of the Judges at Pickensville ordered Jacob Capehart one of the Deputies to confine David Smith who was then and there guilty of a Riot and was concerned in District and one Samuel Norwood of Pendleton Co in the State aforesaid as Samuel Norwood took the said David Smith out of the custody of the said Jacob Capehart with force and arms assaulted the said Jacob Capehart. True Bill against David Smith--Washington District SC records.

Nov. 10, 1795: By the Honorable Thomas Waites, Esq one of the associate Justices for the state aforesaid. Whereas David Smith at a Court of General Sessions and begun to be holden at Pickensville for the District aforesaid on the 10 April last was concerning in raising of a Riot in the Court yard and to the Contempt of the Court was ordered into jail but broke Custody and the Public Justice of this State requires that such offenders be brought to consign punishment. These are therefore to require and command you the said Sheriff, deputy, Sheriffs, Constable and other peace officers to make a diligent search for and apprehend the said David Smith and him safely convey and deliver to the keeper of the Common Goal of the said District, there to be detained until he be delivered according to Law Wit by the Honorable Aedanus Burke, Esq, Senior associate Justice of the said State at Pickensville,

10 Nov 1795: Bench Warrant for David Smith--Washington District SC Records Found in box in Attic of Greenville Co SC County Court House in June 1992.

10 Nov 1795: Court for Washington District SC held at Pickensville Came Benjamin and Job Smith and gave twenty pounds sterling for surety for William Downing who was in offence of retailing Spirituous Liquor without license, appeared before Adarmus Burke Sr Judge of the said state to be held the 10 April next at Pickensville--William Downing was moving to Cumberland. Old Records found at Greenville Co Court House June 1992

Oct. 22, 1796: Washington District SC 22 Oct 1796 came before me John Willson one of the Justices for the County of Pendleton, came David Smith Jr. and Job Smith Jr and acknowledged themselves to owe to the state of SC to wit: David Smith the sum of one hundred dollars and Job Smith the sum of fifty dollars to be made and levied of their several goods and chattels, Land and tenements, for the use of said state if said David Smith shall fail in performing the under written conditions. That David Smith personally appear at the next Court at Pickensville on the 10 Nov and answer to a bill of indictments to be prepared against him for having committed a Riot at Pickensville on the 13 day of April 1795. Sg: John Willson--David Smith and Job Smith--Recognizance--State Vs David Smith.

12 Aug 1797: John Hunnicut to David Smith 102 acres on NW branch of 23 Mile Creek of Savannah River bounded by Thomas Hamilton, north by David Smith granted to Hunnicut 2 July 1787 by Thomas Pickney. Wit: Job Smith--John Cansler-(Kincelor)-William Rankin

27 Dec 1797: David Smith to William Scott 100 acres part of a 640 acre grant to Smith by Thomas Pickney 7 June 1788 in Ninety-Six District on 23 Mile Creek bounded NE by Job Smith--Jonathan Clark and John Robinson. Wit: Thomas Hamilton--John Powell and Martin Eubanks rec 24 Jan 1798

Dec. 27, 1797: David Smith sells 100 acres of his original 640 acre grant to William Scott for £30. [34] Plat shows land bordered on the north by Robinson, on the east by Rankin, on the south by Rankin, and on the west by Grimes. Thomas Hamilton made oath to John Willson, J. P., 27 December 1797.

May 5, 1800: David Smith sells to Thomas Hamilton an undisclosed amount of land. David’s wife Rebecca releases her dower right, her right to claim one third of his property at her husband’s death. [17]

Feb. 19, 1802: Sells his interest in grist and sawmill in Pendleton County. “David Smith for $210 sold to William Orr, Merct., all one half (of) both grist mill and saw mill as they both now stand, and are occupied by David Smith and William Rankin, on 23 Mile Creek, in an equal co-partnership from hence with William Rankin…Rebecah (X) Smith, wife of David Smith released dower to John Wilson, J. Q., 18 Mar. 1801. Rec: 20 Jul. 1802. [18] Pendleton District, S. C., Conveyances, Book G 1801-1804, page 121.

1803: David Smith of Pendleton District purchases 100 acres in Laurens County on the Reedy River, which had originally been granted to James Abercrombie, who had conveyed to A. Aquilla Hall, and by his son and heir William Hall was conveyed to A. Box, who sold to David Smith. [19]

1804: David Smith sells 176 acres on 23 Mile Creek adjacent to Rankin Mills to Jonathan Lindley, his brother-in-law. Rebecca Smith releases her dower right.

29 May 1806: David Smith of District of Laurence (Laurens) state of SC for $300 to John Cross of Pendleton 200 acres on Twenty Three Mile Creek waters of Savannah River being part of two tracts of land granted to Job Smith Sr. and Job Smith Jr--the tract granted to Job Smith Jr by his Excellency William Moultrie Governor for the time being on first May 1786 containing one hundred and forty four acres--the part granted to Job Smith Sr by Excellency Benjamin Garrard Governor for the time being 15 Oct 1784 containing two hundred acres Sg: David Smith. Wit: Benjamin Smith---John Wilson and Job Smith.

27 May 1806: Benjamin Smith said he saw David Smith--John Wilson and John Smith sign their names. Sg: Benjamin Smith. 27 May 1806 Rebecca Smith wife of David Smith released dower.

May 27/29, 1806: [David Smith sells the previously mentioned 200 acres on 23 Mile Creek adjacent to Benjamin Smith and Rankin Mills. This land was part of the original land grants to Job Smith, Sr. and Job Smith, Jr. Rebecca releases her dower rights.] Job Smith, Sr. signs and delivers a deed to David Smith. David Smith sells 200 acres of land in Pendleton District to John Cross for $300 – being two tracts of land: One tract granted to Job Smith, Sr. by Benjamin Guerard, 14 October 1784, bordered by Rankin’s Mill pond and Waggon Road; the other a tract of 144 acres granted to Job Smith, Jr. by Wm. Moultrie, 1 May 1786, bordered by Benjamin Smith, Wilson, Rankin’s Mill. Recorded 28 October 1806. Rebecca Smith signs away her dower rights, substantiating that the David Smith of this transaction is the David Smith, our ancestor; and links him to Job Smith, Sr. and Jr., and Benjamin Smith. Rankin’s Mill is mentioned as landmark, suggesting that the grant in 1788, and ½ ownership of a grist and sawmill, is this same David Smith. [20]

1807: August 24, 1805 to March 22, 1807. David Smith of Laurens District to John Blackstock for $400, 100 acres on Reedy River, above land….Dower Right of Rebeckah (X) Smith, by Jonathan Downs, J. P. [21]

Bet. 1808/1810: David Smith and Rebecca Smith move to Walton County, Georgia. [22]

1810: David Smith pays taxes on 60 acres of land in Jackson County, Georgia. [23]

March 27, 1833: David Smith dies, Walton County, Georgia. [24] Buried, Smith Family Cemetery, Hog Mountain Road, Route 53, Barrow County, Georgia

May 27, 1850: Rebecca Lindley Smith applies for pension under Act of Congress, July 7, 1838.

Feb. 15, 1855: Catherine Clack, Rebecca’s daughter, makes affidavit in support of Rebecca Smith’s application. Rebecca “is now very old, infirm and needy, living with deponent’s sister Elizabeth [Smith] Williams who is also a poor widow.”

May 23, 1856: Report to Congress from the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions. “…there is evidence in the case tending to prove that the husband of the petitioner was the identical David Smith who performed said military service. But the Commissioner of Pensions does not regard this evidence as satisfactory to establish the fact of identity. This committee, however, are of opinion that the petitioner is the widow of the David Smith who performed the aforesaid service, and that she is entitled to the benefit of the act of July 7, 1838, and the acts subsequent thereto continuing to beneficiaries the benefit of said act. They therefore have prepared a bill for a public act, which they herewith report to the House and recommend its passage.”

34th Congress, 1st Session, H. R. 366. A Bill for the relief of Rebecca Smith. “Rebecca Smith, widow of David Smith, was granted Certificate #11859, issued May 19, 1857. Rate $100.00 per annum, commenced March 4, 1836, Act of July 7, 1838, Georgia Agency.” [25]

Endnotes

[1] Elaine Spires Smith, Children of David and Rebecca (Lindley) Smith, unpublished manuscript, 1991-1992, page 12.

[2] Affidavit of Rebecca Lindley Smith, May 27, 1850: “On this 27th day of May one-thousand eight hundred and fifty personally appeared before the undersigned (Josiah T. Smith) a Justice of the Peace in an for said county (Walton County, Georgia) Rebecca smith a resident of said county aged 86 years 9the day of August 1849…”

[3] Affidavit of Mary Abercrombie, November 20, 1850: Mary Abercrombie states that she is Rebecca Smith’s sister, and that she (Mary) was aged 86 years in October, 1849, implying that her date of birth was October, 1763; and that Rebecca Smith was aged 88 sometime in August 1849, implying Rebecca’s date of birth was in August 1761. Implicitly, Mary is two years younger than Rebecca.

[4] Affidavit of Rebecca Lindley Smith, May 27, 1850: “…David Smith who was a private in the militia under Capt. Robert Masefield [probably Maxfield], Col. Or Maj. Reid and with Col. Pickens under Capt. Burns and Capt. Lawrence in one or two ____ against the hostile Indians, that from her recollection her husband stated that he served a part of his time as a volunteer and a part of his time as a drafted soldier, that he was in two or three engagements…recollect[s] of hearing him speak of being in one or more battles in South Carolina with the Indians. That her husband served in Abbeville District and adjoining districts in South Carolina…”

[5] Affidavit of Mary Abercrombie, November 20, 1850: “…One of the officers named was Capt. Robert Maxfield.”

[6] Affidavit of Mary Abercrombie, November 20, 1850: “The said David Smith was also out on tour after the Indians when I was a small girl at the time that Silvadoore got killed.” Francis Salvador – killed in battle with Indians, August 1, 1775.

[7] Affidavit of Nancy Bolt, June 2, 1855

[8] Affidavit of Rebecca Lindley Smith, May 27, 1850: Rebecca Smith “further declares that she was married to the said David Smith in the month of March in the year seventeen hundred and eighty three…that she had by her said husband nine children born in lawful wedlock of whom are living Joseph Smith, Mary Smith, Catherine Clack, Hannah Johnson, John Smith, Elizabeth Williams…”

[9] Affidavit of Jonathan Lindley, brother of Rebecca Lindley Smith: “That according to the best of my recollection and belief David Smith the aforesaid soldier was married to my sister Rebecca seventeen hundred and eighty two or three by Esq. Downs…”

[10] Affidavit of Mary Abercrombie, November 20, 1850: States “…that her sister Rebecca was married to David Smith 68 years ago last March past by Esq. Downs…”, that is, married in March 1782.

[11] Affidavit of Jonathan Lindley, September, 1852: “That according to the best of my recollection and belief David Smith the soldier aforesaid was married to my sister Rebecca seventeen hundred and eighty two or three by Esq. Downs.”

[12] South Carolina State Grants, volume 24, page 94, cited by Elaine Spires Smith

[13] Frederick Van Clayton, Settlement of Pendleton District, 1777-1800 (Easley, South Carolina: Southern Historical Press, page 19, cited by Elaine Spires Smith.

[14] Frederick Van Clayton, Settlement of Pendleton District, 1777-1800 (Easley, South Carolina: Southern Historical Press, page 18, cited by Elaine Spires Smith.

[15] Pendleton District, S. C., Deeds 1790-1806, compiled by Betty Willie (Easley, South Carolina: Southern Historical Press, 1892), page 281. Cited by Elaine Spires Smith.

[16] Conveyance Book B, Pendleton County, South Carolina, 1701-1795, pages 2-3, as abstracted in Pendleton District, S. C. Deeds 1790-1806. Plat shows land bounds Thomas Hamilton and David Smith. Surveyor, Robert McCann. Oath made by James Rosemond, 26 March 1791 to John Wilson, J. P. Cited by Elaine Spires Smith.

[17] Pendleton District Conveyances, Book F, 1800-1802, pages 122-123, as abstracted in Pendleton District, S. C. Deeds 1790-1806, pages 240-241. Cited by Elaine Spires Smith.

[18] Pendleton District, S. C., Conveyances, Book G 1801-1804, page 121.

[19] Laurens County, South Carolina, Deed Book J, page 1.

[20] I have a copy of the original deed, or entry in the deed book. Elaine Spires Smith references Pendleton District, S. C. , Deeds 1790-1806, compiled by Betty Willie (Easley, South Carolina: Southern Historical Press, 1982), page 416, pages 457-458 in Pendleton District Deed Book.

[21] Laurens County, South Carolina, Deed Book J, page 2.

[22] Affidavit of Nancy Bolt, June 2, 1855: “That about the year 1808 or 1810 said David Smith and his family moved off to Georgia to what is now Walton County…”

[23] 1810 Tax Book (unindexed), Office of the Jackson County Probate Court, Jefferson, Georgia, David Smith Captain John Stroud’s District. Cited by Elaine Spires Smith.

[24] Affidavit of Catherine Clack, February 14, 1855

[25] Letter from A. D. Hiller, Executive Assistant to the Administrator, Veteran’s Administration, to Mrs. J. S. Plaxoo, Augusta, Georgia, dated December 22, 1939.

[26] There doesn't seem to be any way around accessing a subscription-based website in order to see an original copy of most census pages. The exception is the 1790 census, for which the data have been transcribed by the U. S. Government, and the books digitized and posted to "Google Books". Here is the book for South Carolina. The above Smiths are listed on page 82 in the last column to the right. Also, from Ancestry.com, is the original citation: Year: 1790. Census Place: South Carolina. Roll: M637-11; Image: 0017. Source: Ancestry.com. 1790 United States Federal Census [database-on-line]. Imaged from: National Archives and Records Administration. First Census of the United States, 1790. M637, RG 29, 12 rolls. National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.

Children of Harmon and Eliza (Elizabeth) Osburn

2008-12-08T18:04:00.001-08:00

In 1927, Edward W. Osburn wrote about his eight siblings and himself:

1. Hannah Packard [Osburn] - Born April 19, 1833 in Ohio. Married to Isaac Reed, Rush County, Indiana. Soon after marriage moved to Howard County, Indiana, going onto an unimproved farm of 160 acres near Jerome. After putting on splendid buildings and other improvements, he left this farm and moved to smaller farm at the edge of Jerome. From there they moved to Greentown (Eastern end of town) and from Greentown moved to Jonesboro, where she died, October 4, 1895 and was buried at Kokomo. Some years later Isaac Reed died at Indianapolis.

The following children were born: Sarah; Wesley; Anna; Osburn (Oz); John; Jennie; Oliver; Edith; Frank; Pearl. John at Tipton, Indiana and Pearl Keightlinger, Santa Clara, California, are the only ones living as far as known by the writer March 1, 1927. [Edith Booker, Branson, Colorado]

2. Benjamin - Born October 29, 1834 in Ohio. He was educated in the common schools and Asbury University, from which he, graduated in the early sixties. He paid his way through college by teaching. After graduation he bought and moved to a farm of 160 acres four miles east of Indianapolis just south of which was founded the town of Irvington. In 1865 he was married to Mary Torr. On this farm he built a rude log house in which they lived for many years. They celebrated their golden wedding in 1915 in the new house built of boulders which had been gathered from the farm. A remarkably fine residence taking the place of the log cabin first built. He was a very earnest worker in the Roberts' Parks M. E. Church, Indianapolis. Afterward he moved his membership to Irvington, where he was founder of the first M. E. Church and first superintendent of the Sunday School. He died at the age of eighty-four and was buried at Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis. Died June 26, 1919 at Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The children are: Don Eugene of Imperial, Cal., Gertrude, afterwards, Mrs. A. D. Wilson; Carl C. of Jasper, Tennessee; Grace M., Springfield, Illinois.

3. Anna - Born October 16, 1835, Milford, Ohio. When a child she moved to Indiana with her parents. She was educated in the public school and was a teacher for a number of years. In 1862 she became the second wife of Elijah Billings and the step-mother of three children. She went to her new home four miles north of Rushville on a well improved farm. Later they moved to a farm in the eastern part of Boone County. Here were born two children, Edward and Bessie. From here they moved to Noblesville in Hamilton County where she died March 5, 1885 at the age of forty-nine. Buried in a family lot at Noblesville.

She was converted and joined the M. E. Church at the age of eleven and remained faithful the remainder of her life.

Edward died at Colorado Springs, Colorado. Bessie is now Mrs. Edwin Burton and is living in Detroit, Michigan.

4. John Wesley - Born April 29, 1839, Rush County, Indiana. He was educated in the public schools and taught for a number of years. Most of his life was spent in farming and dealing in stock. He was a great lover of fine horses. He was first married to Miss Juliet Johnson near Sheridan, Indiana. They had two girls, Estelle and Carrie Lee, at present Estelle is living at Los Angeles, Cal. and Carrie Lee at Fresno, Cal. The mother died at New Britton and was buried in the cemetery at Noblesville. He married Miss Lida Howard April 26, 1882 at the home of Dr. Pye in Indianapolis. She died in Wichita, Kansas. His third wife was a physician Mrs. Joyce ____, M. D., now living with the daughter Carrie Lee at Fresno, California.

He died in March 27, 1903 at the home of Oliver Reed near Pueblo, Colorado. The body was brought back and buried at Noblesville.

5&6. Mary A. and Sarah E. – Twins, born July 28, 1843, Rush County, Indiana.

Sarah E.- died April 19, 1847, and was buried in the Dillon graveyard located about the center of a section of land covered very thickly with sugar maple trees, the largest sugar orchard in that part of the country. At present (1927) there is no trace of the burial ground.

After finishing the public school Mary went to a girls seminary at Centerville, Indiana, where she graduated.

She was married to Rev. L. G. Adkinson about 1863 or 1864 at the home of her parents by the Presiding Elder F. C. Holliday, D. D. Mr. Adkinson was pastor on the Carthage circuit and had boarded for some time at the Osburn home. He was a member of the South East Indiana Conference of the M. E. Church and became a very popular preacher and in his later years an educator. He died and was buried in Atlanta in 1906.

Mary was a very loyal and efficient helpmate to her husband. She was always prominent in church and social circles, and an untiring worker in the W. C. T. U. She was President of the New Orleans, La., W. C. T. U. during her residence there and from 1909-1917 was the efficient President of the Jacksonville, Florida, W. C. T. U. She closed her earthly labors in 1918 at 251 W. 115th Street, Jacksonville, Florida, surrounded by her three daughters, Mrs. E. G. Conklin, Princeton, N. J.; Mrs. Fanc Ziegler and Mrs. O. T. Usleman, both of Jacksonville.

She was buried at Atlanta with her husband and two sons, Albert R. and Harry (Harmon).

Mrs. O. T. Usleman (Jennie) died in 1920 and was buried in Jacksonville. Mrs. E. G. Conklin (Belle) wife of Dr. E. G. Conklin (head of the department of Biology) lives at Princeton, N. J. Mrs. Ed Ziegler (Fanc) spends her winters in Florida and her summers with her sister Belle.

7. Martha Jane (Mattie) - Born December 25, 1848, Rush County, Indiana and died near Jerome, Howard County, September 13, 1883 at the home of her oldest sister, Mrs. Isaac Reed. She became a member of the M. E. Church at the age of eleven years. During her entire life she was intimately connected with all departments of church work, being most efficient as a teacher in the Sunday School and in the visitation of the sick and poor. She was educated at Asbury University, now Depauw University, and afterwards took her normal training at Calpariso Normal College at Valpariso, Indiana. She was a very efficient and faithful teacher.

During the twelve weeks of her illness she was constantly attended by her mother and youngest brother (Edward Walker Osburn); the mother spending the days and the brother the nights at her bedside. The attending physicians were Dr. Scott and Dr. Payton. Dr. Stabler officiated at her funeral and her body laid to rest in the Noblesville cemetery.

8. William Henry - Born December 22, 1850, in Rush County, Indiana. After finishing common school, he spent one year in the preparatory department at Asbury University. Then took business course at Indianapolis, graduating as bookkeeper and accountant in April, 1872. Went onto his farm, near Kokomo, Indiana, in 1873. Was married to Miss Fannie Blanch December 31, 1874. Moved to Kansas, near Burrton, April, 1878. Was identified with the Payne Oklahoma Colony from December, 1880, until the opening of the territory, April 22, 1889.
He was converted at the age of seven and joined the Methodist Episcopal Church - was licensed as a Local Preacher, 1889 and the license has been renewed annually without break.

There were three children born: Virgil S., died in infancy; Edna Blanche, born December 8, 1879, lives at home; Fern Francis, born January 14, 1885, was married to Ellis Moulder Learner, June 22, 1910. William, wife and Edna live just south of Kokomo, Indiana on a farm and own a fine Brown Swiss Dairy.

9. Edward W. - Born June 24, 1854, Rush County, Indiana. Had from three to six months schooling a year in country schools until the family moved to Greencastle in the fall of 1870. Entered the preparatory department of Asbury University, spent five years, and completed the classical course of study through the college junior year. Eyes failing, he was compelled to give up school and spent a year on the frontier in Southern Texas west of the Brazos River. After returning he was licensed as local preacher by the Locust Street Quarterly Conference by C. A. Brooke, D. D. Presiding Elder. Attempting further study he spent some months at Garrett Biblical Institute at Chicago. Eyes again failing he returned to Greencastle where he remained until the spring of 1877. Went to Little Rock, Arkansas, where he was appointed Junior Pastor of the Little Rock Circuit by I. G. Pollard, Presiding Elder. This circuit embraced a territory approximately eighty miles long and fifty miles wide. For the first year's service he received $2.45 in cash and two pairs of yarn socks and the people paid for all they received. Returning to Indiana he was admitted to the North Indiana Conference in 1881, Bishop Matthew Simpson, presiding. Ordained Deacon by Bishop Thos. Bowman in 1883 and ordained Elder by Bishop John M. Walden in 1885. While residing at Bunker Hill, Indiana, he was transferred to the Louisiana Conference in 1894 and stationed at the St. Charles Avenue M. E. Church, New Orleans. Served this church until transferred to the North Ohio Conference in 1900. Transferred from the North Ohio Conference to the Austin Conference and stationed in Houston, Texas. Transferred to the Missouri Conference and retired in 1913. After retiring served churches in Texas, Missouri, Alabama and Florida. At present (1927) living in Wadsworth, Ohio.

May 13, 1885 married Miss “Fannie” Florence Hobson at the home of her parents near Greentown, Indiana. To this union were born six children, three of whom are now living: Mrs. Foss Smith (Mabel), Chattanooga, Tenn.; Edward F. Osburn, Carroll, Iowa; and Esther F. Osburn, Cleveland, Ohio.

Mrs. [Florence Hobson] Osburn died at the home of her parents, Greentown, Howard County, Indiana, March 22, 1899, aged thirty-two years, four months, fifteen days.

Married January 1, 1901 to Miss Elsie D. Hard at the home of her father in Wadsworth, Ohio. To this union were born three children, two of whom are now living, Herbert C. Osburn, St. Petersburg, Florida, and Ruth M. Osburn, Baldwin-Wallace, Berea, Ohio.

Harmon and Eliza Packard Osburn

2008-12-08T18:03:00.001-08:00

My great-great grandparents, Harmon Osburn and Eliza Packard Osburn, in the words of their youngest child, Edward Walker Osburn, and their granddaughter, Mabel Meredith Osburn Smith:

Harmon Osburn was born June 03, 1812 in Miami Township, Clermont County, Ohio. He was the son of Benjamin Osburn (1785-1832) and Ruth Duckett (1783-1868). His father, Benjamin Osburn, was a veteran of the War of 1812 [1]. Harmon Osburn married, April 26, 1832, Elizabeth "Eliza" Jane Packard, who was February 16, 1811 in Middletown, Delaware. She was the daughter of Henry Packard (1784-1853) and Anna Rebecca Briley (1788-1824).

Harmon Osburn “converted and joined the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1830. From the date of his conversion until 1883 he was almost continuously an official member and religious leader. On April 26, 1832 he and Miss Eliza Packard were married in Clermont County, Ohio, and went a-house-keeping on a small farm. While living there, three children were born; viz, Hannah Packard, April 19, 1833; Benjamin Franklin, October 29, 1834; Anna, October 16, 1835. “In the year 1836 or 1837 he with his family moved to Rush County, Jackson Township, Indiana, where he entered 160 acres of land, paying the government $1.25 per acre. Every acre was virgin forest of very large trees, thickly standing. Poplar, oak, ash, hickory, maple, elm, walnut and beech were the major varieties of timber. This quarter section was cleared and brought into a very high state of cultivation and was known as one of the very best farms in the county.

“Here were born six children: John Wesley, April 29, 1839; Mary Almira and Sarah Elizabeth, July 28, 1843; Martha Jane, December 25, 1848; William Henry, December 22, 1850; Edward Walker, June 24, 1854.

“In the fall of 1870 the parents with the three younger children moved from the farm to Greencastle, Indiana, the seat of Asbury University, afterward DePauw.

“In December 1882 the last move was made from Greencastle to Noblesville, Indiana, where a beautiful new house was nearly completed when Harmon Osburn went away to one of the mansions in his Father's house - a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens - June 6, 1883, aged 71 years, 3 days.” [2]

Eliza Packard Osburn “was born in the state of Delaware, February 16, 1811. When she was a child her parents moved to Clermont County, Ohio. When Eliza was not yet twelve her mother died leaving in her care three brothers and two sisters. On the 26th day of April, 1832, she was married to Harmon Osburn and they began housekeeping in a small cabin near Milford, Ohio. To this couple were born nine children. One, Sarah E. [Osburn], the twin sister of Mary A. [Osburn], died in infancy. All the others lived to have families except Martha J. (always called Mattie).

“Eliza Osburn died June 19, 1887 at Mares Hill. Harm and Eliza Osburn, also Mattie, are buried at Noblesville, Indiana near the south west corner of the cemetery, just to the left of the first, or west entrance.” [3]

Golden Wedding (From the Greencastle, Indiana Banner)

"An interesting social event occurred here Wednesday, April 26th, 1882. Harmon Osburn and his excellent lady having reached the fiftieth anniversary of their wedding day, their children, widely scattered, arranged for a family reunion and some quiet exercises in honor of the event. The family consists of Isaac Reed, of Jerome, Howard County, and wife, Hannah, (nee Osburn); Benjamin Osburn, Irvington, and wife, Mary, (nee Torr; Elijah Billings, Noblesville, and wife, Anna, (nee Osborn; J. W. Osburn, New Britton, and wife, Eliza, (nee Howard); Rev. L. G. Atkinson, Madison and wife, Mary, (nee Osburn; Miss Mattie Osburn, Greencastle; W. H. Osburn, Burton, Kansas, and wife, Fannie, (nee Blanche), and Rev. E. W. Osburn, of Windfall, Indiana.

"All arrived by the 1:30 p. m., train from the East, Wednesday, and found awaiting them a bountiful repast, which all who ever sat down at Mrs. Osburn's hospitable table will know how to appreciate. On repairing to the parlor after dinner the venerable father and mother were much surprised to find the children, with some of the grandchildren, and a sister and her daughter, who were present, arranging themselves about the room as though a wedding was really the occasion of the gathering. In the center of the group stood an unshapely pile, carefully concealed from view, and before any questions could be asked the eldest son, Benjamin, began an address full of tender reminiscences and filial gratitude, concluding amid pleasantry and tears by presenting two large chairs - an easy chair and an invalid chair - upholstered in old gold. The parents could only express their gratitude in a heart-felt, 'Thank you, children. God bless you all.' Rev. L. G. Atkinson then led in prayer, following which all joined in twice singing the Doxology.

"Mr. and Mrs. Osburn have been members of the Methodist Episcopal Church since before their marriage. All their children and their husbands and wives belong to the church of their parents early choice. One son-in-law, Rev. L. G. Atkinson, is a member of the South-East Indiana Conference, and the youngest son is a member of the North Indiana Conference.

"Mr. and Mrs. Osburn began housekeeping in a little cabin near Milford, Clermont County, Ohio. After four years they removed to Rush County, Indiana, where they cleared away the forest and provided themselves a most desirable farm and country home. Twelve years ago they removed to this city, where they have since resided. Death has only once visited their family circle, a daughter having been taken from them when in her fifth year. The "old folks” are still in usual health, and bid fair to enjoy a green old age, while their children rise up to call them blessed." [4]

Some Observations by the Youngest Child (Edward Walker Osburn)

“My parents - Harmon and Eliza Osburn - were very wealthy in character, health and willingness to work - a goodly, heritage. As to money and visible possessions, they were very poor. Neither married the other for money - only looks, character and good sense counted. They started on their honeymoon trip the day of their marriage and kept going for more than half a hundred years. No scandal, no nasty suggestive paper head-lines. No pompous pronouncements added to or took from their popularity.

“Just a sensible, intelligent, godly couple. Full of faith in God, believing in the brotherhood of men, practicing the golden, rule, helping everybody, loved and trusted by all. Never an appeal to law for the adjustment of differences. Only a godly man and a godly woman joined together according to the laws of God and their country, walking hand in hand - industrious, successful, contented, happy, singing, church attending, heavenward journeying folks. Thank God.

“But, as stated above, my parents were very poor. They began housekeeping in a one room log cabin, with a split log floor, near Milford, Clermont County, Ohio. (Mother told me much of her early life, especially her early married days, while we were living together, after father and Mattie were gone, only a few months before her death. We were living in the new house, Noblesville, Indiana.) Father had made a bedstead, a table and two chairs and put them in the cabin, which made it a ready furnished house. Mother had made a bed tick, which she and father filled at a neighbor's straw stack. Mother had plenty of bed clothes made by her own hands. All furniture and furnishings paid for, they slept at home the first night. Father had fifty cents and a pocket knife. Father was not of his freedom on his wedding day. The next morning after the wedding, both went away to work, Father at fifty cents a day to accumulate money, Mother worked for clothing material and food to take home. (It should have been recorded that Mother received a rocking chair made by a Baptist minister as a wedding present. Mother sat in that chair at all meals for more than fifty years, all her life after going to housekeeping - the chair is still in daily use. (1927) Mother had china - this cup was given to the baby boy and is now the property of Esther F. Osburn of Cleveland, Ohio. It was agreed that they would never go in debt - if they could not pay then they would do without. To this agreement they adhered without a break, strictly.

“When they moved to Rush County, Indiana, (during 1836-37) and entered a quarter section there was no building or any improvement. They made the trip in a wagon drawn by an old mare twenty-two years of age and a year old colt. Closest neighbor was about one and one-fourth miles through very heavy timber - here Mother found work weaving and spinning for which she received raw material for clothing and food stuff for the home. A one large room house was soon erected, puncheon flooring (split logs), home made shingles, log frame and finishing. After the days work and the children were in bed, father and mother worked in the clearing, felling trees and sawing them into lengths, ready for the log-rolling, piling and burning brush, often working until midnight. By spring they were ready for crop planting. When winter came they were quite prepared with food and feed. When we left the farm (1870) the first house was still doing duty as a hen house.

“What a change those thirty-three years had wrought. No better buildings and other improvements within many miles. No finer stock of all kinds in the county - nor was there better machinery or greater yields in the fields. The first mower and harvester were on our farm. The first sewing machine and washer were in our house. Father was many years ahead of his day as a farmer - with diversity of crops, home made fertilizers, drainage, deep plowing and thorough cultivation, his farm increased in productiveness each year. Seldom was a load of grain, except wheat and flax, sold from the place - all went into stock.

“The use of intoxicants, tobacco and profanity strictly prohibited on the farm and the law was enforced at all times. Even preachers were not allowed to use by-words. Family worship twice a day - visitors, strangers, busy crop times never hindered. Mother's private place of prayer was in the parlor, from which she often came shouting and with glory on her face. Father had his private prayer closet in the barn, he never shouted, but he did sing. They were church attendants, sometimes the roads were bad, sometimes they were good, mostly bad, there was rain and snow and heat and cold, no matter they went to church. So did all the children. If there were visitors they went along. It was only two and one-half miles to the church.

“As far as I know, neither ever told a lie, not even a little white lie, they never exaggerated, nor misrepresented. In truthfulness, brotherly kindness, love, piety, and down-right godliness and dependability they were the real article, they showed the goods.” [5]

From the Reminiscences of Mabel Meredith Osburn Smith, granddaughter of Harmon and Eliza Osburn:

"They were a Christian family. They all belonged to the Methodist Church. Grandpa led the singing. He wouldn't allow an organ in the church, though he had an organ in his own home. And it was said that at all political meetings in the county he offered prayer. He wouldn't let any political meeting begin unless he opened it with prayer. At that time, there would be three or four churches in a circuit, and one minister to those four churches, and they would go from one church to another, preaching on Sunday mornings, and evenings, and once a quarter they would have what they called a quarterly meeting, and the members from the different churches would meet at one church. And when they met at the church the Osburns attended, Grandpa and the owner of the farm next to him stood one on each side of the door, and as the visitors came out first one and then the other would ask that family to go with him for dinner. So the Osburn barn lot would be full of buggies and wagons, and there would be maybe thirty or forty guests for dinner. Grandma of course had been cooking most of the week, getting ready for all of these
people to come to that dinner.

"They believed in education. The children all went to the school, and if they got a whipping, they believed in whipping and paddling in those days, and if one of the children got paddled or whipped in school, he was sure to get another one when he got home. Papa [Edward Walker Osburn] was probably the one who got the most, he was the mischievous one of the family. Edward, my father, decided one year he didn't want to go to school, so they told him alright, he didn't need to go if he didn't want to, so he stayed home while the rest of the children went to school. That night, after supper, the children popped corn and played games around the fireplace, having a good time, but Edward was told to go and sit at the table, that his school books were there and he had to get his work done, that he couldn't expect not to get an education, that he would have to study at night, and do chores on the farm during the daytime. Well that didn't suit him very well, and the next morning he was ready to go to school with the rest of them.”

Last Words

“I was present at the death of Father, Mother, Mattie and Anna, heard their "last words" and closed their eyes.

“Father – ‘What you do, do quickly.’

“Mother - In the afternoon, the day before her death, she requested singing and joined in several pieces, "Rock of Ages", "Think of the Home Over There", "How Firm a Foundation" and others. While singing "Sweet Bye and Bye" she seemed to pass into a trance, with a radiance of face like the clear sunshine. She greeted many as dearly loved friends. (Some of them I have known) and talked with them of the future. All with whom she conversed were dead folks. When she saw Father she shouted her last words "Oh! Harmon! Harmon! I will soon be ready to go with you." Her body failed, the nurse put her in bed. She did not move during the night, in the morning she went home.

“I have often wondered if Harmon walked with Eliza to the new Home.” [6]

Sources:

[1] Ruth Duckett Osburn’s application, 10 February 1851, 61 years of age, for the benefit of the Act of 28 September 1850. The Third Auditor, Treasury Department, certified 31 December 1851, that Benjamin Osburn had served in the War of 1812 under Captain Logan, from 14 September to 9 December 1814. He was discharged at Detroit 10 December 1814. She had already received and disposed of 40 acres of bounty lands under the Act 28 September 1850 and applied for additional bounty lands under Act of 3 March 1855. She was granted BLWt. 89444 for 120 acres under the Act of 1855.
[2] Harmon Osburn. By Edward W. Osburn. Unpublished manuscript, 1927.
[3] Eliza Packard. By Edward W. Osburn. Unpublished manuscript, 1927.
[4] Clipping from the Greencastle, Indiana Banner
[5] Some Observations of the Youngest Child. By Edward W. Osburn. Unpublished manuscript, 1927.
[6] Last Words. By Edward W. Osburn. Unpublished manuscript, 1927.