John Andrews Spracklin (Sr.) His Estate!

John Andrews Spracklin died 6 February 1862.

He was living with his daughter Lydia in 1860 according to the U.S. Federal Census.

#1264, #1277 Line 26:  Richd Kenner, age 30, male, farmer, born in Eng.; Lydia age 22, female, born in Ohio; Chars age 3, male born in Ohio, George age 8 male born in Ohio; Jno. Spracklin age 66, male, value of real estate is $6000, personal value $964 born in England; Wm. McKay age 23, male, born in Ohio; ____ McKay age 29, female born in Maryland.

Source:  Family of Richard Kenner, 1860 U.S. Federal Census, Liberty Twp., Knox. Co., Ohio, NARA Roll M653_995, pg. 312 (175) 4 Aug, 1860 [      ], Ancestry.com. 

John A. Spracklin did not have a will.  There was a probate process.

The photo of the index below, shows father, John Andrews Spracklin SR, and son, John Andrews Spracklin JR, on the same page.  You would need to see the headings of the page to understand what the volumes and the pages mean.  It was dark and difficult to read.  I have tried to lighten up the page but it is still fuzzy.

John SR and John JR

These are from the court clerk transcribed versions of the probate records that are in the big huge journal books that you find in the courthouse.  This is a summary of the films and the different records I found.

Probate File Journal entries:
John Spracklin (Senior) or John Andrews Spracklin

1. General Index V. 1, 1852-1914 FHL Film 1299062* gave the following information on pg. 114.

T.F. Cole, Administrator, appointed 10 Feb. 1863

History of Knox County, Ohio, pg. 631 by Albert Adams Graham at Google.Books describes a Thomas F. Cole who was living in Liberty Twp., Knox County, Ohio.  He was of an old English family.

http://books.google.com/books?id=DBAtAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=Cole&f=false

C. Wolfe page 839 same book:  

http://books.google.com/books?id=DBAtAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=snippet&q=Wolfe&f=false  There are references to the Wolfe Settlement in Liberty Twp.  There is a C. Wolfe on the 1847 land map I posted before.

2. Journal Vol. B, pg. 667 – Appointment of Admin., additional information found, Vol. B, pg. 711 Adm. Part. – FHL# 2130104

3. Administrator Applic, Bonds & letters: Vol. 1, pg. 107 – FHL#1299058

4. Inventory, Estate Record: Vol. J, pg. 101 -FHL #1294319

5. Sale Bill, Estate Record: Vol. J, pg. 103 – FHL #1294319

6. 1st Settlement, Estates Settled Record, Vol. B, pg. 621  FHL#2130348 – partial.

7. 2nd Settlement, Estates Settled Record, Vol. C, pg. 116, 117 – FHL #2130348

Note: Vol. C, pg. 254 additional comments – not in #2130348 unable to locate.

Helpful Books for courthouse research:  ”Courthouse Research for Family Historians, Your Guide to Genealogical Treasures,” by Christine Rose.  Also her:  ”Courthouse Indexes Illustrated.”

This last booklet helps to take the mystery out of the index books which can be very confusing.  You probably can find these two books in a genealogical society library or at a good-sized public library.

I find that doing probates/estates can be very confusing.  The films are not always easy to interpret and it is much easier to do this research when physically at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, because you can pull several films to work on.

The reference to vault films at the Family History Library means they are not housed at the library and have to be ordered in advance.  I usually do that about 2 weeks before I visit the Family History Library.

There are also what are called estate packets but they can be very hard to read because of the handwriting.  They are the file that houses the original documents.  I will talk about that in a future post.

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John Andrews Spracklin (Sr.) Naturalizes…

When I was looking at court records at the Family History Library I discovered that John Andrews Spracklin (SR) naturalized in October of 1853.

When I visited the Knox County Records Center Annex in Mount Vernon where they keep the records, I decided to check out the clerk journals and see if there was anything else associated with his naturalization.

Naturalization is usually done in two parts, the declaration (1st part) and then the naturalization (2nd part).  I had found the 2nd part at the Family History Library but the Records Center had the 1st part.

John Spracklin a native of England age 60 years this 4th day of November A.D. 1856 appeared before the undersigned at the office of the Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas within Knox County Ohio and makes oath and to absolutely denounce and abjure forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign potentate, State or sovereignty whatever and particularly Queen Victoria the present reigning Queen of the United Kingdom and Great Britain and Ireland of whom he is now a subject.  Witness by official signature this 4th day of November A.D. 1856.  Signed by A.C. Elliott Clerk of K C P.

Source:  Court Minutes, Court of Common Pleas, Knox Co., Ohio, 1855-58, pg. 256, Declaration of Intention of J.A. Spracklin, 4 November 1856.

I have no idea why John, at the age of 60, would decide to become naturalized, unless the laws had changed? A topic I have no expertise in.  All his children had been born here in the United States, maybe he did it for them?

Probate Court Knox County Ohio. October 10th A.D. 1859

John Spracklin Naturalized:

On this day John Spracklin an alien and native of England a free white person appeared and proved to the satisfaction of the Court that on the 4th day of November A.D. 1856 made before the Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of Knox County, Ohio the requisite Declaration of his intention to become a citizen of the United States and by the oaths of John Tarr and ______Weathcot that he has resided within the United States for more than five years last past and in the State of Ohio for more than one year last past and that during all that time has behaved as a man of good moral character attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States and disposed to the good order and happiness of the same. Wherefrom the said John Spracklin here in open Court made solemn oath that he will support the Constitution of the United States and that he doth absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure forever all allegiance and fidelity to every Foreign Prince Potentate State or Sovereignty whatever and particularly to Victoria the present reigning Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.  It is therefore ordered that a Certificate of Naturalization issue to the said John Spracklin which is accordingly done.  J.S. Davis Probate Judge.

John Spracklin’s Naturalization a portion

Source:  John Spracklin Naturalized, October 10, 1859 Probate Court , Knox County, Ohio, Vol. B, 1852-1863, page 310, FHL#2130104 Journals Volume A-B.

So Lydia’s Englishmen did become a U.S. Citizen.

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John and Lydia Spracklin Expand Their Land Holdings 1835!

John Spracklin expanded his holdings to the Town of Amity in Pike Township. Amity is in the very southeastern corner of Pike.  Pike Township is in the north middle part of Knox Co.,  The lots are in Section 21 which is the very corner of Pike.  I drove right by there when I was traveling there in 2011.  I don’t think it is a recognized town anymore and when I was trying to find out more about it I would get other Amity’s in other locations, so be careful.

Knox County Twp map after 1848

1st Deed:  He purchased lots from a William Allison and wife from Wayne Twp. on 14 December 1835:

2nd Deed:  John Spracklin purchased Lot 55 from a Marvin M. Miner of Miller Twp. on 23, December, 1835.

4X

William Allison & wife Wayne Twp., &Marvin M. Miner, Miller Twp., both Knox Co.

John Spracklin

1st Deed: Dec. 14, 1835,Rec’dJan. 1, 18362nd Deed Rec. Jan 1, 1836; Dec 23, 1835

#314043 FHL# Deeds v. C-P, 1835-1836

O, pg. Deed #1 – 527 (Not 557 or 577) and Deed #2 – 528

1st Deed = Lots 25, 26, 27, 28, 29  ($38.00)2nd Deed:  Lot 55 ($15.00)See Description below

Town of Amity, Knox Co., Ohio, Betsey Allison, wife of  Wm.  Witnesses:  Samuel & Sarah Bryant. Samuel Bryant is J.P.Summary of the land description:

4a.  …a certain piece or parcel of land lying and being in the Town of Amity, Pike Township containing near one quarter of an acre each butted and bounded as follows to wit:  They are Lots No. 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29 and the said lots lies on the South East side of Jackson Street or Wooster road, they are four rods in front and eight rods back and contain near one quarter of an acre each they run back the East ally bearing in the North West quarter of section twenty one Township eight Range 12 and for a more particular description reverence can be had to the plat of said Town.

4b.  …a certain piece or parcel of land lying and being in the Town of Amity containing one Town Lot No. 55 on East butted and bounded as follows to wit East wide of Vanburin Street four rods in front and Eight back and contains near on quarter of an Acre it being in the North West quarter of section twenty one Township eight Range twelve and for a more particular description of said lot reference can be had to the plat of said Town.

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Lydia Goss,youngest daughter, given land in Knox County, Ohio!

As you will recall, I have posted about all of Solomon and Olive’s children except one.  I did  not go in chronological order of their age and birth because I wanted to talk about my link to this family in more detail.  So I skipped ahead to David Goss (8th child, see  post dated July 1, 2012) and then went back to cover Levi Goss (6th child, see posts dated July 16, 2012 through  November 4, 2012).

I now come to Lydia Goss the youngest daughter and 7th child of Solomon and Olive Goss.  She is my 3rd great-grandmother and she is the one that marries into the Spracklin/len Family.

Lydia birth date is given as 8 June 1796 and it has been suggested that she was the first child born in Dayton, Montgomery Co., Ohio.  This claim appears in a biography of one of her children, Solomon Goss Spracklin, who migrated to and lived in Harrison County, Iowa.  I will share what I know about Solomon Goss Spracklin and the other children of Lydia in future posts.

Source:  History of Harrison County, Iowa, National Pub. Co., 1891, pg. 524.  A version of this book is online at the Harrison County, Iowa GenWeb under County biographies:  http://iagenweb.org/harrison/bio/geneal13.htm#spracklen

Her birth date was listed on an “Ancestor Outline” written by Arminda Spracklin wife of Charles E. Spracklin, Lydia’s grandson.  I shared this outline in the post dated:  August 5, 2011 “Ancestor Outline by Armindo Spracklin.”  This outline was given to me by my Aunt Miriam McDonald, my father’s sister.

So far, I have not found any confirmation of this birth in the Dayton history books nor the Montgomery County, Ohio history books.  I have other information about Solomon Goss her father from those books which I will share in later posts.  The county of Montgomery was not established till 1803 so vital statistics were not recorded till 1867.  The deeds were recorded starting in 1805 and probate in 1803.  Hamilton was the original county and that is where Cincinnati is located.  My interest in Lydia’s birth date and location would tell us where Olive and Solomon were at the time.

Lydia was deeded land by her father Solomon Goss  in 1815, just like her other siblings.  She receives her share of the land in Knox County, Ohio.   Remember her older brother  Solomon Goss (Jr.) he  inherited the land in Fearing Twp. , Washington Co., Ohio.

While most of her siblings sold off their share of the land in Knox County Ohio, Lydia did not.  She along with her husband John Andrews Spracklin settled on that land in the early 1820′s and raised their family, migrated from Washington Co., Ohio to Knox County, Ohio.  It would be in the family for many years till John’s death in 1862 and pieces would be bought and sold among family members during those years.

Solomon Goss to Lydia Goss 1815

Deed of Solomon Goss of Fearing Twp., Washington Co. to his youngest daughter Lydia Goss on April 19, 1815 recorded Oct 2, 1815 for $100 and 50 acres. Witesses where Simon Porter and Solomon Goss Jr., Joel Tuttle JP. Description of land: ” …certain tract or parcel of Land, Situate and being in said State of Ohio, in the Fourteenth Range and Sixth Township of the United States Military lands so called, containing fifty acres, being part of a tract of four hundred and fifty acres of Land Deeded to me by Zaccheus Biggs July 28th 1802, Refference being had thereunto, butted and bounded as follows beginning at the South East corner of said tract of 450 acres, Thence North Twenty chains 83 1/3 Links to the South East corner of Land this day deeded by me to Mary Goss, — Thence West Twenty four chains to land deeded this day to Daniel Goss. Thence South Twenty chains 83 1/3 Links Thence East on the South line of said tract of 450 Twenty Four Chains to the place of beginning…”

Source:  Vol. B-C Knox County, Ohio Deeds, pg. 274, FHL#314037.

As you can see this is a typed version of the deed which is in the deed books for Knox Co., Ohio.  I have been to the Knox County Annex in Mt. Vernon and the chances of finding the original deed are probably slim.  Deeds were usually copied from the originals and kept by the owner and the copies stayed at the courthouse.  This was obviously redone at some point by a court clerk.

Knox County Annex, Mt. Vernon, Ohio

Note:  When you research women you usually run into road blocks so when you do find something that gives you a clue about a female ancestor it is pretty exciting. It is very unusual to find a relationship mentioned in a deed.  I wish they had made it a legal requirement but they did not.  So these deeds are even more precious.  Thanks grandpa!

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Mt. Vernon County Seat – Knox Co., Ohio

 I visited Mt. Vernon from August 26 to September 2, 2011.  I am home now but I will continue to post highlights about the trip and archives that I visited and hopefully it will assist you in your research in these areas of Ohio.

Records Annex, Knox County, Ohio

Mt. Vernon is the county seat for Knox County, Ohio.  The courthouse is located just down from the Records Annex  at 117 High Street in Mount Vernon (Hwy 36) and not far from the round-about in the center of Mt. Vernon.   The Recorder’s office (for deeds) is on the floor when you enter through the main door.  The Record Center is in the basement.  I suggest you visit both for court documents such as probates, court records and more.  The clerks are all helpful and very nice.  The Recorders office has the indexes and books right out there for you to access.  The first index to 1843 contains a listing of old deeds.  I asked the clerk behind the counter and was told they go all the way back in the first book to 1803.  They will let you take photographs. 

Deed Index, Knox County, Ohio

I  tried to dig deep into early Knox County history looking for Kellers, Delano, Askins and more.  I have already studied the Spracklins and associated surnames of the children so I am confident I have them covered.  I decided this time to emphasize the other surnames. 

The Knox County History and Genealogical Society is also located at 117 High Street  in a room in the basement area right across from the Records Center office.  They have updated their website so you might want to check it out.   They are very small but I noticed that there was change from my last visit and they had been busy.  They have an obituary file, family histories, have books and more.  They are also very helpful.  Hours are short so check the website.  They are in the process of updating the cemetery books done by R. DeLauder so keep and eye out because they will make them even better.  Unfortunately they have to rebuild the database because the company that printed the books went out of business.  They could use volunteer help. 

Public Library of Mount Vernon & Knox County

The Mt. Vernon Public Library  (Public Library of Mount Vernon and Knox County) is located on Sugar Street and Mulberry St.  There is parking in the back of the library.  You can enter on Sugar (a narrow ramp up to the parking) or try Mulbery which is one way going south.  I visited the History room in the Mount Vernon Library which is heavy on Knox County sources.  They also have Mount Vernon newspapers on microfilm, family histories, city directories, school yearbooks and more.  It is worth a visit.  I spent two hours one day and another hour on another day at the library checking sources for obituary readings, plat maps and more. 

History Room of Library, Mt. Vernon, Ohio

The Mound Cemetery, one of the oldest in Knox County, is just north of the public library and even if you don’t have family buried there I suggest you visit it.  It is amazing, for there are a lot of huge, I mean huge, monuments in this cemetery.  I was overwhelmed by it.  You know me, I have seen a lot of cemeteries on my travels but this was awesome.  So once again get a map from the Delauder publications (Knox county books) so you can find the graves you are interested in and that may still be a challenge.  I will feature this cemetery in another post in the future. There are Kellers buried in Mound Cemetery.

Overview - Mound Cemetery, Mt. Vernon, Ohio

My recommendations are that if you want to do genealogical research in Knox County then you need to visit the Knox County Historical Society, Knox County History and Genealogical Society, the Mount Vernon Public Library and the Courthouse Annex and include the Morrow County Genealogical Library Annex as well.  Each has sources to offer and is worth a little of your time.  Now they might duplicate what each other has but because of the short hours of some of these respositories you may have to revisit a book or source and you will find it at one or the other location. 

I would like to encourage those of you with Knox and Morrow County roots, including the surrounding counties,  to submit some form of our family history:  copy of a bible, chart, booklet, reports to the historical society and genealogical societies.  It is really needed!!!!  I would also like to encourage you to volunteer your help if you live in the area or join as a member and learn about the people who built this State of Ohio.

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Ohio Genealogical Society, Bellville, Ohio

When I visited Ohio back in 2007, my cousin and I went to the Ohio Genealogical Society in Mansfield.  I dropped her off and went off to Mt. Gilead to do research at the Morrow County Genealogical Society.  Later I returned and did several hours of research.  I was on the trail of John Andrews Spracklin’s second wife Miriam McWilliams and found their marriage in Delaware County.  Yes, John remarried after Lydia died.  I will discuss this find in future post.

This time I was going to schedule a full day there and get to see their brand new facility off Exit 165 of Interstate 71.  Take the Bellville Lexington Exist and not the Bellville Mansfield Exit which is Exist 169.  

Ohio Genealogical Society Sign

The Ohio Genealogical Society is located just south of the business area where there are restaurants like McDonald’s and the Dutch Heritage which was advertising Amish cooking?  Since it was right next door to my motel, I decided to give it a try.  You can order food off the menu or try the buffet which was tasty but getting up their in price. There are several motels in this area so you do have a choice.  I stayed in the Comfort Inn.  So the OGS  it well situated.  The land they are on was donated to them by a prominent family whose name escapes me at present.  They are almost in a cornfield. 

Ohio Genealogical Society, Bellville, Ohio

The building is wonderful and I was totally impressed with the way it was arranged and it even smelled new after one year.  It was time, so I sign up and filled out a membership form and paid up.  It will be awhile before I get my membership packet, darn!

I soon set to work studying their surname/family history files and didn’t solve all my puzzles but found some interesting information.  I looked at their card catalog and some charts, studied their stacks of books for Knox, Licking, Lucas and Washington County.  I was helping other cousins with cemeteries so that is why I was looking at Licking and Lucas. 

Everyone was pleasant and friendly.  A nice lady by the name of Marlene sat down and we chatted. She was happy I brought some Washington State Genealogical Society Newsletters of which I am editor.  She does volunteer work there and helps people with their brickwalls.  There were other volunteers throughout the day who were equally friendly and helpful. Ask for a tour if you have the time, it helps.  Their table area reminds of the DAR Library???

Interior of OGS

They have a lunch room in the back down one of the hallways to the right before the bathrooms.  So if you want to bring some food you can put it into the refrigerator.  They have limited snacks and pop but that is still a good thing because you do have to drive to get food about 5 minutes up the road or down to Bellville.  Bellville has the Stoodt Market where you can get food as well.  I didn’t want to lose a minute of research time so I managed okay.  I recommend bringing a sandwich because researching takes a lot of energy and getting real hungry and tired is not a good idea for you can make mistakes and loose things. 

They do have online databases and members only databases and I was shown how to access them.  I was interested in First Families of Ohio and other categories that they have and discovered someone had already done John Andrews and Lydia Spracklin.  It is another line of one of their children than mine.  These applications are prepared and submitted by OGS members.   Ebenezer Goss, Solomon Goss, Lydia and some other Goss families were also on the list.

It was a good day at the Ohio Genealogical Society and I only did a tip of the iceberg of what they have in their library and I headed south through Bellville (a very nice town with lovely homes) to Mount Vernon in Knox County, Ohio which is only about 10 minutes or so away.

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Ohio Bound: The Goss Family Story Continues!

My trip to Ohio is almost here!   Here is a bit of a quick review of why I am off to Ohio!

The story of the Goss family started in Boston or what was called Muddy River (Roxbury) in the mid 1600′s.   Philip Goss settled there and married 1st Hannah Hopkins and 2nd Mary Prescott.  He migrated to Lancaster purchased land from Joseph Rowlandson 1687 and settled there.  He is buried in the Old Settler’s Burial Ground in Lancaster.

Philip Goss of Roxbury & Lancaster

His son Capt. Philip Goss and wife Judith Hayward Goss moved to Brookfield and lived their lives in that area.  They are buried in the Old Indian Burial Ground in West Brookfield. 

Capt. Philip and Judith Goss 2011

Philip and Judith’s son Philip (III) married Keziah Cooley and it is not clear how or where he is buried but there is an estate file for him in 1742 in the Worcester County Records as well as for the Philip Gosses mentioned above I & II.  Keziah and Philip (III) had a son name Philip which I call number 4 (IV) in order to keep him straight from other Philips.  He migrated to Simsbury or rather North Granby, then to Granville and next to Becket.  He didn’t stop there heading for the area around Wilkes-Barre which we know as Lucerne County, Pennsylvania.  It is a long and sad story what happened in Pennsylvania because it was considered part of Connecticut for a long time.  Many of the descendants of Philip Goss IV stayed in Pennsylvania but several of them did not and they migrated to Ohio. 

My up and coming trip to Ohio next week will delve into the history of those Goss ancestors that migrated to Ohio.  So basically I started with Pennsylvania and wrote about my trip there in Pennsylvania Wanderings and then I went to Massachusetts Meanderings and wrote about my travels there (see side bar Blogs I like).    

Ebenezer Goss went to Portage County, Ohio about 1804.  Ebenezer is a younger brother to my Solomon Goss, my 4th great-grandfather, who migrated to Ohio first to what is now the Dayton, Ohio (1796) area and then to Marietta, Ohio in Washington County and was there about 1798.  Nathaniel Goss another brother to Solomon and Ebenezer had a son name John who migrated to Ohio and settled near Ebenezer.  Just recently someone emailed me about Sewards (Seawards) in Ohio and I realized that some of the Enos and Sarah Goss Seward family migrated to Ohio and beyond. 

Here are two sources that you need to read if you are not familiar with this line of the Goss family.  They are downloadable from the Family History Library and more. 

Paul H. Goss – Goss Family 

The chart below is based on one of Paul H. Goss’ (Rev. Paul H. Goss or Paul Henry Goss) manuscript in which he discusses sources. 

First Generation: PHILIP (1) GOSS, the Immigrant Ancestor of Roxbury and Lancaster, Massachusetts 1652 to 1698
Married 1st, Hannah Hopkins about 1675	Married 2nd Mary Prescott m 29 March 1690
2nd Generation
PHILIP (2) GOSS 1676 to 1747 Married Judith Hayward m 30 Aug. 1699	JOHN (2) GOSS b. 1/20/1693, died about 1745 Married Mary Woods m 9 Nov. 1711
3rd Generation
PHILIP (3) GOSS b about 1700 and died 1742 Brookfield, MA Married Keziah Cooley m 25 Nov. 1723	PHILIP (3) GOSS, b. circa 1720 at Lancaster,MA. Died 17 Apr. 1804 in Winchester, NH Married Hannah Ball m 12 May 1748
4th Generation
**PHILIP (4) GOSS, “of BROOKFIELD” b. 18 Nov. 1724 died 9 Nov. 1778 Married Mary Kendall of Lancaster 7 Jun 1744 Left Brookfield for Simsbury (North Granby), Granville, Becket and then to Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania.	PHILIP (4) GOSS, of Montague,Massachusetts. b. 17 Oct 1757, died 23 Jun 1840 in Montague, Franklin, Massachusetts Married Esther Gale 23 Sep 1779 Winchester, NH
5th Generation
PHILIP (5) GOSS, Jr., Harveyville, Pennsylvania b. 12 Aug 1746 died 25 Oct. 1833 in PA Married Hannah Darby unknown	PHILIP (5) LAMPSON GOSS of Brighton,Ohio married twice died in 1878.

Elbert Garrett Goss – Descendants of Philip Goss of Lancaster, MA 1650  This discusses the descendants of John Goss the 1/2 brother and son of Philip Goss and Mary (Prescott) Goss.  His family is featured in the 2nd column.  

There is another recently published book by David Goss – Abel Goss of Lower Waterford, that further digs into the John Goss line and where the descendants that went to New Hampshire migrated too. 

These sources are not all the sources for these Goss family lines.  They are just the beginning.  It is confusing for there are a  lot of “Philip Goss” names in the family lines.  Be advised that there are other Goss lines in New Hampshire, Vermont, Pennsylvania and in the southern states that are not our line.  I refer you to Paul H. Goss’ manuscript cited above for clues and a start. 

**My interest and focus on the family of Philip Goss and Mary Kendall Goss who died in Huntington Township, Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania.  See the chart above 1st column Philip #4.  Philip and Mary had:  Sarah m. Enos Seward, Philip Goss Jr. m. Hannah Darby, Experience Goss, Nathaniel Goss married Hannah Scott, Comfort Goss, David Goss, Solomon Goss m. Olive Scott,  Mary Goss, Ebenezer Goss who marred Bede Blakeslee.  

The Spracklins married into the Solomon Goss family.  I will visit those family history sites near Mount Vernon and Kenton, Ohio where the Spracklin’s settled.   Daniel D. Spracklin (son of John and Lydia Spracklin a daughter of Solomon and Olive) married Elizabeth Keller in 1853.  Elizabeth’s mother was a Delano.   I will visit Morrow, Franklin and Knox County again and see if I cannot learn more about the Delano and Keller families.   

As I stated, this blog will cover the highlights of my trip to Ohio this August (wow it is almost here!) and not be a travelogue – day-to-day!  I will however, as I always do, journal the trip and take lots of pictures.   Information from this trip will be discussed in future posts.

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Remembering Ohio 2007

My trip to Ohio in 2007 was a combination trip.  I wanted to visit the Allen County Public Library  because I had heard so much about it.  They had just completed the new building and it was open for business.  The Federation of Genealogical Societies and APG were having their conferences in Fort Wayne and it was no contest.  I was ready! 

I then realized that Ohio was two hours away. Michigan was about the same.  I could drive up to Michigan and visit several cemeteries on one of the days.  Then I would attend the conferences and after drive to Ohio and return to Fort Wayne.  I could visit Kenton in Hardin County and then onto Mount Vernon in Knox County and be able to pay my respects to my Spracklin ancestors.  Morrow County was just a few miles away and I could visit my Keller ancestors.  Okay, I was now really ready to go!

The trip was amazing and I have fond memories of Ohio.  I remember the pouring rain when my cousin and I visited the Green Valley Cemetery the first time.  Having to ask the locals where the Hedding M.E. Cemetery was located in Morrow County.  Driving along a road we thought would be a short cut and coming upon flooding and water over the road.  This meant we had to turn back and figure out another route.  Listening intently to the TV for information about the weather and more flooding.  Going around and around the roundabout in the middle of Mount Vernon.  I am joking about some of these challenges, of course.  It was a very good trip. 

The following repositories were visited at that time:

• Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, excellent genealogical library. 
• The Mount Vernon Public Library http://www.knox.net/genealogy.html
•  The Knox County Historical Society http://www.knoxhistory.org/about.htm
• The Knox County Genealogical Society http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ohknox/gensoc.htm
• Morrow County Genealogical Society, in Mt. Gilead:  http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ohmorrow/libhldgs.html
• Hardin County Genealogical Society in Kenton http://www.hardincountyconnections.com/
• The Ohio Genealogical Society now in Bellville http://www.ogs.org/research/library.php

Cemeteries visited:

• Lee Cemetery in Dudley Twp., Hardin County, Ohio
• Green Valley Cemetery in Knox County, Ohio
• Hedding M.E. Cemetery in Morrow County, Ohio
• Goss Cemetery, Morenci, Lenawee County, Ohio
• Rice Cemetery, Milan, Monroe County, Michigan

We visited the courthouse and annex in Knox County and the staff was very helpful. 

In August 2011 I will be returning to these repositories, societies, cemeteries and doing a whole lot more.  I will travel to Portage County and to Washington County, Ohio as well.  I will start my trip in Columbus so I can visit the Ohio Historical Society and other archives.  Of course, I will return to the Ohio Genealogical Society.  I am getting excited!

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