John and Lydia (Goss) Spracklin Migrate to Knox Co., Ohio!

If you can’t use census you can try to see what the tax records tell you and study both comparing them.  Trying to find ancestors in early Ohio 1787 to 1840 is not easy.  I know because I have been studying Spracklin, Delano, Keller and other surnames to try and find family.

When did Lydia and John Spracklin migrate from Washington County, Ohio to Knox County, Ohio and settle on the land that her father Solomon Goss bequeath to his children?

During my trip to Ohio in August-September of 2011, I spent time at the Washington County Library Local History and Genealogy Annex where the genealogical library is located and staffed by volunteers of the Washington County Genealogical Society, who are members of the Ohio Genealogical Society.  These are great archives to visit and learn about for Ohio research.

Washing Co. Library Annex

They had original Treasurer’s duplicate journals for Washington County on a shelf under the window for access from 1810 to beyond 1836.

Treasurer’s  Duplicate Books

In these books were listings for taxes paid by Solomon Goss and his children. I did not have  a great deal of time so I did a rather poor job of photographing the pages of these books.

Much to my relief and saving me from my slovenly ways, the Family History Library, Familysearch.org has Ohio Tax Records for only a selected group of counties in Ohio:  Ashtabula, Belmont, Carroll, Columbiana, Guernsey, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Monroe, Trumbull, Washington (other), and Washington, Waterford Township.  They say they are about 17% complete.

An example of the Treasurer  Duplicate book pages

The photograph above is an example of the Treasurer’s Duplicates and the page is from the damaged book in between 1810 and 1825 in the picture of the books above. It is the brown looking item between these two larger books.

So I spent several hours studying what they had at Ancestry.com and online at Familysearch.org including the images.  Here are a few sources I used in preparation for my trip to Ohio in 2011, I am sure there are more.  (See Familysearch wiki on Ohio Taxation for more ideas – under Ohio Links on right side of this blog)

Sources:

1. “Early Ohio Tax Records,” compiled by Esther Weygandt Powers, Akron, Ohio 1971.  I found it at the Seattle Public Library.  Google Books has a copy but it doesn’t have all the pages for it is only a preview.  Fortunately it worked for me and the book is readily available to photocopy.

2. World Vital Records has this as well “Early Ohio Tax Record: Reprinted with The Index to Early Ohio Tax Records.”  If you have a subscription to this online archive go check it out.  It is possible that your local genealogical society has access for members.

3. If you try Ancestry.com you may find some of the tax lists mixed in with the early U.S. Federal Census because some did not survive for 1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, so they used them to fill in for the missing U.S. Census.  If you do not have a subscription see your local library for a card.

State Census Records by Ann S. Lainhart is a good source for what census, state, federal and territorial were done for a given state like Ohio.  Worldcat had 929 hits for all 6 editions and at least 6 in my area.

William Dollarhide has a two volume set of books on Census and how to find them.  Census Substitute & State Census Records…” Volume 1 – Eastern States and Volume 2 – Western States, 2008, with Foreword by Leland K. Meitzler.

4. The Ohio Historical Society has Tax duplicates from 1806-1810 and 1809-1814, 1816-1838 on film at the historical society. If you go to their home page scroll down and click on the Archives/Library.  I was there in 2011 and looked at several of those films.  FHL films are from the Ohio Historical Society.

Caution:  They are rather difficult to read and not well identified by the years so you must take your time and take notes and copy carefully.  I had to do it twice to make sure I was recording the years correctly.  The research I did was on Spracklin, Delano and Keller surnames.

http://collections.ohiohistory.org/starweb/l.skca-catalog/servlet.starweb

5. Familysearch.org has “Tax Records of Ohio, 1801-1814 a series of microfilm.  They also have “Index of the Ohio 1825 and 1835 Tax duplicate,” in book form compiled by Gerald M. Petty, 1981, FHL Book #977.1R42, there is an 1812 version on 5 films.

This is a copy of one of the Familysearch tax records and only a piece of it.

1816 Portion of the tax record page showing the Goss Family

Here is the study I did this week trying to learn more about the movements of the Goss family.

Bon’s Census and Tax List Study of Solomon Goss, his children:  Elizabeth, Noah, Mary, Solomon Jr., Daniel, Levi, Lydia 1800 to 1832.  Please be aware that I did my best to be accurate.  I might have made a few mistakes it was tedious to do.

Year	Location	Source	Description	Detail of names
1800 U.S. Federal Census	Marietta Twp., Washington Co., Ohio	1800 U.S. Census at Ancestry.com – NARA	Number of male inhabitants age of 21. This is a name list	Solomon Goss
1801	Adams Twp., Wash Co., Ohio	Ohio Tax Records 1800-1850 Familysearch.org	DF #4022412 Image#00026 GS Film#945761	Solomon Goss
1802	Meritown Twp., Wash Co. Ohio	Ohio Tax Records 1800-1850 Familysearch.org	DF #4022412 Image#00066 GS Film#945761	Solomon Goss
1803 – August,	Washington Co., Ohio	US Territorial Census Wash Co., Ohio 1790-1890 – NARA Roll M1804, Roll 1 Ancestry.com	Hard to read list of male inhabitants and nothing else	Solomon Goss
1809	Fearing Twp., Washington Co.,	Ohio Census 1790-1890 Ancestry.com	Tax List	Solomon Goss
1810	No. Twp. Listed Wash Co., Ohio	Ohio Census 1790-1890 Ancestry.com	Tax List No US Census for Ohio	Solomon Goss
1816	Big Run, Fearing, Wash Co., and Knox Co., Ohio	Ohio Tax Records 1800-1850 Familysearch.org	DF#4021667 Image#00058 GS Film #522501	Daniel (Belpre), Solomon SR (Fearing), Noah, Levi, Mary, Lydia, (Knox)

Here is the  1816 Tax Record.  Go to the chart above for the source information.  Solomon is the only one on Duck Creek while the children are all taxes for Knox Co., land.

Daniel Goss, Belpre, 
Acres in original tract: 4000
No. of Lot: 2
Luxury or Allotment: U.S. Military Lands
Situated R, T, S: 14, 6, 2
Quarter
City of: 100
Part or Corner Taxed: Undivided part of 450 acres N.E. corner
County: Knox
Original proprietors: Zaccheus Biggs
Tax D, O: 1, 50

Solomon Goss
Acres in original tract: 100
No. of Lot: 82
Luxury or Allotment: Duck Creek
Situated R, T, S: 8, 3, 18
Quarter
City of: 100
Part or Comer Taxed: 
County: Washington 
Original proprietors: Moses Williamson
Tax D, O : 1, 50

For Noah Goss, Levi Goss, Mary Goss, Lydia Goss
Acres in original tract: 4000
No. of Lot: 2
Luxury or Allotment: U.S. Military Lands
Situated R, T, S: 14, 6, 2
Quarter
City of: 100 acres for Noah, and Levi, 50 acres for Mary and Lydia
Part or Corner Taxed: Undivided part of 450 acres N.E. corner
County: Knox
Original proprietors: Zacheus Biggs
Tax D, O: 1, 50 for Noah and Levi only O 75 for Mary and Lydia

My study continues:

1817	Belpre Twp, Fearing, Wash Co. and Knox Co., Ohio	Ohio Tax Records 1800-1850 Familysearch.org	DF#4021667 Image#00195 GS Film #522501	Solomon SR (Fearing), Noah, Levi, Mary, Lydia, (Knox)Daniel Gofs, Belpre
1818	Unknown, Wash Co., Ohio County Land	Ohio Tax Records 1800-1850 Familysearch.org	DF#4021667 Image#00334 GS Film #522501	Solomon SR (Fearing), Levi, Mary, Lydia, (Knox)Daniel Goss
1819	Duck Creek, Wash. Co. County Land	Ohio Tax Records 1800-1850 Familysearch.org	DF#4021667 Image#00475 GS Film #522501	Solomon SR (Fearing), Levi, Mary, Lydia, (Knox)
1820 U.S. Census	Fearing, Wash Co., Ohio	U.S. Federal Census Aug 7, 1820 Ancestry.com	NARA Film M33_95, Image 233	See Below – Soloman Goss

The 1817 and 1818 Tax Records are almost exactly identical to the 1816 except in 1818 Noah disappears. So I skip to the 1819 Tax Record. Noah is gone from the 1819 record as well.

See my post dated November 15, 2011 – Noah Goss, A Mystery! I talk about the deeds of his acquiring the land in Knox Co., Ohio from his father and the sale which was about two month apart.

Solomon Goss
Acres in original tract: 100
No. of Lot: 82
Luxury or Allotment: Duck Creek
Situated R, T, S: 8, 3, 18
Quarter
City of: 100
Part or Corner Taxed:
County: Washington
Original proprietors: Moses Williamson
Tax D, O : 1, 50

For Levi Goss, Mary Goss, Lydia Goss (Noah is no longer listed and Daniel Goss does not appear till 1821 in the Belpre documents).
Acres in original tract: 4000
No. of Lot: 2
Luxury or Allotment: U.S. Military Lands
Situated R, T, S: 14, 6, 2
Quarter
City of: 100 acres for Noah, and Levi, 50 acres for Mary and Lydia
Part or Corner Taxed: Undivided part of 450 acres N.E. corner
County: Knox
Original proprietors: Zacheus Biggs
Tax D, O: 1, 50 for Noah and Levi only O 75 for Mary and Lydia

 Let’s take a look at the 1820 U.S. Census for Washington Co., Ohio

1820 US Federal  Census August 7, 1820  Soloman Goss

NOTE:  Elizabeth is married to Andrew Lake so she is not at home, Noah is about 38 years old, Mary is about 35 years old, Solomon Goss (Jr)  inherits the land in Fearing and married in 1812 to Polly Devol, Daniel lives in Belpre and is married to Lydia in 1813, Levi Goss is in New York or Ontario, Canada.  He was in the War of 1812.  He is about 27 years old.  See my posts about these children of Solomon Goss.

My notes:  The male sections are not as detailed as the females so it makes it hard to figure out who they might be.  Here I try seeing who might fit the numbers.  What do you think?

Free White Persons

Males 16 thru 25: 1 – John Spracklin 24 years old

Males 45 and over:  1 – Solomon himself?

Females under 10: 1

Females 16 to 25: 2 –  Lydia is 24 years old, who is the 2nd female?

Females 26 thru 44: 1 – Mary is 35 years old

Females 45 and over: 1  Olive Scott Goss – maybe, I think she had died before 1810 because she is not in Solomon’s will nor in the deeds records for the land in Knox Co. that he gives to his children.  So who could this be?

Foreigners not Naturalized:  1 – John Spracklin

Engaged in Agriculture: 2

Under 16: 1

Over 25: 3

Total Free White persons: 7

Total White, Slaves, Colored: 7

Maybe that is John Spracklin the one who is not Naturalized and that is why we don’t find him in the 1820 Census?

1821 Additional years: 1821,1822, 1823, 1824, 1825, 1826, 1827, 1828, 1829, 1830, 1831, 1832, 1833, 1834, 1835, 1836, 1838, 1840, 1842, 1843 1844, 1845, 1846, 1847, 1848, 1849, 1850	Belpre, Wash Co., Ohio	Ohio Tax Records 1800-1850 Familysearch.org	DF#4021667Image #00620GS Film #522501	Daniel Goss Belpre with new lands in Belpre
1821	E. Side, Wash Co., Ohio	Ohio Tax Records 1800-1850 Familysearch.org	DF#4021667Image #00621GS Film #522501	Solomon Goss
1822	Unknown, Wash Co., Ohio County Land	Ohio Tax Records 1800-1850 Familysearch.org	DF#4021668Image#00065GS Film #522502	Solomon Goss
1823	Unknown, Wash Co., Ohio County Land	Ohio Tax Records 1800-1850 Familysearch.org	DF#4021668Image #00220GS Film #522502	Solomon Goss SR and Daniel Goss
1824	Unknown Wash Co., Ohio	Ohio Tax Records 1800-1850 Familysearch.org	DF#4021668Image #00383GS Film #522502	Solomon Goss SR and Daniel Goss
1825	Unknown, Wash Co., Ohio	Ohio Tax Records 1800-1850 Familysearch.org	DF#4021668Image #00550GS Film #522502	Solomon Goss SR and Daniel Goss

The rest of the children disappear after the 1820 U.S. Census and Daniel Goss continues through many years and eventually we see that Daniel moves to Belpre and is no longer listed with the Knox Co., lands.  Each of the children:  Elizabeth, Noah, Mary, Daniel, Levi sell their lands to someone else or a family member.  Lydia is the only one that keeps her 50 acres of the Knox Co. lands.

I have written posts on each of these children and I refer you to them for further details, see the Categories on the right side of this blog under SURNAMES – Goss, under Solomon Goss and you will find his children.

Here is the 1821 Tax Record for Washington Co., Ohio, Solomon is listed alone on the page.

E. Side, Washington, Ohio County Land,
Solomon Goss Duck Creek
Acres in the lot: 100
No. of Lot: 82
Situated R, T, S: 8, 3
Quantity&Rate 3: 100
Part or Allotment: 100 Duck Creek
Original Proprietors: Moses Williamson
State Tax: .50 cents
Road Tax: .25 cents
Total 75
Delinq
Remarks:

Daniel and Solomon appear on the same page but their land descriptions are very different for the 1824 Tax Record:

County Land,
Daniel Goss, Belpre,
Acres in the lot: 101 79/100
No. of Lot: 48
Situated R, T, S: 10, 1, 19.20
Quantity&Rate 3: 4
Part or Allotment:
Original proprietors: A. Coburn (Is this Asa Coburn his brother Solomon Goss (Jr.) with Polly’s family?
State Tax: 22
Road Tax: 1
Total 3 2
Delinq
Remarks:

Solomon Goss
Acres in the lot: 100
No. of Lot: 82
Situated R, T, S: 8, 3
Quantity&Rate 3: 100
Part or Allotment: 100 Duck Creek
Original Proprietors: M. Williamson
State Tax: .56
Road Tax: .25 cents
Total .81
Delinq

1826 (2)	Fearing Twp., Wash Co., Ohio Personal Property	Ohio Tax Records 1800-1850 Familysearch.org	DF#4021679 Image #00103 & 00081 GS Film #534813	Solomon Goss Jr.
1827 (2)	Fearing Twp., Wash Co. Ohio,	Ohio Tax Records 1800-1850Familysearch.org	DF#4021679Image #00409 & 00430 GS Film #534813 Ref 66 & 84	Solomon Goss Jr.
1829	Fearing Twp., Wash Co., Ohio	Ohio Tax Records 1800-1850Familysearch.org	DF#4021669 Image#00070 GS Film: 522845	Solomon Goss Jr.
1830	Fearing Twp., Wash Co., Ohio	Ohio Tax Records 1800-1850Familysearch.org	DF#4021669 Image#00367 GS Film: #522845	Solomon Goss Jr.
1832	Fearing Twp., Wash Co., Ohio	Ohio Tax Records1800-1850Familysearch.org	DF#4021670 Image#00084 GS Film: #522846	Solomon Goss

In the above chart we see the shift taking place.  Solomon Goss dies in 1825 and his son Solomon Goss (Jr) moves onto the land in Fearing Twp., stays there till about 1832 and sells the land and moves to Hardin Co., Ohio.  Daniel and Elizabeth are the only children that stay behind in Washington Co., Ohio. I have written several posts about Solomon Goss (Jr) and his family.  See the categories to the right under Surnames – Goss.

 Tax record for 1826:

Solomon Goss Junior
Acres 100
Lot 82
R T Sec: 8, 3, 18
[Aoof] 100/80
Horses
Part or allotment D.Cr.
Original proprietor M. Williamson
State Tax 16.0
County Tax 40.0
Road Tax 4.0
Town Tax 24.0
Total 84.0
Remarks

It is going to be wonderful when all these Ohio tax records are indexed and the images uploaded.  I am looking forward to Morrow, Knox, Franklin and several other counties to review for these records. So go and check out the Familysearch Ohio Tax records, remember they are only 17% complete.

When I copied my census/tax study to this post it squished and moved things around.  Here is a PDF of my Census Tax Record Study all in one:  CensusTaxStudyWashCoOhioEarly1800s

 

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Berg Cemetery (Fearing Twp.)

When I visited Marietta in 2011 one of the side trips was to the Berg Cemetery.  This church was established November 30, 1846 so it is too late for my purposes.  The time frame I am interested in is 1800 to 1828.

Most of the published cemeteries in Fearing Twp. were established much later than our time frame so that is why I am digging so deep into just what was going on regarding burial at the time of Solomon’s death.  There are several possible scenarios like: was he moved to Marietta and buried there in one of the old cemeteries;  was he buried on his land in Fearing Twp. or in that area; or was he buried someplace else like in the Rainbow area where his daughter Elizabeth Goss Lake lived and died?

I believe it is much easier to go up Hwy 821 from Marietta and turn on the Nicholas Road till it comes to the Berg Church Road and then turning north to the Berg Church and Cemetery.  The way we came was from Whipple Run Road and we turned up Nichols Road which was very steep and rutted terribly.  This area is very hilly, with gravel roads that twist and turn a lot.

Looking back, not too bad the worst was before this area that you are seeing.

Find A Grave has pictures of the church from a distance and it makes it look like it is on flat land.  Well it is, but it is also on a hill.  Their listing has about 430 tombstones.

Berg Cemetery Plaque

There is an area off to the right with a ranch fence around it that houses some of the older stones.  There is also a section behind the church with a large grouping of tombstones.  It is very well-kept.

Older part of Berg Cemetery

Maria Fuch’s tombstone:

Maria Fuch’s Tombstone

Caroline F. Accus or maybe it is Flaccus and her broken stone. I hope I read that right.

Caroline Accus Tombstone

More stones in the older area:

Berg Cemetery more stones

The rows behind and on the side of the church and before the corn field:

Back of the Berg Church more stones

The Berg Church and more tombstones on the side off in the distance:

Berg Cemetery – more stones

The Berg Church:  http://www.siue.edu/~jandris/genealogy/html/berg.html  and more interesting information:

http://www.midohiovalleychurches.com/articles/oldchurches.html

The Berg Church & cemetery behind

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Mound Cemetery, Marietta, Washington Co., Ohio

Mound Cemetery Entrance Gate

To find the grave site of Solomon Goss and his wife Olive, his son David and the two babies of Solomon Goss, Jr, I studied the cemeteries of Marietta and its surroundings.

Map of Mound Cemetery – also one in the book

Mound Cemetery is one of the oldest.  Was it possible that they transported Solomon’s body to Mound Cemetery from Fearing Twp.?

I was not finding Solomon, nor Olive and their family in any of the Fearing Twp. Cemeteries so I decided to explore Marietta closely and learn about the history of the cemeteries in the area.  I was disappointed to find out that they did not keep records till about 1858 and older burying grounds were opened for development and the bodies were moved at various times to either Mound or Oak Grove.

An Overview of Mound Cemetery

There is a very excellent book that I have already mentioned in the last post.  I suggest that you get a copy of it if you can and read the chapters that are about the history of the area they do mention names of deceased in these pages other chapters including a very carefully prepared listing of the plots and graves in the last couple of chapters.   This book is at the Ohio Genealogical Society in Bellville, Allen County and probably in a major genealogical society or library near you.

 ”Mound Cemetery, Marietta, Ohio” by Owen Hawley.  This is an excellent book published in 1996 by the Washington County Historical Society.

Mound Cemetery, Marietta, Ohio

This book describes the really old cemeteries/burying grounds and what happened to them and the bodies – Here is the Table of Contents:

• Prologue:  Requiem
• East Marietta Burial Sites Before Mound Cemetery

a. Emerson Hill (Old Burying Grounds) “The earliest cemetery was east of the Muskingum in Marietta was the “Ten Acres lying between City Square number thirty-three and the tree acre Lots…which is to be kept as a burying ground forecver (Archer Butler Hulbert, Records of the Ohio Company, Marietta, 1917, II 208) This covers City Square 33 which is the entire block bordered by Sixth, Seventh, Tupper and Wooster streets….Location of this earliest burial ground appears on the “Plan of the Town of Marietta” signed by Rufus Putnam, Superintendent of the Ohio Company’s Surveys, 20 April 1802. ” Names are listed that were buried there but no Solomon Goss. page 5. “…26 others whose remains were exhumed in 1871 and reinterred in the Pioneer Lot in Sect. 19 Oak Grove Cemetery.”  Only two could be identified positively.

“The hill-hugging Pioneer Lot in Sect. 19 in Oak Gove Cemetery is marked by a white monument bearing only the legend “To the Memory of the Unknown Pioneers who Rest Here.  This stone is erected by the Washington Co. Pioneers Association, A.D. 1875.  Names pass away but deeds live on.” In front of this onument are two bronze DAR and SAR gravemarkers for James Michell Varnum…Englehard Hopper.”

Note: The Washington Co. Pioneers Association is defunct and is now the Washington Co. Historical Society.

b. Warren Street at Third Street “This burial ground was opposite City square 11…only one Warren Street burial was recorded: that of Brig. Gen Benjamin Tupper…remains were removed to Mound cemetery.

c. Wooster Street at Third Street…the site of another early East Marietta cemetery.”  It is unclear as to whether the burials were removed to Mound Cemetery?

• Burial Records and Reading of Mound Cemetery
  • “Strange as it may seem, with certain exceptions, Marietta did not always keep a careful record of where it planted its dead.  This is true even of Mound Cemetery for a  considerable part of the 19th century…Rufus Putnam to whom that land had been leased in March 1791 gave the Square to the town for use as  a public burying ground.  It was not, however, until 3 May 1803 that trustees of the Ministerial Land officially set aside a portion of Mound Square as a burial ground; since the ground lay within Section 29 (Ministerial Land), only its trustees could make such official designation.”

“Although no written record of interments was kept before August 1858 it is possible to determine that by May 1803 there and been four burials in Mound…”

It goes on for pages about the history of the Mound Cemetery.

• Marietta’s Ancient Earthworks
  

  The Mound in Mound Cemetery

• Cemetery Fence, Gate and DAR Memorial Plot
• The Receiving Tomb (Ward Stone Vault)
• Tombstones, Stonecutters and Gravestone Designs
• African Americans in Mound Cemetery
• Other Happenings in Mound Cemetery
• Funerals, Funerary Customs and Memorial Verse
  • “…The burial of one early Mound Cemetery couple attests to this.  Caleb Thorniley Sr. died 26 August 1807; his wife Mary (Alcock) Thorniley died within 48 hours on 27 August 1807.  John Holt, Joseph Lincoln and Nathaniel Saltonstall also died during this time.  Writing to his brother Dudley Woodbridge Jr. from Marietta on 5 September 1807, William Woodbridge began: “I am sorry the truth will warrant me in saying that our little town has been and continues to be unhealthy, not withstanding its well merited character of healthiness, a fever has raged among us almost as fatal as the yellow fever. Majr. Lincoln is dead & his wife is at the point of death.  Nott is dead.  Old Thorniley & his wife are dead…There is scarcely a family at the point up and down the Ohio for many miles which has not one or more sick in it.”
  • Conditions during the summer epidemic of 1822-1823…were even more grisly than they had been in the epidemic of 1807.  Since the mortality rate was higher, an even larger number of people were given unceremonious burials. ”
    • There is much more description in this chapter than I have written here.  I was interested in the epidemics.
• Abbreviations, Symbols and Sources
• Burials and Plot Owners – lists in detail the burials they know about and other research done like newspapers
• Index to Buried Names – a quick index to the names throughout the book
• Epiloque: Passage from Shakespeare

Mound Cemetery’s Dedication to the Pioneers of the area.

The  plaque below reads: To the Memory of the Soldiers of the American Revolution buried in Washington County, Ohio Whose Graves are Unknown, erected by the Marietta Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution 1927.  In front of this memorial are rows and rows of the DAR emblem with the names of some of the soldiers on them.  No Solomon Goss was listed.   On my visit I did not go to the DAR house which, I believe, was across the street from the Oak Grove Cemetery.

The DAR Plaque for the Revolutionary War Soldiers

Abraham Whipple’s Monument

Ebenezer Sproat’s Tombstone

On my trip to Massachusetts in the Spring of 2011, I took a drive up to the home of Rufus Putnam’s when he was living in North Brookfield.  In my post dated April 13, 2011 “Monday, April 11, 2011: The Brookfields, At Last.”  This was described in my blog about my trip to Massachusetts and Connecticut in 2011.  I wrote about this visit to Horseshoe Lake.  You will have to scroll to just after the North Brookfield Library to find the part about Rufus Putnam. http://massmeanderings.blogspot.com/

You cannot study the history of Marietta without seeing or hearing about Rufus.  I even visited the Campus Martius and toured his house.  I believe he knew my Goss family.  See the post dated September 13, 2011 “Marietta and Washington County – A Dream Come True!” written for this blog where I discuss visiting Rufus’ house in Marietta.

The tombstone of Rufus Putnam a very important man in the history of Marietta and more

This is a very interesting cemetery and well worth exploring:  Find A Grave has this cemetery listed but I do not know if they have all the tombstones included so you might want to consult the book above and also talk to the cemetery office.

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In search of the final resting place of Solomon Goss & Olive (Scott) Goss

Now that I have shared my findings regarding Solomon Goss’es will, I would like to share about my search for the final resting place of Solomon, Olive and David and Solomon Goss Jr’s two babies, while visiting the area of Marietta in September 2011.

Sadly, I was not successful in locating their graves.  I did give it a very good try.  Finding them with their stones would answer a lot of questions.  Here is what I did.

1.  I personally visited as many cemeteries as I could during the time I had. I noted their establishment dates like Rainbow, Harmar, Mound, Oak Grove, Berg, Rockland, and Waterford. Mound and Oak Grove are in the town of Marietta and they have monuments to the early pioneers. They also have DAR and SAR memorial plaques and flags:

Blog Posts about various cemeteries I visited:

1. Marietta and Washington County – A Dream Come True!, dated Sept. 13, 2011.  This post featured a little about Mound and Oak Grove and mentions my visits to Rainbow, Watertown, Rockland and Harmar.

http://sgossfamily.wordpress.com/2011/09/13/marietta-and-washington-county-a-dream-come-true/

2. Rainbow Cemetery was featured in the post The Lakes: Rainbow Cemetery, Washington County, Ohio, dated October 31, 2011:

http://sgossfamily.wordpress.com/2011/10/31/the-lakes-rainbow-cemetery-washington-co-ohio/

3. The Family of Daniel Goss and Lydia Ackley Goss, April 9, 2012 features Rockland Cemetery in Belpre.

http://sgossfamily.wordpress.com/2012/04/09/the-family-of-daniel-goss-and-lydia-ackley-goss/

I will present more of my photographs from my cemetery tour of Washington County in the next posts:  Mound, Oak Grove, Harmar, Berg, and Watertown.

2.  I studied as many of the published cemetery books for Washington County, Ohio, targeting the Marietta area and the Fearing Township area. The farther back a cemetery was recorded the better.  Some of these publications  are with the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.  I made an Excel spreadsheet as I studied the FHL records to keep track of my progress.  You will find that here in the form of a PDF:  SolomonGossCemSearch.  Some involved searching the newsletters of the genealogical and historical society for publications of the cemeteries in Washington County.  These publications cover established cemeteries not private ones.  I did not have time.

The Tallow Light is featured in the PDF – SolomonGossCemSearch.  It is the main publication of the Washington County Historical Society.

3. On my visit to Marietta, I visited the Washington County Public Library Genealogical and Historical Annex and searched their records, publications, maps and articles including the Jerry Devol collection. Mr. Devol has passed but he did leave his genealogical research which includes a lot of his cemetery research.  The volunteer at the annex, Lila Hill, is very knowledgeable and helpful and a member of the Washington Co. Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society.  Here is their website:  http://www.washogs.org/index.html

4.  I worked with Jean Yost, President of the Sons of the American Revolution Marietta Chapter who was very helpful.  They had a listing on their website of soldiers of the American Revolution from the area and Solomon Goss was included under their “Spirit of ’76 Patriots.”  http://mariettasar.com/spirit76.htm  Of course, there is more information and names at their website and it is definitely worth studying.

5. Mr. Yost gave me the name of the current owner of Solomon’s land in Fearing Twp. We both personally visited the land and met the owner. I do not publish the owners name out of respect for his privacy but I am willing to share if you contact me or leave a comment.

The current owner of Solomon Goss’es land told me he had never found nor located any burials on his property.  I took his word.  He further stated that he had lived there all his life and his parents had been there for a good 80 years.  He mentioned that there were other burials sites on farms near him. The area is very hilly and the roads are gravel.  They are very rough, very steep and have deep ruts.  My husband was brave in our rental car and drove up a steep hill with huge ruts to the Berg Cemetery which is on top of a big hill.  We did venture up to one area east of Solomon’s land which placed us on a ridge.  Again we climbed steep hills with gravel roads to get there.  My husband knocked on a door but no one was home. The farm was filled with lots of equipment, buildings, houses, junk and overgrown grass.  It was not a good idea to explore their land because we did not have permission and that would be trespassing.  So we decided to back off.  Much to my sadness, I was told that some of the farmers had plowed over burials.

6.  I studied online versions of cemetery lists for Washington County.

a.  Find A Grave is a good place to start.  They have Rainbow, Berg, Watertown, Harmar, Mound, Oak Grove, Oak Grove, Rockland and many more. I did not visit the Stanleyville Cemetery in Fearing Township but you will find it on Find A Grave. Caution:  Online listings are not always complete so check a publication as well or search out other alternatives.

b. The Washington County Cemetery Index was very helpful:  http://wchs-ohio.org/cem_index.htm  It gives a listing of the cemeteries and townships they are in and it also has a surname index.  There are no Goss listings.

c. Cemeteries in Fearing Twp are:

• Berg Church 1st Protestant 1846,
• Berg Old
• Saint Jacobs,
• Chapman
• Cherry
• St. Jacobs
• Flanders 1874,
• Gerkin,
• August Spindler Farm/Hobby Farm (Goldsmith) 1822,
• Lynch Church 1842,
• Miller
• Minor
• Mt. Ephraim,
• St. Jacob Church,
• Stanleyville 1806,
• Zimmer Family (Tuttle Family) 1817.

As you can see I was having trouble finding establishment dates for these cemeteries. I did not find any Goss names in any of these cemeteries.

In evaluating these cemeteries in my search I had to consider the religious affiliation (Protestant, Catholic, German etc.) as well.  See my  SolomonGossCemSearch PDF listed in #2 above for more detail.

The Washington Co. Public Library Annex has Cemetery readings for all except Gerkin, Cherry, and Miller.

7.  I called several historical societies like the one in Belpre for the Rockland Cemetery to find out where the grave of Daniel Goss was located and was informed they were updating their cemetery book.  I tried the Marietta Cemetery department but struck out.

8.  I was told by the President of the Washington County Historical Society that Marietta used to be a big shipping port and the ships would come in and the disease they brought would race up the Muskingum River valley wiping out many people.  They would bury people quickly and fast back in those days.  Did Olive and David get caught in one of these epidemics?

9.  There were floods on the Ohio and Muskingum River that destroyed graves.  Harmar Cemetery suffered greatly which is one of the oldest.

Solomon died in 1825.  Olive his wife and David his son probably died earlier before 1810 so those events took place 187 years ago.  See my previous post regarding Solomon’s will and my conclusions about the deaths of Olive and David.  I have seen how quickly a cemetery can be overcome with fallen and broken stones and the elements.

10.  The town government did not keep records of the cemeteries in the early years and many were moved as progress came.

The book “Mound Cemetery, Marietta, Ohio” by Owen Hawley is an excellent book published in 1996 by the Washington County Historical Society.  This book gives the history of the cemeteries in Marietta. I will share some of it in the post on the Mound Cemetery in following posts.

“Pioneer Cemeteries of Washington County,”  compiled by Mrs. C.R. Sloan.  ”Washington County (Ohio) Cemeteries 1789-1940,” by Mrs. Helen Hill Sloan, 1964.

Burials in Harmar Cemetery, Marietta, Ohio, Washington Co. Historical Society, April 1977

Oak Grove Cemetery, Marietta, Ohio Burials 1860-1920, by the Washington County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society

11.  The area around Rainbow was once a thriving community and it is possible that Solomon, Olive and David and Solomon Goss Jr’s two babies are buried in that area of Washington County, north and west of Marietta and west of Fearing Twp.  I personally visited Rainbow Cemetery.   I have posted about that cemetery.  See number #1 above for the link to the post I wrote on Rainbow.

12.  I have researched Solomon and Olive’s children trying to see if any information would shed light on the burial of their parents.  I have asked of descendants and cousins if they have any ideas or knowledge of the burials.

13.  Early vital records in Washington County were consulted.  Marriage is more widely published and death is very difficult to find before about 1867.

14.  I consulted the newspaper clipping files of the Washington County Historical Society and all I found was the estate notice that I have published in several posts in this blog regarding the Solomon Goss estate.  Here is a listing of Marietta newspapers I found in a Tallow Light publication.  As you read this list you see that there is a gap of missing issues right in the 1825 time period when Solomon died.

Marietta Newspapers and the years.

15.  I tried to find Obadiah Scott Jr’s resting place. He was Olive Scott Goss’es brother.  He is said to have been buried in the Waterford Cemetery/Round Bottom.  So we visited that cemetery but did not find any tombstone showing his burial. A Tallow Light publication did list him in the Waterford Landing Cemetery (Waterford Cemetery) on pg. 48 third from the bottom “Scott, Obadiah died 30 Nov. 1827 in 57th y.”

16.  I did find a listing for Wine Rood and Anne Andrews Rood and the Rood family in the Mound Cemetery in Marietta.  The Mound Cemetery book mentioned in #10 above has some good information about them.  Unfortunately when I visited the Mound Cemetery and searched out were they were buried I found no tombstones and that verifies what the Mound Cemetery book states. They are buried left of Rufus Putnam’s tombstone monument in the back north corner. Anne Andrews Rood is the sister of Elizabeth “Betty” Andrews Spracklin. I will talk about what I know about the Rood family in a future post.

In summary, I was traveling in an unfamiliar area with little time, so I had to target specific cemeteries and records.  I  feel that if the descendants of Solomon and Olive were to do more searching, it would require cultivating friendly connections to seek out further possibilities.  I did meet a lot of people while visiting Marietta and hopefully these contacts will remember me and something might turn up.

So Solomon, Olive, David and the two babies of Solomon Goss Jr. remain missing and I continue to dig into other records to learn about more them.

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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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What Happened to David Goss?

My trip to Ontario and Quebec came to a close and I was busy getting caught up with that project. It was a big challenge. 

 

Sunset on the Ohio River 2011

 

It is time to resume posting about the children of Solomon Goss and Olive Scott Goss.  I left off with Daniel Goss and after him comes Levi and Lydia with David being the youngest child. 

David is a puzzle.  Sigh!

David and Daniel have been confused in abstracted published works. I have posted about Daniel Goss in these two posts:

Daniel Goss a Man of Conviction, Belpre, Ohio! Dated March 26, 2012 http://sgossfamily.wordpress.com/2012/03/26/daniel-goss-a-man-of-onviction-belpre-ohio/

and The Family of Daniel Goss and Lydia (Ackley) Goss dated April 9, 2012:  http://sgossfamily.wordpress.com/2012/04/09/the-family-of-daniel-goss-and-lydia-ackley-goss/

David would have been the youngest son of Solomon Goss and Olive (Scott) Goss.  David Goss was born 15 January 1799 in Washington County, Ohio.  

There is no formal birth record on this child. I have tried to find it in the Washington County records.  It may be found in church records if they exist.  The problem is figuring out exactly where his father was living at the time.

Elizabeth Goss the older sister married Andrew Lake on May 17, 1798 in Washington County, Ohio so this means that Solomon Goss had migrated and settled there by that time.

David must have died early 1810 or before 1810 because he is not mentioned in his father Solomon Goss’ will which is dated the 26th day of March 1810. 

There are no deeds prepared by Solomon Goss the father with the name David written in them.  This is regarding the land in Knox County that Solomon Goss deeded to his children in 1815.

In past posts I have shown that the other siblings Elizabeth, Noah, Mary, Daniel did have deeds by Solomon the father very clearly stating the child and their relationship to him except for Solomon Goss (Jr.) who inherited the land in Fearing Twp., Washington Co., Ohio. Levi and Lydia received land as well.  I will discuss the will and the land holdings of Solomon Goss in future posts.   

The census for Ohio is all but destroyed for the earlier years so it makes it difficult to even get a statistic for Solomon’s family.  Tax lists are wonderful sources but they only give detail about the owner and their property unless you get lucky and a note is written in the margins. 

According to the book:  State Census Records by Ann S. Lainhart Ohio did not have any state census.  She writes:

“Ohio did not take any state censuses, but starting in 1803 a census of eligible voters (Quadrennial Enumerations) was taken every four years as required by the first Ohio Constitution.  At that time the only eligible voters in Ohio were free white males age 21 and older…They list the head of household and either the number or names of other eligible voters in the household.  There was also an earlier 1800 territorial census which preceded statehood and listed the names of eligible voters under the names of the heads of households in which they lived…

Unfortunately, few of Ohio’s quadrennial enumerations have been found…The records that do exist are not housed in one archive.  Most are distributed among the Ohio “Network of American History Research Centers” created in 1970.”

Solomon Goss in the early years of Washington County as found on Ancestry under census.

• 1800 U.S. Census – No results for Solomon Goss in Ohio
• 1800 Tax List for Washington County – Solomon Goss in Marietta Twp.
• 1803 State or Colonial Census for Washington County, Solomon Goss in Adams Twp.
• 1809 Tax List for Washington County, Solomon Goss, Fearing Twp.
• 1810 U.S. Census is transcribed at this link but it gives no details.

 http://www.usgwcensus.org/cenfiles/oh/washington/1810/index/index01.txt

This link is to Family Search had their index of Ohio Tax Records:  https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/show#uri=http://hr-search-api:8080/searchapi/search/collection/1473259

At this point, I have not looked at the actual tax lists and or territorial census for Washington County in 1800.  Remember Washington County was much bigger back then.  I am reconsidering that choice.

Again I turn to Flora Montanye Osborn as the only source for this child’s existence. She must have had a bible or learned of these births through her family connections.  Her father was Levi Goss a brother and I will discuss him in future posts and also more about Flora and her manuscripts and articles.

When I visited Marietta this past year in August and September of 2011 one of my goals was to try to figure out where David, Olive and Solomon Goss the father are all buried.  I will devote several posts to this topic; so far I have not been able to find them? 

So I am very frustrated regarding David and his fate. 

The President of the Washington County Historical Society told me that Marietta had been a shipping port at one time and the ships would dock and bring disease that would make its way up the Muskingum River without mercy.  Did David get caught in one of these outbursts? Did Olive Scott Goss, his mother?

What happened to David Goss? 

If you know or have any information on Dave please contact me.  See the About page for contact information, or leave a comment.

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Solomon Goss, a restless son: From Ohio to Iowa!

Let us study the migration of Solomon Goss (Jr.) from Ohio to Iowa. 

Why he decided to leave Washington County, Ohio I do not know.  The land of his father’s was in a hilly area and the land in Hardin was much flatter and it was probably much easier to farm.  I have seen and walked both areas (Hardin and Washington Co.) in my travels this past year of 2011, so I know the difference in the land is marked. 

Daniel his brother was living in Belpre which is 12 miles south of Marietta.   Elizabeth (Goss) Lake was living in Rainbow 12 miles to the west across the Muskingum River.  Noah was living in Knox County but he died in 1833. Levi was in Kent County, Ontario, Canada.  Lydia was in Knox County, Ohio with her family.  They were busy with their families.  It is fun to speculate!

In 1810 Solomon Goss was made the Executor of his father Solomon Goss Senior’s will.  In 1828 he followed through with this duty.  The only document that is listed in the index for the estate of Solomon Goss is the will.  Usually there are other documents like the appointment of an administrator, appraisement of personal possessions,  inventory, bonds, sale of inventory, settlements and more.  Why there is so little on this estate file is puzzling to me. 

Probate Index, Washington Co., Ohio

The son, Solomon is still in Washington County, Ohio in Fearing Township according to the 1830 U.S. Federal Census.  This census is statistical but it does shown him as head of household.   My last post dated January 5, 2012 covers this census.  It is titled  “The Family of Solomon and Polly Goss!”

Executor Notice!

I tried to find an obituary notice on Solomon Goss Senior instead I found this executor notice from the newspapers.  It was in the obituary binders of the Washington County Historical Society in Marietta.  They have alphabetical books filled with obituaries and it is a lot easier to find things than slogging through a newspaper.  See the link to the right to the historical society.  I am now a member and was very impressed with their dedication and enjoyed my visit in September of 2012. They are well worth a visit. 

The will of Solomon Goss Senior bequeathed to the son Solomon the land in Fearing Township, Washington County, Ohio and the son lives there till around 1832 when he sells it on April 4, 1832 to John Ludham (Leedham).  

In a  future post I will features this deed in more depth for it is truly wonderful and fits in more with the will and land of the father.  You can view this deed at the source below or contact the Register of Deeds at the courthouse in Marietta.

Source:  Washington County, Ohio Deeds, Vol. 22, pg. 324 FHL#941411. 

Once the land was sold, Solomon Goss (Jr.)  heads north to Hardin County, Ohio and settles on Section 10.

 “Solomon Goss settled on land now owned by Mrs. Nancy McLain, in Section 10, about 1831 or 1832, and after residing here about ten years he moved to Iowa. Mr. Goss was a man of character and integrity, of firm and established religious principles, and one of the organizers of the Pisgah Methodist Episcopal Church.” pg. 602

“Pisgah Episcopal Church – …The first class of this society consisted of Solomon Goss and wife, Uriah Williams, Mary Williams, …..etc.” pg. 611

Source:  History of Hardin County, Ohio pg. 602 and 611, Chicago, Warner & Beers & Co., 1883. 

Historic Map Works has an amazing collection of Atlases for many states and counties that you can view.  The 1879 shows where Nancy McLain’s and Alfred Spracklin’s land is located.  He was one of Peter Spracklins sons.  Peter died in 1845.

Solomon Goss appears on various tax lists and records in Hardin County, Ohio.  By 1839 Wesley, his son, appears as well!

1833 Tax Record, Congress District, Blanchard Twp., Chattle Property, Goss, Solomon.

1839 Wesley and Solomon Goss are listed again under Dudley Twp. Chattle List Wesley has 2 horses and 3 cattle while Solomon has 1 horse and 6 cattle.  A note on the tax document states that Wesley had gone to Iowa.

1840 only Solomon is listed under Congress Lands in Dudley R12 T5 S10 and 9 and he has paid.

In 1841 Solomon Goss is listed again under Dudley Twp. Congress Land same land description. 

Source:  Duplicate Tax Records 1821-1850, Hardin Co., Ohio, V. 584, 590, 1821-1833 FHL#506598, and  1838-1842 FHL#945852.

A patent is issued to Solomon Goss on 16 September 1834 for land in Hardin County.

Bucyrus was the land office – #6276 ASN OH 0840__.150, 40 acres. SWSE 3/ Section 5-N Twp. 12 E, Fract Section No, Meridian 1st PM. State of Oh, County of  Hardin, Issue date September 16, 1834. 

Source:  BML – Bureau of Land Management Website see link on right of this blog under Favorite Links – US where you can get  copy of this patent and more.

Actually, Solomon’s land in Hardin County was not that far from Peter Spracklin’s.  See the posted dated August 24, 2011 “Hardin County – Kenton, Ohio,” for the location and photos of Peter Spracklin’s land and Solomon Goss’s.  Please realize that the photographs are approximations of where the lands are located! 

Goss, Solomon Jr. R/12E/T58(S)/S3 Vol: U.S. Lands 18 Ranges North & South Vol 3, pg. 297 (Dec 21, 1837)

also R12E/T58(S)/S10 Vol: US Lands 18 Ranges North & South Vol 3, pg. 299 (Aug. 28, 1837)

Source:  Tract Books and Index for U.S. lands in Ohio but not including Virginia Military Dist., Connecticut Western Res., Fire Lands and Symmes Purchase, FHL#1992829 Index, FHL#196230 V3 Ranges 9-15.

While visiting  the Hardin County Genealogical Society in August of 2007, my cousin found in the stacks an account book from a store which lists the purchases made by customers for supplies.  Here I feature Solomon Goss and his son Wesley.  [Gofs is the written version of Goss using the long S.]

Pg. 94, Tuesday April 14, 1840 Solomon Gofs - 3 yrds Linen - 84 cents.

Pg. 109, Tuesday April 28th, 1840 Solomon Gofs – Ball and [ ] for $5.67.

Pg. 378 Saturday Nov. 14, 1840 Solomon Gofs bought indigo and tea for $1.00.

Pg. 504 Monday Feb. 22, 1841 Solomon Gofs bought for his daughter dishes and more for $4.03.  Below him there might be a Daniel Goss buying combs for 22 cents. 

Source:  Merriam & Carey Day Book, circa 1840, Hardin County Genealogical Society, Kenton, Ohio.

Solomon Goss (Jr.) and Polly are still in Hardin County, Ohio in the census for 1840 which again is statistical.  So this means he left Hardin County sometime after 1841 and was in Henry Co., Iowa by 1850.   In the previous post dated January 5, 2012 “The Family of Solomon and Polly Goss,”  I feature the 1830, 1840 and 1850 census for Solomon toward the end of the post.

******

Additional Notes:  If you seek out the will or any probate/estate files for Solomon Goss Senior you will only find the court clerk’s copy of the will.  The original was removed by some unknown person and never returned back in 1992.  I learned this on my trip to Marietta  in  September of 2011.   This was a terrible disappointment to me.  I was looking forward to seeing it. 

Some of the records of the county are housed at the Washington County Historical Society (WCHS), see the link to the right.  The WCHS is doing everything they can to preserve these records.  Please don’t take these precious documents, leave them for others to enjoy!!!

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Welcome!

Welcome to this blog about my 4th great-grandfather Solomon Goss. 

Solomon was born near Granville, Massachusetts on June 16, 1754.  He died in Fearing Township, Washington County, Ohio on July 1, 1825.  This blog will cover his ancestors and his descendants.

Granville Town Circle and Public Library 2011

I have been studying and researching Solomon his descendants and ancestors for over 12 years.  That may not seem like a lot, but I have worked on this almost every day during that 10 years.  I left my job at the end of 2000 and recently officially retired.  It has been an intense 12 years.

As you known genealogy is a never-ending quest and one is never done.  You finally find that one clue and it answers some questions and then opens up a whole set of new ones.  So I will do my best to share what I do know and what I don’t know and hopefully it will open a door for someone else.

Solomon Goss is a pivotal ancestor.  By that I mean, if he had not come from Pennsylvania to Ohio my family lines might have been very different.  He left his family and friends in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.  His mother and father were Philip Goss and Mary Kendall Goss.  Mary is buried in the Scott/Waterton Cemetery in Huntington Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.  Philip’s parents were Philip and Keziah Cooley Goss and they lived in Brookfield, Massachusetts.  Going back another generation we have Capt. Philip and Judith Hayward Goss who are buried in the Old Indian Cemetery in West Brookfield, Massachusetts.  The next generation back is Philip Goss of Roxbury and Lancaster who married first Hannah Hopkins and second Mary Prescott.

I visited in April 2011 the towns and the cemeteries where Solomon’s ancestor lived and died and wrote about that in my Massachusetts Meanderings and More blog at: 

http://massmeanderings.blogspot.com/

Solomon and Olive (Scott) Goss had eight children of which their youngest daughter Lydia married John Andrews Spracklin.  They moved up to Knox County, Ohio and lived on land that her father deeded to her in 1815. 

John and Lydia had Daniel, along with 8 other children, and Daniel married Elizabeth Keller whose parents were John Keller and Mary Anne Delano. 

We now have a Spracklin marrying into the Goss family and a son of a Spracklin marrying into the Keller and Delano family.  The Goss and Delano families go back to the American Revolution and to Mayflower.  Keller is still a mystery and hopefully one day John’s parents will be discovered.  

Daniel D. Spracklin and Elizabeth Keller had four children and their youngest daughter Amarilla is my great-grandmother.  Amarilla’s life is being featured in my blog:  The Barclay’s of Pine River, The Life of George and Amarilla Barclay:  

http://barclayspineriver.wordpress.com/

There will be some cross posting and a little duplication with my other blogs but I have decided that it works better if I separate out the different family grouping and target them in separate blogs. It makes more sense to me.

Where is Fearing Township?  It is in Washington County, Ohio.  It is north of  Marietta which is located on the Ohio river in the southeastern part of Ohio on the border with West Virginia.   I turn to Wikipedia for a little help in defining this township: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fearing_Township,_Washington_County,_Ohio

This blog will be a big undertaking and hopefully I will be able to do justice to the families of  Goss, Spracklin, Keller and Delano. 

Come join me!

Hint: Please understand when using a source like Wikipedia, or any source for that matter, it is always good to seek out additional information to verify.     

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