Rodell Ella Howard Ellis: Shunned Stepdaughter, Beloved Granddaughter

Johann Gottfried Hauer (John Godfrey Howard) Family Line

Rodell Ella Howard Ellis (1857-1899) Shunned Stepdaughter; Beloved Granddaughter

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by Carolyn Ann Howard

This post was updated 01May 2022

When I first considered writing a book about a family member, Ella Howard Ellis was my first choice. After learning that she died from tuberculosis, like her father before her, at the age of 42, I changed my mind. To say I didn't want to write such a sad ending doesn't seem to hold water, though. My first novel, Blood of My Ancestor was such a tragedy. Perhaps Ella would've been a brighter choice, after all, and the thought is still there. Her husband, William Ellis, seems like quite the character and a lot of fun. It also feels that we have a charming love story here, him being a wounded Civil War veteran with a right below-knee amputation (BKA), revised later to above-knee (AKA), and Ella being the lovely person I'm certain she was.

Ella's father was Henry Albert Howard and her mother, Elizabeth Smith. Do you know how difficult it is to do a family search on the name Elizabeth Smith? I'm quite sure that her father was Samuel Smith, from whom Henry's father first purchased acreage after landing in Shoals, Indiana.

Henry and Elizabeth were married in 1854, moved back to his native New York, and had 2 children Emory and Ella. Then, all of a sudden, Henry was married to his neighbor's daughter, Nancy Crays, living just outside of Loogootee, Indiana, and Elizabeth had disappeared. I dislike presumption very, very much; therefore, I'm skeptical that she died, bur I have no documentation of her after 1858.

On my family tree, I have Elizabeth Smith also linked with the Woody family of Martin/Lawrence County. There is some evidence that she may have been a Woody from a previous marriage. In working the tree, I've followed that hunch a bit, but I'm going to have to leave Evansville to find the answers, if indeed any answer is out there.

When Henry brought his two children back with him from New York, he moved to the area where his father and father-in-law lived in Perry Township, Martin County, Indiana, just outside of Loogootee.  Henry married his neighbor, Nancy Crays, in 1861. Together they had four sons and one daughter. The stepchildren, Emory and Ella, unfortunately, didn't get along too well with their stepmother.

Ella's father, Henry, died of tuberculosis in 1872. At that point, Emory moved out of the area and Ella, aged 16, went to Vincennes, Indiana, where her aunt Mary Jane Howard Sawyer lived. Ella's grandmother, Mary Ann Toles Howard, also went to Vincennes with Ella along with another grandson, Abraham Frank, whom Mary Ann had adopted. Click on photos to enlarge

1876 Map of Vincennes, IN
Public Domain

According to my dear friend and lovely cousin, Ann Hartwell Britton, who has done considerable research on the Howard tree, that once Ella landed in Vincennes, she took a job,

"either at a Methodist newspaper or a Methodist church putting out a newsletter. Two caveats: 1) This was told to me by the same people (that is, all the then-existing Ellises) who said her name was Mary Ellen Howard and 2) I called the Archives of the (now) United Methodist Church who told me there was no Methodist church in Vincennes at that time."

First ME Church, Vincennes
Public Domain
History of Old Vincennes
Click on photo to enlarge

Upon further investigation, however, Ann and I found that there was indeed a Methodist church in Vincennes at that time. According to History of Old Vincennes and Knox County, Indiana, Volume 1, by George E. Greene published in 1911 [2], the first Methodist Episcopal (ME) church was established in Vincennes in 1810 with the first building erected 1828 and a second, larger building erected 1854.

Ella and Will were married in Flint, Michigan on 07 Dec 1876, and lived their married life together in Michigan. In the 1880 census of Mount Morris, Michigan, we not only find Ella and Will but also, thankfully, Ella's grandmother Mary Ann, along with her cousin, Frank.

If I were writing a fictional story about Ella and Will, I might have them meet at this Methodist Episcopal Church in Vincennes, Indiana. Or what if they met somewhere else? After all, they weren't married in Vincennes but in Michigan. It is clear, however, that Ella and Will both had roots in Vincennes, and it is an important location to their untold story.
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1. Ella is listed as Rodell on the 1870 census.
2. Most counties have a written history in the public domain. Consult Google Books and type in either the town or county name along with the state followed by the word "history."

© 2022 by December Moonlight Publishing, LLC

Abraham Howard II - Husband, Father, Fallen Soldier

Johann Gottfried Hauer (John Godfrey Howard) Family Line

Abraham Howard II (1837-1862) Husband, Father, Fallen Soldier

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by Carolyn Ann Howard

This post was updated 01 May 2022

Abraham Howard I was my 3x great-grandfather and the only son of John Godfrey Howard to settle in beautiful Martin County, Indiana. This occurred in or around 1854, when Abraham bought 50 acres along the breathtaking East Fork of White River, near the famous Overlook. According to records, Abraham, who is listed on the 1850 census as a blacksmith, purchased these acres from Samuel Smith for $1,000. Click on photos to enlarge

 

The Overlook at Shoals, Indiana Overlooking East Fork of White River Photo courtesy Marie Hawkins

 
Abraham's third son was Abraham II. He was my 3x granduncle and was about 15 years old when the family journeyed from New York to Shoals. Abraham's life was tragic yet interesting and victorious. He was a laborer, a husband, a father, a son-in-law, and a fallen soldier.

Abraham's brother, Eleazer, was around 17 at the time of their move from New York to Indiana. Although some family members think several different Howard families left New York together at the same time, I have proof that these were the only Howards to leave New York on this particular journey.

Of the children of Abraham I, only Henry stayed in Martin County, from whom I am descended.

Perhaps Abraham II and his older brother, Eleazer, wanted adventure. Maybe they thought a move would mean financial gain. Maybe Abraham was already in love with Eliza Raney. Whatever the reason, when the Raney's wagon train left Martin County, Indiana for Muscatine County, Iowa, Abraham and Eleazer tagged along.

We can only speculate what Iowa held for the two brothers - at least until and unless more information surfaces - but it could have been the opportunity for employment with building the Muscatine and Oskaloosa Railroad. Ground broke on this important railway 08 Feb 1854 by the M&M Railroad Company. It was built at a cost of $2,557,500, which was an average of about $27,000 per mile. [1]

Thursday, 28 Oct 1858 was surely a happy day for Abraham II, as he married Eliza Jane Raney, the niece of Valentine Raney. Eliza's parents had died early in her life and Valentine had taken his niece into his household, adopting her. Eliza was just days away from turning 17.

After the wedding, Eleazar, Abraham and Eliza Jane lived together in the same household. [2]

Another happy celebration occurred as Abraham and Eliza had a son, Abraham Frank III, born 25 Jun 1859.

Unfortunately, this may have been the last of happy days for our friend Abraham. Muscatine County became somewhat of a thoroughfare for those heading to California to find gold. Heading west, moving through Iowa, the gold rushers brought disease, namely cholera. [3]

Eliza Jane contracted rheumatic fever after the birth of her son.  While this may or may not have anything to do with people traipsing through Muscatine County or whether it had to do with recent childbirth or another cause, Eliza Jane Raney Howard died 15 Jan 1860. She is buried in Harker Cemetery, Muscatine County, Iowa. Her Find-A-Grave memorial opens in a new window.

What happened to a man in 1860 who lost his wife, has to work to make ends meet and has no childcare? He must find help. Many times, that help came in the form of a new wife. For Abraham, however, the answer was to return to Martin County. Eleazar came back with him, along with his infant son. On the 1860 census, Abraham II, Frank, and Eleazar are living with their parents, Abraham I and Mary Ann. How happy Mary Ann was to have her sons back home, and she willingly took care of her grandson.

Abraham II enlisted in the United States Army, mustered in 07 Jun 1861 in Terre Haute, Indiana, Regiment 14, Company A. From there, he marched to Indianapolis and from there to Western Virginia. On 03 Oct 1861, his first battle of the Civil War was fought at Pocahontas County in what is now West Virginia at the Battle of Greenbrier River. Five were killed and eleven wounded.

Abraham was promoted to corporal 07 October 1861. In April 1862, he became ill and was in the hospital at Strasburg, Virginia for a few days. Between 12 May and 23 Jun 1862, his company marched 339 miles. Most of the men were without shoes and short of rations.

In September, the 14th Indiana took part in the Maryland Campaign, which included the Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. According to Wikipedia, Colonel William Harlow's report stated that Abraham's regiment fought for four hours under heavy fire within 60 yards of Confederate forces. Abraham took a mortal wound in the thigh and died on the battlefield. His death likely was extremely painful, and yes, I imagine he cried for his mother. Abraham died a hero.

Battle of Antietam
Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain

The Union won the Battle of Antietam, although both sides experienced heavy casualties.

Abraham's Find-A-Grave opens in a new window.

It is good that Abraham and Eleazar went back to Martin County after the death of Abraham's wife, Eliza. Their son, Abraham Frank, found a formidable guardian in his grandmother, Mary Ann. After Abraham's death, she adopted and raised Frank.

Abraham's brother Eleazar eventually moved to Michigan and, in March 1865, enlisted in Michigan's 24th Regiment, Company H. Eleazar was in the military for only a few months when he suffered a disabling hip injury. He would continue to have debilitating pain in his hip the rest of his life.

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1. Parker, Nathan H. Iowa as It Is in 1855. Keen and Lee, 1855.
2. Records from The National Archives
3. Richman, Irving B. History of Muscatine County, Iowa.  The S.J. Clark Publishing Co., 1911.

© 2022 by December Moonlight Publishing, LLC

Early Lyon Settlers of Southwestern Indiana

The Lyon Family of Martin County, Indiana

Early Lyon Settlers of Southwestern Indiana

Joel Campbell Lyon (1853-1915)
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by Carolyn Ann Howard

This post was updated 30 Apr 2022

 

Joel Campbell Lyon was a pioneer in every sense of the word, being an early settler of an area in Brown Township, Martin County, Indiana, that was called Goldsberry Hollow or holler. This land is now a part of Naval Surface Warfare Center -- Crane Division, Indiana. Click on photos to enlarge.

Joel Campbell Lyon
Photo courtesy Marilyn Lyon (1931-2017)
I was so proud to have called her my friend

He came from Snufftown, now called Stockholm, Sussex County, New Jersey, as a boy along with his parents, Alanson and Elizabeth Grimstead Lyon, his brothers and sisters. The call of the west at that time, 1867, was strong among the people of the eastern United States. Land purchased from the government was plentiful and cheap.

Unlike many pioneers, who had 40 acres, Alanson Lyon had 280, which he purchased not from the government but from Vancleve Swayze. It was first thought that he bought this land for $10/acre. New information tells us that Alanson Lyon traded his land in New Jersey to Vancleve Swayze for the 280 in Martin County, IN.

This Swayze also was originally from Sussex County, New Jersey, but died in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. According to author Beth Willis, just a few years later, 1878, this same land was foreclosed upon and, in a sheriff's sale, sold to Oliver Reed.

The original deed between Swayze and Lyon was expertly transcribed by Kaye Seeley in 2013 and is here. Opens in a new window.

Combing through the 1880 census, I noticed  the name of Alanson Lyon's neighbor, John Drake Swayze. He also was from Sussex County, New Jersey, as was his family. In fact, anyone with the last name of Swayze on the 1880 Brown Township federal census was from Sussex County. So we know that the Lyon family and the Swayze family are somehow entwined.

In the 1880 Brown Township census, we have 3 families from New Jersey: The Lyon family, the Swayze family and the Flummerfelt family. All were born in Sussex County. Also born in Sussex County was George Lundy, but he came to Martin County prior to 1840; therefore, he was the first New Jerseyan and might be the key to discovering why the other 3 families came to Indiana in the first place.

Lyon Coat of Arms
Attribute below

Joel Campbell Lyon's ancestors originally migrated to American from Scotland as Ulster Scots and so were Presbyterians. In my previous research for my book, Blood of My Ancestor, my own family records incorrectly stated Joel was Catholic. He was actually Methodist.

This same handwritten account also stated that Joel killed his third wife, Adaline Cannon Lyon, my 2x great aunt, which he did not do. The family record, which came from Adaline's sister, Malinda, therefore, is incorrect in its entirety.

I also want to reaffirm that Blood of My Ancestor is a fictional account of the murder of my great aunt and should not be used to work on genealogy. As stated in its introduction:

"The story of Joel and Adaline Lyon is based on the true story and has been tirelessly researched to be as factual as possible. In the end, however, the story is fictional."

The only goal and intention of writing the story was to prove Joel innocent of my great aunt's murder, which was accomplished.

Joel, along with his brother James, had no choice but to come with their parents to Brown Township as they were minors. However, Warren, who would've been around the age of 17 at the time of the move, likely did make his own decision to come with his parents to Martin County. In the 1880 census, Warren, Joel, and James were all landowners in Brown Township, having inherited their father's 280 acres. They are the only Lyons listed in this township.

Other names on the 1880 census from New Jersey were Emma Ragle, Phebe Flummerfelt, who lived with John Swayze and family as a "servant" (she was in her 80s), Elias Patterson, who was a miller, and finally Marthy A. Gruver, who lived with her parents. Her parents were both born in Pennsylvania while Marthy was born in New Jersey. A connection between Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Ohio seemingly is a common thread in this equation.

Alanson was a latecomer to Martin County, Indiana, having settled in or around 1867. Most of the old-timers were already there by that time. Because the Lyon, Swayze, and Flummerfelt families all came came from Sussex County, New Jersey, it might be assumed they all came together. The evidence does not support this. The Swayzes and Flummerfelts came to Martin County in the 1850s, well before the Lyon family. Click on photos to enlarge

Screenshot from an 1860 map of Sussex New Jersey
Map courtesy of The Library of Congress

When I first saw the above map from 1860 Sussex, New Jersey, it appeared that Alanson only had a small tract of land in what looks to be downtown Snufftown, New Jersey (now Stockholm). His father, Samuel, lived next door. (In case you can't find A. Lyon and S. Lyon, look at the word Snufftown and look slightly down from Snuff.) According to author Beth Willis, Alanson's brother Halsey, also a farmer, is the H. Lyon at the top center of the map. Halsey died in Stockholm in 1871. I did take the time to study the entire 1860 map of Sussex County, New Jersey and found only these 3 Lyon family members.

Author Beth Willis also emailed me a more detailed map that proved my original theory wrong, which I'm always happy to consider new information! She also thankfully emailed this:

Snufftown 1860
Courtesy of Beth Willis
Click on photo to enlarge

"In the meantime, please know that Alanson’s property was not in downtown Snufftown. Snufftown was a small hamlet comprising 5-6 houses, a store (Lewis), a tannery (Walther), a tavern (Lewis) and the church [which is what] is shown on the 1860 Hopkins Map [the map above]... Alanson’s property was located west of Snufftown... The blue dot [on the adjoining map] is Alanson first tract of land. The red dot is where Snufftown was located... Snufftown never had a post office. But letters [that] were addressed to anyone within a 3 mile radius of Snufftown [were] delivered to the tavern."

When first looking at this map, my heart was warmed that Samuel Lyon had an "Orchard Lot." It reminded me of the Freeman family in my book Pioneer Stories who had an orchard lot on their property. Makes me wonder if Alanson brought apple seeds with him to Martin County, Indiana. When I was graciously taken to Joel's property by the wives of Crane Naval Base commanders, we didn't notice any apple trees. However, the 1915 tornado that devastated the area, taking Joel's life, may have destroyed any possible orchard that might have been. Again - just making up stories, but isn't that the fun of genealogy? To wonder? And to wander?

© 2022 by December Moonlight Publishing, LLC

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Attribution for the Lyon Coat of Arms: By Heralder: This vector image includes elements that have been taken or adapted from this:  Coat of Arms of Bergues.svg (by Tom-L). This vector image includes elements that have been taken or adapted from this:  Coat of Arms of the July Monarchy (1830-31) (variant).svg (by Sodacan). ([1]) [CC BY-SA 4.0  (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons