Person Page 268

Biography -- (Findagrave.com):

Jacob was born in York County Pennsylvania. In 1798 he moved with his parents to East Tennessee, living first in Washington County then in Sullivan County.

In 1815 Jacob married Mary "Polly Hodges, daughter of Roland Hodges and Hannah Chamberlain. About 1835 Jacob, Mary and their first eight children moved to Crawford County, Missouri.

Court records show that Jacob and his son Samuel, then 19 years old, purchased land in July of 1836 -- 80 acres at $1.25 per acre and in December of 1837 he purchased and additional 40 acres at the same price.

The 1850 Census lists Jacob, his first wife Mary, son James and daugher Mary. In the associated slave schedule Jacob is identified as the owner of two Negro children, a girl age 8 and a boy age 5. These two children are named in later court records.

In 1843 Jacob's son Rolin died. He was buried in Wash Cemetery, Red Bird, Gasconade County, (sic) Missouri. It is not known why this cemetery was selected, however, over the next forty years Jacob's wife and other family members would also be buried in Wash Cemetery. Jacob's son James died in June of 1850, a couple of months after the 1850 Census was taken. He was buried in Wash Cemetery. In 1855 Jacob's wife Mary died. She, too, was buried in Wash Cemetery.

Very little is known about Jacob's second wife, also a Mary. Jacob and the second Mary bought other tracts and at one time owned 280 acres.

Tracy Devault's excellent analysis of Elizabeth's likely father:

" I have decided to show Elizabeth as a child of Thomas Galloway. Here is my thinking. I have always thought it strange that widowed Elizabeth and her young children would attempt the long journey from East Tennessee to Macoupin County, Illinois in the 1850s. It is true that a number of relatives and neighbors made the move at about the same time and she might have traveled with them. However, if Elizabeth had an older brother that was moving to Illinois, she probably would have had the confidence that if her family traveled with his, they could make the trip safely. It turns out that Daniel Galloway, a known son of Thomas Galloway, and born a few years before Elizabeth, did make the trip. We know that Daniel and Elizabeth did not live far apart in Illinois as both families have members buried in the Range Cemetery. There is one other point. If you look at most genealogies that include Thomas Galloway and his children, you will find a gap in the birth years of Thomas' children around the year 1805, the year Elizabeth was born. And, finally, in both the 1830 and 1840 Censuses, the families of Daniel Galloway and Henry Keefhaver (with wife Elizabeth Galloway) were living close to each other. So I am making the leap and guessing that Daniel and Elizabeth were siblings, thus making Elizabeth a daughter of Thomas Galloway."

In 1825, David and Elizabeth Kitzmiller built an elegant house at Gray Station. It was later called "Gray Mansion."

GRAVE STONE:

GONE HOME

DAVID KITZMILLER

BORN

Oct. 7, 1799

DIED

July 3, 1895

AGED

95 yrs. 8 mos. & 26 d's.

"Asleep in Jesus."

(from Tracy Devault)

Martin Kitzmiller, Jr. first married on September 22, 1828 in Carter County, Tennessee. His wife was Rebecca Duncan and the couple had three children: Abdiel, Joseph and Mary. The first of a series of tragedies to strike the family of Martin Jr. was in 1836 when Rebecca died. Martin Jr. was left with three small children to care for. On October 5, 1837 he married his double cousin, Elizabeth Christina Davault the daughter of Jacob and Rachel (Kitzmiller) Davault. The next tragedy occurred on April 27, 1847, when Joseph, the second child of his first marriage, died. By now Martin and Elizabeth had seven children of their own. Their names were: James, Jacob, John, Rebecca, Susan, Margaret and Martin III. In December of 1850 the family moved to Macoupin County, Illinois. They were part of a large migration of families from east Tennessee to Illinois. This migration included four of Elizabeth's brothers and sisters. Martin and Elizabeth's last child, Rufus, the only child to be born in Illinois, died at birth on March 25, 1853. Then, on July 1, 1854, Martin himself died.

The series of tragedies was not over with Martin Jr.'s death. Tragedy struck three times in 1859: On November 4th his son Jacob died, a month later on December 14th his daughter Rebecca died and eight days later, on December 24th his daughter Susan died. In 1862 two more sons died: Abdiel on April 4th and James on April 23rd. By 1870, out of a family of three adults and 11 children, only Martin's second wife, Elizabeth and three of her children were still living. They were John, Margaret, Martin III. In 1873 daughter Margaret married Benjamin F. Scott. He died on September 23, 1879, and, two months later, on December 18th, Margaret's mother died.

Sometime after 1880, unmarried brothers John and Martin III and widowed sister Margaret with her two small children moved to Bates County, Missouri. John and Martin III never did marry. Of the two children of Margaret (Kitzmiller) Scott, son James Ralph Scott married but had no children and daughter Euphia Scott, never married.

Based on the information that Newland had at the time he prepared his report, he believed that there were no living descendants of Martin Jr. New information has shown this to be incorrect. Newland had assumed that Abdiel and Mary, the two children from Martin Jr.'s first marriage that were still alive in 1850, had accompanied the family to Illinois. He reported that Abdiel died, unmarried, on April 4th, 1862 in Macoupin County, Illinois. I suspect that Abdiel did not accompany the family to Illinois in 1850. I do know that he was in Tennessee on January 30, 1855, for on that day he married Mary Jane Taylor. After their first child was born, Abdiel and family moved to Illinois where a second child was born. Next they moved to Gentry County, Missouri where a third and fourth child were born. Finally, they moved back to Macoupin County, Illinois where Abdiel died in 1862. (After Abdiel's death, his wife and children moved back to Tennessee.) This marriage of Abdiel Kitzmiller to Mary Jane Taylor, although unknown to Newland, produced children whose descendants are alive today (2004).

As for Mary, the daughter from Martin Jr.'s first marriage, Newland says that she traveled with her father and step-mother to Macoupin County, Illinois. He goes on to say that Mary, also having never married, stayed with the family and eventually moved with her half-sister and two half-brothers to Bates County, Missouri. I have not found any evidence to suggest that Mary ever left Tennessee. In fact, she seems to have completely disappeared after the 1850 Census in Washington County, Tennessee.

Headstone inscription:

SACRED

TO THE MEMORY

OF

JACOB KITZMILLER

WHO WAS BORN APRIL

THE 29 1813

???? JUNE 2O 18?2

AGED THE ... 1

IM ON .....

OUN ....

GRAVE STONE:

ELIZABETH

wife of

DAVID KITZMILLER

Born Oct 21, 1800

Died June 20, 1888

AGED

87 y's, 7m's, & 29 days

"Asleep in Jesus."

BIOGRAPHY - History of Lawrence, Orange and Washington Counties, Indiana copyright 1884 Goodspeed Brothers and Company, Chicago

Daniel Dawalt, a prominent citizen of Franklin Township, and a native of Washington Township, this county, was born July 8, 1812, being the ninth child in a family of twelve children born to Henry and Elizabeth (Gross) Dawalt, who were natives of York County, Penn., and Rockingham County, Va., both of German descent. The father came to this State and county in the year 1808, and first settled on Section 15 in Washington Township, where he remained, with the exception of four years, until his death, which occurred when he had reached the ripe old age of about ninety-one years; Mrs. Dawalt died, aged about seventy-five years. In his settlement here he was commissioned Captain of the militia by Territorial Gov. Harrison. He received several promotions, and at the time of his last connection with the service he held the office of Colonel of his regiment, and was at the head of his company at the time of the Pigeon Roost massacre. That happened about night, and they pursued them nearly to Brownstown, in Jackson County, where they surprised the Indians. Daniel remained at home assisted his parents on the farm until he attained the age of twenty-four years. He received a limited education in the primitive log schoolhouses of his day. February 11, 1836, his marriage with Sarah Tatlock was solemnized, and to their union twelve children have been born, of which these five are now living; Francis M., who married Nancy Coombs; Catherine, now Mrs. Richard M. Johnson; James B., whose wife was Margaret Thompson; and Samuel, who married Mary Thompson. Our subject's occupation has always been farming, and he has been quite successful in that pursuit. He now owns 347 acres of well improved land. Mr. Dawalt's son Jackson gave up his life for his country at Rome, Ga. He was a member of the Sixty-sixth Indiana, Company F. Mr. Dawalt is a member of the Masonic fraternity; in politics he is a Democrat, and he manifests a good live interest in the political affairs of the community.

Note: There are many factual errors in the above biography.

Note #2: Jackson Dawalt died August 29, 1864. During the war he wrote a number of letters home and we have copies of some of them.

COURT DOCUMENTS

On at least two occasions Daniel Dawalt was assigned gardianship of minor children. On 19 Jan 1856 he was assigned gardianship of Ransom A. Hall, son of Aaron Hall, deceased. In the 1860 Census, Ransom Hall is shown living with the family of Daniel Dawalt. On 2 Feb 1865 Daniel was assigned gardianship of William W. Franklin, son of Mary Franklin, deceased.

OBITUARY - June 12, 1898

Daniel Dawalt

The oldest Mason in Washington county and one among the oldest residents, died at his home in Franklin township last Sunday. Daniel Dawalt was born in this county July 8, 1812, and was 85 years, 11 months and 4 days old at his death. His parents came to this county in 1808, from York county, Pa., and both attained a ripe old age - the paternal parent dying at 92 and the maternal at 75. Daniel worked on his parents farm until 24 years of age when he married Sarah Tatlock. He never quit farming but followed the occupation his long life and was very successful in that pursuit. He was, as is stated above, the oldest Mason in this county and was buried with Masonic honors Monday afternoon at 4 o'clock.

It was Col. Henry Dawalt, the father of Daniel, who, as one of three commissioners, laid out the town of Salem in 1814, two years after the birth of Daniel Dawalt. Gen. Clark and John Zink were Germans. It had been proposed to name our town Vernon, but Zink and Dawalt could not pronounce it Vernon, but Wernon. A compromise was made and the place was named Salem.

It was Col. Henry Dawalt, too, who in 1812 raised an army of men and went in pursuit of the Indians who had murdered several of our citizens. The Colonel and his volunteers lost the trail of the red men at Columbus, but on their return, and near Brownstown, they were fired upon by an squad of Indians and John Zink, another of the commissioners who laid out the town of Salem, was shot through the bowels and mortally wounded. He was brought home and died in a few days. His remains repose on the farm now owned by Jeptha Morris.

What a change has occurred since 1812! And what will it be in the next 86 years? Shall we continue to prosper and grow greater? And is permitted the departed to return from across the dark river and visit the old farm and town, the old hills and streams?

Daniel Dawalt was the father of fourteen children, three of whom, only, survive, viz: James B., Samuel B. and Mrs. {Catherine (Dawalt), wife of,} Richard M. Johnson.

He has living 22 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren. He loved the Masonic order of which he had a continuous membership of 56 years. Five years ago he was stricken with paralysis but bore his sufferings with unusual great patience. As husband, he was kind and patient; as a neighbor, he was generous to a fault; as a man he was honest. His wife, now nearing 82 years, his three children and 31 grand and great-grand-children have the sympathies of his neighbors and friends.

OBITUARY #2

Daniel Dawalt, born 8 July 1812; died 12 June 1898; {age 85 years, 11 months and 4 days}; son of Henry Dawalt and Elizabeth Gross; husband of Sarah Tatlock

OBITUARY #3 - The Republican Leader, June 17, 1898

Daniel Dawalt was born July 8, 1812, died June 12, 1898, aged 85 years, 11 months and four days. Daniel Dawalt and Sarah Tatlock were married February 11, 1836, having lived together at the same old homestead for 62 years and four months as husband and wife. They were the parents of fourteen children of whom only three survive, two sons and one daughter. Catherine (Dawalt) Johnson, James B. and Samuel Dawalt. There are twenty-two grand children and nine great grand children now living. He joined the Masonic fraternity nearly fifty-six years ago and was always a faithful and consistent member of the order. He was stricken with paralysis over five years ago. He bore his sufferings with great patience, never complining of anyone. He was a kind and patient husband, an indulgent father, a good neighbor, always ready and willing to lend a helping hand to the sick and afflected, and last but not least he was strictly an honest man in every sence of the word. The aged wife, who is nearing 82 years, the children, grand children and great grand children all have the sympathies of the neighbors and friends of the deceased.

OBITUARY #4 - The Republican Leader, June 17, 1898

Daniel Dewalt (sic), an aged citizen of Washington county, died at his home near Canton, Sunday last, at the age of 85 years. He was the oldest Mason in Washington county. A delegation from the lodge her attended the burial at Franklin grave yard.

OBITUARY #5 - The Salem Democrat, June 24, 1898

The failure of the Deomcrat of last week to note the death of Daniel Dawalt on the 12 inst., was a regrettable oversight. Mr. Dawalt would have been 86 years of age on the 12th of next month and besides being one of the county's oldest citizens was the oldest Free Mason. The maiden name of his aged wife, who survives him, was Sarah Tatlock and she is nearly 82 years of age. This aged couple were were the parents of 14 children, only three of whom are living. Twenty-two grand-children and nine great-grand children are also numbered among their descendants. Mr. Dawalt was a good citizen and died respected by all who knew him.

OBITUARY - The Salem, Indiana Democrat, December 27, 1895

John G. Dawalt died at the residence of one of his sons on the old family homestead, three miles east of Salem, and his funeral will occur next Sunday forenoon, interment in the family burying ground. Mr. Dawalt was born in Salem 78 or 79 years ago and his parents came from Tennessee. Most of his life was spent on the farm where he died. He married Mary Tatlock who preceded him to the spirit world 12 or 15 years ago. Of their four children two are living. Mr. Dawalt was a member of the Christian Church and was a good citizen.

Letter written by John Gross Dawalt to his cousin John Davault of Leesburg, Tennessee.

Indiana, Washington Co.

February 5th 1844

Dear Cousin and Friends:

We again, for the second time, write you a letter to inform you that we are all well at this time, and do most sincerely hope that when these few lines are received by you that they will find you all in the same state of health.

We have had a rainy and muddy winter here. It has been very moderate until about the 26th of January, then it changed very cold, with some snow and have been very stormy -- almost impossible, for in many places Waggoners are obliged to throw down the fences on the roads and make the best of their way through the farms. Our crops for the past year are very good, except wheat was not as good as usual.

Pork is $2.00 per hundred net weight; wheat 56c and 65c per bushel; corn 75c and $1.00 per bu; Barrell flour, $4.00 and $5.00; Oats 12c and 20c per bu; new bacon $3.50 per hog round. The measles are in every section of this country and are spreading in deffernt parts of the state. but happy to say that no deaths have occurred from the disease -- no other diseases prevail.

We cannot say when any of us will visit Tennessee. For in the spring we will be very busy and Father is going to Pennsylvania and there will be no chance for us to leave home. We have not heard from any of you since last winter (1843) and would like very much for you to write us and inform us how all of you are doing. I remain single yet, but I have a strong notion to see which is the best, the Single or the married life, and to choose a girl and try what I can do in the married life, as I have lived a single life this long. We wish you to give us our best respects to all our relatives and to your friends, also I do not know as I have anything more to write you.

This from your most affectionate Cousin,

John Dawalt

(This letter written Feburary 5, 1844, mentioned that he might get married -- he did in December of the same year.)