Graham, Bernice: "Descendants of Samuel Smith," THE TALLOW LIGHT,
Washington Co., OH. 1968, v. 3, p 99-121:
"Mg of James Ward Smith and Essther Alderman ...parents on both sides belonged to well-known families.
Esther's father was born in CT abt the same time as Samuel Smith.
Samuel Smith moved to Hudson City, NY where he md Jemima, only daughter of James Ward.
James Ward Smith and Esther established their home in Canisteo, Otsego Co, for awhile; then moved to Allegany Co abt 10 miles from Angelica, near Belvidere on the Genesee River where Esther's father was living.
"Possibly the Smith and Alderman families knew each other and it's even
likely that they emigrated to New York together. ELISHA ALDERMAN was
born in CT abt the same time as SAMUEL SMITH."
1782: ESTHER ALDERMAN was born prob NY. Her children in 1880 say their mother was born: Milton (cdn't find him); LANSON says NY; JAMES says NY; CARMI says NY. The other 5 had passed away by 1880.
1783: ESTHER'S bro Elisha Jr. born in Genesee Valley NY.
1792: ESTHER'S bro ELIHU was born in Allegany Co. NY.
1800 Feb 17: ESTHER md JAMES WARD SMITH in Schnectady NY. We have
no written record of this mg. Did she really backtrack to Schnectady?
(Why would families move back east during westward movement? If they did?)
1801 Jan 22: VINCENT SMITH the eldest child of James W and Esther
(Alderman) Smith was born in Otsego Co., NY where his parents lived
near the ELISHA ALDERMAN family.
1803: Elisha Alderman, Huffs and James Ward Smiths were original
18 settlers in town of Caneadea, Allegany Co. NY.
1803 Dec 3: MILTON SMITH was born in Canisteo on the Unadilla River,
Otsego, NY.
1805: ALANSON SMITH was born abt 10 miles from Angelica, nr
Belvidere, on the Genesee River, Alleghany Co. NY where the ELISHA
ALDERMANS & THE JAMES W. SMITH'S had moved.
1807 July HARVEY SMITH born same place as Alanson.
1809 Nov 22 JAMES SMITH was born same place as Alanson.
(1810: Wayne, Steuben Co. census JAMES, WILLIAM & ZEBA HUFF.)
1812 Aug 6: their 6th child CARMI SMITH was born in OHIO as were 3
succeeding children:
1814: Sept--Talma
1817: Sept--Eli
1821: June--Lucy.
1810 April: "The urge of the pioneer spirit to move westward
culminated in an adventurous voyage down the Allegheny and Ohio Rivers
in 1810. Journey began at Olean Point, where they embarked on a raft
with ELISHA ALDERMAN and family, floating down to Point Harmar,
opposite Maarietta, Ohio, landing there in April. . . .Picture the trying time on this raft, especially for the mothers. The children ranked in age from VINCENT 8, through MILTON 6, ALANSON 4, HARVEY 2 and JAMES WARD SMITH 6 mo. Imagine that mother's anxiety, lest one of her lads in his play should fall overboard and drown. They landed at Point Harmar at the junction of the Muskingum and Ohio Rivers. There must have been a score of passengers on that early fashioned boat and they must have hailed the day of landing with happy relief. From this place began the journey by wagon.
"JAMES WARD SMITH & family went 20 miles west and settled in almost
unbroken fores tin what had been the home of Thomas Ewing, early
pioneer and prominent politician of Ohio. Later a small village called
Plymouth grew up at this place. Name has since been changed to Bartlett
and it is located on the state road, half-way between the county seat of
Wash and Athens Counties.
1830: Wesley Twp., Wash Co. Ohio page 318:
JAMES SMITH (next door to his son, Harvey Smith)
1 m 50-60 (James Ward Smith 52 years old.
1 f 40-50 (Esther 48)
l m 20-30 (James 20)
1 m 15-20 (Carmi 18)
1 f 10-15 (Talma 16)
1 m 10-15 (Eli 13)
2 f 5-10 (Lucy 9)
1830 Jul Esther died
1830 Aug 10th James got md (did the new couple live with JW?)
Which left James Ward Smith with Talma 16, Eli 13, and Lucy 9.
1810:They emigrated to what is now Morgan Co with 17 people. They floated down the Allegheny River to Pittsburgh, upon a lumber raft loaded with household effects and families, and then via the Ohio to Marietta--nearly 500 mi voyage --uninhabited country--traded the lumber for 640 acres in Homer twp. (History of Morgan Co. by Robertson 1886)
The names of the colonists were:
ELISHA ALDERMAN (b 1742=68 in 1810) & WIFE, (Thankful Huff)
JOB PHILLIPS & WIFE, (Mary Alderman b 4 Mar 1777= 33 in 1810)
JOHN STEWART & WIFE, (Ann Alderman b abt 1780 = 30)
JAMES WARD SMITH & WIFE (Esther Alderman b 8 Mar 1782=28)
ELISHA JR (b 1783=27 in 1810) & WIFE, (Maria Vandermark)
RACHEL, (b abt 1785=25 in 1810)
ELIJAH, (b 8 Mar 1788 = 22 in 1810)
HOSEA, (b 9 Mar 1791 = 19)
ELIHU (b 11 Aug 1792= 18)
LUCY, (b 1796 = 14)
ANNA (b 27 Sep 1801=9) all were son, dau, and s-i-law of Elisha Senior.
1810-1840 Job Phillips family settled near Amesville, Athens Co. OH
------------------------
"ELISHA ALDERMAN, with his family went 10 miles farther west and
settled in Morgan Co on land for which he had traded his raft. There he
and his wife, THANKFUL HUFF spent the remainder of their lives. They
had eight children." Bernice Graham. (No, it appears they had 12 children.)
"The first schoolhouse was in the Alderman neighborhood, near Joy." Robertson
1.- MARY ALDERMAN, b 4 Mar 1777 in Genesee md JOB PHILLIPS and settled near Amesville,
Athens Co, OH. They had 7 children. "Their son Justus Baker Phillips, b Oct 17, 1797 NY state;
Their son Evert V.b in "New York State and came to OH when he was not yet ten years old."
Job died in 1842; Mary remarried 12 Sep 1844 Samuel Ring, Athens Co.
Mary died 9 Apr 1858.
~List of 6 children & spouses comes from Alderman's in America.
2.- THANKFUL ALDERMAN, born abt 1778. Probably died before 1810.
3.- ANN ALDERMAN, born abt 1780 in___________ who md JOHN STEWART before 1810.
4.- They may have had another dau named ESTHER ALDERMAN born 1781 who died as a baby.
5.- ESTHER ALDERMAN, born 8 Mar 1782 in New York, who md 17 Feb 1800, JAMES WARD SMITH in Schenectady NY. We have no written record of this mg. Did they really backtrack to Schenectady? IF they did, why would families move back east during westward movement?)
Their children's birth places show some of the James Ward Smith fam migratory movements: Their eldest son
Vincent born 22 Jan 1801, Otsego, NY;
Milton born 3 Dec 1803 in "Canisteo on the Unadilla River, Otsego,NY."
Alanson born 4 Apr 1805 nr Belvidere, Allegany Co. NY.
Harvey born 5 Jun 1808 nr Belvidere, Allegany Co. NY.
James W.born 22 Nov 1809 nr Belvidere, Allegany Co. NY.
Carmi born 6 Aug 1812 (& other children born) Plymouth, Washington Co. OH.
6.- ELISHA ALDERMAN JR, born in Genesee Valley,NY, (in 1783, B.Graham) md MARIA VANDEMARK and had 10 children. (He a Methodist Minister?) "Elisha Jr. reared a large family and was quite promptly identified with the early affairs of that section (Homer Twp.) He removed to Iowa about 1850, where he died." Robertson History of Morgan Co. OH. 1886.
1822 Oct 16: Benjamin VandeMark of Caneadea in Allegany Co, NY paid $100 to Elisha Alderman Jr of Homer,Athens Co,OH for a sixth part of piece of land in Caneadea, Allegany, NY, Lot #10 on eastern bank of Genesee River, 98 acres. Signed by Elisha Alderman Jr and Mariah Alderman (her mark) and witnessed by ZIBA HUFF.(Allegany Co.Deeds/)
7.- RACHEL ALDERMAN, born abt 1785 in ________. She's mentioned in Robertson's article. Not md in 1810 evidently.
8.- ELIJAH ALDERMAN, born abt 1788 in Olean, New York. (Md abt 1812? Probably in Athens Co.OH) MARY WATKINS and had 14 children. Robertson book says 18 ch. (ELIJAH's 72 in 1860 in Homer Twp, Morgan Co OH, [b 1788]. Apparently three of his children are living nearby. Next door is NELSON J.ALDERMAN 39 & fam. Also next door on the other side is DANIEL ALDERMAN 36 & fam. CATHERINE 47, prob a dau, is living with ELIJAH.)
1886 Robertson's HISTORY OF MORGAN CO, OH: "ELIJAH died in Homer township at an advanced age. He reared a fam of 18 ch one of whom, REV. J. W. ALDERMAN is pastor of the First ME Church of Burlington, IA."
1828, 1833, 1834: ELIJAH ALDERMAN Trimble Twp Trustee. p 521 Walker's HISTORY OF ATHENS CO. 1869.
In 1860 Trimble Twp there is a John L Alderman 24 & fam; and a Julius Alderman 49 & fam. Are these Elijah's children? Also several Watkins families.
9.- HOSEA ALDERMAN, born 9 Mar 1791 in ________; died 21 Oct 1843; md 1821 HANNAH
REYNOLDS who was born 1 Jan 1795 and died 13 Nov 1886; had 8 children: ASAHEL, ELECTA, IRA, ELI, CARMI, ARZA, VINTON & JUSTUS.
(1860: HANNAH ALDERMAN is in Homer Twp, Morgan Co. 1860 census with 5 of her children.)
HOSEA ALDERMAN "was a man well known. He was a Methodist in his religious belief and prominent in the affairs of the church. He was emphatically a peacemaker, and in early times was frequently called to adjust differences between his neighbors. He reared a family of 8 children, but one of whom, AZRA, one of the prominent business men of McConnelsville, resides in the county. Probably the first brick house in the township was erected by HOSEA ALDERMAN." Robertson's HISTORY OF MORGAN CO, OH. 1886.
10.- ELIHU HUFF ALDERMAN born 11 Aug 1792, in Allegany Co, NY, Md 6 Feb 1821 SARAH BAKER, moved with family of five children to Iowa; His death occurred at Fort Madison, Iowa, 24 March 1850.
11. - LUCY ALDERMAN, born in 1796 in ____________; md 10 Apr 1817, Athens Co, MATTHEW WATKINS.
1817 March 21, mg of Lucy Alderman to Matthew Watkins-- in Ohio Researcher v3 p 187.
Three children were born to them, William, Esther and Elizabeth.
William, born 20 August 1820, was married 17 September 1842 and died in 1877.
Their son, JAMES W. PROUTY, was born 10 November 1843. His first
wife, FANNIE J. GORDON, was born in South Carolina. SALLIE M. HUGHES,
his second wife, was born in Mississippi. His home was in Dalesville,
MS,and he had eight children. (The Prouty likely is a son of Esther).
(There are several WATKINS in Trimble Twp, in 1860 census. MATTHEW probably md again.)
12. - ANNA ALDERMAN was born 27 September 1801; Died 9 September
1878; Mg #1 to JOHN STEWART.
Married #2 SAMUEL HOWARD who was born 12 February 1793 and
died 29 September 1838. The history of this family is very interesting.
They immigrated to Illinois in 1830 (Farmer's Twp, Fulton Co, IL) in a wagon, driving four teams of
oxen, as the hardships of the road through the wilderness would be too
great for horses to endure. They had a family of NINE children. ANNA and her husband died at Marietta,(Harris twp, Fulton Co,) Illinois, he having lived there only eight years. It is said that the first wheat bread in Illinois was made from flour sent to them by Ohio friends. This was keel-boated down the Ohio and up the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, then hauled to where they lived. They made clapboards to pay for the freight. For a long time, letter postage was not paid in advance. The rate was twenty-five cents a letter. One came to them when they had no money, as was often the case in those days, so they flailed out a bushel of wheat for which they got twenty-five cents, and so were able to get their letter.
(Great biographies in her husband, Samuel & son, Charles' notes.)
ANNA md #3 GEORGE DODGE.
Source for much of above, Bernice Graham: "Descendants of Samuel Smith,"
THE TALLOW LIGHT, Washington Co., OH. 1968, v. 3, p 99-121: (Census and additions in parenthesis by Carol Minson.)
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Roland, Robert and I went to Marietta, Ohio Friday 11 Jul 1986. We picked up Bernice Graham (genealogist-historian age 86) and toured the Hougland House in Barlow and the Smith House in Bartlett. Bernice thinks "James Ward Smith got off at Marietta aross the river from the post office. LaFayette Hotel stands where the first cabin homes were built. Landing at Harmer is probably where they landed. Mr. Alderman had someone who was expecting them and they wanted to move to Joy."