Jesse Foltz (1862-1958)
What motivated large families to pack their belongings in wagons, travel hundreds of miles over often rough terrain, accompanied by various animals and livestock? For some, it was bounty land from service during wars. For others, it was to join family members whose adventurous spirits had already led them westward.
In this excerpt from a letter written by Jesse Foltz on August 26, 1931, to his niece, [Dorothy] Alice Foltz Patterson, daughter of his brother, Emmet, Jesse describes the family’s move in the early 1880s from Mad River Township in Champaign County, Ohio to Sims Township in Grant County, Indiana.
Jesse explains the family's decision to move and mentions family members - his paternal grandmother, Christina Hoffman Foltz (his maternal grandmother, Catherine Zirkle Leonard, passed
away in May 1882), his parents, Nathaniel Foltz and Sarah Leonard, and siblings Oscar,
Elmer, Cyrus, and Anna. He also mentions friends and neighbors that made the move to Indiana.
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| Jesse Foltz (1862-1958) |
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| Possible route from Mad River Twp, Champaign County, OH to Sims Twp, Grant County, IN. |
The Foltz Family Moves to Indiana from Ohio in the Early 1880s
There was several reasons for us moving to Indiana in the early 80's. There was a colony moved from Ohio to Indiana. Among them was Rube and Willis Zirkle, two Gentis families and a Rust or two and a few others. Whenever they came back to Ohio they would report Indiana much superior in fertility to Ohio which created a western fever which never left them until they moved. Another reason was a dozen boys coming on that needed a job of work at home. The home place in Ohio was only 60 acres and no other land joining it could be bought. Then Uncle has two boys and he wants land for them. And, another thing in the fall of 1881 Jacob Apple came to Indiana and bought 80 acres 1 mile north and 1 mile west of Swayzee. Then mother and father said we will go to Indiana as soon as we can get a farm there.
I know in the spring of 1882 I was to go for myself so Jacob wanted me to drive the team through to Indiana. But Grandmother told me Indiana was a swamp, that there was no drainage, that water had to evaporate, that it was full of the third-day ague and in the fall full of Typhoid fever, that I would go out there and get sick and spend all I had and would have to be brought back. I told her that I would beg my living and walk back.
On the 13th day of March 1882 I left for St. Parris. The next day at 6 o'clock Will Apple and Dave Knull and I started for Indiana with Jakes team and my horse with a saddle and bridle on it. On the 16th we wanted to get to the Marion Pike at New Cumberland, but it was so dark and I was walking ahead of the team picking out the best place to drive. I slipped in a rut over boot top deep and got my feet wet. We got to Will Apples on the 17th in the afternoon.
Jake and I was to look for a place for them. They wanted a 160 acre farm. We picked out three farms for them and wrote them. One place was NW Quarter Sec. 16, Franklin Twp; another was 1 /2 NE Grand 1/2NW Quarter sec. Sims Twp; another was what was to become the home place SE 120 SW of sec. 12, Sims Twp. They wrote back for the description of the place and an estimate of the oak timber. On Sunday Dave Knull and I counted it [the farm] as having over 25 trees that would measure 3 feet and over at the stump; 25 trees 2 feet and over and 30 trees 18 inches or over. I sent this report back home and in a few days got an answer that they would be out to see the place as soon as they got the corn planted.
When they came, I took them in a 2 horse wagon to several places. They decided on the home place in sec. 13. They went back to Ohio for the summer. Then Grandmother was very much displeased with what they had done and said that they would move out west and she would never see them again and she had no way of traveling but with kit, the old gray mare and a carriage.
In September, Father and Oscar and Elmer came out with two loads of goods and to sow wheat and make some arrangements with Mrs. Mark to move in September. When the wheat was sowed, they drove back to make the sale to move. I went back to drive the milk cows for them. The sale was on Monday. We were going to start for Indiana on Wednesday but so many people came in to help us off that we did not get started that day. On Thursday morning it was the same. The house was full but mother said if they got started, Cyrus and I would take the 6 head of cows and we were to go 1 mile or so and 1/2 mile east of St. Parris and wait for the wagons. We got there ahead of them. They came in about an hour. There we ate our first lunch at the Apple schoolhouse.
We started again and drove west of Picqua for the first night. Saturday we at sundown was 2 miles NW of New Cumberland and the hash box was empty. It was filled at Union City last. We could not get anything at New Cumberland so we decided to drive to Jonesboro, Indiana for more hash and stay overnight. We go to 3 Jonesboro at 6:30 all hungry and tired. Daddy and others went in a store to get food for supper and breakfast. Anna hollered and called at the top of her voice. The old hound was tied under Oscar's wagon and he bellowed and made everything attractive for the loafing population which turned out in force to see what was taking place and to ask all kinds of questions imaginary as to who we were and where we were going and ready to give all kinds of advice.
One man told us to go 1 mile N and 1/2 mile W on the Kokomo Road and stay overnight as the stock was about worn out. We went to the schoolhouse as he said. There we let everything rest while we ate lunch. Then we decided to go home 10 more miles. Cyrus was all in so he got on the wagon. That left me with the cattle. The wagon drove on and was soon out of sight. The cattle were foot worn and tired which made them hard to get along. The wagon got home at 1:00. I drove the cattle W to Roseburg Road, then N to Roseburg, then W home. When I got 1/2 mile W, I was all in as I had to heel every cow or they would lay down for me. When I got to the woods I decided we would take an hours rest. That was 1:30 but I forgot and went to sleep setting in a fence corner.
When I woke up daylight was peeping over the eastern horizon. I soon had the cows on the move again. I did not get home again until 7:30. I ate my breakfast, shaved, cleaned up, ready for the night, then I laid down for a rest. But, they did not call me and I overslept again, never waked until after dark. I had an appointment with a girl at Swayzee. All I could do was go to sleep again and forget it and square myself with her for next Saturday evening.
Jesse married Mary Ann Haines (1862-1919) on January 12, 1884, about a year after the move to Indiana. It’s possible she was the girl he was talking about in his letter.
Original file from www.rootsweb.com [HI24454] posted on Ancestry.com by Larry
Hurley August 1, 2004. lhurley918@earthlink.net.
Howell-Richards Family History - June 2021
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