V
WESTWARD HO!
MIGRATION TO OHIO
Just before the turn of the
century, a large influx of pioneers migrated into the Northwest Territory. The people floating down the Ohio River by
flatboat settled first along the riverbanks.
Among them, in 1796, came Han Philip Shinkle (Stephen and Margreta
Bolender's brother in law and brother).
He and his family moved to Ohio, taking a flatboat from Pittsburgh down
the Ohio River,* landing at the mouth of Bullskin Creek, in what is now
Clermont County, Ohio. Han Philip is
listed as a farmer and shoemaker.
According to A History of Clermont
County, Ohio: "For several years they lived on the flatboat ready to
cut loose, at any Indian trouble."
I wonder if he made shoes for a living while remaining on the boat. In June 1805, he bought 300 acres of land
near Feesburg, Ohio.
The Northwest Territory incepted the land that is presently Clermont County as a county in 1800. Ohio became a state in 1803.
This opened the way for a migration of Bolenders and Shinkles to Ohio, and
eventually beyond. A settlement began
on a hilltop overlooking the river, (known as Shinkle's Ridge), located in
Lewis Township, Brown County, Ohio.
Among the German families were Shinkles, Bolenders, Fees, Kellams, and
many others.
Several stories have been handed down indicating that Stephen and Margreta came to Ohio by flatboat in 1800 with ten children. There are two discrepancies with this date,
however. First, in 1800, they had only
nine children. Second, there are
records that contradict these stories:
·
The Church Record of Evangelical Lutheran Pastorate in
Aaronsburg, Haines Township, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania states, Stephen's
wife Margreta Bolender received
communion on June 5, 1802.
·
John Blair Linn's book (mentioned
in previous chapter) reads, Stephen Bolender was Constable for
Miles Township at the January, 1801, Centre County, Pennsylvania court
sessions.
·
Records show that on June 28, 1801,
Stephen Bolender of Clermont County,
Northwest Territory, bought 334 ˝ acres on the Ohio River from James and
Elizabeth Tatman for $1474.25. (Clermont County Deed Book A1, p 98)
·
Stephen and Margreta's last child was born in
Pennsylvania on April 13, 1802.
Allowing nine months from time of conception, Stephen would have been home in Pennsylvania around the middle of
July 1801.
·
On February 20, 1802, Stephen bought 1,000 acres (military
survey #1657 in the name of Major Francis Taylor) from Col. Richard Taylor
(father of Zachary Taylor who would become the 12th president of the
United States), Jefferson County, Kentucky.
He paid the sum of 450 pounds. (Clermont
County Deed Book A1, p 174.
Considering the above records, it appears that Stephen
made a trip or two to Ohio ahead of his family to make the land purchases. He then returned to Pennsylvania for his
family sometime around June 5, 1802.
One may reasonably conclude that they made the trip as a
family in the summer of 1802. The
approximate ages of the children would have been as follows: Marie Barbara 21,
Peter 20, Catherine 16, Henry 14, John 11, Jacob
(my 2nd great grandfather) 9, Elizabeth 7, Christian 4, Stephen 2,
and Joseph a few months old.
Let's just imagine what may have taken place as our
grandparents, Stephen and Margreta
(Peggy), and their family began their adventure westward. They must have
sold their farm and most of their livestock, loaded up their necessary
provisions, said goodbye to their friends, then traveled by covered wagons
pulled by horses over dirt roads, through forests and across streams to the
edge of the Allegheny Mountains.
Probably
their biggest challenge came while crossing the Allegheny Mountains. The children must have been thrilled at the
sight of the mountains. Their dad, Stephen, probably had told them stories
handed down from Peter, their
grandfather, about the mountains of Europe and the trip down the Rhine. Around the campfires at night, while supper
was cooking, he may have told stories of his father's voyage across the ocean
with storms, seasickness and arrival in the New World.
The journey across the Alleghenies would have taken them
up and down steep hills. Stephen's older sons would have helped
place rocks under the wheels when the horses stopped for rest, while the older girls helped their mother with the
younger children.
Rain would make the trail slick and treacherous. During dry spells the dust would choke. The linen cover over the wagon afforded
protection from the hot sun and the rain.
From the other side of the mountains to Pittsburgh they
traveled about forty miles, possibly stopping at villages along the way. At Pittsburgh, located on the banks of the
Ohio River, Stephen probably
purchased a flatboat to carry his family and possessions down the river.
Making ready to head into the wilderness frontier where
supplies were few, let's imagine what they may have loaded onto that boat. Maybe a team of horses, their wagon
(disassembled into smaller pieces), cattle, seed for planting crops, tools for
building and farming, maybe some basic furniture for setting up housekeeping,
and last, but not least, a supply of food for family and livestock.
Try to picture them carefully loading their possessions
onto a flatboat, adjusting the load so as to keep the boat level. After each member of the family had found a
comfortable spot to sit or lay down, they would begin the trip down the river,
floating slowly, through the wilderness heading west.
In the evening, they must have maneuvered the boat to
shore, tied it to a tree, gathered firewood, cooked a meal, and bedded down for
the night. I can picture the mother
with the daughters and small children sleeping in the covered wagon while dad
and the older boys slept on the riverbank under the starry sky. The hooting of an owl, croaking of frogs,
chirping of crickets and other night sounds along the river may have frightened
the smaller children, although mom assured them they were safe from 'wild' animals.
As the sun arose in the sky the following morning, the
children would enjoy bathing in the water close to shore. They may have skipped flat stones across the
water, chased butterflies and plucked juicy blackberries from the bushes along
the riverbank.
After a tasty breakfast around the campfire, maybe dad
read a passage of scripture from the family Bible. After the family had sung a German hymn, it would be time to load
up the boat. Pushing off from shore, they would start another day’s voyage down
the lazy river carried along by the current.
I can picture the crowded boat slowly gliding along, dad and the boys
using rudder and long poles to steer the boat safely between the banks of the
river. They may have seen deer or bear
coming to drink at the waters edge.
The children may have gotten restless as the crowded
boat offered little space to play. Mom
and dad would have needed patience to make this move with all the hardships
along the way. I'm sure Stephen kept a wary watch along the
banks for Indians, hoping only for friendly ones.
Can't you hear the children incessantly asking dad,
"How much longer 'til we get there?"
After many days of navigating the river heading westward, Stephen would
begin watching for familiar landmarks pointing the way to their tract of land along
the river's edge.
Excited cheers and clapping must have filled the air,
when dad finally called out, "We're about there. Boys, turn it towards the shore.
Tie this rope to that oak tree over there." As the family disembarked, stepping onto the
shore and looking around at their new homestead, the children would immediately
want to go hiking in the woods to see what they could discover. Soon though, dad would call through the
trees, "Come back here right now!
We've got to start getting this boat unloaded. You'll have plenty of time to look around later."
Flatboats were built for one trip down the river. They could float down the river, being
carried along by the current, but were incapable of making the return trip back
up the river. After the settler had
unloaded and dismantled the boat, he used its lumber and timbers for building
the house and barn.
My Uncle Harry Bolender has handed down a story about Stephen, "Stephen cleared
some land and built a cabin. When he rode on horseback to go after the cattle,
bears would rear up on their hind legs along the way. Stephen’s three dogs would nip the bear’s legs driving them
away."
A History of Clermont County published in the mid 1800’s states,
"Stephen
was the first Bolender in Ohio. He
was one of those honest, thrifty pioneers who opened up Clermont County to
civilization." Actually, where
they first landed was Lewis Township, Brown County, Ohio. Much of the property that Stephen purchased over the following
years covered both Clermont and Brown Counties.
From a book titled
American Ferryboats, Author John
Perry, and Pub. Wilfred Funk, Inc., N. Y:
"In Feb. 18,1792, Robert
Benham obtained the first license to operate a ferry from Cincinnati across the
Ohio River. It was obtained from
Winthrop Sargent, Sec. of the Northwest Territory. By 1796, there were around ten licenses granted and in May 1797
William Fee of Hamilton County received a license to cross to a point above
Bull Skin Creek."
Various
history books state that Stephen
Bolender operated a ferry business around 1800. Not all of the stories that end up in the County History books
are accurate. Some accounts state
that John Boude, born in Lancaster
County, Pennsylvania was operating a ferry from Bracken County, Kentucky, to
the Ohio side as early as 1800. This
could possibly be the ferry that William Fee first obtained license to operate.
It is on record that Stephen and Elizabeth (Betsy) Bolender sold their
334 1/2 acres on the Ohio River to John Boude for $1,750, February 20,
1816. (Clermont Co. Deed Book N-12,
p 500). Mention is made of other names
of men who were involved in the ferry business. But no legal documents or records have been found to
confirm that Stephen ever ran his
own ferry business.
Stephen, with his large family, must have been both thrifty and
industrious, to accumulate enough money to purchase so much land. His inheritance from his father's estate was
only 28 pound sterling. My brother,
Leon, has recorded that through 1817, Stephen had purchased parcels of land
totaling 1,536 acres.
Several accounts of Stephen
mention his having been a Dunkard minister in the German Brethren Church. As a child, I remember my Dad telling that Stephen was a Dunkard minister.
I misunderstood him believing Stephen
was a 'drunkard' minister. It was a relief when this was clarified.
An article in the History
of Brown County states:
"He [Stephen] was a local minister of the Dunkard faith and labored
zealously for his church. He possessed
a strong will, mind and constitution,
and had a special admiration for a truthful man."
Another article from the Fulton County [Illinois] Heritage, by the Fulton County Historical
and Genealogical Society, written about Henry Bolender, son of Stephen, who moved on to Fulton County,
Illinois in 1839, states:
"Henry and his father Stephen were ministers in the German
Baptist Brethren Church. The
denomination was nicknamed Dunkards because in their belief in baptism..."
(by immersion dunking them under the water).
More information about the Dunkards has come to light
from Merle Rummel, presently a Brethren Pastor in southern Ohio. He states:
"A group of Brethren (German
brethren called Dunkards) settled on farmable land on Bullskin Creek. This was near the border of Clermont and
Brown Counties. These were the Millers,
Moyers, Housers, Hoovers, Rohrers, Metzaars, Shinkles, and Stephen Bolender. Many of
the families were from Centre County, Pennsylvania. Abraham Houser was the resident Elder, with several of the
Shinkles and Stephen Bolender as
ministers. The church was called Olive
Branch, located between Felicity and Cedron in Clermont County."
Around 1811-12, the horrendous New Madrid earthquake
took place. Also a frontier spiritual
awakening was taking place, known as the 'Great Revival.' The Great Revival began at Cane Ridge,
Bourbon County, Kentucky, spreading like wildfire in all directions, including
Ohio's Protestant churches. Many of the
frontier Brethren (Dunkards) became an integral part of it. In 1826, this resulted in the expulsion of
their church from the Annual Meeting Brethren of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and
Virginia, because the association did not go along with the Revival. After being expelled from this Association,
they eventually became a Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Stephen
Bolender died before this split and change took place.
Peggy, Stephen’s wife, learned the art of blacksmithing. They did
blacksmith work for people along the river. Family heirlooms handed down
through the family include an iron ax head and an iron chain made by Peggy.
I don't know the location of these today.
An interesting note: Stephen (Jr) and Joseph Bolender,
the two youngest sons of Stephen and Margreta, married sisters Rebecca and
Elizabeth Hancock. Stories handed down
through the family say they were descendents**** of John Hancock who signed the
Declaration of Independence. He was the
one who signed his name in large bold writing, saying, "I want the King to
be able to read my signature without his glasses."
Margreta (Peggy) Bolender died January 10, 1804 at the age of 44, and was buried
somewhere on their farm (exact location unknown). Life on the frontier without a doubt was very hard not only for Peggy but also for Stephen and the children after her death.
In 1807, Stephen's
brother in law, Philip Jacob Shinkle, died. He had been married to Stephen's
sister, Julianna. In THE REPORT, Volume 35, Issue 1, spring
95, Published Quarterly by the Ohio Genealogical Society, there is a copy of
the Estate Documents. Stephen Bolender was named among six of
the Executors. A list of Shinkle's
debts includes three debts owed to Stephen
Bolender, one for $4.50, another for $66.15, and a third one for
$141.70. A public auction was held
December 4, 1807, listing that Stephen bought: two bags (probably hemp
or burlap) for $1.63 and 1/2 cents, a walnut plank for $8.82 and a rope for
$0.81.
After having been a widower for seven years, Stephen was remarried to a (Mrs.) Elizabeth Kellum Fitterman (no doubt a widow). Betsy,
(short for Elizabeth) was 26 years
of age, and Stephen 55, when they
married August 19, 1811. From this
union came five children making a total of 15 for Stephen.
Records show that as Stephen was getting on in years, before his death, he divided up
the properties among his children. A
quote from the Cincinnati newspaper article, dated August (?), 1912, states:
"It is said that Mr. Bolender divided his farm equally
amongst his heirs, by allotting it off into as many tracts, and then writing
the number of each tract upon a slip of paper, putting them all into his hat
and shaking them up, then letting each heir walk up and pick out a slip."
Farther along in the article the writer states:
“It is not unusual to see a family
of ten or twelve children. In their rapid increase in numbers, the Bolenders and Schenkels spread throughout southwestern Ohio, and into Indiana and
Illinois, some even going to other sections of the United States." In another place, it states: "These families have coursing through
their veins the sturdy Teutonic blood of Northern Europe, which has contributed
so largely to the best citizenship of America.
Coming from the valley of the Rhine, in Germany, the first families of
the name sought refuge in America from the religious persecutions and ravages
of monarchy so common in the eighteenth century."
I want to give my opinion that the German heritage is neither greater nor less than any other national heritage claimed by the citizens of the United States of America. Each ethnic group of citizens has made its contribution.
The names of Stephen's
and Betsy's five children were William H. born 1812, Julia Ann born 1813,
Daniel born 1817, Margaret born 1818, and Mary A. born September 12, 1819.
Five months after Stephen
and Betsy's last child, Mary, was born, Stephen
Bolender, aged 63, died on February 25, 1820. He is buried in the Benton
Christian Chapel Cemetery, located in Franklin Township on Richey Road, off
State Route 756, near Felicity, Ohio.***
By the mid 1900s, the original grave marker had deteriorated to the
point where the legend was no longer legible.
Sometime in the 1960's, my brother, Ralph Bolender (now deceased) of
Felicity, Ohio, replaced it with a small monument. Someone else has since
replaced this one with a larger monument.
Stephen's second wife Elizabeth (Betsy) Bolender died March 2,
1861 at the age of 76. She lived for 41
more years after Stephen's
death. It was good that the children
had a mother until they reached adulthood.
In the Aug. (?) 1912 issue of the Cincinnati newspaper, a brief history is written of the annual Bolender-Shinkle Reunion which was held at 'Bolender Acres.' This location may have been one of the Bolender farms in either Clermont or Brown County. The first reunion had been held in 1881, in Benton Church near Felicity, Ohio with only a few people attending. Later, the reunion was held at Bolender Acres.
Over the years the Bolender-Shinkle Reunion grew in
popularity until by the early 1900's attendance had reached thousands,
including not only Bolenders and Shinkles, but many friends who came from far
and near. My cousin, Warren Bolender,
from Lexington, Kentucky, said that his father (my Uncle Harry) related a story
about the reunion. "It was said
that John Philip Sousa, the famous band director and composer of many of
America's best loved marches, happened to be in the area with his band and was
invited to the reunion." How
exciting that must have been for the families to meet this famous person and be
entertained with 'world class' music.
In anticipation of the 1912 Reunion, the writer of the
newspaper article states:
"As we write this article, doubtless many a good"
haus frau" is in the kitchen preparing many dainty devices of culinary art
to tempt the palate of those who will be present."
Some interesting information was included in a brochure
sent to me by my niece, Debbie (Bolender) Ricamora. This booklet was distributed at The Gourd Festival at Felicity,
Ohio (September 5, 6, 7, 1975), celebrating the Bicentennial of the United
States. Neither the author of the
article nor the source of the information is cited in this booklet. But in summary, it states that William Fee
(no doubt, the same Wm. Fee that received a ferry license to cross the Ohio
River above Bullskin Creek) and Peter Hastings purchased the land that was
later to become the village of Felicity.
Laid out on April 19, 1817, the proposed town included 72 lots,
embracing 22 acres, with streets paralleling the points of the compass.
Since Mr. Fee and his family continued to live in and to
manage the village, it was commonly known as 'Feestown'. When Stephen
Bolender died in 1820, the village was still called Feestown. It was William Fee's daughter, Margaret, who
named the town 'Felicity' when it was incorporated in 1836.
Note: Other historical happenings around the time period
of Stephen's death:
·
George Rogers Clark, died 1818
·
Daniel Boone, died 1820
·
Stephen Bolender, died
1820
·
President James Monroe, elected for
2nd term, 1820
·
Ulysses S. Grant (18th
President of the US and Civil War General), born 1822, at Pt. Pleasant, Ohio,
just a few miles down the Ohio River from Bullskin Creek.
*The Ohio River Valley has a reputation for allergies
and sinus problems. When I lived there,
I had frequent sinus problems that disappeared when I moved to Indiana. The Indians who lived there had a name for
the Ohio River Valley. They called it
'Spay-lay-wi-theepi,' and the interpretation is 'Valley-of-the-Dripping Nose.'
**In 1974, archaeologists from the University of
Cincinnati made some 'digs' near the mouth of Bullskin Creek at Smith's
Landing. They discovered the remains of
an ancient civilization, which had existed approximately 3,000 years ago. These remains were left, no doubt, by the mound
builders, who built burial mounds throughout southeastern Ohio. They were residents of present day Clermont
and Brown Counties millennia before the Shawnee Indians wore trails from the
Ohio River, up Bullskin Valley and out into Clermont County. These 18th century Indians coming
centuries after the mound builders, had no knowledge of those previous mound
building Indians or their culture.
Just west of Bullskin Creek is an old Indian road,
called Bullskin Trace, running from the Ohio River north to Michigan. Our first knowledge of the Bullskin Trace
came when Simon Kenton, a well known frontiersman, was captured by the
Shawnees, taken to Old Chillicothe and made to run the gauntlet. He kept on running until he reached the Ohio
River and escaped. This old Indian Road
ends at Bullskin Landing (the sunken mouth of Bullskin Creek) at the Ohio
River.
***Monument Inscriptions prior to 1900 from
Cemeteries in Clermont County, Ohio, Vol. III
****I have not found any records to prove that the
Hancock sisters are descendants of John Hancock, but further research may find
this to be true.