BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF
EARLY SETTLERS OF
THE JENNINGS COUNTY
AREA

Please send in contributions to Biographical Sketches.

I am including here people who were in the area early and who lived or died in Jennings County.  Especially
in the southern part of the county where the border changed. The town of Paris was originally in Jefferson County
but because some of the local residents where enjoying their alcohol a little too much it was causing the Jefferson
County sheriffs deputies to have to ride to Paris frequently. So Jefferson County decided to give the area around
Paris to Jennings County. The situation became so bad that the state legislature had to get involved. Since the
boundary between the two counties was already set, an act of law was needed to deed over the town. In 1822
the act was approved, this has caused records from the area to be located in either Jennings or Jefferson County
so be sure to research both. It is a good idea to look at neighboring counties in any case. 

Joseph Ayers  born 1828 in Hamilton County, Ohio. His parents John and Sarah Ann Ward Ayers
moved with most of their 7 children in about 1842 to Jefferson County, Indiana.
   Joseph Ayers married Harriet Zener, December 2, 1851 in Jefferson County. They moved to Jennings County where they lived most of their married life. Joseph was a carpenter/cabinet maker he made furniture and coffins and helped build the covered bridge over Graham Creek that led to Paris Crossing. In 1861 he was elected first lieutenant in the Indiana Militia, Paris Guards, out of Paris, Jennings County, Indiana. In 2007 the original Ayers home still stands on Hwy. 250 in Paris. 
   Joseph & Harriet had 6 children Geneva "Jennie" Ayers born 1852 in Jefferson County, lived most of her life in Jennings, County, She married Patrick Bernard Flood in Vernon, Jennings County after they divorced she married Simeon Stewart. They lived in Paris, Jennings County all their lives and are buried in the Gaddy/Wycoff Cemetery.
   Mathias Zener Ayers born 1855 in Jefferson County, moved to California and then Washington
state where he is buried. 
   Sarah Catherine Ayers born 1857 in Jefferson County, married George Franklin Lawrence in 1873 in Jennings County, the Lawrences moved to Nashville Tennesse, where they are buried.
   Leonidas Ayers born 1860 in Jefferson County, lived in Paris, Jennings County all his life, in 1879 he 
married Martha J. Lett. Leonidas is buried in the Paris, Cemetery.
   Joseph L. Ayers born September 1, 1866  of whom I have no information, possibly died young.
   Magdaline L. Ayers born 1868 in Jefferson County, married Wilburn "Wib" Malcomb about 1890 in Jennings County, after his death in 1920 she married Simon Risser, they moved to Liberty Center Indiana. Magdaline is buried beside her first husband in the Coffee Creek Christian Church Cemetery near Paris Crossing.
   Harriet Ayers died in 1900 and Joseph Ayers died in 1920 and both are buried in the upper section of the Paris, Cemetery, known as the Gaddy/Wycoff Cemetery.


David Zener; born 1797, Harpers Ferry, Virginia. Davids father Mathias Zener was from Germany 
he was a Hessian Mercenary during the Revolutionary War and was captured at the battle of Yorktown.
His mother was Elizabeth Gerringer of Fredrick County, Maryland.
   David Zener emigrated to Lexington County, Kentucky in 1799, and in 1810 to Clark County, Indiana.
During the War of 1812 David served in Captain Ziba Holt's Company of Infantry, 13th Regiment of the Kentucky detatched Militia, Oldham County, Kentucky. He fought in the Battle of New Orleans
and in January of 1815 he walked home from there after discharge. During this journey his feet were
badly frozen and he was nursed back to health by Indians, with whom he stayed for nearly 3 years.
When he returned David married Phoebe Baker of Hagerstown, Maryland in 1818 in Hardinsburg,
Kentucky. Phoebe and her sister Elizabeth Baker both ended up in the area, Elizabeth married Samuel Wells both she and her husband are buried in Pisgah Cemetery in Graham Township, Jefferson County, IN.
   In 1819 David and family were living right on the Jennings and Jefferson County line, where they had
their home and David had a mill on Neil's Creek, many of the boards for the plank road between Paris
and Madison were made at this mill. This farm was later owned by the family of John Ray. Another
endeavor the Zener family was involved with was weaving of cloth which Harriet Zener fashioned into
clothing. David imported Marino sheep with which Harriet and her daughters made into colorful plaids.
They also planted a long row of Mulberry trees and imported silk worms which were used to make silk
cloth similar in texture to shantung. Grandmother Zener made this silk cloth for years on her looms for
which special metal parts had to be imported. When large silk mills in the east came along it ended this business and over the years a blight destroyed most of the Mulberry trees. 
   David and Pheobe Zener had 11 children, I will be including sketches on some of them who married
local individuals.
   David Zener died in 1877 and is buried in the Gaddy/Wycoff section of the Paris Cemetery, Pheobe later moved to St. Clair County, Missouri to live with her son David G. Zener and is buried there in Pleasant Grove Cemetery.

David G. Zener born in 1837 near Paris, in Jefferson County. His parents were David 
and Pheobe Baker Zener. He took over running the Mill on Neil's Creek and on June 8, 1862
married Zerilda Gaddy daughter of Benjamin S. and Sarah Cobb Gaddy. Zerilda was born
July 11, 1842 in Jennings County. Around 1876 David and Zerilda struck out for the west,
with other members of their family, settling in Tiffin, St. Clair County, Missouri. After the
death of his father his mother went to live with him. They all lived in Missouri until their
deaths and are buried there. It is interesting to note a number of other connected families
also had members who moved to the same area in Missouri, including the Wells.


Sarah Zener born April 8, 1826 near Paris, in Jefferson County. Daughter of David and
Phoebe Baker Zener. Sarah was the second wife of Charles (Rodney) Kendall Laird, known
locally as C.K. Laird. C.K. was born in Vermont and was a merchant and farmer who lived
in Paris for a time. He has written an interesting autobiography which gives some fascinating
insights as to life in the 1800's. Sarah and C.K. had 5 children Brooke, Flora, Miriamme,
Graham Bright and Julia H. Sarah Zener Laird died April 30, 1894 and is buried in Fairmont Cemetery, Madison, Indiana.

Lydia Zener born Oct. 2, 1823 near Paris, in Jefferson County. Daughter of David and Phoebe Baker Zener.  It is stated in some local records that she first married a Dixon in about 1840 but we have not verified that information. She then married Robert S. Bain, they had at least 3 children, David Z., William & Sarah. She last married John M. McJimsey and they lived in Montgomery County, Indiana. Lydia lived past the age of 100. 

Catherine Servilla Zener born Feb. 13, 1828 near Paris, in Jefferson County. Daughter of 
David and Phoebe Baker Zener. Catherine married John Troutman Foster in 1853, they had one son George Hiram Foster. John Troutman Foster was the son of Hiram Foster and Mary "Polly" Trumbo. They lived for a time in Graham Township, Jefferson County, Indiana, near Deputy.

Malinda Zenor born Jan. 20, 1834 near Paris, in Jefferson County. Daughter of David and Phoebe Baker Zener. Malinda married Francis Marion Landon in 1856 in Jefferson County. They had 5 children, Phoebe, William, Jennie, Clara and Sarah Agnes Landon. Francis Marion was a Miller and both he and Malinda are buried in College Hill Cemetery, in Lancaster, Jefferson County
Indiana.

  

Wilbur A. McClanahan was born Nov. 10, 1856 in Jefferson Co., IN, near Deputy.
He was the son of Harvey and Martha Hutton McClanahan. On Aug. 29, 1883 Wilbur married
Luella Roseberry, daughter of Samuel and Julia Ann Waldsmith Roseberry. Three sons were
born to Wilbur and Luella, Arthur, Frederick, and Loren Roseberry McClanahan. Luella died
on Jan. 20, 1895 when Loren, the youngest son was only two and a half years old. Wilbur never
re-married. He raised his sons with the help of his parents and a cousin, Cora Hammel, who
lived with the family and became a surrogate mother to the boys. Wilbur was a school teacher
in the Deputy area. He also helped his parents on their farm. Later he became superintendent
of schools. After he retired from teaching, he had a grocery store in Paris Crossing. Wilbur
died June 10, 1935. At the time of his death he was living in Paris, IN where he had owned
a home for several years next door to his older sister, Alice Wells. Alice, known as Allie, was
first married to Almond C. Earhart in 1869. They had two sons, William, born 1871, and Harvey Earhart, born 1875. I don’t know if Mr. Earhart died or if he and Alice divorced, but between
1875 and 1879, Alice married Martin Wells. They had one son, Melville Wells, born 1879.  I
want to thank Ardath Blue for contributing this biography to the Jennings County Site.

William Barber Lewis, Sr., was born around 1783,likely in Marlboro, Ulster County, New York,
on the lower Hudson River.  He was the son of a Zaoc(k) Lewis, and was a stone mason by trade.  He
moved to Seneca County, New York, living on the shores of Seneca Lake, where he married a Mrs. Sarah
Butler (nee Miller) probably around 1810. They the later moved to Steuben county, New York. 

Sarah was a woman of Irish descent and had flaming red hair, according to family tradition. Her father,
it is said, was a Martin Miller.  It appears Sarah was divorced (between 1805-June 1810) from a Phineas
Butler.  Sarah already had two sons, Sidney and Lewis, the former of which was prominent in Jennings
County. There is speculation that this Butler line was already related to the Lewis family as well.

Herschel Lewis, great-grandson to Daniel Lewis, tells of the migration to Indiana:  "William and his family
left  (Steuben) County, New York, in the fall of 1821, likely in a covered wagon pulled by oxen. They
traveled overland some 150 miles to the Allegany river where William either paid for boat transportation
or built a raft and then floated downstream to Pittsburg, Penn. The Allegany joined the Monongahela at
Pittsburg to form the Ohio River. Some time was spent in Pittsburg building a more elaborate raft for the
trip down the Ohio.

Imagine such an undertaking, it was not an endeavor for the faint of heart. William has a wife who was
8 months pregnant and children ages 1, 2, 5, 7, 8 & 10. Timothy was the 2 year old and my
great-grandfather (Daniel) was 8. The trip was completed and the raft tied up a few miles below
Madison, Indiana. On April 25, 1822 John M. Lewis (the youngest child of William and Sarah Lewis)
was born on the raft."

Mary Lewis Osterman reports that a family named the "Langdons" came with the Lewis family.  It must
have been quite an endeavor.

William had come to Indiana to claim land due to his service in the War of 1812.  Apparently there was
some difficulty obtaining it so he purchased land along Graham Creek.  However, he eventually settled
along Slate Creek and that is where he and Sarah raised the family. William apparently continued work
both as a farmer and as a stone mason.  It is said he helped to build at least 2 of his sons' houses; both
of which still stand (the John M. Lewis house in Jackson County and the Daniel Lewis house in Jennings County).

The Lewis line intermarried with many notable names in Jennings County, but the family with which they
were most associated was the Samuel Adkins Keith family that had settled down the road a piece (across
from what is now called the Keith Cemetery). 

William died in May 1864, around the ripe age of 81, and is buried in an unmarked grave, according to
family  tradition, in the "Old" Coffee Creek Baptist Church cemetery next to his daughter and son-in-law, Elizabeth Lewis Hall and Samuel Hall. Sarah Miller Butler Lewis preceded William in death, having
passed on November 26, 1848 at age 67.  Thank you, Johnathan Lopnow for this contribution to Biographical Sketches.





Return to Table of Contents