Jesse Whitcomb was born on 8 April, 1773, recorded in both Colchester, New London County Connecticut and Chatham (now East Hampton), Middlesex, Connecticut. He was the son of Israel Whitcomb (1733-1811), a farmer, and Mary Rowley (1739-1825). Jesse was a shoemaker and a carpenter. Charlotte Whitcomb, in her book The Whitcomb Family in America published in 1904, documented "... in politics he was a democrat; in religion a Free Will Baptist and served many years as deacon in the Baptist church in New York and Indiana."

    Family history says that he married Sarah Peck in 1792. Sarah was probably the daughter of Richard Peck (1753-1837) and Sarah Tennant (b. 1754), born on 13 November 1776 in Shelbourne, Massachusetts. (The sole source of this is page 102 of A Genealogical Account of the Descendants in the Male Line of William Peck, One of the Founders in 1638 of the Colony of New Haven, Conn. by Darius Peck, published in 1877). Jesse and Sarah lived in Windham, Green County New York by the time their first child was born in 1793. In 1810, they were in Reading, Steuben County New York. They moved to Knox County Indiana sometime between 1815 and 1820, probably closer to 1820. (The 1815 date is from the family history recorded by granddaughters, that said three of the Whitcomb sons walked back to New York from Indiana to get work. One of these three was Hiram b. 1804, and it was said that he was 11 years old at the time.) Jesse and Sarah and their children made their way from New York to the Ohio River, floating on a raft down the river until they came to the mouth of the Wabash River. They poled their way up the Wabash to Vincennes, where they lived in a big log cabin with a bark thatched roof.

    The United States Federal Census for 1820 official enumeration date was August 7th. There is a Jesse Whitcomb on that Census living in Wayne, Steuben County New York; however, this family has only four members and is possibly the eldest son Jesse and his wife Lucy Child and two children. More likely to be Jesse and Sarah's family is Jessy Whicum living in Palmyra, Knox County, Indiana with a family of 10. One daughter had died at the age of two, and a son fell from a chestnut tree at the age of 14, although the precise date of this accident is not known. Assuming three of the sons had returned to New York by this time for work and if another child or two was also living elsewhere, that could leave 10 that were counted with Jesse and Sarah in Knox County.

    In 1830, Jessie Whitcomb was listed on the U.S. Federal Census in Knox County Indiana, with a family of 7. In addition to the sons who had gone back to New York, some of the children were living in Dearborn County at this time, and one daughter was married in Knox County in 1824, so she would have been enumerated in her husband’s household.

    Jesse and Sarah Whitcomb moved east from Knox to Jennings County sometime between the 1830 Census and 1834. Hiram Whitcomb was among the three sons who went back to Tyrone (then in Steuben County) New York and worked there for a time before marrying. Jesse Jr., the eldest, and Hiram both had children born in New York. Hiram and his family came back to Indiana in 1834, when his third child was about six months old. They moved near Jesse and Sarah who were then living in Six Mile, west of the Jennings County Seat at Vernon. It is believed Jesse Jr. and his wife moved back to Jennings County about the same time as Hiram.

    Federal Land Office deeds show that members of Jesse's family began purchasing land in Spencer Township by 1834.

    Jesse died in 1842 and is buried in the Six Mile Cemetery in Hayden, Spencer Township, Jennings County.

Sarah Peck Whitcomb

    Charlotte Whitcomb wrote that Jesse Whitcomb married "the widow Sarah Peck" but there is no evidence Sarah was married prior to her marriage to Jesse.

    There is an oral family tradition about Sarah that was preserved by her great-granddaughter Alice Bruner Wohrer. Some of the information she recorded appears to be inaccurate, but some parts of her description are no doubt true, as they came to Alice from her grandfather, Sarah's son Hiram Whitcomb. Specifically, not substantiated by any historical record in the following description of Sarah Peck Whitcomb, Alice wrote that Sarah Peck was born in England and that her father was a younger sibling in a noble family who brought the family from England because his older brother inherited everything. The book by Darius Peck that names Sarah Peck Whitcomb's father as Richard Peck mentioned above refutes this English birth. On sons Hiram, Orin and Anson's 1880 census records, Sarah's birthplace was reported to be Connecticut. Son John's and daughter Mary Whitcomb Stanhope's 1880 census say both parents were born in NY. Daughter Lucinda Whitcomb Lamphier said she was born in New Hampshire.

    Aware of the caveats noted above, the following is a transcript of the chapter on the Peck Family from one of Alice Bruner Wohrer's "Scribble Books." These are the family history books Alice wrote for her descendants. A couple of phrases have been taken from other Scribble Books and inserted to clarify or amplify the version quoted.
"All I know, is what I remember my mother and Grandfather saying. She was very proud of her English birth, A Blue Blood - High rank - but her father was not the first-born son so inherited an annuity with his brothers and sisters of like birth - succeeding birth. Of a large family and raising another his annuity was not large enough to meet demands. So he determined to emigrate to America. Thus lost his income. Must have come to Connecticut for that is where she was married at 15. Jesse Whitcomb who was 19 - She always looked for a sum of money when her Uncle died - She loved England and was still in her 80th year Tory enough to say 'Long live the King.' Talked of an inheritance, a legacy, from the old country. It never came. And I heard Grandpa say that she never would for England was too Smart for that, to let inheritance go out of her country. The crown took it. ...

"She, and the family claimed that her Uncle - the first born - was Lord Beckett. of England.

"She had the name of acting as a Pioneer Doctor. She studied nature and sickness, and learned to alleviate suffering - ... Hearing the first cry of many babies beside her own. Setting bones of frontier Woodsmen - were many in pioneer days, when felling the forest trees. Traveling night or day. Had a pony, Saddle and bridal - using a torch at night that she might see the blazed (marked) trees to guide her thru woods, across streams, and a guard against wolves or other marauder of the wilderness.

"Had a vegetable garden in which she too raised herbs - she may have called them "yarbs" - gathered them in their season dried - compounded medicines for all the ails of children - for Ague bad in her day. Knew the properties of Strabonium lifeeverlasting, penneyroyal, all of which grew wild - such as Sourdock and yellow dock, Burdock, many others and mother Poppies raising the kind that have large seed pods - when they formed she pricked them with a pin, a juice ran out forming a small drop which hardened and turned black - these she carefully gathered to use as an anesthetic. At that time she was popular.

"Mother said her father's name was Samuel, that he broght his family here. ..."

Children of Jesse Whitcomb and Sarah Peck

Charlotte Whitcomb's book, mentioned above, includes a list of the children of Jesse Whitcomb and Sarah Peck. Her source is not stated, but it seems likely she was corresponding with someone who was keeping track of the Whitcomb family in Jennings County:
Jesse
Sally married Joseph Ewing of Dearborn Ind. Died Six Mile
John
Nancy married Peter Justus New York, went to Jenning County in 1837 and settled at Six Mile, Indiana.
Amanda
Philo
Orin
Hiram b. Jan 9 1804 Windham, Greene co NY
Anson
Lewis
Lucinda married Lampher
Richard died young
Two unnamed daughters

    Alice Bruner Wohrer lists these same children in her Scribble Books in a slightly different order. The list may have come from her uncle Charles Scudder Whitcomb (1829-1928). He was the eldest son of Hiram, and was living with Alice in Hayden the last few years of his life.

Picture of Charles Scudder Whitcomb

    Some of the birth information in the following list does not fit the historical records, and is not consistent among the Scribble books, although it is more consistent than the historical record in that it provides a typical one to two-year gap between children. It is included here because Alice has recorded the names of each child's spouse, which can be used to provide a basis for family research for some descendants who have no other source that proves a connection to Jesse Whitcomb and Sarah Peck. Alice believed only the older of these children were born in New York, but that could be to make the family history consistent with Hiram's trip back there when he was 11 years old. This list has the same list of children as Charlotte Whitcomb's, adding the name "Mary" to the two unnamed daughters in her book.

    Jesse b. 1793 - said to be in 1812 war mar. Lucy Child in Tyrone N.Y.
    Sarah [also listed as Sally] b. 1795 [also listed as 1796] - mar. Joseph Ewan of Dearborn Co. Ind. Spent most of their life on 6 Mile r. Jen. Co Ind.
    John 1797 [also listed as b. 1810] mar. went to Northern Ind.
    Nancy 1799 [also listed b. 1802] mar. Peter Justice in D. Co came to Jen. Co Ind, on 6 mile
    Amanda 1801 [also listed as 1806] 1st Snyder 2nd Joe Powel
    Philo 1803 [also listed as 1812] mar. Heaton sister of Bessie Heaton)
    Hiram 1.9.1804 Windham, N.Y. Green Co.
    Anson 1806 mar. Ann Child
    Lewis 1808 [also listed as b. 1798] mar. Mary Galtry
    Lucinda 1810 [also listed as b. 1800] mar Sandford Lamphire
    Orin 1812 [also listed as 1814] mar. Bessie Heaton
    Richard 1814 [also listed as 1816] d. 1830 [also listed at 1828] fell from a chestnut tree - broke his neck.
    Mary 1816-died 1818 [also listed as b. 1818 d. at 2 yrs of age]
    Mary 1818 born the day Mary died so given her name. [also listed as b. 1820 same day Mary died had same name] - mar. Lucratis Stanhope.

    The following facts are taken from historical records where available, and include Find a Grave memorial information, which may be inaccurate.

Biographical Sketches of the Children of Jesse Whitcomb and Sarah Peck

    Jesse Whitcomb was born in New York on 24 October, 1794. He moved to Indiana with his parents, but went back to Steuben County to find work. He married Lucy Childs (b 15 November, 1798 in Gardner, Massachusetts), and returned to Indiana around 1834, after several of his children were born. Jesse purchased land in Spencer Township and was a lawyer and farmer. He was appointed Post Master on 8 Mar 1837. He was Judge of the Indiana Supreme Court and was known as Judge Whitcomb. Alice Bruner Wohrer contrasted Jesse Whitcomb Jr. with what she said about his brother Hiram (her grandfather) writing, "The oldest Jesse was more for study Law Civics, writing etc. - in after years coming to Jennings County Indiana he became an Associate Judge in the County, had the first appointment as Six Mile Post Master, took part in every move to better or develop the community." Jesse Whitcomb died on 17 February 1851 in Spencer Township, and is buried in the Whitcomb cemetery in Hayden. Lucy Child Whitcomb was still living at the time of the 1880 census, listed with her son Albert and his family, still in Spencer Township.

    NOTE: Jesse and Lucy's third child, Albert born January 9, 1827 in Steuben County N.Y. is the ancestor of Governor Edgar Whitcomb, as follows: Albert Whitcomb born 1827, father of Harry Young Whitcomb born about 1868, father of John W. Whitcomb born 1891, who was Edgar Whitcomb's father.

Nancy Whitcomb was born in New York in 1798. She married Peter Justus (born 23 Jun 1797) probably in Indiana before 1825. He bought land in Spencer Township, Jennings County on 2 Aug 1838 - this was the same era as Nancy's brothers were buying land there. Peter died on 11 June 1848 and is buried in the Six Mile Cemetery in Hayden. It is believed Nancy died by 1860 in Jennings County since she is not on any census there or with children.

    Philo Whitcomb was born in New York on 1 January, 1799. Charlotte Whitcomb stated he was married in Jennings County and had three children before moving to Fort Wayne, Indiana. However, most family trees have him marrying Mary Heaton in New York in 1818, with his first child born there in 1819 and the next born in Indiana in 1820. If this is correct, he may have been the third of the three sons who went back to New York from Indiana. He is possibly the Philo Whitcum listed in Laughery, Dearborn County Indiana in 1820 with a wife and two females under ten, matching the family tree information. Alice Bruner Wohrer stated that Philo, his brother Oren, sisters Nancy (Justus) and Sally (Ewan) were in Laughery when Hiram Whitcomb arrived there from New York with his family in 1834, but Philo was already enumerated in Allen County in 1830, so that is not accurate. Alice also thought he was younger than Hiram, but the census records and births of his children align better with the 1799 date for his birth. Philo purchased several partial sections of land from the Federal Government in Allen County between 1834 and 1839. Alice wrote about him, "Philo went to Allen, Co., Ind. became interested in its development - became endeared to the people - took part in its official welfare as was found out by a Co. Hist. Soc. during Indiana's centennial." He was appointed postmaster in Root, Allen County, Indiana, on 3 June, 1835. He died on 7 April 1842. Mary Heaton Whitcomb outlived him by more than 40 years, dying on 28 April 1884. Both are buried in Allen County Indiana.

    Sarah (Sally) Whitcomb was born in Greene County New York in either 1795 (according to Alice Bruner Wohrer's notes) or on 28 March 1800. She married Joseph Ewan on 5 Apr 1821. According to his biographers, they were married in Dearborn County. Alice listed Sally among the siblings of her grandfather Hiram Whitcomb, living at Laughery, Dearborn County when Hiram and his family came back to Indiana from New York in 1834. Sarah and Joseph purchased land at Six Mile in Spencer Township in 1836. Joseph donated land for the new Baptist church in the Sullivan community in about 1837. From the Spencer Township History, also by Alice Bruner Wohrer, Joseph served the community for 17 years, going by horseback to Vernon to pick up and deliver the mail back to the Six Mile Post Office, then took mail on to the Sullivan Community. Their land was where the O & M Railroad built the station they named Hardenburg. Sarah died in Newton County Indiana on 4 Jul 1879 and was buried there. Joseph was living in Watseka, Illinois with one of his daughters when he died on June 1, 1897 at the age of 100.

    Amanda Whitcomb, born 12 Dec 1801, married Henry Snyder on 22 Sep 1824 in Knox County Indiana. It would appear that the family lost track of Amanda, because Alice Bruner Wohrer wrote: "Also was found a notice of a marriage of a daughter Amanda to a Mr. Snyder and that she had a son. I was not told of this as I knew her as Aunt Mandy Powel. So Snyder died and she remarried. Never heard of the son till lately - He must have died young." However, there is a Louis or Lewis D. Snyder, who at age 22 appears on the 1860 U.S. Federal Census with Amanda age 58 and Henry Snyder also age 58 in Marion, Allen County Indiana. He was still living in 1920 when he married Laura Jane Withrow (formerly Imler) in Lansing Michigan. Lewis' birth location on the marriage record was listed as "Ft. Wayne" Indiana. His mother's name is given as Amanda Whitcomb, his father was Henry Snyder. Amanda Snyder, wife of Henry, has a Find a Grave memorial for her death on 17 March 1862, buried in Bethel Baptist Cemetery in Poe, Allen County, Indiana. I was unable to locate Henry Snyder after the 1860 Census when he was listed as a farmer in Marion, Allen County Indiana with the Middle Town post office for his address. Since she died just two years later when Alice Bruner Wohrer had just turned ten, the Powel name may be a misattribution.

    Hiram Whitcomb was born on 9 January, 1804. He married Mary Childs (born 1809) on 14 Dec 1828 in Steuben County, New York. A description of Hiram, the story of his trip with his family from New York to Indiana in 1834, and details of his lumber mill operations are included separately. Hiram and Mary lived the rest of their lives in Spencer Township. Hiram died on 1 October, 1888. Mary Childs Whitcomb died 8 January 1890. They are both buried in the Hayden cemetery.

    Orin Whitcomb, born 11 December 1805, married Elizabeth "Betsey" Heaton in Dearborn County Indiana on 8 April 1828. He purchased land in Jennings County in 1836, but was one of the Whitcombs who moved to Jasper County Iowa in 1854. He was listed as a farmer when he and his son Henry registered to vote in Mendocino County California in June 1866. Charlotte Whitcomb said he became a minister in the Free Will Baptist Church and moved to Calpella. He died there on 20 February 1891. Betsey died on 11 Feb 1892. They are buried in the Little Lake Cemetery in Willits, Mendocino County.

    Lewis Whitcomb was born in Greene County, New York in 1808. He married Mary Goltry in Jennings County on 30 September 1839. They lived there until after the Civil War, when they moved to Iowa where Mary was enumerated in 1870. Find a Grave memorial page for Mary Goltry, who died in on 8 October 1895 has the claim that Lewis left his family to search for gold in California and was never heard from again. Other family researchers variously state he was buried in the same cemetery in Lucas County Iowa as she was, or that he died in Colorado.

    John Whitcomb, born 28 September 1809 in New York, was not given a biography in Charlotte Whitcomb's book. Alice Bruner Wohrer gave his birth year as 1797. Alice listed him as the third Whitcomb brother who walked back to New York to find work, but this seems unlikely. His marriage to Esther Hedge in Jennings County on 6 Aug 1836 is the earliest available record for him. John and Ester moved to Marion, Allen County Indiana by 1850 where they already had six children when they were listed in the Census. They then moved to Allen, Warren County Iowa by 1860 where he farmed. John died in Warren County on 3 November 1882. His wife died on 5 January, 1899.

    William Anson Whitcomb was born on 1 March 1814. He married Ann Childs, the sister of his brother Hiram's wife Mary Childs, on 2 Feb 1837 in Jennings County. Ann may have come to Jennings County with her sister and brother-in-law in 1834. They lived in Jennings County where Anson built the first of the family mills in about 1840. In about 1850, when he encountered health problems, he sold his interest in the mill to his brother Hiram. Anson moved to Jasper County Iowa in 1854, along with his brother Orin, and sisters Nancy Lamphier and Mary Stanhope. Anson was a merchant there in 1860, but by 1870 he was farming. Anson died in Jasper County on 28 May 1881.

    Mary Whitcomb may have been born in August 1816 in New York, but according to Alice Bruner Wohrer's records, she was born in 1818 on the same day her sister Mary died at the age of two. This may or may not be accurate, because Mary consistently shows up with a birth year of 1815 or 1816 in the records. She married Lucrates Stanhope on 2 Sep 1833 in Jennings County. They lived there until 1854 when they joined the wagon train to Iowa along with Orin, Anson, and Lucinda. I did not find Mary and her husband there in 1860, but in 1870 they were listed in Bloomfield, Polk County, Iowa. In 1880, they were living in Greenfield, Warren, Iowa and Lucrates was farming. Lucrates had retired by the 1885 Iowa State Census. He died on 9 Jan 1892, and Mary died on 7 September 1897. They are both buried in Warren County, Iowa.

    Lucinda Whitcomb may have been born in 1809/1810, but her census records would consistently make her birth year 1820. If the family had moved to Indiana before 1820, and those same records correctly state she was born in New York, her birth would have been earlier. Lucinda married Sanford Lamphier on 30 September 1843 in Jennings County. Lucinda and Sanford moved to Iowa in about 1854 along with her sister Mary and brothers Orin and William Anson. Lucinda died on 24 May 1895, and Sanford on 6 February 1899. They are both buried in Warren County, Iowa.

The Whitcomb Mill

    The following is a transcription of the information recorded by Alice Jane Bruner Wohrer, granddaughter of Hiram Whitcomb. She wrote this in 1925. It was about this time she was taking care of her uncle, Charles S. Whitcomb, who is the likely source for the details she provided.

    It is supposed to be the 2nd mill built in Spencer.

    First established by Anson Whitcomb, on the banks of Six Mile creek, just north of where John Barrier lives, (now 1925 he having died we will say, north of the house on the east side of Six Mile on quite a hill and at the bridge spanning the creek.)

    Anson Whitcomb entered 40 acres of land here and marrying Ann Child, his brother Hiram's wife's sister he built a house using one room for a store set out an orchard clearing some fields and building this mill in or before 1840. He entered this in 1836.

    He put a dam across the creek one half mile north - just south of the old O & M right of way - no R.R. there then. This conserved water making a pond, from this he dug a race to the mill throwing the water to the mill wheel. This race could not be maintained as like our great Panama it was always caving in.

    He used a large undershot water-wheel for power. This too proved a failure.

    He then moved the mill up the creek setting it just north of where the Rail Road later crossed the creek making the dam one fourth mile higher up the creek, digging another race, putting in a Turban-wheel for water power. Hand shovels were used to dig these races.

    This second mill was built in the early 40's. Losing his health he [Anson Whitcomb] sold this property to Hiram Whitcomb and sons, Charles and Shepherd. This was about 1850.

    Then Anson sold his land moving his family and goods to Union, or was it Six Mile or just Cross Roads. [Note: Anson Whitcomb is listed on the 1850 U.S. Federal Census as a Miller in Grain-Mill products]

    They operated it one year. The clearing up of the country caused the water to run off quickly. There was too little of the year that the mill could be run. Only when heavy rains came would they have sufficient water to make power enough for 2 or 3 days run so it became advisable to make another change.

    They built a mill out of that one, near or just South of their residence. The house on a hill, the mill in a hollow with a strip of bottom land just large enough for all purposes of a mill site.

    All parts of the old mill used as much as possible - but instead of the water-wheel, steam power was installed.

    The machinery was purchased in Madison, shipped to Vernon over the J.M.&I road. They went to Vernon with Ox teams to get it. A two yoke of oxen wagon hauled the Engine & boiler out just as they would a huge log. This was in 1852.

    The log yard was on the hillside so the logs were rolled down into the mill and onto the carrier on the second floor, where an upright saw soon made lumber out of them.

    These men dug a reservoir south of and in connection with a newer failing well which supplied the house with the best of cool limestone water for drinking and general use. It was braced and made safe with large timbers framed - similar to a building - these covered over with soil - could not be seen from the house or yard.

    A pipe connected with the boiler was always ready to fill it. At a faucet the men got their drinking water without trouble.

    A sweep was first used to lift the bucket of water from the well for family use, replaced by a curb and windless. The water here was constant.

    In 1852 the Railroad was surveyed through the log yard. This was accepted and the log yard changed by building a trestle work. Starting at the second floor it was carried down and out (east of the mill) into the yard many feet. A car was made, buying the wheels, to roll the logs onto, then pulled by oxen hitched to a rope or chain up to the saw where they were rolled off onto the saw carriage. The oxen were stationed at the mill, when the signal was given that the log was secure they were started for the low end of the trestle, as they walked toward the east the log was hauled up toward the west - thus the log & the oxen passed each other on the way. This added much expense to their daily outgo, for expenses of operating the mill.

    He [Hiram] not only gave this to the enterprise of Railroad building but bought $1000.00 worth of stock, was called a director for a while. Went to Cincinnati to attend Directors meetings of the Company. But after a while the business was manipulated in such a manner that the small stockholders were driven out. He accepted a small sun for his shares and quit.

    Dorcas Wilder was a loser by buying stock also some $600.00. Only got about $300.00 back.

    The usual oxsheds, a blacksmith shop and two or three houses for the convenience of mill hands were added.

    Fine trees were sawn into lumber and sold to the Railroad company, fencing & ties, and much taken to Cincinnati to be manufactured into Cars.

    This mill burned down in 1857 or 8 - in cold weather.

    In rebuilding it was enlarged. The boiler had not been destroyed, by straightening a shaft and the Piston rod it was used again. All else, including a chest of carpenter tools costing $150.00 was destroyed except some fine Ash lumber they had just sawn the day before. They hitched oxen to 4 or 5 planks at a time with chains and pulled them to a place of safety, though some were scorched they all sold to make cars with.

    They now built the sawmill about as it was before the fire but to the Grist mill they added a room so they could put in fine Burrs to make flour and the Bolt for sifting it.

    They soon learned to make what was then called the best of flour and made it for a large circle of customers.

    The larger business was the sawing.

    They were surrounded by a wonderful growth of timber. In time they cut it up for house & barn building, for shipping to Cincinnati - crossties and fencing for the Railroad company.

    In the days of the grandeur of this mill the farmers made rail fences.

    The logs were hauled to the mill by ox teams, these teams with their drivers yielding their "Gads" [goods] were familiar sights in the 50's and 60's.

    It was interesting to see them pulling a great log, winding down a hillside in & out through a labyrinth of tall trees. They exemplified patience and strength.

    There were low sheds for their shelter south of the mill. A Blacksmith shop stood west and across the road from the mill.

    Hiram Whitcomb built his house on the hill above the mill and north of it. They looked down upon their business. Charles Whitcomb built his house south of and across the road from the mill. Two houses were built out of the mill in the valley for hands as was one west of the Blacksmith shop.

    This was a center for men to gather, get their grist and exchange gossip and news.

    This was the case at every mill and while no village sprang up they were interesting centers.

    Hiram Whitcomb was born in a log cabin in Windham, Greene County New York on 9 January, 1804, the son of Jesse Whitcomb and Sarah Peck. He came to Knox County Indiana with his parents when he was young; then, with two brothers, walked back to Steuben County New York for work. According to the family history, he was only eleven years old and the youngest of the three.

    From Alice Bruner Wohrer's Scribble Book: "Hiram told of his drowning at 14, was swimming with a party of boys. Somehow he went under - soon missed. When rescued he apparently was dead. Was arm pumped, rolled over a barrel and on the ground - finally he came to, breathing restored etc. Told us it was easy to drown, just went to sleep dreamed of everything he had ever done that was wrong, thought of a birds nest he once robbed, etc. But Oh the coming to consciousness again. Thousands of needles stuck him all over at once - he suffered agony. Yet was glad afterwards to have been saved, then lived to reach his 83rd year. Had an eventful life full of work and mishaps yet, his portion of success ending his days in easy fashion. Paralyzed last three years."

    In New York, Hiram worked for a "Mr. Shepherd - Architect and Contractor learned the Carpenter trade and to carve flowers and emblems in wood. Making ornamental pillars for churches and colonial homes stylish at that time." He married Mary Child on 14 December 1828. Mary was born 7 February 1809 in Gardner, Massachusetts, the daughter of Daniel Child (1780-1831) and Sarah Benjamin (born 1787). Hiram and Mary lived in Tyrone, Steuben County, New York. The family believe that Mary's mother died when Mary was 20 years old, which would have been the year Hiram and Mary's first child, Charles Scudder Whitcomb, was born, though she may have died in late 1834 or early 1835. Charles Whitcomb told the story of the end of his grandfather life, as recorded by Alice Bruner Wohrer: "He was 5 years old and loved to visit grandfather Daniel, who had accidently been shot in the hip. Was in town, met a man on street, stopped in front of the gun store to talk a moment. A man inside the gunship was examining a gun. It went off, striking Grandfather in the hip. It never healed, laid him up bedfast a year "but he was the sweetest about it, played the violin lying on the flat of his back. Just the sweetest music." [This must have been told to Charles, since he was actually about 18 months old when his grandfather Daniel Child died from his wound.]

    Hiram and Mary had two more children, Jane Elizabeth (b. 15 Oct 1831), and Shepherd Whitcomb (b.6 Dec 1833) before, as his granddaughter put it, "Wanderlust again possessed his mind." Although he was doing well, he knew his father and mother were in Indiana with the rest of the family. They left New York for Indiana in 1834. He procured a covered wagon with a feed and tool box, oxen, a horse and cow, implements, a tool chest at least. They brought their bedding, clothing, a few cooking utensils - enough to set up housekeeping in a new country -- and said goodbye to her brothers and sisters, though at least some of them soon followed. Alice described their journey:

    "Was told too that he used a team of oxen. Had a horse at least for so much was made of Mary riding horseback carrying her 6 month old baby Shepherd on her lap, Charles 5 Jane 3 - in baskets hanging on each side of the horse. Must have had a sidesaddle for they were common in that day. Did 700 miles of the trip from Tyrone to Dearborn Co. Indiana. No roads, no bridges - but creeks and rivers. Starting west, kept that direction they drove into Ohio, driving for 6 miles along Lake Erie, then turned southwest going diagonally across Ohio till they reached Miami River a few miles north of Cincinnati Ohio, camping and cooking their food as they came along. No mention of the weather or of great suffering. She was said to ride horseback to rest at times with a babe in her lap, Charles and Jane in baskets hung on each side. Shepherd the baby's name. Then a westward route to Dearborn County, Indiana, landing on Laughery Creek where he had brothers and sisters. The parents had in the meantime moved from Vincennes, Indiana to Six Mile in Jennings County Indiana. Hiram's objective. Oren and Philo, Nancy and Sally went to Dearborn for work. The boys married Heaton sisters - Nancy married Peter Justice. Sarah married Joseph Ewan. All these came to Jennings County later. Mary told a grandchild about the lakeside drive, that she did not get to see it. Becoming tired took her babe back into the wagon, laid on the bed, fell asleep. Hiram and Charles (5 years old) admired the big waves but did not waken her. She a bright woman, a lover of nature - too.

    "In crossing the Miami river near Cincinnati Ohio, rains had caused it to flow bank full. Not knowing the ford got into too deep water. The team had to swim. The wagon tilted, shocked by the current, but so heavy it did not tip over. Scared, thankful when they reached safety again.

    "It took them three months to make the trip. Resting with these relatives a while, they again loaded the wagon moving on to Jennings County (one days drive now), six miles west of Vernon, Indiana the county seat, arriving at a little log cabin - just a little south of his father's and mother's home. Their cabin was on the toe of a hill in Section 29, at the bank of Six Mile Creek. Hiram and Mary got to a little squatters abandoned cabin - doorway minus a door, one little square hole -- a 10 foot by 12 foot squatters vacated cabin, near night, cool, snow falling. Father said 'here is our home' and Mother looked at it. A cabin, no door (no window glass or parchment.) Tears rolled down her cheeks - courage came again, she wiped her eyes with her apron, climbed down went in started supper - made things comfortable for the rest of them, caused the rest to think it fine. But to her it was sad, she had left a locality where there were fine educated people. She was born about the time of Longfellow, knew or knew of Alcott sisters, loved literature, here now she was denied all that appealed to her ideals, except her children. Mary had some education and had taught school in New York.

    When she finally told me of this disappointment, I was sorry for her, she revealed another woman. The why she seemed more intelligent and refined than those around her. She inculcated the finer feelings in their boys and girls with a desire to learn, to see and feel what was going on in the world. A sister Ann was with them, afterward married Anson Whitcomb Hiram's brother - who took her to Iowa in [the] 1850['s]. The first chore was to fell a tree for their cow to browse on - leaves and twigs her supper. This story was told me by Charles who remembered it. He had a remarkable memory. Hiram left next day going to help a man build a house. She hung a quilt to the door - covered the window keeping out the cold, caring for the children over night. Wolves howled round all night, stuck their noses in under the quilt, seeing fire on the hearth never ventured in. Were not dangerous for not hungry. Many wild hogs in the woods.

    In two years he built a larger house, bought his brother's mill. It burned, so a better one was erected.

    He too built the 3rd home and 3rd Saw Mill - putting in Modern Machinery - of that age - and a grist mill. Making it a community value. A good mill patronized far and wide. The virgin forest, great trees of the finest soundest timber. Shipped oak and poplar to Cincinatti Ohio. Made many trips to "The City" in handling his product - brought back merchandize for his family and neighbors, as boxes of China and glassware and clothing. Brought his wife the first stove to come to the township - new lamps, many things to make for better living. The first hair covered parlor set, black covers - carved walnut. Had no parlor but put it in the living room. Yet I remember their old iron oil lamp - not quite but much like the one often pictured on Library tables. Had a longer, oval bowl.

    Hiram served as one of the three Spencer township trustees during the 1840's.

Alice Bruner Wohrer described her grandfather (compiled from multiple manuscripts)

    "Grandfather Hiram Whitcomb was open minded, not strictly religious that is not longfaced or puritanical. A democrat first vote for Polk (as that must be wrong,) lively, good company played the violin in his youth, danced and was the life of a party - was witty a jolly fellow in a crowd. Blue eyed dark haired became white at 40 - but still curled, just to comb it out, shake his head some it parted and made corkscrews.

    "Short of stature, strongly built, able to endure lot of work, but not educated like his ancestors for there were no schools for our first western pioneers. He was not of the student type, more like his mother.

    "The family were the first to give up spinning and weaving.

    "He going to Cin. O. to see to sales of lumber got money, always brought back some new thing to make better living - as the 1st cook stove to be brought to the township - first lamp (Oil) to take the place of the (pretty to me) iron grease lamp. A hair cloth suite of chairs a sofa and rocker or two, black and curved black walnut. They had no spare room so used in the living room.

    All the family were quick to pick up new ideas and when papers and magazines became available, they had them. Almost always walked to church 2 miles down the railroad track. He finally joined the Masonic Lodge in Hayden - for many years was prejudiced against them on account of the fuss made at the time of Morgan's disappearance because he divulged their secrets - but got over it and liked the order. Once joined the M.E. Church. Grandma promised her mother that she would join the Baptists or none - so couldn't go with him - and never became a member of any. Her children becoming Universalists may have consoled her."

    Hiram Whitcomb had a farm in addition to the mill which employed six or seven families. "He sold his farm to son Charles who took care of him until the farm was paid for, then William Henry and the rest took care of them." Hiram became paralyzed the last three years of his life. He died first, at age 84 on 18 October 1888. Mary Child Whitcomb spent her last days with her daughter Caroline W. Heaton. She was sick only an hour and died on 8 January 1890. Both were buried in the Hayden Cemetery.

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