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Hobart Pioneers |
| Samuel Sigler Made a claim near Turkey Creek. His log cabin is still standing on the first sand hill north of the Sykes place. His date of settlement is 1837. He had four sons and three daughters. One of the daughters married Hon. B. Woods, another married Joseph Mundell, and the third one, -not third as to age- married--- Walton, on Twenty Mile Prairie. Of the sons, Samuel is a merchant at Wheeler, Eli and Daniel are merchants at Hebron, and William Sigler is a merchant at Lowell. The father, Samuel Sigler,died a few years ago at Hebron. The sons have been for several years prominent business men. Some of the grandchildren are now in manhood and womanhood, and are scattered abroad and entering for themselves into active life. By T.H. Ball-1873 History of Lake County Hobart Pioneers- by Alice Mundell Demmon in 1934 The first permanent settlements in what is now the city of Hobart were made by a group of related families, three in number. My great- grandfather, Samuel Sigler, settled at the ntersection of Liverpool road and Ridge road on September 4, 1837. With him in his little company of emmigrants were the families of his two eldest daughters, Elmira Sigler Hurst and Melvina Sigler Mundell. The Hursts settled almost a mile south of the Sigler claim, on what later was known as the Francen place. Mundell family settled on Ridge Rd near Wisconsin St., the Mundell school is now occupying part of the original grant. This land was Government land and cost $1.25 per acre. Some of it eventually sold for $1,000 per acre. Samuel Sigler, son of Adam Sigler, a Methodist circuit-rider in the Shenandoah Valley and adjoining Potomac and New Creek regions and Elizabeth Michaels, was born near Fort Cumberland, MD, Sept 1, 1788. On Sept 28, 1809, he was married to Nancy Ann Taylor of Hampshire Co., Virginia, born Nov. 10, 1788, a daughter of Daniel Taylor and Margaret Thatcher, both natives of Hunterdon county, New Jersey. Daniel Taylor served as an officer during the seven years of the revolutionary war, and he received a large tract of land in Fairfax Co., VA at the close of the war, this immense region formerly owned by Lord Fairfax, being confiscated by Colonial Govt. and given to loyal Americans. The Taylor homestead is still in the hands of lineal descendants. After the National Road was partly completed, Samuel Sigler and family emigrated to Harrison County, VA. Here the two elder daughters married William Hurst and Joseph Mundell. In 1834, all three families emigrated westward, living two years in Elkhart county, Indiana, and then making their permanent home in Lake County Indiana. At the time they located here, Samuel and Ann Sigler had six children at home, Samuel Jr., William, Daniel, Eli, Ann Eliza (Mrs. Bartlett Woods), and Caroline Matilda (Mrs. Anderson Walton). William and Elmira Hurst had two children, Elizabeth Hurst (Hoyle) and Amanda Hurst (McClarkey). Joseph and Melvina Mundell had three children, Elmore, Samuel and Alonzo. Hence Hobart's first caravan of covered wagons contained seventeen persons. |