Himes Saga – #1 – Dan And His Son John

Next saga: the Daniel Himes family! Although this family was not original land owners, they were still Montgomery Countians early on with most remaining here, others spreading elsewhere. Daniel Himes was born in Roanoke County, Virginia (near Bonsack’s Station) 24 May 1795 possibly the son of Abraham and Elizabeth Himes. Dan married there 30 Oct 1817 to Mary Sarah (Polly) Wrightsman (born in Botetourt 15 July 1796), daughter of John W. and Mary Christina Coulter Wrightsman. Neither sets of parents came our way!

Bonsack Station was on a trading path and went back to 1740, the path going from Lynchburg VA to Big Lick, VA. A very large number of German Baptists went there after the Revolutionary War. Oddly, it was not named Bonsack until 1852 after that family donated land for a depot (Virginia and Tennessee Railroad) and before that time was “Stoner’s Store,” (Wikipedia) and since Stoners from Botetourt County came to the area where the Himes came in MoCo, seems logical that Stoner’s Store was actually where Daniel was born.

Parents of nine children (John, David, Susanna, Daniel, William, Jacob, Mary Ann, Abraham and Sarah Elizabeth), the first five were born in Botetourt County while the others were born in Ross County, Ohio where Dan, Mary and family moved in 1826.

An interesting tidbit in regards to the family’s move to Ohio was that they had two dogs with them but while crossing the Ohio River, one of the pooches decided he wasn’t going, jumped off the ferry, turned around and swam back to Virginia. Love it!

At Ross County, they built a nice log cabin and remained for 19 years while Daniel and some of the older sons farmed near Hillsboro. Some of the sons also worked for an iron forge, and others at a distillery. (Family Histories of Montgomery County, Indiana).

Ready to roam again, aiming for an even better life, Daniel Sr. and son Dan walked to the Ladoga area in the Fall of 1845 where many families from Botetourt County had settled, including some of their own family members, William Gish and his wife, Julia, whom the Himes’ came to visit and who helped them get settled but the Gish family shortly moved on to Jefferson County, Kansas.

The Himes remained here and leased some property from Samuel Britts, cleared the land and built a cabin where they stayed many years. Britts even furnished the two Dans a team and Beniah Hostetter accompanied the men back to Ohio to get the family. Although in Clark Township (about a mile north of Ladoga) area where they did business, and the children completed their growing-up years and had children of their own, the early property was actually in Scott Township. Dan (thanks to K&M on FindAGrave) and Polly are buried at Harshbarger Cemetery (24 May 1795-17 Feb 1879) and May (15 July 1796 – 19 Oct 1866).

I nixed four other Sagas as I didn’t like the way they were developing, and almost nixed the Himes’ as well, but I think I may have figured out just what happened to their oldest son, John. He is listed in the 1850 MoCo census as age 35, making him born in 1815 or so. The Family Histories (p 196) states he was born in 1818 (family bible gives Sept 17th) died in 1894, having gone back to Ohio to spend the rest of his life. There was no proof to him returning to Ohio, just a statement, and to the contrary, I have found some good proof (hoping this’ll prompt a good Himes researcher – have a couple in mind) – to do some more research on this.

So, here we go. Eliza Jane McVey (born 22 Feb 1818 in Ohio died 21 May 1904 in Danville, Hendricks County, Indiana) daughter of Solomon and Rachel Couts married John on 5 December 1839 in Highland County, Ohio. At the time of Eliza’s death she was married to Elias Grimes, passing in Hendricks County; however, she was buried in the Ladoga Cemetery where I think her husband (1818-1854) is buried. She is buried as Eliza Jane Himes (census and tombstone shows a 3-year diff). The two are together in the Clark Township 1850 census, with their children: John; Olivia W. and recently born Rachel. Before his death they would have another daughter, Martha. If John went back to Ohio, why would Eliza Jane be here and his children stay here, marry and pass away? So, I truly believe the John Himes who passed away in 1854 was Daniel and Mary Wrightsman’s son, husband of Eliza Jane McVey and father of John William; Olivia W; Rachel A and Martha Jane. Had another thought that he may have been Daniel’s by a first wife but is in their bible as theirs. I also found many John Himes in various Ohio counties but none fit. It just all makes sense that he would NOT have gone back to Ohio without his wife and children and they must have had a good marriage since she was not buried with either of her other two husbands but as Eliza Jane Himes near John with similar stones.

John William son of John and Eliza Jane was born in Fincastle, Ohio 22 Feb 1843 and passed away at 2020 N Talbot in Indianapolis 23 May 1930. He is buried in the Old Thorntown Cemetery with his wife, Hephzibah (Grove). They were married for many years and parented George, Lida, Martha, Charlie, John M. (after his father?). John did the mail route in Sugar Creek Township, Boone County for quite some time as I wondered why they’d be there. Question solved!

Olivia Himes shows-up in two census records and then seems to disappear. On the 1900 census her mother notes that some of her children had already passed away so guessing one was Olivia.

Rachel married William E. Pearson 16 March 1870 and they were parents of at least two sons, Clarence and Charles. Rachel as many of this family, disappeared after the 1880 census thus according to mom’s 1900 census, another one gone. Her husband remarried Lula Brewer and died 20 June 1912. Buried Ladoga Cemetery.

The last child I found of John Himes and Eliza Jane McVey was Mattie (Martha Jane) who married William J. “Worth” Pennington. She was born in Clark Township 5 July 1851 and died 4 July 1908 in Jackson Twp, Putnam County, one day shy of her birthday. They were parents of four children: Minnie Della; Hattie Belle; Harry Alvin and Edgar Cornelius.

So, several grandchildren for John Himes, the man who disappeared. The man I feel is buried with his beloved wife in Ladoga, but not 100% sure of his fate. Thus, you have read about Daniel the fellow who begins this Saga and my seasoned theory of his oldest, John — now, be prepared to read about the rest of Daniel and Polly Wrightsman Himes’ family!

Karen Zach is the editor of Montgomery Memories, our monthly magazine all about Montgomery County. Her column, Around the County, appears each Thursday in The Paper of Montgomery County. You can reach her at [email protected].