Harshbarger Saga #2 – Jacob

Lancaster County, PA (or Franklin) was the place this week’s Saga feature, Jacob Harshbarger, entered the world on 24 June 1792, moving with his parents to Roanoke Valley as a child. In Roanoke 25 Oct 1814 he married Salome Ammen (born 17 May 1796 Botetourt Co VA daughter of Michael Ammen (Ammon) and Catherine Deardorf) and they were parents of eight children. They both passed away in Clark Township (6 June 1871 for her 6 Feb 1866 for him) and are buried in the Old Harshbarger Cemetery – no stone for Salome, however – I find that so sad and Jacob’s (photo by Joe Spears, FAGrave) isn’t in the best of shape!

Jacob was quite the go-getter, running his mill on Tinker Creek, grinding grain for the neighborhood which was shipped all over. He sawed lumber, crushed limestone, sold dry goods, had a cooper’s shop and was just an amazing worker. As was his father, he was completely against slave labor and didn’t want to be around it. He sold his property, clearing $7,000 and in November 1831, brought his family to Indiana where he was said to have acquired about 3,000 acres of land. (A Place Apart: The Harshbarger Family, p 33). For sure he purchased 160 acres in the same section his father would purchase a chunk (Sect 12, 17N 4W).

I believe it was this Jacob who joined-up for the War of 1812 as a Private under Capt. James Paxton. Listed in the US Army Register of Enlistments, he was 5’6 ½” had brown eyes, black hair, dark complexion, was 21, living in Botetourt enlisting May 12, 1812, signing up for five years. The registry had who his captains were, where he was when, the last entry May 12, 1817 when his term expired while in New Orleans. If I am correct that this is this Jacob, then he evidently got home long enough to marry Salome (25 Oct 1814 – he showed up for roll call a month later).

Their first child, Lydia came along 9 Oct 1816 Roanoke, evidently after another visit home from pop. She married 13 Oct 1836 in MoCo to William Myers (born 4 Sept 1816 Botetourt VA) son of John and Katherine (Frantz). Lydia passed away before William (24 Sept 1892, he 1 March 1907) and they are buried in the Ladoga Cemetery, adding Elizabeth, Salome, Daniel Ammen, Jacob Franz, Alice Susan, and Mary E. Myers to the ever-growing Harshbarger crew. These children married into the Frantz, Graybill, Yenawine, O’Neall, Baldwin and Gill families and to my calculations, there were 30 grandchildren.

Jacob and Salome’s first son, John was but 12 when he passed away and was buried in Virginia.

Catharine Harshbarger born the very last day of 1821 married Zachariah Fisher Mahorney (b 8 Aug 1818) who was a successful farmer in Clark, complete with a beautiful, large home to raise their eleven children, most remaining in the area: Jacob W (moved to Pasadena, California); Zachariah; Sophia (migrated to Kansas); Byron T; James M. Perry; Phoebe Lee; Samuel David; Mary L; Martha J; Daniel Milton; and John Calvin.

Next is Salome married Madison Britz Anderson who had a large molasses manufacturing business near Ladoga which began when sugar cane first was introduced into Montgomery County. He used much research and trial and error to make the best for miles around. They had three sons (William L. educated at the Ladoga Academy and Ky University, graduating from the Meadville Theological School in PA – he preached many local and family funerals; George W and Jacob) and two daughters, Emaline and Salome. Salome Harshbarger Anderson lived to 86, passing 10 Jan 1911 – buried Harshbarger Cemetery and active in the Dunkard Church, Madison having passed in 1902 at age 80.

Elizabeth Ellen Harshbarger (b 23 March 1826 Roanoke, VA) is next, marrying Samuel Parker Frame. They spent time here where all their children were born (Mary Jane; Alice Ann; Marion Ammen; John Parker; Jacob W.; Samuel Webster; Wallace Morton; Eliza and Lillie) but the family moved to Greene County, Missouri where SP and EE are buried in Ash Grove Cemetery with many of their children and grands. I believe Mary Jane was the only one who remained here with her husband, Joe Graybill and their two children, Homer and Salome, then Wallace passed away in Aztec, New Mexico, the others remaining in their adopted home of Ash Grove, Mo. Elizabeth tallied at least 38 grandchildren.

Jacob, Jr. married Mary Myers and they remained in Clark Township. Their child, Marion passed at age one, but four others blessed their home (Amanda married Elijah Brookshire who graduated from the Central Indiana Normal College at Ladoga, engaged in farming, taught school, studied law and was a state Representative; Salome married David Davidson and mothered four daughters and three sons. Henry Mede Harshbarger died young (20 Sept 1876) married Lavina Peffley about a year before that and so sadly, Henry only knew his daughter, Lula (who married Ezra Goshorn) for a couple of weeks. George William, the last child of Jacob Jr. and Mary Myers married Eva Canine and they were parents of Earl, Mary and Everett Harshbarger.

Another Frame marriage occurred here when Ann Harshbarger wed William. Three boys and three girls (kind of a common theme in this family) blessed their home (George W; Marcus D; Mary E; Jane Salome; John C. and Alice A.) and mainly stayed in our area.

Anyone knowing anything about the Ladoga area will certainly recognize Himes – this one, Daniel who married Mary Louise Harshbarger (last child of Jacob and Salome Ammen) wed (16 May 1850). Daniel did carpentry, farmed and raised stock. Their children were: Salome; John Caylor; Liddie Valentine;

Samuel H; Silas M; Mary E; Daniel Peter; Sophia Edna; Charles C; Charity J.; Minnie A; and George. This Himes family would make a great saga, as well!

Many of the Harshbargers and their children and grandchildren were farmers in the Ladoga area and we thank them for keeping that going since as you check above you’ll notice names of many local farmers yet today.

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].