Roots Trek: St Clair Township

Showing posts with label St Clair Township. Show all posts

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Conrad Ickes' Will

"I, Conrad Ickes of Pleasantville, Bedford County, State of Pennsylvania being of ill health and of sound and disposing mind and memory calling to mind the frailty and uncertainty of human life and being desirous of settling my worldly affairs and directing how the estates with which it has pleased God to bless me shall be disposed after my decease while I have strength and capacity to do so, do make and publish this my last will, and testament and as to my worldly estate and all the property real and personal or mixed of which I shall die seized and possessed or to whom I shall be entitled at the time of my death or decease, I devise bequeath and dispose thereof in the manner following, to-wit: 1st. I give and bequeath to my wife all the property she brot along with her at the time of our marriage and all the property she has bought and paid for since, namely one cow one sewing machine carpet in the parlor and marble top stand and one chamber set furniture one common bedstead and bedding for two beds set comm. On chairs and one table one bereaw and plated ware spoons, rocking chair (Kane bottom) also to have the cooking stove and pipe and the parlor stove and pipe the sink knives and forks and all such other things necessary for housekeeping also my wife to have the use of the house and lot in which I now reside in for one year after my decease free and also the use of the pasture lot. Lot adjoining my farm near Pleasantville for the term of one year free also the one third of the income of the farm near Pleasantville. Namely one third of the grain one third of the hay and one third of the fruit and one third of the potatoes same as y share of the proceeds of said farm for one year after my decease. And further at the expiration of one year after my decease my wife Mary can have her choice of taking the use of the house and lot in which I now reside and the pasture lot aforenamed. At the rate of sixty dollars per year and in case that she should not choose to do so at the expiration of one year after my decease she is to receive sixty dollars a year annually our of the farm near Pleasantville it being the interest at 6 per cent of one thousand dollars it to be paid to her annually as long as she remains my widow and then in that case the house and lot in Pleasantville and the pasture lot containing five acres more or less to be sold.

"2^nd I give and bequeath unto my son Richard W Ickes the mansion farm situated in King Township now in the occupancy of said Richard, he is to have said farm by paying thirty seven hundred dollars for the same. Richard is to pay my grandson Harry C. Wilt one thousand dollars when he becomes twenty one years of age and if Harry should not live then this share or amount to be equally divided between my sons, namely Adam and Richard, and further Richard is to pay at the rate of four per cent for this amount annually to my wife so long as she shall remain my widow and when Harry becomes of age Richard is still to continue paying my wife as long as she remains my widow Forty dollars a year in this farm. And further I desire my son Richard W to take charge of my grandson Harry Wilt and care for him after my decease until he becomes sixteen years or old enough to go to a trade, also give him a free school education.

"3^rd I give and bequeath unto my son Adam Ickes the farm near Pleasantville adjoining Riley B. Davis and others by paying twenty seven hundred dollars for the same and if Adam should not want the aforesaid farm at the price I have fixed upon it, then my Executor is to sell it to the best advantage in cash or in payments as he may think best and the amount to be paid to my son Adam and further if the farm should not sell for twenty seven hundred dollars, Adam and Richard then to have equal shares after settling up my estate, paying all expenses share and share alike. My personal property to be sold and all debts to be paid including a note that my wife holds against me at the present time for two hundred dollars.

"4^th. I also bequeath to the building of a new Lutheran Church in Pleasantville the sum of two hundred dollars to be paid in manner follows – each one of my sons to pay out of his share one hundred dollars provided the church be built inside of two years from the date hereof of this will.

Lastly I do hereby nominate and appoint my son Richard W Ickes my executor.

"In testimony whereof I the said Conrad Ickes have to this my last will and testament contained on two sheets of paper and to every sheet thereof subscribed my name and to this last sheet thereof I have here subscribed my name and affixed my seal this 21^st day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty five. signed Conrad Ickes

"This is to certify that I Mary Ickes wife of Conrad Ickes after having been duly informed of the contents of the foregoing will of my said husband do accept to take the same after his death in lieu of any other provisions the law might make (namely three hundred dollars law) and do so of my own free will and without any compulsion. In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name and affix the seal the 21^st day of February AD 1885. signed Mary Ickes

"P.S. June 27, 1885. Now I sold Richard W. Ickes my son a note against Geo. A. Wilt and Lida V. Wilt given June 27^th 1877 and Richard gave me one hundred dollars for it Feb. 21^st 1885. Now if Geo. A. Wilt don’t pay this note before Harry C. Wilt becomes 21 years of age Harry C. Wilt must pay Richard W. Ickes or his heirs one hundred dollars with interest from Feb. 21, 1885 for this note. signed Conrad Ickes

"Now, Jan. 26, 1899, I, Harry C. Wilt, the within named grandchild and legatee of Conrad Ickes, dec’d, having attained full age at twenty one years, acknowledge that I have this day received of and from Richard W. Ickes, devises of said Conrad Ickes, the sum of eight hundred and sixteen dollars and 41 cents which with the note of George A. Wilt and Lida V. Wilt this day amounting to $182.59 is in full satisfaction and payment of the special legacy of One Thousand dollars herein directed to be paid by said Richard W. Ickes to me. signed Harry C. Wilt

"I, Clarence A. Diehl, Register for the of Wills and granting Letters of Administration in and for said county, do hereby certify that the foregoing copy of the Last Will and Testament of Conrad Ickes, late of Pleasantville Borough, Bedford County, Pennsylvania, deceased, is true and correct, so full, perfect and entire as the same remains of record and on file in said office. Will Book 6, page 339. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the 14^th day of March A.D. 1936. Clarence A. Diehl, Register

_______________________

Wow! If you took the time to read it that's some kind of long, confusing will! No wonder his wife Mary decided to take a lump sum of $300 rather than doing all that math and jumping through all those hoops.

Several aspects of this will is really of interest to me. First, considering the fact that his grandfather started life virtually penniless, relying on government land grants in payment of his Revolutionary War service, I'm amazed at the wealth and assets Conrad amassed. If the value he placed on his farms was correct, in 2016 dollars they would now be worth over $170,000. That doesn't even include the value of his house in Pleasantville, his 5 acre pasture lot in Pleasantville, his livestock, his household goods, and his farm tools. Considering the size of his grave marker he was probably one of the wealthiest men in the small borough of Pleasantville. I am in awe as to what could be accomplished in just two generations.

Second, I hate being reminded of the second-class status of women. He left his wife, Mary, all the stuff she previously owned before they were married and all the things she bought. And then he had to mention the $200 loan she was required to pay back. Unbelievable.

Third, this will makes me feel like I personally know Conrad as he mirrors someone else I know very well - my dad. It seems to me that maintaining his influence and control over his property, assets, and family members as long as he can - even after his death - was important to him. Other very similar personality traits jump out at me as well. They both created a much more comfortable lifestyle than that of their parents. They both seemed quite ambitious and worked hard to improve their lives. They both valued education and provided needed resources so their children (or grandchildren) could be well educated. Although not explicit in his will, culture at the time Conrad lived would dictate a very patriarchal system. I'm sure Conrad, just like my dad, maintained complete power and autonomy within their respective homes.

Is it genetic or coincidental? Is it nature or nurture? According to the experts the jury is still out. (Click here for more info.) Ask me and I'll tell you genetics absolutely has to be part of the equation.

One more interesting thing about the will. I copied it from a transcription that was done by my Aunt Alle. The last paragraph she included, which certifies the validity and the recording of the will, was not found in the will book. I have no idea where that came from. The strange thing is that it was dated 1936. He died in 1887. Why would it take 49 years to finalize probating his will, especially since his two sons died in 1914 and 1917? Well, while I was searching out other records that might explain it, I came across a piece of history I never would have expected. You'll have to wait for the details, but let's just say it involves property foreclosure, eviction, unemployment, marital separation, economic depression, adultery, murder, and suicide. O. M. G.

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All original content, images, commentary, etc. copyright © by Joy Denison 2015-2016. All rights reserved. All writings, poems, speeches, essays, images, scans, likenesses, etc. by Adam Ickes (b 1845) as well as personal histories, images, and all other content by all persons referenced and discussed within the pages and posts in this blog may not be copied, shared, or reproduced in any way without expressed permission by the owner unless included here from other referenced sources or are historical records already considered to be in the public domain.

Conrad Ickes and Elizabeth Lingenfelter Ickes

Conrad Ickes was born in 1812, probably in the house located on the original homestead in Dutch Corner. His parents, Adam and Mary, and his grandparents, John and Mary (Elizabeth) were all living there together.

Various tracts of land were bought, sold, inherited, divided, sub-divided, etc. between John and Adam and Adam and Conrad. Until I dig deeper through all the land records including deeds, warrants, patents, surveys, and maps I can't state definitively who lived exactly where and when. I do know, however, that Conrad spent much of his adult life on a farm very close to the borough of Pleasantville and adjacent to George's Creek. Conrad also purchased a 2nd farm located in Union Township.

Conrad's farmhouse Near George's Creek, 1861 map

This house and barn sit on the exact location of Conrad's house

Farmland adjacent to the house

Conrad and Elizabeth's lives together were filled with heartache and loss. Their first child, Mary Ann, died when she was only 4 months old. Elizabeth became pregnant with her second child, Daniel Webster, just 2 months later. Daniel married when he was about 19 years old and relocated to Sandusky County Ohio. On 4 Oct 1868 (when Daniel was 28 yrs. old) their oldest son, George died. He was 8 1/2 years old. The very next day their 7 yr. old daughter Elmira died. Eleven days later, on the 16th of October, Daniel died, leaving his wife alone with their 21 month old daughter, Elizabeth. In December of that same year, daughter Elizabeth died.

Conrad and Elizabeth's son, William, came next. He died when he was 17 years old. Adam, my 2nd great-grandfather, was the next born and outlived both his parents. Daughter Mandilla was born two years after Adam and died at the age of 12. Her mother was buried right beside to her. John Clayton, born a year and a half after Mandilla only lived 11 months. He was followed by Richard Watson, the only other child to outlive Conrad and Elizabeth.

Their last child, Eliza Virginia, was married at the age of 17 and died at the age of 19, just 2 months after giving birth to her first child.

Conrad's wife, Elizabeth, died in January of 1868 (the same year son Daniel and all three of his children died) and is buried on a hill overlooking the farm.

Family Cemetery (now called Hoover Cemetery) overlooking Conrad's farmland

Elizabeth Lingenfelter Ickes' grave marker

A view near the cemetery. Conrad's house would have been just beyond the closest trees.

Shortly after the death of Elizabeth, Conrad purchased a house in the borough of Pleasantville. He married Mary Blackburn who outlived him. Eventually his Pleasantville home was demolished and in 1947 the Blackburn funeral home was built in its place. He also purchased a general store in Pleasantville from his son Adam.

Location of Conrad's house in Pleasantville, 1877 map

Conrad was described by his granddaughter, Allegra (Aunt Alle), as a "very strict church man". He was an Elder and a very active member of the Lutheran Church. He was a director and a member of the building committee for a new church building, St. James Lutheran Church, located in Pleasantville. It was completed in 1877. Conrad died 3 months after the church was dedicated and was buried in the Pleasantville Cemetery.

Conrad's grave marker in the Pleasantville Cemetery

Conrad's grave marker with St. James Lutheran Church in the background

Aunt Alle wrote of him, "He lived a quite, retired life after moving to town, owned two farms, spent his time hunting and looking after his farms."

Conrad Ickes 1812-1887

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Tuesday, November 10, 2015

George Wisegarver and Mary Elizabeth Steel Wisegarver

George Wisegarver, my 6th great-grandfather, was one of the earliest of all my ancestors to become a resident of Bedford County. He was a German immigrant. Some researchers show that he and Mary Elizabeth Steel were married in Bedford County in 1770, but with no attached sources I have no way to confirm that. A publication of the Historical Society of Bedford County indicates that he helped lay out a road in 1771, proving he was in Bedford County well before the Revolutionary War. He's also listed in the 1772 tax roll as owning 100 acres of land, 20 improved, 2 horses and 1 cow.

George is also a Revolutionary War veteran, having served in the Bedford County Militia. In 1781 he was listed as a private in Captain Charles Taggart's Company, 5th company, 1st Battalion. More research is needed to determine if he achieved a higher rank than that of private.

Rye was a profitable crop in Bedford County and this was probably a primary crop for George. Many farmers grew rye for the purpose of manufacturing whisky. Few of them owned more than one still, but George in listed in a 1792 historical record to have actually owned 2 stills.

By 1798, as shown on the tax list, he was quite a successful land owner. His own farm (or farms) consisted of of land at a value of $1282. In addition, he owned land in both Bedford Township and St Clair Township which he leased to 12 other farmers. The value of that land totaled $6,649, quite a tidy sum in the late 1790s.

George and Mary had at least 2 children, maybe 4, maybe even 5. The census records prior to 1850 only list the head of household's name, so the other household members are up for speculation and interpretation.

George was one of the original land owners in Dutch Corner. His initial purchase of land was not too far southwest of the John Ickes homestead. A listing in findagrave.com shows that George and other family members were buried on the Blair Ott farm. Lori at dutchcornerpa.org informed me that the Ott farm was the old Wisegarver farm and that the headstones, and maybe the graves (though doubtful) were either destroyed or moved as the new owners didn't want people coming and looking for dead ancestors. Another listing at findagrave.com shows that the headstones were located at St. John's Church near Cessna. I located what I thought would be the Wisegarver farm from the Dutch Corner land map on a current map. Sure enough, Ott Road (which would have been on Ott farm) ran right through the middle of it. It also happened to be just a little north of the church to which the headstones were moved.