By Margaret A
Karol
I am descendent from several families who
pioneered in Saline County, Nebraska.
These families are:
Isaac Goodin - my direct line
John Townsend - my direct line
John Wesley Townsend (his son) - my direct line
Iora Townsend - John Wesley's son - my direct line
Jacob Jennings Deems - my direct line, father-in-law
of Iora Townsend
Lydia Casterline - sister of John Townsend
All of these people are buried in Riverside cemetery. There are many
others of this extended family also in the Riverside cemetery. Here
are two newspaper articles which appeared in the Hartford City,
Blackford County, Indiana newspaper in the early 1940's which may be a
benefit to those who are researching Townsend lines.
John Saxon was the grandfather of John Townsend. He was a Rev. War
soldier and the article lists some of his history and his children,
grandchildren, etc. Gilbert Townsend was the father of John Townsend.
I have transcribed this
article exactly as it appeared in the newspaper which was provided to
me by Cecil E. Beeson, Blackford County Historian in the mid 1980's.
The Xerox copy did not have a newspaper name. The Hartford City
newspaper has been sold many times over the years and published
under various names. As such, a representative of the current the News
Times of Hartford City has granted permission to reprint the following
article.
Hartford City, Blackford County, Indiana
Newspaper Saturday, March 1, 1941:
Life of Revolutionary War Veteran, Buried Here, Told,
List Other Early Settlers
___________
Joe Cronin, In Weekly Installment, Tells of Migration From Steuben
County to Blackford County in the Early Days - Descendants of Families
are Still Here.
___________
(By Joe CRONIN)
Succeeding generations will search with much interest and anxiety to
learn something definite of those who, braving the dangers and sharing
the privations incident to a new wild country, peopled mainly with
wild animals and still wilder men, carved out for themselves and their
successors permanent and substantial homes and dying, passed from the
scenes of effort, handing to the sons and daughters a heritage made
more honored and valued by the bravery and self sacrifice shown in its
making.
Western New York was peopled mainly by those brave men who won undying
honor and renown as soldiers under the gallant Major General John
Sullivan, in the memorable expedition against the Five Nations who
were seduced by British emissaries into taking up arms against the
colonists.
Steuben county especially presented attractions and advantages for
many of them and from such ancestors many of the well known families
of Blackford county Indiana descended.
In 1939 (PK NOTE - THIS MUST BE 1839) some fourteen families, nearly
al being more or less related and including those of John SAXON,
Gilbert TOWNSEND and others, drove from Steuben county, New York to
Indiana, the cavalcade making quite a pretentious emigration and
taking about thirty-one days to make the journey.
John SAXON was born in New York state in 1761 and when fifteen years
old, when the British landed on Long Island, he ran away from home
going to Georgia, where he remained for one year, when he enlisted
with the American Army. He served as a drummer boy until the close of
the war. He was wounded by a sword thrust at the last battle. He was
one of the last survivors of the Revolution who have resided in
Blackford county, having lived here with his children until his death
in 1862, aged one hundred years and ten months.
Mr. SAXON enjoyed exceptionally good health, until within a few days
of his death, retaining his faculties and in walking never having to
resort to the use of a cane. He drew a pension for his services in the
army and was one of the last defenders of the country's infancy to die
in the United States, the news of which was widely circulated in the
papers throughout the entire nation. He was buried in the old cemetery
on (illegible) street, where Hoover park is now located. Later his
remains were removed to the I. O. O. F. cemetery on east Water street
where they now rest. His wife Elizabeth (EVANS) SAXON also died in
Blackford County, April 25, 1852, aged eighty-two years. Two of their
children also came to Blackford county, Mary, wife of Gilbert TOWNSEND
and James SAXON.
James SAXON was born in Putnam county, New York in 1804, removing
thence to Steuben county New York, where he lived several years and
was there married to Asenath WIXSON, a native of New York State,
born in 1808, a daughter of Shubel and Elizabeth WIXSON who died in
Blackford county. Seven children were born to them, Frances, John
Benjamin, James, Alva, Mary and Eliza, the first four born in Steuben
county, the three youngest natives of Blackford county. They lived in
a log cabin which the father built on coming to the county, until in
1880, when the parents and youngest son went to Kansas.
John SAXON, son of James and Asenath SAXON grew to manhood on his
father's farm in Washington township, being reared to the avocation of
a farmer, which he made his life's work. He was united in marriage
November 8, 1854 to Miss Mary MILLS, a native of Ohio, born May 4,
1822, where she was reared. In 1850, her parents, Samuel and Ann
(SHIELDS) MILLS, came with their family of four children to Blackford
county and settled on a partially improved farm on section 28,
Washington township.
Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. John Saxon, Albert, born in
July 1856; Minerva A. born April 5, 1858, John B, born December 7,
1862; McDowell, born (illegible) 6, 1868 and Thomas, born April 1,
1873. Mr. Saxon was elected county sheriff in 1876 and served two
terms with credit to himself and satisfaction to his constituents.
Gilbert TOWNSEND, son of Eber and Elizabeth (DREW) TOWNSEND was born
in New Jersey in 1780 where he grew to manhood and was married to Mary
SAXON who was born in 1786. Their five older children were born. In
1815 they moved to Steuben county, New York where six other children
were born. In 1839 they came to Blackford county and settled in the
southeast corner of Washington township and afterwards lived in
Licking township. Nine of their children came with them, five or six
of whom were grown at the time.
Beginning with the oldest, their names were as follows; Charles, who
married Harriett BENNETT and was the father of Gilbert W. and James
B., John married Temperance HOUSEHOLDER and was the father of Mrs. P.
M. COUVALT and Lewis B. TOWNSEND, Gilbert Jr., who married Rachel
HESS; Lucy Ann, who was the wife of Allen K. GADBURY; Sarah, who was
the wife of Thomas ASHEN; James S., who married Elzara SHIELDS; James
S., who married Daniel LEFFLER and Mary, was the wife of Fantley L.
FOY.
Gilbert TOWNSEND Sr., died October 7, 1861 at the age of eighty-one
years. What is now Hartford City consisted of one log cabin and a
blacksmith shop when he came to Indiana.
Submitted by Peggy Karol
Sent to Blackford County Indiana Web Page
Deb Murray 5/12/1999
CASTERLINE FAMILY
I also have a bit of information on the Casterline family. Lydia
Casterline (daughter of John Townsend and Temperance Householder,
sister of John Wesley Townsend) She married Aaron Casterline. They
came to Crete for her health, but she died shortly after. He then
married Olive Welch, who was from Saline county. She also died a few
years later and he went to Idaho where some of his remaining children
lived. Both Lydia and Olive and some of the Casterline children are
buried in Riverside Cemetery in Crete.
Also I don't think I mentioned that John Townsend probably is not
buried there in the Riverside Cemetery. He died in IL, I think in
Henry County. He had brother who went to that county, and he followed.
Then his widow went back to Blackford County, IN. She stayed there for
awhile after her son John Wesley moved to NE. She is definitely buried
there, but the "family" history says that John's name was
put on the tombstone out of respect, but that he is really in Henry
county, IL. The Kuncl funeral home does not have any notation that he
is not really buried there. And I haven't been able to find a grave
site in IL. But I don't believe that any of this family was in NE in
1856, so it doesn't make sense that they would take his body from IL
to NE when there was no family and much of anything else there at that
time.
