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A Voice of Reason in Witch Trial Craze

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The Salem Witch Trials are probably one of the most infamous moments from early American history. During this time, Salem Town and the surrounding areas had a population of around 2000 people. My husband’s 9th great grandpa, Caleb Buffum, was present to witness the mass delirium and have a small hand in helping the grieving families. There were many events happening at this time that may have helped lead to the paranoia and hysteria of the witch hunts. Salem had strong Puritan and Quaker populations. The Puritans especially taught of Satan and his abilities to individually overpower the weak and cause someone to do evil. The northeast was also on guard for French and Native American attacks. The Nine Years’ War (1688-1697) was in full swing, and many of the surrounding states had seen devastating outcomes. Salem experienced a smallpox outbreak in 1691-1692, resulting in the death of at least 500 people (a fourth of the area’s population). Most likely due to disease and disruption of th...
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Knowledge of American History Helps to Understand Ancestors' Decisions

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While working on my husband’s genealogy, I found myself at another brick wall. Emily Danforth Rhoads was born June 10, 1815. She married Benjamin Talbert Rhoads on April 28, 1838 in Warrick County, IN. She died January 10, 1869 in Warrick County, IN. Emily and Benjamin are buried in Bethany Cemetery in Warrick County. This information was supported with tombstone inscriptions and marriage index records from the county. My research goal was to first confirm the location of birth for Emily. Despite many searches, I wasn’t having any luck. When I’m needing inspiration and ideas, I turn to other researcher’s family trees (only to look for ideas, not to use as ‘facts’). While doing this, I found a post from a man who (I’ll call him John) was struggling with the same problem I was. He was a descendant of the Danforth family, and he just could not find any records before Emily’s marriage to Benjamin. This man submitted his DNA, hoping for some answers. Boy, was he in for a shock…. Emily Danfo...
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Using Details From Various Newspapers to Bring Ancestors and Their Stories to Life

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Nathaniel Straughan was born May 8, 1792 near Frankfort in Shelby County, Kentucky. His parents were John Corbin Straughan and Mary Saunders. John was a soldier during the Revolutionary War, fighting in Daniel Morgan's Riflemen in the 3rd, 7th, and 11th Virginia Regiment for the Continental Line. He was in the Battle of Freeman's Farm and the Battle of Saratoga. He was also at Valley Forge. Family stories say that on the night of Nathaniel's birth, Native Americans came to John's stable and stole two horses. John and the neighbors pursued the men to the bank of the Ohio River where they fought. One of the Native Americans was killed and another badly injured. The horses were taken back. Upon returning home, they found that other natives had driven Mary from her bed and tied her up some distance away in the woods. They had left Nathaniel on the ground by the house with the cabin burning to the ground. John later built another cabin on the same site. Nathaniel married Chr...
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Talking While Sleeping Leads to Divorce

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John William McRae was born July 8, 1881 in New Albany, Indiana. He was the eldest child of William Rice McRae and Sarah 'Sallie' Cooper. John married Lula Hoover on December 13, 1905. At this time, John was living in Carmi, White County, IL while Lula was from Griffin, Posey County, IN. Not too many days into their marriage (the first newspaper article was published on December 29, 1905), John was dreaming or half asleep when he started talking about Kansas. This peaked Lula's attention, and she started asking more questions. As it turns out, John had previously married a Miss Lou Gillahan on March 18, 1903 in Johnson County, KS. While in Kansas, John went by the name Will. In the spring of 1904, John and Lou had a child together, Raymond. By that fall, John went back home to Griffin, IN. When he returned home, he told people he was single while others he told he was divorced. In November 1905, John wrote to Lou in Kansas and asked for a divorce. The next month is when he ...
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Feuding Families Won't Stop Love

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Manlove Walls and Celia (Hazzard) Walls were born and raised in Sussex County, Delaware. They married in the same area. Manlove was named after his mother's maiden name. When Celia was a teenager, she molded bullets for the Revolutionary Soldiers. By 1797 the couple were living in Virginia. By the 1810 census, they were living in Breckinridge County, Kentucky. Around 1814 they moved to Indiana. Manlove had moved to a plot of 160 acres of land, granted to him through delayed payment from federal legislation. This land was in Greenfield Township, Orange County. They appeared in Orange County, Indiana on the 1820 census.  Per census and burial records, this is where they spent the remainder of their lives. The couple had at least four children: Levin Derby, Thomas, William Conway, and Jemima. Their oldest child was Levin Derby Walls, named after his paternal grandfather. Levin was born October 19, 1795. As mentioned above, the family was living in Breckinridge County, Kentucky by 1810...
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