|
a.
|
Note: 1850 census in Jeffersonville, IN living with Sarah and 2 step children, not married within the year--he's a ships carpenter, He's born in PA she's born in VA youngest child is 3 yrs old 1860 Census living with Rebecca Smart married within the year and next listing on Census are Sarah's parents 1870 United States Federal Census > Indiana > Jackson > Jackson 1870 he's living in In Jackson, IN with Rebecca, Morton, Pleasant, Myrtle and Simon Redmon born in PA by he owns $1000 in land and $735 in personal property he was born in OHIO 1880 he's living with Rebecca Landrom /Smart? down in Alabama (Madison) and FIL is gone but Myna or Mariah Smart living with them. 1880 United States Federal Census > Alabama > Madison > Not Stated > District 205 this is where he lists his father as being born in GERMANY and his mother from IRELAND and he born in OHIO Re: HOWARD SHIPYARDS The Historic Context In 1819, John Howard left England and came to the United States. In 1834, his son, James, built his first boat in Jeffersonville. By the 1850's, the Howard Shipyard had emerged as the pre-eminent steamboat builder on the Ohio and other western rivers. Howard boats were known and respected for the silhouette of their lines, their speed, comfort, and carrying capacity. Their hulls were tailor-made to the demanding nature of the rivers they were to travel in. Their interiors were exquisitely crafted to appeal to their passenger's taste for luxury. What is now the Howard Museum, built between 1890 and 1894, was home to three generations of the Howard family. They operated the Howard Shipyard until 1941, when the yard was taken over the the U.S. Government. In 1958, Loretta Howard, who was the widow of Captain James Howard, grandson of the founder, opened the family home as the Howard Steamboat Museum. The United States began construction on the Indiana Arsenal near Charlestown in 1940. Producing smokeless powder for the war, employed as many as 20,000 at times. Howard shipyards was also active in the war. Howard shipyards was Commissioned by the Navy to produce landing craft. Howard shipyards were later reorganized as Jefferson Boat and Machine Company (Jeffboat). Jeffboat is a major employer today. Howard, Mrs. James. Oral history interview, 1969. Resident of Jeffersonville, Indiana. Topics include the founding of the Howard Shipyard in 1834 at Jeffersonville, boat building, experiences delivering boats, and navigation of boats. She describes members of the Howard family. Indiana Division Oral History Project. Interviewed by Thomas K. Krasean. Draft transcript. Manuscript Section, Indiana Division, Indiana State Library. 1 Ahnentafel, Generation No. 5 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------ 16. Thomas BEST was born 1762, and died 1807. 17. Eleanor MCCLARETY was born WFT Est. 1758-1777 in unknown, and died WFT Est. 1785-1852 in unknown. Child of Eleanor MCCLARETY and Thomas BEST is:8. i. James BEST was born WFT Est. 1785-1808 in Pennsylvania, and died WFT Est. 1869-1888 in ?. He married Catherine SHANNON 12 FEB 1832 in Floyd Co., IN New Albany area, daughter of Samuel SHANNON and Mary ASETH. She was born WFT Est. 1796-1821 in ?, and died WFT Est. 1856-1892 in ?. He married Rebecca LANDROM 2 AUG 1847 in Martin Co., IN. She was born WFT Est. 1786-1819, and died WFT Est. 1850-1882. He married Sarah SUTTON UNKNOWN in ?. She was born WFT Est. 1786-1820 in ?, and died WFT Est. 1813-1880 in ?. He married Rebecca LANDROM UNKNOWN in ?. She was born WFT Est. 1826-1849 in ?, and died WFT Est. 1871-1921 in ?. 18. Samuel SHANNON was born WFT Est. 1777-1811 in Pennsylvania, and died WFT Est. 1845-1871 in Jackson Co., IN; Seymour, IN. 19. Mary ASETH was born WFT Est. 1784-1811 in Pennsylvania, and died WFT Est. 1846-1880 in Jackson Co., IN; Seymour, IN. Children of Mary ASETH and Samuel SHANNON are:9. i. Catherine SHANNON was born WFT Est. 1796-1821 in ?, and died WFT Est. 1856-1892 in ?. She married James BEST 12 FEB 1832 in Floyd Co., IN New Albany area, son of Thomas BEST and Eleanor MCCLARETY. He was born WFT Est. 1785-1808 in Pennsylvania, and died WFT Est. 1869-1888 in ?. ii. John SHANNON was born ABT. 1822, and died WFT Est. 1823-1912. iii. Samuel SHANNON was born ABT. 1825, and died WFT Est. 1826-1915. iv. Margaret SHANNON was born ABT. 1830, and died WFT Est. 1831-1924. v. Hannah SHANNON was born ABT. 1831, and died WFT Est. 1832-1925. vi. Wm. Iuvenall SHANNON was born ABT. 1842, and died WFT Est. 1843-1932. vii. Mary E. SHANNON was born ABT. 1845, and died WFT Est. 1846-1939. The elder had been married several times and had several children by those different wives. But the most children he had was with our maternal ggg-grandmother Catherine Cynthia Shannon. They had like 8-10 children. The elder raised his children, as far as we can find in Clark Co., IN (Jeffersonville); he worked for the Howard Shipyards there in Jeffersonville. He took his older sons to work with him when they got older to learn the trade. He spoke Fluent German? he moved to Martin Co., IN for a while, I believe he married there, again. I'm not sure if they divorced or she died. But about a year later, he and William moved to Daviess Co., where he was a grocer, and lived on what is now Dewey Ave. or Butternut St., at that time. Sometime after this, Jim and William went on a trip west. They had to cross rivers, so Jim would put William (Billy) on his back and they'd swim across, Billy holding their belongings. I believe the story was they were going west to get horses for the Military. I'm not sure where this grocery was, but we've heard more about it being a restaurant. Big Jim used to get into trouble with the law here for dynomiting the fish from the river. The last blasting he did, he got caught by the constable at the river. Jim was just getting ready to throw a stick of dynomite into the river and catch these fish with big old ocean nets, when the constable came up behind him and ordered him to stop. Too late, the stick was lit, and he pitched it to the lawman, and told him he'd better throw it, as it was going to go off in his hand. The lawman threw it, and there was manna of fish falling on them from the blast. He was then taken to jail. I guess he must have confessed, as there are numberous newspaper clippings as to his arrest, and the finding of other nets behind his business. I'm dying to find out the location, to see if the building is still standing? But we can't seem to find it. They couldn't get Jim into the jail as the turn-style was to small for his stature., so they allowed him to return home until trial. A few years later upon examining some courthouse records, we discovered, there were two houses he lived in. One being two houses on the same street as to where my oldest nephew lives; and the other a block away from where mom and Becky were looking. We can show you where both properties are located. We just don't particularly know the dates of when he lived in either house. We are suspecting the later is where he died. I remember Bob Best recollecting a story, that when he was a small boy, he was visiting Big Jim and he was threatening to hop a train as it went by. I guess just in the knick of time, Jim swept him up, and paddled his behind good for him. I'm thinking this was Bobby B., but may have been one of Billy's boys. But good and possible it was Bobby.Now, back to the story, according to some census records, Jim owned a grocery; but he also could have ran a restaurant. He married another woman, who also had a son Willie. They were said to have been circus people. Willie played the "fat-boy". This was their term not mine. Another story was that the later house that Jim lived in, there was a circus that came to town. It was told that "Buffalo Bill Cody" was the entertainment. He came by the house, and BBC gave Jim tickets for his grandchildren. Your grandmother, Gladys, Inez, and the boys got to go see the acts. My sis and I have letters from these aunts telling the stories. Another story was that when Ggrampa Bill and Melinda were married, they lived in a big two story stage coach in. It was said to be haunted. Pies came up missing on the window sill. Curtains opened on their own. Dolly's had been moved, and one of the girls got in trouble for moving it. It was said one day while outdoors playing, a little black girl came up and started playing with them. Then they heard a hollering by name of this little girl, and she ran into the barn and disappeared. These are most of the stories I know. In conclusion of this haunted house, I was working with a group of Co. historians on the Underground Railroad, and dis- covered this house and another house across the road were a part of the RR, along with many other house on the route of the Underground RR in this area, all connected with an underground tunnel. Looking also at maps from back in those days, this stage-coach inn was also smack dab in the middle of our railway station yards. So there were also always bums running around. Going back to the elder James, he uprooted his family one more time, this time it was to Alabama. This did not include his older children from his previous marriages. With the help of Dick Thress I have been able to locate the probate of James the elder, and his children listed as his heirs. This list included James(the younger), Mort (from his last marriage), and a daughter. So I do know for sure that this was him. How I found it was looking on the internet for probate records in AL. The following is from One World Tree ID: I037 James Best was born 1811 in Clark Co. IN, to Sarah Best/Bess; don't know who his father is at the present time. In 1832 Feb 12 in Floyd Co., James marries a little Irish lass, Catherine Cynthia Shannon, daughter of Samuel Shannon and Mary Ann Gilliland, of County Down Ireland. According to Samuel Shannon's probate, James and Catherine Best's children, are: Sarah, b. ?d.? m. ? Wood; Mary Anne b. 1835 d. ? m. 16 June 1853 to Henry E. Coppen; Caroline, b. 1842 d. ? m. 13 May 1862, to Lewis W. Ruddick; James Thomas, b. 1843 d. 1904 mar. Eliza Jane Drury; John, b. 1847 d. ? m. ?; Martha, b. ? d. ? m. ? ; Lydia Jane b. 1833 d. ? m. ? ; Ellen b. 1842(is she the same person as Caroline, and her name is actually Caroline Ellen?) Sometime before 1850, James b. 1811, marries or is living with a Sarah(Sutton) they are in an 1850 census with all the above mentioned children, except for: Sarah, and Ellen; all children are listed with initials; included with this list of children are her children, with initials also are : M. F. and J.A. Sutton. Cannot find a marriage certificate for James and Sarah; Then in an 1860 census, James b. 1811 is married 2 Aug 1847 in Martin Co., IN, to Rebecca Landrom. The first census they are together in is an 1860 IN the children included in this census is John, Caroline, Martha, and Minnie. In another 1860 census these children are shown: Caroline age 17, John age 15, and Anna RODMAN, age 7; then in yet another 1860 census, these children are shown: Caroline, age 17; John age 15, Anna RODMAN, age 7DE; Simon age 5 PA; and Minnie age 1/12. All of these 1860 census's were for Clark Co., IN Then in an 1870 Jackson Co., IN census, James and Rebecca are moved there. With these children and their ages: Morton M. age 3, Pleasant B. age 11/12, and Myro S. age 11/12, twins both female; What information I still need, is from Jackson Co., IN: Where and where did James1 die? When and where did Rebecca die? Plus, all the information on the children, particularly of those married and died and born in Jackson Co., IN Clark Co., IN: When and where did Catherine Shannon Best die? Plus all their children's marriages, and deaths in either Clark or Floyd Co., plus some of them were married in KY.... Letter from Granny to Sally" "I don't know when Granpa Best was born in IRELAND but I have heard that his mother's maiden name was Maggie Shannon. She died and his Dad married again and he and his brother Patrick didn't like their stepmother and they came to the US . He stayed in Indiana and his brother went farther South adn Mom said he settled in FLorence, AL. HE was in the civil war and as far as I know was in Andersonville Prison, Also Granpa Doane was in the same prison but his health was bad" B This is the land sold to Best by Wynn: Alabama Land Records about Samuel A Wynn Name: Samuel A Wynn Land Office: HUNTSVILLE Document Number: 4988 Total Acres: 151.81 Misc. Doc. Nr.: 10193 Signature: Yes Canceled Document: No Issue Date: 9 Oct 1895 Mineral Rights Reserved: No Metes and Bounds: No Statutory Reference: 12 Stat. 392 Multiple Warantee Names: No Act or Treaty: May 20, 1862 Multiple Patentee Names: No Entry Classification: Homestead Entry Original Land Description: 1 N�SE HUNTSVILLE No 5S 3E 6 2 A HUNTSVILLE Yes 5S 3E 6 WYNN SAMUEL A 6 5S 3E HUNTSVILLE 151.81 1895/10/09 WYNN SAMUEL A 6 5S 3E HUNTSVILLE 0 1895/10/09 BEST Mary Jane, wife of James Best (The following was written on the original cemetery listing: "11 Apr 1835 - 3 Apr 1859. 23-11-22") b. 04/11/1835 d. 03/03/1859 BEST, JAMES T. CAVE HILL CEMETERY Important Dates Bi
|