Re: Abraham Comingore m Jane Van Arsdall
-
In reply to:
Abraham Comingore m Jane Van Arsdall
7/08/00
Mike,
This is a 1892 letter that James Vanarsdall wrote to his cousin William Smock, in it there is mention of Jennie and Abram. I don't know if they are yours or not.
Howard E. Grider
A Short Biographical Sketch of My Parents and Grand Parents on both sides of the Family and some of those connected therewith.
By James H. Vanarsdale
The First White Settlement in Kentucky was made in 1771 by Daniel Boone and his brother at aplace near where Lexington now is near a Salt Spring where the Indians and deer congregated for the salt, after that for many years it was called Boone's Lick. A year or two later a company of a dozen or more farmers of Virginia came through from Bottertot (Botetourt?) County, Virginia a horseback with pack horses carring their tent clothes and camp equipage. They depending upon their guns for meat. They halted there where Harrodsburgh now is and viewed the land, it was covered all over with growing kane and grand forest and running streams and was very arid and beautiful to behold. They staked off their claims and returned to Virginia for their families marking out a road way by which to come to the new Eldorado and they came with their wives and little ones, their wagons and teams and herds and a few slave servants enough to start the crop with. They established their station or head quarters on Salt River where there was a large spring gushing out of the rocks, it was about one mile from where we were born and raised, when Sarah and I were there a few years ago we took dinner there with a number of friends. That teritory to the Ohio River belonged to Virginia, and the State gave to the head of each family that emigrated in a certain time, a title to what they called head right to 1400 acres of land and a lesser amount to single men. That first company laid their claims along both sides of Salt River for over 15 miles so as to secure the rapid water stream for mill purposes.
The most of those families were a grand set of men, of good mental and physical abilities, Scotch-Irish Presbyterians, either by training or membership. They were the McAfees, McConns, Magees, Kennedys, Adams, Armstrongs, Lyons, McKameys and etc.
Two or three years later the emigrates began to pour in from Pensylvania and New Jersey mostly from the former, among them was our Grand father Vanarsdale and family, in that colony were the Cozines, Comingoes, Smocks, Currys, Brewers, Bantas, Staggs, Demarees, and others of lesser note. They settled some four miles from where Harrodsburgs now is, and enclosed quite a tract of land with long sharpened poles stuck in the ground to protect their families from the Indians while they were making claims, putting up cabins, clearing off patches of ground and etc. That was called the Dutch Station. There they built a fram church, and had schools there for many years in the Holland language, when last in Kentucky that Old Mud Meeting House, it was near Mr. Rues, fixed up nicely, now belongs to the Presbyterians a kind of arm to the Northern Church in Haroldsburgh.
Father's mother was a Cozine. There were several families of the name among the early settlers there. They were well educated in their native tongue and mostly christian people, belonging to the Dutch Reformed Church. Of father's family there were three sons and four daughters, all became hopefully pious. Their father had a small farm- had a weakness for fine horses- he died when father was thirteen years old and the estate was bankrupt. The older children that were grown had received some education, the younger ones were left to work their own way. Father was indentured to his Uncle John Cozine for seven years to learn the blacksmith trade, he, Cozine, had been educated for the ministry and had a good library of standard books. There he formed the habit and love of reading which stayed with him though life. Mrs. Cozine was Uncle Issac Smocks eldest sister. Father's eldest sister, Hannah, married John Smock, Uncle Issac's eldest brother. She raised twelve children eight sons and four daughters, the eldest son was just father's age. She lived to see them all grown and married and settled in life in Indiana, around Greenwood and near Indianapolis. They were noble men and women, strong of body and mind, so for as I know were active christians positive and firm in their convictions of right and were noted for their love of song and church music.
Aunt Ida came west a great favorite with all the family. She married Lambert Banta and died in a few months.
Uncle Cornelius came west, he was father's senior ten years, he married at nineteen to Miss Mary Brewer by whom he got a fine farm of 278 acres on Salt River, they both had fair education. They raised eight children six sons and two daughters. Very little religion among them. Uncle and Aunt were both members of the Procidence Church, were generally there, and he could certainly put more real smooth bass in church music than any one voice I ever heard, his love of fine horses and a good dramm when at town neutralized his efforts for good.
Aunt Jennie married Abram Comingo, They had but one child, a daughter, who lived to be grown and married and lived but five months.
Uncle Simon came in previous to Aunt Jennie he married Miss Nancy Ecles. They raised eight children. Were members of the Providence Church when they left there in the fall of 1834 Aunt Nancy, three daughters and two sons and Madison's wife brought their chruch letters with them, Uncle's occasional dram drinking prevented him from receiving a letter, he cut a pretty gay figure here for several years- in 1842, he quit off in the fall of 1843 he went back to the old home before the church session confessed his faults, received his letter and in June 1844 by it, was received into the Walnut Grove Church, where he continued until his death.
Aunt Polly the youngest of the family when sixteen years of age married Cornelius Demaree, his father was Samuel Demaree cousin to our mother's father, Samuel Demaree was a man of means and well educated, he had four sons and three daughters, to the girls and two sons he gave each a good farm in Shelby County and gave all of them good educations for those times. Samuel became a school teacher, then a doctor, settled in Madison, Indiana, where he died early in years with consumption leaving a widow and two little girls. David became an opulent farmer had a large family and when nearly fourty years of age was licensed to practice law became a propinent jurist, served as Circuit Judge for a number of years. Daniel the next one when a young man went deranged about a girl, his father gave his farm and portion of the estate to his brother Cornelius to take care of him he never recovered but was kept in a room to himself and when they moved to Indiana in the fall of 1834 they took him along, he had not been out of that cell room for twenty-five years yet he gave them very little trouble he had a room to himself and took care of himself just like a child would do who knew they had to obey. Uncle Cornelius died of consumption two years after they settled out there, Daniel lived some three years longer.
Mother's father, was married three times, his first wife had five daughters and two sons, his eldest son moved to Switzerland County, Indiana about 1822, settled near Vevay on the Ohio River where there was a settlement from Switzerland, he had a large family. Brother McCullough says there are several families of that name around there yet, are active Presbyterians and known as temperence workers. His other son, Daniel, when fourteen years of age was put with James Curry to learn a carpenter's trade, he ran away, was never heard of for fourteen years when he came home, had been in St. Louis amont the French all that time, assisted to build the house for Govenor Clark who was Govenor of the North Western Territory, he became very wealthy as a contractor, then broke up, then tried it again. Became a Catholic, married a French women, she died, then he continued to marry until he buried five wives then he gave up and followed on. Grand-father Demaree's first wife was a Miss Brewer their oldest daughter married Jacob Banta a weaver by trade, a worthy man, they had a small farm and six children three of each sex, bright active young folks. They sold their place and moved to Taswell County in this State in 1832 where the young folks became quite prominent in church and political movements, one of the third generation being rather a noted leader in Republican ranks for several years past. Another sister Laney married John Curry a noble christian citizen, she died young of consumption leaving two little girls, Aunt Polly Demaree raised Phebe and Aunt Jennie Cimingo- Nancy who was Scott Demaree's mother. Our mother, Aunt Rachael Smock, and Aunt Phebe Randolph were the others. I never knew who his second wife was, in a few years she died leaving two daughters about the age of our two eldest sisters. His last wife was Miss Sally Saddler a large cross old maid, she had no children. We children all loved Grand father but we dodged and run whenever we saw her coming. She died leaving him alone, he continued to live on his farm with his daughter and family, Mr. and Mrs. Williamson, until his death which I think was in 1842, he had a pleasant home until called away aged ninety-three or ninety- four years of age. His was the most angelic face I ever knew.
Those families were the only ones of the name I ever knew in that county. They were an honor to the State, the Country, and the Church, were among the first members of the Presbyterian Church that was organized in the State in 1783 and the good strain of blood continues in the name. The eldership has been represented among them to the present time.
Grand father had a small valuable tract of 108 acres west of Harrodsburgh where several families of the Whitenacks, and Terhunes owned similar property and had nice neat story and a half houses. That was a preaching point and when we were there last I attended church there a large house in timber with an active membership of one hundred fifty. Cousin Will said every man and woman in it were Union to the core it was a Northern church.
There were a number of VanArsdale families in that Dutch Station cousins and second cousins to grand father. Those that continued huddled up there in that vicinity never amounted to much only as soldiers and dishwashers. Whenever they scattered out to themselves they improved every way, made property and character and good citizens.
At a little later date father had three more Uncles with their families come west, one stopped in Ohio, one in Shelby County, Ky. the other pushed on to Vincennes, Indiana, thence right on to Illinois Town where East St. Louis now is, he owned and managed the ferry across to St. Louis for many years.
In the early fall of 1817 father with several other land hunters staid all night there with his Uncle Solomon, some fifteen years ago I met a very bright intelligent lady at Mrs. Bachelders in Upper Alton she was the wife of a brother of Harry Swift, she had two children, said she was the great grand daughter of that Uncle Solomon. Said the heirs held on to but little of that now valuable property. Tho there were many of them they were scattered everywhere. Said religiously they were generally Presbyterians, she was, and like the rest of the neme had rather light hair, high cheek bones, and heavy eye brows, and could all sing.
I never knew but two families of that name that had clear glossy black hair, they were stirring wide awake business folks.
Well whether this narrative is of any interest to you or not you must best judge.
I dedicate it to my beloved sister Allie V. Boulter
James H. VanArsdale
March 25, 1892