Maryland

Biography of T. W. Swigart

T. W. Swigart, the leading harness dealer and one of the most successful business men in Newman and Douglas County, was born in Carroll County, Maryland, in sight of A Westminister, July 3, 1831, and was a son of Joseph Swigart. When nine years of age T. W. Swigart removed with his parents to Seneca County, Ohio, where he spent a large portion of his life on a farm. From the years 1848 to 1851 he devoted his time to learning the trade of harness maker at Bellefontaine, Ohio. He was a young man of good habits and of splendid … Read more

Maryland County Courthouse Addresses

Division of Vital Records Department of Health & Mental Hygiene 6550 Reisterstown Road Plaza Baltimore MD 21215-0020 (410) 764-3069 (410) 318-6119  recording Allegany County 701 Kelly Road, Suite 405 Cumberland, MD 21502 (301) 777-5911 Harford County 220 South Main Street Bel Air, MD 21014-3745 (410) 638-3350 Anne Arundel County 44 Calvert Street Annapolis, MD 21404 (410) 222-7000 Howard County 3430 Courthouse Drive Ellicott City, MD 21043 (410) 313-2013 Baltimore City 100 North Holliday Street Baltimore, MD 21202-3417 (410) 396-3100 Kent County 103 North Cross Street Chestertown, MD 21620 (410) 778-7435 Baltimore County 400 Washington Avenue Towson, MD 21204-4606 (410) 494-2450 … Read more

Maryland Vital Records

Vital records, as their name suggests, are connected with central life events: birth, marriage, and death. Maintained by civil authorities, they are prime sources of genealogical information; but, unfortunately, official vital records are available only for relatively recent periods. These records, despite their recent creation in the United States, are critically important in genealogical research, often supplying details on family members well back into the nineteenth century. The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy, by Loretto Szucs and Sandra Luebking. Division of Vital Records Department of Health & Mental Hygiene 6550 Reisterstown Road Plaza Baltimore MD 21215-0020 (410) 764-3069 (410) … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Jacob Quick

Jacob Quick, of Germany, married a widow named Morris, whose maiden name was Rhoda Moore, of Ireland. They first settled in Maryland, where they had Aaron, Alexander, Jacob, Jr., Sarah, and Rachel. Mr. Quick then removed with his family to Kentucky, and in 1811 he came to Missouri and settled on Loutre Island, in Montgomery County. Previous to his removal to Kentucky his children had never tasted corn bread. In 1812 he built a block-house, for protection against the Indians, in Best’s Bottom, on the place that was settled by John Hancock, for whom Hancock’s Prairie was named. Mr. Quick … Read more

Biography of Abraham Snethen

Abraham Snethen and his wife, Elizabeth Stewart, were natives of Germany. They emigrated to America and settled in New Jersey, where they had eleven children, of whom the names of only seven are now remembered. They were William, John, Reuben, Polly, Lydia, Elizabeth, and Margaret. William married and settled in Kentucky in 1792, and in 1810 he removed to Ohio, where he lost his wife. He then started to return to New Jersey, but died of cholera, at Hagerstown, Md. John was born in March, 1789, and when he was eight years old his mother died. He was then bound … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Charles B. Worland

Charles B. Worland, of Maryland, married Martha A. White, and settled in Washington Co., Ky. Their children were Benedict. Charles B., Thomas N., Maria, William T., John H., Stephen W., Edward H., James P., and Martha A. Mr. Worland, his wife, and a portion of their family settled in Montgomery County in 1839. They are excellent people; honest, industrious, intelligent, kind-hearted and friendly.

Biographical Sketch of Caleb Summers

Caleb Summers was raised in Montgomery County, Maryland, where he married Rachel Crawford. In 1796 he settled in Jefferson County, Kentucky. His children were Polly, Benjamin, Robert, Thomas, and. Malinda. Robert married his cousin, Grace Summers, and settled in Pike County, Missouri, in 1834. His children were William B., Elizabeth, Caleb L., Noah, Benjamin F., George, Robert A., and Thomas. William B. married the widow Tucker, whose maiden name was Margaret J. Bryan, and settled in Montgomery County in 1840. Caleb L. married Sallie A. Bryan, and settled in Montgomery County in 1840. Benjamin F. married Antoinette Sharp, and settled … Read more

Biography of Natley Dutton

Natley Dutton and wife, of England, settled in Maryland some time after Lord Baltimore began to colonize that State. Their son, Natley, Jr., was born and raised in Maryland. He had a son, named John H., who was born in 1790. Mr. Dutton died when his son was eleven years of age, and two years afterward his mother had him bound out to learn the ship carpenter’s trade. He worked at that business fourteen years. In the meantime his mother had married a Mr. Elton, whose father was a Quaker and came to America with William Penn. They had a … Read more

Biography of Henry Davault

Henry Davault was born in France, but married Catharine Maria Grover, of Germany. They emigrated to America about the year 1764, landed near Philadelphia, and settled near Hanover, York Co., Pa., where they lived and died. Mr. Davault served in the revolutionary war, under General Washington. He died at the age of 85, but his wife lived to the remarkably old age of 97 years, 4 months and ten days. They had the following children Philip, Margaret, Elizabeth and Gabriel (twins), Catharine, Mary, Henry, Valentine, Frederick, Julia, and Jacob. Philip was one year old when his parents arrived in America. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Samuel Gill

Samuel Gill, whose father lived in Maryland, settled in Virginia, where he was married twice, one of his wives being a Miss Kidwell. His sons, James and Presley, came to Missouri in 1831. The former settled in Callaway County, and married Matilda Darnes, by whom he had eight children. Presley settled in Montgomery County, and lives at New Florence. He learned the trade of a gunsmith, and is also a doctor.

Biographical Sketch of Robert Haslip

Robert Haslip was a native of Maryland, but settled and lived in Virginia. He had two sons, Samuel and John. The latter was a soldier in the war of 1812. He married Lucy Johnson, by whom he had Robert, James N., Samuel, John, William, Malinda, Jane, Elizabeth, and Polly. James N. settled in Montgomery Co., Mo., in 1838. His wife was Esther Clements, by whom he had ten children. Robert, brother of James, settled in Lincoln County in 1837, and in 1860 he was killed by a wagon running over his body.

Biography of Victor Craig

Victor Craig, of England, came to America in 1760, and settled in Maryland. He had four sons, William, James, Robert, and Samuel. William and James lived in Albemarle County Va. Samuel was drowned in the Susquehanna River. Robert was a soldier of the revolutionary war. He was married first to Susan Carter, of Virginia, who was afterward killed by the Indians. She lived nine days after having been scalped. Mr. Craig was married the second time to Sarah Ellington, of New Jersey, by whom he had-John, David, Victor, Jonathan, Jacob, Cynthia, Nancy, and Sally. Mr. Craig settled in Montgomery County … Read more

Biographical Sketch of George Bast

George Bast settled in Montgomery County in 1819. His father was a native of Germany, but came to America and settled in Baltimore. George was married first to Sarah Clark, of Lexington, Ky., by whom he had Alonzo, John, George Y., and William H. Mrs. Bast died in 1816, and her husband subsequently married Emily Courtney, by whom he had two children. She also died in 1823, and Mr. Bast was married the third time to Elizabeth Ford, by whom he had three children-Sarah, Anna, and Edward. Mr. Bast was killed by the falling of a tree, in February, 1829, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of George W. Dart

George W. Dart is one of John Day’s most honored citizens. He is operating a large general merchandise establishment there, and through courteous and fair treatment has gained the esteem of the entire community. Born in Maryland in 1858, he came to Canyon City, Oregon. In 1879, and was engaged in mining and stock rising until 1883. Moving then to John Day he became engaged in merchandising first under the firm name of Haptonstall & Dart, and later with Phil. Metschan, F. C. Sels and J. H. Blake as Haptonstall, Dart & Co. In 1890, in connection with C. E. … Read more

Biography of Colonel James H. B. McFerran

James H. B. McFerran was born in Washington county, Maryland, September 17, 1819. At the age of six years his father died, and he remained with his mother until his seventeenth year, attending school part of the time. On reaching the above age he engaged in the stone cutting business under a contractor by the name of Andrew Small, receiving seventy-five cents, per day for the first year. Owing to an aptitude for the work, the second year he was given the position of superintendent, at a salary of one dollar and eighty-seven and one-half cents per day, and continued … Read more

Biography of William Mann

William Mann was born in Hancock, Washington county, Maryland, April 1, 1839. He is the son of Jonathan E. and Mary A. Mann, who came to Missouri in 1841 and settled at Gallatin, where the subject of this sketch was reared. His educational advantages were limited, only having the opportunity of attending school two or three months each year from the time he was eight until fifteen years of age. His mother died when he was nine, and his father just before he became of age. His father being a merchant, young Mann started for himself in the same calling, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Elwood M. Mann

Elwood M. Mann is a native of Hancock, Washington county, Maryland, born December 14, 1836. His parents, Jonathan and Mary A. Mann, removed to Missouri in 1844, and after stopping at Wellington one winter, came to Daviess county and settled in what is now Sheridan township. They lived there until 1846, then removed to Gallatin, where his mother died in 1848, and his father in 1859, he having lived with his parents and clerked in his father’s store until that time. In 1860 he engaged in the mercantile business with Jonathan Brosins and his brother William Mann,, under the firm … Read more

Biography of John A. Keck

John A. Keck was born in Baltimore, Maryland, October 27, 1843, but his parents, John and Elizabeth Keck, removed from his native city when he was but six months old, and settled in Bracken county, Kentucky. From there they removed, after a residence of about six years, coming to Missouri and settling upon a farm in Shelby county, where he was reared to manhood and received his education. His mother is still living, and is a descendant of the Tevis family, who founded Tevis college, of Kentucky. His father died in Gallatin in 1876. Our subject lived with his parents … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Samuel T. Brosins

Samuel T. Brosins is a native of Hancock, Maryland, and was born April 1, 1817. His parents removed to Missouri and settled at Gallatin in 1849, and here he was reared, receiving his education in the common schools and academy of Gallatin. In 1867 he began reading law, under the preceptor-ship of Judge Robert L. Dodge, studying during the summer and teaching during the winter until 1871, when he was admitted to the bar, and at once became associated with William C. Gillihan, and the firm of Gillihan Brosins are among the ablest practitioners of the Daviess county bar. During … Read more

Slave Narrative of Jim Threat

Person Interviewed: Jim Threat Place of Birth: Talidiga County, Alabama Date of Birth: September 1851 We all sung dat song and had a lot of fun singing it but it was true jest the same. Dat was one of the things dat the niggers dreaded most, was a patteroller. Slaves would have a little party all the niggers would gather at one of the cabins and lock the door so the patterollers couldn’t git in. When the party was over and they started home the patterollers would stop them and demand their passes. Woe to the nigger that didn’t have … Read more