Highlights of the

Restor and Annetta Thornburg family

Bartonia, Randolph County, Indiana

as told by Lora (Thornburg) Heiss and originally organized and presented by Willard Heiss

Thomas Keesling

Indianapolis, July 2015

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Loretta Heiss (1880-1965) was my great-grandmother. She was the eldest daughter of Restor Thornburg (1851-1934) and Annetta Cox (1857-1943). Restor was the son of Isaac Thornburg (1822-1899) and Rhoda Lamb (1826-1895). The Thornburg and Lamb families were living in Stoney Creek Township when Isaac and Rhoda were married in 1843, and began farming.

Annetta was the daughter of Simeon Cox (1829-1907) and Rosanna Hiatt (1831-1912). They were married in 1850. Three maps show the R. Hiatt and S. Cox farms about 1 miles apart, east of Winchester near the eastern edge of White River Township: the Map of Randolph County, Indiana, 1865, the 1874 Atlas of Randolph County, Indiana and the Tucker History of Randolph County, Indiana, Illustrated, 1882. (The 1874 atlas actually shows the R. Hiatt heirs as owners of that farm and the 1882 Tucker history map for White River Township shows most of the farm having been sold.)

One confusing aspect of Restors and Annettas history is their given names. Restors name is often misspelled as Restore, and Annettas given name is often mistakenly identified as Annettie or Annette. The same is true of some of their siblings and their childrens names. Lorettas given name, for example, is sometimes presented as Lora. Some of the siblings names are misspelled in various references. Hopefully, I have presented the correct names, spellings and relationships.

Loretta was known as Lora and Annetta was usually referred to as Annettie, although I found one instance where Lora referred to Annetta as Nettie. Lora married Josiah Calvin Heiss (1875-1957) in 1899. Calvin arrived in the Bartonia area in1897 from his home near Fort Recovery, Ohio. His sister, Lucy, and their cousin, Elizabeth Landis, were already living nearby. Lora, like her parents, spent nearly her entire life in Randolph County.

Lora loved to write. Her son, Willard Heiss (1921-1988), was a renowned genealogist who also wrote and published extensively. Willard undertook the task of organizing (as much as possible) Loras writings and then typed and printed copies. The work is untitled and undated and an addendum was printed in 1980. Willards work has been the primary source of material for this project. As far as I know, Willard added the parenthetical material included with Loras text. The clarifications and additions in brackets are mine. Lora didnt always clearly identify individuals or their relationships and I have found a few errors. So I have supplemented Loras text with information from other readily available sources in an effort to clarify her stories, but some gaps and questions remain.

Another major source of information has been The Thornburg Family in Randolph County, Indiana by Harold Thornburg and Willard Heiss. Willard and Virginia Heiss published it in 1959. My copy was a 1959 Christmas gift from Lora to her daughter, Elizabeth Keesling (my grandmother). Lora spent most of her last years living with Willard and Virginia in Indianapolis and with Elizabeth and Floyd Keesling at their farm on US 27 north of Lynn. Elizabeth had been photographing the family for decades and took the photo of Lora displayed on the cover of this work. The photograph is undated, but was taken in the living room of the Keesling home around 1960.

Ive included two maps of Bartonia and the areas to the west (pages 2 and 12). The first map identifies the location of Isaac Thornburgs farm as shown in the 1874 atlas. That first map also shows Restors farm over time, beginning with the original 40 acres. The second map is a composite of maps from the

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1909 Plat Book of Randolph County, Indiana. Each of the original plat book township maps was produced independently. As a result, some of the roads, streams, etc. on my composite map dont match where the three separate map sections are joined. Ive added current road designations and highlighted a few key features to improve clarity. Hopefully these maps will help with orientation as you read these excerpts from Loras story.

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Restor and Annettie Restor was the fourth of 12 sons, but William (1849-1850) died very young. Restor was 15 when Isaac moved the family to Wayne Township. According to an obituary included in The Thornburg Family in Randolph County, Indiana, Isaac and Rhoda moved their family to a farm two miles south of Harrisville in 1866. The following are Loras undated comments regarding that move.

Grandpa (Isaac Thornburg) moved 2 mi. South of Harrisville, Ind. 1866 ?, built brick house. Rufe [Rufus] was born May 1870 (Levi T. Dec. 28, 1869) He, Rufe, ran across the wet brick (leaving his footprints), so about 1872 or 3. Made brick one yr., built the next. The lumber was seasoned 3 yr. for the wood work. Father [Restor] was 15 when they moved from Lute Harris farm, between Barracks Corner and Pinch, 1 mi. S. of Poplar Run Church.

Uncle Restor Lambs farm between Grandpas farm & the Corner, so Barracks log house stands in good condition. Whites in it now.

The reason for mentioning Levi T. in this paragraph with Rufe is unclear. Levi Thornburg (1869-1955) was the son of Jonathan Thornburg (1845-1918) and Nancy Jessup (1848-1880). Jonathan was the oldest of Isaac and Rhodas children. The 1909 plat book shows a Jonathan Thornburg with a 79-acre farm east of the southernmost portion of Restors farm. A 1945 obituary for Levis older sister, Anna (or Annie), said Levi was living in Bloomingport. Lora wrote the following about Levi in another fragment of her writing.

Levi T. lived with us a yr. (1881) after his mother Nancy Jessup died when Elvin [Elvan] was a baby, b April 8, 1880. Grandma & Grandpa took Jonathan, Baby & Annie in. Annie could help with work.

Levi went to school at Hard Scrapple School. We lived 3 mi. S. of Selma, spring of 1879 to July 1882. Hosea died there Sept. 1879. Lora & Rosanna born there Jan 12, 1880, Mar. 24, 1882.

Delana [was] there the winter before Rosanna was born, to wait on Lora. Mother could not stoop, so big. Levi & Delana smoked (she smoked cornsilks). He wonders yet why she was not sick. Father let his big dog Bulger in house one N. to kill rats, caught one under bed & raised it off the floor, Mother in it.

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Levi would have been 12 in 1881. His sister Annie was 14 and baby brother Elvan (1880-1953) one year old. The other siblings were Elwood (1871-1940) and Nathan (1873-1953), but their fate during that time was not mentioned nor was Levis after 1881. Jonathan was married again in 1885 to Lavina Robinson (1843-1917).

Delana H. Cox (1866-1958) was Simeon Cox and Rosanna Hiatts daughter and Annetties youngest sister. Delana later married Eli Johnson (1860-1944) and they are buried at Jericho Cemetery.

Annettie was living at home on the Cox family farm when Isaac Thornburg purchased his farm about 2 miles to the southeast in 1866. Annettie would have been nine years old at the time. Restor and Annettie were married ten years later on December 31, 1876, but their first farm was in Delaware County, three miles south of Selma. Daughters Lora and Rosanna were born on that farm in 1880 and 1882, respectively. Lora described the house as a log house with a shed kitchen.

Annetties first winter at school When Grandmother Hiatts new frame house was built, they hurried and shingled one corner and set up a bed for her, and a baby boy was born and named Wilson. All her boys were school teachers (but Louis) and taught the first girls seminary. Mothers first winter of school, Uncle Wilson was her teacher. When the snow was deep he set her on his shoulder and carried her the mile home. Of course, the school house was log, puncheon floor and heated with a fireplace, set in a woods in the N. W. corner of the cross roads ( mi. S. of their house), 3 mi. East of Winchester and a bit North. Later went to a school 7 (or 1) mi. N. called Round Top.

Grandmother Hiatt was Charlotte Coats (1812-1888), wife of Richard Hiatt (1808-1860). Their son, Wilson (1843-1935), was a younger brother of Annetties mother Rosanna (Hiatt) Cox. The parenthetical reference to Louis Hiatt should be Lewis Hiatt (1850?-1877).

The 1865 Randolph County map shows R. Hiatt as the owner of 100 acres on the southwest corner at the intersection of the roads that are now identified as CR N 400 E and CR E 100 N (the northeast corner of Section 24 in eastern White River Township). When the 1874 atlas was published, the property was owned by the Heirs of R. Hiatt. By the time the 1882 Tucker history was being published, the farm was no longer in the Hiatt family name except for 14 acres at the corner owned by J. Keys and R. Hiatt.

The log school Lora described would have been near where SR 32 crosses CR E 100 N today. The Hiatt farm was north of the school and the Cox farm was west of the school. Online references to the Round Top School place it east of Winchester in Wayne Township. Apparently, Willard was unable to determine whether Lora had written a 7 or a 1 when she included the distance to the Round Top School.

Puncheon floors were made from split logs with the flat surface facing up.

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Lora and Rosanna January 27, 1954

Rosanna, do you remember when we stood on each side of Pa sitting in his big rocking chair, he reading aloud from The Golden Days, a weekly paper he bought in Winchester when he took the butter and eggs to market.

My head leaned on his right shoulder, yours on his left shoulder. My head reached up level or so, yours not so high. The stories were about girls and boys especially for children or young people.

Rosanna was Loras younger sister, born shortly before the family sold the Delaware County farm in 1882 and moved to Randolph County. Pa, of course, was Restor, but Lora usually referred to him as Father in her writings. Rosanna (1882-1957) married Charles Spurgeon (1882-1966) and they are buried at Whiteman Cemetery in Clinton County, Indiana.

Lora at School No. 8 and the Mikesells 4 mi. S. of Harrisville. At school when Ralph Coats taught, he had us learn to run the notes of a scale of music do-re-me-fa-so-la-se-do up to high do; then back down. Brought their organ from home. His sister India (?) played it. His brother Walter played bass violin. They were a musical family. His father was _____ Coats, distant relation. And we sang traveling the Highroad to Learning, America, and many, many others. Shouting them while we washed dishes, Mother never said a word, while we milked cows. We did not know then music was conducive to increased milk production.

We learned (studied) authors and their poems (work), wrote Henry Wadsworth Longfellows Evangeline in our own words; William Cullen Bryant, James Russell Lowell, etc. It took lots of paper, time and writing, but I loved it.

I graduated from the 8th grade when commencement in _____ Theatre in Union City. Many, after the exercises were over, came up on the stage and shook hands with us. Dora (Theodore) Shockney said, I used to play marbles with your Father when we were boys. There were Dora, John and Charlie, brothers of Aunt Mary Cox, a sister married to Uncle Levi Cox. They were orphans. One was Mayor of Winchester. Walter Fry, Pearl Shockney and I took exams from No. 8 School at No. 4 School up toward Union City. Mollie Mikesell would of went but their road was a back road and the knee-deep snow was not broke out.

The 1909 plat book shows School No. 8 on the northeast corner at Greenville Pike and CR S 500 E. School No. 4 was in Hayesville.

Dora (Theodore), John and Charlie were brothers and their parents were Dr. William P. Shockney (1823-1863) and Jane C. Frazier or Frazer (1826-1862). Theodore (1852-1928) was elected mayor of Union City

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in 1880, but he won election to the State Legislature before the end of his first term as mayor. Loras Aunt Mary was Mary J. Shockney (1857-1935). She was Dr. Shockneys daughter and had married Levi Cox (1855-1943), Annetties older brother.

A 1936 obituary for Pearl Shockney, 55, identified him as the son of Samuel and Sarah Shockney. Samuel H. Shockney (1834-1896) and Sarah A. Butts (1842-1918) were the neighbors south of Restor and Annetties farm. Pearl was a brother of Theodore H. Shockney (mentioned in the chronology on page 9) and is buried at Jericho Cemetery.

At school on Friday P. M. after the last recess, we would have spelling or ciphering matches. If Bertha Mikesell Isenbarger and I could be partners, we could win. She could get the addition and multiplication problems and I the subtraction and division. Of eight [Mikesell] children, only her [Bertha] and George are living. Six were older than her. Willie the youngest and Im the oldest of us ten and only Aunt Edith and aunt Rosanna passed on. Aunt Rhoda is 20 years younger than I, both of our birthdays in January.

Written this Feb. 15, 1960.

Jonathan J. Mikesell (1838-1921) and Hannah L. Rarick (1845-1916) were the parents. The 1882 Tucker history says Jonathan and his brother, Curtis O. Mikesell (1845-1929), were in the business of tile making. The 1882 Tucker map for Wayne Township shows J. J. Mickesell [sic] with 80 acres and a tile factory about half a mile northeast of School No. 8. The 1909 plat map shows a different owner at that location, but shows Curtis O. Mikesell as the owner of the property immediately east.

Lora wrote the following about the Mikesell family a few weeks after writing about School No. 8.

Cora married Uncle Tom T. [Thomas Thornburg], had Mary, May, Hazel and he Merl (?) died young.

Sarah Jane m Jim Harter, blacksmith in Bartonia. Had two boys (in Texas) one girl worked in Union City.

Kelso m Ola Henderson. [Online information says Norman Kelso married Viola Jane Gray.]

Russell m Jessie Bailey, had Thelma, Aunt Cora raised, and Ralph. [Online information says he married Elizabeth Frazier.]

George m -----(?). [Online information says he married Jesse Bailey.]

Frank m -----(?), had ----- and two boys. One is John Mikesell, lives in Lynn, m -----(?) [Frank married Elizabeth White. John married Pat Martin.]

Bertha m Lon Isenbarger of Lynn. Visits me, no children, died.

Wrote April 8, 1960.

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Spinning wool Carrie (Moore) Thomas tells about when her Ma (Mylissa) and Andaline were girls they took turns going to Grandmother Hepsa Coxs 2 mi., to spin wool into thread to weave into blankets, petticoats, or twist into yarn to knit stockings or sox out of. She paid them. This way each earned money and one was at home to help their Mother with the work and 5 or 6 younger children. Grandmother Cox and sister Polly Pogue wove coverlets (linen, wasp, wool filling) to sell $1 each.

Carrie (1879-?) was the daughter of Malissa (Cox) Moore Green. Malissa (1853-1936) and Andeline (1851-1948) were Annetties older sisters and the eldest daughters of Simeon Cox and Rosanna Hiatt. The sisters grandparents were John Cox (1802-1881) and Hepsa Hiatt (1808-1890). The 1865 Randolph County map, the 1874 atlas and the White River Township map in the 1882 Tucker history show the 100-acre John Cox farm on the north side of CR E 100 N. It was two miles west of the R. Hiatt farm. All three maps show the 80-acre Simeon Cox farm located about 1.5 miles (2 miles by road) southwest of the Hiatt farm on the northeast corner of what we now know as East Base Road and CR N 300 E.

Actually, Polly Pogue (1821-1907) was the sister of Loras great-grandmother, Charlotte (Coats) Hiatt (1812-1888), rather than Grandmother Rosanna (Hiatt) Cox (1831-1912). Polly and Charlotte were daughters of John Coats Sr. (1788-1878) and Sarah Sally Wright (1789-1875).

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Chronology 1882Restor and Annettie sold the Delaware County farm and bought 40 acres about two miles northwest of Bartonia where Greenville Pike crosses Owl Creek (spelled Owell Creek on the 1909 map). The property was on the south side of the road and the log house was east of the creek. Lora said Restor bought the property from Hen Study. Hen was probably Henry T. Study (1847-1912) who is buried in Fountain Park Cemetery in Winchester. The Wayne Township map in the 1882 Tucker history shows the 40-acre tract owned by D. Davis. The home and attached office of Dr. William K. Marquis stood on the north side of the road across from the Thornburg home, but the 55-acre Marquis property extended south across the road and along the east side of the Thornburg property. _??_A 1959 letter from Lora to grandson, Max Heiss, said Restor bought 40 acres more to the west and then bought the Dr. Marquis farm.

1890According to Lora, the Thornburg family "moved over fall of 1890." This comment referred to the family's move from the old log house on the south side of the road to the Marquis house (partially log construction as well) across the road. She did not explain why they moved.

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1892-97In her 1959 letter, Lora said her siblings Harold (b. 1892), Edith (b. 1894) and Orpha (b. 1897) were born while the family lived in the Marquis house.

1899Isaac and Rhodas farm was only about two miles north of Restors. Rhoda had died in 1895, but Isaac was still living in the two-story brick house on his property when he died in July 1899. Lora said, Father bought [Isaacs farm] of the heirs in fall of 1899 (before Dad and I married)."Dad was Loras husband Calvin. She and Cal were married in September 1899. Restor then moved his family to Isaacs house. The newlyweds stayed at the Marquis house and farmed Restors property along Greenville Pike.

1900 Lora said in the 1959 letter that her sister, Rhoda, was born at Isaac's farm.

1901?While we farmed at Fathers at threshing time, hands all in waiting for threshing machine, Father and Dode Shockney got to talking trade. Dode had 121 A. Joined Father [adjoining Restors farm] across the South (3.40.S) (?) Father made an offer. Dode took him up. Father wanted straw of Dodes wheat, so they opened up the fence (rail) and hauled it through and up to his S. barn. When machine came it made a big straw stack with Cals (ours). It was the W. field next to the Frank Fielder 40 A. The 1918 county plat book shows Frank F. Fielder with 40 acres between Restor's farm and CR S 400 E. However, the 1909 plat book shows F. L. and L. M. Phillips as the owners of that 40-acre property.

Dode was Theodore H. Shockney (1868-1908). The 1874 atlas and the 1882 Tucker history both show S. H. Shockney as the owner of 120 acres that stretched across the south end of the land Restor had acquired by 1900. Samuel H. Shockney was the owner and he had died in1896. He was a son of Charles Laban Shockney (1797-1863) who arrived in Randolph County in 1838 and settled southeast of Winchester. An online biography for Theodore H. Shockney identifies him as a farmer and son of Samuel Shockney. He had apparently inherited the 120 acres Restor wanted to buy.

Another Theodore Shockney, son of William P. Shockney, was mentioned on page 5 in association with Loras graduation. He also lived in the area and knew Restor when they were growing up.

1902We had no binder (wheat) (Summer of 1902). Father had all he could cut with his. (He owned and lived on his Fathers Isaac Thornburgs farm, 2 mi. S. of Harrisville.) So Cal spoke with George Mikesell [Cora (Mikesell) Thornburgs brother?] to cut ours. He lived on the Orville Engle farm, S. and W. of us. When wheat cutting time came, George was busy and had Dad put his horses to it.

1903Cal bought the lumber that was in the old log house on the south side of Greenville Pike and moved it to his Paps [Cals fathers] farm 3 mi. S. of Ft. Recovery (we had bought) & built a row of hog houses. Cal then burned down the remainder of the old house in order for Restor to build a new barn on the site. "After Cal got his lumber out.... they caved it in and set a match to it. (The old log house where Roy [Leroy], Mina [Elmina], Lon [Alonzo] and India were born.) Lora commented on this episode again later in her writing. Father was building the New Barn on the S. side of road, before they moved back from the Tucker farm, the farm Isaac Thornburg bought 2 mi S. of Harrisville in 1855 [should be 1866]. Lora said Restor sold Isaacs farm to ____ Tucker. [Lora didnt remember Tuckers first name.] Cal and Lora were moving to Ohio that same year. We moved to Pap Heiss [farm] fall of 1903. Pap had bought a house in Ft. Recovery & moved there.

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Cals parents were John Heiss (1826-1919) and Elizabeth Potteiger (1834-1915). They had been living and farming south of Fort Recovery, Ohio, but were moving into a house in Fort Recovery. Cal and Lora had purchased John and Elizabeths 72-acre farm.

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1905Cal and Lora bought 320 acres of timberland in Missouri, built a house in the woods and moved.

1907Lora wrote that Restor and Annettie built their new house while she and Cal were still in Missouri. Lora had a photograph (see page3) of her parents at the new house that she gave to her grandson, Max Heiss. She dated it 1914 and wrote a note on the back saying the house had been built in 1907. Two other photographs taken at the house are on page 10. The Thornburg built the new house in front of the Dr. Marquis house that remained standing for many years thereafter. The new house was concrete block construction and lighting was provided via a calcium carbide acetylene generator.

1908The Heisses returned from Missouri and lived on the "Jimmy Gray" farm that Restor purchased from Eddie Stocksdale. Lora and Cal were renting 80 of the 160 acres. In her writing, Lora mentioned life on War Street during that period. Later, she told the story of Cal's arrival in Randolph County in 1897 and explained how "War Street" got its name via Jimmy Gray's family. (See page 16.) In recounting that story, she said Restor bought 160 acres "in there" ten years later. This was the southernmost 160 acres (along CR E 350 S) shown in Restor's name in the 1909 plat book. J. Gray owned 47.5 of the 160 acres when the 1882 Tucker history was prepared.

1909The 1909 Plat Book of Randolph County, Indiana shows 445 acres, mostly south of Greenville Pike, in Restors name.

1919Cal and Lora bought a farm south of Unionport and moved. At some point, they lost that farm and moved to the L. W. Ridenour farm north of Modoc.

1933The 1933 Randolph County Atlas shows Restors farm reduced to 200 acres.

1934Restor died.

1936Cal and Lora moved in with Annettie on Greenville Pike.

1943Annettie died. Cal and Lora bought a house in Lynn and moved.

The house Restor built in 1907 still stands east of Owl Creek on the north side of Greenville Pike. As noted above, the log house on the south side of the road was demolished in 1903 to make way for a new barn. The Dr. Marquis log house was accidentally destroyed by fire many years ago. Isaac, Rhoda, Restor, Annettie, Lora and Cal are all buried at nearby Jericho Cemetery; Simeon and Rosanna are buried at White River Cemetery.

Annetties great-grandchildren remember her house being extra nice. Floyd and Elizabeth Keesling and their three boys lived nearby from February 1930 to March 1937. The boys and their cousins played on the front porch and around the old log house in back when they were young. They and others remember the small log structure on the south side of the road that was torn down fairly recently. That structure was probably the old log barn on the original 40 acres that Restor and Annettie bought, but it may have been converted to another use in later years.

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This is a composite map showing a portion of Randolph County, Indiana near Bartonia. The map was created from sections of maps for Wayne, White River and Greensfork townships. The source of the maps was the 1909 Plat Book of Randolph County, Indiana. The maps show roads, property owners, schools, churches and other information. The red labels and ovals were added by the author.

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Dr. William Kidd Marquis An online history of Dr. William Kidd Marquis (1832-1891) includes this statement. In 1870 he moved to Randolph County into what was called a tavern or a hotel on the Greenville Pike at the 2nd crossroad west of Bartonia, where he practiced medicine. He was also a farmer and German Baptist minister. That same history says his first wife was Mary Bennet. They were married in 1853 and she died in 1875. He married Fannie Coats (1855-1897) in 1877. Fannie was a niece of Annetties grandmother, Charlotte (Coats) Hiatt. The Marquis moved to Kansas in 1890 after selling their farm to Restor. Dr. Marquis died in Kansas in 1891. Fannie returned to Randolph County and died in 1897. She is buried at Mount Zion Cemetery. This small photograph comes from the estate of Willard and Virginia Heiss. It is clearly a copy of an older photograph and shows a small portion of the Dr. Marquis house. Willard wrote the following note on the back. The old log house at Grandpas. The clapboard addition toward the front was Dr. Marquis office c-1870.

Loras description of 1880s life in the log house Lora described 1880s life in the familys log house on the south side of Greenville Pike, but she wrote it in fragments that are scattered throughout her writings. The following eight brief excerpts were included in the material collected and printed by Willard Heiss. I corrected a couple of punctuation and spelling errors for clarity and added a few pieces of information to expand on Loras comments.

I was 2 yr. old, Rosanna 6 mo. [when the family moved in 1882] The log house was sealed with pine, ship-lap. Poplar joists 2 x 8 in. Loft floored with walnut boards.

The room white washed every spring. A 4-pane window in the west [upstairs], roof not high enough to set up a bed. So when I was 9 or 10, two of us girls slept on a bed made on the floor.

A 2-sash window in the N., each of 6 panes in the downstairs. Little ones liked to look out at.

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The kitchen [was] a good frame building boxed up with ash boards and stripped with 2 or 3 in. strips. The kitchen had been Grandmother Hiatts when Grandpa Cox farmed there 7 yr. to get her out of debt.

After father [Restor] bought the Marquis farm and moved over, he sold this kitchen to Hen and Lina Eisenhour for a summer kitchen.

Hen and Lina were Henry Eisenhour (1857-1931) and his wife Lorinda Cox (1860-1914). The 1933 atlas shows H. Eisenhour owned 60 acres at the southeast corner at CR S 500 E and the Greenville Pike. Hen and Lina are buried at Jericho Cemetery.

The good frame kitchen was sealed, window and door in the South to the garden. And drop leaf extension table, the three cornered ash cupboard, a flour barrell [sic] and bread board, cast iron cookstove (Mother could bake biscuits, fry meat with 3 sticks of wood) a wood box of wood and a pot bench completed the kitchen furniture. The pot bench was boards for ends bottom, a white entending [extending?] board for top, shelf of black wood, pots were upset on, skillets hung at one end, dishpan at the other, quart or gal. jars on top with salt, sugar and meat fryings in.

There was Rosanna and I, Roy and Mina, Lon and India and Pa and Ma, set up to the table 3 times a day. Some dishwashing! Harold a baby, born July 16, 1892. Calista Peacock (1862-1932) worked for Ma, oldest of Aunt Rachels girls. There was a long shed, kitchen, along the back of the log house. Mina, India and I slept in East end. There was a curtain (later Dad put a partition inwe did not need such a big kitchen.) Rosanna slept upstairs. A big loft over the sitting room. A room for Roy and Lon put in one corner. Two East bedrooms off the sitting room.

Aunt Rachel was Rachel (Hiatt) Peacock Hollingsworth (1837-1929), Rosanna Hiatts sister. Mina was Loras sister, Elmina. Roy and Lon were Loras brothers, Leroy and Alonzo.

Mother was a good foreman (woman). The kitchen was long, in the East end I was whitewashing. Mother was frying meat down at the stove in the E. end; one girl was ironing, one was washing dishes. Irons were heated on the cook stove (in the E. end of kitchen.)

The barn was log too. A cow shed was on the South, and shed on North of log barn had a granary in it for wheat, a one-horse wheat drill.

This may be the log structure that was demolished on the south side of Greenville Pike in recent years.

Then he [Restor] bought the F. M. B. A., Lodge Hall of Uncle Tom, standing unused in his field at cross roads West, for corn. A binder shed built on North side and wagon shed built on the south side. The Hall empty of corn in summer, was a nice place to play. Father put his log chain over a joist and made a dandy swing.

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The F. M. B. A. was the Farmers Mutual Benefit Association, an organization of local co-ops that arose late in the 19th century.

Uncle Tom was Restors brother, Thomas C. Thornburg (1856-1923). The 1909 plat book shows Thomas as the owner of 80 acres, mostly on the southwest corner at Greenville Pike and CR S 400 E. He and his wife Cora Mikesell (1864-1946) are buried at Jericho Cemetery.

Buying Old George and getting married In the spring of 1898, Cal hired to Uncle Alec Thornburg. Joined farms to Grandpa Thornburg on the S. Tarleton, Alecs grandson owns and lives there now (Jan. 1955) but lived and worked with Alecs son Earnest [Ernest] on _____ A. East of the County Farm. Cal bought of Del Mott of Ft. Recovery (that spring) a Union City buggy, harness, laprobe, duster and whip for $40. Giving his note.

Lora wrote in a later paragraph, Del Mott quit his mail route and did not need buggy outfit anymore. The Union City Carriage Company probably manufactured the buggy.

Alec was Joab Alexander Thornburg (1847-1919), an older brother of Restors. The 1909 plat book shows Joab A. Thornburg with a farm immediately south of where the Isaac W. Thornburg farm had been on CR S 500 E. Joab was married to Harriet Parrott (1847-1930). Their son, Ernest (1873-1962), farmed 124 acres south of Winchester. The 1909 plat book shows that farm on the southeast corner at the intersection of the Winchester & Lynn Pike (Old US 27) and CR E 100 S. Tarleton (1907-1990) was the son of Bert Thornburg (1885-1944) and Olive Albright (1889-1971) and was Ernests nephew. Tarleton and his parents are buried at the Jericho Cemetery, as are Joab and Harriet. Ernest is buried at Fountain Park Cemetery in Winchester.

That summer Cal sold Prince for $65 to a horse buyer at Jack Barnes livery barn in Winchester. Where Randolph Co. Bank is, was Farmer and Merchants, N. Main St., and bought Old George of Dep Ganger for $50. Dep worked on the Judge Engle Farm for Jim [James Engle?]. Old George, foaled by George Harter of Bartonia, raised and broke by Dode Shockney.

Was Dep Ganger Delphus L. Ganger? George W. Harter had the grocery in Bartonia for many years. Dode was Theodore H. Shockney, Samuels son. (See the 1901? chronology entry on page 9.)

Cal drove Old George through our courting days, [from] Decoration [Day] at Spartanburg 1898 to Sept. 10, 1899, when we were married at the home of and by Preacher Alva (Add) Peacock in Winchester. My cousin Nola Parrott and her friend, Carl Keesling, stood up with us. We all went to church at Jericho, where Add preached. We eat our wedding dinner at Uncle Joe and Lucy Thornburgs. They lived on Aunt Serena Hinshaws farm near Jericho. Serena was sister to Grandpa Cox. Grandpa and Grandma Cox were there for dinner too. Also Cals brother, Simon, wife Lou and Wilson and Edna of Winchester. In P. M. we drove to Pap Heiss [near Fort Recovery, Ohio]. Esther was

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there. Then we visited Jake and Mary at Portland where he run a grocery for J. A. Long. Then back home to work at Pa and Mas.

Alva Add Peacock was Charleton Alva Peacock (1862-1955). Alva married the daughter of Dr. Marquis and his first wife, Mary Bennett, in 1890. Dr. Marquis was a German Baptist minister and performed the ceremony.

In 1949, Alva was photographed with Cal and Lora at their 50th wedding anniversary celebration in Lynn.

Nola Parrott (1879-1950) married Carlton E. Keesling (1873-1943) in Muncie in 1901. Nolas mother was Annetties sister, Almira Cox (1859-1957). Almira was married to Henry Parrott (1849-1898?). Serena Cox (1828-1911) was Simeons older sister and was married to Job Hinshaw (1828-1897). Almira is buried at Fountain Park Cemetery in Winchester while Henry Parrott is buried at Freidline Cemetery in Delaware County. Serena and Job are buried at the Jericho Cemetery.

Uncle Joe was Joseph E. Thornburg (1864-1934) and Aunt Lucy was his wife Lucy Ann Heiss (1868-1943), Cals sister. Joe was another of Restors younger brothers. Joe and Lucy owned a farm at the south edge of Bartonia for many years. Lin, Mary Elizabeth, Joe and Lucy are buried at Jericho Cemetery.

Pap Heiss was farming south of Fort Recovery, Ohio. Esther (1859-1949) was Calvin and Lucys sister. Esther was married to George F. Drake and moved from Ohio to Winchester after he died. Simon Heiss wife was Sara L. and their children were Wilson and Edna. Jake and Mary were James Jacob Reichard and Mary M. Heiss (Cals sister). Presumably, J. A. Long was Joseph A. Long who founded the J. A. Long Company in Portland.

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The first carpet Our first carpet bought November 1899. Was a factory made rag carpet, poor chain, and fell to pieces.

I had cut and sewed rags and Farrings had woven us a new carpet, white and brown chain. Father was building the new barn on the S. side [of Greenville Pike where the old log house stood], boarded the hands. Mother would bring the makings of a meal, a ham or a chicken and take a piece of the washed carpet home [Isaacs brick house at that time] with her every night for the kids to ravel up. Then Mother and I would recut and sew the rags. We found bands off pants with buttons on and any of it would cut into 2 to 4 [inch?] strips, and get it ready for Roy Courtner, the carpet weaver, E of Billy Miller, corner on S. side, on E. On N side was Charley [Charlie] Welchs. We were loaded, ready to start and Roy Courtner drove in with the carpet in his buggy. So, by the skin of our teeth we had two new carpets, this brown and white chain.

The Roy Courtner in Loras description was probably Roy Cortner (possibly Roy W. or William R. Cortner). The 1909 plat book shows B. Miller as the owner of property on the southeast corner of CR S 500 E and CR E 500 S in Greensfork Township. This is just 2.5 miles south of the Marquis house on Greenville Pike where Lora and Cal were living. East of the B. Miller property was a property in the name of M. J. Cortner. Martha J. Cortner was the wife of Roy Cortner and they were living in Greensfork Township when the 1930 census was taken. They were in their 50s at the time and she might have been the M. J. Cortner shown in the 1909 plat book. That plat book also shows a 12-acre parcel owned by Welch on the north side of CR E 500 S farther east toward the Boundary Pike. The space on the map was too small to include a first name or even an initial. However, the 1933 atlas shows C. & M. Welch as the owners of the 12-acre parcel plus the 40 acres to the east. Susan Welch confirmed that Charlie was married to Martha (Frazier) Welch. This was probably their property. They were married in 1898 and the Welch shown on the 1909 plat book map was probably Charlie and Martha as well. All three of these properties seem to match Loras description of the location of the carpet weavers residence and place of business. The Cortner property was within easy driving distance of the Heiss home.

Loras account of Jimmy Gray and War Street Calvin come to Randolph County in 1897.

March 1st, hired to Obe Stow at $13 a month, board and washing. Lucy, his [Cals] sister, was working for their cousin Lizzie, who had married my Uncle Lin Thornburg and lived across (N.) from No. 8 school. He [Lin] had sent word to Cal he could hire to Obe.

Loras handwriting was sometimes difficult to read. The name Obe Stow could be a reference to an Obadiah Stow. In telling the story about Cal, Lora mentioned Obe several times. However, Lora wrote a comment elsewhere that referred to Abe Stowe, or perhaps that is simply how Willard interpreted her writing.

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Lin was Lindley H. Thornburg (1860-1917), a younger brother of Restor. Lin was married to Mary Elizabeth Landis (1868-1935) and they are buried at Jericho Cemetery.

The 1909 plat book shows Lins property at the intersection of CR E 350 S, about one mile south of School No. 8. He had 80 acres on the southwest corner and 40 acres on the northeast corner at the intersection of CR S 500 E.

One still night Nan (Mrs. Stow) said listen to some fun. [1] mile W. lived old Jimmy Gray, near him 3 or 4 sons. They were settling up their threshing differences, chasing each other around the old mans house, shooting a shot gun and cursing. When they came around on the E. side of house the wind bore the words and shots plain. That mile was called War Street and is yet.

(Ten years later Father bought 160 A. in there and we rented 80 A. and lived in this same house. In the West kitchen door, was the marks of a shotgun blast.)

The 1909 plat book shows a 160-acre parcel of land owned by Restor on the north side of CR E 350 S between CR S 400 E and CR S 500 E. The 1882 Tucker history map of Wayne Township shows J. Gray owning 47.5 acres in the southwest corner of that 160-acre parcel. Jimmy Gray may have owned a larger portion or all of the 160 acres by the time Restor bought it, probably around 1907. Both maps show the Jimmy Gray house near the west edge of the Gray parcel, about of a mile west of CR S 500 E where Lins property was located. Lora said Jimmy Grays house was west of the Obe Stow/Abe Stowe property and her reference to that mile suggests the Jimmy Gray house was about a mile west of the Stow/Stowe house. That would place the Stow/Stowe residence near the CR S 500 E/CR E 350 S intersection in the late 1890s, but neither the 1882 map nor the 1909 map show a Stow or Stowe property in that area. The Stow/Stowe family may have been renting. Regardless, CR E 350 S west of CR S 500 E must have been Loras War Street.

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Willard Calvin Heiss was an author and lecturer. He was a professional genealogist whose specialty was Quaker history and genealogy. He had an amazing research library in his home and did a lot of work on Randolph County where he grew up. He was Chairman of the Family History Section of the Indiana Historical Society and edited their Genealogy publication. Some of his research and library materials eventually went to Earlham College where a room dedicated to his work is to be established. Other materials went to the Fort Wayne Library and to Salt Lake City. He was elected a Fellow of the National Genealogical Society in 1976. In recognition of the quality of his genealogical work, he was elected a Fellow of the American Society of Genealogists in 1978. In 2009, the National Genealogical Society elected Willard to their Hall of Fame.