Hey!!! Haven't any of you guys looked in the 1959 Adams County History for
information on the Odle Family? Mrs. Earl (Eileen) Dawson, 221 S. First
Street, Decatur, IN 46733, (I don't think she's on e-mail) one of the family
story editors, wrote the following:
"William Odell, born about 1715, settled near Randallstown, Baltimore
Co., Maryland, where he owned several tracts of land at the time of his death
in 1749. Elizabeth, his wife, filed an account in the Office of the Register
of Wills, Baltimore Co., listing their children and year of birth:
[1.] Mary, 1735
[2.] John, 1737
[3.] William, 1738
[4.] Walter, 1742
[5.] Elizabeth, 1744
[6.] Richard, 1745
[7.] Rignal, 1746
[8.] Talbot, 1748.
[3.] "William Odle-Odell, Jr. son of William, was married in
Baltimore Co. to Asenath, the daughter of John and Asenath Owings. They
moved west, locating in Hampshire Co., {W.] Va., where William, in 1783,
purchases two tracts of land, 173 acres in each tract, on Allegheny Mountain.
"John Odle, son of William, Jr., was born in 1764, settled in the
Scioto Valley of Ross Co., Ohio, in 1797. John was active in civil duties,
being a justice of peace in Ross Co. He moved to Randolph Co., Ind., in 1819
and here held the office of county treasurer, and for many years was a
justice of peace. He owned a combined hotel and tavern in the city of
Winchester, with the earl post office and county library being located in the
hotel. John died in 1833, and Nancy, his wife, in 1847.
"Caleb, son of John, was born in Hampshire Co., [W.] Va. He enlisted
in the War of 1812, at Ross Co., Ohio, serving as a fourth corporal. In
1815, Caleb married Hester, daughter of Nathan and Harriet (Simpson) Brown.
During their residence in Ohio, they lived in Jackson Co., the same
neighborhood as Hester's family, until 1825, when they followed Caleb's
father to Randoph Co. [IN} where Hester died. Caleb and Hester had five
children, but only three are known: Zephaniah, Nathan B. and Mary. Caleb
married his second wife, Irena Franklin, in 1834, and eventually moved to
Newton Co., Ind. where the 80 acres of land was located which the government
gave him for his service in the War of 1812. Caleb died in 1825, being
buried in Iroquoise Co. Ill. Caleb and irena had five children: John Wesley,
(1836-1921); Anthony R., (1839-1890); James Harvey (1846-1932); Caleb William
(1850-?) and Newton Edmund (1852-?). He also have five sons who served in
the Civil War: Nathan B., Zephaniah B., Anthony R., John W., and James H.
"Zephaniah B.the son of Caleb, rode on horseback with his sister,
Mary, from Deerfield [Randolph Co.] to Adams Co., where he settled in
Washington Twp. His siter, Mary, went to work as a housekeeper for Joel Roe,
an early pioneer settler in Washington Twp. whose wife had recently died
leaving him with an infant daughter. During Aug. of 1841m Mary was united in
marriage to Joel and remained his housekeeper throughout his life. (See Roe
Family.)
"In 1838, Zephaniah married Mary, daughter of Perry and Sarah
(Archbold) Andrews. They were the parents of seven children, but only two
lived an average life span. Mailinda and Sarah died young, and three sons,
Nathan, Perry, and Caleb, along with their father Zephaniah, were all killed
in the Civil War. Zephaniah died at Memphis, Tenn., of smallpox. Mary, his
wife, died in 1857. Hester married James Wesley Smith and Aaron was raised
by Perry Andrews....."
The article goes on to list the children of Aaron, their wifes and
husbands-none of the husbands were Hammer--Spade was the closest!!! Nor are
any Hammers listed in the index. Think Rhonda needs to continue in Randolph
and Newton counties, rather than Adams!
Dick Heller
ddhelleer(a)aol.com
editor of 1979 History of Adams County (still available from the Adams County
Historical Society for $50 a copy!) 796 9 by 12 pages.