The NIMROD Family

Early 1880s Pioneers
of Burden, Cowley County, Kansas

Families - Nimrod, Crawn, Davidson, Smith, Franklin, Greider, Driggs, Tucker, Dyer, Higgenbottom, Primmer, Sutton, Hening, and other related families.

(original photo courtesy of William Franklin - copyright 2000)
Thomas A. & Nancy (Crawn) Nimrod- Photo taken Abt. 1886.
In the photo above, Tom proudly wears his GAR (Grand Army of the Republic) badge he received for fighting on the side of the Union Army during the Civil War.

From MILITARY RECORDS of THOMAS AARON NIMROD, copy received from Susan Belew-Phillips in 1999:

Thomas served in the Union Army during the Civil War as a private in the 151st Indiana Inf. Co. H. The 151st was sent to Tullahoma, Tennessee and in June 1865, Thomas contracted chronic diarrhea, resulting in "disease of the stomache and piles." He also became partially disabled to perform manual labor as a result of an illness he got during the War. "He was disabled by fever, resulting in deisaese (sic) of the head, mouth and back" and had "severy of gums." Because of all this, he served less than a year during the war. (Military Pension Records).

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From the ENLISTMENT PAPERS of THOMAS AARON NIMROD
received from Susan Belew-Phillips in 1999:

"Thomas was 5'6" tall, blue eyes and light complexion & hair. Occupation: Farmer."
CLICK -> to view his Civil War Military Discharge Record - 1865.
 

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BURDEN, COWLEY COUNTY, KANSAS - Circa 1890-1900

Town names can change over time. Take a look at this:

Post Offices in Kansas, 1828-1961
Established | Discontinued - NOTES
Burden, Cowley - Open in 1961

Burdenville, Cowley 1879-12-18
1884-05-19 - Name changed from Burdenville to Burden.
   
 

BURDEN CEMETERY  Created April 9th, 2003<-My site. Being updated.

LOCATION:
BURDEN CEMETERY, Burden, Cowley County, Kansas
North side of Sec. 26, Twp. 31 South, Range 6 East
1 mi. north & 1 mi. east of Burden, KS, in Silver Creek Twp  

The Nimrod family had a quarter-section that included the Silver Creek graveyard, which is a "lot" deeded for public use at the west end of the property. 

This is Tom’s Civil War marker, still in remarkably good condition.  

There is a newer stone on the south end of the plot for Thomas & Nancy. I do not think there is a paid caretaker, but some young men were there voluntarily trimming the grass when I was there last in June 2003. It is a lovely little cemetery. It sits up high on a little knoll, overlooking the town of Burden southeast of the cemetery.   

Thomas A. Nimrod was the Commander of the GAR post in Burden, Kansas
Post number 172, Burden
Grand Army of the Republic Posts in Kansas
County: Cowley County

Thomas Aaron NIMROD came to Kansas in the 1880s from Indiana. He was born June 10, 1845, in Logan County, Ohio. He was the son of Aaron Nimrod, born in Kentucky, and Nancy "Ann" Davidson of Virginia. He married Nancy CRAWN on October 3rd, 1868, in Kentland, Ohio. Nancy was born in Indiana on January 29, 1846, near Kentland, Indiana, the daughter of Daniel CRAWN & Elizabeth SMITH, both of whom were natives of Virginia.

NOTES:
From the records of Beth Burt-RIDINGS, mother-in-law of Velma NIMROD-RIDINGS (dau. of Perry Nimrod), she stated that Thomas and Nancy Nimrod came to Burden, Cowley county, Kansas in 1883. - This record is backed by KANSAS land records and census records, and old letters written in the 1880's that I found.

From an Interview with Vinton NIMROD, son of Perry Nimrod, he stated that Thomas & Nancy Nimrod came to Burden, Cowley county, Kansas from Kentland, Indiana, in 1893.

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More I found this info about Aaron NIMROD, Thomas's father:

Transcription of the 1870 Federal Census, of Franklin Twp., Pulaski County, Indiana, 17 June, 1860, by William Kaye (Enumerator)

Aaron NIMROD / age 64 or 69 yrs / M / Farmer / born PA.

Mary NIMROD / wife / age 37 yrs / F / / born Ohio (2nd wife) *

Thomas " / 16 yrs / M / Farmer / Ohio (the subject of this site)

Ann " / 11yrs / F / / Ohio

Arta " / 6 yrs / F / / Indiana

Thompson GLOVER / 10 yrs / M / / Indiana

* NOTE: This would seem to indicate that Aaron's first wife, Nancy DAVIDSON (born Abt 1817) had died sometime after the 1850 census in Logan County, Ohio, and he married (2ndly) Mary (born Abt 1836).

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Transcription of the 1880 Federal Census, Jefferson Township, Newton County, Indiana, 26th June,1880

[Andrew Hall, Enumerator]

Nimrod, Thomas / W / M / 34 yrs old / married / Farmer/ born Ohio / father born: Kentucky / mother born: Virginia **

*** Nancy / W / F / 33 yrs old / Wife / Keepinghouse / born ; Indiana / father: Ohio / mother: Ohio

Daniel A. / W / M / 12 yrs old / Son / at school / born: Indiana / father: Ohio / mother: Indiana

Catharine W / F / 10 yrs old / Daughter / at school / born: Indiana / father: Ohio / mother: Indiana

* Matilda W / F / 7 yrs old / Daughter / at school / born: Indiana / father: Ohio / mother: Indiana

Eli W / M / 5 yrs old / Son / born Indiana / father: Ohio / mother: Indiana

Perry / W / M / 3 yrs old / Son / born Indiana / father: Ohio / mother: Indiana

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 NOTES for Matilda Nimrod:

* Matilda NIMROD became my great-grandmother DRIGGS.

More NOTES for Matilda NIMROD-DRIGGS:
From the Auto biography of Matilda Artnecie Nimrod-Driggs, she stated that "mother's name was "Maud Pansy". We had thought this was her mother's maiden name. However, in the MARRIAGE LICENSE from the STATE of INDIANA it states that her mother's name was Nancy CRAWN of Indiana. This is also the name on the gravestone next to Thomas Nimrod in the Burden, Kansas burial. They were married on October 3rd, 1868 in Kentland, OH.  The marriage license says it was the first marriage for both parties. Nancy Nimrod died 7 years after Thomas, so she would have to have been the mother of my G-Grandmother. All their children were born after 1870. (I found a web site that shows Pennsylvania Dutch family names: from the German version to the English form. MATILDA is German form of the English MAUD or MAUDE. It could be that Great-Grandma said, "CRAWN...Nancy", and my grandfather, who wrote down the story as his mother dictated it, just misunderstood what she said and wrote: Maude Pansy.

NOTES for Thomas NIMROD
** On other census records above, we see there were two different places of birth for Tom's parents. In the 1870 Census of Pulaski County, Indiana, Aaron Nimrod states that he was born in Pennsylvania - this is where my Great-grandmother Matilda Nimrod-Driggs said her family had originated, and that "we" were of German ancestry - Pennsylvania Dutch". 
It is interesting to note in the 1880 Enumeration in Newton County, Indiana, that Tom gives his father's birthplace as Kentucky and his mother's birthplace as Virginia.  Perhaps Aaron Nimrod had once lived in Kentucky before moving to Ohio. Was Tom hiding his origin for some reason, or perhaps he really didn't know where his father was born? Or perhaps he was ill at the time of the enumeration, and someone else gave the enumerator (census taker) that information in his stead. 

NOTES for Nancy CRAWN
*** Nancy's parents, Daniel CRAWN & Elizabeth SMITH,  are given as being born in Ohio on this census, but all other census records gives their places of birth as Virginia. Indeed, I found her mother's birthplace in another record as having been in Virginia, where I found other SMITH and CRAWN families, as well. From the earliest records I have found, it appears that the CRAWN (CRAUN-KRAUN) family came to Colonial Virginia from Germany,  early settlers of Augusta county, Virginia.  Many of the CRAWN descendants  were among the early settlers of Darke County, Ohio from.
NOTE: 1825 - Daniel CRAWN was among the men who were the EARLY Settlers of Darke County, OHIO  - From: History of Darke County Ohio, Vol. 1, by Frazier Wilson, pp. 161-163. Reprinted by the Darke Co. Genealogical Society, 1997.

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MY SOURCES :
Civil War Enlistment Papers
Civil War Medical records & Discharge paper
GAR paper & photo of his Service Award Badge
1870 Census, Pulaski County, Indiana
1880 Census, Newton County, Indiana
IGI films - LDS Family History Library
Crawn Family - Info taken from "History of Darke County Ohio", Vol. 1, by Frazier Wilson, pp. 161-163
Info taken from various accounts of the Westfall Family, of Darke County, OH.
Ohio Historical Bios
Cemetery Records - obtained from Burden City Hall office in 2003
Burden Cemetery - inscriptions I took from headstones in 2003 (This is my site. It is being updated)
E-mail correspondence with Wm. Franklin (2000), grandson of Catherine NIMROD-FRANKLIN
E-mail correspondence with Susan Belew-Phillips, Great-Granddau. of Catherine NIMROD-FRANKLIN
E-mail correspondence with Marjorie Lockwood, dau of Velma NIMROD-RIDINGS
Records of Beth BURT-RIDINGS, mother-in-law of Velma NIMROD-RIDINGS, dau. of Perry NIMROD
Records of Vinton Nimrod, son of Perry NIMROD and grandson of Thomas
Cemetery Headstone transcriptions - Union cemetery, north of Glencoe, Pawnee County, Oklahoma
Cemetery Records  -  Union Cemetery, Union Twp., northwest of Cushing, Payne county, Oklahoma
Cemetery Headstone Transcriptions - Union Cemetery, Union Twp., northwest of Cushing, Payne county, Oklahoma

Other SOURCE NOTES: - for the records obtained from  Theresa BOGGS, a GG-Granddaughter of Malissa Jane NIMROD-PRIMMER

 Papers of Estelle Taylor, deceased.

 1850 Census, Logan County, Ohio - Bloomfield Twp..

 Information from Margaret Still Manley - Jasper, Missouri.

 Information taken from headstone.

 Information taken from headstone, Calculated from date and age on headstone.

1870 Census, Page 191, Tippecanoe Twp., Marshall County, Indiana.

Papers of Estelle Taylor, deceased, from the family Bible of George Primmer.

1910 All Soldiers and Widows in Barton County Missouri - Brief Historical Sketches of All Union and Confederate Soldiers and Widows of Union Soldiers, Simon P. Primmer.

Military Pension Papers, National Archives Trust Fund - Washington, DC 20408.

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Places Named "Nimrod" in the USA

The name NIMROD signifies "Mighty Hunter"

1. Nimrod is the 80,522nd most popular last name (surname) in the United States; frequency is 0.000%; percentile is 89.693 [SourceCBN]
2. Nimrod, Arkansas, United States [Place] is in Perry County; location is 34°57'33"N 93°4'35"W; elevation is 466 feet [SourceGSP]
3. Nimrod, Minnesota, United States [City]; population was 65 in 1990; housing units was 43 in 1990; location is 46°38'N 94°53'W; land area is 0.93 square miles (595 acres); water area is 0.05 square miles (34 acres); FIPS code is 46294 [SourceCBP]
4. Nimrod, Minnesota, United States [Populated Place] is in Wadena County; location is 46°38'20"N 94°52'50"W [SourceGSP]
5. Nimrod, Montana, United States [Place] is in Flathead County; location is 48°14'20"N 113°34'3"W [SourceGSP]
6. Nimrod, Montana, United States [Place] is in Granite County; location is 46°42'1"N 113°28'35"W [SourceGSP]
7. Nimrod, Oregon, United States [Place] is in Lane County; location is 44°6'50"N 122°25'21"W; elevation is 957 feet [SourceGSP]
8. Nimrod, Texas, United States [Place] is in Eastland County; location is 32°16'20"N 99°3'8"W; elevation is 1,699 feet [SourceGSP]
9. Sebeka, Minnesota, United States Postal Service Zip Code is 56478 (Nimrod) [SourcePSZ]

[ From PlacesNamed.Com  ]

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A few facts about KANSAS

Kansas is the Sunflower State
The Honeybee is the State Insect

Kansas was organized as a territory in 1854, and included much of present-day eastern Colorado.

Statehood:
January 29, 1861, 34th state

Origin of Name:
Named after the Indians that the Sioux called the "Konza", meaning "people of the south wind"

State Capital:
Topeka, capital since 1861

State Nicknames:
Sunflower State, Wheat State, Jayhawker State, and Midway, USA

State Flag:
The Kansas flag consists of a dark blue field with the state seal in the center. A sunflower on a bar of twisted gold lies above the seal, and below the seal is the word "Kansas." The seal contains a landscape that includes a rising sun, representing the east; and a river and steamboat, representing commerce. In the foreground, a settler's cabin and a man plowing a field represent agriculture. A wagon train heads west and buffalo are seen fleeing from two Indians. Around the top of the seal is a cluster of 34 stars. The state motto appears above the stars.

State Motto:
"Ad Astra Per Aspera", Latin words meaning "To the Stars Through Difficulties"

State Song:
"Home on the Range," lyrics by Dr. Brewster Higley, music by Daniel Kelley:

"Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam,
Where the deer and the antelope play,
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word
and the skies are not cloudy all day.
Refrain:
Home, home on the range,
Where the deer and the antelope play
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word
and the skies are not cloudy all day."

State Animal: American Buffalo, designated 1955
State Bird: Western Meadowlark, designated 1937
State Insect: The Honeybee, designated 1976
State Flower: Wild Native Sunflower, adopted 1903
State Tree: Cottonwood, adopted 1937
State Reptile: Ornate Box Turtle, designated 1986
State Amphibian: Barred Tiger Salamander, designated 1994

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 The KSGenWeb Project  <-We are now LINKED with the Kansas GenWeb site

KANSAS CIVIL WAR VETERANS: http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/civilwar/civil_war_veterans.htm

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TABLE of CONTENTS

<-To Beulah Franklin-Grieder Story

GUESTBOOK ->

Thanks to Lisa for the Sunflowers

This lovely version of "Home On the Range" was Sequenced by Barry Taylor
Thanks again, Barry!

© 1999 Graphics by Teddie

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