ABNER STILSON FAMILY GENEALOGY

STANCLIFF FAMILY GENEALOGY

From book "Descendants of James Stanclift of Middletown, Connecticut and Allied Families", By Robert C. and Sherry [Smith] Stancliff

Go to:    Home Page

                                            ABNER STILSON FAMILY

(78) MARY5 STANCLIFF "Polly" (James4, James3, William2, James1)

Daughter of James and Mary [Russell] Stancliff born November 30, 1781 married about 1799 ABNER5 STILSON son of Andrew and Elizabeth [Foote] Stilson born Newtown, Fairfield County, CT May 30, 1778, died Elkhart County, IN 1844(1).

Both of their parents and families lived Scipio, Cayuga County, NY after leaving Connecticut. By 1814/5 this couple lived Lysander, Onondaga County, NY, and by 1820 they were living Butler County, OH. They finally moved to Goshen, Elkhart County, IN, a new community that was being established about 1830, and settled there. Several members of both the Stilson and the Stancliff family also settled in Elkhart County, IN.

In the year 1830 Abner Stilson appeared in the Indiana Records. His residence in Goshen was one of those used as a place where the County Probate Court met between 1830 and 1833(2). The Goshen Town Plat of 301 lots was laid out in July, 1831 and Abner was listed as one of the first settlers. At the May Session of 1832, Abner Stilson applied to the Elkhart County Commissioners for a License to keep a Tavern. He paid $12.00 to the County Treasurer for that License. The Commissioners chose to hold their meetings at his Tavern between May 1832 and August 1833, until a Town Hall was built. This Tavern was called a Hotel in other Records and was located on the South East corner of Main Street and Lincoln Avenue in Goshen(3). It was said that Abner also kept a Hotel in Town of Elkhart, IN at a later (but not specified) date.

The following account mentioned specifically that this was the Abner Stilson who ran the Hotel, thus Abner Stilson Sr. In the spring of 1832 there was a War scare in Goshen. This was the Year of the Black Hawk Wars and indeed Chief Black Hawk and an indian war party was reported to be moving Eastward. Even though the Indians surrounding Goshen had been friendly in the past, the residents feared for their safety. An expedition was being formed to march West and engage the Indians. The womenfolk of Goshen were not going to have their men march off and leave them alone. The account did not mention exactly what strategy was employed by these women to influence an entire town full of men, but the Goshen men did not join that expedition. Instead it was decided that a small group of Goshen men would visit the local Indian Villages looking for hostile preparations. At the same time Abner Stilson volunteered to go to Indianapolis to petition Governor Noble to send State Troops. It was reported that the Indians still seemed peaceful and Abner Stilson brought news that the Governor had already sent mounted Troops to South Bend and thence West. Some of the timid folks of Goshen began to pack up and return to Ohio. It was later learned that Black Hawk never came closer than 100 miles West of Chicago(4).

Abner Stilson of Goshen was elected a Justice of the Peace of the 9th Judicial Circuit in the annual election of 1835 and again in 1846. If indeed Abner Senior died by 1844 then at least the second record refers to Abner Stilson Jr.

On the first Monday of April 1841 the Clerk of Courts for Elkhart County ordered that each Township should elect proscribed Officers. Abner Stilson (either Sr or Jr) was elected Overseer of the Poor.

CHILDREN: Abner and Polly/Mary [Stancliff] Stilson

1. OLIVER STILSON born Scipio, Cayuga County, NY May 23, 1800.

2. MARIE STILSON born Scipio, Cayuga County, NY Oct. 19, 1802, married May 4, 1820 Butler County, OH DAVID ALEXANDER and may have married 2. DAVID LOTHROP born Franklin W. Town, CT(5).

3. SILVANUS STILSON born Scipio, Cayuga County, NY Dec. 4, 1804, died McHenry County, IL in 1840, married Preble County, OH June 2, 1829 ELEANOR BISHOP. He lived Preble County, OH, and joined his father in Elkhart County, IN. He then moved on to McHenry County, IL.

4. MORGAN LEWIS STILSON born Scipio, Cayuga County, NY Mar. 5, 1807, died young.

5. LEONARD STILSON born Scipio, Cayuga County, NY Feb. 5, 1809, probably married Lake County, IN June 7, 1842 SALLY SURPRISE.

6. JAMES STANCLIFF STILSON born Scipio, Cayuga County, NY July 2, 1811, married ELIZABETH DICKINSON. He purchased lots # 175, 196 and 233 in Twp 37 Range 5 (Jefferson Township, IN) for $90.00. He purchased land in Walworth County, WI in 1848 and was still in that area in 1858.

7. ABNER STILSON JR born Scipio, Cayuga County, NY June 7, 1813, died 1847, Lived Goshen, IN and was prominent in the community, holding several public offices. He married Lake County, IN Mar. 20, 1838 MELISSA DEMON or DENHAM(6). He was appointed the 2nd Postmaster of Goshen on Nov. 26, 1832. His office was located in the back of Twomey's Shoe Store(7). He served in that capacity until 1837. Abner Stilson, either this man or his father purchased town lots # 7, 8, 11, and 48 Jefferson TWP in 1836 for $80.00. Since this was same time that his brother James Stancliff Stilson was buying land it probably was a record of Abner Stilson Jr. Abner Stilson Jr was elected on Nov. 23, 1839 to the first Board of Trustees of the Town of Goshen along with John Cook, D. Parrot, A. Galentine and J. S. Rayner. The town was administered by Trustees until incorporation in 1854. Listed as a Jeweler by 1837, Abner Stilson was also teaching school about 1840 in a log schoolhouse. The Goshen Directory of the Goshen Democrat dated Aug. 5, 1841 lists him as a Goldsmith and a Jeweler(8). On Feb. 18, 1841 the newspaper carried a story about a theft at his Jewelry store in which some 53 gold and silver watches were stolen. At the Elkhart County Democratic Convention held at Goshen May 30, 1840, Abner Stilson Jr. was nominated to be Coroner. He again received an appointment as Goshen's Postmaster on July 31, 1845 and a new Postmaster was appointed in May 15, 1847. It did not indicate whether Abner served the entire term.

8. ELIZA STILSON born Scipio, Cayuga County, NY May 8, 1815, died Elkhart County, IN 1856, married Elkhart County, IN July 19, 1836 JAMES R. McCORD. In the same list that showed land purchase by James S. and Abner Stilson, J. R. McCord and Leonard Harris purchased Lots # 26 and 31 Goshen Town Lots. He was also listed as one of the first merchants in town. In 1857, J. R. McCord of Elkhart Twp. was one of the founders and on the Executive Board of the Pioneer Club of Goshen, IN.

9. ANGELINE B. STILSON born Lysander, Onondaga County, NY June 4, 1817, died Valley Ford, Sonoma County, CA Sept. 11, 1880, buried Oak Mound Cemetery at Healdsburg, Sonoma County, CA. married Nov. 19, 1839 Elkhart County, IN WALTER F. GATES.

10. HORACE STILSON born Jan. 15, 1821 Fairfield Township, Butler County, OH.

See Appendix A: STILSON

____________________________________________________________

Footnotes:

1. .Manuscript found in the "Stephen Hart" folder in the Genealogy Division of the Indiana State Library. The author was a descendant of Eli Stilson Hart and not specifically identified, but the research was attributed to Jackson W. Alward of New York.

2. .A TWENTIETH CENTURY HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF ELKHART COUNTY, INDIANA edited by Anthony Deahl page 55

3. .PIONEER HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY, INDIANA by Henry Sager Bartholomew, page 215

4. .PIONEER HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY, INDIANA by Henry Sager Bartholomew, page 25-28

5. .Boston Transcript Mar. 30, 1921

6. .Research of Susan Nahas

7. .A TWENTIETH CENTURY HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF ELKHART COUNTY, INDIANA edited by Anthony Deahl page 143

8. .A TWENTIETH CENTURY HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF ELKHART COUNTY, INDIANA edited by Anthony Deahl page 223

9.   Information on the Stilson Family can be found at:  http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~stilsongeneology/

 

Go to: Home Page