John Swift Hart (1793 - 1863)

Born 11 Mar 1793 in Palmyra, Ontario, New York, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 1 Nov 1863 at age 70 in Salineville, Columbiana, Ohio, United States

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Biography

John was born to Silas and Phile in Litchfield County, Connecticut on March 11, 1793. He was named after his mother's distinguished brother, General John Swift. At the age of two, he moved with his family to Palmyra, New York, then a pioneer colony organized and developed by his uncle John. He was taught the rudiments of farming and received a fair education in the town school of Palmyra (conducted after the plan of the Colonial schools of New England).

In 1813, John's mother died. That fall, his father took John, Julius, and Julia west to Columbiana County, Ohio to pursue the pioneer life. They lived in Butler Township, then Lisbon, then lived on the old "Fogo Farm" in the Yellow Creek Valley in Washington Township. A few years later, Silas moved back to New York, and his three children remained in Ohio.

Military

John enlisted in the Army on January 13, 1814. He was a private in Captain Daniel Conner's Rifle Company, First Regiment (Delong's) Ohio Militia. This organization was formed in southeastern Ohio, and was in the field a short time when the command was discharged. He was discharged on March 17, 1814.^[1] For his services, he received regular pay and a land warrant for 160 acres in Wisconsin, which he later sold.

Family

On March 4, 1819, he and Prudence Clark were married in a simple ceremony by George Clark Esq (the first Justice of the Peace in Washinton Township and an uncle of the bride). It took place at the home of the bride's parents, a log cabin in Washington Township.

The couple lived in a log cabin on the "Fogo Farm." They had seventeen children, fifteen of whom survived to maturity.

John was instrumental in organizing the first school in eastern Washington Township. The school house was built on his land, and he contributed to its maintenance.

Farm and Work Life

John spent the early years of his life clearing away the forests. By the time of his death, he had 405 acres mostly converted to grain fields and orchards. He kept a collection of Flint arrowheads and stone implements that he found on the property. Wheat was his chief product. His annual yield was usually between one and two thousand bushels of wheat, reaped, gathered, and bound by hand.

In 1832, John built a large two-story brick house with a large basement kitchen with an old-fashioned fireplace in the east end. The foundation and steps outside were made of large stone blocks quarried and dressed by John on his own farm. In 1836, he built a large brick barn. The bricks for both were made and fired on a nearby farm. He helped with other barn-raisings. At a barn-raising on the John Dreghorn farm, a heavy timber fell and narrowly missed him as he jumped from the building, but killed a neighbor, Robert McCauley.

The area was known for its salt springs and wells, and John was one of the principal salt boilers in the valley. For this, he built a huge stone furnace near the foot of the hill. Large iron kettles were mounted on the furnace, and the salt was made in these. He felled maple and sycamore trees on his property to keep the furnace going. The finished salt was hauled to Wellsville on the Ohio river, where it was sold or exchanged for household commodities.

Before the Civil War, John ran a general store. in Yellow Creek Valley. In 1855, he was working on or around a coal tipple, when he fell and was injured. He was partly paralyzed, and couldn't stay in one position for long. He often had to stand, supported with a cane.

Politics

John Hart was a strong abolitionist. His passion for the Union contributed to his sons' volunteering for army service.

In 1845, 46, and 47, he was elected Trustee of Washington Township.

Death

John died on November 1, 1863. Seven of his eight sons were absent at the time, being in the Union army. He is buried in Highlandtown Cemetery next to his wife Prudence. A 15-foot obelisk marks their resting places.

Will

In the name of the Benevolent Father of all, I, Johns S. Hart of Washington Township, Columbiana County, State of Ohio, do make and publish this my last will and testament.

Item First: I give and devise to my beloved wife, in lieu of her dower for her support and the minor children, the farm on which we now reside situated in Washington Township, containing about one hundred and forty five acres; also a farm situated on the railroad in the aforesaid township, containing about one hundred and forty acres; also a farm formerly belonging to Alexander Smith, deceased, containing one hundred and sixty acres in the aforesaid township, during her natural life; and all the stock, household goods, furniture provisions and other good and chattels which may be thereon at the time of my decease, during her natural life as aforesaid, she however selling so much thereof as may be sufficient to pay my just debts.

At the death of my said wife, the estate aforesaid I give and devise to my sons and daughter or their children if living.

As my son Anson was so unfortunate as to loose the sight of one of his eyes I give and devise to him five hundred dollars and an equal share with the rest of my children; If however any of my children should not be living, then their share I give and devise to their children if any living, if not their share is to be equally divided among my children. If however my daughter Laurinda should survive her mother and not be capable of maintaining herself, and it is considered that her share would not be sufficient for her maintenance, then it is my will that there should be sufficient reserved out of the estate for her maintenance.

I do hereby nominate and appoint Alexander Hart and Anson Hart executors of this my last will and testament, etc.

In testimony hereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 9th day of March in teh year 1859. JOHN S. HART.

Signed and acknowledged by said John S. Hart as his last will and testamant in our presence, and signed by us in his presence. THEOPHILUS COX JAMES DENNIS.

Census Notes

1850 Census: Washington, Columbiana Co., Ohio^[2]

John Hart M 54 Connecticut Farmer $6000

Prudence Hart F 45 Ohio

Lyman Hart M 25 Ohio Farmer, Attended school

Sarah Hart F 21 Ohio Attended school

Silas Hart M 18 Ohio Farmer, Attended school

Alex Hart M 18 Ohio Farmer, Attended school

Matilda Hart F 16 Ohio Attended school

Anson Hart M 14 Ohio Attended school

Almira Hart F 12 Ohio Attended school

Lerinda Hart F 10 Ohio Attended school

Franklin Hart M 8 Ohio Attended school

Rachel Hart F 5 Ohio Attended school

Olin Hart M 3 Ohio

Sources

1. ↑ Roster Ohio Soldiers, War 1812, page 16
2. ↑ FamilySearch 1850 Census

• United States Census, 1850, database with images, FamilySearch, John Hart, Washington, Columbiana, Ohio, United States; citing family 440, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
• Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953, database with images, FamilySearch, John S. Hart and Prudence Clark as parents for Alexander Hart, 21 May 1922; citing Washington Township, Columbiana, Ohio, reference fn 26652; FHL microfilm 1,992,023.
• Hart, William Lincoln, "Hart Family History: Silas Hart, His Ancestors and Descendants" Alliance, Ohio. (1942)
• Find a Grave memorial

Acknowledgments

• Hart-652 was started on 08 April 2011 through the import of HOWE(1).ged.