Samuel Elias Skinner (1814 - 1902)

Born 10 May 1814 in Perry, Ohio, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Geeseman) Skinner — married 17 Oct 1833 in Washington, Sandusky, Ohio, United States

Husband of Sarah (Gunter) Guyer — married 13 Apr 1870 (to 2 Feb 1902) in Wood, Ohio, United States

Descendants

Died 2 Feb 1902 at age 87 in Washington Township, Sandusky, Ohio, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Joe Schuerger [send private message], Nancy Vintilla [send private message], and Kris Socha [send private message]

Biography

This profile is part of the Skinner Name Study.

Samuel Skinner was the eighth child of George and Mary Skinner, early settlers of Washington Twp, Sandusky Cty, Ohio (Samuel Skinner biography below details his parents' lives as well as his own.) Elizabeth and Samuel pioneered in The Black Swamp. Samuel was buried at Four Mile House Cemetery, Sandusky Twp. Sandusky Co., Ohio.^[1]

Marriages

1. Elizabeth Geeseman on October 17, 1833. She died March 8, 1869.
2. Sarah Gunter on April 13, 1870.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH, of SAMUEL SKINNER from History of Sandusky County, Ohio with Portraits and Biographies of Prominent Citizens and Pioneers ^[2]

The first settler of Washington township-Josiah Topping-located on the pike in 1826. He was followed by David Grant, then John Wolcutt, and, fourth, in the spring of 1831, came George Skinner with his family.

George Skinner and his wife, whose maiden name was Mary Goodin, were natives of Somerset county, Pennsylvania. They removed to Perry county, Ohio, at an early period of the settlement of that county, and accumulated property which was well improved when the Black Swamp became a much talked of land of promise. Mr. Skinner's desire to give his children, fast growing to maturity, a start in life, led him to sell his farm in Perry county and enter land here. His original purchase was larger than that of any man in the township with one exception.

In April, 1830, the party, consisting of George Skinner and wife, and eight of their children, three of whom were married, arrived in Lower Sandusky. A short time after they penetrated the swamp and made a settlement in the southeast part of Washington township. The Skinner family consisted of twelve children, three of whom died in Perry county before the family's settlement in this county- Elizabeth, Fanny, and Jane. David, the second child, settled in Morrow county. Those who came to Sandusky were: Rhoda, wife of William Black, settled in Washington township, where her husband died, and she is yet living, being a woman well known for her kindness of heart and neighborly assistance in every time of need; Rebecca, accompanied by her husband, Samuel Black, settled in Washington township, where he died, she now living with her children in Illinois; John, accompanied by his family, settled in Washington township and subsequently removed to Livingston county, Michigan; Samuel, the subject of this biography, came a single man; George married, in Seneca county, Elizabeth Kimes, settled first in Seneca county, then in Washington township, and subsequently removed to Williams county, where he is now living; Aaron, after the immigration of his family, returned to Perry county, where he married, and then settled in Washington township, and has since removed to Illinois; Nathan married, in Washington township, Sophia Dayhoof, settled in Washington, and subsequently removed to Cass county, Michigan, where he now lives; Mary Ann married, in Washington township, John Walters, and died in Tiffin, Ohio.

It was not for Mrs. Skinner long to bear the toils of pioneer life. She died in Washington township September 24, 1831, about eighteen months after leaving the old home in Perry county. George Skinner died September 25, 1838, aged fifty-seven years and three months. He had abandoned the comforts of a well improved home with a view to providing homes for his children. He came to a country which nature had favored with richness, but a full generation's labor was needed to make it an inviting dwelling place. He lived to see a part of his large tract improved. He lived to see a cabin on almost every section and quarter-section in his township. This was the beginning of that transformation which half a century has effected.

Samuel Skinner, whose portrait appears in this volume, is one of the few men who has seen that transformation from beginning to end, and, at the same time, has been an active agent in effecting it. He was born in Perry county, Ohio, May 60, 1814, and was consequently about sixteen years old when the family came to this county. His education was such as the primitive schools of his native county afforded. Accustomed to hard work, he was well calculated by physical strength for the life which lay before him. He married in Washington township, October 17, 1833, Elizabeth Geeseman, who was born in Pennsylvania, in 1812. Her father, George Geeseman, removed to Perry county, Ohio, and from there to Washington township, Sandusky county, in 1831. When Mr. Skinner was married, to obtain a start in life was not an easy matter. He was unable to provide for the necessities of life without performing day labor for his neighbors. Agricultural productions could not be exchanged for money, and. the wages of a day laborer look very small in this period of plenty. But these obstacles of early life finally yielded to the continuous hard licks of the pioneers, and eventual success and financial prosperity rewarded hardships endured. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Skinner is somewhat remarkable. There were ten children, one boy and nine girls, all of whom are living, all married, and all in promising circumstances.

Their names and places of residence are as follows: George W. was born July 25, 1834. He married Theresa Fox, and is living on the old homestead farm, in Washington township. Mary was born December 7, 1835. She was married to Jacob Rearick, and resides in Henry county, Ohio. Sarah was born May 1, 1837. She was married to George Rearick, residing in Sandusky township, this county. Cynthia was born January 4, 1841. She is married to David Burgoon, residing in Sandusky township, this county. Eliza Ann, wife of Edward Choate, residing in Monroe county, Michigan, was born May 25, 1843. Margaret E., was married to Eli Hansberger, of Monroe county, Michigan. She was born October 3, 1844. Laura M., wife of Frederick Zorn, lives in Poweshiek county, Iowa. She was born April 4, 1847. Harriet M. was born October 30, 1849. She is the wife of Lewis Zorn, of Madison township. Jane E. was born September 7, 1851. She is married to Peter Cornelius, and lives at Helena, Jackson township. Emma N., the youngest child, was born August 20, 1853. She is the wife of Jacob Hendricks, of Henry county, Ohio.

Mrs. Skinner died March 8, 1869.

Mr. Skinner married for his second wife, in April, 1870, Mrs. Sarah Guyer, daughter of George M. Gunter, who settled in Wood county in 1824.

There is enough of danger connected with a bear hunt to give it a peculiar interest. Mr. Skinner was the discoverer of the track, and one of a party to pursue the last bear, so far as is known, to enter the marshes of Sandusky county. In the winter of 1834 Mr: Skinner discovered, one afternoon, the track of a large bear. The animal at that period was rare in this part of the State, and his track promised a fine day's sport. During the night a light snow fell, which obscured the former track, but the following day a couple of young men of the neighborhood, while returning from an errand to Jackson township, on Muskallonge, saw the track in the snow. The discovery was reported, dogs collected, and on the following morning, at four o'clock, a party of four, consisting of Samuel Skinner, Robert McCulloch, Samuel Geeseman, and James Fisher, with their pack of dogs and well charged guns, were on the track. Patiently step after step was followed by the light of the moon. Daylight came, and the dogs, as the track became fresher, were more anxious and pushed ahead. About noon they bounded forward with fierce barks, and the sound soon came from far away in the thicket. The party hurried in eager pursuit of the pack, for the barking and shrill howls of the dogs, just audible, clearly indicated the progress of a battle. After the pursuit had continued for some time, Mr. Skinner, who was far in advance of his comrades, met two of the battle-scarred dogs returning from the fray. One had been severely wounded, the other considerably scratched. Suddenly the character of the barking changed from sharp yelps and long-drawn howls, which hunters recognize as the rapid advances and retreats of determined fighting, to the continuous noise of the chase. When the party came to the place of encounter, under a large tree, the snow tracks clearly indicated what had happened. The pack had overtaken their game at that place, and he backed himself against the tree, thus being securely fortified in the rear and prepared to give battle with both paws. The condition of the dogs and blood on the ground showed bruin's victory, and as the pack returned one by one from their futile pursuit, the failure of the chase was apparent. The party returned to Miller's tavern, near Woodville. The host was boastful of his dogs, and anxious to give them a trial. He offered to keep the party over night, but Messrs. Skinner and McCulloch returned to their homes. The next day's chase was more unsuccessful than the first. But a week later a bear, supposed to be the same one, was killed near Findlay, Hancock county.

Mr. Skinner retired from the farm in 1871, and has since been living in Fremont. He is a large, good-natured, full-hearted gentleman, on whom time and hard labor have had little effect. As remarked before, he has seen the growth of his township, and contributed his strong physical energies toward that growth. In reply to the question, "Do you feel repaid for your labor, and the hardships which nature and the times imposed upon the early pioneers of the Black Swamp?" he replied: "I would not like to say that I have not been repaid, but if I was again a young man, and could foresee the course of life I have followed, I would not sacrifice society and improvement for what I have accumulated." When we remember that Mr. Skinner is among the most successful of the pioneers of this part of the county, and has certainly been peculiarly fortunate in respect to health, his remark has a deep meaning. If those of the early immigrants who became wealthy do not feel repaid for their toil, what sorrow and suffering must have prevailed among the multitude less fortunate!

But if pecuniary gain has not been sufficient reward, Mr. Skinner and other pioneers of his class can look back over the busy and clouded past with a consciousness of having added to the world's wealth, of having completed nature's work and conferred an appreciated boon upon their descendants and humanity. No feeling of self approbation is stronger to an old man than the sense of having been useful. The life of such commands our admiration, and the memory of such is worthy of preservation."

Samuel's Timeline

1814 10 May Birth of Samuel Skinner;

1833 17 Oct Marriage of Elizabeth (Geeseman) Skinner and Samuel Skinner^[3]

1860 Washington Township, Sandusky, Ohio ^[4]

1869 Death of Elizabeth (Geeseman) Skinner

~1870 April 13 Marriage of Sarah Gurts and Samuel Skinner^[3]

1902 15 Feb Death of Samuel Skinner^[5]

1916 5 Aug Death of Sarah (Gurts) Guyer Skinner ^[6]

Research Note

Mother Mary Goodin Skinner went by the name "Polly," also she was born in Gloucestershire, England, not in Pennsylvania, per her Findagrave memorial.

Sources

1. ↑ [1]
2. ↑ History of Sandusky County, Ohio with Portraits and Biographies of Prominent Citizens and Pioneers, originally published by H.Z. Williams and Bro., Cleveland, Ohio, 1882, p.776
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Find A Grave Index, database, Sarah A Gurts Skinner, 1916; Burial, Grand Rapids, Wood, Ohio, United States of America, Beaver Creek Cemetery; citing record ID Find A Grave: Memorial #54873343
4. ↑ United States Census, 1860, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCLR-W2Q : 13 December 2017), Saml Skinner, 1860.
5. ↑ Find A Grave database, Samuel Skinner, 1902; Burial, Fremont, Sandusky, Ohio, United States of America, Four Mile House Cemetery; citing record ID Find A Grave: Memorial #22215293
6. ↑ "Find A Grave database Index," database, , Sarah A Gurts Skinner, 1916; Burial, Grand Rapids, Wood, Ohio, United States of America, Beaver Creek Cemetery, citing record ID Find A Grave: Memorial #54873343

Acknowledgements

• Skinner-1945 was created by Ron Rowland and Nancy Vintilla through the import of GoodinSkinner_2014-02-05.ged on Feb 6, 2014.