James Lawrence Hitt (1817 - 1881)

Born 5 May 1817 in Fauquier, Virginia, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Caroline Hettie (Crane) Hitt — married 23 Jun 1841 in Shelby, Indiana, United States

Died 27 Aug 1881 at age 64 in Nemaha, Nemaha, Nebraska, United States

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Biography

James Lawrence Hitt, son of Harrison Hitt and Sally Weaver, was born May 5,1817 in Fauquier County, Virginia. He married Caroline Hettie Crane on June 23, 1841 in Shelby County, Indiana^[1]. James died August 27, 1881 in Nemaha, Nemaha, Nebraska and was buried in Nemaha Cemetery, Nemaha, Nemaha, Nebraska^[2].

It is unclear why, but several of his children changed the spelling of Hitt to Hitte.

James Lawrence and Caroline Hettie (Crane) Hitt had the following children:

1. Nancy Julia Hitte
2. Delia Frances Hitte
3. Corydon Somers Hitte
4. Thomas James Hitte
5. Alice Elizabeth Hitte
6. Foster Lott Hitte

Census

1850 Federal Census Wildcat Township, Tipton, Indiana^[3]

1860 Federal Census Alden Township, Hardin, Iowa^[4]

1870 Federal Census Aspinwall, Nemaha, Nebraska^[5]

1880 Federal Census Aspinwall, Nemaha, Nebraska^[6]

Obituary

The R.R. Accident at Nemaha^[7]
(The death of James Lawrence Hitt)
Last Saturday we visited Nemaha City. About one o’clock, while everybody seemed contented with the aspect of affairs, and pleased with the surroundings, excepting, perhaps, the stifling dust and foamed up from the hundreds of wheels of carriages and wagons common upon the main streets of that busy town, the rush of business was interrupted when a man in a great hurry came up from the south part of town for a surgeon - a man had been run over at the railroad crossing on the wagon road leasing to Aspinwall. We saw the people turn and run in that direction. We were carried along with the crowd, to gather the particulars, as no one knew them, who was hurt or how badly. When we reached the scene of the disaster a sad, sorrowful sight presented itself. There in the ditch beside the track lay an aged gray headed man dead. There lay in the shadow of the engine, the instrument of his death, Mr. J.L. Hitt, a prosperous farmer, a good citizen, a kind husband and an indulgent father, bleeding, bruised, ghastly. Dr. Andrews responded promptly to the summons, but when he reached the unfortunate man he was beyond the skill of mortal physician; he groaned a few times, his breast heaved, he muttered unintelligibly, and then the sufferer was still; his spirit had departed from the tenement of mortality. John S. Minick, assisted by William Bailey and others placed the body in a spring wagon and conveyed it to the house of Dr. John Crim, where it lay under the watchful guardianship of many kind neighbors and friends, until about four o’clock in the evening when it was appropriately clothed and encoffined, when Mr. Minick took the body in his spring wagon , which he had thoughtfully covered to protect it from the hot sun, and accompanied by Mr. Wm. Bailey, Deputy U.S. Marshall G.W. Culp, and Mr. Shubert, carried it to the Hitte residence a few miles south of Nemaha. The one whose grief would be most poignant, the one who had shared his joys and sorrows on the journey of this life, was sparred the depressing sorrow of receiving and gazing upon her dead husband and the terrible evidences of the violent manner in which he had been wrenched from her, she was with her son T.J. having gone a few days previously on a visit to Indiana. Two kind sons and a loving daughter were at home, and we can but imagine their unbounded grief when their dead father was ushered into their presence. On Sunday the hearse of Stevenson & Cross, of this city, was sent to the house of mourning, and conveyed the dead to Nemaha City, and hence attended by a very large procession of friends and neighbors, to the Nemaha City Cemetery, where the internment took place.
The accident was witnessed, we believe, only by the engineer of the train and a boy, and occurred as follows: The construction had run in near the depot at noon, for dinner. At one o’clock the train started out west again where the track was going on. On emerging from the deep cut, the road curves here so that the crossing cannot be seen until the engine comes within a few rods of it - the engineer saw the team of horses at the crossing, not on it yet, but the heads of the horses close up to it. The driver seemed to have stopped - the horses were frightened and prancing - he then seemed to think he could cross before the engine would reach him, and started his horses, which got over and were not hurt, but the engine struck the wagon about where the driver’s seat is placed, cutting it in two, sending the fore wheels down the road and leaving the hinder part near the crossing. Mr. Hitte was, of course, struck with great force, thrown against the engine and then off the track so that the wheels of the engine ran over no part of him but one of his hands. His bruises were principally about the head, and the severest and probably fatal one was on the back part of the head. We received the above, as to how the accident occurred, from the engineer. He had blown the whistle and was vigorously ringing the bell as he approached the crossing, and he says when he saw the team, so closely to the road, he made every effort to slacken speed, but it was impossible to control his engine in so short a space. We do not see that the engineer was to blame for anything unless perhaps for not running his train more slowly until through that cut and outside of the corporation. The city council we think can and should regulate the speed of railroad engines and trains within the city limits.
This article appeared in the “Nebraska Advertiser” on September 1st, 1881.

Probate

In the County Court of Nemaha Co., Neb.
In the Matter of the Estate of James L. Hitt, Deceased.

Application of Mrs. Caroline Hiatt to have Thomas J. Hitt appointed Administrator.
To this said Court:
This applicant respectfully represents that she is the widow of said deceased and waives her prior right to administer upon said estate in favor of said Thomas J. Hitt. She further shows the Court that said James L. Hitt died a resident of said county on the 27th day of August, 1881, having property therein to be administered.
Your applicant aforesaid respectfully asks that said Thomas J. Hitt be appointed Administrator of said estate.

November 28, 1882 /s/ Caroline Hitt

Estate of James L. Hitt, Deceased
November 13, 1882. Mrs Caroline Hitt files the following application, to-wit: In the County Court of Nemaha County, Nebraska. In the matter of the estate of James L. Hitt, deceased. Application of Mrs. Caroline Hitt to have Thomas J. Hitt appointed administrator. To the said Court, This applicant respectfully represents that she is the widow of said deceased and waives her prior right to administer upon said estate in favor of said Thomas J. Hitt. She further shows the court that said James L. Hitt died a resident of said county on the 27th day of August 1881, leaving property therein to be administered. Your applicant aforesaid respectfully asks that said Thomas J. Hitt be appointed administrator of said estate November 28, 1882.
It is ordered by the court that January 10, 1883, 10 o'clock AM at the office of the county judge of Nemaha County, Nebraska, is the time and place for the hearing hereof. It is also ordered by the court that notice of the time and place of the hearing hereof be given by 3 weekly insertions in the Nemaha times prior to said hearing, May 10, 1883, 10 o'clock AM. Said petitioner fails to appear. It is ordered by the Court that the hearing hereof is adjourned to January 15, 1883, 1 o'clock PM.

January 15, 1883, 1 o'clock PM this cause comes on for hearing, Thomas J. Hitt sworn and examined and cause submitted, the court finds from the evidence that the allegations of said petition are true, that notice of the time and place of the hearing hereof has been duly given according to the order of this court in the Nemaha Times, a weekly newspaper, printed, published and of general circulation in Nemaha County, Neb. It is considered and ordered by the Court that upon said Thomas J. Hitt giving a bond according to law in the penal sum of two thousand (2000) dollars with good and sufficient sureties to be approved by the court, that he be appointed administrator of this estate, and an application of said Thomas J. Hitt, the further hearing hereof is adjourned to January 20, 1883, 11 o'clock AM

January 20, 1883, 11 o'clock AM this cause come on for hearing, said Thomas J. Hitt gives said bond which is approved by the court and letters of administration issued accordingly. It is also ordered by the court that said administrator be allowed one year to dispose of this estate and to pay the debts of said deceased. It is further ordered that the widow of said deceased be allowed the sum of $35.00 per month from the 27th day of August AD 1881, for her maintenance during the progress of the settlement of this estate, the same to be paid out of the personal estate and out of the income of the real estate of said deceased, and said administrator is ordered to pay said widow said sums of money as fast as they become due. It is further considered and ordered by the court that the office of the county Judge of Nemaha County, Neb. is the place for the examining, adjusting and allowing all claims and demands against said deceased, and the following are the times fixed by the Court for the creditors of said deceased to present their claims for allowance, to-wit: Feb. 24, March 3, and Sept 8, 1883, 10 o'clock Am of each day. All claims not presented at the; last mentioned date will be forever barred from further consideration and allowance by order of the court, and it is further ordered that notice of the time and place of receiving, examining, adjusting and allowing claims and demands against said deceased by given by publication in the Nemaha Times by 4 consecutive weekly insertions therein prior to the 24th day of February A.D. 1883. It is also ordered that H.A. Barnd and John B. Fisher, two disinterested persons of Nemaha County, Neb. be, and they are, hereby appointed appraisers of the personal estate and effects of said deceased.
/s/Jno. S. Stull
Co. Judge

Sources

1. ↑ Indiana Marriages, 1811-2019
2. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #94826021 James Lawrence Hitt
3. ↑ 1850 Federal Census Wildcat Township, Tipton, Indiana
4. ↑ 1860 Federal Census Alden Township, Hardin, Iowa
5. ↑ 1870 Federal Census Aspinwall, Nemaha, Nebraska
6. ↑ 1880 Federal Census Aspinwall, Nemaha, Nebraska
7. ↑ Nebraska Advertiser” on September 1st, 1881 - The R.R. Accident at Nemaha