Abijah Hightower (1782 - 1862)

Born 2 Aug 1782 in North Carolina, United States of America

Husband of Alicia (Saunders) Hightower — married 16 Nov 1811 (to 1816) in Logan County, Kentucky, United States of America

Descendants

Died 27 Jul 1862 at age 79 in Todd County, Kentucky, United States of America

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Brandon Gant [send private message]

Biography

North Carolina

Abijah was born on August 2, 1782.^[1] The 1850 and 1860 Census state that he was born in North Carolina.

Tennessee

The State of Tennessee was established in 1796 from the Southwest Territory. From 1777 until 1790 this area was the western part of North Carolina. So Abijah may have been born in North Carolina, but in an area that is today Tennessee.^[2]

He and a Joshua Hightower were listed in the 1803-1804 Taxpayers list in Knox County, TN, and he and James Hightower were listed as taxpayers in Anderson County, TN, in 1805. They were in the Knox County area until at least 1807; however, Abijah, James and George Hightower appeared as taxpayers in Logan County, Ky, in 1811.^[3]

Kentucky

He married Alasha Saunders on November 16, 1811 in Logan County, Kentucky.^[4]

Abijah served as a Private under Captain David Smith's Company of West Tennessee Volunteers^[5] in Colonel John R Coffee's Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry in the War of 1812.^[6][3]

Abijah and Alasha separated on May 7, 1819.

He received a 125 acre Kentucky Land Grant in Christian County on the Elk Fork Red River Watercourse. Survey Date May 20, 1819.^[7]

Todd County, Kentucky is created on April 1, 1820 from portions of Logan County to the East and Christian County to the West.^[8]

Abijah and Elizabeth Jones have their first son named Andrew Jackson Hightower on July 27, 1822.

Abijah and Elizabeth have a daughter named Martha Jane Hightower in Todd County, Kentucky. ^[3]Abijah already has a daughter with Alasha who is also named Martha Jane Hightower.^[3]

Abijah and Alasha were officially divorced on April 27, 1826 in Todd County, Kentucky. Elizabeth goes into labor with George Washington Hightower on the same day.

He married his second wife Elizabeth Jones on April 19, 1827 in Todd County, Kentucky.^[9]

Abijah passed away on July 27, 1862 in Todd County, Kentucky.^[1]

Research Notes

A lot of people say Oldham Hightower and Sarah Jane Parker are Abijah's parents. They did have a child in 1766 or 1769 named John Oldham Hightower Jr (too young to be Abijah's father) and his wife was Delilah Saunders (maybe related to Alasha Saunders).

Oldham Hightower's parents were Austin Augustine Hightower and Martha Jane Oldham. This might explain why Abijah named two daughters "Martha Jane".

Oldham Hightower received a 1783 North Carolina Revolutionary Pay Voucher in Washington & Sullivan counties (which were later in Eastern Tennessee): "North Carolina Revolutionary Pay Vouchers, 1779-1782," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2WT-5GZZ : accessed 7 January 2019), Oldham Hightower, 1783; citing Washington, Beaufort, North Carolina, United States, State Archives of North Carolina, Raleigh.

Lost of great research at this website:
http://dgmweb.net/FGS/H/HightowerAbijah-AlashaSaunders-ElizabethJones.html

More online research:
https://www.genealogy.com/ftm/r/a/g/James-Rager-WA/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0018.html

If we can determine Abijah's father, this site could be important:
https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/hightower/594/

Other Websites:

• https://hstoddcounty.blogspot.com/

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/128317304/abijah-hightower : accessed 28 January 2022), memorial page for Abijah Hightower (2 Aug 1782–27 Jul 1862), Find a Grave Memorial ID 128317304, citing Abijah Hightower Cemetery, Todd County, Kentucky, USA ; Maintained by Ed Hightower (contributor 47756535) .
2. ↑ https://www.mapofus.org/tennessee/
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} Todd County, Kentucky, family history. (1995). Paducah, Ky: Turner Pub. Page 209 https://books.google.com/books?id=turAkKcJCrYC&pg=PA209
4. ↑ "Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FWY3-65D : accessed 5 January 2017), Abijah Hightower and Alaska Saunders, 16 Nov 1811; citing , Logan, Kentucky, United States, Madison County Courthouse, Richmond; FHL microfilm 311.
5. ↑ United States War of 1812 Index to Service Records, 1812-1815, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q29K-C66B : 11 March 2016), Abijah Hightower, 1812-1815; citing NARA microfilm publication M602 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); roll 99; FHL microfilm 882,617.
6. ↑ http://sos.tn.gov/products/tsla/regimental-histories-tennessee-units-during-war-1812
7. ↑ The Kentucky Land Grants; Volume Number: 1; Part: 1; Title: Chapter VI Kentucky Land Warrants (1816-1873); Section: The Counties of Kentucky; Source Page Number: 589.
8. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Todd_County,_Kentucky
9. ↑ "Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FWBC-H6N : accessed 5 January 2017), Abijah Hightower and Elizabeth Jones, 19 Apr 1827; citing , Todd, Kentucky, United States, Madison County Courthouse, Richmond; FHL microfilm 367,186.

Census Records:

• "United States Census, 1790," <not found yet, but he would have been 8 years old>
• "United States Census, 1800," Original census returns for Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, New Jersey, Virginia, Indiana Territory, Mississippi Territory and Northwest Territory have been lost. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1800_United_States_Census
• "United States Census, 1810," Census schedules for Tennessee no longer exist (except for Grainger and Rutherford counties).
• "United States Census, 1820," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHGC-H9R : accessed 5 January 2017), H Hightower, Todd, Kentucky, United States; citing p. 127, NARA microfilm publication M33, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 26; FHL microfilm 186,186.
• "United States Census, 1830," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH53-P37 : 18 August 2015), Abijah Hightower, Todd, Kentucky, United States; citing 372, NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 41; FHL microfilm 7,820.
• "United States Census, 1840," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHTP-ZZY : 24 August 2015), A Hightown, Todd, Todd, Kentucky, United States; citing p. 255, NARA microfilm publication M704, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 124; FHL microfilm 7,832.
• "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M65L-WZZ : 9 November 2014), Alijah Hightower, Todd county, Todd, Kentucky, United States; citing family 141, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
• "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZBH-KQ3 : 30 December 2015), A Hightower, 1860.