Steele Family History

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Steele Family History

Harriet Belle Steele Anglemeyer
b. 1852, m. 1884, d. 1940
https://www.wikitree.com/index.php?title=Space:Steele_Family_History

Mrs. Anglemyre

Place: Huntington, Indiana
Description: Newspaper Article; Biography; Family History
Source: Huntington (Indiana) Herald-Press, February 4, 1937, pp. 1 & 5
Date: 4 Feb 1937
Author: Not indicated (Harriet herself?)
Images: Page 1 & Page 5
Title: "Steele Family Head Observes 85th Birthday"

Steele Family Head Observes 85th Birthday

Mrs. Harriet Belle Steele Anglemeyer who is receiving congratulation on her 85th birthday Thursday, is one of the few whose privilege it has been to witness the stupendous changes that have taken place in this county, state, and nation since the Mexican war and the gold rush of '49. During the span of this local resident's life, the first railroad between Chicago and New York was laid. Travel by canal boat and horseback gave way to the carriage, bicycle, and automobile. To her, the telephone phonograph, radio and motion pictures are recent developments. She saw the turbulent days of the Civil War through the eyes of a girl in her teens. She is intensely loyal and patriotic. Every link in the chain of her Steels ancestry, outside of the immigrant who died prior to the Revolution, has served in the wars of this country.

The immigrant ancestor of the Steele family in Huntington county was Samuel Steele, who brought his wife, Anne Futhey, and their family of small children from near Belfast County of Antrim, in Northern Ireland, to Chester county, Pennsylvania, about 1710. The Futhey Family had migrated to Northern Ireland from Scotland during the latter part of the 17th century and it is probable that the Steeles were also of Scotch origin. Samuel Steele, the immigrant to America, was accompanied to the new land by at least one brother, Ninian Steele, and a brother-in-law, Robert Futhey. The three families settled in New London township, Chester county, Pennsylvania, and Samuel Steele, called his farm "Thunder Hill”, a name which it bears to this day. Samuel Steele died in June, 1760, and left a will in which he named his wife, Anne, and their eleven children: Robert, Ruth, Jane, Samuel, Francis, Joseph, James, William, Ninian, Ann, and Elizabeth.

Samuel Steele, Jr., son of Samuel and Anne (Futhey) Steele, was born in the County of Antrim, Ireland in 1733. He married Agnes (last name unknown) in Chester county, Pennsylvania, where they remained during the greater part of the Revolutionary war. Samuel Steele, Jr., enlisted in Capt. James Clark's company, Col. James Taylor's regiment, Chester county Pennsylvania militia, and served until 1781 when he removed his family to Rowan county, North Carolina, where a number of his brothers, uncles, and cousins had settled prior to the Revolution. Samuel Steele, Jr., died in Rowan county, North Carolina, in December, 1789, leaving a will in which he named his wife, Agnes, and their six children: James, Robert, William, Samuel, Ninian [McMahon Steele], and Elizabeth.

Corrections (2018)

• Ninian Steel (1669 Antrim, Northern Ireland - 1745 Chester PA) brought his wife Mary Futhey (1671-1745) and their young family from County Antrim, Northern Ireland to Chester County, Pennsylvania, about 1710. This is more likely the "immigrant ancestor" Harriet is referring to in the second paragraph. Futhey & Cope refer to: "The descendants of Ninian Steele, the emigrant, are very numerous, and are scattered all over the country." ^[1][2]
• Samuel Steel Sr (1695 Antrim - 1760 PA) would have been among their children. On arrival in 1710 he would have been about 15 years old.
• Samuel Sr married Anne Futhey in 1725 in Chester PA.
• Samuel Steel Jr (1733 Chester PA - 1789 NC) m. 1756 to Agnes McMahon (1739 Chester PA - 1814 KY).

Son Also in Revolution

Ninian [McMahon] Steele, son of Samuel and Agnes Steele, was born on June 14, 1763 in Chester county, Pennsylvania. After the family moved to Rowan county, North Carolina, althrough (sic) only a lad in his teens, young Ninian served with the North Carolina militia. His name is inscribed on an Old Cannon at Spencer, Indiana, which was dedicated to the Revolutionary soldiers who had died in Owen county. Following the war, on March 5, 1784; Ninian married Jane Armstrong and in 1805 he removed his family to Bourbon county, Kentucky. Six years later found him in Ohio county, Kentucky, and soon afterward he moved to Knox county, Indiana Territory, near Washington which later became Daviess county. This section where he and many of his children settled became known as the Steele Prairie and upon the formation of Daviess county, one township was called Steele township. Ninian [McMahon] Steele was one of the chief organizers and founders of the first Presbyterian church in Daviess county. About 1820, Ninian Steele again moved to new territory, this time settling in Montgomery township, Owen county, Indiana, where he was also active in establishing the Presbyterian church in the pioneer community. He died in Owen county on March 10, 1831. Ninian and Jane (Armstrong) reared a family of ten children: James Armstrong, Mary Ann, Samuel, Elizabeth, Jessie Margaret, Nancy, Joseph Howe, Ninian, and Robert.

Soldier of War of 1812

James Armstrong Steele, eldest child of Ninian and Jane (Armstrong) Steele, was born in Rowan county, North Carolina, on December 11, 1784. He married Anna Johnson in Bourbon county, Kentucky, on December 5, 1805. He served in the Kentucky militia against the Indians and attained the rank of lieutenant in the 73rd regimet (sic), commanded by Col. John Davis, until May 10 1814. At that time he moved his family into Knox county, Indiana territory, but reenlisted Nov. 10, 1814 and served another year in Capt. Zachary Terill’s company, Kentucky detached militia. James A. Steele took a prominent part in the organization of the new county of Daviess when it was separated from Knox. In 1819, he moved his family to Owen county, Indiana, and settled near the present town of Gosport. He built the first brick house in Owen county and served for years as school commissioner. In 1852, when their youngest child left home to enter the academy at Greencastle, James A. Steele and his wife, moved to Waveland, Montgomery county, Indiana. James Armstrong died at Waveland on December 23, 1855. He and his wife reared a family of ten children: Ninian, Margaret Ella, Jane, William Lenzy, Martha, John, Elizabeth Ann, Samuel Hamilton, Mary Ellen, and Armstrong Thomas.

Civil War Veteran

William Lenzy [Lindsay] Steele, son of James Armstrong and Anna (Johnson) Steele, was born March 30, 1814 in Knox county, Indiana Territory, a part which later became Daviess county. William Grew (sic) to manhood in Owen county, Indiana, but came to the upper Wabash country at an early age when it was being opened for settlement. He was married to Nancy Logan McClelland (sic) in the “Old Rock House: at Huntington, Indiana, where the Carnegie Free Library now stands [NW corner of Warren & E Park], on Sept. 14, 1837. William and his bride began housekeeping in Logansport where the first child, James McCleland Steele, was born. In 1840, they returned to Huntington on account of the ill health of Mrs. Steele’s parents, John and Catherine (Logan) McCall (sic), and took charge of the only hotel in Huntington at that time which was operated by the McClelands.

William L. Steele and his wife later lived in a house which stood on the corner of Warren and Tipton streets where the Christian [Science] church is now located. It was one of five houses which constituted the little village. The chief mode of travel at that time was by boats, drawn by mules, in the old canal. William L. Steele was a cabinet maker and he also made many of the coffins needed in those early days. While residing in Huntington, four children were born to the Steeles: Spear Spencer, Caroline Cecella, John Samuel, and Edwin Beecher. In the course of a few years, William Steele purchased an 80 acre farm in Clear Creek township about five and one-half miles from Huntington. While on the farm, six more children were born, Sarah Catherine, Anne Ella, Margaret Ellen, Harriet Belle, William Irvin and Charles Howe.

William L. Steele was an accomplished musician. He conducted several singing schools and also played in bands. He taught all of his children to read music and to sing. His Aunt Margaret Steele has married the Rev. John M. Dickey, early Presbyterian minister in southern Indiana, who was famous as a teacher of vocal music. William L. Steele and his wife were among the constituent members who organized the First Presbyterian church in Huntington on Nov. 11, 1843. William L. Steele was made the first ruling elder.

During the Civil war, although more than 40 years of age, William L. Steele enlisted with his son, James McCleland Steele, in Company D, 130th Indiana Volunteer infantry, which was recruited from Huntington county. In an engagement with guerillas near Kingston, [Bartow County,] Georgia, on October 19, 1864, William received an injury in the right ankle that left him crippled for life. Due to the lack of knowledge in those days in matters of food preservation, William L. Steele was among the many soldiers who developed chronic digestive troubles, which brought about his premature death on October 23, 1870. Two other sons of William served in the Union army during the rebellion. Spear Spencer Steele served with Company G, 11th Regiment and Edwin Beecher [Steele] in Company I of the 138th Regiment.

The McCleland Family

The mother of Mrs. Harriet Belle Steele Anglemeyer came from an equally patriotic family. Mrs. Anglemeyer’s grandfather, John McCleland, served in Capt. John Hall’s Company, Mounted Volunteer Kentucky Militia, commanded by Lt. Col. James Simrall. John and Catherine (Logan) McCleland were among the earliest settlers in Huntington where they operated the first hotel in the “Old Stone House.” John McCleland died in Huntington on July 24, 1842. The father of John McCleland was Capt. Daniel McCleland, who served four years during the Revolutionary war from Mi[ff]lin county, Pennsylvania. He was in the battles of Brandywine, Germantown, Crooked Billet, and in numerous skirmishes against the Indians. He moved his family to Shelby county, Kentucky, about 1786 and served as the first sheriff of that county. He operated a chain of taverns in several counties in Kentucky, and his eldest son, John, followed the same business. Capt. Daniel McCleland died in Shelby county, Kentucky, on July 29, 1833, at the age of 81 years during the terrible cholera epidemic. The parents of Capt. Daniel McCleland were John and Katrin McCleland who had settled in Lastpennsborough township, Cumberland county, Pa., (which later became Milin County, Pa.) at an early date.

Present Clan in County

Harriet Belle Steele Anglemeyer, daughter of William Lenzy [Lindsay] and Nancy Logan (McCleland [McClelland]) Steele, was born on the Old Farm in Clear Creek township on February 4, 1852. She was married to Jacob Anglemeyer on June 1, 1884, and they lived in Huntington where the husband operated a grocery store and later organized an ice cream company. Since the death of Mr. Anglemeyer about fifteen years ago, Mrs. Anglemeyer and her daughter, Ethel, have lived together in Huntington. Mrs. Anglemeyer has one brother, Charles Howe Steele, living but she is his senior by four years and therefore rates the title, queen of the Steele family in Huntington county. Other members of the Steele clan who still reside in the county are the descendants of her deceased brothers, John Samuel [Steele] and William Irvin Steele, and of her deceased sister, Anne Ella Steele, who married John Martin McCombs. <end>

Addendum (2018)

Harriet's brother, John Samuel Steele (1843-1922), had three sons, among them Carl Paul Steele, also a life-long resident of Huntington.

Sources

1. ↑ J Smith Futhey and Gilbert Cope, 1881, History of Chester County Pennsylvania, with genealogical and biographical sketches. Philadelphia: Louis H. Everts. Page 730. See the image.
   • archive.org
2. ↑ "Biographical Annals of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Vol. I." Laughlintown PA: Southwest Pennsylvania Genealogical Services, 1903. Spartanburg SC: The Reprint Co., 1985. pp. 30-31.
   • "At an early date Ninian Steele and his wife and children came from the north of Ireland and settled in New London Township, Chester County. There he died in 1745, leaving a wife, Mary, and six children, as follows: Robert, Martha; Samuel who died in 1760; Susannah; Ninian; and William."
   • "Samuel Steele, second son of Ninian, resided at what is known as "Thunder Hill," New London Township. He died in May 1760, leaving eleven children: Robert; Ruth, born 1719, married Samuel Futhey in 1750, and he died Jan 27, 1790.; Jane, married George Campbell, and he died in March 1812 leaving eight children; Samuel; Francis; Joseph; James, married Isabella Read, of New London, and his descendants went to western Virginia; William, born 1731, married Elizabeth Magee, Jan 1756, and died Sept 5, 1797 (she died July 5, 1779); Ninian; Ann; and Elizabeth, married and settled in Northumberland county with other members of the family."
   • https://www.google.com/books/edition/Biographical_Annals_of_Lancaster_County/XS_BQAHCja0C