Michael Traughber (abt. 1767 - 1826)

Born about 1767 in York, Pennsylvania

Ancestors

Husband of Catharine (Weaver) Smelser — married 6 Oct 1792 (to 1795) in Rockingham Co., VA

Husband of Elizabeth (Yount) Traughber — married about 1794 in Lincoln Co., NC

Descendants

Died 18 Oct 1826 at about age 59 in Logan, Kentucky, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Bob Sparanese [send private message]

Biography

Names

Michael Drorbach (poss. birth name), Michael Trobaugh (abt. 1779 surname), Michael Traughber (abt. 1796 surname)^[1][2][3]

Bob Baird provides a note on this Michael Traughber:^[1]

There were two Michael Traughbers who were first cousins, one the son of Adam and the other the son of William. We know from York County Orphans Court records that Michael of Adam was under 14 years of age as late as August 1771 but was 15 years old by 29 December 1772, so he must have been born in 1757. We also have some indication that he was deceased by 1793. The Michael Traughber from whom I am descended was age 53 when he gave a deposition in late1820, thus was born about 1767, a good ten years later. While we have no direct evidence that this was Michael of William, this circumstantial evidence seems quite strong.

Abt. 1767 Birth and Parentage

Michael b. abt. 1767 York Co., PA s/o William Drorbach (Trarbach) and Catharine MNU.^[1][2][3]

1779 Migration to VA

In 1779, 12 yo Michael moved with his parents to VA and his surname became Trobaugh.^[3]

In 1782-74, father William wasn't taxed on son >16 yo except for Jacob in 1775-78. In 1787. In 1787 and 1788, William was taxed on two and three unnamed males between 16-21 yo, respectively.^[1]

The 1788 militia vouchers of Captain George Huston’s company in Rockingham Co., VA put names to those three taxable sons: William Troubaugh, sons Jacob, Michael and William C: three sons over 16 in birth order.^[1]

1789 Migration to NC

In 1789, William's taxable males declined suggesting that two sons, probably Jacob and Michael, had left the area for Lincoln Co., NC. Likely on a return trip to VA, Michael wed Catherine Weaver in Rockingham and permanently moved to Lincoln Co., NC.^[1]

On 19 Jan 1792, Michael witnessed a land purchase in Lincoln Co. by Jacob Traughber. On 03 Oct 1793 he bought a negro wench named Betsy from George Weaver.^[1]

Marriages

1. Michael m. 06 Oct 1792 Rockingham Co., VA to 1795 Catherine Weaver b. abt. 1774; had Charles and after divorce they returned to Rockingham Co. where she m/2 16 Mar 1799 Augusta Co., VA Jacob Smelser.^[1]
2. Michael m. 1794 Lincoln Co., NC Elizabeth Yount^[2] d. abt. 1830 Logan Co., KY;^[1][2] 18 Apr 1829 Logan Co. received a dower tract of 126 acres after husband's death; 1830 widowed, lived in Robertson Co., TN; 16 Sep 1830 Logan Co., KY inventory and appraisal; 03 Jan 1831 Logan Co., KY inventory and appraisal recorded.^[1]

1792-95 First Marriage to Catherine Weaver

Abt. 1792 Michael married Catherine Weaver in Rockingham Co., VA, with Charles Weaver surety and moved to Lincoln Co., NC shortly thereafter because he appears on public records there form 1792-3. Their marriage was short-lived - on 15 Aug 1795 Catherine swore out a writ of arrest in Lincoln County against Michael for trespass. Michael and Catherine were evidently either separated or never legitimately married, as Catherine seems to be the same person who married Jacob Smiltzer (Smelser) on 16 March 1797 in Augusta County, Virginia.3 Conrad Blum made oath that “Katy Trorobough” was married before and was over 21, and the record as abstracted by Chalkey says she was the “daughter of Michael Trorobaugh, deceased”. Subsequent events make it clear that she was not the daughter of the immigrant Michael Trarbach, for that person was unmarried and crippled adult in 1772 and would have been over 60 by 1797 and 90 in 1826. More plausibly this was a fiction concocted for the Rockingham authorities to obtain a marriage bond, since it appears this is our same Catherine. In 1826 after her ex-husband Michael's death, she made a claim against his estate which would be her right as a previous wife.^[1]

According to Baird's research: At that time (and for several decades thereafter) neither Virginia nor North Carolina had a judicial process for granting a divorce. Divorces were legally possible only through a special act of the state legislature, and even then were of the a mensa et thoro variety — what we would call a legal separation that did not permit the parties to marry someone else. A couple that wished to separate and remarry were forced to concoct a story that the local authorities could believe.^[1]

Abt. 1794 KY Life

Abt. 1794, pioneer Michael was the first in the family to arrive in Logan Co., KY - fifteen years before his father and younger brothers. Although he doesn't appear on the 1795 tax list, he surveyed 200 acres of Logan Co. land on 23 Jul 1796 (Logan County Index to Surveys 1796-1840, Survey #145). On 27 Mar 1797, Michael Traughbough “of Logan County” bought 50 acres in Logan Co. “south of a remarkable salt peter cave” from James Dromgoole, the founder of Dromgoole’s Station on the site of the present town of Adairville (Logan County Deed Book A-1, p96). Cook’s Cave (now called Savage Cave) and the land was roughly a mile east of present day Adairville and perhaps a few hundred yards above the Tennessee state line. On 13 October 1807 he surveyed another 207 acres for a grant in the same vicinity, on Woolsey’s Creek (Logan County Index to Surveys 1796-1840, #261. Kentucky Land Grants Book 5, page 344). The following day he surveyed another 31 acres bordering the Tennessee state line (Logan County Index to Surveys 1796-1840, #266. Kentucky Land Grants Book 5, page 348). Altogether he received five Kentucky land grants in Logan County, beginning on 11 November 1798 (The Kentucky Land Grants, W. R. Jillson (Genealogical Publishing Co., reprinted 1971). The five grants are recorded in Book 5, p343, 344, and 348, Book 17, p63, and Book 19, 221). The survey book for Logan County shows six surveys, the first dated 28 July 1796 for 200 acres (Logan County Index to Surveys 1796-1840. This shows a total of six surveys for Michael Traughber, of which five resulted in grants). He appears very frequently in the deed books of Logan Co, amassing a large quantity of land in relatively small components. When he died, he owned roughly 1,300 acres that were distributed among his heirs.^[1]

There is no surviving 1790 or 1800 census for this area. The first available census is for 1810, in which Michael “Trauber” and wife are both 26-45, with 2 males under 10, 2 males 10-16, 3 females under 10, and one female 10-16. (One of the boys aged 10-16 apparently died before his father.) There was one slave, perhaps the girl Betsy. In 1820, Michael was in Logan Co., KY (1820 Census).^[1]

Michael Traughber had acquired quite a bit of land on and just above the state line with Tennessee and near a small settlement called Dromgoole’s Station. Michael Traughber and Gen. Robert Ewing laid out the town of Adairville at Dromgoole’s Station on 10 Nov 1818 (Robert M. Rennick, Kentucky Place Names (University of Kentucky Press, 1987), page 1). Michael Traughber did not live to see the town incorporated fifteen years later, but he owned a small tract straddling the road south of Adairville as well as two unimproved lots in town. He made his home on a tract of over 1000 acres just south and east of Adairville above the Tennessee state line.^[1]

1826 Death

Michael d. 18 Oct 1826 Logan Co., KY.^[3]

1826-1832 Estate of Michael Traughber

On 04 Dec 1826, Michael's ex-wife Catharine Smelser and Charles Weaver (likely her son by Michael who took her maiden name) of Shenandoah Co., VA deeded their interest in Michael's estate to Elizabeth and the children in Logan Co., KY for $50 cash and a 70 pound bond executed by Gordon Weaver, perhaps Catherine's father (Logan County Deed Book C, pp 383-5 and O, page 208). From 1780 through 1790, Gordon Weaver was a neighbor of Conrad Plum (Rockingham Tax Lists).^[1]

On 11 Nov 1832 Michael's personal estate was inventoried (Logan County Will Book C, pages 383-385). The inventory and estate sale were both recorded at 05 March 1827 (Logan County Will Book C, pages 383-389). Through the inventory, Michael appeared to be a well-to-do farmer; it listed 19 cattle, 6 horses, 13 hogs, 5 sheep and 40 geese, a very large quantity of tools and farm implements, and a “large Dutch Bible” together with another Bible, and a book on “The Life of Washington”. The list of furniture shows a large family – it included 16 chairs, five feather beds and a dozen each of knives, forks, and spoons.^[1]

Children

Michael and Catherine had issue:^[1][2][3] Charles Traughber Weaver b. 1793 Lincoln Co, NC d. aft. 1850 likely Page Co., VA; likely took his mother's maiden name after her divorce from Michael; 1850 Page Co., VA head of household (US Census).

Michael and Elizabeth had issue:^[1][2][3]

1. Elizabeth "Betsy" Traughber b. 19 Jul 1795 Lincoln Co., NC d. 26 Feb 1875 Adairville, Logan Co., KY; m. 1821 Robertson Co., TN Michael Keller d. 1858 Logan Co., KY; unknown issue; 04 Apr 1827 received 100 acres of father’s home plantation and 10% share of the Clifty Creek parcel; Betsy Keller and Michael Keller were among the heirs of Michael Traughber who sold the 193-acre plot on 10 April 1834 and again when they sold an 8-acre plot on 15 Dec 1836; 1830, 1840 and 1850 in Logan Co., KY (US Census); 1860 and 1870 Elizabeth head of household, Logan Co., KY (US Census).
2. William Traughber b. 29 Mar 1798 Logan Co., KY d. Feb 1850 Dallas Co., TX; m. 21 Feb 1822 Logan Co., KY Permelia Gorham; had issue; arrived in 1847 as an early pioneer of Dallas, TX; Dallas' first baker.
3. Rev. Daniel Bell Traughber b. 18 May 1800 Logan Co., KY d. 16 Dec 1877 Fredonia, Wilson Co., KS bur. Fredonia City Cem; had issue; btw. 1837/8 migrated to Big Creek, Mt. Zion Township, IL; 1872 migrated to Fredonia, Wilson Co., KS.
4. Henry Traughber b. 09 Jul 1803 Logan Co., KY d. 1892 Mount Zion, Macon Co., IL bur. Mount Zion Presbyterian Cem., Macon Co; m. 17 Nov 1829 Macon Co., IL Nancy Smith; had issue; 1825 migrated from Logan Co., KY to Sangamon Co., IL and in 1829 moved to Macon Co., IL; was an early pioneer.
5. Mary "Polly" A. Traughber b. 14 Mar 1805 Logan Co., KY d. 25 May 1879 Morgan Co., IL bur. Waverly East Cem; m. 14 Mar 1825 Logan Co., KY Jonathan Hager Rorher b. 22 Apr 1802 d. 17 Feb 1879 Morgan Co., IL bur. Waverly East Cem; had issue; first of the family to move to IL
6. Sarah "Sally" Traughber b. 03 Sep 1807 Logan Co., KY d. aft. 1870 Buchanan Co., MO; m. 10 Jan 1820 Logan Co., KY James Moutry (Moutray); 10 Sep 1830 sold Sally's inherited land; briefly resided in IL before returning to KY by abt. 1835 and later moving to MO; 1850 and 1860-1870 lived in DeKalb Co., MO and Buchanan Co., MO, respectively.
7. Catharine Ann Traughber b.15 Dec 1809 Logan Co., KY d. 26 Mar 1887 Elm, Johnson Co., MO bur. Blackwater Cem., Holden, Johnson CO., MO; m. Rev. Warren Mimms Pitts (Methodist minister) b. 06 Jan 1810 Logan Co., KY d. 12 Feb 1885 Elm, Johnson Co., MO; had issue.
8. David Traughber b. 15 Dec 1812 Logan Co., KY d. 1884 Macon Co., IL; m. abt. 1830 Logan Co., KY Elizabeth Ann MNU; abt. 1847 migrated to Decatur, IL.
9. Nancy Ann Traughber b. 29 Sep 1816 Logan Co., KY d. 1886, Chanute, Neosho Co., KS; m/1 1833 to bef. 1843 John Pence b. abt. 1807 likely Logan Co., KY d. aft. 1833; had issue; m/2 1843 John Phelps b. 1799 Simpson Co., KY d. 1859 KY; had issue; m/3 11 Dec 1859 Logan Co., KY George Washington Phelps b. 19 Apr 1810 Logan Co., KY d. 05 Jun 1889 Chanute, Neosho Co., KS; bur. Elmwood Cem., Chanute, Neosho Co., KS; no issue; m/1 14 Nov 1832 Logan Co., KY Lydia Phelps (cousin) b. abt. 1809 Logan Co., KY d. 12 Aug 1858 Bath, Mason Co., IL; had issue.
10. Penelope "Penny" Traughber b. 08 Oct 1818 Logan Co., KY d. 08 Sep 1885 Mount Zion Township, Macon Co., IL; m/1 01 Nov 1836 Mount Zion Township, Macon Co., IL Henry J. Hodge d. 30 Aug 1838 m/2 12 Sep 1839 Morgan Co., IL Martin Blaney d. btw. 1860/1870 Macon Co., IL; had issue; 1840 they moved back to Macon Co, IL and lived there in 1850 and 1860 (US Census); 1870 and 1880 Macon Co., IL Penelope head of household with children; 1880 Macon Co., IL she lived with grandson William.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18} Bob's Genealogy Filing Cabinet, Southern and Colonial Genealogies, Copyright by Robert W. Baird (various dates, 2010-2018), Michael Trarbach (c1700 – 1771) Profile : accessed 20 Jun 2018 at [1] and [2] and other supporting research at [3] and [4]
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5} Dennis G. Peterson, Trarbach Families in America, 2016, pp 10-12, 28, 119-39 : accessed 23 June 2018 at [5]
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5} Find A Grave: Memorial #67568982 for Michael Traughber (1767 - 1826)