Peter Hufford’s grandson Charles

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Here’s a mug-book bio for Charles A. Hufford (1859), son of Hiram, son of Peter, son of Christian II, son of Christiain b. 1716 in Schwaigern.

From HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY, KANSAS, by V. P. Mooney; published in 1916; at page 831:

Charles A. Hufford is a Butler county pioneer and a prominent farmer and stockman of Union township.  Mr. Hufford was born in Harrison county, Virginia, (now West Virginia) in July 1859, and is a son of Hiram and Mary Hufford, natives of Pennsylvania.  He was one of a family of four children, as follows: Charles A., the subject of this sketch; Mrs. Ella Ensley, Augusta, Kans.; Hugh, Grand Junction, Mrs. Maude Burns, El Reno, Okla.  The Hufford family came to Butler county, Kansas, in the fall of 1876, and settled on a claim in Clay township.  Their first home there was a dugout, which was a common type of habitation on the claims in the early days.  Augusta was their trading town and after coming here the father began farming in a small way, and after passing the first few years of adversity, became a well-to-do farmer and stockman.  He died May 12, 1915, and his widow now resides in Oklahoma.

Charles A. Hufford is a successful farmer and stockman and has made Butler county his home since coming here with his parents in 1876.  Mr. Hufford was married in 1881, to Miss Ada Shervinton, a daughter of William and Emma Shervinton, natives of Canada, and of English descent.  Mrs. Hufford is one of the following children, born to her parents: Mrs. Anna Spring, Ventura, Cal.; Ada, wife of Charles A. Hufford, the subject of this sketch; Watson, resides in Oklahoma; Robert, Salina, Kans.; Mrs. Lena Bailey, resides in Oklahoma; Mrs. Cora Blankenbaker, Latham, Kans.; Felix, resides in Idaho; Mrs. Ella Mannering, Elkville, Ill.; and Nola, Atlanta, Kans.

The Shervinton family came to Butler county, Kansas, in 1876, and were among the early settlers of Clay township, Butler county, where the father homesteaded 160 acres of land.  He was an industrious and thrifty man and made a good home for his family in the new country, and became a well-to-do farmer and stockman. He died in October, 1912, and his widow now resides on the old homestead. Mr. Shervinton was something of a successful hunter in the early days and killed a great many deer and antelope, and hundreds of prairie chickens and other small game.  Mr. and Mrs. Hufford have seen a great many bands of Indians, who frequently strolled over the plains in early days.

To Mr. and Mrs. Hufford have been born the following children: Walter, Latham, Kans.; Harry, Latham, Kans.; Loren, Clearwater, Kans.; Grace, Glenn, and Roy, all residing at home.  The Hufford family is well and favorably known and Mr. Hufford is one of the progressive and substantial citizens of Union township.

PAGE NOTE: Peter Hufford’s older brother Christian Hufford III is at page 200 of 1909 HUFFORD FAMILY HISTORY. Peter and his descendants would be inserted after Christian III.

Peter of Washington Co., PA, and West Virginia

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The Hufford descendants of Doddridge Co.,West Virginia, have been my puzzle for the last many days.  They descend from Peter Hufford, son of Christian II, and grandson of the immigrant Christian (b. 1716).

I’ll share my puzzling here.  If you are able to correct, add to, or offer evaluation, I’d love to hear from you:  alicemariebeard@gmualumni.org

Peter’s father, Christian II, is one of the immigrant Christian’s 17 children who got short shrift in the 1909 HUFFORD FAMILY HISTORY.  Only one of Christian II’s nine children made it into the book: Christian III (at page 200).

Christian II began his family in Frederick Co., Maryland; he was there for the 1790 census.  By 1800, Christian II was in West Bethlehem township, Washington Co., Pennsylvania, and he remained in Washington Co., PA, until his death in 1826.

According to the 1800 census, other than Christian II, there were four males in his household.  One was under 10; one was between 10 and 15; two were between 16 and 25.  We know of three sons: David, Christian III, and Peter.  David was born in about 1776 and Christian was born in 1780; they were the two between 16 and 25 in 1800.  That means that Peter was under 15 in 1800.  Better researchers than I have concluded that Peter was born in about 1788.

Peter’s first marriage was in 1811, to Catherine MYERS.  Peter farmed in Washington Co., PA.  In July 1829, Peter had (at least) five children and a wife who was six-months pregnant.  Their youngest child was little George, only two years old.  George died; how is not known, but the death of any child causes enormous family grief and fall out.  Sometimes that fallout includes the breakup of a marriage.

In 1830, Peter was in Washington Co., PA, with wife Catherine.  He reported his age as between 40 and 49, meaning born between 1780 and 1790.  The woman of the household was between 30 and 39, an approximate fit for his wife Catherine who was born in 1787 and would have been 43.  The children were as follow:

  • two males under 5 (son John was 1; son Jeremiah was 5)
  • one male from 5 to 9
  • one female under 5
  • one female from 5 to 9
  • one female from 15 to 19 (dau. Eliza b. 1814, was 16)

Peter had two sons who would have fit into that 5 to 9 slot: Thomas, b. abt 1821, and Rollin, b. abt 1823.  However, the census listed only one male in that age range.  And, who were the two females under 10?

In 1834, Peter’s wife Catherine divorced him.  After the divorce, she had custody of their children.

In 1840, Peter Hufford was in Washington Co., PA, for the census.  He was between 50 and 59.  The household had two boys under 5 and two girls between 5 and 9.  The woman of the house was between 40 and 49.  Peter’s youngest child by his first wife was a son born in 1829; in other words, this was Peter’s second family.  It is possible (likely even) that the woman who was Peter’s wife in 1840 had herself been married previously; the older children in the household may be from her previous marriage.

That 1840 census is the last record I’ve found for Peter.

There had been some confusion with the Huffords of Luzerne Co., PA, because there was another Peter Hufford living there in 1850.  However, it’s a completely different person.  The Luzerne Co. 1850 Peter Hufford is in Luzerne Co. in 1840, as “Peter Huffart,” while our Peter Hufford is in Washington Co. in 1940.  So far as I can tell, the Peter Huffart/Hufford of Luzerne Co. has no relationship to the Huffords who descend from Christian b. 1716.

So, the last record I have found for our Peter Hufford is the 1840 census.

But Peter shows up in Doddridge Co., WV, named on marriage records for his children.

Peter and his second wife (Mary Ann) had at least five children:

  • Hiram H. Hufford, b. 11-Apr-1836, d. 12-May-1915 in Cowley Co., Kansas; m. Mary L. MORGAN.  (Hiram’s cemetery information lists his parents as Peter and Mary Hufford.)
  • Solomon Hufford, b. 9-Dec-1838, d. 14-Aug-1893 in Doddridge Co., WV; m. Eliza Nicklin GARRISON.  (Solomon’s marriage record named his parents as Peter and Mary A. Hufford, and Solomon named a son after his brother Hiram.)
  • Isabel Florence Hufford, b. 1-Jan-1841; d. 4-Mar-1915 in Doddridge Co., WV; m. Francis Marion DOTSON.  (Isabel’s marriage record lists her parents as Peter and Mary Ann Hufford, and her place of birth as Washington Co., PA.)
  • Sarah E. Hufford, b. abt 1845; m. Sylvannus DAVIS.  (Sarah’s marriage record lists her parents as Peter and Mary Ann Hufford.)
  • William Hufford, b. 7-Jun-1847, d. 26-Jun-1922 in Doddridge Co., WV; m. 1st Mary F. COTTRILL; m. 2nd Mary Catharine BEE.  (William’s marriage record names his parents as Peter and Mary A. Hufford.)

The fact that Peter’s son William was born in June 1847 means that Peter lived at least into 1846.  It’s likely that Peter died in Harrison Co., WV, where son William was born, and where his wife Mary Ann was found living in 1860.

Burial information is known for nine of Peter’s eleven children:

PAGE NOTE: Peter Hufford’s older brother Christian Hufford III is at page 200 of 1909 HUFFORD FAMILY HISTORY. Peter and his descendants would be inserted after Christian III.

Aaron Hufford vs. the railroad

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Here’s a Hufford who helped to make the law:

Jackson Citizen; Feb. 15, 1887
Railroad Rules and Rights of Passengers
On Sept. 19, 1882, Aaron Hufford purchased a ticket at Manton, a station of the main line of the Grand Rapids & Indiana railroad, which the agent represented was good for a ride to Traverse City.  The ticket was part of an excursion ticket, good when first issued from Sturgis to Traverse City, and after purchasing it, Hufford, noticing that it was not like the tickets he had been accustomed to purchase, asked the agent if it was good, and was assured that it was.  He thereupon entered the cars, which moved off for Walton junction, nine miles north of Manton.  On presenting his ticket to the conductor, he was informed that he could not receive it for fare, whereupon Hufford stated to the conductor the facts as to its purchase and the statements of the agent, and refused to pay the fare a second time.  The conductor said the rules of the company would not allow him to take it and said he should put him off if he did not pay to the junction.  He [Hufford] then paid under protest and brought suit against the company. The supreme court has just decided in his favor.  The company was bound by the act of its agent and the conductor, on being apprised of the facts, should have allowed the man to ride.  People are not required to know what rules are made by a railroad company to govern its agents and employees, and cannot lose their rights in consequence of them.

Case is Hufford v. Grand Rapids & Indiana R’y Co., 64 Mich. 631, 31 N. W. Rep. 544.
Rule: Passengers on railroad trains are not presumed to know the rules and regulations which are made for the guidance of the conductors and other employes of railroad companies as to the internal affairs of the company, nor are they required to know them.

Aaron Hufford was son of Michael, son of Casper, son of Christian b. 1716 in Schwaigern, Germany.  Aaron was a traveling salesman.  He was the father of five children.  He married in 1868.  Before 1880, two sons had died, and he’d been taken to jail for a few days because he had tried to take custody of his young daughter from his ex-wife.  Aaron didn’t win many fights in his life, but he won the fight with the railroad.

He’s on page 177 of the 1909 Hufford Family History.  Here’s his page at findagrave.com: Aaron Hufford (1846-1915).

A “Don’t beat my kid” moment, from a Hufford dad

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Here’s an old “don’t beat my kid” moment from a Hufford dad.  It’s from Watertown Daily Times, Jan. 15, 1895:

Clayton, Ind, Jan. 15. — A whipping scrape occurred in the public school yesterday afternoon, which culminated in a general riot.  The principal, Miss Belle Mills, assisted by John Crowley, teacher in the grammar department, attempted to inflict punishment on Louis Hufford, a son of David Hufford, for disobedience.  The whipping was to take place immediately after the close of the afternoon session at 4 p.m.  As soon as school was dismissed, some pupils ran and told Hufford’s father and his brother, William, a blacksmith.  Immediately the father and the elder brother started for the school house, the father with a knife and the brother with an iron.  There was a general fight on their arrival.  Crowley was cut.  The father and brother of Hufford were beaten and knocked down a flight of stairs.  Young Hufford escaped during the excitement.

The dad, Enoch David Hufford, was a house carpenter.  He was 63 the day he went to the school to say, “You may not beat my kid!”  Young Louis was almost 16.  His brother the blacksmith was 21.

Enoch David Hufford was the father of eight children, and Louis was his youngest. Another of Enoch’s children was a school teacher.

Enoch David Hufford was son of Gideon, son of David, son of Daniel, son of Christian b. 1716 in Schwaigern, Germany.  There’s a photo of his grave marker here: Enoch David Hufford (1830-1900).

PAGE NOTE: Enoch David Hufford’s father was Gideon Hufford. Gideon’s younger brother Joel is at page 252 of the 1909 HUFFORD FAMILY HISTORY.

Indian raid in Humboldt Co., CA, in 1865

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This morning began with some hunting on Jacob Hufford who was in Californa in the 1860s, 1870s, and 1880s.  However, there was more than one Jacob Hufford in California during that time, and there has been a good bit of disagreement among Hufford genealogists as to how the sort and split works out.

In hunting, I found the following from the Nevada State Journal newspaper, July 24, 1947; Reno, Nevada (at page 2):

Historic Dress, Memento of Generosity of Early Nevadans, Donated to Museum

Fully equipped with pantalettes with lace at the bottom and a flour sack lining, a historic dress was received yesterday by the Nevada State Historical Society museum here.

It is a dress which was sent by the citizens of Star City, Nev., in the spring of 1865, as part of a relief shipment to the people of Paradise Valley in Humboldt county who had lost all their belongings in an Indian raid.

The dress was the property of Mrs. Jacob Hufford who 82 years ago was living with her family on Haveline creek, near Denia, and it was at the Hufford home that the residents of Paradise took refuge during the raid.  The garmet was sent to the museum by George Hufford, her son, who now lives at Austin, Texas.

The contribution is not only a memento of a famous Indian uprising, but a reminder of the generous spirit shown by Nevada residents for people in trouble even back in those days when residents were scarce and distances vast.

In 1863 Jacob Hufford came to Nevada from Butte county, California, and while traveling in northern Humboldt county saw a green stripe of vegetation crossing the trail.  He decided it would be a good place to find water, so he dug a successful well 40 feet deep, called it Jacob’s Well, and settled there, near Denia, to furnish water to travelers.

On April 4, 1865, he was still there when a friendly Indian told the five families of Paradise Valley the other Indians were planning a raid two days later.  The women and children and sick members of the community made their way with much difficulty to the Hufford home as a refuge, and remained there while all their homes and belongings were being burned.

News of the tragedy reached western Nevada, and the people of Star City, which was near Virginia City, took up a collection to help the victims of the raid in Humboldt county.  Money was of no use because the people at Denia and Paradise Valley had no place to spend it. Clothing and utensils were collected, and sent to the people hundreds of miles north.

Although the Hufford family had escaped the raid, the dress was given to Mrs. Hufford.  When it first arrived at Denia it had the pantelettes built in, but no lining.  Mrs. Hufford later lined it, using as material flour sacks from the mill which her husband in company with two partners was operating at Denia by then.  The garment has been a keepsake in the Hufford family ever since, but Mr. Hufford said in his letter the members of the family are growing old now and he wants it placed in a museum.

The dress is of a print material, light, and still pretty and in good condition.  It may be seen at the museum in the basement of the State Building.

The Jacob Hufford of the story was Jacob B. Hufford, b. 23-Aug-1834, in Scott Co., Indiana.  He was son of Jacob, son of John, son of Christian I b. 1716 in Schwaigern.  He is listed with his wife and children on page 265 of the 1909 HUFFORD FAMILY HISTORY.

A photo of Jacob’s gravestone is here: Jacob at findagrave

And here’s a photo of the gravestone of Jacob’s son George, who donated the dress to the museum:  George at findagrave

Here’s the story of the raid.  The story is from the book THE HISTORY OF NEVADA, edited by Sam P. Davis, published in 1913 by  The Elms Publishing Co.; Reno, Nevada.  This excerpt is from the chapter titled “Indian Hostilities,” by Colonel Thomas Ewing, beginning at page 162:

Paradise Valley.

On the morning of April 4, 1865, two friendly Indians notified A. Denio that in “two sleeps” a band of warriors would make a raid upon Paradise Valley, kill all the settlers and run off their stock.  Mr. Denio, with his family, was living at the time on the east side of Martin Creek, near the present residence of N. Gillelan, and his neighbors were A. and J. T. Bryant, T. J. Fine and Mr. Stockham.  The latter gentleman being away on a mission to procure military assistance, if possible, for the settlers, his wife was at home alone. Three miles further up the creek another settler was living, named Rembreaux.  Prompt as well as energetic measures were at once set on foot to notify all the settlers, and prepare for moving from that locality to a place of safety.   A conveyance had to be made for Mr. Fine, who was prostrated with inflammatory rheumatism, also for the children of Mr. Denio.  The hind portion of a wagon was converted into a cart for this purpose, but before they could move a fearful storm set in, and all were detained until the following morning. During the night they were re-enforced by the arrival of Thomas Byrnes and John Lackey.

Early on the morning of the 5th, the party, consisting of all the persons mentioned, started to reach Willow Point.  To do this they were forced to cross Martin and Cottonwood creeks, swollen with the recent storm, between which lay a swamp of mud about two and a half miles wide.

Over that portion of the route the sick man and women and children had to be carried most of the way, rendering their progress tediously slow.  After the passage was made, Mr. Denio and Rembreaux manned the cart in which Mr. Fine and the children were placed and started to haul it to Hamblin’s corral, some three miles on their way, the two women accompanying them on foot.  They were soon met by a man on horseback named Jacob Hufford, who attached a riata to the reach, which served as a tongue for the cart, and with the other end of it fastened to his saddle, hauled the primitive ambulance over the intervening distance to the corral without delay.  The balance of the party remained behind at the Cottonwood Creek to get across that stream such provisions, goods, etc., as had been taken that far in their journey.  It was expected that they would be met by a man named Christopher Fearbourne, who had gone the night before up the valley with an ox-team to get the effects of Barber and Collins, who were to leave with the rest.

Fearbourne had remained over night with the parties whom he had gone to move out of their dangerous proximity, and when they got up in the morning it was to find a large number of Indians about the house and corral.  No unfriendly demonstration was made, but looks, combined with their awaiting with no apparent object about the place, seemed to carry with it the indications of hostile designs that might develop into action at any moment.  Barber suggested to his companions that they all go to the corral, mount their horses and ride off; but this plan was objected to by Fearbourne and Collins, who thought a bold front might do better.  They deemed the wisest course to be for them to put their things on board the wagon and go as they first intended.  This plan was tried, but the Indians becoming more demonstrative and rather insolent, Barber said to his friends, “I am going to make the attempt to go for help and you shut yourselves up in the cabin if there is trouble, and do the best you can till I get back.”

He went to the corral, caught and saddled a fleet-footed horse, as though nothing had occurred to disturb him, and one of the Indians asked him what he proposed to do.  Barber replied that he was going out to drive in a beef to kill; but they did not seem to fully believe his assertion and two of them mounted their ponies and started with him. For a long distance they rode along, until finally seeming to become convinced that Barber had told the truth, they turned back.  He rode on without increasing his speed until an elevation hid him from their view, when he galloped onward in the direction of the settlement where the parties lived whom we have described as on their way to the Hamblin corral.

The men who had remained behind to get their property to a place where it could be reached and taken up by the expected owner of the ox-team, had just completed their task when Barber came riding up with the news of the danger that had overtaken his comrades at the cabin.  While he was telling what had transpired, one of the listeners turned to look in the direction of the threatened danger and saw a column of smoke rising from the valley, and they correctly suspected that the cabin had been fired and probably a struggle for life was at that moment going on between the savages and the two men who had shut themselves in there.  Barber, Byrnes and Lackey at once started to the relief of the besieged, while Bryant and the lad Denio set out for the corral.

As Barber and his two assistants neared the burnt cabin and were within possibly three hundred yards of it, they were suddenly assailed by twenty-two Indians on horseback and a large number on foot, but the three white men made a successful retreat to the corral, three miles away, that had become the place of general rendezvous.  Just at this time as A. and T. J. Bryant, with whom was young Robert Denio, a lad but twelve years old, were approaching the corral, they were discovered by the Indians, who made an attempt to cut them off, which would have been successful but for a bold rally on the part of Waldron Foster and Lackey, that created a diversion and enabled the footmen to gain the defenses.  The little garrison now consisted of A. Denio, his wife and four children; Robert Denio, a boy twelve years old, Jacob Hufford and wife, Mrs. Stockham, T. J. Fine, A. Bryant, T. J. Bryant, John Lackey, Waldron Foster, Thomas Byrnes, Rembreaux and Barber.  Ten men, one boy, three women and four children constituted the entire force over which Mr. Denio, by mutual consent, assumed command.  The place was put in the best possible condition for defense, but it was believed by all that unless assistance came soon a massacre would be their common fate.  About fifty yards from the corral stood Hamblin’s house, which became a point of considerable danger, as behind it the enemy was liable to take cover and station sharpshooters.  It was, therefore, decided to burn the structure and this task was performed by T. J. Bryant and Mr. Foster, under a fire from the Indians.  The only arms possessed by the besieged settlers were three common rifles, one musket, two double-barreled shot guns, one navy and five small Colt’s revolvers, and they were obliged to stay there and receive without reply the fire from long-range guns in the possession of the Indians who were on every side of them.

PAGE NOTE: Jacob B. Hufford is listed with his wife and children on page 265 of the 1909 HUFFORD FAMILY HISTORY.