OHIO STATEWIDE FILES OH-FOOTSTEPS Mailing List Issue 3 *********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 03 : Issue 3 Today's Topics: #1 [OH-FOOT] [Fwd: RICKARD/TALBOT] ["Hollis G. Best" ] #2 [OH-FOOT] surnames: Hudnall, Bolin [SCHcrochet@aol.com] Administrivia: To unsubscribe from OH-FOOTSTEPS-D, send a message to OH-FOOTSTEPS-D-request@rootsweb.com that contains in the body of the message the command unsubscribe and no other text. No subject line is necessary, but if your software requires one, just use unsubscribe in the subject, too. ______________________________ ------------------------------ X-Message: #1 Date: Thu, 02 Jan 2003 14:11:24 -0800 From: "Hollis G. Best" To: OH-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <3E14B90C.433EC7E2@inreach.com> Subject: [OH-FOOT] [Fwd: RICKARD/TALBOT] This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------E6E123D434969494ED7F76BF Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit --------------E6E123D434969494ED7F76BF Content-Type: message/rfc822 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline X-Mozilla-Status2: 00000000 Message-ID: <3E14B77B.2E99D48D@inreach.com> Date: Thu, 02 Jan 2003 14:04:44 -0800 From: "Hollis G. Best" X-Mozilla-Draft-Info: internal/draft; vcard=0; receipt=0; uuencode=0; html=0; linewidth=0 X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.5 [en] (Win98; I) X-Accept-Language: en MIME-Version: 1.0 To: oursenpeluche@yahoo.com, karlme@earthlink.net, OH-FOOTSTEPS-l@rootsweb.com Subject: RICKARD/TALBOT Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit FROM: HISTORY OF MEDINA CO., OH - (Baskin & Battey) - 1881 - Page 818 within a section of biographical sketches on citizens of Chatham Township, Medina Co., OH "RALPH RICKARD, farmer; P.O. Chatham Center; born Aug. 17, 1814, in Manlius Township, Onondaga Co., N.Y.; son of John and Catharine (Ehle) Rickard, both families being of German extraction. Catharine's father was Peter Ehle, who married Catharine Nelas, he being one of the Revolutionary soldiers. Ralph's father (John) was a teamster in the war of 1812, and drove an ammunition wagon. Ralph was of a family of nine children, eight of whom came to maturity. Some of the number cast their fortunes in the West, others remained in their native county, viz, Archibald, Mary and Roena. Peter, George, Ralph, Betsey and Harvey came West. Peter (now deceased) settled in Guilford, and raised a family - Betsey in Missouri; George and Harvey in Michigan. His father generously gave him his time at the age of 19. He hired out on a farm, receiving the prevailing low wages of that time. December, 1838, he married Elizabeth Talbot, born Feb. 29, 1820, in Madison Co., N.Y.; daughter of Samuel and Betsey Talbot. Mrs. Rickard died June, 1852, leaving one child - Cyrus, now of Litchfield Township. His second marriage occurred April 28, 1853, with Phoebe Reynolds, born in Cazenovia, Madison Co., N.Y., Jan. 15, 1831, whose parents were Colonel and Phoebe (Avery) Reynolds. He was born at Warwick, on Narragansett Bay, R.I.; she in Herkimer Co., N.Y. He was a son of Francis Reynolds; she a daughter of Punderson Avery, of Irish stock. Mrs. Rickard came West with her sister in 1850, and Mr. Rickard came West in 1845, first to Canaan Township, in Wayne Co. The following year, he located in this township, he and brother George purchasing 194 acres for which they paid $8.50 per acre, which they carried on in partnership for several years. Has now 97 acres situated in the north part of the township, which has been the result of his own labor and patient industry. His last matrimonial union has been crowned with five children, three living - Frank, Harriet (Mrs. Ruthman Kent) and Jennie. Both Mr. and Mrs. Rickard are members of the M. E. Church. Mr. Rickard has been a man of good constitution, and a very hard-working man, but is now enjoying the comforts of his home in comparative retirement." Transcribed by Jean Best hgb@inreach.com --------------E6E123D434969494ED7F76BF-- ______________________________ ------------------------------ X-Message: #2 Date: Fri, 3 Jan 2003 10:19:42 EST From: SCHcrochet@aol.com To: OH-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <20.63b04d6.2b47040e@aol.com> Subject: [OH-FOOT] surnames: Hudnall, Bolin, Hamilton, Jack, Chase Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" Film #5910 Athens Messenger, Nov 10, 1963 Nov 10, 1963 When someone claims to have had a vision the tale is usually greeted with skepticism, but when two persons maintain they had the same ghostly apparition simultaneously they are likely to be looked upon as candidates for the cuckoo club. Nevertheless, the nocturnal noises heard by two teen-age boys over a century ago--be they true or the result of over active imagination -- bore fruit 40 years later. The story from the hills of southern Athens County is as weird as anything Washington Irving ever conjured for Sleepy Hollow--headless horsemen included. In started in the summer of 1850 on the William Hamilton farm in Alexander township, near the Chase Church country.  Thomas Bolin, 17, and Joseph Hudnall, 15 cousins, were sleeping in the granary at the Hamilton farm.  "This wasn't unusual.  Bolin was Mrs. Hamilton's brother, and her sons, James, Wesley, Rodney, and John were his playmates.  They often slept in the granary on summer nights; something of a pioneer "camping out." Two of the Hamilton boys were asleep when Bolin and Hudnall first heard noises, as Hudnail late related many times.  There were voice, the sound of wood being chopped and hammered and the driving of oxen. Hudnall thought he alone heard the noises, but when he told Bolin the other lad admitted he too was being frightened by "haunts."  Together they peered from their sleeping places and in the door of the granary there was a bright light and in it's midst what appeared to be a huge dog. Frightened, but still curious, the boys watched the phantom canine.  The noise continued.  They heard yelling, dancing, praying, fighting and then the noise of a mill grinding.  There was the sound of steam popping, the noise of coal cars being unload, and the sound of a whistle.  This was followed by a blast, the creaking of timer and screams, and groans.  Then all was quiet. Hudnall, the braver of the two, decided to catch the glowing dog.  He leaped from his perch and landed with a thud on the bare ground.  There was no dog.  Only the sounds of a summer night filled the air.  Two Hamilton boys had slept throughout the ghostly uproar. When the two related their experience the story was doubted even in that day when spirits and haunted houses were most readily accepted. There wasn't even a mill in the neighborhood, least of all a steam mill.  Despite the doubt of their friends, Hudnall and Bolin maintained their story was true, and throughout the years their experience served to weld a close friendship.  They often discussed and attempted to analyze what had transpired. A short after this double header nightmare, Hamilton decided to build a mill and the pieces of what may be only coincidence started to fall into place. Hamilton and this sons were hard workers and they utilized all the natural assets at hand.  They built a huge mill using timbers from the hills and valley.  (Bolin and Hudnall heard wood being cut, oxen being driven and men hammering.) Rather than use water power as was the custom in milling in the pre-Civil War days, the Hamiltons decided to build a steam mill.  It was the first of its kind and possibly the only steam mill in this part of the state.  They would power it with coal which was ample in the valley.  (Bolin and Hudnall heard coal cars, and steam popping.) Through the years only Bolin and Hudnail ever gave any thought to their teen-age vision.  The Hamilton mill was busy, and after the founders died it had a string of owners. On Jan 13, 1891, Hudnail told his two sons to take grain to the mill.  As they were about to leave, he again recalled the premonition of 40 years past.  He called a last warning to his sons, "don't stay in that mill.  Give them your grain to grind and get out.  that old mill isn't safe." At the mill that windy January day, 15 men were loafing, waiting for their grain to be ground. The Hudnaill boys did as their father directed, and left the mill quickly.  Within a few minutes there was a sound of escaping steam, then a blast resounded down the valley. The men in the mill were bounced about like dolls, but none killed.  Edward Jack working in the boiler room, was not so fortunate.  He was caught in the live steam and died. The yelling of people in the valley mixed with the cries of the injured and the screams of Jack.  Then there was silence and the Hamilton mill lay in a mass of twisted wood. The two boys hurried home to tell their father.  They poured out their story, breathlessly.  Elder Hudnall shook his head knowingly.  He wasn't at all surprised. There's a picture which shows the rubble and lots of towns people.  The caption reads: Hamilton Mill Ruins--The ruins of the Hamilton Mill, near Case, can be seen in this old photo, the property of Mrs. Gene Stanley Chase.  Her father was one of the hundreds of spectators who hurried to the mill as it lay in shambles.  What happened?  Read the story for a bit of Athens County ghostly lore. Sandy -------------------------------- End of OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest V03 Issue #3 *****************************************