Family History: Christian Lesnett Family Reunion, 1912: South Fayette Twp, Allegheny Co, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Terry Cook. USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: Printing this file within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. ____________________________________________________ Lesnett Family Reunion August 18. 1912 Ancestors Settled near Bridgeville in 1763 - Pioneer Indian Fighters The triennial reunion of the Lesnett family will be held at McNay's grove, Boyce Station, Thursday, August 22, 1912. Christian Lesnett, the founder of the Lesnett family in America, was born in 1728 in Hessian Cassel, Germany. In 1745 he came to America. In the same vessel came the woman who afterward became his wife. She, with her husband were seeking a home in America, but the husband died on the voyage, leaving her a widow with one child, which was born on the sea. This child was called Nancy, but her other name is forgotten. They landed in Baltimore, Maryland, after a long, stormy voyage of 90 days on the water, and settled in Frederick, Maryland. Here in 1752 Christian married Christiana (the widow with one child). In 1752 Frederick, their first child, was born. The founder of the town at the christening called him Frederick for himself and the town, he being the first child born in that town, and presented him with a ring. My father described the ring as being a very large silver ring with a large top with his initials on it. He used it to stamp the seal on all his writings. My father said that he saw it often before his fathers death, but never after. Christian was a cabinet maker by trade. He moved from Frederick to Hagerstown, Md. Here he joined Boquet's army to go take Fort Pitt from Pontiac, chief of the Ottawa Indians. He was detailed to guard and repair the wagons at Raystown, now called Bedford, and traveled what was then called the Forbestown Road. On the afternoon of August 5, 1763, they had a severe encounter with the indians. Next morning, August 6th, had a harder battle and gained a victory by the shrewdness of Col. Henry Boquet in drawing the indians from their place of concealment and attacking them both in front and rear at the same time. The indians had held the fort in seige for about 2 months and had planned to destroy them as the had Braddock's Army. Christian Lesnett is next heard from when he and his 2 sons, Frederick and Frank, and a Mr Eilleon, who had been the summer before located on the McCabe farm. Christian Lesnett bought the clan west and adjoining Eilleon. Mr Eilleon had cleared a piece of which he sowed in rye and had built a house in which they were now going to live. Lesnett and his boys cleared some ground and planted corn and built a house. They sowed some rye and turnips. Early in the fall of 1765 the two men, Eilleon and Lesnett, started back to Maryland, leaving Frederick, aged 14, and Frank, aged 12, to hold their claims, expecting to be back before winter, but they were detained as witnesses in a government lawsuit. Now winter had set in and the snow on the mountains so deep between them and the boys, so the boys passed the winter in the wild woods alone. In the latter part of April 1776, they returned with their families and made a permanent home in South Fayette township, Allegheny County, twelve miles south of Pittsburgh, on the Pittsburgh and Washington turnpike. Christian had five sons- Frederick, Frank, Christopher, Christian and George. Christopher was the only man that got away at the massacre at the place where Detroit now stands. JOHN W LESNETT. The above is only a brief sketch of the Lesnett ancestral history. Their descendents still occupy the ancestrail lands and till the soil of their ancestors. They form a large and respected connection, number into the thousands. LESNETT REUNION A BIG ONE Decendents Numbering 250 Gather from Far and Near---A Large Connection. The Lesnett family held their triennial reunion on the 22nd of at McNay's grove, Boyce Station. About 250 members of the connection attended and spent the day in social intercourse, ball games, quoit games, etc. Those present were mostly dedcendents of Christian and Christiana Lesnett in the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth genereations. A grand dinner was served by the ladies, and there never was a more bounteous or delicious repast served at a family reunion. The Lesnett women are famous students of the culinary art. It was a fine looking assemblage. In the afternoon, those present assembled at the pavillion, where a history was read by Mr. Little. The family tree compiled by J W and W W Lesnett was displayed. An adress was made by the Rev. Isaac Boyce, who compared the primitive and troublous pioneer times with the advanced stage of civilazation, and related incidents of his own boyhood. His grandfather died at the great age of 104. Mrs. John A Hickman read a list of the marriages and deaths since the last reunion in 1909. The election of officers resulted as follows: President, Wm W Lesnett; Vice president, D M Bennett; Secretary, Thos. D Lesnett; Treasurer, John A Hickman; Corresponding secretary, Mrs John A Hickman. The connection is distinguished by three clans composed of families who intermarried with the Lesnetts, viz., the Neales, Rowleys, and Boyces. Amoung the other family names represented in the connection are: Black, Elder, Pyles, Hickman, Marrow, Christy, Ross, Collins, Donaldson, Caldwell, Bennett, Wilson, Veon, Williams, Cole, Aiken, Wright, May, Magill, Jordan, McKindley, Kinaman, Heidler, Weaver, Wallace, Culley, Miller, And many others. Among those present from a distance were Dr. and Mrs. James Lesnett, Mrs, Lesnett and daughter Bessie, George Lesnett and daughter Mary and James Lesnett of Montpelier, O.; Mrs, R B Cameron, Mr and Mrs Louis Boehm and daughte Isabel, of Defiance, O.; and Mrs Walter Spangler of Evansport, O.; Mr and Mrs Geo. Bower and Dell W Lesnett of Zelienople, Pa.; (the latter gentleman being 82 years of age and the oldest person present), Mrs Emma McIlvaine and two daughters of Elwood City; Frank Veon and Mrs May of Darlington.