Honor Roll Project- Gosport Cemetery, Indiana

A few years ago, I discovered a wonderful historical project that helps to honor the brave veterans throughout our country. 

I would love to share it with you, also.

It is called The Honor Roll Project, and it is "an effort to transcribe and photograph military honor rolls. The transcribed names make the soldiers available for search engines, so that descendants and family members can find them on the internet." This description was taken straight from The Honor Roll website (Honor Roll Project), and is exactly the reason that I am so enthused about doing what I can.

When I explained to my husband about this project, he was on board also for helping me as much as possible. He is always on the lookout with me as we are traveling down the road.

Recently, as we were driving through Owen County, a Veterans of Foreign Wars monument near the road caught our attention.

Near the little town of Gosport, on State Highway 67 in Owen County, is the small Gosport Cemetery. 

Immediately upon turning into the Gosport Cemetery, you will notice the following Veterans of Foreign Wars monument.

Veterans of Foreign Wars Monument, Gosport Cemetery

Note: I have transcribed the names exactly as I read them on the monument. You will notice there are a few places where the nameplates are broken and indecipherable. In those places, I transcribed what I could, and left (???) where I could not.

Front side of monument

FRONT - 5 Unknown Soldiers ~ Wess Acuff ~ James M. Alexander ~ Jesse L. Alexander ~ George L. Ancil ~ Eli Anderson ~ Frank W. Anderson ~ Johnathon Andrews ~ Albert Arganbright ~ Dr. Harvey Asher ~ Joe Asher ~  George R. Baker ~ Isaac Baker ~ Robert w. Barnes ~ Frank Beaumont ~ William Blankenship ~ Richard Boyd ~ James C. Bracken ~ John Brasier ~ Wiley Brasier ~ John Breeden ~ John Brewer ~ John J. Brewer ~ John W. (?????) ~ T(?????) ~ Alf(???..wn) ~ Dr. Archie Brown ~ David L. Brown ~ Tighman Brown ~ Ross Brown ~ William Brown ~ William Burk ~ T.P. Burt ~ David Buskirk ~ James (Matt) Buskirk ~ James Whit. Buskirk ~ Thomas Buskirk ~ Wm. Gene Carter ~ Eli Cash ~ John William Cassell ~ Robert H. Cassell ~ Robert H. Cherry ~ Joel Childers ~ Ben Chrissman ~ William Corrie ~ Dave M. Cowden ~ John A. Cradick ~ F.M. Cravens ~ William W. Creager ~ Harrison Criss ~ E.W. Cromwell ~ J.M. Cromwell ~ William Cromwell ~ Hiram Crouch ~ James Crouch ~ John Crouch ~ William Dagley ~ Clarence Davis ~ James Davis ~ Samuel Davis ~ William Dietrick ~ Adam Dittemore ~ Bert Dittemore ~ Bernard W. Donahue ~ Lewis Dowdy ~ Hershel L. Ducker ~ Ray Dunagan ~ Bob Dunn ~ Harley Otis Dunning ~ Ernest Dusenbery ~ William Dusenbery ~ Gaylord Edwards ~ Wilbur F. Edwards ~ Wm E. (Bill) Felton ~ George C. Fritch ~ James Fritts ~ Herman S. Fox ~ James W. Fox ~ Harry E. Frye ~ John Gillaspy ~ Thomas F. Gillaspy ~ Alfred Glover ~ Dean Goss ~ Ephriam Goss ~ Fred Goss ~ John W. Graham ~ David C. Gray ~ John Green ~ James T. Greer ~ Joseph Gregory ~ James Grimsley ~ Hiram Grounds ~ James Guillen ~ Thomas Guy ~ Andrew L. Hale ~ John Hale ~ Robert Hale ~ Leon Hall ~ Glen Hall ~ Robert James Hall ~ Ron Hall ~ William Hammond ~ Don D. Hancock ~ Keith Joe Harlan ~ William Richard Harrigan ~ Alva Hart ~ William Hatfield ~ Col. B.F. Hays ~ Jesse A. Hays ~ Oscar Hendricks ~ James Henry ~ F.M. Hollick ~ John Hollick ~ Stanley Hollis ~ Thomas Holmes ~ Fred Houston ~ John V. Howell ~ Lewis E. Hubble ~ Frank Hunsicker ~ William Hutchings ~ William James ~ James Jennings ~ James John ~ John S. Johnson ~ Phillip Johnson ~ Thornton Jones ~ Rev. William N. Jones ~ Raymond S. Kaylor ~ Lawrence I. Keaton ~ Virgil Keelan ~ Lawson Keeler ~ John Keely ~ Edwin B. King ~ Joshua Kelly ~ Mortimer King ~ Coy Knoy ~ Harvey Laughlin ~ Roy Legge ~ William Lemon ~ William Lenning ~ Oscar E. Lighter ~ Pierce E. Lingle ~ Eugene Long ~ Barnabas Lukenbill ~ Jacob Lukenbill ~ Willliam Lundy ~ Elijah A. McCarty ~ Charles McClung ~ Fred McCullough ~ Arthur A. McDole ~ Isaac McGinnes ~ Dr. J.H. McNutt ~ James Madison ~ John Maple ~ George Marksbury ~ Hugh Anthony Marre ~ Fielding Marsh ~ Frank Martin ~ Jacob Massey ~ James B. Miller ~ Andrew Modrell ~ George Modrell ~ Robert Modrell ~ Jack Moon ~ Abner Morehead ~ David Morgan ~ James Lewis Morgan ~ Stephen Montgomery ~ Raymond E. Morton ~ Leo Mulligan ~ John Mullin ~ Hiram Murphy ~ Charles Myers ~ David Myers ~ Knarf S. Newby ~ Dale D. Newlin ~ James D. Newton ~ Wayne M. O'Hara ~ Dr. H.G. Osgood ~ William Painter ~ F.M. Partin ~ Orley O. Payton ~ Joshua Larkin Ratliff ~ James Richardson ~ Wilbur Roberts ~ J.R. Robinson ~ Andrew Rogers ~ Charles Rogers ~ Marcus Rogers ~ William Rogers ~ James Rose ~ A.J. Sanders ~ Lawrence E. Schoeman ~ William Seay ~ Cornelius Sinclair ~ Delana Eck Sinclair ~ Strange Sinclair ~ Francis Lee Sink ~ Herman Sink ~ Hubert Sink ~ James F. Sink ~ Homer David Smith ~ Howard Ross Smith ~ Lawrence Smith ~ R.C. Smith ~ John Soth ~ Cyrus Spillman ~ William Steele ~ William H. Steele ~ Richard Stemper ~ Harold Stewart ~ Harry Sthair ~ Luther Sthair ~ Harold Stierwalt ~ Thomas Stierwalt ~ Samuel Stierwalt ~ William E. Stines ~ Charles E. Stouder ~ Frank Stucky ~ Dr. J.M. Stucky ~ Frank Swain ~ Montgomery Taylor ~Willie Taylor ~ George Terry ~ Roy Leon Thacker ~ J.A. Thompson ~ J. Wes Thompson ~ Ray Thompson ~William Thompson ~ Combs Craig Truax ~ Frank Vickery ~ ?????? (For 1 or 2 people) ~ James Vickery ~ Elsa Wagoner ~ Harry Steven Wall ~ John Walters ~ Bert Wampler ~ Clint Wampler ~ Robert Guy Wampler ~ George C. Wampler ~ Kiah Wampler ~ Miller A. Wampler ~ J.V. “Bun” Wampler ~ Jess Wampler ~ Ritter Wampler ~ Ralph Watson ~ Jesse Watson ~ Herbert “Humpy” Weiss ~ Dr. Eli Whitaker ~ Orien Whitaker ~ Renos White ~ Barton Wilson ~ Emsley Wilson ~ John Wineiger ~ O. Wilhite ~ G.W. Wooden ~ Jerry Wooden ~ Hershel Wright ~ James A. Wright ~ Clarence Young

Back side of monument

BACK - Duane Anderson ~ Wm T. Applegate ~ Carol V. Asher ~ James O. Brewer Sr. ~ Ralph F. Burns ~ Willard E. Burton ~ Robert M. Bush ~ Norbert R. Caywood ~ Henry C. Childers ~ C.M. “Dubbie” Dittemore ~ Kenneth F. Hooker ~ Ritter W. Jones ~ Luffman Hoskins ~ Cecil McGinnis ~ Marvin E. Mullin ~ E.E. Bud Mullin ~ Alex F. Murphy ~ Jonnie Peralta ~ William N. Rogers ~ James Arthur Shultz ~ James E. Seigle ~ Ralph S. Sink ~ Homer Donald Smith ~ James R. Smith ~ Clifford R. “Pat” Swinney Sr. ~ Carl “Bill” Sullivan ~ Donald P. Williams ~ Lyman E. Wood ~ Donald Woodruff ~ N.S. Chrisma ~ Alfred Clover ~ Jonathan Edwards ~ James Ennis ~ James Gregory ~ James M. Gregory ~ Ed Haltom ~ James R. Hart ~ T.H. Hollick ~ Wm. R. Johnson ~ Losson Keelen ~ Thomas Keelen ~ Fred G. Kelley ~ H.N. Lukenbill ~ Wm. J. Miller ~ Thomas Minnick ~ James H. Quillin ~ Odessa M. Rodgers ~ Wm. Paul Rush ~ F. Campbell Stucky ~ John M. Styer, Jr. ~ Philip Tackett ~ Emanuel Teague ~ Edward Combs Truax ~ J.M. VanBuskirk ~ Thomas VanBuskirk ~ S.W. Vickery ~ R.S. Waltz ~ Ralph E. Wicker ~ ????? ~ Claude Jr. Baker ~ John W. Brewer ~ James C. Brown ~ Gene Carpenter ~ Jay I. Chandler ~ George E. Chrisman ~ William D. Coffey ~ Nicholas W. Cooper ~ Larry G. Dittemore ~ Norman Gene Glidden ~ Paul O. Harris ~ Floyd Jones ~ Clarence Keefover ~ Elmer Van Lighter ~ Oscar “Bud” Lighter ~ William C. Marley ~ Fred R. Miller ~ Robert L. Moore ~ Frank W. Morgan ~ Donald E. Pettijohn ~ Marvin L. Powell ~ Ellsworth Pruett Jr. ~ George A. Reid Jr. ~ David Rush ~ Danny R. Shepherd ~ C.E. Spoonamore ~ Howard N. Sterrett ~ Richard F. Whitaker ~ Harold Hall ~ Fred L. Arnett ~ Robert Bonnes ~ Glenn O. Brown ~ Joe H. Clark ~ Earl Wilson Clouse ~ William Creager ~ John Culross ~ Kenneth Dunning ~ Richard L. Felton ~ Albert Fishel ~ Jess Harris ~ Eddie Haulk ~ James R. Hunt ~ Jesse Lawrence ~ L. Stanley Lynch ~ Marcus Jones ~ Noah E. Moore ~ Dwight Mullin ~ Gerald Navel ~ William C. Riley ~ Leslie D. Ringler ~ Ronald Robertson Sr. ~ Richard H. Seigle ~ Charles W. Sink ~ R.C. “Riley”Smith ~ Edward C. Truax ~ Charles Williams ~ Robert L. Woods ~ Frank C. Arganbright ~ Thomas Bault ~ Edgar Wimpy Cheeseman ~ Hershel R. “Dick” Collier ~ Lawrence “Bud” Culross ~ Frank Forthoffer ~ Harold G. Haase ~ Ralph L. Holler ~ Julian T. Jones ~ Stanley Lambert ~ Howard L. Morgan ~ Steven Melton ~ George W. Nichols ~ Dorrell C. Roach ~ Joseph W. Schwartz ~ Richard “Dick” Sink ~ Guy A. Stewart ~ Gerald G. Steele ~ C. Connelly Stouder ~ Ronald V. Torgerson ~ J. David Wampler ~ Albert Marley ~ Larry Shelly ~ Robert Wall ~ Ned Smith ~ (4 empty spots: not used yet????)

Poor Captain E. Kibbey & the Role He Played in an Early Indiana Trail

As we all work on our family history, I am sure the migration stories cross our minds. Especially, if your family did a lot of that travelling before 1850 or so. 

Prior to this time, many areas west of the Appalachian Mountains were still wilderness. I have read several accounts of how the forests of the southern half of Indiana were so dense as to not see daylight until you came to a clearing.  🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳

Although my Hoosier ancestors most likely used the Ohio River to reach their Dearborn County destination, my 5th-great grandfather, Elijah Sparks, may have used the following road in his position as a  Indiana Territorial Judge. He held this position from 1814, until his death in the spring of 1815. From what I have read in the past, he had to ride quite a distance as he had a large area to cover. 

The first road to cross Indiana was blazed by Captain 
Ephraim Kibbey in 1799-1800. This two-hundred mile
route ran from Cincinnati to Vincennes, crossing the
Greene Ville Treaty Line here. Location: SR 350 on border
 of Dearborn and Ripley Co., IN. Source: https://www.in.gov/history/markers/4131.htm)

Recently, I discovered this gem of a description about the origins of "Kibbey's Road". I found it in the book, Early Indiana Trails and Surveys by George R. Wilson. According to following account, it appears that poor Captain Kibbey gave his all to the project!

  "There were early trails running east and west through Dearborn County. One went from near Milan toward Cincinnati. The survey records call it 'Kibbey’s Road.'  It was the first one crossing the entire state from Cincinnati to Vincinnes, and was laid out early in the nineteenth century. perhaps in 1801-2. The Western Spy, published in Cincinnati July 23, 1799, contained the following item:  'Captain E. Kibbey, who some time since undertook to cut a road from Vincennes to this place, returned on Monday, reduced to a perfect skeleton. He had cut the road 70 miles, when by some means, he was separated from his men. After hunting them some days without success, he steered his course this way. He had undergone great hardships and was obliged to subsist upon roots, etc., which he picked up in the woods.' Twenty years later gazetteers described the line of the road west from Cincinnati as 'Burlington, 15 miles; Rising Sun, 10; Judge Cotton’s, 20; Madison, 20; New Lexington, 17; Salem, 32; French Lick, 34; East Fork White River, 17; North Fork White River, 20; Vincennes, 16; total, 201 miles.' "

    
As I did some research on the internet regarding this road, I discovered that the above marker is now missing. Also, there appears to be some confusion in regards to what present-day road is the original Kibbey Road.

If anyone has any answers for me, I would love to hear them! I am sure many of our Hoosier ancestors used this road to travel west through Indiana, and it might be of interest to our fellow genealogists and history buffs!

Please comment below and let me know what you think.

Source:

Wilson, George R., C.E., L.L.B.. Early Indiana Trails and Surveys. Indianapolis: Indiana Historical Society Press, 1919, 4-5.

IHB:  Kibbey's Road. https://www.in.gov/history/markers/4131.htm

Was Your Ancestor a Good Man?

The Human Comedy by William Saroyan

Just the other day, I came upon this quote in a book titled You've Got to Read This Book by Jack Canfield and Gay Hendricks.

And, as the genealogist and person concerned about the legacy she leaves behind, felt like she was struck with a lightning bolt!

The part that struck me the most was "but the best part of a good man stays".

This line describes my father like as if it was written specifically for him.

 All five of us children and all his grandchildren are good decent people with good hearts.

If you ask any of us about where we got our values, it was from fantastic examples in our parents.

We are who we are because of who they were.

I grew to adulthood surrounded by my parents, two grandmothers, and many other good, decent relatives with good hearts.

These good values were passed down to me, because they were passed down to my parents.

I now have two questions for you go answer:

• How many ancestors that I've never met were part of this immortal line of "the best parts"? 
• And, are we doing all we can to pass down these "best parts" to the next generation?

Happy Ancestorversary to Daniel Pearce!

Family Search let me know this morning that it was the 230th Birthday for Daniel Pearce. 

Daniel was born in 1789 in the state of Maryland. He first married Elizabeth Johnson, with whom he had three children: John, William and Nancy. After Elizabeth's passing, he married Sarah Burgess and they proceeded to had two children. His 2nd wife passed away a few years later, and he remarried one last time to Sarah Titsworth. 

Sarah T. and Daniel proceeded to have nine children. 

Daniel and his family were the first permanent settlers of Oswego, Kendall County, Illinois. His 2nd house still stands at the Fox Bend Golf Course on his original property.

🎂 HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DANIEL! 🎂