THE STORY of ADAM POE by Thomas D. Graham January 28
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THE STORY OF ADAM POE by Thomas D. Graham January 28, 1952 Delaware County Historical Society Delaware, Ohio 1 THE STORY OF ADAM POE In the year 1938, the William Street Church reached the 120 th year of its existence, and some of its members began thinking in terms of a suitable recognition for the 125 th year, 5 years hence. As the record of the years was reviewed, certain men and events seemed to stand out as milestones in the career of that historic church. It soon appeared that near the forefront of the stalwart men who had served William Street Church stood Adam Poe , the subject of this sketch. As we were casting about in the interest of finding someone who might search out and write the story of William Street, a trial balloon was sent in the direction of our late good friend, Benjamin L. McElroy. Unfortunately, he did not feel able to undertake the project. But a little preliminary investigation of it led him also to an interest in Adam Poe. He did some research, and prepared an article entitled “Adam Poe, Unsung Hero of Ohio Wesleyan,” published in Ohio Wesleyan Magazine, April, 1939, in which he made a plea for a fuller recognition of Adam Poe, the man, and for some kind of permanent memorial to him. Dr. H.C. Hubbart was also contacted with regard to writing the story, but he was deeply involved in research relative to his book, “Ohio Wesleyan’s First Hundred Years.” A few years passed, and the writer began collecting data for a historical sketch of the William Street Church. Again, Adam Poe loomed as a stalwart character whose story should be searched out and written. This paper is an effort to record the findings of such research as we have been able to do on the origin and background, the life and service, of this man who, in his day, was, to use Dr. McElroy’s words, “the dominating personality in Delaware.” Poe Ancestry It seems inevitable to the writer that such a report as this must begin with the physical and historical origin of the individual in question. So it is without apology that we shall begin our story with a genealogical sketch of the Poe family. We recognize, in passing, those who look with scorn upon what they refer to as the futility of research among those dead and gone. But we prefer to stand with Daniel Webster on the premise that, quote “The memory of the pioneers is one which should be cherished and honored. We who live surrounded by all the comforts of a highly developed civilization can have but an inadequate conception of the stress of life in those times when the first steps were taken in the transforming of wilderness into the fruitful and finished region in which we now live. It is well to revive the memories of the worthies of a former time who did so great a work in the development of a country.” unquote. The earliest known ancestor of Adam Poe was his great grand-father, George Jacob Poe, who along with thousands of other young men in Germany, sought to escape the perils and problems of political strife in Europe, and with his young wife and perhaps one son, came to America about 1740. The year is not known with exactness. One record says “previous to 1740,” another says “in 1745.” Evidence will appear later that he was living in Maryland in 1742. In any case, George Jacob Poe settled on Antietam Creek, in Frederick County, now Washington County, Maryland. He owned a plantation on the west side of the creek, in what is now the Lietersburg district, before 1748. He obtained an order for the survey of the adjoining 100 acres 2 on Feb. 10, 1748, which was named “Well Taught” and patented July 4, 1749. Mr. Poe obtained an order for a resurvey of his land in 1752, the patent for which, dated Mar. 14, 1754, embraced 1300 acres, and included the site of the village of Lietersburg. Much of the survey was on the east side of the Antietam. In 1755 he sold all his land except 362 acres. Poe obtained another survey of other lands on the west side of the Antietam in 1761, and soon afterwards sold the site of Lietersburg and assigned his interest in the resurvey of the plantation called “Well Taught” to Jacob Leiter. Then he purchased land on Fishing Creek, in Frederick County, Maryland. (A note inserted states: “From a study of land titles and records, plus such other records as are available, it appears that George Jacob Poe first lived at Lewistown, 1740-47, then on Antietam Creek near Lietersburg, 1748-61, then of Fishing Creek near Jefferson.” George Poe owned and operated a grist mill, and conducted a business of hauling supplies to and from Baltimore and other cities. He had a number of teams and wagons, and employed drivers for them, while he himself always accompanied the wagon trains on horseback. George Jacob Poe had paid the passage money for one Mike Peck and his wife from Ireland to Baltimore, as was often done in the early days. In turn Mike Peck drove a team for Mr. Poe, to repay him. Peck had a habit of getting drunk and beating his wife. Mr. Poe could not stand for that, and one time gave Peck a thrashing for it. Soon after this, as Poe rode by the wagon Peck was driving, Peck shot Poe in revenge for the whipping. Peck ran away, and the next teamster following found George Jacob Poe dead. This occurred in July 1761. Peck was later caught, and executed on Oct. 8, 1762. (an account of this may be seen in Scharp’s “Hist. of Western Maryland,” Vol.1, pg. 424.) The identity of the wife of George Jacob Poe has not been discovered. Her name was Elizabeth. They had 4 children: 1. George 2. Andrew 3. Kate 4. Adam George Poe, the eldest son is said by some to have been born in Germany. There is a family tradition that one of the children was born on the high seas on the way from Germany to America. Some family historians assign this distinction to George, some to Andrew, and some to Adam. Since there is pretty good authority that both Andrew and Adam were born in Frederick County, the distinction of having been born on the ocean must belong to George, if it is more than a tradition. The “History of Frederick Co., Md.” by Williams, v.1, p. 344, says that Andrew and Adam were born in a house near Lewistown, Md., which (house) was in later years kept as a tavern by George H. Clem. George Poe, being the eldest son inherited 2/3 of his father’s property. His mother inherited the other 1/3. It is said that he was a wealthy man for his day, and that he remained loyal to the British Crown during the Revolutionary troubles, entertaining British officers lavishly in his home. Since the rest of the children received no inheritance, they soon moved west, and we have little data on George, except that he married a Miss Willard, had a son, George, and lived near Jefferson, Frederick County, Md. 3 It is interesting to note that the son who inherited the estate remained loyal to the British Crown, while the other two sons both fought for the cause of the colonies. Andrew, second son of George Jacob and Elizabeth Poe, was born Sept. 30, 1742, in Frederick County, Maryland. He married on Jan. 15, 1780, at Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Elizabeth Rutan. They had eleven children. Andrew died July 9, 1823, near Hookstown in Green Township, Beaver County, Pennsylvania. His wife died at the same place. Both are buried in Mill Creek Cemetery, Green Township, Beaver County Pennsylvania. This data is on authority of Presbyterian Church Records on Mill Creek, Beaver Co., Pa., where Andrew was a member for about 40 years. Andrew was a private in Captain Kidd’s Company of Washington County (Pa.) then Virginia Militia, John Marshall, Colonel. He was also given a commission as Lieutenant of Mill Creek Fencibles of Pennsylvania by Governor Patrick Henry. The genealogy of this family has been well worked out by Mrs. Daisy Poe Pratt. I have studied a copy owned by Rev. J.P.Wisman, retired Methodist minister at Ashtabula, Ohio. Kate Poe, 3rd child of George Jacob and Elizabeth Poe, went west with her 2 brothers, married a Mr. Miller, lived and died in Burgettstown, Washington County, Pa. Adam Poe, 4th and youngest child of George Jacob and Elizabeth Poe, and grandfather of the Adam Poe, subject of this sketch, was born in Frederick County, Md., in 1747. When George Jacob Poe died, leaving his inheritance, except the widow’s third, all to his eldest son, the younger sons saw the necessity of soon getting out on their own. Andrew was 19 at the time of his father’s death. Adam was 14. As soon as Andrew was of age, he set out for the frontier to the west. He worked for a time around Pittsburgh, then settled on some land on Harmon’s Creek, west of Pittsburg, in Washington County, Pa. (then Va.). When Adam, his younger brother, was of age, Andrew went back home and induced him to come out with him to the new settlement on Harmon’s Creek. Their sister Kate also came with them. There grew up a little settlement of 10 or 12 families on Harmon’s Creek by about 1780.