Portage County

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by chuckmi on July 27, 2009 at 12:30pm

am looking for anything on Jonathan WILLIAMS and his second wife, Jehanna WELLS, and their children.

Permalink Reply by Dean Wickes on December 14, 2009 at 3:28pm

I am researching the Truman Gilbert family that came to Portage Co. in the early 1800's.

Permalink Reply by Szy Gen on February 14, 2010 at 2:41pm

Have you seen the book "History of Portage County, Ohio: Containing a History of the County, its ..." that is posted on Google Books?

It contains info such as:

"In 1806 there arrived from Litchfield, Conn., Truman Gilbert, Sr., his wife, seven sons and one daughter: Charles, Truman, Jr., Lyman, Marvin, Dr. Ezra, Walter, Champion [plus Benjamin] and Rebecca, the latter being now the widow of Ebenezer Buckley, and is eighty-five years of age, remarkably well preserved in mind and health, and as genial, social, kind-hearted and even jolly, as, possibly, she was half a century ago. Her husband was in the war of 1812, and the old lady, some years ago, had a pension almost forced upon her. She retains a vivid recollection of the past, and can tell as good a snake story as any of her neighbors, for she lives not far from the "Ledge," and has seen many of the old-time yellow reptiles. Charles Gilbert, the eldest son, had a family of nine, and forty-five years elapsed before a single death occurred among them, a remarkable instance, and a fact tolerably discouraging to any undertaker to settle among such undying families. There is an apple tree on the place of Warner Gilbert that was planted in 1806. When Truman Gilbert was raising his house in 1806, and was being assisted by the neighbors, as usual, and some Indians, an eclipse of the sun occurred, which badly frightened the latter. They left the work, got out their bows and arrows and began firing their arrows up into the heavens in the direction of the slowly darkening sun, to scare off the evil spirit."

Permalink Reply by Beth Burwell Griffiths on January 14, 2010 at 10:47am

I'm researching the Campbell/Case families, GGrandfather, Frank W Campbell was born around 1850, married Louie B Case, died in 1898. I got their marriage certificate from the county records office, but it doesn't include parents' names.
For those researching this area, there is a History of Portage County available online.