Sunday, November 26, 2006

Earl of Great Grandpa Price

My mother's father, Cleon Virgil Steele, first appeared in the U.S. Federal Census in 1900 when he was ten months old. He lived in Liberty Township in South Bend, Indiana with his parents, Ira and Laura Steele, his grandparents, Alexander and Lydia Anne Price, and his cousin, Earl Price, Alexander's eight year old grandson.

Laura Steele was the youngest daughter of Alexander and Lydia Anne Price. According to the 1880 census she had two older brothers, John F. and Albert, and four older sisters. The two oldest sisters were born in Ohio during the Civil War. The oldest son, John F., was born in Indiana in 1866 right after the war. This indicates to me that the Price family moved from Ohio to Indiana either during or very shortly after the Civil War.

Ira Steele's family moved from Ohio to Indiana in 1864 during the Civil War. Alexander's wife, Lydia Anne Cordray, also moved from Ohio to Indiana during the Civil War. The Cordrays lived in Crawford Township in the northeast corner of Coshocton County in Ohio. Lydia Anne's father, Nathan Cordray, served as enumerator for Crawford Township for the 1860 census. The Steele family lived in Mill Creek Township in 1860, adjacent to and west of Crawford Township. The two families lived within ten miles of each other.

The Price family doesn't appear in the 1850 or the 1860 censuses for Coshocton County. But in 1850 two Price households were listed in Salem Township in Tuscarawas County, immediately adjacent to and east of Crawford Township. One was headed by William Price, a farmer, and the other by Alexander Price, a boatman in Port Washington on the Tuscarawas River, which flows west through Crawford Township to Coshocton where it merges with the Walhonding River to become the Muskingum, flowing south to Marietta on the Ohio. I suspect that Alexander H. Price may have belonged to the William Price household in Tuscarawas County, as William had a son named Alexander born in 1834. Alexander H. Price listed his age as forty-eight in Indiana in 1880 which would mean he was born in Ohio in 1832.

Just east of Salem Township in Tuscarawas County the river flows through a town in Clay Township called Gnadenhutten, the site of an infamous massacre that occurred during the American Revolution. Nearly all of the inhabitants at that time were Native Americans resettled from Delaware who had converted to Christianity and were making earnest efforts to adopt the white man's ways.

I found an item on the web a few days ago concerning the Price surname in the history of Pennsylvania Dutch culture. I thought it was interesting as my mother always attributed our Native American ancestry to her grandmother, Laura Steele nee Price.

9 comments:

rrighetti said...

Ira and Laura Steele were my maternal grandmother's aunt and uncle. Alexander and Lydia Cordray Price were my great great grandparents. I always wondered who her parents were. I enjoyed reading about them. I ahve a photo of The Prices right here. Thanks. Kim

rrighetti said...

The census information is incomplete.. Laura Price Steele had another brother Lorenzo. (I remember my grandmother speaking of her "Uncle Renz") and 6 sisters Margaret, Ella, Minerva, Mary, Emma and Angie. Ella Price Klopfer was my great grandmother.I have a copy of the eulogy for both Alexander and Lydia. Thanks, Kim

Anonymous said...

Hi Kim,

I'd love to see that picture and the eulogies. The census record for 1880 shows what it shows. The siblings listed are:

Elzira, age 19
Angeline, age 17
John F., age 14
Albert, age 12
Emma, age 10
Manerva, age 6
Laura, age 3

The brother, Lorenzo, and the two sisters, Margaret and Mary don't appear in the 1880 census. If they were older than Elzira, that would make sense. Is Ella the same as Elzira? The sisters, Manerva, Emma and Angelina do seem to correspond. Did they live in Liberty Township, St. Joseph County? Do you know if Earl was Lorenzo's son or a son of John or Albert? Send me an e-mail. The address should be on my profile.

rrighetti said...

Hi Craig! I can't seem to find your email address. You can email me at rrighetti@roadrunner.com Yes, Elzira and Ella are the same person. Sometimes they called her "Elsie". I have a photo of the 1902 Price Family Reunion somewhere. Earl was Frank's son. Frank was a widower.Alexander Price's parents were Jonathan and Margaret (Dietz) Price. They were natives of Pennsylvania.

rrighetti said...

I need more room!The 50th Wedding writeup says Father and Mother Price were natives of Ohio and came to Indiana in 1864. The children were listed in order of birth at the funeral: Mary Freeman Winamac,Margaret Kurtz SouthBend,Lorenzo Price Swanton, Ohio,Ella Klopfer SB,Angie Knepp North Liberty,Albert Price Findley Ohio,Emma Gushwa,Lakeville,Manerva Hively SB And Laura Steele New Paris Indiana..

rrighetti said...

Oopps... forgot Frank Price, He's right after Angie. He lived in North Liberty too.

Anonymous said...

Hi, I have your Albert L. Price in my family tree at:
http://charocfl.tribalpages.com/tribe/browse?userid=charocfl&view=0&pid=962&rand=503538819
Note he was the 2nd husband of my Ggranmother Laura Bargarhiser.

I alos have several other Price(s) related to my Bargarhiser line, see:
http://charocfl.tribalpages.com/tribe/browse?userid=charocfl&view=8&tview=0&rand=50672538&lastname=Price
Results 1 to 22

1. Price, Abner J., Mr (1846 - 1936)
2. Price, Albert L., Mr
3. Price, Alexander, Mr
4. Price, Angie, nee
5. Price, Daniel, Mr (b.1862)
6. Price, Ella, nee
7. Price, Emma, nee
8. Price, Eva D., nee (b.1867)
9. Price, Frank, Mr
10. Price, Hannah L., nee (b.1836)
11. Price, Isaac A, Mr (1811 - 1899)
12. Price, Isaac M., Mr (b.1861)
13. Price, John, Mr (b.1841)
14. Price, John F., Mr (b.1866)
15. Price, Laura, nee
16. Price, Lorenzo D., Mr (1858 - 1932)
17. Price, Margaret, nee
18. Price, Mary, nee
19. Price, Mary E., nee (b.1869)
20. Price, Minerva, nee
21. Price, Sarah aka Mary? Ellen, nee (1839 - 1899)
22. Price, William, Mr (b.1864)

ALthougth I am not sure exactly how they are related.

Char Ormsby
Merritt Island, FL

rrighetti said...

Hi Char, Ella price Klopfer was my greatgrandmother.

rrighetti said...

Hi Craig, did you get the photos I emailed you? I am still hopeful about a Price Reunion!