Tombstone Thursday - Westfall

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Hiram Westfall born 30 July 1783 died 11 June 1855. Several Westfall families, all descendants of Jurian Westfall who immigrated to NY in 1642, lived in what is now Randolph Co, WV. Three families started moving to Bullitt Co KY in 1789. Hiram first appears on 1806 & 1808 Jefferson Co. KY tax list, but parents have never been proven. Hiram married Mary "Polly" Jones in Jefferson Co Ky on 24 July 1808. Mary was born 12 Apr 1784 and died 28 Mar 1859. Hiram and Mary soon moved to Corydon IN where he built the Westfall Log Cabin that is still standing behind the Constitutional Elm. In 1809 Hiram was one of three appointed to lay out the infamous Harrison Mill Road that ran from Corydon to Gov. Harrison's Mill and is now SR 62. From 1810 to 1812 Hiram was a Captain in the Harrison Co Militia. In 1819 they moved to Gibson Co living on a farm between Owensville and Cynthiana. By 1830 they had 10 children. Hiram and Mary and several other family members are buried in Antioch Cemetery in Montgomery Twp. Hiram's descendancy available at http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=weiss1&id=I15580

[Click on photos to get a larger image]

- Photos taken & submitted by Joe Weiss

[Tombstone Thursday is dedicated in memory of Donald G. West 1952-2000]

Marker/Plaque/Monument Monday

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Historical markers
in Corydon, Harrison County, Indiana

[Click on photos for larger images to read them]

- Photos taken & submitted by Joe Weiss

"Indiana's Constitutional Elm Tree"

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Indiana's Constitutional Elm Tree...

In June 1816, 43 delegates met in Corydon, Indiana to draft Indiana's Constitution. The stone Capital building was too hot so they worked under shade of a huge elm tree, now known as "Constitution Elm." The tree died in 1925 of Dutch Elm disease and was cut down in August of that year. Part of the trunk was left standing. The September 1930 view shows a roof built over the top of the trunk. Seven years later, a sandstone memorial surrounding the trunk was completed by Works Progress Administration labor. (Indianapolis Star file photo)

The tree is in the front yard of a log home that was built by Hiram Westfall in about 1810. The log home now has a 2 story frame addition (see last photo). The white frame house in the background is the house next to the property where the trunk of the Elm tree is located. The log house is to the left of this photo.

The log home now has a 2 story frame addition. Hiram later moved to Gibson County. My wife is a descentant. Hiram Westfall & his wife Mary are buried in Antioch Cemetery, Montgomery Township of Gibson County, Indiana.

The two people in the photos above & below are my wife, Susan Westfall Weiss, ggg granddaughter of Hiram Westfall and my daughter, Katie Weiss Newell, gggg granddaughter of Hiram Westfall.

Log cabin built by Hiram Westfall about 1810.

[An interesting side bar to this story. The Ohio Valley Chapter of the Indiana Society Sons of the American Revolution bought their meeting gavel about 40 years ago made from the wood of this Constitution Elm Tree! - JGWest]

- Article & photos submitted by Joe Weiss

From My Email Box - Joe Cook & Lyles Station

Email follow-ups on "Who is Joe Cook?" that was the subject of this past Monument Monday. And a link to a site for Lyles Station, a significant African-American community in Southwestern Indiana.

From Don Counts: A biography of Joe Cook from Juggler's World: Vol. 38, No. 1 http://www.juggling.org/jw/86/1/yesterdays.html

From Joe Weiss: See Browning [Online Database] obit for Joe Cook died 15 May 1959 in NY
http://browning.evpl.org/ Cook, a nationally known comedian, left Evansville in 1907. His parents had a grocery at 4th. & Oak Streets in Evansville where the Elks placed a plaque to honor Joe Cook and the Elks made him their first “Life Member.”

From Don Counts: This web site will be of local historical value concerning Lyles Station - http://www.lylesstation.org/geneo/messageboard.html


From Don Counts: September 11, 2009 Special Edition Heroes for The City-County Observer. This issue will be dedicated to the men and women serving in the United States Armed Forces. Here is where Don needs our help, he is going to be the Editor for the Special Edition Honoring Heroes. Please email him a story about your hero. It can be a person or group that served in the Military, Fire Department, EMS, police or sheriffs deputies. Heroes should be from Posey, Vanderburgh, or Warrick Counties. Please send those stories as soon as possible. Don's email: "Don Counts" dcounts@insightbb.com

- Compiled by JGWest