Book Progress Update - December 2020
The work on this book actually began in the fall of 1999, when I started interacting with other people who were researching our Haston family history, visiting libraries, reading books, organizing a filing system, and developing www.DanielHaston.com.
When I officially retired in 2017, the writing began. I estimated that it would take five years to create the draft. Here we are over three years later.
What's the Current Status?
At the end of 2019, I had completed 15 chapters covering 536 pages–those are only draft copies, not final.
This year (2020) I almost equaled what I accomplished in the first two-plus years–493 pages in 16 draft chapters!
Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic for keeping me shut in. Thanks for cancer in mid-year to remind me that life is uncertain and I have no idea how long I will have to finish this project. And thanks to a supportive wife who believes in what I’m doing.
When Will the Book Be Published?
I hope to complete the full draft by mid-2021, a year earlier than I anticipated.
But each chapter needs some “cleaning up” and there are some holes yet to be filled in the text, requiring additional research. As those developments occur, I’ll be handing the text off to a professional designer which will require “who knows how much time?”
The "Reader's Digest" Version
I’m wise enough to know that only the die-hard genealogists and family history nuts (like me) are going to read 1,000 plus pages. That’s unfortunate because I know how much “good stuff” is there to be read–especially by Daniel Hiestand/Haston descendants.
So, my plan is–Lord willing–to print a limited number of the full book (probably requiring two volumes). I want to get it into as many libraries as possible–especially libraries where I know there are concentrations of our family members. And I plan to print the full book for anyone who expresses an interest in purchasing it.
But if the Lord gives me good health and a clear mind, I plan to create a smaller version of the book, perhaps 200-250 or so pages. Obviously, it will be an overview book and will not contain the many hundreds of footnotes in the full book. I hope to write it in a simple, readable, narrative format as much as possible That version will probably be published before the full volume(s).
Contents of the Book
The Heritage of Daniel Haston
Son of SWISS-German Mennonite Immigrant Henrich Hiestand
Four Units – 30 Chapters
Unit 1 – Roots
- Early Theories about Daniel’s European Roots
- Hiestands in Switzerland
- Anabaptists (Mennonites)
- Refugees to the Palatinate in Southwest Germany
- Village of Ibersheim (Near Worms, Germany)
- Emigration to America
Unit 2 – Henrich Hiestand and Family
- Henrich Hiestand in Pennsylvania (East Hempfield Township, Lancaster County)
- Henrich Hiestand Family in Virginia (what is now, Page County, VA)
Unit 3 – Daniel and Abraham
- Daniel Hiestand/Haston in Virginia
- Revolutionary War – Was Daniel a Rev War Veteran or Not?
- Early North Carolina Connections
- Hiestand Families in Early East Tennessee
- Hiestand Families in Early Kentucky
- Daniel Haston Family in Knox County, Tennessee
- McComesky-Roddy-Ryan-Haston Connections
- Daniel Haston in White County, Tennessee
Unit 4 – Daniel’s Children
- David – White County
- David – Van Buren County
- Montgomery Greenville Haston
- Joseph
- Lucinda – Wife of Jacob Mitchell
- Catherine – Wife of John Austin
- Isaac – Tennessee
- Isaac – Missouri
- Isaac – California
- Jesse
- Jeremiah MC
- Daniel, Jr.
- Elizabeth – Wife of James Roddy
- Mary-Polly & Peggy – Daniel’s Daughters?
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