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Video Presentation – Daniel Haston Family Tree

Video Presentation - Daniel Haston's Family Tree

Wayne Haston presents the first-generation Daniel Haston Family Tree, with information on each of the nine known children of Daniel Haston, plus one other very important descendant. The presentation was given in the July 2024 All-Hastons Family Reunion.

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2022-2027 Haston Family History Books Project

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The Heritage, Life, and Legacy of Daniel Hiestand/Haston

The 2022-2027 Hiestand/Haston Family History Books Project

The Story That Led to This Project

I began researching my Haston family in the fall of 1999. It started as a simple attempt to satisfy my curiosity, but it soon became a hobby, sometimes an obsessive one.  I started to collect and organize pertinent documents.  Then, I began ordering and reading books broadly related to the historical trail I was discovering, which gradually became an extensive library.  

Having had professional experience as a website developer, it seemed appropriate to put my findings online to share what I discovered with Hastons who were interested.  I created a simple website for that purpose, which grew into a vast resource for public access.  Later, it was supplemented by a more contemporary blog site.

At some point, I thought, “You ought to write a book to preserve what you have learned for your own children, grandchildren, future descendants, and other relatives.” When I retired in 2017, I began writing, thinking it might result in a book of a few hundred pages.

But after a few years of writing, I realized that I had written about 1,300 pages!  A good friend with a lot of experience in publishing told me, “Wayne, nobody is going to purchase a book of 1,300 pages!”  He commented further, “You need to condense that down into a smaller book, then flesh the rest of your work out into a series of books.”  So, that’s what I’ve done and am doing. 

When completed, we should have more than 2,000 pages of recorded and published history of our Haston family. I urge you to collect the complete set and then pass it down to future generations of your family.

Published 2022

The Story of the Daniel (Hiestand) Haston Family

The Condensed Version of the Story

This was a difficult book to write because I was forced to leave out so much valuable historical information about our (Hiestand) Haston  family.  It’s what I call my “Reader’s Digest” version of the FULL story because it is condensed, containing about 25% of what the following four books combined will contain. 

But there is a reason it is a condensed version of our family’s history.  It is written and designed to give you a good and fairly succinct overview of our Haston family, from the mountain slopes along the south shore of Lake Zürich to the Rhineland of Southwest Germany, to Pennsylvania in the USA, then down into northern Virginia, and on to Tennessee, and eventually all across the United States to where YOU probably live.

Every Haston and Haston-related family should have this book.  It’s an excellent gift for children, grandchildren, cousins, and other relatives.

Published 2024

The Swiss-German Hiestand Roots

Book 1 of the Four-Book Series – The Heritage

The 2022 book was difficult to write because it was a condensation of a much bigger account of the Daniel Haston family story.  But this volume was very challenging for another reason–most of it is the European (Switzerland and Germany) part of our story (based on old German language documents)–our European roots that were undiscovered until after 2008.   It expands the content of Chapters 1-8 of the 2022 book by four times.

 

With the assistance of some highly regarded European historians and translators, I was able to craft the story of precisely where our family came from along the shore and mountain south of Lake Zürich, Switzerland – when the family name first appeared – why they were forced to leave Switzerland – where they settled along the Rhine Rivers of Southwest Germany – when our earliest immigrant ancestor (Henrich Hiestand) came to America – where he initially settled and later moved to – how many children he had – and where our ancestor, Daniel Hiestand/Haston fit into the family.

 

Please note: There is more Swiss and Rhineland Germany historical information about the Hiestand family (and consequently our Haston family) in this book than is in any book, anywhere.  It is was a very expensive project and is an extremely valuable resource.

If, by God’s grace, He allows me to live and be physically and mentally able, I plan (and hope) to publish one book each year in 2025, 2026, and 2027.

Projected for 2025 Publication

The Life of Daniel Hiestand/Haston: From the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia to the Frontier of Middle Tennessee

Projected for 2026 Publication

The Legacy of Daniel Hiestand/Haston, Part 1: David Haston, Montgomery Greenville Haston, Joseph Haston, Lucinda Haston Mitchell, Catherine Haston Austin, Isaac Haston (in Tennessee and Missouri)

Projected for 2027 Publication

The Legacy of Daniel Hiestand/Haston, Part 2: Isaac Haston (in California), Jesse Haston, Jeremiah Haston, Daniel Haston, Jr., Elizabeth Haston Roddy

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The Big Story of the Hiestand-Haston Family Video Presentation

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Video Presentation - Haston History, 600+ Years in 60 Minutes

Wayne Haston traces our Hiestand-Haston history from Switzerland, beginning in 1401 when the family name first appeared in an official document.

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Our Pre-Daniel Haston European Roots

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New Release - Book 1 of a 4-Part Series

The Heritage of Daniel Haston – His Swiss Ancestors and the Experiences that Drove His Father to America

Book 1 (Heritage) of a 4 part series - The Heritage, Life, and Legacy of Daniel Haston

My 2022 book, The Story of the Daniel Haston Family, was a “Reader’s Digest” version of an upcoming much more extensive series of four books on our Haston family’s history.  This 2024 book is Book 1 of the 4-part series.  The current volume expands chapters 1-8 of the 2022 book by about 300 pages. It focuses on the heritage of Daniel Haston–the heritage that he inherited, including his Swiss ancestors all the way back to 1401.  

I developed a working relationship with some highly esteemed Swiss historians, Hiestand/Haston cousins on the German Rhineland, archivists, old German script researchers, translators, and other Europeans in producing this in-depth story of Daniel’s father and the earlier Hiestands from whom we descend.

This is a book that every descendant of Daniel Haston, regardless of how he or she spells the family name, and every Hiestand family, should own and pass down to their kids, grandkids, and the other generations to follow.

Flip through the “First Pages” of Book 1 of the 4-Part Series, The Heritage, Life, and Legacy of Daniel Haston

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Help Finding Your Place in the Daniel Haston Family

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Help Tracing You Back to Daniel Haston

If you are a “Haston” or related to a Haston, chances are you are a member of the Daniel Haston FAMILY, that is scattered in all or most all of the United States.  I have to add the “chances are” caveat because there are some American Hastons that descend (apparently) from Scotland or Ulster (Northern) Ireland.  But MOST Americans who carry the Haston name, or are related to Hastons, descend from one early American pioneer–Daniel Haston.

Daniel Haston was the youngest son of a Swiss Mennonite, Henrich/Henry Hiestand, who emigrated to Pennsylvania in about 1727 and settled a few years later near what is now Luray, VA.  Henry came from a little village (Ibersheim) on the Rhine River near Worms, Germany where he was born.  But his family’s original nationality was Swiss.  His ancestors (probably grandparents) were driven out of Zürich Switzerland in the mid-1600s because of their Anabaptist (Mennonite) faith.

When Daniel’s father’s will was settled in 1783, Daniel moved his young family from the northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia to what was formerly western North Carolina, but Tennessee since 1796.  

One of Henry’s grandsons stated that his grandfather had 13 children.  We have identified nine of those.  What happened to the others, we do not know currently but hope that they can be identified at a later time.  

Many of you who read this article already know where you fit into the Daniel Haston FAMILY.  But we often receive requests wanting to know how someone fits into the family, particularly which branch of the Daniel Haston family is his or her line and specifically how he or she is linked back from generation to generation to Daniel Haston.  

No promises, but there is a good chance that some of our researchers can help you with that.

If you would like us to help you determine how you fit into this BIG Daniel Haston FAMILY, contact us.  What we will need of you is what you know about your Haston or Haston-related ancestors–parents, grandparents, and more if you know farther back.

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Help Support the Daniel Haston Family Association

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Timeline of Our Blog Articles

Timeline of Our Blog Articles

Some of the main topics included in the blog focus on the history of the Daniel Haston family, honoring earlier Haston family researchers and other notable Hastons, announcing events of significance to members of the Daniel Haston Family and related families, and miscellaneous topics.

December 14 2024
First-Known Hastons to Arkansas This Yell County, Arkansas Series – Links to be Activated When Articles are Published Introduction to Yell County, AR and the Tennessee Hastons Who Moved There Wiley B. and Mary Durham Haston D.M. “Doc” and Margaret Haston Shepherd Malinda Haston Howard, Widow of William Howard Amanda Haston Dale, Widow of WilliamContinue
December 4 2024
Yell County, Arkansas – A “Haston Place” Yell County is Arkansas’s 42nd county, formed on December 5, 1840, from portions of Scott and Pope counties. Yell County, Arkansas – Wikipedia Why Yell County, Arkansas? Why did so many descendants of Daniel Haston from the Tennessee Haston Homeland move to Yell County, Arkansas, between 1850 andContinue
November 30 2024
“Consider the Years of Many Generations; Ask…Your Elders” In the Bible, the nation of Israel repeatedly lapsed into immorality and social chaos.  Why?  It was largely because the people lost contact with the past.  They became so focused on the “now” that they neglected to learn about the past.  They failed to ASK their parentsContinue
November 13 2024
The Wiley B. Haston Penney Image Source: https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/the-battle-of-perryville-death-on-a-dry-river/ View a 10 Minutes Animated Overview of the Battle of Perryville Email from Hoyte Cook, August 16, 2024. James Alford and Livinia Haston family, highlighting the two Perryville, KY Battle (Civil War) sons, Wiley B. and John Taylor Haston. Article 15      I closed last week while inContinue
November 9 2024
We Can Help You Have a Memorable Haston Family Reunion Would you like to have a Haston Family Reunion in your area– a reunion for your branch of the Haston and Haston-related families? Wayne will come and give some presentations on Haston family history.  You will be able to ask your questions about our family’s history.Continue
November 2 2024
How You Can Become a Member of the DAR or SAR You must join as “Daniel Haston – a Patriot,” not as “Daniel Haston – a Veteran.” What’s the difference?  Read on. Sons of the American Revolution Since 1889, the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) has honored our Revolutionary War patriot ancestors by promotingContinue
October 26 2024
From Cradle to the Prison Graveyard – How He Got There Luther Haston – The Beginning and the End, Part 1 Luther Haston – Life Between the Beginning and End, Part 2 The “Dash” Between Luther Haston’s Birth and Death Dates March 7, 1900 – September 9, 1938 What was in the “DASH” of hisContinue
October 12 2024
What’s a Haston Doing in a Place Like This? In this post, I will tell you the story of the Beginning and End of his earthly life. In the following post, I will tell you the story of the “DASH” between the beginning and the end. Luther Haston – The Beginning and the End, PartContinue
October 12 2024
Now Available on Amazon.com Search for “Daniel Haston Books” If you appreciated this article, please share it with others who might also enjoy it. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print
October 4 2024
Civil War Sharpshooters – Jesse, Jr. and Isaac Haston Sons of Jesse Haston, Sr. & Grandsons of Daniel Haston You may have read the story of William A. Haston, who served in the Mexican War.  If so, you will recall that he was a son of Jesse Haston, Daniel’s son.  Well, two of his brothersContinue
September 27 2024
Video Presentation – Daniel Haston’s Family Tree Wayne Haston presents the first-generation Daniel Haston Family Tree, with information on each of the nine known children of Daniel Haston, plus one other very important descendant. The presentation was given in the July 2024 All-Hastons Family Reunion. Download a Presentation Handout for Taking Notes View the VideoContinue
September 13 2024
The Heritage, Life, and Legacy of Daniel Hiestand/Haston The 2022-2027 Hiestand/Haston Family History Books Project The Story That Led to This Project I began researching my Haston family in the fall of 1999. It started as a simple attempt to satisfy my curiosity, but it soon became a hobby, sometimes an obsessive one.  I startedContinue
September 6 2024
Video Presentation – Haston History, 600+ Years in 60 Minutes Wayne Haston traces our Hiestand-Haston history from Switzerland, beginning in 1401 when the family name first appeared in an official document. Download the Presentation Handout for Taking Notes View the Presentation – 600+ Years of Hiestand-Haston History in 60 Minutes If you appreciated this presentation,Continue
August 31 2024
The Post-WWII Life of Horace “Ace” Haston Part 1 – From High School Into WW2 Part 2 – Role of Belly Turrent Gunner Part 3 – The Critical Battle of Morotai Part 4 – Post-War Life Back in Tennessee Post-War Life of Horace Haston as Told by Daughter, Alice Haston Norton When the war wasContinue
August 24 2024
“Ace” Haston Opens Up About His Experiences as a B-24 Belly Gunner Part 1 – From High School Into WW2 Part 2 – Role of Belly Turrent Gunner Part 3 – The Critical Battle of Morotai Part 4 – Post-War Life Back in Tennessee His Story as Told by Daughter, Alice Haston Norton Dad andContinue
August 11 2024
The “Ace” on a WWII Heavy Bomber Crew for 13 Missions Part 1 – From High School Into WW2 Part 2 – Role of Belly Turrent Gunner Part 3 – The Critical Battle of Morotai Part 4 – Post-War Life Back in Tennessee His Story as Told by Daughter, Alice Haston Norton Horace “Ace” Haston,Continue
August 2 2024
The “Ace” on a WW II Heavy Bomber Crew for 13 Missions Horace H. Haston:  December 4, 1925 – April 15, 2020 He was a student at Central High School in Chattanooga, TN when the attack on Pearl Harbor happened.  He told me, “Everybody was so patriotic, and were all so mad.”  In 1944 heContinue
July 4 2024
Two Reunion Interest Centers – Old Family Photos & Heirlooms These treasures will be labeled and placed on interest center tables.  We have learned that these old family photos and heirlooms are some of the most attention-getting features of a family reunion.  During some of the main “Mix and Mingle” sessions, you may want toContinue
June 27 2024
John E. Haston Families – Bledsoe County, TN Reconnected to Tennessee Pioneer Daniel Haston This may be (but not for sure) the grave of John E. Haston, in a line with his grandson or great-grandson? Howard T., daughter Dora, and wife Mary E., in the Seals Cemetery on the Cumberland Mountain in Bledsoe County, TN).Continue
June 15 2024
New Release – Book 1 of a 4-Part Series The Heritage of Daniel Haston – His Swiss Ancestors and the Experiences that Drove His Father to America Book 1 (Heritage) of a 4 part series – The Heritage, Life, and Legacy of Daniel Haston My 2022 book, The Story of the Daniel Haston Family, wasContinue
May 25 2024
In Baumholder, Germany Edward Earl Haston 1932 – 2002 Obituary Grave Rank and Branch of Military Corporal, Army Years of Service 1951 – 1954 Locations of Training, Deployment, and Service Baumholder, Germany Wartime Theaters of Assignment and Major Battles Korean War Relationship to the Daniel Haston Family Descended through David Haston, Daniel’s son Other InformationContinue
May 25 2024
1915 – 2000 Dr. Fred Marion Haston, Sr. Rank and Branch of Military Army Air Corps – Captain (perhaps Major prior to discharge) We know he was a Captain for sure (can see his Captain’s bars on his picture).  I think he may have been promoted to Major prior to being discharged because I foundContinue
May 25 2024
From Atheist-Alcoholic-Addict-& Suicidal to the Light I’m proud to call Skip my first cousin once removed – his mother was Mary Ruth Haston, my first cousin, and my Mom’s best friend in their growing up years. I encourage you to listen to Skip’s inspiring story. -Wayne Haston Skip Ockomon, a former firefighter, shares his personalContinue
May 3 2024
Part 3 – In Search of a Bootlegging Cop Killer Part 1 – The Shooting Death Part 2 – The Shooter, Ernest Price Part 3 – The Search for Ernest Price One of Daniel Haston’s G-G-G Granddaughters played a major role in the post-shooting drama. I will tell you some things about what happened toContinue
April 26 2024
Part 2 – The Man Behind the Trigger on April 23, 2024 Part 1 – The Shooting Death Part 2 – The Shooter, Ernest Price Part 3 – The Search for Ernest Price One of Daniel Haston’s G-G-G Granddaughters played a major role in the post-shooting drama. In Part 3, I will tell you someContinue
April 19 2024
Part 1 – Deadly Encounter With Bootleggers in White County, TN Part 1 – The Shooting Death Part 2 – The Shooter, Ernest Price Part 3 – The Search for Ernest Price One of Daniel Haston’s G-G-G Granddaughters played a major role in the post-shooting drama. 100 Years Ago – A White County, TN MurderContinue
April 17 2024
The Site That Became Spencer, TN Baptismal pool at the town spring in Spencer, TN in about 1915-17. The woman is Inez Woodlee Isom. -Photo provided by Marr Temples Original Name of the Site that Became Spencer, Tennessee On Monday, April 6, 1840, Van Buren County Court met for the first time.  At that time, noContinue
April 13 2024
A Special Day Honoring Our Cousin, Max Haston I wish every Haston-related man, woman, boy & girl in the USA could have been present today. It would have made you (and them) proud to be a part of this wonderful family. Boyhood Beginnings ROTC to Major General TN Adjutant General Armory Dedication If you appreciatedContinue
April 12 2024
230-Plus Events in the Life of David Haston, Phase 3 Pre-Marriage Life Early Marriage in Knox County, TN White County, TN Years Van Buren County, TN Years Pre-Marriage Life Early Marriage in Knox County, TN White County, TN Years Van Buren County, TN Years If you appreciated this article, please share it with others whoContinue
April 12 2024
Joseph Haston Family Timeline Another Article of Interest to Descendants of Joseph Haston Some Key Events in the Life and Family of Joseph Haston – Daniel Haston’s 2nd Son The 75+ Events Timeline If you appreciated this article, please share it with others who might also enjoy it. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Order CopiesContinue
April 12 2024
Murder by Shotgun Blasts in the Face & the Back Then Beaten in the Head with the Stock of the Shotgun My first cousin once removed whom I never met and never knew existed until 80+ years after he was murdered. The Haston Lineage of Charles Gordon Haston It’s ironic that people who knew GordonContinue
March 30 2024
40 Years of Service to Our Country & the State of Tennessee And Max Has Made a Significant Contribution to the “Haston” Name “He made a difference and he went out making a difference.” Boyhood Beginnings ROTC to Major General TN Adjutant General Armory Dedication If you want to know more about Max–his leadership philosophyContinue
March 27 2024
Max’s Development as Military Leader Boyhood Beginnings ROTC to Major General TN Adjutant General Armory Dedication MTSU Forrest Raiders, Military Ball, 1978-79 (Max is front row, far right.) MTSU ROTC Cadets Max Haston and Mark Ferrell,1977-78 Middle TN State University Commissioning Service MTSU Commissioning with Parents and Wife, Anne LT Haston, Platoon Leader, Fort Hood,Continue
March 14 2024
Congratulations, Max! Thank You For Your Service. This new National Guard Armory near McMinnville, TN will be dedicated to honor our cousin, Major General (retired) Max Haston. “It takes the sun and the stars to align just right to get an armory.” -A Max Haston “Maxism” From the time the process began, it took moreContinue
March 8 2024
230-Plus Events in the Life of David Haston, Phase 4 Pre-Marriage Life Early Marriage in Knox County, TN White County, TN Years Van Buren County, TN Years David Haston’s Estate Sale – July 2, 1860, Recorded in Court I.T. Haston admin of David Haston A sale bill of the personal property sold by me asContinue
March 8 2024
David Haston – Passing His Land to the Next Generation With Links to Other David Haston Stories David Haston purchased two 50 acre tracts, then inherited another 50 acres from his father, Daniel. Later, Davis acquired two more tracts of land. David Haston Stories David Haston – Timeline of His Life David Haston Marries aContinue
March 7 2024
David Haston – First Owner of Spencer, TN Town Lot #44 And Six More David Haston was the first owner of Spencer, TN town lots #44 & 45. He sold Lot #44 to the Church of Christ in 1853. Van Buren County, Tennessee was formed early in 1840. During the September 1841 term of theContinue
March 6 2024
The Boyhood Beginnings of an Army Major General Baby Max with parents, Jerry Dean and Bettye Claire Woodlee Haston Boyhood Beginnings ROTC to Major General TN Adjutant General Armory Dedication Ancestral Line Back to Henry Hiestand, Immigrant Ancestor I strongly encourage you to view the obituaries of Max’s parents and be sure to watch theContinue
March 2 2024
A River of Importance to the Early Daniel Haston Family Arthur Weir Crouch, Author TN State Library & Archives (TSLA) Accession #’s 73-88 and Library of Congress # MS 69-1891 Go to the Book Balsam Range performing ‘Caney Fork River‘ in Studio B on September 25, 2015 If you like good blue grass music, IContinue
February 23 2024
Three Counties in Middle Tennessee – The Haston Homeland People often ask me a question like this, “My Haston great-grandfather came from White (or Warren, or Van Buren) County, TN, are we related?” My immediate response, without asking any questions: “Yes, definitely.” In fact, the odds are very good if you have “Haston” in your ancestry,Continue
February 17 2024
Bringing Together Haston Kinfolk from All Over the USA Some of Daniel Haston’s descendants morphed the name into Hastain, Hastin, Hasting, Hastings, and other variant spellings, but he (Daniel Haston) is our first generation-to-America ancestor. In July 2022 the first-ever Daniel Haston All-USA Family Reunion was held in the “Haston Homeland” (Southern White County, TN). Continue
January 31 2024
Stabbed 22 Times With a Screwdriver My “Uncle Arthur” and “Aunt Grace” (Haston) Rittenour Aunt Grace was one of my father’s (Boyd Haston’s) sisters.  Because she and Uncle Arthur lived in Akron, Ohio and our family remained in Tennessee, I never knew them as well as I wanted.  But my memories of her are special–sheContinue
January 27 2024
Help Your Children and Grandchildren Learn to Love Their Family’s History Part 3 – “Five More Tips” will be posted next week.  Stay tuned! Part 1 – Getting Children Interested Part 2 – Five Tips Part 3 – Five More Tips For children, genealogy can be just as incredible a way to find meaning andContinue
January 12 2024
Getting Them Started Early to Appreciate Family History Part 3 – “Five More Tips” will be posted next week.  Stay tuned! Part 1 – Getting Children Interested Part 2 – Five Tips Part 3 – Five More Tips How many times have I heard adults who are interested in their family’s history say, “My kidsContinue
January 6 2024
The Daniel Haston Family – Pioneer Tennessee Settlers More Than a Decade Before Tennessee Became a State Daniel Haston was truly an American pioneer in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, East Tennessee, but even more so in what became Middle Tennessee–White County in particular. Wayne Haston Daniel Haston and his family were American pioneers, inContinue
December 30 2023
Brothers 1940 – 2023 Gary Gene Duncan Rank and Branch of Military E-3, United States Marine Corps Years of Service 1958 – 1962 Locations of Training, Deployment, and Service Camp Pendleton, & Barstow CA, Okinawa, Japan Relationship to the Daniel Haston Family Descended through Isaac Haston/Hastings – Son of Daniel Haston Other Information About theContinue
December 14 2023
100 Years Ago – Status of Middle Tennessee Counties Politically, Tennessee is divided into three Grand Divisions–East Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, and West Tennessee.  The counties of East Tennessee are Anderston, Bledsoe, Blount, Bradley, Campbell, Carter, Claiborne, Cocke, Cumberland, Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, Hamilton, Hancock, Hawkins, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Loudon, Marion, McMinn, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Polk, Rhea,Continue
December 6 2023
230-Plus Events in the Life of David Haston, Phase 3 Links will be activated one per week – Van Buren County Years will be activated soon. Pre-Married Life Early Married Life in Knox County, TN White County, TN Years Van Buren County, TN Years If you appreciated this article, please share it with others whoContinue
December 3 2023
Bert Kaempfert on a Historic Swiss Hiestand Farm If you were listening to popular music in the 1960s-1970s, you may not remember his name, but you will remember his music–Bert Kaempfert.  Mr. Kaempfert was not one of our Hiestand relatives, but at the height of his success and fame, he was living and composing musicContinue
December 2 2023
Charles Lynn Haston, Sr. From a White County, TN Farm to a Leader in Tennessee Higher Education From a White County, TN farming family to a Vice President of Middle Tennessee State University and other leadership roles in Tennessee higher education, Lynn Haston has lived a very full and productive life.  Beginning as a seven-year-oldContinue
November 24 2023
Is the Information on this Historical Marker correct? Was John White the First Settler of White County, TN? And Was White County, TN Named to Honor Him? The most common tradition is that the county was named for John White, a Revolutionary War veteran from Virginia and an early settler in White County.  Monroe Seals,Continue
November 10 2023
The Story of the Daniel Haston Family Visualized Telling Our Haston Family Story – From Bottom to Top Our Daniel Haston family story is rather simple.  It can be told in four steps, and clarified with a bit of explanation at each step. First – Our European roots are in Switzerland.  Our original family nameContinue
October 28 2023
Clues to the Identity of Daniel Haston’s Mother A Centuries-Old Mystery The family of Henrich Hiestand has been thoroughly researched for many years, but the identity of his wife has never been conclusively determined.  However, if you dig very deeply into Henrich Hiestand family research you will find that there has been no lack ofContinue
October 20 2023
Samuel Haston – A Lost Son of Daniel Haston? Daniel Haston’s grandson, William Carroll Haston, said his grandfather had 13 children.  Whether or not that was accurate, I do not know.  Even if it was accurate, how many of those children lived to become adults–old enough to appear in public records?  There are nine childrenContinue
October 14 2023
Our First Daniel Haston Family Association Regional Reunion Portland, Oregon Our first Daniel Haston Family Association-sponsored regional (mini) reunion was held in Portland, Oregon on Friday evening, September 29, and all day Saturday, September 30.  The Friday evening event was very informal, with snacks, coffee, etc.  For nearly four hours, the place was buzzing withContinue
October 6 2023
For $10 You Can Virtually Experience Our European Heritage Tour Hiestand-Haston 2023 Heritage Tour to Switzerland and Rhineland Germany Order the Book This is an illustrated journal from the June 14-26, 2023, Heritage Tour led by Lemar and Lois Ann Mast.  Join the group of 29 persons as they walked the streets of their ancestorsContinue
September 22 2023
The Civil War Divided the Haston Family in Missouri Battle of Wilson’s Creek The August 10, 1861 Battle of Wilson’s Creek was the first major Civil War battle west of the Mississippi River.  It was fought just a few miles southwest of Springfield in Greene County, Missouri.  Fortunately for Isaac Haston and most of hisContinue
September 9 2023
230-Plus Events in the Life of David Haston, Phase 1 Pre-Marriage Life Early Marriage in Knox County, TN White County, TN Years Van Buren County, TN Years Pre-Marriage Life Early Marriage in Knox County, TN White County, TN Years Van Buren County, TN Years If you appreciated this article, please share it with others whoContinue
September 9 2023
230-Plus Events in the Life of David Haston, Phase 2 Pre-Marriage Life Early Marriage in Knox County, TN White County, TN Years Van Buren County, TN Years Pre-Marriage Life Early Marriage in Knox County, TN White County, TN Years Van Buren County, TN Years If you appreciated this article, please share it with others whoContinue
September 8 2023
Meeting Our Cousins in & from the Pacific Northwest As Well as Others from Around the USA Sharon and Wayne Haston Contact Carol Haston for information and to register: CarolHaston@gmail.com Descendants of Daniel Haston spread all throughout the United States.  Many of them moved into the Pacific Northwest.  As the Family dispersed, unfortunately, branches ofContinue
September 8 2023
Daniel Haston’s GG Grand Niece and Nephew Make Amazing Discovery Indiana’s Most Visited Natural Attraction! Marengo Cave text from www.marengocave.com/ Marengo, Indiana The two kids were Hiestands, from the very same family as Daniel Hiestand/Haston–his great-great-grandniece and nephew! For more of the story about Blanche and Orris’s story of the discovery of the cave, seeContinue
August 25 2023
Maggie Chandler’s Stories Two sets of hearings and trials were planned, one set in the juvenile court for Ida’s daughter Thelma and another hearing and trial in the circuit court for Mrs. Ida Haston.  But accusations and defense testimonies were a major part of Thelma’s juvenile case. Maggie Chandler’s Witness Stand Stories This case startedContinue
August 14 2023
Witnesses Come to the Defense of Mrs. Ida Haston Two sets of hearings and trials were planned, one set in the juvenile court for Ida’s daughter Thelma and another hearing and trial in the circuit court for Mrs. Ida Haston.  But accusations against Ida and defense testimonies in her favor were a major part ofContinue
August 14 2023
Verdicts in Thelma and Mrs. Ida Haston Cases Two sets of hearings and trials were planned, one set in the juvenile court for Ida’s daughter Thelma and another hearing and trial in the circuit court for Mrs. Ida Haston.  But accusations against Ida and defense testimonies in her favor were a major part of Thelma’sContinue
August 13 2023
Tragedy at the Tennessee State Capitol Building July 17, 1890 A shudder passed through the convention hall last night when the announcement was made that a man had fallen from the second story of the Capitol and killed.  The Chairman of the White County delegation was called for, as the victim was one of hisContinue
August 11 2023
Mrs. Ida Haston Charged With Prostituting Teenage Girls Who Was Mrs. Ida Haston? Mrs. Ida [Gattis] Haston was the wife of Richmond Irvin Haston, apparently often known by his middle name as Irvin Haston.  Richmond Irvin Haston was born on June 13, 1874 in Tennessee.  According to the 1880 census for District 7 of VanContinue
August 5 2023
A Haston Heritage Tour Based On Your Family Line Back to Daniel Haston Now that we are living back in the Haston Homeland… Wayne and Sharon Haston – Now in White County, Tennessee (near where our Haston roots were firmly established in about 1804) We would love to guide you on a tour of sitesContinue
July 14 2023
Back to the Soil of Our Haston Family Roots We are now officially homeless people. As I write this, it’s Friday, July 14, 2023.  We closed on selling our house in Pennsylvania today.  And we close on the purchase of a house in White County (Tennessee) on July 31, so temporarily we are homeless people,Continue
July 7 2023
Devil’s Bridge – Canton Schwyz, Switzerland The world our early Swiss Hiestand lived in was filled with legends of witchcraft and devilish interactions with humans.  Located a few miles from where our Hiestand ancestors lived was a bridge that they surely would have known about–the Devil’s Bridge.  Our June 2023 Hiestand-Haston tour group visited thisContinue
July 1 2023
First Ever – Pacific Northwest Reunion of Our Family Meeting at the Wichita Avenue Evangelical Church Friday evening, September 29 (5:00-9:00 p.m.) and Saturday, September 30 (9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.) The Agenda Thursday & Friday – September 28-29 (or earlier) – Optional, come early and visit some of the local tourist sites.  Organize yourContinue
June 12 2023
The Mystery of the Civil War Yankee Officer’s Sword I wish there was more I could say about this sword, but pretty much all that is known in the Haston family is that at some point after the Civil War, a Federal officer’s story was found in a hollow tree on the farm where ConfederateContinue
June 12 2023
Your Ancestors Wanted to Be Remembered “Will I be remembered?” Our daughter, Carissa, passed away on March 22, 2023.  She had suffered for 29-nine years with a paralyzed digestive tract, a medical condition known as gastroparesis.  She was a remarkable girl-young lady-45-year-old woman in the way she fought through pain and multiple surgeries, including aContinue
May 27 2023
Early Land Owners & Occupants – Caney Fork & Cane Creek White County, TN (Later, Van Buren County) 1811-1815 1816-1818 1821-1825 1826-1829 1832-1836 1837-1839 If you appreciated this article, please share it with others who might also enjoy it. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Order Copies of the Book – Or, See More Information andContinue
May 25 2023
William Lester Haston, Sr. – Victim of WWI Poison Gas Warfare Part 2 – Post-War Death The Story of a WWI (Haston) Veteran Who Ultimately Gave His Life for Our Country Part 1 – World War 1 Experiences Part 2 – Tragic Post-War Death We were told he was gassed while in the military andContinue
May 20 2023
Part 2 – The Kin Maynard Murder Trial Part 1 – The Killing of Woodville Haston Part 2 – Kin Maynard, Guilty or Not Guilty? After his initial arrest and preliminary hearing in Van Buren County, Kin Maynard escaped and fled to Texas, where he lived for more than a year before being arrested again.Continue
May 3 2023
February 2023 Ground Penetrating Radar Project Incorporation of the Cemetery Big Fork Baptist Church One of the first major efforts in a renewed and enhanced plan to restore and preserve the historic Big Fork Cemetery was a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) mapping project (February 2023) to determine how many burials occurred in the cemetery andContinue
April 25 2023
Incorporation of the Big Fork Historic Cemetery Ground Penetrating Radar Mapping Big Fork Baptist Church Along a dead-end road in northern Van Buren County, an area of White County until the 1840 formation of Van Buren County, lies Big Fork Cemetery, a historic burying ground that is out of sight and mostly out of mind,Continue
April 20 2023
Swiss Legends Overlooked – But Fascinating To Read A Special Publication for the 2023 Haston/Hiestand Historical Tour in Switzerland & Germany By J. Ross Baughman It’s #6 – Download the PDF – 67 Pages It’s #6 – Download the PDF – 67 Pages If you appreciated this article, please share it with others who might alsoContinue
March 25 2023
The Life of Carissa Haston – Her Joys, Sufferings, & Faith Carissa Renee Haston, age 45, of New Cumberland, PA passed away peacefully on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, surrounded by her Mom and Dad, two sisters, Faith and Celeste, and Faith’s husband, Ben. She was born on October 28, 1977, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to WayneContinue
March 18 2023
Jesse Haston Family Court Records – Missouri Jesse Haston Family, Part 1 Jesse Haston Family, Part 2 Early Deeds Associated with the Jesse Haston Family – Howard County, MissouriMicrofilm Reel C-2780 – Deeds, Volumes 1 & 2 (1816-1879) Grantee Grantor Book Page Notes Deed Index, Volume 1 (1816-1852) – Microfilm Reel C-2780 Jesse Haston Benj.Continue
February 25 2023
1816-1818 Tax Book – Cane Creek & Caney Fork Militia District 1811-1815 1816-1818 1821-1825 1826-1829 1832-1836 1837-1839 Important Notes: Page numbers are .pdf page numbers from the CD, White Co, TN Deeds. Transcribed spellings may not be accurate in every case, due to the difficulty of reading the original text. If you have information to correctContinue
February 25 2023
1826-1829 Tax Book – Cane Creek & Caney Fork Militia District 1811-1815 1816-1818 1821-1825 1826-1829 1832-1836 1837-1839 Important Notes: Page numbers are .pdf page numbers from the CD, White Co, TN Deeds. Transcribed spellings may not be accurate in every case, due to the difficulty of reading the original text. If you have information to correctContinue
February 25 2023
1832-1836 Tax Book – Cane Creek & Caney Fork Militia District 1811-1815 1816-1818 1821-1825 1826-1829 1832-1836 1837-1839 Important Notes: Page numbers are .pdf page numbers from the CD, White Co, TN Deeds. Transcribed spellings may not be accurate in every case, due to the difficulty of reading the original text. If you have information to correctContinue
February 25 2023
1821-1825 Tax Book – Cane Creek & Caney Fork Militia District 1811-1815 1816-1818 1821-1825 1826-1829 1832-1836 1837-1839 Important Notes: Page numbers are .pdf page numbers from the CD, White Co, TN Deeds. Transcribed spellings may not be accurate in every case, due to the difficulty of reading the original text. If you have information to correctContinue
February 25 2023
1837-1839 Tax Book – Cane Creek & Caney Fork Civil District 1811-1815 1816-1818 1821-1825 1826-1829 1832-1836 1837-1839 Important Notes: Page numbers are .pdf page numbers from the CD, White Co, TN Deeds. Transcribed spellings may not be accurate in every case, due to the difficulty of reading the original text. If you have information to correctContinue
February 25 2023
1811-1815 Tax Book – Cane Creek & Caney Fork Militia District 1811-1815 1816-1818 1821-1825 1826-1829 1832-1836 1837-1839 Important Notes: Page numbers are .pdf page numbers from the CD, White Co, TN Deeds. Transcribed spellings may not be accurate in every case, due to the difficulty of reading the original text. If you have information to correctContinue
February 25 2023
200 Posts and Counting – With Many More to Come Browse through the Entire Collection And Many, Many More! What Haston-Related People, Family Lines, or Topics Would You Like to Know More About? If you appreciated this article, please share it with others who might also enjoy it. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Order CopiesContinue
February 16 2023
How BIG is the Haston Big Spring Branch When the Hastons moved (late 1803 or early 1804) to what became White County, TN in 1806, Daniel Haston located his cabin on a hill above the emergence (springhead) of what was then called “the Big Spring Branch.”  It soon became known as the “Haston Big Spring.” Continue
February 11 2023
Basic Rule of Recording History = Valid Documentation! The “Beyond Family Lore” Series Three Stages of Haston Research Seven Inaccuracies in Haston Genealogies If It Ain’t Documented, it Ain’t History Wayne’s Rant As a Ph.D. student at the University of Tennessee, I was required to take a collection of courses on how to conduct credibleContinue
February 9 2023
1905 – 2003 Howard Hillman Hasting, Sr. 1960 Army Register, Vol. 1, Page 457 Rank and Branch of Military Colonel, U.S. Army Years of Service Graduate of the United States Military Academy, West Point in 1928. Separated from the armed service in 1931, he practiced law in Arkansas until he was recalled to duty afterContinue
February 2 2023
Seven Major Errors in Early Haston Genealogical Documents The “Beyond Family Lore” Series Three Stages of Haston Research Seven Inaccuracies in Haston Genealogies If It Ain’t Documented, it Ain’t History There is much to appreciate about Haston family members of earlier generations who sincerely sought to discover and record the history of Daniel Haston’s massiveContinue
February 1 2023
Part 1 – The Killing of Woodville Haston Part 1 – The Killing of Woodville Haston Part 2 – Kin Maynard, Guilty or Not Guilty? December 17, 1897 – Woodville Haston Shot and Killed Nashville Banner – December 21, 1897, page 4 The above article says “Maynard’s horse returned without its rider,” but that isContinue
February 1 2023
1924 – 2010 Richard Dale Haston Rank and Branch of Military E-6, Navy Years of Service 1941-1945 Locations of Training, Deployment, and Service RTC San Diego, CA – Served aboard the USS Hammondsport AKV-2 Military Schools Attended Anti Aircraft Training Center – San Diego, CA 2nd and 3rd endorsements – June 1944 Wartime Theaters ofContinue
January 31 2023
1947 –  Howard D. Haston Rank and Branch of Military Navy, E-5 Years of Service 1965 – 1971 Locations of Training, Deployment, and Service Machinist Mate “A” School – NTC Great Lakes, Illinois to Naval Nuclear Power School ( Phase I ) at Mare Island, Vallejo, CA to Nuclear Power Training Unit ( Phase IIContinue
January 31 2023
William Lester Haston, Sr. – Victim of WWI Poison Gas Warfare Part 1 – Military Service The Story of a WWI (Haston) Veteran Who Ultimately Gave His Life for Our Country Part 2 will be posted the weekend of June 3 and 4, 2023. Part 1 – World War 1 Experiences Part 2 – TragicContinue
January 19 2023
1890 – Key Features of Interest to Hastons & Many Other Families This map was created about 86 years after Daniel Haston settled on the Big Spring Branch in what became the Cummingsville community.  Daniel’s son, David Haston, died only 30 years prior to the map’s creation.  The natural geographical features are the same asContinue
January 18 2023
The Evolution of Research on the Daniel Haston Family Three Stages of Haston Research Seven Inaccuracies in Haston Genealogies If It Ain’t Documented, it Ain’t History I don’t know when members of the Daniel Haston FAMILY began to develop an interest in discovering the historical story of Daniel Haston’s life and ancestry.  I can imagineContinue
January 13 2023
Let Us Help You Organize & Promote Your Haston Mini-Reunion As I got older, the reunions became rarer and much smaller in attendance. The older folks who did all of the organizing were passing away, and the younger family members were not interested in keeping these gathering going. By the time I was finishing highContinue
December 24 2022
The Slicker War of Missouri And the Family of Isham Bradley, Friend of the Haston Family “Isham Hobbs was a noted character, and probably the worst desperado ever on the borders.” Isham Hobbs (probably born in White County, TN) was the namesake grandson of Isham Bradley, a very close friend of the Daniel Haston family. Continue
December 23 2022
Looking Back at our 2022 Daniel Haston Family Association Highlights 1. July 22-23 Haston Family Reunion Our first-ever Daniel Haston Family Association all-Hastons reunion was a remarkable success.  About 150 registered from 17 states–all across the USA.  Saturday was an unusually hot and humid day, even for July in Tennessee, but the Fellowship Hall whereContinue
December 21 2022
Help Tracing You Back to Daniel Haston If you are a “Haston” or related to a Haston, chances are you are a member of the Daniel Haston FAMILY, that is scattered in all or most all of the United States.  I have to add the “chances are” caveat because there are some American Hastons thatContinue
December 3 2022
The Message Behind the 1706 Hiestand Coat of Arms Augmentation of arms is a term describing an addition to a coat of arms at a later date, after the original coat of arms was created.  Historically, augmentations were issued by a monarch as either a mere mark of favor or a reward or recognition forContinue
November 29 2022
Frühe Schweizer Täufer Hiestand im Deutschen Rheinland Co-Autoren: Dr. Peter Ziegler (Zürich, Schweiz) und Dr. Wayne Haston (Pennsylvania, USA) (Einschließlich bedeutender Forschungsdaten von Kent Douglas Hiestand) Serie: Frühe Schweizer Hiestand Hiestand 1401 Herkunft und Bedeutung des Familiennamens Schweizer Familien Hiestand und ihre Höfe im 15. Jahrhundert Ueli Hiestands Höfe Beichlen und Himmeri Hiestand in der Schönau,Continue
November 26 2022
Swiss Anabaptist Hiestands to the Rhineland and Beyond Co-authors: Dr. Peter Ziegler (Zürich, Switzerland) and Dr. Wayne Haston (Pennsylvania, USA)(Including significant research data from Kent Douglas Hiestand) “Early Swiss Hiestands” Series Hiestand – 1401 Origin & Meaning of the Family Name Swiss Hiestand Families and Farms in the 1400s Ueli Hiestand’s Beichlen and Himmeri FarmsContinue
November 20 2022
Centuries of Swiss Hiestands in a Land Cooperative Dr. Peter Ziegler (Zürich, Switzerland) and Dr. Wayne Haston (Pennsylvania, USA), Co-Authors (Including significant research data from Kent Douglas Hiestand) “Early Swiss Hiestands” Series Hiestand – 1401 Origin & Meaning of the Family Name Swiss Hiestand Families and Farms in the 1400s Ueli Hiestand’s Beichlen and HimmeriContinue
November 19 2022
Louise Haston Rice – Jesse Haston Family Historian I cannot remember when I did not love history and genealogy. As a young girl of 10 or 12, I started collecting information about my family. Louise Haston Rice Louise loved her family, life on the farm, and entertaining. She was active in the Baptist church inContinue
November 12 2022
Hiestand Coat of Arms The clenched fists are a clue that this shield was not created by or for an Anabaptist, but by a Swiss Hiestand who had not joined that movement.  However, he may have been sympathetic to and protective of neighbors and relatives who were Anabaptists. Dr. Peter Ziegler (Zürich, Switzerland) and Dr. WayneContinue
November 4 2022
Book Review – The Story of the Daniel Haston Family By Joanne Hess Siegrist – Historian, Author, Lancaster County, PA Tour Guide For More Information and to Order the Book If you appreciated this article, please share it with others who might also enjoy it. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Order Copies of the BookContinue
November 3 2022
Timeline of Daniel Haston’s Life – c. 1750-1826 The first 30 or so years of Daniel Hiestand’s life were spent in Virginia.  The next (approximately) 20 years were spent in western North Carolina, the “Overmountain” area that became Upper East Tennessee.  He spent about 10 years in Knox County, western part of East Tennessee, andContinue
October 20 2022
Jahrhunderte Schweizer Hiestands in einer Landgenossenschaft Co-Autoren: Dr. Peter Ziegler und Dr. Wayne Haston Serie: Frühe Schweizer Hiestand Die Links werden aktiviert und veröffentlicht am17.9.2022, 1.10.2022, 15.10.2022, 29.10.2022, 12.11.2022, 26.11.2022, 10.12.2022. Hiestand 1401 Herkunft und Bedeutung des Familiennamens Schweizer Familien Hiestand und ihre Höfe im 15. Jahrhundert Ueli Hiestands Höfe Beichlen und Himmeri Hiestand inContinue
October 19 2022
1840-1866 – Hastons in Van Buren County, TN County Court Minutes Early Hastons in the County Court – Mostly for Good, But Sometimes for Bad 1,538 Haston References      Search Within This Page     [search-in-place-form in_current_page=”1″] April 1840 – May 1855 Van Buren County, TN County Court Minutes (From TSLA – Van Buren County, TNContinue
October 18 2022
Donations to the Daniel Haston Family Association Making a Donation Contact us if you have trouble making a donation: Info@DanielHaston.blog [give_form id=”28579″] Click on the “Donate Now” button. Choose a donation amount. Choose to, or not to, “Make this donation every month.” Click on the “Continue” button. Fill-in the “Who’s giving today” information. Choose to,Continue
October 18 2022
Hidden Away in a Tiny Nook of Canton Zürich, Switzerland Dr. Peter Ziegler (Zürich, Switzerland) and Dr. Wayne Haston (Pennsylvania, USA), Co-Authors (Including significant research data from Kent Douglas Hiestand) “Early Swiss Hiestands” Series Hiestand – 1401 Origin & Meaning of the Family Name Swiss Hiestand Families and Farms in the 1400s Ueli Hiestand’s BeichlenContinue
October 16 2022
1840-1872 – Hastons Van Buren County, TN – Early Circuit Court Minutes Early Hastons in the Circuit Court – Mostly for Good, But Sometimes for Bad 850 Haston References      Search Within This Page     [search-in-place-form in_current_page=”1″] Volume A – August 1840 – January 1850 Year of 1840 Year of 1841 Year of 1842Continue
October 6 2022
“The Homeplace” The Isham S. Haston Family By Andrew LaRowe I am just old enough to have had the opportunity to know someone that was born on a farm in Tennessee in 1881. Della Myrtle Haston was my great-grandmother. She came to Winston Salem, North Carolina to live with her daughter, Arabelle, and they livedContinue
October 4 2022
1923 – 2001 Robert “Bob” Weldon Haston Rank and Branch of Military Major in the U.S. Army Air Corps (and the Air Force, after it was created in 1947) Years of Service 1941 – 1957 Locations of Training, Deployment, and Service Aviation Cadet Training, Twin Engine Flying School, B-17 Transition in Sebring, Florida Wartime TheatersContinue
October 1 2022
Wappen Hiestand Die geballten Fäuste sind ein Hinweis darauf, dass dieses Wappen nicht von einem oder für einen Täufer geschaffen wurde, sondern von einem Schweizer Hiestand, der sich dieser Bewegung nicht angeschlossen hatte. Er könnte jedoch mit Nachbarn und Verwandten, die Täufer waren, sympathisiert und sie beschützt haben. Co-Autoren: Dr. Peter Ziegler (Zürich, Schweiz) und Dr.Continue
September 27 2022
Versteckt in einer winzigen Ecke des Kantons Zürich, Schweiz Co-Autoren: Dr. Peter Ziegler (Zürich, Schweiz) und Dr. Wayne Haston (Pennsylvania, USA) (Einschließlich bedeutender Forschungsdaten von Kent Douglas Hiestand) Serie: Frühe Schweizer Hiestand Die Links werden aktiviert und veröffentlicht am17.9.2022, 1.10.2022, 15.10.2022, 29.10.2022, 12.11.2022, 26.11.2022, 10.12.2022. Hiestand 1401 Herkunft und Bedeutung des Familiennamens Schweizer Familien Hiestand undContinue
September 25 2022
Dr. Fred Dexter Haston, M.D. How many men or women are prominent enough to have a 700-word article about them in a history book of the state they lived in for 20 years or so?  One Great-Great Grandson of Daniel Haston did!  Several years ago, even before I began researching my Haston family, I happenedContinue
September 23 2022
1921 – 2021 James Phillip Haston All Registration for Draft Rank and Branch of Military First Class Boatswain Mate, Navy Years of Service 1942-1945 Locations of Training, Deployment, and Service Trained at a destroyer base in San Diego, CA; Deployed to the South Pacific – “He was a driver for high-ranking naval officers, including FleetContinue
September 22 2022
Ueli Hiestand, Prominenter Bauer im 15. Jahrhundert Co-Autoren: Dr. Peter Ziegler (Zürich, Schweiz) und Dr. Wayne Haston (Pennsylvania, USA) (Einschließlich bedeutender Forschungsdaten von Kent Douglas Hiestand) Serie: Frühe Schweizer Hiestand Die Links werden aktiviert und veröffentlicht am17.9.2022, 1.10.2022, 15.10.2022, 29.10.2022, 12.11.2022, 26.11.2022, 10.12.2022. Hiestand 1401 Herkunft und Bedeutung des Familiennamens Schweizer Familien Hiestand und ihre HöfeContinue
September 21 2022
Ueli Hiestand, Prominent Swiss Farmer in the 15th Century Dr. Peter Ziegler (Zürich, Switzerland) and Dr. Wayne Haston (Pennsylvania, USA), Co-Authors (Including significant research data from Kent Douglas Hiestand) “Early Swiss Hiestands” Series Hiestand – 1401 Origin & Meaning of the Family Name Swiss Hiestand Families and Farms in the 1400s Ueli Hiestand’s Beichlen andContinue
September 19 2022
The Hiestand Family Name – It’s Origin, Meaning, and Pronunciation Dr. Peter Ziegler (Zürich, Switzerland) and Dr. Wayne Haston (Pennsylvania, USA), Co-Authors (Including significant research data from Kent Douglas Hiestand) “Early Swiss Hiestands” Series Hiestand – 1401 Origin & Meaning of the Family Name Swiss Hiestand Families and Farms in the 1400s Ueli Hiestand’s BeichlenContinue
September 18 2022
Der Familienname Hiestand – Herkunft, Bedeutung und Aussprache Co-Autoren: Dr. Peter Ziegler (Zürich, Schweiz) und Dr. Wayne Haston (Pennsylvania, USA) (Einschließlich bedeutender Forschungsdaten von Kent Douglas Hiestand) Serie: Frühe Schweizer Hiestand Die Links werden aktiviert und veröffentlicht am17.9.2022, 1.10.2022, 15.10.2022, 29.10.2022, 12.11.2022, 26.11.2022, 10.12.2022. Hiestand 1401 Herkunft und Bedeutung des Familiennamens Schweizer Familien Hiestand und ihreContinue
September 17 2022
Unsere Schweizer Hiestand-Vorfahren im 15. Jahrhundert Co-Autoren: Dr. Peter Ziegler (Zürich, Schweiz) und Dr. Wayne Haston (Pennsylvania, USA) (Einschließlich bedeutender Forschungsdaten von Kent Douglas Hiestand) Serie: Frühe Schweizer Hiestand Die Links werden aktiviert und veröffentlicht am17.9.2022, 1.10.2022, 15.10.2022, 29.10.2022, 12.11.2022, 26.11.2022, 10.12.2022. Hiestand 1401 Herkunft und Bedeutung des Familiennamens Schweizer Familien Hiestand und ihre Höfe imContinue
September 16 2022
Our Swiss Hiestand Ancestors in the 1400s Dr. Peter Ziegler (Zürich, Switzerland) and Dr. Wayne Haston (Pennsylvania, USA), Co-Authors (Including significant research data from Kent Douglas Hiestand) “Early Swiss Hiestands” Series Hiestand – 1401 Origin & Meaning of the Family Name Swiss Hiestand Families and Farms in the 1400s Ueli Hiestand’s Beichlen and Himmeri FarmsContinue
September 8 2022
Cousins or First Cousins-Once Removed What’s the Difference? A cousin at any distance or level in your family tree is truly your “cousin.”  One of the things I’ve enjoyed most about working with Haston family research is getting to know so many cousins.  And even though I may never have met him or her inContinue
August 19 2022
Stephen Mathai-Davis – “A Forbes Legend” Descendant of Daniel Haston through His Son, Jeremiah Haston On Friday afternoon, July 22, 2022, just shortly before our Daniel Haston Family Reunion officially began, Claire Aufrance received a phone call telling her that her beloved cousin, Stephen Mathai-Davis, had passed away suddenly and completely unexpectedly.  Claire and herContinue
August 9 2022
Timeline of Our Blog Articles Some of the main topics included in the blog focus on the history of the Daniel Haston family, honoring earlier Haston family researchers and other notable Hastons, announcing events of significance to members of the Daniel Haston Family and related families, and miscellaneous topics. July 17 2022 LaRowe – AndrewContinue
August 8 2022
Are You Interested in a Two-Part Series of Zoom Presentations in Which I Would Give the Haston History Presentation I Gave in the Recent Haston Reunion? Please Share This Page with Others who Might be Interested in the Presentation. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Order Copies of the Book – Or, See More Information andContinue
August 6 2022
Theories about the Shotgun Death of Vollie Belle Haston Co-Authors: Becky Hitchcock Harris and Wayne Haston I have learned that there is a lot of information “out there” (be it factual or inaccurate lore) about Vollie Belle Haston’s life and tragic death.  I’d love to hear anything you have heard or know about Vollie Belle’sContinue
August 5 2022
Vollie Belle Haston – The Murder Trials Co-Authors: Becky Hitchcock Harris and Wayne Haston I have learned that there is a lot of information “out there” (be it factual or inaccurate lore) about Vollie Belle Haston’s life and tragic death.  I’d love to hear anything you have heard or know about Vollie Belle’s life orContinue
August 5 2022
Vollie Belle Haston Raymond – Mysterious Death by a 12 Gauge Pump Shotgun Co-Authors: Becky Hitchcock Harris and Wayne Haston I have learned that there is a lot of information “out there” (be it factual or inaccurate lore) about Vollie Belle Haston’s life and tragic death.  I’d love to hear anything you have heard orContinue
August 5 2022
Vollie Belle Haston’s Marriage to Clarke Raymond Co-Authors: Becky Hitchcock Harris and Wayne Haston I have learned that there is a lot of information “out there” (be it factual or inaccurate lore) about Vollie Belle Haston’s life and tragic death.  I’d love to hear anything you have heard or know about Vollie Belle’s life orContinue
August 5 2022
Vollie Belle’s Marriage to and Divorce from James Hurd Cruise Co-Authors: Becky Hitchcock Harris and Wayne Haston I have learned that there is a lot of information “out there” (be it factual or inaccurate lore) about Vollie Belle Haston’s life and tragic death.  I’d love to hear anything you have heard or know about VollieContinue
August 4 2022
Vollie Belle Haston – Her Early Years, From Birth to Marriage Co-Authors: Becky Hitchcock Harris and Wayne Haston I have learned that there is a lot of information “out there” (be it factual or inaccurate lore) about Vollie Belle Haston’s life and tragic death.  I’d love to hear anything you have heard or know aboutContinue
August 3 2022
The Daniel Haston Short Story Daniel Haston’s family lived “south of the Holston [now Tennessee] river opposite Knoxville, TN shortly after the town was established and when Tennessee became a state in 1796. Daniel Haston moved from Knox County, Tennessee to the area of middle Tennessee that became southern White County, a year or two priorContinue
July 22 2022
The Book: The Story of the Daniel Haston Family Scroll Down to Order a Copy or Copies of the Book Remember the days of old;    consider the generations long past.Ask your father and he will tell you,    your elders, and they will explain to you.Deuteronomy 32:7 (NIV) In this book, I want to tell a story—a historicallyContinue
July 21 2022
Help Make the Book Available to Others for Reading & Research Purchase Copies of the Book – The Story of the Daniel Haston Family
July 19 2022
Legends and Stories of White County, TN By Miss Coral Williams In 2002, I contacted Miss Byllee Burgess, the niece of Coral Williams, and received her approval to rescue her aunt’s 1930 thesis from total obscurity in a Vanderbilt library.  Access the Entire Document Abstract by Miss Williams The purpose of this study is toContinue
July 17 2022
1954 -  Senior Airman Andrew Willis LaRowe Rank and Branch of Military Senior Airman, Air Force Years of Service 1974-1978 Locations of Training, Deployment, and Service Lackland AFB, Malmstrom AFB Relationship to the Daniel Haston Family Descends through David Haston, Daniel’s son Add Yourself or Your Haston-Related Relative to the Legacy of Service Honor GalleryContinue
July 16 2022
Perhaps THE Historic Haston FAMILY Event of Two Centuries+ More Information and Register Saturday Lunch and Supper-Leftovers Saturday Afternoon Historic Haston Sites Tour Fellowship Hall Entrance – Hickory Valley Baptist Church 5865 Hickory Valley Road, Sparta, TN 38583 If you appreciated this article, please share it with others who might also enjoy it. Facebook TwitterContinue
July 11 2022
1919 – 2006 Group Commander Wallace M. Davis Rank and Branch of Military Group Commander, Navy Years of Service 1943-1971 Obituary Wallace M. Davis obituary Locations of Training, Deployment, and Service Saipan, Tinian, Okinawa, Tarawa Military Schools Attended U.S. Naval Reserve Midshipmen’s School at Northwestern University The Northwestern University Archives, with the help of Northwestern’sContinue
July 11 2022
Sergeant Elwood C. Haston – Veteran of WWII in Europe Soldier from the “Greatest Generation” On this day, July 11, 2022, Sergeant Elwood C. Haston would have been 100 years old.  Today, and in future days when you read this article, we hope you will say “Thank you, for your service!” in your heart forContinue
July 8 2022
Chris Haston – Our Reunion Portrait Photographer Brief Bio of Chris Haston Source: https://www.marathi.tv/anchor/chris-haston/ Chris Haston was born Christopher Haston on June 27, 1962, in Harbor City, CA, where he was also raised.  When he was nine years old, his stepfather gave him a camera and he has been hooked on the art of photographyContinue
July 8 2022
1949 -  Lieutenant Colonel William M. Davis Rank and Branch of Military Lieutenant Colonel, Army Years of Service 1972-1998 Locations of Training, Deployment, and Service Fort Jackson, South Carolina; Wiesbaden, Germany; Frankfurt, Germany; Iraq; The Pentagon Military Schools Attended Basic training at at Fort Jackson, South Carolina Wartime Theaters of Assignment and Major Battles WilliamContinue
July 8 2022
1957 –  Major General Max Haston Rank and Branch of Military Major General, Army Years of Service 1979-2019 Locations of Training, Deployment, and Service Ft Benning, GA; Ft Riley, KS; Ft Knox, KY; Ft Hood, TX, Multiple Locations in Germany, Ft Bliss, TX; Ft Leavenworth, KS, Ft Irwin, CA, FT Polk, LA, Ft Stewart, GA,Continue
July 2 2022
Photos & Background Info on 12 Historic Haston Sites in TN Even if you aren’t able to participate in the Saturday, July 23, 2022 tour, you will enjoy reading about (and seeing photos of) these 12 historic sites that are so important to the Daniel Haston Family. Download the 11 Page Document – Photos &Continue
June 25 2022
Haston Block House – Built 1908 in Spencer, TN By Landon Medley and Wayne HastonLandon and I were working together on this article when he passed away in 2021. -Wayne Haston The “Cyclone” In Spencer, TN that (Literally) Cleared the Way for the Haston Block Following a (3:00 a.m.) November 18, 1906 cyclone [tornado?] thatContinue
June 19 2022
1902 Sparta (TN) Expositor Supplement (60 pages) White County and Sparta, TN history and “What the town and county were like” 120 years ago. Be patient when downloading – it’s a LARGE document (668 KB). Download the Document If you appreciated this article, please share it with others who might also enjoy it. Facebook TwitterContinue
June 10 2022
Montgomery Greenville Haston Farm The Core of M.G. Haston’s 1858 Farm – Today a Tennessee Century Farm On November 3, 1858, Montgomery G. Haston (grandson of David Haston, Great Grandson of Daniel) bought four tracts of land (1,163 acres more or less) from Nathan Durham for $900.[i]  The land was located around the current crossroadsContinue
June 4 2022
Three (+1) D.L. Hastons – Contemporaries in Van Buren Co, TN What were their parents thinking? David La-van’-der Haston You will see this “L” name spelled “Levander” & “Lavender” and etc., but I’m fairly confident it is was Lavander for all three men. In 1848, a baby born in the Haston Big Spring area ofContinue
June 3 2022
Birth 1946 – Rank and Name of Veteran’s Service Rank and Branch of Military E-8 Air Force 1966-1978 Switched from Air Force to Department of the Army Civilian ( DAC)Retired GS15 Years of Service 1966-1978 Locations of Training, Deployment, and Service Amarillo, Texas Wartime Theaters of Assignment and Major Battles Army War College / FirstContinue
May 29 2022
Robert Owen Duncan’s Service Born 1957 Rank and Branch of Military E-7 in the United States Air Force Years of Service 1975-2000 Locations of Training, Deployment, and Service Lackland, Chanute, Shaw, Kadena, Hill, Nellis Kunsan, Eielson, Ellsworth AFB’s Relationship to the Daniel Haston Family Descendant of Daniel’s son, Isaac Haston/Hastings (Isaac, Hartwell, Lucy Hastings, DorothyContinue
May 29 2022
1925-2020 Sergeant Horace H. “Ace” Haston’s Service Rank and Branch of Military Sergeant and a Crew Chief in the United States Army Air Corps Years of Service 1943-1946 Locations of Training, Deployment, and Service Training at Mountain Home, Idaho Army Air Field, combat Crew Training Station (heavy); Aerial Gunner, Clark Field in the Philippines. WartimeContinue
May 28 2022
Major Bob Haston – Near-Death Post-War Ejection On an Airfield Tarmac in Lincoln, Nebraska Daniel Haston Family Roots Enlistment & the Silver Dollar Distinguished Flying Cross Mission #17 Tragedy Stalag Luft III POW Camp Near Deadly Postwar Ejection Early Post-War Life January of 1946 after their December 22, 1945 Marriage Robert Weldon Haston met andContinue
May 21 2022
Major Bob Haston – Prisoner of War in Stalag Luft III Daniel Haston Family Roots Enlistment & the Silver Dollar Distinguished Flying Cross Mission #17 Tragedy Stalag Luft III POW Camp Near Deadly Postwar Ejection German POW Camp Stalag Luft III North Compound of German POW Camp – Stalag Luft III Stalag Luft III wasContinue
May 13 2022
Major Bob Haston – The Disaster of Mission #17 Shot Down, Severely Burned, 5 Crewmen Captured, 5 Killed Daniel Haston Family Roots Enlistment & the Silver Dollar Distinguished Flying Cross Mission #17 Tragedy Stalag Luft III POW Camp Near Deadly Postwar Ejection Lt. Bob Haston’s Crew (Bob is 3rd from the left end) – ProbablyContinue
May 12 2022
Major Bob Haston – The “Distinguished Flying Cross” Experience Daniel Haston Family Roots Enlistment & the Silver Dollar Distinguished Flying Cross Mission #17 Tragedy Stalag Luft III POW Camp Near Deadly Postwar Ejection What Did it Mean to “Catch Flak” in an Aerial Assault? German 88mm Flak Anti-Aircraft Gun The versatile 88mm cannon was Germany’sContinue
May 10 2022
Major Bob Haston, WW II Hero – The Silver Dollar Story Daniel Haston Family Roots Enlistment & the Silver Dollar Distinguished Flying Cross Mission #17 Tragedy Stalag Luft III POW Camp Near Deadly Postwar Ejection When the war started, he wanted to sign up immediately but his mother thought he was too young. She toldContinue
May 8 2022
Stories of a World War II Haston Hero – His Haston Family Roots Lieutenant (later Major) Robert “Bob” Weldon Haston The following links will be activated, as his stories are posted throughout the “Memorial Month” of May. Daniel Haston Family Roots Enlistment & the Silver Dollar Distinguished Flying Cross Mission #17 Tragedy Stalag Luft IIIContinue
May 7 2022
Daniel Haston Homesite – c. 1804 & On The Daniel Haston Farm Remained in the Haston Family for More than 150 Years 35°48’04.85″ N 85°26’38.00″ W The Site of the Daniel Haston Cabin-Home The current house is probably the location of the original Daniel Haston cabin-home The Haston Big Spring Branch The Haston Big SpringContinue
April 27 2022
Charles Thomas & Elliot Selina Morgan Haston – Family Reunion The Hickory Valley Hastons Sunday – July 24, 2022 The day following the Daniel Haston Family Reunion Why the Picture of this Little Fire Department? You are probably asking yourself Due to the potential of Tennessee July HEAT, we have decided to move inside anContinue
April 25 2022
Isaac T. (Sr.) & Elizabeth Sparkman Haston Family Children of Isaac T. and Elizabeth Sparkman Haston Isaac T. Haston’s 1853/1854 Grant #11561 from TN for 215 Acres Isaac T. Haston’s survey says he purchased 215 acres, but when the survey “calls” are followed as stated on the survey, it’s clear that he got considerably lessContinue
April 25 2022
Isaac T. & Elizabeth Sparkman Haston Family Cemetery Cummingsville of Van Buren County, Tennessee History of the Haston Cemetery Isaac T. Haston was the next-to-the-youngest son of David and Peggy Roddy Haston.  Although he was a grandson of Daniel Haston, Isaac T. was born (March 28, 1827) about a year after his grandfather died soContinue
April 16 2022
“I’m Proud of My Country Roots” Wayne Haston About 1951 – Left to right: My Dad (Boyd Haston), sister Marilyn, me (Wayne), cousin Mickey McWilliams, and of course – the mule. In the photo above, you are looking west toward the “Mitchell [or Dodson] Bridge” and Fraizer’s Chapel Methodist Church in a Caney Fork RiverContinue
April 9 2022
Lots to Share and Learn at the Daniel Haston FAMILY Reunion July 22-23, 2022 in White County, TN Since this page was first published, we have added three more Interest Centers: The Burritt College Museum in Spencer, TN – Bonnie Adcock, the Director of the museum will be present Saturday morning at our reunion.  ManyContinue
March 22 2022
Big Fork Cemetery One of the Oldest Church Cemeteries in or Near White Co, TN – 200+ Years Like so many old cemeteries, for years the Big Fork Cemetery was covered with broken tombstones, fallen trees, waist-high grass, shoulder-high bushes, active groundhog dens, and God-only-knows how many copperheads.  After conducting an on-site study of theContinue
March 18 2022
Big Fork Baptist Church The Earliest Baptist Church in White County, TN The Big Fork Baptist Church was hidden from local historians for many years.  Most people who visit the Big Fork Cemetery in what is now Cummingsville, TN have no idea that there was a church there in the early 1800s.  Only a fewContinue
March 7 2022
Old Union Cemetery – 200+ Years of Burial One of the Oldest Church Cemeteries in White County & Surrounding Region Cemetery Decoration – Sunday, August 20, 2023 Beginning with Potluck Lunch The Old Union Cemetery is one of the oldest church cemeteries in White County, TN.  No one knows for sure when the first burialContinue
March 5 2022
Comb (or Tent) Graves = “Born” in White County, TN? Visitors who are not familiar with White County, Van Buren County and some of their neighboring counties are often surprised when they pass an old cemetery and see a scene such as the one above.  I grew up seeing lots of these kinds of gravesContinue
February 19 2022
Joe Diffie – Grand Ole Opry Descendant of Daniel Haston Yes, his great-great-grandfather was my great grandfather David Montgomery Haston. His great grandfather was Jack Haston a nephew of my granddaddy. His grandmother and my mother were first cousins. I did know his grandmother. She helped me when I was doing our Haston tree. WeContinue
February 12 2022
Old Union Cumberland Presbyterian Church Founded 1805? – Organized Officially 1811 Some sources say the Union Presbyterian Church was founded in 1805.  We do know that Spence Mitchell, an early settler in southern White County, TN, deeded a plot of land for what was called the Union Meeting House on August 24, 1811.  The churchContinue
January 29 2022
Thirty-Three Key Sites & Experiences On the June 14-27 2023 European Hiestand/Haston Heritage Tour Contact Renee Cue for more information or answers to your questions: renee@reneecue.com Contact Renee Cue for more information or answers to your questions: renee@reneecue.com More Information about the June 14-27, 2023 Hiestand-Haston European Heritage Tour Share this with Hastons or relatedContinue
January 22 2022
Be Careful What You Hang on Your Family Tree It May Haunt Your Family Forever! When I began researching my family history, I was totally at the mercy of other people who had researched the history of the Daniel Haston family before me.  In most cases, their research records turned out to be extremely helpful. Continue
January 7 2022
2022 (and beyond) – Featuring More of YOUR Families’ Stories We will continue to try to post a variety of stories related to our Daniel Haston family–more history, etc.  But this year we want to begin to hear more of your stories.  All branches of the Haston Family have stories that are worth sharing withContinue
January 3 2022
Marlin Shelton Haston, 1928-2022 Marlin Haston, 93, passed away on January 1, 2022. He was born September 5, 1928, Spencer (Van Buren County) of the late R.C. Haston Sr. and Etta (Smith) Haston. He is survived by his son, David (Laura) Haston of Dandridge; daughter, Jean Ann Hall of Hartsville, and daughter-in-law Brenda Haston ofContinue
December 25 2021
52 – Daughter of Daniel Haston? One Yes, One Maybe, One No I am confident that Daniel Haston had two or three daughters (and/or maybe a son) that we have never been able to identify.  But there is one for-sure daughter who has emerged out of more recent research.  There’s another who may or mayContinue
December 18 2021
51 – Daniel Haston, Jr. Married into the Famous KY Longhunters Skaggs Family Did you know that descendants of Daniel Haston, through his son Daniel, Jr., are related by marriage to two famous members of the Kentucky Skaggs family – Charles Skaggs (1760s Longhunter) and Ricky Skaggs (a country music Hall of Fame member). InContinue
December 11 2021
50 – Jeremiah Haston, from Illinois to Dallas County, Missouri The three youngest sons of Daniel Haston settled in Missouri.  Jesse and Jeremiah remained there for the rest of their lives, but Isaac moved on to California after about 20 years in the “Show Me” state.   Dallas County, Missouri When a new county was createdContinue
December 4 2021
49 – Jeremiah Haston – Lost Son of Daniel Haston Found by DNA Sometimes you may see his name as Jeremiah MC Haston, but there is no existing evidence that I have found to prove that Daniel’s son Jeremiah had a middle  “MC” name, but his youngest son was definitely Jeremiah MC “Mac” Haston. DNAContinue
November 20 2021
47 – Jesse Haston, Missouri Pioneer With 3 Wives & 21 Children Part 1 – Until the Civil War Of Daniel Haston’s sons, Jesse was the most unique in several ways.  He was the first son to move west of the Mississippi River.  He was a slave owner.  He became a wealthy man, by localContinue
November 16 2021
48 – Jesse Haston’s Family in the Civil War Years and After Some Selected Highlights Some of Daniel Haston’s grandsons and great grandsons joined the Union Army.  Others, especially those who remained in Tennessee, chose to suit up in grey.  None of the Tennessee Hastons I know of were slave owners.  They were probably defendingContinue
November 13 2021
46 – Isaac Haston – Across the Plains in an Oxen-Drawn Wagon The California Years Approximately 2,000 miles – Cave Spring, Missouri to Santa Rosa, California on the Oregon-California Trail At age 62, most men today are looking forward to retiring, drawing social security, playing golf or fishing, and enjoying their grandkids.  I’m not sureContinue
November 12 2021
33 – The Beautiful and Relaxing Cruise Up the Rhine River On Monday, June 26, 2023, our Hiestand-Haston Heritage Tour will enjoy a relaxing cruise up a portion of the beautiful Middle Rhine River and see many of the same sights that Henrich Hiestand saw in 1727 when he was on his journey to America. Continue
November 11 2021
32 – Worms, Germany – Where Martin Luther Was Tried On the afternoon of (Saturday) June 22, 2023, our Hiestand-Haston Heritage Tour group will arrive in the city of Worms (pronounced “Vermz”), Germany – the place where Martin Luther stood before a formal deliberative assembly (“diet”) of leaders from the Holy Roman Empire, led byContinue
November 10 2021
31 – Mennonite Church in the Village of Ibersheim, Germany Our Hiestands’ Church Home 350 Years Ago On Sunday, June 25, 2023, our Hiestand-Haston European Heritage Tour group will worship here, where our ancestors worshiped.  Pastor Andreas Kohrn has invited us to join their congregation for the service and to enjoy their annual summer “BBQContinue
November 10 2021
30 – Our Ancestors’ Little German Village of Refuge – Ibersheim On Sunday, June 25, 2023, our Hiestand-Haston Heritage Tour group will visit this very special place.  We have been invited to join the village’s Mennonite Church for their Sunday morning service, be their special guests for an after-church “Grillfest” (BBQ), then take a walkingContinue
November 6 2021
45 – Isaac and Agnes Simpson Haston – Missouri Years Isaac Haston lived the Great American Dream.  He left Tennessee landless and broke, moved to Missouri and became a prosperous landowner in just a few years.  He deserved it – he fought bravely for our country at the Battle of New Orleans.   At least fourContinue
October 30 2021
44 – Isaac Haston – Battle of New Orleans Hero & Much More Part 1 – His Tennessee Years Look at the battle map above.  Where do you think the battle was the “hottest”?  It’s quite obvious if you look at it carefully and think about it.  That’s where Isaac Haston and some of hisContinue
October 27 2021
29 – Swiss Emmentaler Cheese Factory Saturday, June 24, 2023, our Hiestand-Haston Tour Group will visit the world-famous Cheese Factory in the Emmental region of Canton Bern, Switzerland.  There are around 2000 groups of tourists, one-third of which are foreigners from around the world, visiting this cheese factory every year. Swiss cheese is a pieceContinue
October 26 2021
28 – Trachselwald Castle – Where Anabaptists Were Imprisoned Simply Because They Wanted to Practice New Testament Christianity A Story and Some Scenes that You May/Should Never Forget By Don and Joanne Hess Siegrist Used by permission of authors, Don & Joanne Hess Siegrist Before the Reformation, all of Switzerland was catholic. After the Reformation,Continue
October 23 2021
42 – John and Catherine HASTON Austin History, especially genealogical history, is sexist!   OK, I’m pretty much a traditional-minded person and don’t use the word “sexist” in an accusatory way very often.  But I must say – genealogical history is sexist, and unfortunately so.   One tradition I wish had caught on 700 years ago inContinue
October 16 2021
42 – Jacob and Lucinda Haston Mitchell Lucinda Haston – Daughter of Daniel Haston Jacob Mitchell was the son of Morris and Elizabeth Husong Mitchell (married 1781) who came to Tennessee from Washington County of western Pennsylvania.  Morris was a Revolutionary War veteran and a Methodist preacher.      May 1, 1784 – The MorrisContinue
October 15 2021
Landon Medley October 6, 1949 – September 25, 2021 Whether you knew him personally or not, Landon Medley was a friend to all of us who are interested in researching and studying the history of our Daniel Haston family.  Landon lived near the Daniel Haston family place and was steeped in a knowledge of localContinue
October 14 2021
25 – The Täuferversteck – “Anabaptist Hiding Place” Anabaptist hunters were employed in the 18th century. In 1734 two Anabaptist hunters were out and about to catch Christian Siegenthaler in the lower Hälig, Wüthrich zu Häuser, Hans Gerber, called “Stadler”, and David Baumgartner. The Anabaptist yegi were disturbed by the fact that the persecuted “were warned withContinue
October 8 2021
Joseph Haston – 2nd Son of Daniel Joseph and David were probably the only two sons of Daniel who were born in Virginia.  If we correctly understand the time of Daniel’s departure from Virginia, Joseph would have been three and a half years old when the family moved south.  So it’s likely that he hadContinue
October 6 2021
25 – The Home of Albert Einstein in Bern, Switzerland On Friday, June 23, 2023, our Hiestand-Haston Tour group will visit the home where Einstein discovered the theory of relativity. Albert Einstein lived in Bern from 1903 to 1905 and developed his Theory of Relativity here. The Einstein House gives visitors a chance to seeContinue
October 2 2021
40 – Herbert Clinton Haston, Grandson of Montgomery G. Haston The 1880 census record for D.L. (David Levander) and Virginia Riddles Haston A three-year-old boy, by the name of Herbert C. Hemphill, appears “In family” on the 1880 census record of David L. and Virginia Haston.  For decades, many people in the Daniel Haston familyContinue
September 29 2021
24 – The World Famous Zytglogge (Clock Tower) in Bern On Friday, June 23, 2023, our Hiestand-Haston Heritage tour group will watch the famous clock tower turn to a new hour. Built in the early 13th century as a gate tower for the city’s western fortifications, Zytglogge has served over the years as a guardContinue
September 22 2021
39 – M. G. Haston – His Civic Service and Civil War Experience Montgomery Greenville Haston is one of my most respected early Haston heroes!  I want to tell you why. Montgomery Greenville (M.G. or “Gum”) Haston lived a relatively short life even for his era, only about 45 (or 46) years.  When he wasContinue
September 19 2021
23 – Jakob Markt – We’ll Stop & Shop Where Locals Shop One of the favorite shopping places for locals and tourists is the Jacob Markt.  Here is the best place to buy Swiss lace curtains, Swiss-style clothes, and delicious Swiss chocolate bars.  While the women shop (maybe some of us men too!) others canContinue
September 19 2021
27 – Swiss Alpine Music: Alphorns and Yodeling Two of the most famous features of historic Swiss culture are the Alphorns and yodeling.  Our June 2023 Hiestand-Haston Heritage tour group will enjoy a bit of both types of Alpine Music. The Swiss Alphorns Enjoy this brief video example of Swiss Alphorn music. https://youtu.be/K_qp26NHyTg With theContinue
September 11 2021
38 – Mystery of the Father of Montgomery Greenville Haston Based on the evidence cited previously, I think we can confidently assume Polly Haston was the mother of M.G. Haston, the child who was born out of wedlock on October 16, 1823, or 1824.  But who was the birth-father of M.G. Haston? Due to theContinue
September 11 2021
37 – Mystery of the Mother of Montgomery Greenville Haston As far as we can tell, the parents of Montgomery Greenville Haston–and how he fit into the Daniel Haston family–were unknown for well over 100 years!  Even the most diligent Daniel Haston family researchers were stumped! Montgomery Greenville [not Greenfield, as some have asserted] (M.G.Continue
September 4 2021
36 – David Haston – A Founding Leader of Van Buren County, TN David Haston spent much of his time in the final 20 years of his life helping to establish Van Buren County. Haston Family – Early Influences in Van Buren County, TN Several of Daniel Haston’s children and grandchildren had already left TennesseeContinue
August 29 2021
22 – World’s Oldest Mennonite Church – Langnau, Switzerland On Thursday, June 22, 2023, members of the Hiestand-Haston Heritage Tour group will see the oldest continuously active Mennonite Church in the world. Langnau has a history of Anabaptism going all the way back to March 1525. Today, Langnau has the oldest Mennonite church in theContinue
August 28 2021
35 – David Haston – White County, Tennessee Pioneer, Part 2 David Haston, Esq. (Justice of the Peace) How did simple farmers and businessmen – many of whom had very little formal education – understand Tennessee (and county) laws enough to serve as county court judges?  They were guided by a book like the oneContinue
August 26 2021
21 – The Swiss Cowbells Factory On Thursday, June 27, 2023 our Hiestand-Haston Historic Tour group will stop at the famous Swiss Cowbells Factory. Did you know…? Bells are protection, happiness, and a sign of peace. This is because in times of war the Swiss bells were taken from the churches and from the pastureContinue
August 25 2021
19 – Breakfast in the Rotating Restaurant at 9,744′ in the Alps On the morning of June 22, 2023, our Hiestand-Haston Heritage Tour group will eat breakfast in the Piz Gloria revolving restaurant in the village of Murren on top of the Schilthorne summit. BEVERAGESCoffee / Tea, cold and warm milk (lactose-free and soy milkContinue
August 20 2021
34 – David Haston, White County, Tennessee Pioneer, Part 1 Isaac T. Haston Family Home – Grandson of Daniel Via. David The “David Haston” Bible Record Any family with an existing copy of a family Bible record from the early 1800s is fortunate, especially if it is as complete and apparently accurate as the “DavidContinue
August 13 2021
20 – World-Famous Kambly Swiss Cookie Factory On June 22, 2023, the Hiestand-Haston Tour group will stop at this world-famous cookie factory and sample (FREE!) dozens of cookies.  But I can pretty much assure you that you will buy some too!  We will also eat lunch there. Oscar Kambly started his company in 1910 withContinue
August 12 2021
18 – Cable Car Ride to & Evening in the Alps Village of Mürren On June 22, 2023, our Hiestand-Haston Heritage Tour group will take a scenic cable car ride up to the mountain village of Mürren.And we will spend the night there! Mürren is a traditional Walser (inhabitants in the Alps) mountain village inContinue
August 8 2021
33 – Daniel Haston’s Final Years Daniel Haston lived his final years on his 150 acres farm in what we now know as the Cummingsville community of northern Van Buren County–southern White County until 1840.  There are a few things that we KNOW about his final few years there and a few more things weContinue
August 5 2021
32 – Daniel Haston, A Founding Petitioner for White County, TN The first record we have of Daniel Haston in (what became) White County, as well as some of his family members and friends, is the petition to create White County on July 22, 1806.[i]  Four of the 155 names on the petition were Isam Bradley,Continue
July 31 2021
31 – Daniel Haston & Other White County, TN Big Spring Settlers The area south of the Caney Fork River near the mouth of Cane Creek was a prominent settlement in the early 1800s.  It was part of White County, Tennessee prior to its inclusion into newly formed Van Buren County in 1840.  The abundance ofContinue
July 28 2021
17 – Ballenberg Open-Air Museum On Wednesday, July 21, 2023, our Hiestand-Haston heritage tour group will visit the Ballenberg Open-Air Museum. https://youtu.be/d1COwvzKYlM Ballenberg is an open-air museum in Switzerland that displays traditional buildings and architecture from all over the country. Located near Brienz in the municipality of Hofstetten bei Brienz, Canton of Bern, Ballenberg hasContinue
July 28 2021
16 – Wooden Chapel Bridge in Lucerne, Switzerland And Shopping in this Beautiful City! In the afternoon of June 20, 2023, our Hiestand-Haston heritage tour group will visit the Swiss city of Lucerne.  Not only will we see and stroll across this historic bridge, but there will also be time for shopping in Lucerne. The Kapellbrücke (literally,Continue
July 22 2021
2023 Hiestand-Haston Europe Tour Price and Other Details June 14-27, 2023 – Switzerland and Rhineland Germany Download a Printable Copy of the Itinerary and Form More Information about the June 14-27, 2023 Hiestand-Haston European Heritage Tour Share this with Hastons or related family members who might be interested in the June 14-27, 2023 Hiestand-Haston EuropeanContinue
July 21 2021
30 – Our Hastons Moved West of the Cumberland Mountain Through the Tellico Treaties of October 25 and 27, 1805, Cherokee chiefs ceded to the United States a large area of Middle Tennessee.  On April 24, 1806, the October 1805 treaties were officially proclaimed by the President of the United States.  Much of Middle Tennessee,Continue
July 21 2021
14 – Were our Ancient Swiss Hiestands Spiritist-Pagans? Although I can’t say for sure, it is probable, that our Medieval ancestors were pagans who lived in a high-mountain area of what is now the northern edge of Canton Zug, Switzerland.  Our June 2023 Hiestand-Haston tour group will visit this area. The (Swiss) hills were aliveContinue
July 18 2021
Gathering for All Haston Families – July 22-23, 2022 The First ALL Daniel Haston Family Get-Together in 200+ Years! The Schedule Important:  Keep in mind that we will be on Central Time, so adjust your watches & thinking. Friday Evening, July 22, 2022 (6:00-8:30 pm CENTRAL Time) Fun & informal get-acquainted activities, with “potluck desserts,”Continue
July 18 2021
15 – Einsiedeln Abbey, Home of the Swiss “Black Madonna” Tuesday, June 20, 2023, our Hiestand-Haston tour group will visit the largest church in Switzerland–the famous Einsiedeln Abbey. 150,000 to 200,000 Roman Catholic pilgrims visit each year Black Madonna of Einsiedeln The abbey is dedicated to Our Lady of the Hermits, the title being derivedContinue
July 17 2021
2024 Daniel Haston Family Historic Sites Tour Friday Morning, Load the Bus at 9:00 a.m., July 26, 2024 At Hickory Valley Baptist Church We will be touring in three 40-passenger air-conditioned and handicap accessible buses, with on-board PA systems. Download Print Version To see the highlighted route on a printed copy, print in color orContinue
July 17 2021
Some Lodging Options and Recreational Sites For the July 22-23, 2022 Heritage of Daniel Haston Days Week Lodging and Recreation Reservations for lodging at these recreational sites tend to fill up EARLY, plan well ahead if possible. Fall Creek Falls State Park Fall Creek Falls State Park is one of Tennessee’s largest and most visitedContinue
July 17 2021
29 – Resolving the “McComisky Mystery” in the Haston Family A common piece of erroneous family lore has circulated among Daniel Haston family members for many years–the assumption that Daniel’s son, David, was named “David McComisky Haston.”  You don’t have to look at many Haston family trees on Ancestry.com or other genealogy internet sites toContinue
July 13 2021
13 – Village of Hirzel, Switzerland – Home of Two Famous People Our June 2023 Hiestand-Haston tour group will visit the little mountain village of Hirzel, Switzerland on Monday, June 19. The village of Hirzel, just a few miles on the mountainside southwest of Richterswil is famous for its beauty, as well as the homesContinue
July 10 2021
28 – David Haston – Distinguishes Himself as a Young Adult Adjacent to a 2020 $45 Million Development Project At age 25, David Haston became the owner of 111 acres in Knox County, TN.  Apparently, owning land was not something his father (Daniel) achieved until his mid-50s.  In 2020, a $45 million project was developedContinue
July 7 2021
12 – The Richterswil Museum In June 2023, while our Hiestand-Haston tour group is in Richterswil, Switzerland, we will have an opportunity to visit the local museum. The Richterswil local museum deepens the understanding of regional history and promotes cultural life in the community.   The main points of his work are: Management and expansionContinue
July 4 2021
27 – David Haston Married 14 Year Old “Peggy” Roddy Yeah, I just created the title for the dramatic effect, but it was true. On May 5, 1800 (one day short of David Haston’s 23rd birthday) he was issued a marriage bond to marry Margaret “Peggy” Roddy in Knox County, Tennessee. Perhaps his bride was his 23rd birthday giftContinue
July 1 2021
The Daniel Haston Family: A Historical Overview The Story of the Daniel Hiestand/Haston Family From the Mountains of Switzerland to the Rhineland of Germany to all across America The Story of Daniel Haston’s SWISS Ancestors, His Life, and All of His Known Children in 50+ Segments If you appreciated this article, please share it withContinue
June 16 2021
11 – Boat Cruise Around Lake Zürich On Sunday afternoon, June 18, 2023 we enjoy a delightful cruise around Lake Zürich, seeing the towns along the shores and the Alps in the distance.   https://youtu.be/oA3vPJ_9s1U More Information about the June 14-27, 2023 Hiestand-Haston European Heritage Tour Share this with Hastons or related family members who mightContinue
June 16 2021
26 – Daniel Haston’s Many Experiences in the Courtroom While Living in Knox County, TN When Daniel was a young man back in Shenandoah County, VA, he was conspicuously absent from court appearances of any kind, although his brothers were there often as witnesses, involved in court cases, or even sometimes as attorneys. Daniel, asContinue
June 16 2021
10 – The Wilderness Trust in Richterswil That the Hiestands Have Been Members of for Many Centuries On Sunday morning, June 18, 2023 we will worship – like our Anabaptist ancestors worshiped – in a Swiss forest on the hillside behind the town or Richterswil.  They met in secret there because they could be imprisonedContinue
June 15 2021
25 – Another of Daniel Haston’s Boys in Trouble Joseph and the Broken-Down Fence Let’s start with a couple of definitions, for those of you who may not know what “Timothy” is or a “close,” because this story is all about a “timothy close,” some hogs, and a son who was just following his father’sContinue
June 15 2021
9 – The 13th-16th Century Wädenswil Castle Above Richterswil Alt-Wädenswil Castle, the residence of the barons von Wädenswil, was inaugurated in the 13th century. The castle had to be demolished in 1557 according to a decision of the Diet, as Schwyz felt threatened by the expansion of the city-state of Zurich.  Our Hiestand Ancestors WereContinue
June 12 2021
24 – David Haston Cut Tails Off a Neighbor’s Horned Cows Some of us Haston boys have been known for mischief.  Just ask people who knew us while we were growing up.  For example, out of a class of 212, the principal’s daughter I were voted “Most Mischievous” in my senior year of high school. Continue
June 8 2021
08 – The Amazing Richterswil Jet Fountain Weather permitting and etc., we will watch the world famous Richterswil Jet Fountain “spout” on Sunday, June 25, 2023. The Richterswil FONTÄNE, with its height of 101 meters (331 feet), takes eighth place among the top ten, but it is the highest fountain in the world that isContinue
June 8 2021
Understanding Your DNA Results Darvin Martin in Our June 7, 2021 Zoom Meeting https://youtu.be/gplW6ERb2gg Darvin Martin – an expert in Swiss-German Mennonite genetic (DNA) genealogy.  Darvin presents a basic understanding of DNA as it relates to family research.  But there is lots of time for questions and answers. If you appreciated this article, please shareContinue
June 5 2021
23 – Daniel Haston Family, South of the “Holston” River Opposite Knoxville, TN Daniel and family lived in the Knoxville, TN area for about 10 years. There is a lot of information available about his family during that time, so Chapter 14 in the BIG book I’m working on contains 70+ pages. I’ll extract someContinue
May 29 2021
Two of Daniel Haston’s Siblings in South Central, KY The Mill Creek Meeting House Near Tompkinsville, KY. Built in 1804. Abraham Hiestand’s (Hestand’s) Path Ends in South Central KY John Mulkey and his brother Philip Mulkey, sons of Rev. Jonathan Mulkey, were members of the Big Pigeon Baptist Church near what is now Newport, TennesseeContinue
May 22 2021
21 – Daniel Haston Voted in Favor of the State of Franklin So, our Daniel was a “Franklinite” The yellow county – Washington County – is where Abraham Hiestand lived for a few years.  Although there is no (to my knowledge) evidence for Daniel Haston’s specific whereabouts in the county, apparently he also lived thereContinue
May 18 2021
07 – Richterswil, the “Village” of Our Swiss Hiestands Although our Hiestand ancestors lived in other villages around Lake Zürich, we can probably think of Richterswil as our Swiss hometown.  For that reason, we will be spending four nights in Richterswil, where – in our free times – we can walk the streets that ourContinue
May 18 2021
05 – Zürich – A Walking Tour of the City On the afternoon of Saturday, June 17, 2023, we will tour the city of Zurich, the largest city in Switzerland.  It’s one of the most important financial centers in the world.  Situated on the north shore of Lake Zurich and spanning the Limmat River, itContinue
May 15 2021
20 – Abraham and Daniel in the “Overmountain” of NC For approximately 10 to 15 years, Henry Hiestand’s “boys”–Daniel and his older brother Abraham–lived in the “Overmountain” region of Western North Carolina.  Well, that’s not totally accurate because that area became part of the 16th state of the USA, Tennessee (1796), while they were livingContinue
May 11 2021
06 – The Drowning Martyrdom of Anabaptist, Felix Manz On Saturday June 17, 2023 we will visit the site on the Limmat River in Zurich City where one of the first Anabaptist leaders, Felix Manz, was executed by drowning solely because of his Anabaptist faith. The people of Zurich crowded along both sides of theContinue
May 8 2021
19 – Abraham and Daniel Hiestand Settle in the “Carolinas” Headed for “the Carolinas” When the earliest post-Revolution settlers left their homes in places like Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia and said, “We’re going to the Carolinas,” that did not necessarily mean they were going to the area enclosed in the current boundaries of North andContinue
May 2 2021
04 – Täuferhöhle (Anabaptist Cave) – Secret Place for Worship – Saturday, June 17, 2023, we will walk up the hill to see where Swiss Brethren (Anabaptists/Mennonites) met to worship in secret. – The German word Täufer = “Baptist” in English, not Baptist as a denomination but Baptist as “one who baptizes.”  In Switzerland, beginning inContinue
May 1 2021
18 – The Mysterious Daniel MG. Hastings Mortality List Card The “1830 Revolutionary War Mortality Listing” Card In the early 1970s, Dwight Haston discovered the little card that you see pictured above.  He found it in a research library in Arkansas.  At that time, there was several members of the Daniel Haston family who wereContinue
April 30 2021
Building a USPS (Snail Mail) List for Occasional Mailings Related to the History and Heritage of Daniel Haston & Haston Family Events If your current surname (or the surname of a friend or relative who is related to the pioneer Daniel Haston family) is not spelled “Haston” or “Hastain” (example, you go by a marriedContinue
April 28 2021
DNA – An Introduction by Darvin Martin, Scientist & Genealogist View the June 7, 2021 Zoom Session with the Daniel Haston Family Association View Another Video: Darvin Martin Teaching the Basics of DNA Summary of the Q&A in the Video What are the main tests you can take to learn information about your background? ThereContinue
April 24 2021
Thomas Archer – an Eccentric Man from Guilford County, NC Who Ended Up With 640 Acres from Military Bounty Land Warrant #2344 This is #3 in a sequence of 3 articles.  You should read the first two articles before reading this one. 1. “Daniel Haston” Rev War Land Grant 2. The “Guilford County Four” &Continue
April 24 2021
17a – The “Guilford County Four” And the Epicenter of 1785 Land Fraud – James Glasgow’s “Fairfield” Plantation This is #2 in a sequence of 3 articles.  You should read the first article before reading this one. 1. “Daniel Haston” Rev War Land Grant 3. Thomas Archer – the Man Who Ended Up with theContinue
April 24 2021
The “Daniel Haston” Rev War Land Grant Legal or Fraudulent? 640 acres in Houston County, TN (west of Nashville) were granted to Thomas Archer, based on Revolutionary War Land Grant #2344.  The right to the land was originally issued to a “Daniel Haston.”  But was the name Daniel Haston just used by NC Secretary ofContinue
April 21 2021
03 – Hiestand Bakery Bistro & Shop in Zurich, Switzerland –Here’s where we will eat lunch on Friday, June 16, 2023 – on our Hiestand-Haston Family Heritage Tour to Switzerland and the Rhineland of Germany.– View the Menu Options Alfred (Fredy) Hiestand comes from Hiestand family, which is the honorable bakery brand in Europe. HeContinue
April 20 2021
02 – Rhine Falls at Schaffhausen, Switzerland https://youtu.be/IWVG_ctdGWY The Rhine Falls in Switzerland  is the most powerful waterfall in all of Europe.  You will see, not only the Rhine Falls in Switzerland, but the awesome landscape and villages that surround the Rhine River. The Rhine River Falls is on a stretch of the Rhine RiverContinue
April 20 2021
01 – The Black Forest of Southwest Germany – First Evening Stop on Our Hiestand-Haston Family Heritage Tour to Switzerland and the Rhineland of Germany – The Black Forest is Known for its Awesome Beauty Our first evening will be spent in the Black Forest, along our way from Frankfort Germany to Zurich, Switzerland.  The BlackContinue
April 17 2021
“Bud” (Clarence E.) Haston, Jr. Awarded the Gold Star Honor In WWII – An Honor Nobody Wants to Win – Thanks to Chuck Haston of McMinnville, TN for sharing this information with us.  Chuck’s father (Judge Charles D. Haston) is Bud Haston’s kid brother. “Bud” Haston (Clarence Eugene Haston, Jr.) grew up in McMinnville ofContinue
April 17 2021
16 – Can I Get Into the DAR or SAR through Daniel Haston? The centennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1876 renewed a fervor to honor our country’s Revolutionary War patriots. In the year of that centennial, the Society of Cincinnati (Ohio) launched The Sons of the Revolution and a groupContinue
April 10 2021
15 – Henry Hiestand’s Estate Settled and the Family Parts Ways Daniel’s Mother & Father Die in 1777 and 1779 Peter Hiessandt, Sr.’s, (older brother of Daniel) Bible record was written in the old German script, but transcribed later by descendants.  Peter recorded some very helpful information about his mother and father: Year 1777 theContinue
April 9 2021
Hiestand-Haston Family Heritage Tour June 14-27, 2023 – Switzerland & Rhineland of Germany Photo above: The “village” of Richterswil in Canton Zürich, Switzerland – where our Hiestand-Haston ancestors lived centuries ago. Download the Questions and Answers Document A Tour with Double-Value Scenic Value The “scenic value” of this tour alone will be worth the priceContinue
April 6 2021
Ruth Haston Norwood May 15, 1929 – April 3, 2021 A Daniel Haston History Hall of Famer Daniel was my gggg grandfather. David my ggg, Isaac [Isaac T.] my gg, Wm Carroll (not David’s son) my g grandfather, Wm Isaac my grandfather. Ruth Haston Norwood (January 19, 2001) When I (Wayne Haston) began researching theContinue
April 3 2021
14 – Daniel & Christina Nave Hiestand/Haston Newlyweds in Fort Valley, VA Daniel and Christina lived on Passage Creek for the first ten years or so of their marriage.  Their little kids (three whose names are unknown, but David and Joseph Haston for sure) would have played in this creek at or near this veryContinue
March 27 2021
13 – Our Daniel Hiestand Married Christina Nave In Shenandoah County, Virginia View Larger Version of this Image I think we can safely say it’s fact that our Daniel Hiestand/Haston married Christina Nave on September 28, 1773, or at least was issued a marriage bond on that date.  But two questions remain unanswered: Who wasContinue
March 20 2021
12 – Hiestand Land in “The Fort” – Fort Valley, Virginia Seven Bends of North Shenandoah River, near Woodstock, VA with Fort Valley in the Massanutten Mountain behind (east of) the river. Photo Above – Looking Southeast Foreground = Seven bends of North Fork Shenandoah River (near Woodstock, VA) on the west side of MassanuttenContinue
March 16 2021
One of the Most Heroic Units in the Mexican War I have no photo of him.  I have no details of his specific activities during his year of service in the Mexican War.  He was only a private.  He was only a volunteer, not a member of the Regular Army.  He only served 12 months.  ButContinue
March 13 2021
11 – The Henry Hiestand Family in Virginia When Henry Hiestand and his wife (name unknown) moved their family to Virginia, they probably already had four or five children who had been born back in Lancaster County, PA–Barbara (c. 1734), Jacob (c. 1736), Peter (c. 1738), and maybe Abraham (c. 1840).  Ann was born OctoberContinue
March 6 2021
10 – Indian Attacks Around Our Hiestands in Pennsylvania and Virginia Memorial for Rev. John Roads – Mennonist & wife and six children massacred here by Indians, August 1764 As a kid, cowboys and Indians was just a fun game we played.  And the battles between Indians and American pioneers was just something we enjoyedContinue
March 4 2021
One Family – Many H-Surname Spellings Colonel Howard H. Hasting, Sr. – a 1950s–early 1980s Haston family researcher – opened his research report on the family of Daniel Haston with this question: What is the name of this family?  He then proceeded to reference several different ways our H-surname has been spelled in official records.  IContinue
February 27 2021
Hiestands Move to the Shenandoah Valley in Northern Virginia From a “Hiestand field” on the South Fork of the Shenandoah River Our Daniel Hiestand/Haston was probably born a quarter mile or less down river from this spot. He grew up here and no doubt learned to swim and fish in this river–the South Fork ofContinue
February 20 2021
08 – Henry Hiestand Settled on Land Acquired from William Penn’s Sons Outline of the 226 acre tract Henry Hiestand settled on and had surveyed in Lancaster County, PA. And who were Henry Hiestands parents? Exactly where did he live in Lancaster County, PA? Why did he owe so much money to Caspar Wistar?  WhoContinue
February 13 2021
07 – Henry Hiestand – His Earliest Years in America William Penn’s first visit to his American colony in 1682 paved the way for our Henrich Hiestand to settle there 45 years later. Image Source: https://owlcation.com/ For Americans, an “immigrant ancestor” is an ancestor who emigrated from some other country, to come to and settleContinue
February 11 2021
Caney Fork of the Cumberland (The Book) Daniel Haston settled on the south side of the Caney Fork River in what was then White County, TN.  The river holds lots of memories for those of us who grew up near there.  I certainly have enough personal stories to occupy you for a few hours andContinue
February 7 2021
06 – The Journey from Ibersheim to America Source: http://olivetreegenealogy.blogspot.com/ In early 1727, Henrich Hiestand probably boarded a barge in Worms, much like the one above, saying a “forever” goodbye to his Ibersheim family. Of the Mennonites who emigrated from the Rhine lands, “only a small proportion—roughly 10 percent—journeyed overseas.  The vast majority relocated inContinue
February 1 2021
05a – Our Hiestands (Heystandts) – Refugees in Friedrichstadt on the North Sea “Heystandt” was the way the Hollander-Dutch spelled our Hiestand name. The Nine Years War or the War of the Grand Alliance In 1689 Ibersheim and the entire Palatinate again became a hot war zone.  Five years after hereditary tenant rights were grantedContinue
January 31 2021
05 – Ibersheim, Germany German Home-Village of Our Hiestands https://www.akpool.de/ The village of Ibersheim (pronounced, Ibers-heim [“ib” as in “crib”]) is situated on what historically was an unprotected floodplain on the left bank (west side of) the Rhine River, just below (north of) a sharp northeastward bend in the river, about six miles (12 km)Continue
January 24 2021
04 – Our Swiss Ancestors Flee to Germany (Source: artuk.org) The Thirty Years War (1618-1648) Paves the Way for Swiss Anabaptists to Find New Homes Almost as soon as the Swiss Brethren (Anabaptists/Mennonites) began to teach and practice the Biblical principles they were learning from studying the New Testament (1525 A.D. and following), they encounteredContinue
January 21 2021
J. Ross Baughman’s Maps and Images Just one of 85 pages of maps and images from J. Ross Baughman’s Books – Many or most of which Ross drew himself Download This Resource Eighty-five Maps and Illustrations from the Origins of Swiss & Anabaptist Migrants: Collection of maps created by J. Ross Baughman for (and includedContinue
January 20 2021
Our Hiestand (Canton Zurich) Swiss Roots Video of the January 19, 2021 “Swiss Roots of the Hiestand/Haston Family” Zoom discussion with J. Ross Baughman as the expert guest. The full two hours of the meeting, focusing on the area south of the Zurich Sea where our Hiestand ancestors came from, with information on their participationContinue
January 17 2021
Free Book About Our Swiss Mennonite Roots: Apart From This World The Account of the Origins and Destinies of Various Swiss Mennonites Apart From The World: Ross Baughman, author.  An account of the origins and destinies of various Swiss Mennonites who fled from their homelands in remote parts of Cantons Zurich, Aargau, and Bern –Continue
January 14 2021
03 – What Do You Know About Our Mennonite Roots? Image from Christianity.com Rev. Samuel Hiestand’s parents, grandparents, and several generations before were all Mennonites. “Samuel Hiestand” – Wikipedia This Samuel Hiestand was our Daniel Haston’s nephew, son of Daniel’s oldest brother Jacob. Huldrych (Ulrich) Zwingli You know about Martin Luther and the Protestant ReformationContinue
January 12 2021
FREE Book About Our Swiss Homeland A Lake Beneath the Crescent Moon: Some of the history, legends and folkart from around Zurich ranging from prehistoric times through the 18th Century, along with the families thereabout named Bachman, Hiestand, Ringger & Strickler – 2000; 265 pages.  (28.6 MB) Download PDF If you enjoyed this article, please share itContinue
January 10 2021
02 – Our Haston Roots are in Switzerland For many years, even the most diligent researchers in the extended Daniel Haston family would hit the so-called genealogical “brick wall” with appearances of Daniel in western North Carolina, prior to the formation of the state of Tennessee.  They could establish their family connections back to Daniel,Continue
January 3 2021
01 – In Search of Our European Roots It looks like a hopeless task to trace back the family of Daniel, but let’s keep stumbling in the dark until we find something. Col. Howard H. Hasting, Sr. (1979) The desire of Daniel Haston’s descendants to know our European ethnicity did not begin with the genealogicalContinue
December 27 2020
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 thatContinue
December 25 2020
Why Study Dead People? Or “Discovering Your Family’s History” Podcast Interview with Wayne Haston https://youtu.be/1_RmldZXnY8 DEBORAH JOHNSON, M.A., creator of Hero Mountain™® and past President of Los Angeles National Speakers Association, is an international award-winning music artist, author, speaker and National Media Commentator. Deborah provides principles to produce a successful second half, creating momentum andContinue
December 17 2020
David Rhea & Estelle Haston Daniel Haston Family History “Hall of Famers” David Rhea and Estelle (Suggs) Haston lived in Sparta, Tennessee (White County, TN).  You can see their birth and death dates on the Highland Cemetery tombstone below.  For 20+ years (mid-1960s until sometime in the late 1980s or so) Dave and Estelle didContinue
December 6 2020
Colonel Howard H. Hasting, Sr. 1950s-80s Daniel Haston Family Researcher A Daniel Haston History Hall of Famer Howard H. Hasting, Sr. March 23, 1905-April 1, 2003 Oldest of six children. Graduate of the United States Military Academy, West Point in 1928. Separated from the armed service in 1931, he practiced law in Arkansas until heContinue

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This blog began on January 1, 2001. Some of the main topics included in the blog focus on the history of the Daniel Haston family, going all the way back to the Hiestands of Zürich Switzerland, as early as the 15th century, honoring earlier Haston family researchers and other notable Hastons, announcing events of significance to members of the Daniel Haston Family and related families, as well as other related topics.

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The Story of the Daniel Haston Family – Book

The Book: The Story of the Daniel Haston Family

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Remember the days of old;
    consider the generations long past.
Ask your father and he will tell you,
    your elders, and they will explain to you.
Deuteronomy 32:7 (NIV)

In this book, I want to tell a story—a historically true story about our Haston family roots in Europe, beginning near the end of the Middle Ages.  The story will continue as I describe some of the dreadful experiences they were forced to endure in Europe because of their evangelical Christian faith and how our immigrant ancestor (earliest-to-America ancestor) got to America.  But the most extensive part of the story will focus on how our American forefathers moved from Pennsylvania to Virginia, from Virginia to Tennessee and Kentucky, and from there, all across the United States.

Preview Two Pages per Chapter from the Book

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  • Option 1Call and give us your credit card information for the payment.  That’s how many archives, historical societies, etc. transact credit card payments.  Send your phone number in an email and tell me when it’s convenient to call.  WayneH37@aol.com
  • Option 2Mail a check, but contact me before writing the check so we can calculate shipping costs.

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The 31 Chapters in the Book

Section One – Our Haston Family Roots in Europe

Chapter 1 – The Pre-DNA Search for Our Family Roots

Chapter 2 – Switzerland, Our Deepest European Roots

Chapter 3 – Anabaptists in Switzerland

Chapter 4 – Anabaptists Flee to Eastern France and the Rhineland of Germany

Chapter 5 – Ibersheim in the Palatinate of Germany

Chapter 6 – Emigration to America

Section Two – Henrich Hiestand in America

Chapter 7 – Henrich Hiestand in Pennsylvania

Chapter 8 – Henrich Hiestand in Virginia

Section Three – Daniel and Abraham Hiestand

Chapter 9 – Daniel Haston in Virginia

Chapter 10 – Daniel Haston, a Revolutionary War Veteran?

Chapter 11 – Daniel Haston’s Early North Carolina Connections

Chapter 12 – Hiestand Families in Upper East Tennessee

Chapter 13 – Hiestand Families in Early Kentucky

Section Four – Daniel Haston Family in Tennessee

Chapter 14 – Daniel Haston Family in Knox County, Tennessee

Chapter 15 – David Haston’s Young Family

Chapter 16 – Daniel Haston’s Family in White County, Tennessee

Section Five – Children of Daniel Haston

Chapter 17 – David Haston in White County, Tennessee

Chapter 18 – David Haston in Van Buren County, Tennessee

Chapter 19 – Grandson, Montgomery Greenville Haston 

Chapter 20 – Joseph Haston

Chapter 21 – Jacob and Lucinda Haston Mitchell

Chapter 22 – John and Catherine Haston Austin

Chapter 23 – Isaac Haston in Tennessee

Chapter 24 – Isaac Haston in Missouri

Chapter 25 – Isaac Haston in California

Chapter 26 – Jesse Haston

Chapter 27 – Jeremiah Haston

Chapter 28 – Daniel Haston, Jr.

Chapter 29 – James and Elizabeth Haston Roddy

Chapter 30 – Mary/Polly and Peggy Hastings?

Addendum 

Chapter 31 – Big Fork Baptist Church and Cemetery 

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Haston Family History Overview

The Daniel Haston Family: A Historical Overview

The Story of the Daniel Hiestand/Haston Family

From the Mountains of Switzerland to the Rhineland of Germany to all across America

The Story of Daniel Haston’s SWISS Ancestors, His Life, and All of His Known Children in 50+ Segments

03 – Our Mennonite Roots

03 – What Do You Know About Our Mennonite Roots? Image from Christianity.com Rev. Samuel Hiestand’s parents, grandparents, and several generations before were all Mennonites.

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02 – Wiley B. and Mary Durham Haston

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First-Known Hastons to Arkansas

This Yell County, Arkansas Series – Links to be Activated When Articles are Published

Don’t Confuse These Two Men With the Same Names

Wiley B. Haston, born 1806

Wiley B. Haston, born 1836

Son of David Haston, Grandson of Daniel Haston

Died in the 1860s in Arkansas

Son of James Alford Haston, Grandson of Joseph Haston, Great Grandson of Daniel Haston

Died in the Civil War Battle of Perryville, KY in 1862

First 44 Years in the Life of Willie/Wiley B. Haston

  • Born July 11, 1806, in Knox County, TN, northwest of Knoxville (on his parents’ farm on Grassy Creek).  His parents were David (oldest son of Daniel) and Peggy Roddy Haston. 
  • Often spelled “Willie” but pronounced “Wi-ley”
  •  “B” = “Blount” (probably named for Willie Blount of Knoxville, who later became a three-term [1809-1815] Governor of TN), including the War of 1812 Era.  His father (David, son of Daniel) may have been a friend of the future TN governor while living in the Knoxville area. 
  • Married 1st – Tamar (Tamsey) Austin (before 1825); Tamsey was a daughter of John & Rachel Denny Austin, thus a step-daughter of Wiley’s Aunt Catherine Haston, who married John Austin after Rachel died.  Wiley and Tamsey had eight children together, according to a family record.   Tamsey died before mid-1845.
  • 1828 – “Blount Hasting” – first appearance on the White County, TN (area that later became Van Buren County) tax list in the same district as his father and Uncle Joseph.  “William B. Haston” on the 1832 tax list with 50 acres of land, plus 150 acres of “school land.”  Later, the name “Willie B.” appears.  225 acres in 1840 in the 4th district along Cane Creek.  
  • January 25, 1839 – Signed the petition to create Van Buren County, TN.
  • 1850 Van Buren County, TN Census for District 4
As per family records, there was also Margaret (1828) and Elizabeth (1829), who (apparently) were already married.

Second Wife Years in Tennessee

  • Married 2nd – Mary Durham (July 13, 1845) in Van Buren County, TN.  Mary was the daughter of Nathan Durham, a neighbor of W.B. Haston on Cane Creek in the 4th District of Van Buren County, TN.
  • 1852 – Commissioned as Justice of the Peace in Van Buren County, TN.
  • 1853 – Voted in the affirmative for the incorporation of Spencer, TN.
  • May 7, 1860 – Was in Van Buren County, TN court where his and Tansey’s daughter, Nancy, was placed in the guardianship of William B. Cummings.  Refers to Tamsey as W.B.’s former wife and deceased.  Nancy would have been about 20 years old, but still a minor until 21.
  • By the time he left Tennessee, he owned 935 acres but mostly cheap land on Cane Creek in District 4. 
    Note: According to 1870-1871 Chancery Court records, this land was given to W.B. & Mary by Mary’s father, Nathan Durham, but was the deed was not registered, which resulted in a court challenge regarding the ownership of the land.  See end of this article. 
  • Next court entry for the same day (May 7, 1860) states that David Haston (father of W.B. Haston) had “departed this life.”  This was probably the event that “freed” W.B. to leave Tennessee and venture west.

Sebastian County, Arkansas

Sixty-six days after the Van Buren County, TN (May 7, 1860) court session in which Wiley B.’s daughter, Nancy Haston, was placed into guardianship and his father’s death was mentioned, W.B. and Mary’s family was on the 1860 Federal Census in Cole Township (James Fork Post Office) of Sebastian County, Arkansas.  
  

July 11, 1860 –  W.B. Haston, age 54, was on the 1860 census for Sebastian County, AR, with a four-year-old son (David Haston) who was born in Arkansas, but all the others in the family were indicated to have been born in Tennessee, even a one-month-old “William” (who was “Willard” in other official sources).  The census taker must have gotten the places of birth for David and William/Willard confused, because later census records indicate that it was William/Willard who was born in Arkansas, not his older brother David.

 

Some sources say that William/Dillard Durham (W.D.) Haston was born in Yell County, Arkansas.  Since he was only one month old at the time of the 1860 census, he was probably born there during a brief stop in Yell County before the family moved on to Sebastian County, two counties to the west of Yell.

1860 Cole Township of Sebastian County, Arkansas Census

Red dots indicate the children born to W.B. Haston's second wife, Mary Durham. The older children were from his first marriage with Tamsey Austin Haston. Why two 30-year-old Nancys on the record? Was she the wife of William D. (35-year-old son of W.B.) and her name was listed twice?

Shadrack and Margaret Haston Mooneyham

Shadrack Mooneyham (born 1826) and Margaret Haston (born about 1828) were married by David Haston, Justice of the Peace, on August 14, 1845.  Margaret was the daughter of Wiley B. and Tamsey Austin Haston and granddaughter of David Haston, who performed their marriage.  Shadrack and Margaret apparently moved to Arkansas with her father and step-mother.  At the time of the 1860 census, they (he, age 33; she, age 31) were also living in Cole Township of Sebastian County, Arkansas, with seven children (five oldest born in TN, two youngest born in AR).  Margaret’s youngest child was born in April 1865 and Shadrack married a second wife on February 1870.  According to the obituary of Margaret’s son, Wiley Bluntford Mooneyham (born in Arkansas in 1860), apparently the family remained in Arkansas after her father died there. 

Back to Van Buren County, Tennessee

Wiley B. Haston did not live long after moving to Sebastian County, AR.  He died sometime after the 1860 census and I have not been able to learn anything about his life or death in Arkansas.  By the time of the 1870 census, his widow, Mary Durham Haston, was living back in Van Buren County with four children.

Since William D. (born 1860 in Arkansas) was the youngest child in Mary’s family, it is likely that her husband (Wiley B.) died within a year or two (or so) of their arrival in Sebastian County, Arkansas.

Van Buren County, TN Chancery Court – 1870 & 1871 (Book A, pages 27, 34, 40, 69)

Mary Hasting, widow of Wiley B. Hastin, Sr. vs. Wiley B. Hasting, Jr., James Hasting, et. al.

Mary (Durham) Haston, widow of Wiley B. Haston, Sr., was involved in a Van Buren County Chancery Court case.   Apparently, the case was related to Wiley B.’s estate settlement, particularly the 935 acres in Turkey Cock Cove that Mary’s father, Nathan Durham, had gifted to Wiley B. and Mary on September 12, 1859 (eight months or so before they left for Arkansas).  It appears that more than two dozen descendants were trying to get part of the 935 acres.  

The court concluded that the deed assigned to Wiley B. Haston had been destroyed before it was registered and was thus void.  The court “ordered and decreed … that the title to the above [land] be divested out of the defendants [the family members trying to get some of the land] and vested in complainant [Mary Durham Haston] … and that the deed so made to complainant by the said Nathan Durham be set up.”

 

In other words, Mary ended up being the legal owner of the land and the defendants [the people trying to get what they deemed to be their share of the land] got nothing.

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01 – Yell County, Arkansas – Hastons

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Yell County, Arkansas - A "Haston Place"

Yell County is Arkansas’s 42nd county, formed on December 5, 1840, from portions of Scott and Pope counties.

Why Yell County, Arkansas?

Why did so many descendants of Daniel Haston from the Tennessee Haston Homeland move to Yell County, Arkansas, between 1850 and 1880?  Frankly, I don’t know for sure.  There was no major booming industry there to attract them with lucrative jobs.  It probably had something to do with cheap land, some of which was very fertile.  But, for “whatever” reason there were several Van Buren County, TN Haston families that moved there within those thirty years–1850 to 1880.  

John Solomon Otto, Slavery in the Mountains: Yell County, Arkansas, 1840-1860

Van Buren County, TN Hastons to Yell County, AR

In future weeks, but not necessarily consecutive weeks, I will share what I know about the following Van Buren County, TN Hastons, who settled, temporarily or for the long term, in Yell County, Arkansas.  

Button links will be activated as the articles are published.

Within a couple of months after mid-Decmber 2024.

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Deuteronomy 32:7 – We Tend to Waith Until They are Gone

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"Consider the Years of Many Generations; Ask...Your Elders"

In the Bible, the nation of Israel repeatedly lapsed into immorality and social chaos.  Why?  It was largely because the people lost contact with the past.  They became so focused on the “now” that they neglected to learn about the past.  They failed to ASK their parents and other elders about the history that had brought them to the “now” and would help inform them on how to face the “future.”

How Many Times Have You Wished You Had Asked Your Parents or Other Older Relatives More Questions About Your Family's History?

My mother had a remarkable memory of her past.  Even before I became deeply interested in family history, I loved to hear her tell stories about her growing-up years.  And she knew a lot about other families among whom she lived.  Her mind just seemed to naturally absorb history.  Dad probably knew a lot more about his Haston family than he ever talked about. He passed away in 2001, and now I wish I could sit down with him and ask him to tell me about his early years–the places where his family lived, his most memorable stories from his childhood and teen years, his life as the youngest of eight children, his experience in the Civil Conservation Corps, and many more stories.

Mom lived alone for several years after Dad passed away.  She lived on a very restricted budget and was disappointed when she realized she could no longer buy Christmas presents for her three children, grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren.  Instead of purchasing gifts for us, we asked her to write a journal filled with many of her memories.  She wrote about 50 pages and distributed copies to each of us.  These are priceless–and the value increases with every year that passes!  

January 5, 2002 and following months - Memories from my mother, Mary Ruth Davis Haston

Old People Are Repositories of Family History, Tap Into Them While You Can

Two Admonitions, From Me to You

One: Wait no longer.  Set a time now to get together with your parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents, and other family members who are repositories of your family’s history.  Record their stories in a way that can be preserved for future generations.  It’s a gift that will keep on giving well past your lifetime!

Two: Don’t wait until your children and grandchildren come to pick your historical brain.  Start writing your own stories now.

A few years ago, one of our daughters gave us a subscription to Storyworth, an online place to record stories from your life that you would like to pass on to your children and generations of grandchildren.  These books can be printed and bound by Storyworth.  They make beautiful books.  I plan to keep writing as long as I can and let my daughters print out the books when I am gone.  

Storyworth is a wonderful Christmas gift to give to yourself and others.

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The Haston Penny That Came Home from the Civil War Battle of Perryville, KY

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The Wiley B. Haston Penney

Image Source: https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/the-battle-of-perryville-death-on-a-dry-river/
Email from Hoyte Cook, August 16, 2024.
James Alford and Livinia Haston family, highlighting the two Perryville, KY Battle (Civil War) sons, Wiley B. and John Taylor Haston.

Article 15

     I closed last week while in the hottest of the battle of Perryville. I will now give you the names of my company who were killed and mortally wounded. Wiley Haston, a brother of John Haston was mortally wounded and died next day. Peter Shockley, an uncle of George Haston’s wife was a son of Saml. Shockley and lived where Sam Haston now lives was killed dead. Levy Johnson was a son of Andy Johnson and cousin of Wesley Johnson was killed dead. Wm. Jones only son of Davis (and Bersheba )Jones was mortally wounded and died that night. James Moore uncle to Tom Clark and Sallie Smith of McMinnville was killed dead. He had three brothers in the war, one of whom was killed at Murfreesboro and the others wounded in battle. Sam Parker whose people lived in White County was killed dead. John Steakley was killed dead and his brother James mortally wounded and died that night. George Sparkman was severely wounded and took refuge behind a tree but a grape shot from a cannon killed him. I think his father’s name was William and lived on Laurel Creek near where Henry Cotton lives. William Wood was a son of Hamlet Wood and lived near Goodbar was mortally wounded and died that night. John E. York a brother to Mrs. E. T. Passons died, was killed dead. John Smalden a boy reared by John M. Billingsley on Cane Creek joined us on our way to Ky. and killed dead making twelve. Others were seriously and slightly wounded. The enemy finally retreated and we followed on. They loaded as they fell back but would whirl and shoot back. So we passed the little cabin on the hill. I was severely wounded through my right side above my hip. We then had them on the run. James Martin was the only living man near me and offered to assist me off the battlefield, but I told him I could make it, and for him to go on and kill all of them. On my way back I passed the boys lying dead, and oh, my! Col. Savage was with us in the thickest of the fight, and was shot through his leg, and his horse (George) was killed. The moaning and sighing of the wounded and dying that night were heart-rending and enough to make any man oppose war. Lieut. Denney Cummings a cousin to Jo Denney Cummings was shot in the mouth breaking his jaw and carrying away about 14 or 15 teeth and we thought would die, but he got over it and rejoined our company and was in the battle of Chickamauga! I would have voted for the war to close then, but oh, shucks! The loss in our Regt. was 199 killed and severely wounded. Genl. Buell of the Yankee Army re-inforced Genl. Rosecrans with 40,000 fresh troops that night, and Genl. Bragg had to evacuate Ky. and hurriedly got matters in shape to move out. The severely wounded could not be carried away, but left in the hands of the enemy. I was very sorry that I had to be left back. The day after the battle, all the wounded who could be moved, were carried up to Harrodsburg, 10 miles from Perryville. I was carried up there and put in the court house, with good many wounded. The army was on the march, by Crab Orchard and on to East Tennessee. The cavalry took up the rear, and I yet remember seeing John T. [Taylor] Haston in line, and he gave me some rations. John is yet living, and has his wings up, has never sold out for a mess of pottage and never will. If I go to war again, I want John with me. Nine of the wounded in the hospital with me died that night. I was fearful that the Yanks would mistreat us Rebs in the hospital, but, I was mistaken. How many old Van Buren boys are living now, who were in the battle of Perryville near 49 years ago!

C. H. C.

John Taylor Haston (1844-1923) gave the penny to his son, Casto Haston (1887-1960). Casto passed it on to his oldest son, John Thomas Haston (1912-1992). It has remained in the family of John Thomas Haston.

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Mini-Reunion – Let Us Help

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We Can Help You Have a Memorable Haston Family Reunion

Would you like to have a Haston Family Reunion in your area– 
a reunion for your branch of the Haston and Haston-related families?

  • Wayne will come and give some presentations on Haston family history.  You will be able to ask your questions about our family’s history.
  • We will help you promote the event.
  • Some of our experienced reunion organizers will help you with ideas of what works in creating a successful Haston family reunion.
  • Some leading Daniel Haston Family Association members will join you to tell you more about the association.
  • Free to you.

Contact Us

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Can You Join the DAR or SAR

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How You Can Become a Member of the DAR or SAR

You must join as “Daniel Haston – a Patriot,” not as “Daniel Haston – a Veteran.”

What’s the difference?  Read on.

Sons of the American Revolution

Since 1889, the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) has honored our Revolutionary War patriot ancestors by promoting patriotism, serving our communities and educating and inspiring future generations about the founding principles of our Country.  Members (over 37,000) of the Sons of the American Revolution can trace their genealogy to a patriot who served in or supported the cause of the American War for Independence.

As of 2022, four men had joined the Sons of the American Revolution, one in 1960, one in 1974, and two in 2022.  These men joined based on the claim that Daniel Haston was a Revolutionary War veteran based on a Revolutionary War land grant that has since been revealed to probably be fraudulent and invalid. 
 

Consequently, the requirements to prove that Daniel Haston was a veteran in the War for American Independence have become much more stringent since 2022, requiring any applicant to prove that (1) our Daniel Haston truly fought in the Revolution and (2) that the applicant can provide documented proof of a lineal connection back to Daniel Hiestand/Haston. 

The SAR no longer assumes that the evidence submitted by the existing four members is valid proof that Daniel Hiestand/Haston was a veteran of the American Revolution.  New applicants will now be required to provide more convincing evidence based on unquestioned valid documentation.  Based on what is now known about Daniel Hiestand/Haston, it is unlikely that anyone will ever be admitted to the SAR again through Daniel as a veteran.

However, if you can prove your direct ancestral lineage back to Daniel Hiestand/Haston, you can join the Sons of the American Revolution through Daniel as a patriot, who paid taxes that were used to support the Revolution.  In 1782 and 1783, Daniel Hiestand paid Personal Property taxes to Shenandoah County, VA.  These taxes were used to support the American patriot cause in the war.  Look (below) at the Law of Virginia that was passed in the May 1782 Session of the State’s General Assembly.

(From an Official SAR Document)

Daniel Hiestand/Haston paid the 1782 Personal Property Tax mentioned in this Act of the VA General Assembly, as well as the similar 1783 tax.

Shenandoah County, VA Personal Property Tax List, Series 07770, Reel No. 89. (Richmond, VA: Virginia State Library and Archives), image 422, page 11.  https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS79-2QL3-W?i=421&cat=695422

Shenandoah County, VA Personal Property Tax List, Series 07770, Reel No. 89. (Richmond, VA: Virginia State Library and Archives), image 442, page 16. 
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS79-2QL9-4?i=441&cat=695422

Daughters of the American Revolution

The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), founded in 1890, is a “non-profit, non-political volunteer women’s service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America’s future through better education for children. Any woman 18 years or older-regardless of race, religion, or ethnic background-who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution, is eligible for membership. The DAR boasts 190,000 members.”

Presumably, the same documentation as above (for the SAR) would suffice for membership into the DAR, through Daniel’s Patriotic Service demonstrated by paying the 1782 and 1783 taxes in Shenandoah County, VA. 

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Luther Haston – A Life of Crime

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From Cradle to the Prison Graveyard - How He Got There

The “Dash” Between Luther Haston’s Birth and Death Dates

March 7, 1900 September 9, 1938

What was in the “DASH” of his life, between his beginning and his end?

There was never a grave marker in the Brushy Mountain Penitentiary Burying Ground with Luther Haston’s name and birth and death dates.  The State of Tennessee thought he and the hundreds buried around him were not worth having a well-marked grave.  

But, there was a beginning and an end to his life, and a DASH of 38+ years between.  

A "What is Known" Timeline of Luther Haston's Life

1900, March 7 – His Birth

1911 – Who was this Luther Hastings?

Nashville Tennessean, June 16, 1911

Before I discovered the Addie Smalley—Martin/Mortin L. Hastings marriage record, I assumed that this Rutherford County, TN “Luther Hastings” was probably young Luther’s father. Was it just a coincidence that an 11-year-old “colored” Luther Haston and a 30-year-old “colored” Luther Hastings lived simultaneously in the same rural Tennessee county?  For some reason, was Addie’s son named after Luther Hastings, who was killed in 1911?  Was this adult Luther actually the birth father of little Luther?

1911 – Arrest for “Grand Larceny”

Nashville Tennessean, 9-18-1911

Grand larceny is a crime in which something very valuable is stolen, at or more than $1,000 or more in 2024,
but much less in the early 1900s.  It is a felony offense in Tennessee.
Petty (Petit) larceny is theft where the value of the stolen property is low, at or below $1,000 in 2024,
but much less in the early 1900s, probably less than $100.  It is a Class A misdemeanor in Tennessee.  

Assuming this was the Luther Haston who was born in Rutherford County, TN in 1900, he was 11 years old, not 14.  We will see that there was ongoing confusion regarding Luther’s birth date and age.  Here, he apparently fled Nashville (only 35 or so miles from Murfreesboro) and was captured in Chattanooga, TN and returned to Nashville, presumably where the theft occurred.  Grand larceny was a serious offense (more serious than petit larceny) because of the value of the stolen property.  Was a $35 bicycle valuable enough at that time to qualify for grand larceny?

1917 – Mother of 17 Year Old Luther Haston?

April 6, 1917 Nashville Globe

The Nashville Globe was a black newspaper edited and published by black (“colored”) people.  Nashville is about 35 miles northwest of Murfreesboro, where Addie Smalley Haston, mother of Luther, lived with her parents.  Additional records indicate that Addie moved from Rutherford County (Murfreesboro) to Nashville (Davidson County).  Was she single again and using her maiden name at the time of her death?

1918, September 12 – Draft Board Registration

Luther (Slim) Haiston

Luther was living at 432 E. Depot Street in Knoxville, TN.  Keep in mind (for future reference) that he was living near the train depot in Knoxville.
 

 

He was 18-years-old and he gave his date of birth – March 7, 1900, so he did know when he was born! He was a native-born Negro.  The record says he was a driver for the U.S. Post Office.  We can be sure this was the son of Addie Smalley, because he says that his nearest relative was a half-sister living in Murfreesboro, TN, as well as the date of birth matches the 1900 census record.  The Willie May Mays (Luther’s half sister) was probably the 16-year-old girl who married Orman Dudley Underwood (age 19) on August 11, 1917 in Davidson County (Nashville area), TN. Rev. F.E. Alford performed the marriage ceremony.  Looks like he signed his name, Luther Haiston.  
 

He was 70″ (5′ 10″) tall, weighed 145 pounds (remember, he was nicknamed “Slim”), had brown eyes and black hair.  He was physically qualified to be drafted into the army.   

1918 – September 30 – Induction at Camp Hancock in Augusta, GA

Augusta, GA was home to one of the largest military camps in the United States, Camp Hancock which opened in 1917, during World War I.

World War I officially ended on November 11, 1918, 42 days after Luther was inducted at Fort Hancock.  Was he discharged, so shortly after his induction, as the war was coming to a close?

1918 – October 30 – Sentenced for Petty Larceny in Nashville, TN

Left Side Page

Interesting: Six weeks earlier, he was living in Knoxville and was registered for the draft.  On September 30, 1918, he was inducted into the army in Augusta, GA.  Now, he’s arrested and convicted for petty larceny (stealing something of a relatively small value) in Davidson County (Nashville), approximately 200 miles west of Knoxville.

This crime occurred in Davidson County (Nashville), TN.  He was sentenced for a term of 1 to 5 years.  The record says he was 20 years old, which was not accurate.  He was 5′ 8 1/4″ tall and 155 pounds.  He was received in jail a day after his conviction, but (see left side, vertical writing) he was transferred to BM (Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary) in East TN on 12-16-1918 and released from there on 2-1-1922, a little over two years later.  His contact outside of prison was his grandfather, Lawyer Smalley, who lived in Nashville then–proof that this was the baby Luther Haston born in March 1900 in Rutherford County, TN.  As we saw, his mother was probably the Addie Smalley, who died in Nashville the year before Luther’s incarceration at Brushy Mountain.  

Right Side Page

More Information About the Prisoner – Luther Haston

*Brown eyes – Black hair – Brown Complexion. 
 

*2 scars on right eyebrow & scar on right cheek.  Several scars on right thigh.  2 scars on left thigh. 3 scars on left knee.  4 scars on right arm at elbow.  1 scar on left side.  Looks like he’d been in a knife fight and was cut up badly.

*He was single – says he was born in Alabama (did he lie about this or not know?) – farmer – C.S. (school; not sure what C.s. means, later record says he had 3 years of school) – no religion 

*His term originally (it appears) to have been set to end on October 30, 1922.


*Paroled by board on 12-10-1921 (after little more than 3 years) – violated parole on 1-19-1922 (40 days later) – returned as parole violated on 1-24-1922 – Discharged 11-30-1922 (one month after his original term was set to expire).

1920 – Luther in Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary

Pre-1934 Structure

The 1920 census was taken during Luther’s first imprisonment in the Brushy Mountain Penitentiary.

1928, October 4 – Luther in Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary

Left Side Page

Again, he was convicted for petty larceny on 10-4-1928 in Davidson County, TN (Nashville) and sentenced to one year in prison. He was 27 years old and 5′ 10 1/2″ tall.

 

Apparently, in his own handwriting, he listed his grandmother, Mollie Smalley, as the person to notify.  She was living at 213 North Maney Street in Murfreesboro.

Right Side Page

  • Brown eyes, Black hair, Black complexion
  • Scar on front part of head, scar on left side of head, scar on right forearm, scar of upper left arm, teeth good
  • Single
  • Born in Tennessee
  • Coal miner
  • 3rd-grade education
  • No religion
  • Term expires 9-4-29 and he was discharged on that date

1930 – Luther in Brushy Mountain Penitentiary

According to the 1930 census, he was back in the Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary – less than a year after he was discharged!  Parole violation again?

1936 – Arrested in Knoxville for Mail Theft

September 29, 1936 - Knoxville Journal

No doubt this is “our” Luther Haiston (Haston), but why was he referred to as an “Atlanta Negro”?  Perhaps after his release from the penitentiary, he had temporarily lived in Atlanta.

 

The 1936 offense in the newspaper was against the United States Post Office, so Federal Judge George Taylor sentenced Luther Haston.  We can only assume that sentence was to a Federal penitentiary, not Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary.

March 22, 1938 - Knoxville News-Sentinel

1937 – Luther Confesses to a Murder (He Didn’t Commit)

There is no evidence that Luther was ever tried for this crime he admitted to.  Sherfiff Cate was probably right.  In fact, it appears that Luther may have gotten so accustomed to the “comforts” of prison life that he committed crimes just to get away from the responsibilities of the outside world.

1938 – Convicted for Stealing Tires from the Railroad

Download the Summary of the Trial

Remember, earlier he was living on Depot Street in Knoxville, TN, near the railroad depot.

March 22, 1938 - Knoxville News-Sentinel
March 30, 1938 - Knoxville News-Sentinel
March 31, 1938 - Knoxville Journal

April 4, 1938 – Admitted Again to Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary 

September 1, 1938 – Died of Pneumonia From 2nd Degree External Burns

Luther’s death certificate (issued in the penitentiary) says he was born in Knoxville of Knox County, Tennessee, but according to the 1900 census he was born in Rutherford County (Murfreesboro), TN.  The penitentiary’s records were often incorrect and the officials there probably weren’t concerned about accuracy.  

Luther’s death was the result of some kind of fire—2nd-degree external burns, which resulted in pneumonia.  His lungs were probably damaged by breathing in flames.  Did his cell block catch fire?  Did another inmate set him on fire? Those kinds of things did happen in the Brushy Mountain prison! 

More likely, his death was the result of a fire in the coal mine. Certain minerals in the coal, such as sulfides and pyrites, sometimes oxidize and generate enough heat to cause a fire.  Also, in those days miners used fire lights, such as lanterns and carbide lamps for light.  When they came into contact with a gaseous air pocket, fires erupted.

September 1, 1938 – Burial in the Penitentiary Graveyard

It is estimated that over 500 bodies are buried in this graveyard, the Brushy Mountain Prison Cemetery. All plots were unmarked and did not have headstones to identify the deceased. 

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Luther Haston – Brushy Mountain Prisoner – Part 1

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What's a Haston Doing in a Place Like This?

In this post, I will tell you the story of the Beginning and End of his earthly life.

In the following post, I will tell you the story of the “DASH” between the beginning and the end.

Who Was Luther Haston?

At the time this “Luther Haston” was alive, it appears that there were a couple other “colored” (black) people in Tennessee with the name Luther Haston (or similar surname spellings).  There is ample evidence to prove that the Luther Haston, who is the subject of this article, was a three-month-old baby living with his mother and grandparents in Rutherford County (Murfreesboro), TN, when the census was taken.  You will see that 1900 census record below.   

 

Was he a descendant of a slave who had been owned by a Haston?  That is possible, but not for sure.  Emancipated slaves were free to choose the name of their choice.  Yes, most did keep the previous slaver’s family name.  That was the easiest thing to do.  However, some ex-slaves chose to express their independence from slavers by taking a surname of their own choosing, such as a name associated with a white person or family they respected.  

 

Our White County, TN Daniel Haston never owned slaves, though several of his neighbors did.  Other than Daniel’s son-in-law John Austin, who married his daughter Catherine, none of Daniel’s first-generation family members who remained in Tennessee were slave owners.  That may be due to his Mennonite upbringing.  And I’m not aware of any pre-Civil War Hastons in Tennessee who owned slaves, but maybe I’ve just never encountered any of them in my research.  

 

The Haston name wasn’t (and still isn’t) one of the more common names in Tennessee.  From the many Middle Tennessee records I have researched, I don’t recall ever finding a 19th-century Haston in a Tennessee record who wasn’t a descendant of Daniel Haston. So, black families in Middle Tennessee with the Haston family name are puzzling to me. 


So, I am left to wonder if Luther Haston was one of my cousins by birth or by an adopted name change.

Luther Haston - The Beginning of His Earthly Life

1900 – Baby Luther Haston and His Mama

Luther Haston’s Parents – December 10, 1898

“C” at the end of the record = they were both “colored”

“Morton” (spelling by the court clerk) may have been “Martin.”  Was Luther’s father a Hastings or a Haston, as on the 1900 census and other records for son Luther?  As per the spelling of Addie’s family name on the 1900 census, Addie’s maiden name is misspelled here – perhaps Martin’s was also.  Addie could not read or write, and probably Martin could not either.

The number 204 was the location of the house where this family lived, and the 213 was the number of the family (for census district 13) that lived there.  They were living in Rutherford County, TN where Murfreesboro was and is the county seat.

This Luther Haston was the grandson of Lawyer and Mollie Smally and the son of 18-year-old Addie Haston. According to this census, she had been married for two years and only had one child. Luther was 3/12 of a year old, born March 1900. Obviously, he was (S) single. He and both of his parents were born in Tennessee.  
 

Where was Martin, Addie’s husband, and Luther’s father? 

According to the census, he was not living with Addie and her infant Luther at the time of the census.  I have found no other information about Martin (or Mortin) L. Hastings (or similar “Hast__” spellings).  I’m assuming that he either died or abandoned  his wife and baby boy.  Having an absentee father might help to explain the criminal behavior that characterized Luther’s life.

According to a 1912 death certificate for a one-year-old child, John Alexander, Addie Smalling (maiden name) was the mother, and John Alexander was the father. They lived in the rear of Number 223 of 2nd Avenue South in the 12th Ward in Nashville, TN (30 or so miles northwest of Murfreesboro).  There is evidence to cause me to think this Addie Smalling was Luther’s (remarried) mother.  

Luther Haston - The End of His Earthly Life

September 1, 1938 – Died of Pneumonia From 2nd Degree External Burns

The prison official who provided the information for the death certificate obviously did not know much about Luther Haston. He was not born in Knoxville or Knox County, TN. From records cited in the 2nd posted article clearly indicate he was the Rutherford County, TN Luther Haston. But he was living in Knoxville when he committed the crime that put him in prison in 1938.

September 1, 1938 – Burial in the Penitentiary Graveyard

It is estimated that over 500 bodies are buried in this graveyard, the Brushy Mountain Prison Cemetery. All plots were unmarked and did not have headstones to identify the deceased.  

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Civil War Sharpshooters in the Jesse Haston Family

Civil War Sharpshooters - Jesse, Jr. and Isaac Haston

Sons of Jesse Haston, Sr. & Grandsons of Daniel Haston

Image from Sharpshooters of the American Civil War 1861-1865
You may have read the story of William A. Haston, who served in the Mexican War.  If so, you will recall that he was a son of Jesse Haston, Daniel’s son.  Well, two of his brothers (Jesse, Jr. and Isaac) had their own war experiences–as “sharpshooters” in the Civil War.

What or who was a sharpshooter?

During the Revolutionary War, George Washington used men with extraordinarily long-distance shooting skills to pick off British cannoneers in their fortifications at Yorktown.  But it wasn’t until the American Civil War that sharpshooters began to play a prominent role in warfare.  By 1855, log-barreled rifled muskets were available that were accurate to at least 500 yards, but capable of killing beyond that.  

Both sides of the Civil War recruited special sharpshooter units, but the Union Army was first to create these units.  Hiram Berdan was known as the top amateur rifle shot in the United States.  Early in the war, he proposed the idea of raising a unit for the Union Army in which each potential recruit would have to pass a shooting test to become a member.  The basic requirement: Shoot ten consecutive shots at a target 600 feet away, putting the bullets on an average of five inches from the bulls eye.

From Sharpshooters of the American Civil War 1861-1865

These Sharpshooter units prided themselves in being elite troops.  They received special training and were often exempt from some of the more rigorous types of training and disliked activities such as sentry duty.  They sometimes wore special uniforms or emblems to distinguish them from other soldiers. And, in theory at least, they received higher pay.

Although they were promised these and other special benefits in the recruiting process, often they ended up being regular infantry men and called on for sharp shooting duties only on special occasions.

There were several ways in which sharpshooters were commonly used, if and when their commanding officers realized their unique value.

Skirmishers.  Sharpshooters were often placed in the forefront of the battle, probing the enemy and screening the main body of the arm from attack or surprise.  But doing so they impeded the advance of the enemy.  They used the terrain to their advantage. Confederate sharpshooters also became experts in raiding. 

Scouts.  When they were not fighting, sharpshooters often were scouting.  Their training in measurability fitted them for the task of scouting.  

Snipers.  When equipped with long-range target or scoped rifles, sharpshooters were sometimes used to “take out” the enemy’s signal men, officers, gunboats, and artillery personnel.  

Stalkers.  Sometimes sharpshooters even stalked their prey, especially some of the more important targets, such as enemy officers.  They would maneuver into position to await clear-shot appearances of their targets.  Sometimes they would remain in a position for hours without food or water, waiting for the right moment to get their shots.

Not every officer deployed sharpshooters as snipers and stalkers. Many of the officers on both sides considered sniping and stalking to be murder, not war. 

Sharpshooting in the Confederacy

The Haston Boys as Confederate Sharpshooters

Daniel’s son, Jesse, was the only son in the Daniel Haston family who owned slaves. David didn’t.  Joseph didn’t.  Daniel, Jr. didn’t. Isaac didn’t. Jeremiah didn’t.  I suspect that their Mennonite background conditioned them to oppose slavery.  But when son Jesse moved to Missouri and acquired a lot of land, he became a slave owner.  If his father, Daniel, had lived long enough to have known it, I think he would have been disappointed with Jesse.

However, it appears that Jesse and his family for the most part tried to maintain a neutral stance during the Civil War.  Yes, Abi Albert Haston, son of Jesse, migrated to Kansas where he purchased mules, cattle, etc., for the United States government and moved in wagon trains between Ft. Leavenworth, Ft. Dodge and Santa Fe, being accompanied by soldiers, and following the Santa Fe trail.  Another son, Thomas J. Haston, signed the oath of allegiance to the United States on January 26, 1862.  Thomas may have been under pressure to do so because of some kind of previous rebel guerrilla activity–just a guess.  But otherwise the Haston boys seem to have avoided taking sides.

Jesse Haston Ambushed and Killed

In the aftermath of the October 15, 1864, Battle of Glasgow (Missouri), Jesse Haston (Daniel’s son) was shot and killed by a Yankee militia soldier (or soldiers).  Unfortunately, due to the civil disruptions of wartime, the details of Jesse’s death were not recorded in newspaper article nor was his obituary published.  But the Haston family account of his death has been passed down from generation to generation.

Jesse was considered a Southerner during the Civil War and the Northern troops raided his home during the war, taking everything of value, including a number of horses.  He went and talked to them at Glasgow, and they let him have one horse, then followed him out of town, shot him and took the horse.  He died a few days later and is buried in the cemetery just east of his house.[i]

[i] Louise Haston Rice,  (unpublished manuscript, n.d).

Jesse, Jr. and Isaac Haston - Sons of Jesse, Sr. - Enroll as Confederate Sharpshooters

It appears to me that these two sons of Jesse Haston had attempted to remain neutral during the war.  They were of prime ages to be fighting in the war, for one side or the other.  Even as late as February 28, 1865, Isaac Hasting (Haston) of Chariton County, Missouri was “drafted [by the Union Provost Marshal] & failed to report.”  A line was marked through his name and other information. However, his record does not say that he was “in rebel army” as was true of several other records on the same page.  Jesse Hasting’s (Haston’s) name appears just below Isaac’s (also in Chariton County) with no line marked through his personal information and no note regarding having been drafted, etc.[i]

[i] Consolidated Enrollment Lists, 1863-1865 (Civil War Union Draft Records); NAI: 4213514; Archive Volume Number: 1 of 1. (National Archives and Records, Washington, D.C.)

Jesse’s sons Jesse, [sic, Hayston] Jr.[i] and Isaac[ii] at some point in time enrolled in Company C of Searcy’s Battalion of Missouri Confederate Sharp Shooters.  Since we don’t know when they enrolled, it may be that their father’s death by a Yankee ambusher prompted them to become sharpshooters in the Confederate army. 

They appeared on a roll of prisoners of war, paroled at Alexandria, Louisiana on June 7, 1865.  They had surrendered in New Orleans, 13 days earlier.  Isaac was a private and his slightly older brother, Jesse, was a corporal.  It appears, by the card numbers, that Jesse was 20 men ahead of Isaac in the line of enlistees.  There were six Venables in the company, probably related to Jesse and Isaac by marriage.[iii]

[i] “Jessee Hayston,” Fold3.com, accessed February 12, 2021, https://www.fold3.com/image/185506005 and /image/185506006.

[ii] “Isaac Haston,” Fold3.com, accessed February 12, 2021, https://www.fold3.com/image/ 185506002 and /image/ 185506003.

[iii] Kenneth E. Weant, Civil War Records Missouri Confederate Infantry, 12th & 16th Regiments, Volume 3. (Arlington, TX: published by author, 2009), 73.

We have no records to tell us when Jesse, Jr. and Isaac enlisted or mustered.  The only known document of their service is the parole document, dated June 7, 1865.  

Jesse’s sons Jesse, [sic, Hayston] Jr.[i] and Isaac Hastib[ii] were enrolled in Company C of Searcy’s Battalion of Missouri Confederate Sharp Shooters.  They appeared on a roll of prisoners of war, paroled at Alexandria, Louisiana on June 7, 1865.  Isaac was a private and his slightly older brother, Jesse, was a corporal.  It appears, by the card numbers, that Jesse was 20 men ahead of Isaac in the line of enlistees.  There were six Venables in the company, probably related to Jesse and Isaac by marriage.[iii]

[i] “Jessee Hayston,” Fold3.com, accessed February 12, 2021, https://www.fold3.com/image/185506005 and /image/185506006.

[ii] “Isaac Haston,” Fold3.com, accessed February 12, 2021, https://www.fold3.com/image/ 185506002 and /image/ 185506003.

[iii] Kenneth E. Weant, Civil War Records Missouri Confederate Infantry, 12th & 16th Regiments, Volume 3. (Arlington, TX: published by author, 2009), 73.

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WW2 Belly Gunner – Horace H. “Ace” Haston, Part 4

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The Post-WWII Life of Horace "Ace" Haston

Post-War Life of Horace Haston as Told by Daughter, Alice Haston Norton

When the war was over Dad was sent back to Manila in the Philippines. The crew was disbanded and he became the crew chief on an AT5 aircraft for 4-5 weeks. He was then sent to Clark Air Base in Luzon, Philippines where he was in charge of the post office there.  He was sent back to Manila and sailed on the ocean mail ship to Fort Sam Houston, TX. He was given a train ticket to Chattanooga, TN.  
 

Over the years, Dad and his fellow crew members met several times in various cities and remained close. He was the last surviving member of the crew. Shortly after leaving the service, he fulfilled his dream of getting his pilot’s license.  
 

When my Dad got out of the service, he started working with his grandfather in the meat market of a grocery store in Lafayette, Georgia. That’s where he met my mom, Juanita Layton. Mom was the oldest of six children, so she helped by going to the grocery store for the family. Dad used to laugh and say he thought she shopped there more than was needed so they could talk. She never confirmed nor denied the matter. They married and lived in Lafayette, Georgia, for a short time and then moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee.  

My sister, Elizabeth Ann Haston, was born in 1949, and I was born in 1954. We moved from Chattanooga to a farm in Apison (a small suburb of Chattanooga). I absolutely loved it because we had horses on the farm and I rode every day after school and the completion of my chores. Dad baled the hay on the farm and hired local boys to help. He took an interest in each one and gave them advice. It ended up that they all seemed to love and respect him. He was tough and expected them to work, but he was also good to them. Sometimes, there would be a knock on the door, and a young person wanted to talk to Dad and Mom and get their perspective on some issue they were having. Dad was very straightforward in what he said. He didn’t mince words, and you knew exactly how he felt.  

He was also fun to be around and made everyone laugh. He had a great sense of humor. I know now that it came from the Haston side.

We attended some of the decoration days at The Old Union Cemetery in Sparta, TN when I was young.  I have memories of long tables filled with food out under the large tree at the cemetery. 

God Spared His Life on September 25, 1972

Dad owned gas stations, drove a tank truck for Shell Oil, and drove for Malone and Ranger Trucking over his lifetime.  On September 25, 1972, he was driving to the Shell Oil fuel terminal on Jersey Pike (Chattanooga, TN) to start his workday.  He pulled off at a gas station not far from the terminal to pick up the tractor that was there to be washed.  This was a regular routine.  He stayed at the gas station this time longer than usual.  At that time, a massive explosion occurred at the terminal across the street from the Shell Oil facility.  The flames shot across the street and burned the trees and anything else where there were fumes.   Dad should have been on top of the tank truck loading at the time of the explosion.  The inferno burned for over 28 hours.  A special foam had to be shipped in to contain the fire. It was on the national news. I’m thankful that Dad wasn’t on top of that truck at the time of the fire.   Sadly, three people lost their lives.  

Dad passed away on August 15, 2020, due to COPD and Covid.  He was 94 years old. 

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Battle of Morotai – Horace H. “Ace” Haston, Part 3

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"Ace" Haston Opens Up About His Experiences as a B-24 Belly Gunner

His Story as Told by Daughter, Alice Haston Norton

Dad and the crew were sent on a B-24 Heavy Bomber called the Liberator. They flew on 13 missions over Burma and China. His position on the crew was the “belly gunner.”

They were stationed at Morotai, Dutch E. Indies and fought in the Battle of Morotai.

Morotai’s development into an Allied base began shortly after the landing, and two major airfields were ready for use in October. These and other base facilities played an important role in the Liberation of the Philippines during 1944 and 1945.

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WW2 Belly Gunner – Horace H. “Ace” Haston, Part 2 – Duplicate – [#41530]

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The "Ace" on a WWII Heavy Bomber Crew for 13 Missions

His Story as Told by Daughter, Alice Haston Norton

Horace "Ace" Haston, right end of the three standing in the back row.

Dad and the crew were sent on a B-24 Heavy Bomber called the Liberator. They flew on 13 missions over Burma and China. He was the youngest and the smallest member of the crew.  As the youngest, he was the last one living prior to his passing.  Being the smallest, it was logical that he be the “belly gunner.”
 

We have a diary that he wrote in for a few months. It tells of the pilot landing their plane in rough winds and scraping the wing tip, and that the pilot did a beautiful job and recovery, building roads with cut palms because it was so muddy, playing basketball, building their housing because it was up to each crew as to the quarters they had and several pages of what appears to be instructions for the gunners. The tent area was in a palm grove, so they had some shade, and the nights were cool.  
 

They were stationed at Morotai, Dutch E. Indies and fought in the Battle of Morotai.

World War II's Ill-Fated Ball Turret ("Belly") Gunners

Every person involved in fighting or caring for the wounded in World War II had a risk to their life. But, when it came to American bomber planes, the risk was far greater for some than for others. While the pilots were given the best position on the aircraft, the gunners had to hold some precarious positions in order to effectively defend the aircraft. The worst position by far was held by the ball turret gunners.

The B-24 Liberator Bomber was designed to improve on and replace the B-17 Flying Fortress. The B-24 was supposed to fly faster, higher, and carry more bombs over a longer range. However, both of these heavy bombers were equipped and armed with a ball turret (belly) gunner

View this 6:53 Min. Video to Appreciate the Heroism of Horace Haston

The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner
BY RANDALL JARRELL
From my mother’s sleep I fell into the State,
And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze.
Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life,
I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters.
When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose.

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WW2 Belly Gunner – Horace H. “Ace” Haston, Part 1

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The "Ace" on a WW II Heavy Bomber Crew for 13 Missions

Horace H. Haston:  December 4, 1925 – April 15, 2020

He was a student at Central High School in Chattanooga, TN when the attack on Pearl Harbor happened.  He told me, "Everybody was so patriotic, and were all so mad."  In 1944 he joined the Army Air Force. He was 17 years old.

Haston Lineage of Horace H. Haston

Horace’s mother remarried to Joe R. McArthur.  His stepfather and stepbrothers tried to get Horace to change his name to McArthur.  But, Horace responded – “I’m a Haston.”

His Story as Told by Daughter, Alice Haston Norton

My Dad, Horace Harold Haston, was born in Nashville, Tennessee, on 12/4/1925 to Margaret Smith Haston and Hearl Haston.   His father left when he was a baby and, as far as we know, never returned.    My grandmother, Margaret, eventually married again and left my Dad to be raised by his grandfather, Charlie Grover Smith.   Dad reminisced about playing around the grounds of Parthenon in Nashville when he was a child.  They lived on a farm, and Dad was taught at a young age about hard work.  His grandfather was strict, taught him an excellent work ethic, and loved him very much.  Dad mentioned many times that he didn’t know what would have happened to him had his grandfather not stepped up and raised him.   There was an elderly black couple that lived on the farm as well.  Dad said he would eat at home and then go to the couple’s house and eat again.  Growing boys are hard to fill up.   I don’t recall their names, but Dad was very fond of them, and they loved him too.
 

During the Great Depression, his grandfather lost their farm and small general store.  I actually have the ledger from the store, and you can see the numbers sadly going down daily.  People just didn’t have the money to purchase items or to pay if they had promised to pay later.  There’s even a notation in the ledger of my dad’s birth.  When the farm and business were lost, they moved to Chattanooga, in the Saint Elmo area, which was where Dad’s mother, stepfather, and half-brothers were living.  They all lived together, and Dad attended Central High School.  Uncle IH (Isham Harvey Haston) and Ruth Haston lived in Chattanooga and owned a motel and gas station (Glendale Tourist Court).  Dad said that when he was young, he would go work at their motel by painting, as a bell boy, or whatever was needed.

Enlisted in Reserve Corps – November 27, 1943

Dad was sworn into the US Army Air Corp at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, on June 15, 1944, and was then transferred to Biloxi, Mississippi, to be trained as a pilot.  The government canceled all pilot training, so he went on to Biloxi and was trained as a gunner.  After training, he was transferred to Mt. Home, Idaho, to meet up with his crew of 9 other members.  After 6 weeks, he was sent to San Francisco to board a troop carrier ship and sailed 31 days to Manila, Philippines.    

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2024 Reunion – Old Family Photos and Heirlooms

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Two Reunion Interest Centers - Old Family Photos & Heirlooms

These treasures will be labeled and placed on interest center tables.  We have learned that these old family photos and heirlooms are some of the most attention-getting features of a family reunion.  During some of the main “Mix and Mingle” sessions, you may want to accompany your old photos and heirlooms at the interest centers so that you can share stories about them that have been passed down through your family’s history.

A prize will be given for the most interesting family photo that is visibly displayed on the interest center table, as well as a prize awarded for the most interesting family heirloom.

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John E. Haston – Bledsoe County, TN Family

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John E. Haston Families - Bledsoe County, TN

Reconnected to Tennessee Pioneer Daniel Haston

This may be (but not for sure) the grave of John E. Haston, in a line with his grandson or great-grandson? Howard T., daughter Dora, and wife Mary E., in the Seals Cemetery on the Cumberland Mountain in Bledsoe County, TN). A brick with some unreadable markings to the left of his (maybe) stone could (possibly) be the marker for his first wife, Scottie McGuire.

Jeanenne Haston Kendrick (daughter of Larry Arlon Haston), whose roots run deep in Bledsoe County (Pikeville), TN, and I got into contact with each other in mid-June, 2024. Jeaneene explained that her Haston family had not been able to trace their family back past John Elder Haston.  That was just the challenge I needed to look for her family’s connection back to Daniel Haston and his Swiss-German Mennonite father, Henrich Hiestand–our earliest immigrant ancestor. 
 

The task was a bit more challenging than I expected but was accomplished with some assistance from Carolyne Oakes Knight, Librarian of Bledsoe County Library, and her 100+-year-old researcher friend, Sara Agee Goins.  Yes, Sara was 100+ years old at the time she helped with this project!  

Probable graves of John Elder Haston and his first wife, Scottie McGuire. Grave stones placed in October 2024 by the Arlon Larry Haston family after extensive research by the Daniel Haston Family Association revealed that this is very likely where they were buried, very close to the grave of John E. Haston's second wife and other family members. This is the Seals Cemetery in the Winesap Community of Bledsoe County, TN, on the Cumberland Mountain not far from the Van Buren County, TN line.

John E. Haston’s Two Families

1860 Bledsoe County Census

At the time of this 1860 census, Scottie and her three children were living with her parents.  Her husband was not on the list.

The Haston family lineage chart below summarizes the connection from the John Elder Haston family in Bledsoe County, TN all the way back to, and beyond, the Hastons who settled at the head of the Haston Big Spring in what is now Cummingsville, TN.

Research Notes & Conclusions

  • Although there are many well documented family references to John Elder Haston having been a husband of two wives (Scottie McGuire & Mary E. Ferguson) and having had several children in Bledsoe County, TN, no other documents (such as tax, land, and court records) have been discovered.  Apparently he was not active as a landowner, civic leader, etc.  
    Note: There are some unindexed Bledsoe County  records that have not been thoroughly searched that might reveal some information about John Elder Haston’s life in the county.
  • The biggest challenge in this research process was to connect this John Elder Haston to a descendant of Daniel Haston, the patriarch of the Middle Tennessee Haston family.  
  • A Great-Grandson (John E. Haston) of Daniel Haston (Daniel>Joseph>Isaac>John E.) was born in what was White County in 1832.  The area became Van Buren County in 1840.  But in the White/Van Buren County records there is not mention of this man’s E middle initial/name being “Elder.”  So, was this White/Van Buren County John E. Haston the same man as John Elder Haston of Bledsoe County, TN?
  • The deeper I got into the research, the more circumstantial evidence began to suggest that they were the same man–John E. Haston (Great-Grandson of Daniel Haston) was the John Elder Haston who lived in Bledsoe County and raised families with two wives, the first of whom apparently died in about 1870.

The Accumulation of Evidence

  1. At the time of the 1850 census, John E. Haston was 18 years old and living with his parents (Isaac and Emeline Haston) in District 7 of Van Buren County.  While it is true that District 7 may have extended to the Bledsoe County line, I don’t think the Isaac Haston family was living that far away from Spencer in 1850, based on the location of some of his (as per the census) neighbors whom I know to have lived in or close to Spencer.
  2. When I read that John Elder Haston lived in Bledsoe County, I immediately thought he was living in the Sequatchie Valley, near Pikeville.  But documented evidence indicates that he was living in the section of Bledsoe County that is on the Cumberland Mountain in or near what is now the Bellview Community–near the Big Spring Gap Road, the Winesap Community, and the Seals Cemetery where his wife Mary E. Ferguson and some other close relatives were buried.  See the comment under the featured image on top of this page.  This location was near the Van Buren County line.

3. The currently known strongest documented evidence to connect John E. Haston (son of Isaac and Emeline Haston, born 1832 in what became Van Buren County, TN) to John Elder Haston of Bledsoe County, TN is the names the Bledsoe Countian gave to some of his children.  For that era, this is a kind of evidence frequently used by genealogists to make such connections.

According to the 1850 census, John E. Haston was the oldest son of Isaac and Emeline Haston in Van Buren County.  Remember, this Isaac Haston was grandson of Joseph Haston–not Joseph’s brother Isaac or another of the many Isaacs in the Haston family.

  • John Elder Haston of Bledsoe County, in about 1860, named his first son “James T. Haston,” the name of Van Buren County James E. Haston’s younger brother.  
  • John Elder Haston named his 1878 daughter “Martha Haston,” the name of John E. Haston’s only sister.
  • John Elder Haston gave the name “Miles” to his 1882 son “Richard Henry Miles Haston.”  Miles was the name of John E. Haston’s younger brother.
  • John Elder Haston named an 1885 son “William Haston.”  John E. Haston had a younger brother named William.

So, John Elder Haston (of Bledsoe County) who gave his earliest children the same names as the siblings of John E. Haston (of Van Buren County) strongly suggests that John Elder Haston and John E. Haston were one and the same man.  Also, notice the sequence of the names given to John Elder Haston’s children compared to the age sequences of John E. Haston’s siblings!  The parallel was definitely coordinated.  

Summary of Circumstantial Evidence

John E. Haston of Van Buren County = John Elder Haston of Bledsoe County

  • They both carried the “Haston” name. 
    Note: At that time in (what is now) Middle Tennessee the extended Daniel Haston family was the only family with that surname!  They essentially had to be closely related, if not the same person.
  • They both were in the same age range.
    Note: From the 1850 census we know that Van Buren County’s John E. Haston was born in about 1832.  Some family documents say that John Elder Haston was born in 1842, but there is no support for that birthdate.  In fact, we know that he was married to Scottie McGuire in the 1850s.  
  • They both were from the same general area.
  •  John E. Haston of Van Buren County disappeared from public records at about the same time that John Elder Haston appeared on the Cumberland Mountain in nearby Bledsoe County.
  • The naming patterns of John Elder Haston’s children and John E. Haston’s siblings added to all of the above evidence is conclusive.

Descendants of Bledsoe County Tennessee’s John Elder Haston can be assured that they are genealogically connected, and closely so, to pioneer Daniel Haston who settled on Cane Creek near the Caney Fork River as early as 1803 or 1804.  Two or three years later Daniel Haston signed the petition to create White County, TN.  That area of White County became Van Buren County in 1840 and his descendants played some important roles in the creation of the new county.

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