2022-2027 Haston Family History Books Project
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
Video Presentation - Haston History, 600+ Years in 60 Minutes
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Our Pre-Daniel Haston European Roots
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
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
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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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.
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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.
The Story of the Daniel Haston Family – Book
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 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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Other Payment Options
- Option 1 – Call 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 2 – Mail a check, but contact me before writing the check so we can calculate shipping costs.
WayneH37@aol.com or 717.648.2383 – Mail check to Wayne Haston, 11979 Old Kentucky Road, Walling, TN 38587
Also, please include your email address with your check.
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Purchase and Pickup a Copy at These Locations
Postage-free copies are available…
- Sparta, TN at the White County Archives
- Sparta, TN at the White County Heritage Museum
- Sparta, TN from the author by (717) 648-2383) or WayneH37@aol.com
- Spencer, TN at the Van Buren County Heritage Museum
- McMinnville, TN by contacting Marilyn Haston McGee (931-808-4317)
- Lancaster, PA at Mennonite Life (formerly Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society)
You can pay by check or cash at any of the above locations.
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Note: The PayPal and Credit Card payments at these locations must be done through the payment process on this website, not through the payment processes of the organizations holding the books on consignment.
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
Zoom – Wayne’s Haston Reunion Presentation
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
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
Timeline of Daniel Haston’s Life
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)
The Story of the Daniel Haston Family – Book
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 Centuries-Old Mystery of Daniel Haston’s Mother
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
The Big Story of the Hiestand-Haston Family Video Presentation
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
Hastons – A Family of Early Tennessee Pioneers
The Daniel Haston Family – Pioneer Tennessee Settlers More Than a Decade Before Tennessee Became a State Daniel Haston was truly an American pioneer in
52 – Other Daughters of Daniel Haston?
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
51 – Daniel Haston, Jr. Married into the Famous KY “Skaggs” Longhunters Family
51 – Daniel Haston, Jr. Married into the Famous KY Longhunters Skaggs Family Did you know that descendants of Daniel Haston, through his son Daniel,
50 – Jeremiah Haston – Another Son of Daniel Goes to Missouri
50 – Jeremiah Haston, from Illinois to Dallas County, Missouri The three youngest sons of Daniel Haston settled in Missouri. Jesse and Jeremiah remained there
49 – Jeremiah Haston – A “Lost Son” of Daniel Haston Found by DNA
49 – Jeremiah Haston – Lost Son of Daniel Haston Found by DNA Sometimes you may see his name as Jeremiah MC Haston, but there
48 – Jesse Haston – His Family’s Civil War Years and Following
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
47 – Jesse Haston – A Missouri Pioneer with His Three Wives and 21 Children!
47 – Jesse Haston, Missouri Pioneer With 3 Wives & 21 Children Part 1 – Until the Civil War Of Daniel Haston’s sons, Jesse was
46 – Isaac Haston – Across the Plains in an Oxen-Drawn Wagon – Isaac’s California Years
46 – Isaac Haston – Across the Plains in an Oxen-Drawn Wagon The California Years Approximately 2,000 miles – Cave Spring, Missouri to Santa Rosa,
45 – Isaac and Agnes Simpson Haston – Missouri Years
45 – Isaac and Agnes Simpson Haston – Missouri Years Isaac Haston lived the Great American Dream. He left Tennessee landless and broke, moved to
44 – Isaac and Agnes Simpson Haston – Tennessee Years
44 – Isaac Haston – Battle of New Orleans Hero & Much More Part 1 – His Tennessee Years Look at the battle map above.Â
43 – John and Catherine HASTON Austin
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
42 – Jacob and Lucinda Haston Mitchell
42 – Jacob and Lucinda Haston Mitchell Lucinda Haston – Daughter of Daniel Haston Jacob Mitchell was the son of Morris and Elizabeth Husong Mitchell
41 – Joseph Haston – Son of Daniel Haston
Joseph Haston – 2nd Son of Daniel Joseph and David were probably the only two sons of Daniel who were born in Virginia. If we
40 – Herbert Clinton Haston – Grandson of Montgomery Greenville Haston
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,
39 – Montgomery G. Haston – His Civic Service and Civil War Experience
39 – M. G. Haston – His Civic Service and Civil War Experience Montgomery Greenville Haston is one of my most respected early Haston heroes!Â
38 – Mystery of the Father of Montgomery Greenville Haston
38 – Mystery of the Father of Montgomery Greenville Haston Based on the evidence cited previously, I think we can confidently assume Polly Haston was
37 – Mystery of the Mother of Montgomery Greenville Haston
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
36 – David Haston – A Founding Leader in Van Buren County, TN
36 – David Haston – A Founding Leader of Van Buren County, TN David Haston spent much of his time in the final 20 years
35 – David Haston, Popular Civic Leader in Early White County, TN
35 – David Haston – White County, Tennessee Pioneer, Part 2 David Haston, Esq. (Justice of the Peace) How did simple farmers and businessmen –
34 – David Haston (Daniel’s Son) in White County, TN
34 – David Haston, White County, Tennessee Pioneer, Part 1 Isaac T. Haston Family Home – Grandson of Daniel Via. David The “David Haston” Bible
33 – Daniel Haston’s Final Years
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
32 – Daniel Haston – Petitioner to Create White County, TN
32 – Daniel Haston, A Founding Petitioner for White County, TN The first record we have of Daniel Haston in (what became)Â White County, as well
31 – Daniel Haston and the White County, TN “Big Spring” Settlers
31 – Daniel Haston & Other White County, TN Big Spring Settlers The area south of the Caney Fork River near the mouth of Cane
30 – Daniel Haston Family Moves Across the Cumberland Plateau
30 – Our Hastons Moved West of the Cumberland Mountain Through the Tellico Treaties of October 25 and 27, 1805, Cherokee chiefs ceded to the
29 – Resolving the “McComisky Mystery” in the Daniel Haston Family
29 – Resolving the “McComisky Mystery” in the Haston Family A common piece of erroneous family lore has circulated among Daniel Haston family members for
28 – David and Peggy Haston on Grassy Creek in Knox County, TN
28 – David Haston – Distinguishes Himself as a Young Adult Adjacent to a 2020 $45 Million Development Project At age 25, David Haston became
27 – David Haston Marries 14-Year-Old Girl
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
26 – Daniel Haston’s Many Experiences in the Knox County, TN Courtroom
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,
25 – Another Haston Boy in Trouble – Joseph and the Broken-Down Fence
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
24 – Daniel’s Son David Haston Cut Tails Off a Neighbor’s Cows
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
23 – Daniel Haston Family – South of Holston River, Opposite Knoxville, TN
23 – Daniel Haston Family, South of the “Holston” River Opposite Knoxville, TN Daniel and family lived in the Knoxville, TN area for about 10
22- Two of Daniel Haston’s Siblings in South Central KY
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
21 – Daniel Haston Votes in Favor of the State of Franklin
21 – Daniel Haston Voted in Favor of the State of Franklin So, our Daniel was a “Franklinite” The yellow county – Washington County –
20 – Abraham and Daniel Hiestand in the “Overmountain” Wilderness of NC
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
19 – The Hiestand Brothers – Abraham and Daniel – Settle in Western North Carolina
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
18 – The Mysterious Daniel MG Hastings “Mortality List” Card
18 – The Mysterious Daniel MG. Hastings Mortality List Card The “1830 Revolutionary War Mortality Listing” Card In the early 1970s, Dwight Haston discovered the
17b – Thomas Archer – the Eccentric Man from Guilford County, NC Who Ended Up with Warrant #2344
Thomas Archer – an Eccentric Man from Guilford County, NC Who Ended Up With 640 Acres from Military Bounty Land Warrant #2344 This is #3
17a – The “Guilford County Four” and Rev War Land Grant Proceedings at Fairfield Plantation
17a – The “Guilford County Four” And the Epicenter of 1785 Land Fraud – James Glasgow’s “Fairfield” Plantation This is #2 in a sequence of
17 – The “Daniel Haston” Revolutionary War Land Grant
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
16 – Daniel Haston and the DAR and SAR
16 – Can I Get Into the DAR or SAR through Daniel Haston? The centennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1876
15 – Henry Hiestand’s Estate Settled and the Family Splits
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
14 – Daniel & Christina Nave Haston – Newlyweds in Fort Valley
14 – Daniel & Christina Nave Hiestand/Haston Newlyweds in Fort Valley, VA Daniel and Christina lived on Passage Creek for the first ten years or
13 – Daniel Hiestand Married Christina Nave
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
12 – Hiestand Land in “The Fort” – Powell’s Fort Valley, VA
12 – Hiestand Land in “The Fort” – Fort Valley, Virginia Seven Bends of North Shenandoah River, near Woodstock, VA with Fort Valley in the
11 – The Henry Hiestand Family in Virginia
11 – The Henry Hiestand Family in Virginia When Henry Hiestand and his wife (name unknown) moved their family to Virginia, they probably already had
10 – Indian Troubles in the Shenandoah Valley, VA
10 – Indian Attacks Around Our Hiestands in Pennsylvania and Virginia Memorial for Rev. John Roads – Mennonist & wife and six children massacred here
09 – Our Ancestor Moves to the Shenandoah Valley, VA
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
08 – Henry Hiestand Settles on Penn Family Land
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
07 – Our Hiestands Begin Life in America
07 – Henry Hiestand – His Earliest Years in America William Penn’s first visit to his American colony in 1682 paved the way for our
06 – The Journey from Ibersheim to America
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
05a – Our Hiestands (Heystandts) – Refugees on the North Sea
05a – Our Hiestands (Heystandts) – Refugees in Friedrichstadt on the North Sea “Heystandt” was the way the Hollander-Dutch spelled our Hiestand name. The Nine
05 – Where Henrich Hiestand Was Born – Ibersheim, Germany
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
04 – Swiss Anabaptists Flee to the Germany
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
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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Planning a Hiestand Tour in Canton Zurich, Switzerland
Visit the Original Homeland of Your Hiestand (Haston) Ancestors
Historical Background for Your Hiestand Tour in Switzerland
This book contains 100+ pages (Chapters 2, 3, and 4) of historical background that will make your Hiestand visit to Switzerland MUCH more meaningful, plus nearly 300 pages of additional information on the early Hiestand family in Rhineland Germany and the Colonial Years in America.
Site 1 - Hiestand Bakery Bistro and Shop in Zürich City
Although it is not a Hiestand historic site, per se, it is a neat place to visit, and the food is wonderful. Tell them you are an American, with Hiestand roots in Zürich. It may not get you a discount, but you will make them smile.
Site 2 - Richterswil Museum (Ortsmuseum Richterswil)
The museum is located in downtown Richterswil, one of the earliest villages where our Hiestands lived. Contact them ahead of your trip to schedule a visit, since their normal hours are limited. They have always been very flexible with us and have some Hiestand materials that you will want to see.
Ortsmuseum Richterswil Dorfbachstrasse 12 8805 Richterswil 044 786 34 39 info@ortsmuseum-richterswil.ch |
Site 3 - Ueli Hiestand's Beichlen and Himmeri Farms
Ueli Hiestand was a prominent citizen near the village of Wädenswil in the mid-1400s. He owned two large farms, Beichlen and Himmeri. See Chapter 2 of The Heritage, Life, and Legacy of Daniel Haston: Book 1 – The Swiss-German Heritage of Daniel Hiestand for the historical significance of these two villages.
Sites 4 and 5 - Fälmis and Haslen Farms
Our Anabaptist Hiestand ancestors (almost certainly) originated from these two farms – Fälmis and Haslen – (approximately 1/2 mile from each other) before they were forced out of Switzerland because of their faith. They are now suburbs of Samstagern in the municipality of Richterswil within the Horgen District of Canton Zürich. See Chapter 3 of the The Heritage, Life, and Legacy of Daniel Haston: Book 1 – The Swiss-German Heritage of Daniel Hiestand for the historical significance of these two villages.
Fälmis is still a farm, as you can see in the above aerial photo.
Haslen is now a subdivision, as you can see in the above aerial photo.
Site 6 - Village of Hütten and Around Lake Hütten (Hüttnersee to locals)
As early as the 1400s, several Hiestands were living on farms around this small lake. Also, the village of Hütten overlooking Lake Hütten (Hüttnersee) was a place where Hiestands have lived for centuries. See Chapter 2 of The Heritage, Life, and Legacy of Daniel Haston: Book 1 – The Swiss-German Heritage of Daniel Hiestand for the historical significance of this area.
Site 7 - Schönau
Hiestands were one of the first, if not the first, families to clear and settle on this hillside, the (Hinter) Schönou. They were there at least as early as 1453. It is rich with Hiestand history, especially during the Anabaptist years. The family that currently (2025) lives there is open to members of the Hiestand family visiting there. Just be polite and let them know who you are and why you are visiting. Don’t miss the Bert Kampfert house.
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Haston – William Lester, Sr.
1892 – 1923
William Lester Haston, Senior
Rank and Branch of Military
Private 1st Class, U.S. Army
Years of Service
May 24, 1918 – September 25, 1919
Locations of Training, Deployment, and Service
Basic training at Camp Jackson, South Carolina, after induction – less than three months of training. Embarked for overseas on July 30, 1918. Arrived on the Western Front in August 1918. Remained in France until May 1919.
Wartime Theaters of Assignment and Major Battles
Argonne Forest in France. Argonne Forest Offensive, a major part of the final Allied offensive of World War 1, which led to the end of WW1. The battle where Sgt. Alvin C. York made military history and for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor.
Awards, Decorations, Badges, etc.
World War 1 Victory Medal
Stories of Interest Involving the Service Member
He was poison-gassed during the war, which contributed to his death near his home in 1923.
Relationship to the Daniel Haston Family
Daniel Haston > David Haston > Isaac T. Haston > Thomas Cole Haston . William Lester Haston, Sr.
Other Information About the Service Member's Haston or Haston-Related Ancestry
Buried in the Haston Cemetery in Cummingsville, TN – https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/32790309/william-lester-haston
Person who submitted this information and relationship to the honored veteran:
Granddaughter, Margie Haston Roberts Johnson (daughter of Lester Haston, Jr.)
Email address to the person who submitted this information:
naynaymargie65@gmail.com
Learn More About Lester Haston’s WW1 Experiences
Add Yourself or Your Haston-Related Relative to the Legacy of Service Honor Gallery
Please share this tribute with family members of the veteran and your friends.
Elwood Haston WW2 Rolex
Elwood Haston's WW2 Wrist Watch
World War II Rolex Watches
Composed by Vincent Deschamps
In a few of the articles I’ve written on the subject of WWII watches I mentioned that Switzerland remained neutral during World War II and that many of the brands we now cherish made watches for both the Allied and Axis forces: namely the British, French, Italians, and Germans. By the time war broke out in 1939, Rolex had already relocated to Switzerland. However, it was one of the few brands—if not the only one—that sold watches exclusively to the Allied forces.
Rolex, therefore, made a few models that found their ways to the battlefields, whether on land or in the air. Unlike other Swiss brands, Rolex did not issue military watches—meaning the brand was not following what we refer to as Government-issued military specifications. Instead, Rolex made watches for the military which it distributed by way of local retailers or sent directly to the military. And, as the story goes, sometimes directly to captured soldiers in German camps.
Different sources say different things about which field watches Rolex made during World War II and how they were distributed. First, the Rolex Oyster Army. Rolex, of course, used the Oyster case to guarantee that the movement would be protected against water, dust, and dirt. The Oyster Army according to some, better made than many field watches that were officially issued to armed forces.
The Following Images are Part of a Repair Report Created by Rolex Repair
Specifically About Elwood Haston's Watch - the Images are of His WW2 Watch
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Heritage of Daniel Hiestand-Haston Book Review
Book Review - The Swiss-German Heritage of Daniel Hiestand-Haston
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Confederate Brigadier General Philip Dale Roddy
Probable Nephew of David and Peggy RODDY Haston
Background
On January 19, 1805 the Knox County, TN Court: “Ordered that Philip Roddy as orphan now at the age of fourteen years be bound apprentice to John Webb until he arrives at the age of twenty-one years, and agreeably to the said order, Indentures are executed and a counterpart filed in Office.”
This 14-year-old orphan was probably a (five years younger) brother of Margaret/Peggy Roddy, who married Daniel Haston’s oldest son, David Haston. John Webb ran a major leather tanning operation in the Knoxville area.
A Phillip Roddy served in the War of 1812, from October 13 – January 1814. He was in McCrory’s Regiment of the West Tennessee Militia, a unit composed of men from Williamson, Maury, Giles, Overton, Rutherford, and Smith Counties. Evidence strongly suggests that this was the “orphaned Phillip Roddy,” who would have been about 22 years old when McCrory’s unit was formed. Phillip was living in the town of Liberty, TN, which is now in DeKalb County but Smith County at that time–about 40 miles west of where David and Peggy Roddy Haston lived. Phillip was a saddle maker, which would have been consistent with experience as a leather tanner.
If indeed Philip Dale Roddy was the orphaned Phillip of Knox County, he was (most likely) Peggy Roddy Haston’s (David Haston’s wife’s) younger brother. And, if so, General Philip Dale Roddy, Confederate Civil War hero, would have been her nephew.
General Philip Dale Roddy
Philip Dale Roddy/Roddey’s parents moved from DeKalb County, TN to Moulton, Alabama, where he was born (about 1820) and grew up. He was a tailor, before being elected as the Sheriff of Moulton, AL. Later, he got into the steam ship business on the Tennessee River.
He opposed Alabama’s secession from the United States, until the Federal Army captured Fort Henry on the Tennessee River on February 6, 1862. Roddy then raised a company of mounted soldiers, “Tishomingo Rangers,” later that year. Early in his military career, he gained the confidence of General Braxton Bragg and other Confederate generals. He and General Nathan Bedford Forrest frequently operated together.
He was quickly elevated to Colonel and later confirmed as a Brigadier General in April 1864. General Philip Dale Roddey earned the sobriquets “Defender of Northern Alabama” and the “Swamp Fox of the Tennessee Valley.” He had a good reputation for the humane way he treated his prisoners of war. His military exploits are well-documented, as well as the scandals that plagued his post-war civilian life.
Post-War Scandals
Sadly, the Civil War hero of northern Alabama abandoned his family after the war and destroyed his good name by extramarital affairs and unscrupulous business deals. His bigamous marriage to the much younger Carlotta Frances Shotwell and alleged swindling of her wealth, forced him to move to England to evade criminal prosecution. He died in London in 1897, but his body was returned to Moulton, AL for burial
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Haston History Books – Library Distribution Project
Haston History Book to Every Place Daniel Haston Descendants Live or Have Lived
Haston History Book to Libraries Project
Best option: We will ship the book to you if you will hand-deliver it to the library.
But (for our records) let us know the name and address of the library.
Complete the Form Below
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Some Famous Early Americans Our Hiestands and Hastons Were Associated With – Part 2
Famous Early Americans Our Hastons Met and Knew, Part 2
General/President Andrew Jackson (1767-1845)
Daniel Haston’s paths may have crossed Andrew Jackson’s multiple times in Upper East, TN, and afterward in Knoxville, TN. They were contemporaries in Washington County, TN, in the 1780s, 1788 for sure. Even after Jackson moved to Nashville, in Middle Tennessee, and Daniel’s family moved to Knox County, TN, Jackson’s visits to Knoxville were frequent, especially after 1796 when Tennessee was a state and Knoxville was its capital. But, on October 7, 1801, Daniel Haston faced Andrew Jackson in a courtroom in Knoxville. Daniel was a juror and Jackson was a defendant (and a judge for the same case!) in a court case in the Hamilton District Superior Court. You should read that story! I don’t know how much personal contact they had then or in some other setting, but their eyes must have met in that courtroom. Neither of them would have had any idea that Daniel’s son, Isaac Haston, would fight for General Jackson in the Battle of New Orleans–and near to where General Jackson directed his army against the British. And, during his political years, Jackson passed through White County (Sparta), TN back and forth from his Hermitage home east of Nashville and Washington, DC.
Tennessee Governor Willie Blount (1768-1835)
You know a lot about Andrew Jackson, but I doubt that you know anything about his Tennessee friend and political ally, Willie Blount, who was governor of Tennessee for three terms, 1809-1815. He was Tennessee’s governor during the War of 1812, the war that made Andrew Jackson famous. He was General Jackson’s “boss” during the war. When the war ended, Willie Blount was at the height of his popularity. J.G.M., the famous early Tennessee historian, stated: “Willie’s popularity with the masses has rarely been equalled.” He would easily have been elected to a fourth term as Tennessee governor in 1815, but constitutional term limits prevented him from seeking another term.
Although I don’t have solid proof for my assumption, I believe that Daniel’s son David was a friend of Willie Blount when both were living in Knoxville. David named his first son, “Willie (Wiley) Blount Haston.” Bount was nine years older than David, but they would have been young men at the same time in the tiny village of Knoxville, when and where most everybody knew everybody.
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Some Famous Early Americans Our Hiestands and Hastons Were Associated With
Famous Early Americans Our Hastons Met and Knew, Part 1
John Sevier (1745-1815)
Daniel Haston and other members of the Hiestand family may have met and known John Sevier while they were living in northern Virginia. Sevier was approximately five years older than Daniel Hiestand/Haston and grew up just over the Massanutten Mountain from the Hiestands. He is credited with being the founder of New Market, VA. In pre-Tennessee western NC, he became famous as a successful Indian fighter, a President of the failed state of Franklin, the first Governor of Tennessee, an office he served in four times. Sevier’s farmstead, Marble Springs, was located south of where the Daniel Haston family lived during their ten-year sojourn in Knox County, TN. While he was Tennessee’s governor, he rode past their home every time he rode from Knoxville to his farmstead. According to his journal, he purchased vegetables from Suza Haiston and a Mrs. Haiston. Whether or not these were the same person or two members of the Daniel Haston family, I do not know. But they were certainly members of Daniel’s family.
William Cocke (1748-1828)
William Cocke was chosen, in early 1796, as a delegate to the convention that wrote the first Tennessee Constitution. When the Tennessee government was formed, Cocke was selected to be one of the first two Tennessee senators, along with William Blount. His first term was short, 1796-1797. He was later elected by the Tennessee Assembly to a Senate seat and served from 1799 to 1805. Cocke had the distinction of serving the state legislatures of four states: Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Mississippi. He was also a major leader in the organization of the would-be State of Franklin, the state’s delegate to the Congress of the Confederation. His first known contact with the Hiestand/Haston family was when, as an attorney, he defended Abraham Hiestand, Daniel’s brother, in the 1793-1794 Hamilton District Court case, Robert McCombs vs Abraham Heistant. Unfortunately for Abraham, McCombs won the case. A year later, he was the prosecuting attorney in the John Mattox vs. John Stone case, that resulted in Mattox’s security, Daniel Haston, having to pay the court costs.
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Abraham Hestand’s Survey and the Tebbs Bend Battle of the Civil War
In 1799, 100 Acres Were Surveyed for Abraham Hiestand/Hestand
64 Years Later (July 4, 1863) the Battle of Tebbs Bend, KY Was Fought There
Daniel and Abraham Hiestand - Post Virginia
Daniel Hiestand/Haston left Virginia with his older brother, Abraham, in about 1783. They journeyed to what is now Upper East Tennessee, near Jonesborough in Washington County. After 20 or so years there, they parted ways. Daniel moved his family to South Knoxville in Knox County, TN. Abraham moved to South Central Kentucky.
Abraham claimed 100 acres on Tebbs Bend of the Green River, in what is now the southern tip of Taylor County, KY. His good friend, John Lemon, settled on the adjacent bend, known for more than 200 years as Lemon’s Bend.
Something happened shortly after Abraham received his survey–something that changed his mind about completing the purchase. I suspect that is when his wife, Mary Magdalene Boehm Hiestand, died. On the back of the survey he assigned the rights of his surveyed property to his son, Henry Hiestand/Hestand. But, Henry chose not to finalize the deal either. So, the land never made it into the Hiestand family. However, it became the site of a very important Civil War battle.
Abraham and Henry both settled about 50 miles southwest of Tebbs Bend, in what became Monroe County, KY.
The survey drawing below is upside down, which was not uncommon for survey plats in that era.
Abraham Hestand's Tebbs Bend Survey
In South-Central KY, the Hiestand name for Abraham’s family became “Hestand,” but, in the early years, clerks often spelled it “Heaston.”
Site of the Battle of Tebbs Bend
Excellent Tour of the Battlefield if you are interested in Civil War history – Link below:
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Our 300th Blog Post
Our 300th Blog Post/Article - Browse All of Them
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Cowboy Missionary to Chickasaw Indians – Nathan Lorenza Haston
Cowboy Missionaries to Chickasaw Indians
Part 1 - Nathan Lorenza Haston
My first cousin three times removed. -Wayne Haston
Missionary Brothers
Willard Durham Haston’s Link will be activated when his page is published.
Nathan Lorenza Haston was born in Van Buren County, TN in 1849. His parents were Wiley B. and Mary Durham Haston. Nathan Lorenza was a Great Grandson Daniel Haston. His father, Wiley B., was 20 years old when Daniel died so Nathan Lorenza would have heard many stories about the early Haston family.
—
When Nathan Lorenza was about 10 years old, his parents moved the family to Arkansas. Apparently, they stopped in Yell County, AR for a while, where his younger brother, Willard Durham Haston, was born. They moved to the western edge of the state, Sebastian County, AR, where their father died, leaving wife Mary with several children, six of whom were under the age of 15.
—
Mary must have felt overwhelmed–now a widow with a bunch of children, living about 600 miles away from her Durham family and many friends back in Tennessee! By the time of the 1870 census, almost ten years after the death of her husband, Mary was living back in Van Buren County, TN, with her kids. We don’t know how long she was in Arkansas after her husband died, but I’m guessing it wasn’t long before she left Arkansas for home in Tennessee.
—
But some of the kids, Nathan Lorenza, David S., and Willard Durham Haston, had not forgotten their father’s dream of living west of the Mississippi River, Arkansas specifically. At the time of the 1880 census, N.L. and his Arkansas-born wife, Mary Theodosia (George), were living in Yell County, AR, with Nathan Lorenza’a brothers D.S. (age 23) and Wm. D. (age 20) in their household.
—
Unfortunately, there are no (known to me) records of when Nathan Lorenza became a Freewill Baptist preacher. But when the Freewill Baptists launched missionary work among the native American nations in the Oklahoma Territory (see below), Nathan Lorenza and brother Willard Durham Haston joined the Freewill Baptist missionary venture among the Chickasaw and other Indian nations of the Oklahoma Territory in approximately 1890. Perhaps they were influenced by the ministry of J.M. Roberts and R.J. townsend, who were Freewill Baptists ministering in Arkansas until about 1884.
—
Nathan Lorenza’s missionary work was cut short by his death in 1897. But his missionary brother, Willard Durham Haston, continued in ministry among the Chickasaw Indians in Johnston County, OK until about 1905 (or early 1906) when he moved to Cottle County, Texas. More about Elder W.D. Haston in another article.
Nathan Lorenza Haston’s Family Background
Missionary Ministry in Oklahoma Indian Territory
The late territorial and early statehood years also saw the beginnings of Freewill Baptist work in Oklahoma.
Baptists - The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
Nathan Lorenza and Mary Theodosia George HASTON Family
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Online Flipbook – The Story of the Daniel Haston Family
Use the full-screen icon (last icon on the right, above) to get a larger view. Then, use the Escape keyboard key to return to this view.
Sample – 74 pages from the 484 pages of The Story of the Daniel Haston Family
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Other Payment Options
- Option 1 – Call 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 2 – Mail a check, but contact me before writing the check so we can calculate shipping costs.
WayneH37@aol.com or 717.648.2383 – Mail check to Wayne Haston, 11979 Old Kentucky Road, Walling, TN 38587
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Purchase Through Amazon.com
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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Estelle Haston’s Family History Notebook
210 Pages of Haston Family History - Years of Work, Free to You
You will need to be patient in downloading. This is a big book.
Haston Family Research Materials Amassed by David and Estelle Through 20+ Years
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Basic DNA Seminar – 2024 Haston Family Reunion
Answering Basic Questions About DNA Research
Wayne Haston Interviews Darvin Martin, DNA Expert from Pennsylvania
July 2024 – Daniel Haston Family Association Reunion
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06 – James Thomas Haston-Hasting & Clan to Yell County, Arkansas
James Thomas Haston/Hasting Clan to Arkansas
Links will be activated when the posts are written and published.
The following story of this branch of the Daniel Haston family was assembled and written by Colonel Howard Hillman Haston, Sr., a member of this family and a West Point graduate.
Murry's Cavalry - Tennessee (Confederate) 4th Cavalry Regiment
James (Thomas) Haston joined Company A of the Tennessee (Confederate) 4th Cavalry Regiment, along with seven of his Haston relatives and some others from Van Buren County, TN. The company was organized on June 14, 1862 in Chattanooga, TN.
I have no reason to believe that James Thomas Haston was at Fort Sumter in South Carolina on April 13, 1861, when the fort was fired on.
Murray’s Cavalry Regiment [also called 4th Regiment] was organized in August, 1862, using Spiller’s Tennessee Cavalry Battalion as its nucleus. The unit was attached to Wharton’s Brigade and fought at Perryville and Murfreesborough. On January 23, 1863, it disbanded.
Where did James Thomas Haston get the idea that the Haston name should be Hasting?
I don’t know, but he should have discussed this with his Uncle David or Grandfather Joseph, who knew the truth about the family name. They were consistently spelling it “Haston” before and when they settled in White County, TN.
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04 – Civil War Widow – Amanda Haston Dale to Yell County, AR
Another Widowed Haston Woman - to Yell County, AR
Links will be activated when the posts are written and published.
Be Aware: Some incorrect information in the Dale Family Book – Amanda was not a granddaughter of David and Peggy Haston. She was a daughter of Joseph and Sarah Creely Haston.
Amanda Creely Haston was the daughter of Joseph and Sarah Creely Haston and the granddaughter of Daniel Haston. She was born in about 1831, probably just a few months after her father died. In 1850, she lived with her mother in the 3rd district of Van Buren County, TN.
She married William Leonard Dale on March 13, 1858, in White County, TN. William Leonard Dale (Sr.) was the son of John H. and Margaret Dale.
John H. Dale, Amanda’s father-in-law, ran a grist mill on Cane Creek near Amanda’s and other Hastons’ homes. He also ran a public ferry on the Caney Fork River, where Cane Creek emptied into the river. No doubt all of the Hastons in that area, Amanda’s widowed mother (Sarah), and David Haston family members, were regular customers on the ferry and probably at the grist mill. John H. Dale was killed by lightning on August 2, 1847. His wife, William Leonard Dale’s mother, died in 1852.
Three of their children, younger siblings of William Leonard Dale, were “bound out” to be raised and apprenticed after the death of their mother in 1852–Thomas Rufus Dale, age 11; Dicey Dale, age 9; Wesley Martin Dale, age 6.
On January 4, 1862, at Sparta, TN, William L. Dale enlisted for 12 months in the 1st Tennessee Infantry Battalion of the Confederate Army, led by Major Stephen H. Colms. He was a private in Captain William M. Simpson’s Company E, along with other men from White County, TN. He joined along with his nephew, William Henderson Haston (grandson of Joseph Haston through Isaac and Emily King Haston).
William L. Dale's Civil War Experiences
William L. Dale’s participation in the Civil War got off to a bad start, five weeks after he enlisted the Confederates surrendered Fort Donelson, near Nashville, TN, and his company was captured. The loss resulted in most of Kentucky and much of Tennessee falling under Union control. The battalion was exchanged at Vicksburg September 10, 1862 and reorganized at the Camp for Exchanged Prisoners at Jackson, Mississippi, on September 20, 1862.
William Dale’s unit fought in the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou (Mississippi), December 26–29, 1862. The Confederates gained a victory in this opening engagement of the Vicksburg Campaign, an encouraging stop in the Union’s attempt to gain control of the Mississippi River.
On May 12, 1863, Amanda Haston Dales’ husband, was engaged at the Battle of Raymond (Mississippi), another attempt to repulse the Union’s advance of Vicksburg, Mississippi. The Confederates disengaged and fell back in the face of superior Union numbers.
Port Hudson is located about 20 miles northwest of Baton Rouge, LA. The May 22–July 9, 1863 battle-siege at Port Hudson was the final engagement in the Union campaign to recapture the Mississippi River in the Civil War. While Union General Grant was besieging Vicksburg upriver, Union General Banks was ordered to capture Port Hudson, a Confederate stronghold downriver. When the Union assault on Port Hudson failed, his massive army settled into a 48-day siege, the longest in US military history to that point. When Vicksburg fell, the Confederates surrendered at Port Hudson.
Poor supply lines, starvation, and disease were to remain the constant problems of the Port Hudson position, and overwhelm efforts to improve conditions for the soldiers of the garrison. Louisiana Private Robert D. Patrick wrote: “…never since I have been in the army have I fared so badly and in truth I have been almost starved.” -Wikipedia
“By July, the siege grew desperate for the Confederates for lack of food, and many soldiers resorted to eating mules and rats.”
750 Rebel soldiers were killed or wounded; 250 died of disease, and 6,340 surrendered. Many of those who surrendered signed the US oath of allegiance and joined the Union Army rather than be incarcerated in a prison camp. William Leonard Dale was one of those who joined the Union Army.
February 1864 - On Furlough Back Home in White County, TN
Amanda Haston Dale
Another Haston Widow Leads Her Family to Yell County, Arkansas
At the time of the 1870 census, Amanda (“Dail”) and her three children were living in District 2 (Hickory Valley) of White County, TN–John H. (11), Sarah M. (9), and William L. (6).
Amanda Haston Dale (born 1831) was a younger sister of Malinda Haston Howard (born in 1819 or earlier). They were both widows – single moms – left to raise their children.
According to the family report of Howard H. Hasting (below) I have always thought that Malinda Haston Howard and Amanda traveled together with their families to Yell County, Arkansas together. However, Amanda’s family appears in the 1870 White County, TN census and Malinda’s family does not.
However, Malinda supposedly lived in Madison County, TN a short while in the 1870s before moving on to Yell County, Arkansas. Maybe Amanda caught up with her older sister Malinda in Madison County, TN, and perhaps they journeyed together from there to Yell County.
William L. and Amanda’s oldest son, John Henry Dale, who “disappeared while living in Boone County, Arkansas,” moved to Cook County, IL, where he worked as a railroad fireman. He died there on March 3, 1928 and is buried in the Ebenezer Lutheran Cemetery in Oak Forest, IL.
Family records indicate that Amanda Dale died in 1876, a few years after settling in Yell County, Arkansas. I have not discovered where she died and was buried.
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03 – Malinda Haston Howard, Widow of William Howard
Widow Malinda, Moved Her Family to Yell County, Arkansasd
Links will be activated when the posts are written and published.
Malinda Haston (Maragriet Malinda Alzina Haston, as per some sources) was born on December 5, 1815 (some sources say 1819) in what was still White County, TN at that time–later Van Buren County. Colonel Howard Hillman Hasting summarized her life story in the seven lines you see below.
Malinda Haston married William P. Howard in then-White County, TN on September 5, 1839, with John Gillentine, Esquire, officiating their marriage.
But, Was William Howard Killed by Bushwhackers?
Here’s the Official Mortality Record
I choose to believe the official mortality report that he died of Flux. His brother-in-law, William Leonard Dale (husband of Malinda’s sister, Amanda) was killed by bushwhackers in 1864, so I assume the Haston family facts have been confused. You will learn the William Leonard Dale story in the article to follow this one. See the button link above.
Bloody Flux
Dysentery, also known as “camp fever” or “the bloody flux,” was endemic throughout the colonial period and it raged right up through the Civil War. Symptoms of the disease include bloody or mucusy diarrhea, stomach cramps, pain, nausea, vomiting, and fever. Not only was dysentery a bacterial infection, but toxins can also be secreted by another type of Shigella bacteria, which damages blood vessels in the gut, kidneys, and lungs. This can produce hemorrhaging, bloody diarrhea, kidney failure, or even pulmonary edema.
Since the bloody flux was so common, people had no idea of the causes and it raged right up through the Civil War. Now we know it is caused by the Shigella bacteria and spreads rapidly in unsanitary conditions where food and water are contaminated by human waste. Crowded ships and soldier camps, poor personal hygiene, and lack of hand-washing conspired to create ideal breeding grounds for Shigella. This made dysentery a recurring, debilitating, and often fatal disease. Source
According to the 1850 census, William (age 30) and Malinda (age 31) were living in District 3 of Van Buren County, TN, with five children: Eliza J., age 9; Isaac M., age 7; Martha C., age 5; Joseph H., age 3; and James A., age 7 months. They were living next to John and Arenetta Haston. Malinda’s husband, William Howard, was a blacksmith, as was his father, Isaac Howard, according to the 1870 census.
At the time of the June 1, 1860 census, Melinda (age 43) was the head of the Howard household, no doubt grieving the recent death of her husband. All nine children were still living at home, and six of them were in school that year! Imagine a single mom with six children in school and two under school age–ages 2 and 4. Malinda and her 18-year-old daughter, Jane, were seamstresses.
I have not found an 1870 census record for Malinda in Van Buren County or elsewhere. She may have been on her way to Arkansas, but that’s just a “maybe.”
If you research this family, you will see references to William and Malinda Howard, who were on the 1870 census in Jefferson County, TN. This is a DIFFERENT family of Howards. The names of the children do not match the Malinda Haston Howard family and William Howard of Van Buren County, TN had been dead more than 10 years by the time of the July 8, 1870 Jefferson County, TN William Howard.
Malinda Howard appeared on the June 30, 1880 census in Magazine Township of Yell County, Arkansas. Sons William M. (age 26) and Thomas F. (age 19) were living with her.
Joseph H. Howard - Son of William and Malinda
Sheriff of Yell County, Arkansas
Inconsistencies with Other Records
- Date of birth, January 31, 1849 does not match the 1850 census record that says he was three years old.
- “His father was a gunsmith by trade” = possible, but Van Buren census records say he was a blacksmith.
- Dates of his father’s birth and marriage of his parents do not match other records.
- “Here the father died” – if “here” means Yell County, Arkansas, this is definitely wrong. William Howard died in Tennessee.
After what must have been a tough life, Malinda died on January 23, 1892. She was buried in the Shepherd Cemetery. Omega Road, Alpha, Yell County, Arkansas 72833, United States; Coordinates: 35.12860, -93.26440
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05 – Green Madison “Doc” and Margaret Ann Haston Shepherd
G.M. "Doc" and Margaret Ann Haston Shepherd
Links will be activated when the posts are written and published.
The 1850 Caswell County, NC Federal Census indicates that Green M F A R Shepherd was two years old and living with his family, John and Tempy (Temperance) Shepherd in Caswell County, NC. The record states that he, his parents, and his siblings were all born in the county of Person, NC. Person County was created out of Caswell County in 1792. They were all mulattoes. Sometime between the 1850 and 1860 censuses, this mulatto Shepherd family moved to the southern end of White County, TN.
Note: Mulatto typically refers to a person of mix black and white ancestry. (Source: Britannica)
G.M. “Doc” and Margaret Ann Haston Shepherd were part of a movement of families (Hastons and related families in particular) who moved from Van Buren County and White County, TN to Yell County, AR in the final decades of the 1800s. Precisely why they moved is unknown, but it was probably because “grass was greener” west of Tennessee at that time–good land was available and more affordable than in Middle TN. Sometimes, you may find him referred to “Doc” Shepherd, but he was not a medical doctor. For some reason, “Doc” was his nickname.
According to the 1860 census, G M F A R Shepherd (F = Franklin, A = Alexander, R = Rasby ) was 13 years old (born in 1847) was living with his parents, John and Temperance Shepherd in the area of River Hill in the 2nd District of White County, TN. He was enrolled in school, probably the (Old) Union School of that area, if his mulatto status would have allowed him to do so at that time.
That same year, Margaret (Ann) Haston was nine years old, living with her parents, William Carroll and Jane Denney Haston, south of Cane Creek and the Caney Fork River in Van Buren County, TN. She and her two brothers, Charles Thomas Haston and Van Haston, attended school that year–possibly across (north of) the river into White County at the (Old) Union School. Even though they were in different counties, the Shepherds and Hastons were not far apart.
Before the next census, they were married on January 16, 1869, in Van Buren County, TN. So, as young people, they grew up living in the turbulent Civil War years.
On July 26, 1870 (Federal Census record), D. (probably D = “Doc”) and Margaret Shepherd–he age 23, she age 19–were living in District 3 of Van Buren County, TN with no children. They were living near some Hasting (Haston) families.
They were still living in the 3rd District of Van Buren County, TN at the time of the 1880 census. That was near where Margaret grew up. Margaret’s brother, David L. “Van” Haston, lived two houses away. Four children were in their household: Martha, age 9; Jennie, age 7; Dalton, age 3; and Fannie, age 1. Martha and Jennie were both attending school.
Hugh J. Brady and wife Cherokee D. were one more, a third, house from them. Hugh Brady was a colonel in the Federal Army during the Civil War. He was a U.S. storekeeper and gauger at the time of the census. Note: Gauger in the 1800s =a government official responsible for measuring the contents of barrels or casks, particularly those containing liquids like alcohol, to ensure accurate taxation based on volume.
According to the Centerville Township, Yell County, AR 1900 census, three children were living at home with them: Cleveland [John Cleveland], age 15 (born December 1884); Carrel [William Carroll] (son) age 12 (born April 1888), and Ellen (daughter) age 8 (born February 1892). All of them were born in Arkansas, so we know that GM and Margaret moved to Arkansas before the mid-1880s.
A man named G.M. Shepherd was tried for selling liquor to Chocktaw Indians on their reservation in Tuskahoma, Oklahoma. It was a Federal offense. On its western border, Arkansas was adjacent to Oklahoma’s Indian territory. Tuskahoma was about 175 miles from Dardanelle, AR. Was this the husband of Margaret Ann Haston? There were a few other Shepherds that were also charged with that crime, a George Shepherd for one. But the other names do not seem to fit the G.M. and Margaret Haston Shepherd. Was this “G.M. Shepherd” Margaret’s husband?
In 1910, they were living in the Dardanelle Township of Yell County, AR. Cleveland (son, age 25 and divorced) and [William Carrol] Carol (son, age 22) were living with them and both were bakers, apparently co-owners of a bakery shop. Green and Margaret Ann had been married for 38 years. Margaret had borne seven children, but only four were still living.
At the time of the 1920 census, Green M. and Margaret A. were stilling living in the same township of Dardanelle County, AR. Son [John Cleveland] John C. (age 36, born in Arkansas) was with them. Green, at age 72, was a “Cat [cattle?] Seed Buyer,” a wage earner for a company.
Margaret died January 11, 1924, and was buried in the Brearley Cemetery in Dardanelle, Yell County, AR.
The obituary for Green Madison Shepherd says that he moved to the Gould Township of Lincoln County, Arkansas, to live with his son about 10 years before he died.
Green Madison Shepherd died on November 17, 1938 at the age of 91. Apparently, he was living with his son, William Carrol Shepherd (I assume), in Gould of Lincoln County, AR at the time of his death. He was buried on November 18 beside his wife Margaret in the Brearley Cemetery back in Dardanelle, AR. Son, W.C. Shepherd provided the information for his death certificate.
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Sparta, TN – One Vote Shy of Becoming the State Capital?
Did Sparta, TN Almost Become the Capital of Tennessee?
All of us old-timers who grew up in White County, Tennessee, have heard the story about Sparta coming one vote short of becoming the capital of Tennessee. The story usually goes on to say that the needed vote was “sold” for a drink of whiskey. Well, here’s the LEGEND and the FACTS that can be known and documented about that story.
The Legend
Some years after the settlement of Sparta, there was an election held in the state legislature to select a permanent capital for the state. Many of the towns in East and Middle Tennessee were voted on. When it cam to the vote between Nashville and Sparta, that vote failed to be put on the House Journal. The legend goes that Sparta lacked only one vote of receiving enough to make it a capital, and that vote was sold for a drink of whiskey. Sam Turney at that time represented White County as senator and he worked for Sparta. The representative from White County was John Dearing, who, in the election, voted for Nashville. It is uncertain what influenced him to vote thus as it would be reasonable to expect one in that position to vote according to the wishes of his people and also for his home town. He has ever since been criticized for his action then.
Coral Williams - Legends and Stories of White County, TN
The Facts
# 1 – The “new” 1834 Tennessee Constitution required a permanent capital site be chosen. In 1840, the issue of which Tennessee town or city would become the state capital did come to a vote.
# 2 – John W. Dearing was the representative for White County (Sparta) in the TN State House of Representatives. Sam Turney was the senator for White County (Sparta).
# 3 – On January 28, 1840, the Tennessee State Senate passed a resolution that the capital of Tennessee be moved from Nashville to Murfreesboro. The Senate attached the condition that the Governor and other officers be allowed to remain in Nashville until the meeting of the next (September, 1841) Legislature .
# 4 – The day after the Senate’s resolution was passed down to the House of Representatives, the House rejected the resolution specifically because of the attached condition.
# 5 – During these expressions of opposition, an amendment was offered to strike out Murfreesboro and insert Sparta as the new site for the State capital.
# 6 – When the vote was taken for this amended resolution, the representatives were evenly divided, which caused the Senate’s resolution to fail. One vote would have swung the resolution in favor of Sparta. This action was not the FINAL decision concerning the permanent site of the capital. Legislative maneuvering continued for a few days, which made the House’s action on January 29, 1840, meaningless. So, (as you will soon see) if Sparta had been favored in the resolution, it is very unlikely that Sparta would ended up being the state capital.
# 7 – The Speaker of the House quickly signed the Senate’s proposal and the presiding officers of the Senate followed with their final approval, which appeared at the time to make Murfreesboro the permanent state capital. Largely because of it’s proximity to the geographic center of Tennessee. The geographic center of Tennessee is located on Old Lascassas Pike, a half-mile from the campus of Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN.
Note: Sparta’s “first objective” was to be in the resolution from the House of Representatives. The next and final objective would have been for the Senate to accept the House’s resolution. However, the “Sparta resolution” never got out of the House, much less to the Senate.
# 8 – As it turns out, this January 29, 1840, action was negated by congressional maneuvering in the days to follow. On Friday, January 31, a resolution was introduced into the House, rescinding the resolution to Murfreesboro and fixing the seat of Government again at Nashville. Dearing, the Sparta-White County representative, opposed the resolution, but he was in the minority. The resolution was carried over to the Senate where the Sparta-White County senator, Sam Turney, was initially NOT in favor of it. After some more maneuvering, the resolution passed with Turney voting FOR the resolution, which made Nashville the state’s permanent capital.
The final vote in the Senate was 12 “yeas” (for Nashville) and 11 “nays” (against Nashville). According to the February 5, 1840 (Nashville) Republican Banner article: “This result was effected by Mr. Turney’s [Sparta-White County’s senator] changing his vote in favor of Nashville.”
Summary
Yes, the vote that eventually made Nashville the permanent capital of Tennessee came down to one vote and that vote was cast by Sparta-White County’s State senator, Sam Turney. However, at that point Sparta was NOT in the consideration, so it was not a Nashville vs. Sparta vote. Sparta-White County’s representative John Dearing, in the House, opposed Nashville. It was not Dearing’s vote that gave Nashville the win.
Regarding the influence of a “drink of alcohol,” that accusation is doubtful. Sam Turney was an eccentric character and often made controversial choices. He was a popular attorney and no doubt wealthy enough to purchase alcohol if and when he wanted.
The editor of the Nashville Republican Banner made this comment regarding Turney:
With this gentleman we have no affinities, personal or political; but it is due to him to say, that he only did at once and without hesitation, what others would have eventually done, had it been necessary. We know from undoubted information, that another Van Buren [the Democratic President, not the Tennessee County] Senator, whose personal and political integrity is above suspicion, was prepared to vote for Nashville, rather than compel the Governor and other Officers of State to trudge away to Murfreesborough.
The Republican Banner - Article After the Final Decision
The article from the “contemporary newspaper” mentioned above.
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Hon. Sam Turney was an unique character. He was one of the most successful lawyers ever at the Sparta Bar. He was original but very eccentric. He used to sit at a hotel and cut his own hair. When remonstrated with, he replied, ”I guess I know the shape of my own head.” There were no records of warrants and indictments kept in those days, Turney would eat the warrants, thus freeing his client. Once a counterfeiter was up for trial, Turney was his lawyer. Turney asked to see the five dollar bill presented in evidence. Talking and wrapping the bill around his finger he found a chance to put the bill into his mouth and at the same time took a good bill out of his vest pocket and substituted it for the counterfeit. Then he requested the Judge to send three men to the bank to see if it would pass. It did and his client went free. He won national fame for planning the escapade which prevented our State from having a United States Senator for two years. He and the actors with him became known as The Immortal Thirteen. Toward the end of his life he was baptized and became a Christian preacher. Great crowds came to the services whenever it was announced that he would preach. He was a soldier in the War of 1812 and when he died in Sparta in 1862, he was buried by a Convoy of Federal soldiers. Page 95 of The History of White County by Monroe Seals.
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