15 – The “Black Madonna” in the Einsiedeln Monastery
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
The abbey is dedicated to Our Lady of the Hermits, the title being derived from the circumstances of its foundation, for the first inhabitant of the region was Saint Meinrad, a hermit. It has been a major resting point on the Way of St. James for centuries.
Meinrad was educated under his kinsmen, Abbots Hatto and Erlebald, at the abbey school at Reichenau, an island on Lake Constance, where he became a monk and was ordained a priest. After some years at Reichenau, and at a dependent priory on Lake Zurich, he embraced a heremitical life and established his hermitage on the slopes of mount Etzel. He died on January 21, 861, at the hands of two robbers who thought that the hermit had some precious treasures, but during the next 80 years, the place was never without one or more hermits emulating Meinrad’s example. One of them, named Eberhard, previously Provost of Strassburg, in 934 erected a monastery and church there, of which he became first abbot.
The church is alleged to have been miraculously consecrated, so the legend runs, in 948, by Christ himself assisted by the Four Evangelists, St. Peter, and St. Gregory the Great. This event was investigated and confirmed by Pope Leo VIII and subsequently ratified by many of his successors, the last ratification being by Pope Pius VI in 1793, who confirmed the acts of all his predecessors.
During the Middle Ages, Einsiedeln became a popular place of pilgrimage for people from southern Germany, Switzerland, and Alsace. Meinrad’s cell became the shrine of the Black Madonna of Einsiedeln. Over the years dust and the smoke of candles, oil lamps, and incense darkened the image. In 1803 the hands and face were painted black. Wikipedia.
Swiss reformer Huldrych Zwingli stayed in Einsiedeln for two years, during which time he focused on church activities and personal studies, including Greek and Hebrew. Many of his reformation ideas began to germinate during those years prior to his move to Zürich to become the people’s priest of the Grossmünster church there.
History of the Einsiedoln Abbey (3:29)
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July 26, 2024 – Tour of Daniel Haston Family Historic Sites
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
To see the highlighted route on a printed copy,
print in color or print in grayscale then highlight the route manually.
Click on the (right side) arrow to sequence through the sites on the tour.


















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Some Lodging Options and Recreation Sites
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 visited state parks. The park encompasses more than 29,800 acres sprawled across the eastern top of the rugged Cumberland Plateau. Laced with cascades, gorges, waterfalls, streams and lush stands of virgin hardwood timber, the park beckons those who enjoy nature at her finest. Fall Creek Falls, at 256 feet, is one of the highest waterfalls in the eastern United States. Other waterfalls within the park include Piney Falls, Cane Creek Falls, and Cane Creek Cascades. Best for sight-seeing.
Very important to make lodging reservations as early as possible.
19.7 miles to Hickory Valley Baptist Church, 5865 Hickory Valley Road, Sparta, TN 38583.
Rock Island State Park
Rock Island State Park is an 883-acre park located on the headwaters of Center Hill Lake at the confluence of the Caney Fork, Collins and Rocky Rivers. The rugged beauty of the park includes the Caney Fork Gorge below Great Falls Dam. These overlooks are some of the most scenic and significant along the Eastern Highland Rim. Great Falls is a 30-foot horseshoe cascading waterfall, located below the 19th-century cotton textile mill that it powered over 100 years ago. Rock Island became a Tennessee State Park in 1969. Nearest to Hickory Valley Church.
Very important to make lodging reservations as early as possible.
16.9 miles to Hickory Valley Baptist Church, 5865 Hickory Valley Road, Sparta, TN 38583.
Sligo Marina on Center Hill Lake
Sligo Marina has Pontoon Boats available for half-day and full-Day rental. Double deck pontoon boats include a slide and have a 14 person limit. If you are looking for a place to store your boat at Center Hill Lake Sligo Marina has multiple options available. Slips available include covered and uncovered and can accommodate boat sizes ranging from jet ski’s to large pontoon boats. Marina has a launch ramp and nightly tie-ups are available. Electricity and water are available. A rental cabin is a great way to spend the weekend at Center Hill Lake. The rustic rental cabins sleep six and include three full beds, two baths, kitchenette, and screened porch. The cabins overlook the lake and include a boat slip. The Sligo Ship’s Store carries most common items needed for a day on the lake. There is also a gas island for boat refueling. If you are hungry after a day on the water stop by the Wheelhouse Restaurant for a great meal. Best for serious fishing.
Very important to make lodging reservations as early as possible.
25.5 miles from Hickory Valley Baptist Church, 5865 Hickory Valley Road, Sparta, TN 38583.
Lodging Only
Vacation Rentals by Owner
Vrbo is an American vacation rental online marketplace originally known as Vacation Rentals by Owner or VRBO.
Very important to make lodging reservations as early as possible.
Firefly Acres
Only 4.8 miles from Hickory Valley Church and adjacent to the original Daniel Haston farm.
Firefly Acres! I can’t say enough about this hidden gem!
We were looking for a cabin to stay in while visiting the Falls Creek Falls State Park and found this wonderful place. There are 4 different cabins on this beautiful secluded horse ranch. We stayed in the Tool Shed. The décor was amazing with, unexpected gems everywhere you looked. It had super comfortable beds, a small kitchen, bath and a wonderful covered deck overlooking the horse pasture. If all that wasn’t enough, the Owners, Pete and Bambi were amazing! After a wonderful day hiking we called ahead and let them know we wanted to have a fire. When we returned, the fireplace in the pavilion was all ready to go, all we had to do was light it and enjoy! -A review by an unknown guest
Very important to make lodging reservations as early as possible.
Cookeville, TN Hotels
McMinnville, TN Hampton Inn
There is a Royal Inn in Sparta, but some of the reviews are not good.
If you know of others who might want this information, please pass this on to them.
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 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 to see this assertion. That incorrect notion was probably fueled by the now-debunked theory that our Hastons were Scots-Irish. And some Haston folks have even incorrectly theorized that Daniel Haston must have married a McComisky woman at some point prior to the birth of his first son David.
But it is true that the McComisky name DOES appear in the early Haston family. David and Margaret/Peggy Roddy Haston named their fourth child (second son, born 1808) “Daniel Haston.” But the most interesting part of his name is the middle name: “McComisky” (or McComiskey, McCumskey, McCumskay, etc.). How and why did this McComisky surname enter the Daniel Haston family? In reading piles of correspondence between earlier Haston researchers, I have found that this was one of the most perplexing questions they sought (unsuccessfully) to answer.
“I am especially intrigued by the name of the fourth child of the first David.
I’ve wondered why he happened to be named Daniel McComisky [Haston].”[i]
“Every time we get to a research center…we include the name McComisky
in our search. So far, we have not found the name ….”[ii]
“…did you ever hear your dad say anything about how Daniel McComisky
[Haston] got his name? I am wondering about the McComisky ….”[iii]
[i] Source: Personal letter to Mr. and Mrs. Dave R. Haston of Sparta, Tennessee from Sybaline Haston Edwards of Bridge City, Tennessee, June 2, 1973.
[ii] Personal letter from Mrs. Dave R. Haston to Sybaline Haston Edwards, June 14, 1973.
[iii] Personal letter from Mr. and Mrs. Dave R. Haston of Sparta, Tennessee to Maude ____, September 17, 1973.
The Clue that Unlocked the Mystery
Early in August 2000, Sherry Mirkovic discovered a Baltimore County, Maryland will that was created by Daniel McComisky who lived in Maryland in the late 1700s. And this McComisky man had grandchildren in the Carolinas, which would have included Tennessee in September 1789, the time the will was created. Subsequent online searches located a genealogy forum post by Beth Layman that documented a connection between this Daniel McComisky and a Philip Roddy family. Philip Roddy lived in Randolph County, North Carolinas in the 1770s through the very early 1790s, then lived in East Tennessee in the 1790s and early 1800s. That information led to Beth Layman’s book, Richard Green Waterhouse (1775-1827): Tennessee Pioneer, which added more details regarding this Knox County, Tennessee Roddy family and its connection to the Daniel McComesky family of Baltimore County, Maryland. As it turned out, Philip Roddy married a daughter of Daniel McComisky–her name was Mary McComiskey Roddy.
We also learned that the Philip Roddy family was living near our Daniel Haston in Knox County, TN shortly before and after the turn of the 19th century–about 1795-1803. And we learned that David Haston’s wife, Margaret (Peggy) Roddy was almost certainly the daughter of Philip and Mary McComisky Roddy.
Bingo!
Daniel’s grandson was named Daniel McComisky Haston. The middle name came from his grandmother’s family, Mary McComisky (Roddy), daughter of Baltimore County, Maryland’s Daniel McComisky. And Daniel Haston’s son, David Haston, was NOT named “David McComisky Haston!” So, please correct your genealogy records if you have copied this erroneous assumption.
Location of Daniel McComisky's 447 Acres in Baltimore County, Maryland
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13 – Village of Hirzel, Home of Two Famous People
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 homes of two extraordinary Swiss people. Johanna Spyri, the author of Heidi, is known internationally. Hans Landis is famously known as a great hero of Swiss Anabaptist/Mennonite descendants. Landis was the last Anabaptist martyred for his Christian faith.
Johanna Spyri - Author of Heidi
Hans Landis - The Last Swiss Anabaptist Martyr
Hans “The Martyr” Landis was a notable Anabaptist and was probably the most famous Landis. He gained notoriety by being the last martyr in Switzerland to be executed for his religious beliefs. “In the Ausbund, (oldest hymnbook of the Swiss Brethren ) No. 132, is a song of 46 stanzas commemorating his death.
After several imprisonments and escapes Hans was imprisoned in the Wellenberg tower which stood in the Limmat River in Zurich, Switzerland. The the tower is where the Swiss authorities decapitated Landis on September 30, 1614, for his leadership of the “heretical” Anabaptists and his refusal to leave his congregation.
Our Hiestand Anabaptist ancestors were probably associated with Hans Landis.
He may have been considered to have been their pastor.
See the location of Hirzel in relation to Richterswil and Wadenswil.
Lone Linden Trees on the Hills of Hirzel
Legend has it that the farmers on Hirzel sold their souls to the devil in return for more land. The devil took the easy way out and just pushed the earth up from inside. When the farmers realised the extra land was steep and of no great use, they felt cheated on and planted a linden tree on top of every hill. With the linden trees, being the “trees of love,“ the devil would avoid the area in the future.
Share this with Hastons or related family members who might be interested in the June 14-27, 2023 Hiestand-Haston European Heritage Tour.
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 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 developed southeast of the property David owned in 1802-1806. In fact, the Grassy Creek Shopping Center overlaps David and Peggy’s property.
I’m not sure what the difference was, but David Haston stood out among Daniel’s sons. He apparently was fairly well educated for a young man who grew up in a poor German-speaking family. Like all of Daniel’s children, he undoubtedly was able to speak English and German. And somewhere along the way he received a decent education for his time and place. It’s only a guess on my part, but my theory is that he someway managed to be associated with some of the prominent people in Knoxville–perhaps even the earliest political and civic leaders in the little pioneer town that happened to be the capital of Tennessee. Maybe he served as an aide to some of them–I don’t know. But later, when he got to White County, Tennessee, he demonstrated civic leadership and land ownership–as well as lay leadership in the local Cumberland Presbyterian Church. And in Knox County, he was the owner of 111 acres–with a creek flowing through his property–at the age of 25
September 1, 1801 – David and Peggy’s first child, Malinda, was born on this date somewhere in Knox County.
October 28, 1802 – Where did David and Peggy live the first couple of years of their marriage? With David’s family? With Peggy’s family? Did they lease one of the Charter lots and live there or rent a place in Knoxville? We will probably never know. But for a young man from a poor family, David must have been quite industrious. About two and a half years after he married, David became an owner of 111 acres on Grassy Creek, northwest of Knoxville.
David purchased 111 acres from John Armstrong for $300 on this date. The tract of land was located on the east fork of Grassy Creek in Hinds Valley, between Beaver Ridge and Blackoak (Black Oak) Ridge, about eight miles north west of Knoxville.[i] Grassy Creek runs in a southwest direction on the west side of and parallel with Schaad Road through the Knoxville Golf Course, crosses Oak Ridge Highway (Route 62) and then is joined by other streams as it turns northwest and flows through the Cheneworth Gap of Beaver Ridge and meanders from there into Beaver Creek, a tributary of Clinch River.
[i] Knox County, Tennessee Real Estate Purchase, Original Book K, 79; Volume C, Volume 1, 300-301.
1803 – The name David Hasston appeared on an 1803 Knox County tax list. He owned 111 acres on Grassey (Grassy) Creek and his household had one white poll. He was in the Captain Childs (Chiles) Company.[i] When the earliest settlers moved to that area, they found an abundance of tall grass “higher than a man’s head” in the valleys all the way to the foot of Clinch Mountain.”[i]
[i] Nannie Lee Hicks, The John Adair Section of Knox County, Tennessee. (Knoxville, TN: The Nocturne Garden Club, 1968), 12.
[i] “Captain Childs Company,” Knox County, Tennessee 1803 Tax List.
January 22, 1804 – This was the birthdate of David and Peggy’s second child, Mary (“Polly”).
Mid-1805 – Sometime between the January and October Knox County Court terms, David Haston was an auctioneer for the estate sale of Jacob Neff who had died in the latter part of 1804. Jacob Neff was a grandson of Dr. John Henry Neff who lived near the Hiestands in Virginia. He may have been a nephew of Christina Nave. If so, Jacob Neff and David Haston were first cousins. But Jacob Neff’s wife was a Strickler whose family was closely connected to the Hiestands.
June 11, 1806 – David and Peggy’s third child, Willie B., was born before they sold their Grassy Creek land and moved to White County. Willie’s middle initial apparently stood for Blount.
Willie (pronounced “Wiley”) Blount (born 1768) was a half-brother of William Blount, the former governor of the Southwest Territory. Willie studied law at the universities that later became Princeton and Columbia before serving as a private secretary for his brother, Governor Blount. At the time Willie B. Haston was born, Willie Blount was living in Montgomery County, in north central Tennessee. “Blount was elected governor in 1809 and then reelected in 1811 and 1813.”[i] He was Governor of Tennessee during the War of 1812.
[i] Anne-Leslie Owens, “Willie Blount,” Tennessee Encyclopedia, accessed October 6, 2019, https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/willie-blount/.
To name a son after a popular politician was not unusual, but Willie Blount was not yet governor of Tennessee when David’s first son was born. David Haston and Willie Blount lived in Knoxville for several years at the same time, which makes me wonder if David had some special connection with the future governor of Tennessee—special enough that David named his first-born son Willie Blount Haston.
September 11, 1806 – On this day, one day before White County was officially formed from Smith and Jackson Counties, David sold his Grassy Creek land in Knox County. David bought the land for $300 in October of 1802 and sold it for $490 in September of 1806, a 63% increase in price in four years.
November 11, 1806 – The Jacob Neff estate was settled on this date. Sometime prior to then, David Haston had been paid (by receipt) $1.00 for his part in the estate settlement. But, by the time the estate was settled, David had already received his payment and may have been on the way to or in White County.
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12 – The Richterswil Museum (Canton Zurich, Switzerland)
The Richterswil Museum (Ortsmuseum Richterswil)
The Richterswil local museum deepens the understanding of regional history and promotes cultural life in the community.
The main points of their work are:
- Management and expansion of the historical collection that is housed in the Haus zum Bären.
- The organization of exhibitions showing part of the local history.
- The publication of historical writings.
- The organization of exhibitions in the field of art and culture in general.
The Richterswil local museum in the venerable “Haus zum Bären”, a stand construction from 1749, has a treasure trove of drawings and engravings from the 18th and 19th century, the age of tourism in the village. Old films, reports, pictures and photographs document the heyday of industry, industrialists, workers, manufacturing methods and village life. The museum houses the archive of the Zürichseezeitung from 1865. A pharmacy, a shoemaker’s workshop, a kitchen and music playback devices date from around 1900. Various very beautiful rooms are rented out for various occasions and exhibitions. Opened in 1975
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.
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 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 gift to himself, since the actual marriage often occurred a day after the bond was issued.
As you probably know by now, David Haston was Daniel’s oldest son. He was born in Shenandoah County, VA, probably up in Powell’s Fort Valley in the Massanutten Mountain where Daniel’s family lived for the first several years after his marriage to Christina Nave.
David’s bondsman for his marriage was Isham Bradley. As far as I can tell there was no familial relationship to Isham. He and David were probably just best buddies. David had been the bondsman for Isham Bradley’s wedding two years earlier to Susanna Matlock. And Isham Bradley followed the Hastons to Middle Tennessee a few years later.
Now, back to David Haston’s bride–Margaret “Peggy” Roddy. Yes, she was only 14 1/2 years old when she married 23 year old David! “Was that legal?,” you ask. Yes, in fact there was no legal statue regarding marriage ages in Tennessee until 1899! “Was that normal?,” you ask. Well, it wasn’t unusual. Men generally didn’t marry until they were old enough to establish themselves with a place to live and a job of some sort. And it was very common for girls to marry in their early teens. Anyway–it worked out fine because David and Peggy seem to have had a very good marriage, had 13 kids, raised some of their grandkids, and lived together 57 years until she died in 1857. How many husbands and wives today stay together until “death do us part,” 57 years of living?
David and Peggy Roddy Haston are my Great-Great-Great Grandparents and I’m very proud of them!
Who were Peggy’s parents? For who-knows-how-many-years, Haston family researchers have tried to find the answer to that question and have often “guessed” incorrectly that she was the daughter of Colonel James Roddy who lived in Jefferson County, TN. Not so, no way!.
Do you remember the story of David Haston cutting the cow tails off Nathaniel Hays’s horned cows? Peggy Roddy was the sister of three of the Roddy kids who were called to testify against David. Those kids were the children of Philip and Mary McComiskey Roddy who lived near Daniel Haston’s family, “south of the Holston River, opposite Knoxville.”
There is so much I have learned about this Philip Roddy family over the past 20 years! But I’ll hold that until a couple of articles later. Stay tuned!
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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 Tennessee, to Illinois, to Dallas County, Missouri The three youngest sons of Daniel Haston settled in Missouri. Jesse and Jeremiah

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 and 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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11 – Boat Cruise Around Lake Zürich
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.
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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, 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, as far as we know, never served on a jury in Virginia. When Daniel was in Washington County, NC/TN he may have served on one jury, but I’m not even sure about that juror. He might have been our Daniel’s nephew, who was also named Daniel.
But in Knox County, TN in just 6 years and 4 months Daniel served as a jury member in at least 69 court cases! He may have served on juries more than any other Knox County citizen during that period. Was he doing it for pay? No, at that time in Knox County there was no payment for jury duty!
In addition to jury duty–as we saw in the two previous posts, his sons David and Joseph were involved in a couple of court cases that proved to be insignificant. He was in court to support them. On other occasions, Daniel was a witness. He was an estate administrator. He was a defendant. In another case he put up a security bond for a friend.
Daniel's Most Significant Court Appearances
in Knox County, Tennessee
April 20, 1795 – John Mattox vs. John Stone (In debt)
The first for-sure documented date we have for Daniel Haston’s appearance in Knoxville is this Knox County case in which Daniel was a bondsman for a friend. Unfortunately for Daniel, his friend (apparently) deserted him, leaving Daniel financially responsible for the court costs and damages to be paid to the plaintiff.
[i] John Mattox vs. John Stone, Knox County, Tennessee Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, Docket 383/378, 1795-1797.
April 29, 1797 - John Stone vs. Daniel Hastings (Scire Facias)
Scire Facias = Judicial writ requiring a person to appear in court and argue why a judgment against him should not be annulled, vacated, executed, or enforced.
This case goes back to a choice Daniel made on April 20, 1795, when he signed to be the security for John Mattox who took John Stone, a local tavern owner, to court. It seems that Mattox may have fled the county to avoid paying damages and costs when he failed to prosecute his case against Stone and found himself in the role of defendant.
This April 29, 1797 John Stone vs. Daniel Hastings case was summarized in these words:
The Defendant having been duly warned and not appearing though solemnly called On motion of the Plaintiff by his Attorney It is considered by the Court that the Plaintiff may have Execution against the Defendant for Thirteen Dollars twenty four and one half cents the costs in the writ aforesaid specified and also that the Plaintiff recover against the said Defendant his costs by him expended in suing forth and prosecuting this writ.
Earlier, Daniel had been informed that he owed Stone $20.44½ and that he must return to court on April 24, 1797. That was a Monday. But when this case was presented on Saturday, April 29, 1797, it appears that Stone was willing to receive the lesser amount of $13.24½. Or perhaps Daniel had already paid $7.20, but still owed the $13.24½.
April 12, 1798 - State vs. David Hasten (T V A)
This was the “cow tails” case presented in a previous article. Trespass Vi et Armis = trespass with force and arms.
January 1800 – Appointed of Daniel Haston and Elizabeth Roddy as Estate Administrators
On motion of Elizabeth Roddy and Daniel Hastings Administrators is granted them on the estate of James Roddy deceased, who have been sworn, and entered into bond together with William Tipton and John Desmond (Jun.) in the sum of One Thousand Dollars with condition as law directs.[i]
[i] Knox County, Tennessee, Estate Settlements, Reel # 1 (Volume 1, July 1792 – October 1811), 74.
James Roddy, son of Philip Roddy, had married Elizabeth Haston in December 1793 in Washington County.
October 1800 - Samuel Cowan vs. Joseph Haston (T V A)
Trespass Vi et Armis = trespass with force and arms; quare clausum fregit = literally, “breaking a close” – meaning breaking a fence. This was the “Timothy lot” case mentioned in a previous article. The following signatures were
Joseph Haston, Daniel Hastings, and David Haston signed a $2,000 bond to assure that Joseph would appear in court on the second Monday (13th) of October at the courthouse in Knoxville to answer Samuel Cowan’s accusations. Joseph and David signed in their own handwriting, but Daniel made his mark. As we gave seen previously, Daniel could have signed his first name in English and his surname in German, but maybe that was not allowed in Knoxville.
October 7, 1801 - Hamilton District Court Case, Andrew Jackson vs. John Kearby
But one of the most interesting cases that Daniel was involved in was the Hamilton District Court Case, Andrew Jackson vs. John Kearby. Daniel was on the jury that heard and decided this case involving Andrew Jackson. OK, get this–Andrew Jackson was a litigant (he took Kearby to court). And Andrew Jackson was a judge on this case! Yep, he judged his own case! Daniel Haston and the other jury members ruled against Kearby and in favor of Andrew Jackson’s complaint! But they only assessed Kearby six cents in damages and six cents in court costs. See the image for more about this case. Yep – Daniel Haston was on a jury that tried a case involving a district court judge, who was a future War of 1812 hero and two-term President of the United States. See the image at the top of the page.
October 1801 - Nathaniel Hays vs. Solomon McCampbell and Paul Cunningham
On July 13, 1801, Daniel Haston was summoned to court in Knox County, Tennessee, along with John Cowan and James Cunningham. They were called to witness on behalf of the defendant, Paul Cunningham, who was accused of trespassing on and destroying the property of Nathaniel Hays. Sound familiar? The case focused on a dispute regarding the property boundaries of Hays and Cunningham.
Then it appears that Nathaniel Hays moved to Davidson County, Tennessee (near Nashville) before the trial was complete. On January 15, 1802 he appeared in court and stated that “he has some time ago removed himself and family to Cumberland [middle Tennessee, east Nashville area]…” Apparently, he had missed a court appearance, because of “owing to high waters which he has to cross he could not reach Knoxville till after the above cause was called for trial ….”
The Court dismissed the case and Hays was pressed to pay court costs. The sheriff of Knox County sent notices in July 1802 and April 1803 to the sheriff of Davidson County to recover the court costs from Nathaniel Hays.
The original document file contains a receipt for each of these men, signed by the recipients: July 9, 1804: William Haislet, Junior; July 9, 1804: William Haislet, Senior; December 29, 1804: John Cowan; August 6, 1806: James Cunningham.
There is no receipt, in the file, for Daniel Haston/Hasting. When compared to the Daniel Haston timeline for that era, it is possible or likely that Daniel Haston had moved to White County by the time payments were made. Who knows if he ever received his $1.50?
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10 – The Richterswil Wilderness Trust
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 imprisoned or martyred for worshiping where they could be discovered. We will worship there to remember what they endured for their Biblical faith. The forest we will gather in has 100s of years of Hiestand-connected history. Our guide, Ross Baughman, will tell you that story.
For 100s of Years Hiestands Have Been Partial Owners of the Wilderness Trust
From the earliest years of the community of Richterswil, perhaps predating the Swiss Confederation, “Richterswil included about 300 acres of wilderness trust land within its borders that were kept, profited from and passed on through the sons of their elder-most families.”[i] The trust consisted of a forest on the north face of the old castle site and extended to the shore of Lake Zürich. It is essentially a multi-family socialist venture that has endured for many centuries.
[i] J. Ross Baughman, A Lake Beneath the Crescent Moon, 41.
Although the trust is much older, the written charter of June 3, 1645 “spells out how each male descendant from these clans could automatically become a society member and share in the annual profits every April, provided that he was a blood descendant, not adopted, and remained a resident of Richterswil.” When no male descendants remained for a family, the number of clans in the trust decreased and each remaining family gained from the shrinking pool.
“From its beginning, the Richterswil Wilderness Trust enshrined nicknames for each of the clans that belonged to it, primarily as a way to distinguish them from others of the same name not considered close kin. At the beginning of the 19th Century, a list transcribed in the trust record offered a ‘Cookiebaker’ Hiestand family.”[i] In June of 1941, the secretary of the corporation “reported that a number of the old family nicknames had fallen into disuse because members had moved away or the inherited male lines had ‘ended up in oblivion.’” The “Gogg” Hiestands was on the list of those family nicknames.[ii]
[i] J. Ross Baughman, A Lake Beneath the Crescent Moon, 75.
[ii] J. Ross Baughman, A Lake Beneath the Crescent Moon, 216.
Today the trust is known as Allmendkorporation, the Allmend Corporation. On April 27, 1999, the Allmend Corporation recorded 75 males as full members, including one Hiestand. In the year 2000, twenty-one families remained in the trust, including Bachmann, Baumann, Lehmann, Strickler, and Hiestand.[i]
[i] J. Ross Baughman, A Lake Beneath the Crescent Moon, 41.
1:34 Video
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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 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’s orders.
If you grew up on a farm, you know what “timothy” is–it’s a kind of hay. Timothy hay is high in fiber and generally is easy to digest. It tends to be more expensive than the other grass hays, but it is also higher in nutrients than other grass hays. It is used most often as cattle and horse feed.
“Close” is an old word used for a lot or a small field. So, a “timothy close” was a lot where timothy hay was grown.
Samuel Cowan had a timothy hay lot adjacent to the lot that Daniel Haston’s family lived on “south of the Holston River, opposite Knoxville” in 1800. Cowan was an important man in Knoxville – he ran a mercantile store and was a big shot in the little pioneer village of Knoxville.
One day in the summer of 1800, Daniel Haston told his 20 year old son Joseph to tear the fence down that they (the Hastons) had built on their rented lot. So Joseph, being an obedient son (like ALL Haston sons!) did what his father told him. The only problem was that Daniel’s hogs got into Mr. Cowan’s timothy hay lot and trampled around in it.
So on August 14, 1800, Samuel Cowan filed a complaint against Joseph and hired Hugh White as his attorney to prosecute Joseph Haston. Who was Hugh White? Later, he would become a Tennessee Supreme Court Justice, a U.S. Senator, and an 1836 candidate for President of the United States (he won Tennessee by a landslide, but lost to Martin Van Buren).
27 Seconds Video
Daniel (Joseph’s father) and David (Joseph’s brother) signed a $2,000 bond assuring that Joseph would show up for the trial. Cowan was asking for $1,000 for the damages. Gulp!
Sheriff Robert Houston was called as a witness for Joseph, as well as the owner’s agent for the lot Daniel was renting, James Charter. Drury W. Breazeale was Joseph’s attorney. After both attorneys presented their cases, the jury:
who being elected, tried and sworn the truth to speak upon the issues joined upon their oath do say the Defendant is not guilty as in pleading he hath alleged.
Furthermore: Therefore it is considered by the Court that the Plaintiff take nothing by his Writ but for his false clamor be in Mercy etc and that the Defendant go thereof without day and recover against the Plaintiff his cost by him about his defense in this behalf expected.
Oh, by the way, Samuel Cowan died about a year later.
Joseph Haston and his attorney “bested” Hugh Lawson White, one of the most famous attorneys in early Tennessee and a future U.S. Presidential candidate!
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09 – The Old Wädenswil Castle in Richterswil, Canton Zurich of Switzerland
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 Were Connected to this Castle
On Sunday, June 18, 2023 – This is what we’ll see and experience.
Before 1557
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 Canton Schwyz felt threatened by the expansion of the city-state of Zurich.
21st Century
Perspectives
And we'll have a picnic on the castle grounds.
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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 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. I had worked hard to earn that honor. After all, David Haston was my GGG Grandfather. And you ought to hear some of my father’s tales of mischief.
I (double-dog) dare you to post some of your mischievous stories in our Facebook Group!
At age 20, David cut the tails off his neighbor’s cows and ended up in Knox County, TN court.
Have you ever had a cantankerous neighbor–one that everybody seemed to have trouble with? Nathaniel Hays (a Revolutionary War veteran) appears to have been that kind of person.
In 1797, there was no Lake Loudon below Knoxville. So the river (“Holston” at that time) was lower than now and in low-water seasons there were numerous islands up and down the river. But there was one island, very near where the Hastons lived, that was quite large (see the map image). This may have been the scene of “the crime.”
From the court records, here’s the re-enactment (best I can tell) of the mischievous deed that got David in trouble:
- Nathaniel Hays had horned cattle that grazed on the island.
- The fence that was supposed to keep the cows in their place was low and “not good” and the cows were not contained properly.
- Apparently, the cows got out (perhaps often) and created some kind of problem for the Daniel Haston family.
- So David cut the tails off of two of Mr. Hays’s horned cows. That will show him!
- Mr. Hays went across the river (December 18, 1797) and filed a complaint with James White, founder of Knoxville and a Justice of the Peace for Knox County.
- David was arrested and brought to court on April 11, 1798.
- Some witnesses were summoned to testify against David, including some Roddy children (siblings of David’s future wife, Margaret/Peggy Roddy).
- Some of the witnesses testified that they saw the bleeding cows and David was there at the scene.
- David was found “guilty” and fined $5.00. Joseph was found “not guilty.”
Who was Nathaniel Hays? He was granted land in Middle Tennessee because of his Revolutionary War service. He was temporarily living in Knox County until the Indian attacks ceased. Finally, in about 1804 or so he took up his Middle Tennessee land – it was adjacent to where Andrew Jackson lived. On June 7, 1809, Nathaniel Hays exchanged his land with Andrew Jackson’s land and Hays’s original tract became the site of Jackson’s home place – The Hermitage.
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08 – The Amazing Richterswil Fountain
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 is operated with sheer gravity, therefore without a pump.
The Wet Attraction of Richterswil
Around 1875 the fountain near Richterswil splashed water into the sky for the first time – higher than any other in Europe. In 2007 the population celebrated the revitalized facility.
“Those from the other bank will be jealous,” says an older man. The man is convinced that the restored fountain in the lake at the Richterswil swimming pool arouses envy among the residents of Zurich’s Gold Coast. Hundreds of Richterswilers were happy with him on Saturday evening on the lakeshore about the fireworks, but there was only applause when the jet of water from the fountain that was put back into operation began to fight its way up into the sky. At first hesitantly, but then with a lot of energy, the jet of water shot up around 80 meters. At the beginning you could admire a straight fountain, but then the wind came up and the jet turned into a mist that made the audience dripping wet. But this did not detract from the mood. Some fled from the wet, others persevered – that was a nice memory of childhood. More
9:34 Video
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Understanding Your DNA Results – Darvin Martin Zoom Meeting
Understanding Your DNA Results
Darvin Martin in Our June 7, 2021 Zoom Meeting
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.
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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 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 some of those highlights in the next several articles.
Daniel’s family lived on a small lot south of the Tennessee river (or Lake Loudon), that was then called the Holston River. The lot was rented from James Charter. When Daniel arrived in Knoxville, it was a tiny frontier village (just a couple of years old) and “Tennessee” wasn’t even a state. That’s why you can become a member of First Families of Tennessee, if you can document your lineage back to Daniel.
Daniel didn’t live in the village of Knoxville. He rented a small lot across the “Holston” River (now, “Tennessee River” or “Lake Loudon”). Perhaps he couldn’t afford to live in the village, so where he lived may have been like a “slum” section for very poor people. Or maybe it provided more space for a garden, some pigs and a milk cow or two. Or maybe some of both reasons.
It was at the south end of the (now) Gay Street Bridge, but a ferry was the only way to cross the river in Daniel’s day. The area is now “South Knoxville.” And it’s just a half mile up and across the river from Neyland Stadium, home of the University of Tennessee Volunteers!
When the ceremonious events surrounding the famous Treaty of Holston with the Cherokee Indians were going on in 1791 – they were directly across from where the Hastons lived. Our Hastons would have had some of the best “seats” to observe the ceremony – except that they were probably not living there quite yet.
Daniel’s family lived directly across from the Blount Mansion, the capitol building for the U.S. Southwest Territory prior to Tennessee’s statehood. Governor William Blount could have seen the Haston’s humble cabin by looking out his window and across the river.
Significance of where the Hastons lived. Even though Daniel’s family lived was south of the river, it was a significant location. The ferry docked on the south bank very close to their house and from there one road went to what is now Sevierville, TN and another to Maryville, TN. So as the area developed, lots of people traveled by their home, including John Sevier, after he became Governor in 1796. Governor John Sevier passed the Hastons on his way to his farm, “Marble Springs.” Two entries in Governor John Sevier’s journal indicate he paid Mrs. Haiston $3.00 in full of all “accounts” (?) and Suza Haiston $1.00 for four melons. Were these two women the same people? Was Suza Haiston a wife of Daniel? Or, was Suza a daughter?
In the next few articles, I’m going to tell you a humorous story about one of Daniel’s sons who cut the tails off his neighbors cows – another son who tore down a fence and got in trouble – Daniel’s many appearances in court (but honorable appearances) – a marriage that has influenced many of our lives – where David Haston lived when he got married – and more interesting happenings. Stay tuned.
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22- Two of Daniel Haston’s Siblings in South Central KY
Two of Daniel Haston's Siblings in South Central, KY
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, Tennessee while Abraham Hiestand/Heaston and his family were members there. They served together in some church business assignments. In the fall of 1797, the Mulkeys left the Big Pigeon church and moved to what is now Monroe County in south-central Kentucky, where they planted the Mill Creek Baptist Church, near Tompkinsville, KY, as well as several other branch churches in that area.
A few months later, March 31, 1798, Abraham also moved to Kentucky. Prior to 1797, the area south of the Green River in KY was reserved for Virginia’s Revolutionary War veterans. But in 1797, anyone over 21 years old could claim land there. “Such persons were entitled to not less than 100 acres or more than 200 acres, but must have been bona fide settlers on the land for one year before they became into actual possession.”
Abraham staked his claim on 200 acres, but only had 100 acres surveyed. However, it was not near Mulkey’s church–it was on the Green River, about 40 miles north of Tompkinsville, KY.
Abraham's 100 Acres Survey on the Green River
This tract is near Campbellsville, KY in Taylor County. Notice the boundary with “Tibb’s Line.” In the Civil War the Battle of Tebb’s Bend was fought at that site. An adjacent bend in the Green River is known as Lemon’s Bend. It is named for John Lemon, a longtime acquaintance of Abraham.
For some reasons, perhaps the death of his first wife, Abraham never finalized the claim to his 100 acres on Green River. Instead, he chose to live in Monroe County (actually, Barren County until 1820) and joined the Mill Creek Baptist Church.
The Mill Creek Church Split
The Mulkey brothers were sons of Jonathan Mulkey, a famous pioneer Baptist preacher in western North Carolina (East TN). But Pastor John began to develop some doctrinal views that concerned some members of the Mill Creek Baptist congregation. Those concerns escalated to the point that the church split on November 11, 1809.
It was while a representative number of the church were attending and a proposition was made that those who endorsed Mulkey’s doctrine were to walk through one of the doors of the building, and all who opposed the doctrine of Mulkey were to walk out the other door of the building. The proposition also was made to count the members who followed each deacon out and the deacon who had the largest number of members, he and his members were to retain the building. The count disclosed that those who favored John Mulkey drew a majority and thereby gained possession of the building.[i]
[i] Cawthorn and Warnell, 437.
John and Philip Mulkey went on to become prominent leaders in what became known as the Restoration Movement, which generally centered around the theology of Barton Stone and, later, Alexander Campbell.
The Baptist minority from the Mill Creek congregation who refused to follow Mulkey’s theological direction found themselves (literally) standing outside without a meeting house. “They proceeded to purchase one and one half acres of ground from John Harris, on which they erected a new “Mill Creek” building.
Out of which door did the Hestands exit? Subsequent records indicate that Abraham Hestand and, his son, Daniel Hestand remained faithful to the Baptist roots they had put down in Virginia and nurtured during their years in eastern Tennessee. They broke ranks from their old friend, John Mulkey, and joined the new Mill Creek Baptist Church.
Hestand, Kentucky
Abraham Hiestand’s family took root in South Central Kentucky. The Hiestand name became Hestand. And a community in southern Monroe County was named for them. A post office was established there in 1888.
Daniel's Youngest Sister and Brother-in-Law, the Gimlins
Andrew and Mary Magdalene Hiestand Gimlin Near Harrodsburg, Kentucky
Daniel’s little sister, Mary Magdalene Hiestand, married Andrew Gimlin on December 5, 1773. Less than three years later, Andrew was in Kentucky (which was a western territory of Virginia at the time) raising corn and building a cabin. Although the law was not enacted until 1779, apparently there were rumors of a “Corn Patch and Cabin Rights” law in the works in the Virginia legislature. The law stated: “Every settler who had occupied a tract and had raised a crop of corn [in Kentucky] before January 1, 1778, was entitled to 400 acres at the price of $2.25 per 100 acres and was allowed the further right to pre-empt an additional 1,000 acres at $40.00 per hundred acres.”[i]
[i] Willard Rouse Jillson, comp., The Kentucky Land Grants, Part 1. (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1991), 3-5.
Andrew certainly must have anticipated this law when he visited and planted corn there in the summer of 1776 (when the Declaration of Independence was signed!). Virginia Land Commission Records for 1779-1780 state:
Andrew Gumlin this day [January 28, 1780] claimed a settle’d and preemption to a tract of land in the District of Kentucky on acc’t of raising a crop of corn in the County in the year 1776 lying on the north side of Dicks (Dix) River about 1 miles E of James & Edmund Arches land to include his improvement. Satisfactory proof being made in the Court the commissioners are of the opinion that s’d Gimlin had a right to settlement on 400 acres of land to include the s’d improvements & and the preemption of 1000 acres of adjoining & that a Cert. Issue accordingly.[i]
[i] Kentucky Historical Society, Certificate Book of the Virginia Land Commission, 1779-1780. (Greenville, SC: Southern Historical Press, 1981), 151.
This was the Daniel Boone and James Harrod Era in Kentucky!
Andrew and Magdalena Gimlin were definitely the most adventuresome members of the Henry Hiestand family. Their area of central Kentucky was not safe from Indian attacks for another twenty-five years or so after they settled there. The Gimlins were entering the northern part of what Cherokee Chief Dragging Canoe predicted in March 1775 would be “a dark and bloody ground” if white settlers took their hunting grounds away from them. Chief Dragging Canoe’s prediction came to pass, just like he promised. Wisely, Andrew and Magdalena settled near Fort Harrod where they could flee for protection during impending Indian attacks.
Andrew Gimlin’s first recorded appearance as an abiding settler in Kentucky was on January 28, 1780. Andrew probably arrived in Kentucky before the 1779-1780 winter and a few months later began to acquire the 1400 acres he was qualified to own because he had been there and raised a crop of corn and constructed some kind of shack in the summer of 1776. [i]
[i] Andrew Gimlin, Early Certificates of Settlement and Preemption Warrants in Kentucky County, Virginia. January 28, 1780.
Unfortunately, no stories of the Gimlin’s adventures while living between the Dix and Kentucky Rivers have been passed down to us. But enough has been recorded about life (and death!) in and around Fort Harrod (Harrodstown/Harrodsburg) and Fort Boonesborough (50 miles to the east) to inform us that Andrew Gimlin and his family must have suffered much during their 20-plus years there.
Boundary disputes and lawsuits, due to the poorly managed disbursements of grants and sloppy surveys soon plagued Andrew Gimblin and many of the other Kentucky settlers. Eventually, the Gimlins moved farther south to Cumberland County, Kentucky.
Where did they settle in Cumberland County, Kentucky? On the 1810 Federal Census for Cumberland County, Kentucky Samuel, David, and Molly Gimlin’s names appear on the same census roll as three of Abraham Hiestand’s sons: Abraham Hastings (Jr.), Henry Hastings, and Daniel Hastings. Molly’s name appears just 48 names above the Hastings cluster of names.[i] We know from other records that the Gimlins and these Hastings/Hestands lived in the southwestern corner of Cumberland County that became the southeastern corner of Monroe County, Kentucky in 1820. They did not live far apart and, no doubt, the two siblings of our Daniel Haston reconnected!
[i] Year: 1810; Census Place: Burksville, Cumberland, Kentucky; Roll: 9; Page: 176; Image: 00185; Family History Library Film: 0181354
Fort Harrod - Where the Gimlins Probably Fled in Indian Attacks
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