200th Posted Article on Haston History and Related Topics

200 Posts and Counting - With Many More to Come

And Many, Many More!

What Haston-Related People, Family Lines, or Topics Would You Like to Know More About?

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Haston Big Spring – alias Swamp Spring

How BIG is the Haston Big Spring Branch

When the Hastons moved (late 1803 or early 1804) to what became White County, TN in 1806, Daniel Haston located his cabin on a hill above the emergence (springhead) of what was then called “the Big Spring Branch.” It soon became known as the “Haston Big Spring.” After Daniel Haston died, the spring’s name became “David Haston’s Big Spring.”

Sometime later, apparently, the State of Tennessee officially gave it the name “Swamp Spring” or “Big Swamp Spring.” In recent years the spring has been part of a major U.S. Geological Survey. Here’s an overview of what is now known about what I still call the “Haston Big Spring.”

(N. 35.80243°, W. 85.44439°)

Excerpts below from U.S. Geological Survey Karst Interest Group Proceedings, October 19-20, 2021

At its low water level, the discharge of water is approximately 3,591 gallons per minute.

At its high water level, the discharge of water is approximately 112,208 gallons per minute.

That’s a very BIG Spring!

A dye injection was conducted and it took ten days for the main stream in the Rumbling Falls Cave to reach Swamp Spring. But, during higher flows this travel time would likely be much less.

Read the Swamp Spring Hydrological Report

Hydrology Vocabulary

A area is a place where water is able to seep into the ground and refill an aquifer because no confining layer is present.
Resurgence is the point at which an underground stream reaches the surface and becomes a surface stream.
Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves.
Sump is a pit or reservoir serving as a drain or receptacle for liquids
The cubic foot per second (symbol: ft3/s)is the unit of volumetric flow rate equal to that of a cubic foot moving each second.

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If It Is Not Documented

Basic Rule of Recording History = Valid Documentation!

The "Beyond Family Lore" Series

Wayne's Rant

As a Ph.D. student at the University of Tennessee, I was required to take a collection of courses on how to conduct credible professional-quality research, including an outstanding class on “historiography“–researching and writing history. One thing you learn quickly in those kinds of classes is that “I heard it through the family grapevine” just won’t cut it! It may be an interesting “story” that’s worth sharing, but the events in the story “ain’t history” (‘scuse my vernacular in this case) if you don’t support it with valid documentation. And, yes, I said VALID documentation–documentation that provides the kind of support that proves the actuality of the story.

Three brothers came in here (White County, Tennessee) and they were from Holland.

My Dear Mother

For example, my dear godly and honest-as-the-day-is-long (as we say in Tennessee) mother always told me that my Haston ancestors came from Holland. Several times she told me about my father’s ancestors, by saying, “three brothers came in here from Holland.” That was an interesting story but it wasn’t history. Even if it had been true and all of that really happened, I had no way of knowing of knowing if it was historically accurate until many years later I began digging for the documentation. Bottom line: We have to find actual proof of the historicity of a story before we can claim it is history.

So, just because your beloved parent or aunt and uncle or grandparents told you a story about your family’s history doesn’t mean it’s true. And that doesn’t mean they were dishonest people. It simply means they were probably passing along what they heard, without knowing if it was true or not.

When I began researching and writing our Haston history, I quickly discovered that much of the passed-down Haston “history” is family folklore. And I love folklore stories; there’s nothing wrong with sharing them. But it is important that we share them as “stories” and not as “history” unless we can verify them with credible evidence. So, often I will qualify a story with a preface such as this, “John Doe said….” That’s a signal to alert the reader to know that it’s only a story until proven to be historically accurate.

As I’ve said many times, I was deeply disappointed to learn (by digging down to the documents and evaluating the credibility of the documents) that the “story” about our Daniel Haston being a Revolutionary War veteran was only a story, not a historical fact. I’ve laid all of that out in articles on this site, as well as in three chapters of The Story of the Daniel Haston Family. By the way, the book contains mostly history that is documented, but it also includes stories–some are known to just be (or may be) stories but they are presented as such.

Here's What Credible Family Historians and Genealogists Say

Without adequate documentation, [even] a well-researched family history or tree looks like fiction.

Thomas W. Jones

The value of your family history research relies in large part on the thoroughness and clarity of your documentation.

National Genealogical Society

Documentation is the most important task that genealogists undertake. Without documentation, genealogical research results are nearly meaningless.

Standards for Genealogical Documentation

Family stories embellished and retold across the generations are particularly susceptible to elaboration as well as deception. Critical family history requires scrutiny of the lived events uncovered—some of which may be in sharp contrast to family myths passed down through generations.

Luanna Meyer

If genealogists, whether hobbyist or professional, do not apply rigorous standards to our research then our genealogy turns into (at best) fun stories, regardless of whether they are true.

Legacy Tree Genealogists

When I talk with those unfamiliar with genealogical research, they are often surprised by all that goes into what we do as professional genealogists. Rather than simply “looking up” family trees online, our work is characterized by the thorough, detailed, and careful examination of historical documents in relation to a specific research problem.

Elizabeth Shown Mills

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Hasting – Howard Hillman

1905 – 2003

Howard Hillman Hasting, Sr.

Rank and Branch of Military

Colonel, U.S. Army

Years of Service

Graduate of the United States Military Academy, West Point in 1928. Separated from the armed service in 1931, he practiced law in Arkansas until he was recalled to duty after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He served in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps during the war, stationed at West Point. Served as the chief assistant to the American Judge for the War Crimes Tribunal for the Far East after the war. Retired May 1, 1960.

Military Schools Attended

United States Military Academy at West Point, New York (1928 Graduate)

Assignment

He served in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps during the war, stationed at West Point. Served as the chief assistant to the American Judge for the War Crimes Tribunal for the Far East after the war.

Awards, Decorations, Badges, etc.

Commendation Ribbon with Medal Pendant, Oak Leaf Cluster

Stories of Interest Involving the Service Member

Relationship to the Daniel Haston Family

Howard H. Hasting descended from Daniel Haston through Daniel’s son Joseph: Joseph>Isaac (son of Joseph)>James Thomas>Isaac Thomas>James Isaac>Howard Hillman Hasting, Sr. You can read about this family line in Colonel Hasting’s family report. Howard’s father and other family members moved to Yell County, Arkansas in about 1880, where they (as a family group) changed their “Haston” name to “Hasting.

Other Information About the Service Member's Haston or Haston-Related Ancestry

Colonel Hasting did extensive research on the Daniel Haston family. He wrote the first edition in 1954 and the revised and updated edition in 1980.

Obituary

Person who submitted this information and relationship to the honored veteran:

Wayne Haston, based on information reported by his son, Howard H. Hasting, Jr., military records, and information from his genealogical research report, “The Daniel Haston Family.”

Email address to the person who submitted this information:

WayneH37@aol.com

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Seven Major Errors in Early Haston Genealogy Documents

Seven Major Errors in Early Haston Genealogical Documents

The "Beyond Family Lore" Series

There is much to appreciate about Haston family members of earlier generations who sincerely sought to discover and record the history of Daniel Haston’s massive family of descendants. Unfortunately, compared to our current genealogical research tools and resources, they were severely constrained by their lack of mobility and communication channels which caused them to rely heavily on oral stories handed down from relatives and neighbors. They relied on what they were told and not what they discovered through credible methods of research. To a large degree, I stand “on their shoulders,” benefiting from much they have passed down. However, their limitations as historians resulted in some faulty assumptions, disproven theories, and family myths that just won’t go away because they were initially received from folks they loved and respected and dared not question. For the sake of future generations who are more interested in substantiated truth than lore, the record needs to be set straight about the following seven mistakes that have crept into what many Hastons still believe and pass along to future generations in their family lines. -Wayne Haston

1. Daniel Haston's Parents and Earlier European Ancestry

As I explained in the article accessible through the link below, from the time of some of Daniel Haston’s grandchildren, there was uncertainty as to whether Daniel’s ancestors were from England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, or the Netherlands. No earlier Haston researchers suspected Switzerland, the real homeland of Daniel’s ancestors.

But I want to focus on one fallacious view that was very popular among Haston family genealogists (at least as early as) in the first half of the 20th Century, and even later, by families who blindly copied that view. Some unknown person came up with the idea that our Daniel Haston was the son of William Haston and Allison Montgomery. See this example that is still one of many that floating around the internet:

Ancestry.com Page for Daniel Haston

If you drill down deeper on this Ancestry.com record, you will find that this William Haston was (presumably) from Scotland. And the person who posted this confused the death date of Daniel’s real father, Henrich Hiestand, with this Scottish William Haston. Obviously, whoever concocted this view only found someone in old records with the name “Haston” (actually, Hestan or Hasten in the records) and assumed without further evidence that he–William H_____–was Daniel’s father. And that unsubstantiated assumption has created an enormous amount of confusion to Daniel Haston descendants who have sought to discover their family’s roots. And the myth is still alive in many places!

2. The Insertion of "Montgomery" into the Middle of Daniel Hiestand/Haston's Name

There are at least two more errors in the above record.

These are just a few of many examples of the “Daniel MONTGOMERY Haston” that you may come across while searching the internet. I don’t know for sure, but I assume that the middle name “Montgomery” came from the previous myth–that his mother was Allison Montgomery (Haston). If so, the first (above) error led to a second error that still hangs around like a proverbial ghost from our past. There is NO documented evidence to support this fallacy. We now know that Daniel was born into a SWISS Mennonite German-speaking family and the Scottish surname Montgomery would not have been assigned to him.

3. The Insertion of "McComiskey" (or other spellings of that name) into the Middle of David Haston's (Son of Daniel) Name

This is one of the more popular myths in the Daniel Haston family. Ancestry.com says it is found in 816 public family trees, but that’s not exactly true–it appears in many family trees, but not all 816. And by the way, the Mc____ name is spelled at least a half dozen different ways.

Yes, there was a connection between Daniel’s oldest son David and a McComiskey family. Many earlier researchers assumed that David’s mother’s name (wife of Daniel) was McComiskey, but not so. The maiden name of David’s mother-in-law was McComiskey. Mary McComiskey, who married Philip Roddy, was the mother of David’s wife, Margaret (Peggy) Roddy. Peggy’s grandfather was Daniel McComiskey from Baltimore County, Maryland. You can learn more about that story by linking to an article I’ve written about the McComiskey family. Use the link below.

4. Relationship of Montgomery Greenville (M.G.) Haston to the Daniel Haston Family

Montgomery Greenville Haston just started appearing in Van Buren County records at the time he became an adult, but there was no indication to which branch of the Daniel Haston Family he belonged. He was born too late to have been a son of Daniel and he doesn’t appear in any of the family records of David or Joseph Haston, the two sons of Daniel who remained in Tennessee. The most common theory, which you will see in some old family documents, is that he was a son of Joseph because for a few years he lived adjacent to Joseph’s widow, Sarah Haston. But there is MUCH more evidence that he was a grandson of David Haston, illegitimately born to David and Peggy’s daughter Mary (Polly) Haston. The entire story can be found in the articles linked to below:

5. Two Knox County, TN "Hastings" Girls Assumed to Be Daughters of Daniel Haston

Some of the earlier Daniel Haston researchers stated unequivocally that Peggy Hastings, a daughter of Daniel, married John Ault in Knox County, TN on November 22, 1809. WRONG! Daniel and his family were already settled in White County by then. And the will of Bedford County, TN John Hastings clearly states that Peggy Hastings Ault was his daughter.

Early Haston research reports also state that Mary/Polly Hastings, a daughter of Daniel, married James Milliken (or Milligan) in Knox County, TN on September 4, 1805. Right or wrong? I can’t say for sure, but this is almost certainly INCORRECT. You can read more about these theories:

6. The Original and Real Family Name of Daniel and His Ancestors

Colonel Howard H. Hasting, Sr. – a 1950s–early 1980s Haston family researcher – opened his research report on the family of Daniel Haston with this question: What is the name of this family? He then proceeded to reference several different ways our H-surname has been spelled in official records. I often get a similar question–Why so many different spellings of our H-family name?

Was the original and real name spelled – Haston, or Hastin, or Hasting, or Hastings, or Hastain, or Hestand, or something else. Some (but not all) second and third generations of Daniel’s descendants–the ones who moved away from Middle Tennessee–began changing their family names based on incorrect assumptions about their earlier family roots. But Daniel’s sons, Jesse and Jeremiah who also moved away (to Missouri}, kept the H-A-S-T-O-N spelling.

As you will see in the article linked to below, all of the these last names were wrong, if you go back to Daniel’s original surname! It wasn’t until 2008 that DNA settled the question–Daniel was a Hiestand, but the name got changed to Haston while the family was living in East Tennessee, probably to conform to the tendencies of English and Scots-Irish clerks to misspell Hiestand.

7. Theory that Daniel Haston was a Revolutionary Veteran

This is the old theory that I was NOT excited about challenging. I began my research fully accepting the family story that Daniel Haston had received a military bounty land grant for 640 acres for his service in a North Carolina line of Revolutionary War Army. But desiring to be a good historian, I had to find proof that this hand-me-down story was historically accurate and supported by credible documentation.

The more I investigated the theory, the more I became disappointed. I consulted with some of the leading historians of our generation who were experts about the Revolutionary War service of the North Carolina army. Bottom line, the legend was established on the basis one very questionable document. Furthermore, other pieces of evidence made the theory of his service unbelievable, maybe even impossible. Overall, I spent MANY hours over 20 years trying to discover the truth about Daniel’s possible involvement in the Revolutionary War.

It’s a story I wanted to believe. And it’s a story that some members of our family refuse to let go of, even in spite of numerous layers of evidence. If you are a truth-seeker and want to let the facts speak for themself, I encourage you to read the following four articles that lay out most, if not all, of what is known about this matter:

These issues are also addressed in The Story of Daniel Haston Family book.

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Part 1 – The Killing of Woodville Haston

Part 1 - The Killing of Woodville Haston

December 17, 1897 - Woodville Haston Shot and Killed

The above article says “Maynard’s horse returned without its rider,” but that is an error. It should have stated, “Haston’s horse returned without a rider.”

Kendrick (“Kin”) Maynard, Jr. and Woodville “Woody” Haston were cousins.* And they, no doubt, grew up as buddies. What would cause Kin to shoot his cousin five times? A girl! Well, that’s how the story goes that has been passed down to us.

*Kin Maynard’s mother was Berthina Haston (who was a Great Granddaughter of Daniel Haston, via. Isaac T. and David) = Kin, a GG Grandson of Daniel. Woody Haston’s father was John Taylor Haston (who was a Great Grandson of Daniel Haston, via. James Alfred and his father Joseph) = Woody, a GG Grandson of Daniel. So, Kin Maynard and Woody were third cousins.

Here’s a typical version of the story of the killing of William Woodville (not Woodrow) Haston as recorded by Colonel Howard H. Haston (attorney and West Point graduate) who descended from Daniel Haston’s son, Joseph, as did Woodville Haston.

Note: Newspaper accounts do not agree with the popular story that he died on the front porch of William Carroll Haston’s home.

1900 Home Locations of the Four Men Who Were Riding Together that Fateful Night

In 1900, a little more than two years after the murder of Woody Haston, Woody’s family was living in the 3rd District of (northern) Van Buren County, TN, two houses away from the home of the two Mitchell boys who were riding near where the shooting occurred. Sopha (Sophie) Mitchell was the sister of the two Mitchell boys. Keep these things in mind as you proceed through the story.

In 1900, a little more than two years after the murder of Woody Haston, Kin Maynard’s parents, and family were living in the 3rd District of (southern) White County, which was separated from the 3rd District of Van Buren County, TN by the Caney Fork River. Even though the Maynards lived in White County, the distance between where they lived and where Woody Haston and the Mitchell boys lived was not very far.

More About the Killing and Subsequent Actions of Kin Maynard

Location of Woody Haston's Body

Kin Maynard Evaded Arrest

The Initial Arrest and Preliminary Hearing

A few days later Kin Maynard was captured in Livingston, TN, about 40 miles north of where the crime occurred in the Cummingsville community of northern Van Buren County. Thomas Price was a justice of the peace. The hearing was conducted in the Cummingsville Methodist Church, near where the killing occurred.

Maynard Arrested in Texas

Kin Maynard escaped again, fled to Texas, and lived there for over a year before being arrested and returning to Tennessee.

Maynard Returned to Sparta and Charged with Murder

What is habeas corpus in simple terms? The “Great Writ” of habeas corpus is a fundamental right in the Constitution that protects against unlawful and indefinite imprisonment. Translated from Latin it means “show me the body.” It is a writ requiring a person under arrest to be brought before a judge or into court, especially to secure the person’s release unless lawful grounds are shown for their detention.

What happened to Kin Maynard?

Part 2 will be published the weekend of May 19-21, 2023.

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Haston – Richard Dale

1924 – 2010

Richard Dale Haston

Rank and Branch of Military

E-6, Navy

Years of Service

1941-1945

Locations of Training, Deployment, and Service

RTC San Diego, CA – Served aboard the USS Hammondsport AKV-2

Military Schools Attended

Anti Aircraft Training Center – San Diego, CA 2nd and 3rd endorsements – June 1944

Wartime Theaters of Assignment and Major Battles

Pacific Fleet

Awards, Decorations, Badges, etc.

Asiatic Pacific Area Campaign Medal, American Area Campaign Medal, World War 2 Victory Medal

Stories of Interest Involving the Service Member

The ship he served on was a converted railroad ferry used in the Staten Island area. A big open cargo hold with railroad rails in the bottom. They used the open cargo area to shuttle folding wing aircraft from the states to the south Pacific as needed.
He related a story of a time they were having trouble navigating the ship. The rudder was not responding. They made it to a dry dock and found a large, round hole in the rudder. A torpedo has missed the ship and gone through the rudder. Repairs corrected the steering issue.

Relationship to the Daniel Haston Family

Descended from Daniel Haston through Daniel’s son, Jeremiah Haston.

Obituary

Submitted by:

Son, Howard D. Haston

Email address of person who submitted this information:

hhaston1@gmail.com

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Haston – Howard D.

1947 –

Howard D. Haston

Rank and Branch of Military

Navy, E-5

Years of Service

1965 – 1971

Locations of Training, Deployment, and Service

Machinist Mate “A” School – NTC Great Lakes, Illinois to Naval Nuclear Power School ( Phase I ) at Mare Island, Vallejo, CA to Nuclear Power Training Unit ( Phase II ) at Arco, NV.

Wartime Theaters of Assignment and Major Battles

Two WestPac cruises during the Vietnam Conflict aboard the USS Enterprise.
1968 January – February we spent a month cruising in the Sea of Japan as part of a Naval battle group responding to the North Koreans capturing the USS Pueblo.
1969 April – May we spent a month cruising in the Sea of Japan as part of a Naval battle group responding to the North Koreans shooting down an EC-121 reconnaissance plane.

Awards, Decorations, Badges, etc.

National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for Korea, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Naval Unit Commendation Medal, Good Conduct Medal

Stories of Interest Involving the Service Member

In January of 1969, while undergoing operational training evaluation off the coast of Hawaii, there was a fire on the flight deck of the USS Enterprise. The fire occurred as we were about to go to General Quarters to assess our battle readiness. The pilots were in the planes, ready to launch with full fuel tanks and fully armament. The fire began when a Zuni rocket detonated on a plane sitting of the rear plane elevator. It got pretty exciting after that. The flight deck was awash in fuel and fire as the Captain headed the ship into the wind to drive the fire aft. A missile from one of the planes went forward up the flight deck, turned and headed towards the control island which houses the bridge. The missile lodged in the elevator to the bridge but did not detonate. As bombs from the planes exploded, other bombs rolled into the holes created in the flight deck with one blowing a hole near the water line after exploding in the ship’s laundry under the fantail.

It was a long day with 28 casualties. Pilots in the planes were forced to eject overboard to save their lives and the flight deck crew showed their metal committing many acts of bravery and sacrifice. Scary when your floating home catches fire and there is no land in sight.

Relationship to the Daniel Haston Family

Descend from Jeremiah Haston, son of Daniel Haston

Submitted by:

Howard D. Haston

Email of Person Making This Submission

hhaston1@gmail.com

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William Lester Haston – Victim of WWI Gas Warfare

William Lester Haston, Sr. - Victim of WWI Poison Gas Warfare

Part 1 - Military Service

The Story of a WWI (Haston) Veteran Who Ultimately Gave His Life for Our Country

Not all soldiers who give their lives for our country die on the field of battle. Some die in training exercises; some die of suicide from post-traumatic stress disorder. And some, like our William Lester Haston, Sr., die of injuries or other life-shortening conditions they encountered during a war.

In 1915, prior to the United States’ entry into World War I,
Germany surprised Allied troops by using poisonous gases.

On April 22, 1915, the Germans launched their first and only offensive of the year. Known as the Second Battle of Ypres, the offensive began with the usual artillery bombardment of the enemy’s line. When the shelling died down, the Allied defenders waited for the first wave of German attack troops but instead were thrown into panic when chlorine gas wafted across no-man’s land and down into their trenches. The Germans targeted four miles of the front with the wind-blown poison gas and decimated two divisions of French and Algerian colonial troops.

The United States, which entered World War I in 1917, also developed and used chemical weapons. Future president Harry S. Truman was the captain of a U.S. field artillery unit that fired poison gas against the Germans in 1918. In all, more than 100,000 tons of chemical weapons agents were used in World War I, some 500,000 troops were injured, and almost 30,000 died, including 2,000 Americans. Source

William Lester Haston, Sr.

Lester Haston, as he was called, grew up on the north side of Cane Creek across the road and creek from what is now “Bluebird lane” in Van Buren County, Tennessee. The local, down-the-creek, post office for that area was known as Sweet Gum.

He was a 24-year-old single farmer when he registered with the Selective Service Board on June 5, 1917.

On May 24, 1918, Lester was officially inducted into military service and, the following day, was”entrained” (boarded on a train) for Camp Pike in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Military Service in the 81st Infantry Division, the "Wildcat Division"

Think about it: Lester Haston (and many others) was on the Western Front of World War 1 less than three months after he was inducted into the army. Doughboys (term used for American soldiers in WW1) like Lester were sent into battle with very little (and inadequate) training. This was because President Woodrow Wilson refused to prepare American men for the war. Many of these young men died as a result of their lack of training. But by the end of the war many others (including Sgt. Alvin York) performed amazing well–even heroically–on the bloody battlefields of the war.

In the last days of World War I, the 81st Division attacked a portion of the German Army's defensive line on 9 November 1918, and remained engaged in combat operations until the Armistice with Germany at 1100 hours on 11 November 1918. The division sustained 461 casualties on the last day, 66 of them killed.

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1890 Northern Van Buren County, TN

1890 - Key Features of Interest to Hastons & Many Other Families

This map was created about 86 years after Daniel Haston settled on the Big Spring Branch in what became the Cummingsville community. Daniel’s son, David Haston, died only 30 years prior to the map’s creation. The natural geographical features are the same as they were 200+ years ago. But from the time Daniel Haston settled his family in a canebrake near where Cane Creek flows into the Caney Fork, you can see how much the human-constructed infrastructure developed by 1890. But how much has it changed 133 years later?

Below the map, see the KEY that identifies each of the 22 sites highlighted on the map.

(Old) Union Cumberland Presbyterian Church and Cemetery – David Haston was a founding member of this congregation and early meetings were held in his home, south of the river. The church was officially instituted in 1811, but probably was informally founded several years earlier. More info on the church. More info on the church. More info on the cemetery.
River Hill Ford and Ferry – In the low water season, apparently the Caney Fork River could be forded at this site, but a ferry was there for seasons when the river was not fordable. Notice: The ford was west of (downriver from) the mouth of Cane Creek. In the early 20th Century “double bridges” were located–one from the White County side to the Van Buren County side–above the entry of Cane Creek. Another bridge spanned Cane Creek so that people could go from the south landing of the Caney Fork bridge to the west side of Cane Creek. The Caney Fork bridge was destroyed in the historic 1929 Flood.
Big Fork Cemetery and the former site of the Big Fork Primitive Baptist Church – By 1890, the Big Fork Church had been dissolved about 35 years, but the cemetery was still a popular burial ground for families in that area. More info on the church. More info on the cemetery.
The road leading to the Greenwood community and on to Doyle, TN – This route is basically the same now as it was when the map was created.
Denney’s Crossroads – Apparently, only a three-way junction in 1890, in the early 1800s this was called “Denney’s Crossroads” (after William Denney, an early prominent settler in the area). Apparently, the road west of the crossroads intersection was changed in the latter half of the 1800s.
Haston Big Spring Branch – When Daniel Haston settled at this site, the spring that emerges out of the foot of the mountain on the northeast corner of his 150 acres was called “Big Spring Branch.” The spring soon became known as the “Haston Big Spring.” It empties a large volume of clear water into a branch that runs approximately 850 yards before merging with Cane Creek. More Information.
The lower end of Cane Creek – This is the same creek that pours over Cane Creek Falls. Fall Creek (of Fall Creek Falls) joins it and Cane Creek runs about 20 miles before its confluence with the Caney Fork River.
Daniel Haston Farm (passed down to David and his family) – Location of Daniel Haston’s 150-acre farm, granted to him in 1808. He was a squatter on the land for about four years before the State of Tennessee could grant him the land. More information.
Isaac T. Haston Cemetery – Isaac T. Haston was buried in 1875 at this location on his farm. Over the years, many of his descendants have been buried in this neat little cemetery. Notice the 90 degrees south-southwestern turn of the road as of 1890. The current main highway does not make that turn. But the turn is consistent with information found on the survey of Isaac T. Haston’s land. More information.
Cane Creek Road (now Hwy. 285, Cummingsville-Cane Creek Road) – This 1890 route is essentially the same route that the current road follows along Cane Creek. In earlier years, the main route along Cane Creek was on the north side of the creek.
“Old Spencer Mountain Road” – This is essentially the same route as the present Highway 111.
Earlier Path/Road to and from Spencer – When David Haston and his family traveled to Spencer in 1840 and following years, this was the route he followed on horseback–through Shockley Cove and up the mountain leading to Spencer.
General location of Lemont Road (also known as the Yates Mountain Road) – Apparently this road was not built before 1890. Those of us who grew up in that area in the mid-1900s knew it as the Yates Mountain Road.
Thomas Jefferson Haston Century Farm – This farm became a part of the Haston family in 1879. Originally, it was owned by the Robert Gamble family, into which Hastons married. For many years most locals knew of it as the James Robert Haston place (on “Bluebird Lane”).
Turkey Scratch Road – This is an old road that is very steep in some places, particularly near the bottom end of the road as it approaches the Cane Creek Road.
McMinnville Road – This is still the location of the road to and from Warren County and McMinnville. The Laurel Creek community, at the bottom of the mountain on this road, is a part of Van Buren County.
Burritt College – Burritt College, a private religious school, was founded in 1848 on the eastern edge of Spencer. Many Hastons received an excellent classical education at Burritt. It closed in 1939, but not before producing many outstanding alumni who went on to become prominent leaders in various fields.
Dunlap Road – This old road to Dunlap, on the way to Chattanooga, was reduced to a local-only road when Highway 111 was constructed in the late 1960s.
Dry Fork Branch – This branch flows through the “M.G. Haston” farm. A pre-Civil War rock wall runs along the west side of the branch through the Haston farm. Since the construction of Highway 111, the water flow in times of flooding has increased greatly down the branch.
M.G. Haston Haston Century Farm – This farm, originally owned by Montgomery Greenville Haston, has been in the Haston family since 1858. It is the 3rd oldest Century Farm in the county. A Haston School and a Civil War camp were once located on the farm. Cane Creek – the same creek carrying water from Cane Creek Falls and Fall Creek Falls – flows through the farm. More information.
Haston Point – Once this peak (now part of Fall Creek Falls State Park) was the site of a sawmill that attracted loggers from all over that area.
Mooneyham Community – The Mooneyham community is located at the top of the mountain on Route 30 (formerly the “Herbert Domain Road”). From there, Route 30 then runs by the north entrance of Fall Creek Falls State Park and on to Pikeville, TN.

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Three Stage of Daniel Haston Family Research

The Evolution of Research on the Daniel Haston Family

I don’t know when members of the Daniel Haston FAMILY began to develop an interest in discovering the historical story of Daniel Haston’s life and ancestry. I can imagine it started as an informal collection of oral family lore and legends. When I became interested, in the Fall of 1999, some of the family’s best researchers had moved from what I’ll call Stage I to Stage II, but others were still lingering behind. I think the beginning of the transition from Stage I to Stage II occurred in the 1950s. I was fortunate to be a part of the transition from Stage II to Stage III in 2008.

Stage I - Pre-1950 (approximately)

I assume that soon after the Civil War, some members of Daniel Haston’s family began “puttin’ down” (as we say in Tennessee) some of what they knew–or thought they knew–about Daniel and where he came from, etc. A library card was located in an Arkansas library that was filed there in 1908 with several thought-to-be (but mostly erroneous) “facts” about Daniel. At least someone was trying to make sense of our family’s past. An inquiry about David Haston’s father–his name and whether or not he rendered any service in the Revolutionary War–appeared in the July-December 1913 issue of the Daughters of the American Revolution Magazine. And there are documents from the pre-1950 era that were created by anonymous-to-me sources which clearly indicate some people had been attempting to piece together the family story.

Due to very limited access to credible historical resources for most ordinary folks during the first 125 years or so following Daniel Haston’s death, it is understandable that many of their ideas about the family’s history were misguided and conclusions were faulty. I’m thankful for the “good stuff” they uncovered and preserved. But unfortunately, some their erroneous conclusions still rest in Haston family file cabinets, desk drawers, attic boxes, as well as populate family trees all over the internet.

In a following article, I will make you aware of seven popular genealogical and historical legends and assumptions from those well-meaning earlier Haston descendants that haunt Haston researchers who now know better.

Stage II - 1950s (approximately) - 2008

Of course, these stages and date ranges are all somewhat arbitrary. But, I do see a shift in more serious documented research that occurred in this 1950s-2008 era. There were others who did some excellent work on various branches of the Haston family in the earlier years–for example: the Jeremiah Haston branch, the Isaac Haston/Hastings branch, and the Jesse Haston branch. But one man and one couple stand out as Haston family researchers who raised the bar for researching Daniel’s family, as a whole.

Colonel Howard H. Hasting

March 23, 1905-April 1, 2003

Colonel Hasting (descendant of Daniel Haston’s son Joseph) was a 1928 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Separated from the armed services in 1931, he practiced law in Arkansas until he was recalled to duty after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He served in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps during the war, stationed at West Point. He served as the chief assistant to the American Judge for the War Crimes Tribunal for the Far East after the war.

Sometime after World War II, probably about 1950, Howard H. Hasting became seriously interested in researching his paternal family history. He traveled extensively to conduct research on the Haston family, including a 1951 visit to White and Van Buren County, TN.

Howard compiled a 100+ page report of his family research. It was completed more than 50 years ago, so there are errors and gaps in his work that have been corrected and filled in since his work was released. (See the button link below)

David Rhea and Estelle Suggs Haston

Dave: October 2, 1900-April, 1985

Estelle: January 26, 1910-November 29, 1998

When David (Dave) and Estelle retired from the Tennessee Valley Authority in October 1965, they moved to Sparta, TN and began to pursue Daniel Haston family research with a passion. Dave had grown up in Van Buren County and attended Burritt College in Spencer. Together, they did a lot of excellent research on the Daniel Haston family. Estelle communicated with Hastons all over the country and developed quite a network of descendants of Daniel with whom she collaborated. They steered clear of most of the earlier undocumented Haston-history theories and were on the threshold of some discoveries that would be confirmed in Stage III.

Stage III - 2008 to Current

I chose 2008 as the beginning of this current Haston research era because that is when genetic (DNA) genealogy was first used in Daniel Haston family research. DNA solved the most haunting longtime question about Haston history–who were Daniel’s ancestors and what was their European nationality. The discovery of his descent from a Swiss Mennonite Hiestand family, who had fled to the Rhineland of Germany because of religious persecution, was a major advance in researching our family’s roots.

But the transition from Stage II to Stage III actually began in the late 1990s when electronic communications, namely email, social media, and the Internet-based worldwide web made distant communications easy, inexpensive, and powerfully effective. And the Internet gradually put an abundance of credible genealogical and historical documents available at the finger tips (literally) of researchers all over the country and from all major branches of Daniel’s descendants. The downside of all of this is that Stage I undocumented and inaccurate family lore and legends also were spread to people who uncritically accepted and spread them.

When I became interested in our family’s history, there was already an email group that was actively exchanging information among branches of Daniel Haston’s descendants. Some of the members of that very active group were beginning to question some of the conclusions of family lore that had circulated for decades. My Heritage of Daniel Haston website, launched late in 1999, became an online hub for collecting and disseminating Haston family history. And now the Daniel Haston Family Association strives to pull the various branches of the FAMILY together in an attempt to preserve Haston FAMILY history and heritage.

The Future

I assume that more historical data will be discovered that will answer some of the remaining questions about the history of the Daniel Haston family. Advancements in technology, especially future developments in genetic (DNA) genealogy will be a huge part of that.

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Haston Family Mini-Reunions

Let Us Help You Organize & Promote Your Haston Mini-Reunion

As I got older, the reunions became rarer and much smaller in attendance. The older folks who did all of the organizing were passing away, and the younger family members were not interested in keeping these gathering going. By the time I was finishing high school, we rarely included more than one or two families.

Anonymous Tweet

I don’t know about you, but this sounds exactly like something I might say. When I was a kid, we attended a Haston (later, Haston-Wallace) reunion every year. Then later, we attended an annual reunion for my mother’s Davis family. I didn’t particularly look forward to them, but now I look back to them as a valuable part of my “growing up” years. My appreciation for my family is much richer because of those experiences than it would have been otherwise.

Two Focuses of the Daniel Haston Family Association

The Backward Focus:

The backward focus is genealogical; it’s researching and recording our Haston (Hiestand) FAMILY’s ancestral roots. That’s uncovering the story of where we came from in Europe and early America 100s of years ago. But it’s also working together to weave together the stories of all of our singular branches back to our common ancestor–Daniel Haston (c. 1750-1826).

The Current Focus:
Strengthening the family relationships within and between the various branches of our Haston FAMILY. This is where family reunions are so very important. And this is where many of you can help us.

Two Levels of Haston Family Reunions

All-Hastons Family Reunions

Such as this July 2022 Reunion in White County, TN

The next ALL Hastons Family Reunion will be held in 2024 – Details to come later.

Regional Haston "Mini-Reunions"

In a meeting of our Daniel Haston Family Association CORE Team, the idea of promoting Haston family “mini-reunions” around the country. These could be regional and/or could be built around a specific branch of the Haston family. Here are some of the ideas we have in mind:

We would need a host or hostess, or a team of them, who would take the lead in organizing the reunion–selecting the site, and choosing the date, etc.
Members of our Daniel Haston Family Association would provide some input regarding things we have learned about organizing such events.
We would promote these reunions in the Heritage of Daniel Haston Facebook Group, as well as by other means available to us.
Some of the core members of the Daniel Haston Family Association would (if at all possible) attend the mini-reunion and introduce the reunion participants to our Family Association, its goals, future events, etc.
I (Wayne Haston) am willing to attend these mini-reunions (again, if at all possible) to make The Story of the Daniel Haston Family book available, as well as (if requested) do a presentation on the history of our Haston family, both the overall history and the history of specific branches of the family represented at the reunion.
We just want to do whatever we can do to help make these reunions possible and successful.
NOTE: If your branch of the Daniel Haston FAMILY already has reunions, please let us know so we can help you in any way we can.

Our First Official DHFA Regional Haston (and other surname spellings) Mini-Reunion

September 28-30, 2023, Carol Haston and Kathleen White will host a regional reunion of Haston-Hasting-Hastings-Hastain-Hastin descendants of Daniel Haston.

The plan now is for Wayne Haston and other members of the Haston Family Association to be at this reunion. The Story of the Daniel Haston Family book will be available. And Wayne will do a couple (or so) of brief presentations on the history of the Daniel Haston family, with special emphasis on the Isaac Hastings and Jeremiah Haston lines–maybe other lines, if requested.

September (Thursday evening) 28 – (Saturday) 30, 2023 in Portland, Oregon

Location: Wichita Avenue Evangelical at 9491 S.E. Wichita Ave. Milwaukie, OR 97222

Residents of other areas of the USA and any family lines are certainly welcome to attend this Haston mini-reunion.

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Slicker War in Missouri

The Slicker War of Missouri

And the Family of Isham Bradley, Friend of the Haston Family

"Isham Hobbs was a noted character, and probably the worst desperado ever on the borders."

Isham Hobbs (probably born in White County, TN) was the namesake grandson of Isham Bradley, a very close friend of the Daniel Haston family. Isham (Isom) Hobbs was the person who pulled the trigger, from an ambush, in the scene above.

Some Background Information

Isham Bradley’s relationship to the Daniel Haston family can be traced back (at least) to the turn of the 19th century in Knox County, TN. Isham was the bondsman for David Haston’s May 5, 1800 marriage to Peggy Roddy in Knox County. But before that, David Haston had been the bondsman for Isham Bradley’s marriage to Susana Matlocks on May 13, 1798, in Blount County, TN. Isham was one of the original four Big Spring settlers in pre-White County, TN, along with Daniel and Joseph Haston, and Daniel’s son-in-law Jacob Mitchell.

As far as I now know, there was no family connection between Isham Bradley to the Haston family–but there is one possibility I will mention in a footnote later in this article. Isham may have just been a close friend of David Haston and liked the Hastons so much that he just blended in with the rest of the Haston family. Whatever the relationship was, it was strong enough for Isham Bradley to travel to the wilderness of middle Tennessee in order to settle adjacent to the Haston family (even before his bondsman-buddy, David, arrived in the area). Isham’s name was on the July 22, 1806, petition to create White County, TN, but he seems to have struggled to settle down in White County. He purchased 50 acres on the Haston Big Spring on August 28, 1807. But he sold that tract to Charles Mitchell, just a year and a half later.

In 1811, David Haston named his third son “Isham Bradley Haston,” who ended up living near where Isham Bradley lived in central Missouri. And that was not the only time the first and middle names “Isham Bradley” appeared through the Daniel Haston family line. David Haston’s son Isaac T. Haston also had a son he named “Isham Bradley Haston.” I think it’s safe to say, Isham Bradley was well-liked among the Hastons (at least in his earlier years around them), even though he seems to have been a bit unsettled.

It appears that Isham Bradley moved around the county some, but in 1824, Isham Bradley and “Lady” were employed to superintend the business of Bell Tavern in Sparta. Their credentials were described as: “long experience which they have had in this line of business, and the high reputation which they generally sustained with their friends and the public….” But that employment didn’t seem to work out long for some reason. And one time he was selected by the county court to be the keeper of the courthouse in Sparta, but the next day that decision was reversed for some reason.
Source: The Sparta Review, Wednesday p.m., September 15, 1824.

He moved back east, to Monroe County, TN before 1830 and stayed there for about ten years. One Monroe County court record* stated that by 1840 Isham Bradley had “left the country” (probably referring to that local area) with his son-in-law, Henry Hobbs. According to the 1840 Polk County, Missouri census, Isham Bradley lived adjacent to Henry Hobbs, in Polk County, Missouri. The wife of Henry Hobbs was Juriah Bradley** Hobbs. One of Henry and Juriah Bradley** Hobbs’s sons (and a grandson of Isham Bradley) was Isham/Isom Hobbs–probably born in White County, TN, and named for his grandfather. Grandson Isham Hobbs was a desperado, a bold and dangerous criminal.

*Monroe Chancery Court Record, #124, Joseph Donohoo v. Charles K. Gillespie, Will Forester, Alexander Webb, and William Wooden

**According to the 1850 Census Juriah Bradley Hobbs was 56 years old. If that is accurate, she was born about four years before Isham Bradley married Susana Matlocks. Was Susana his second wife? Was Isham Bradley married previously to one of Daniel Haston’s daughters who gave birth to Juriah, but died prior to Isham’s May 13, 1798 marriage to Miss Matlocks? Was that Isham Bradley’s connection to David Haston and the Daniel Haston family?

In northern Polk County, MO (that became southern Hickory County, MO in 1845), Isham Bradley and Hiram Turk purchased land (on the same day) adjacent to each other. Hiram Turk and his family were a bad bunch! And the Henry Hobbs family was not much better.

The Slicker War of Central Missouri

A personal brawl that occurred on August 3, 1840, in County, Missouri escalated into a feud similar to that of the later Hatfields and McCoys feud back East. Under the pretense of enhancing law enforcement in the area, Hiram Turk (a quarrelsome and violent man with some rough, tough, and mean sons) assembled a vigilante group that became known as “Slickers.” Think of a de-barked (slicked) hickory branch as you look at this drawing and you will have an idea as to how night-riding “slickers” punished men they believed (or asserted) were guilty of breaking laws in their neighborhoods.

But, the Slickers were even worse than the men they were slicking! So, a group of “Anti-Slickers” formed and a regional civil war resulted which lasted for five years. It wasn’t long until the animosities led to much greater acts of violence, including murders, some of which were in the form of cowardly bushwhacking.

Isham Bradley, the very close friend of the Haston family had recently (c. 1839) moved to central Missouri, along with the Hiram Turk family and Isham’s son-in-law Henry Hobbs. The Hobbs and Turks families were neighbors back in East Tennessee, near Isham Bradley. In fact, Henry Hobbs apparently married Isham Bradley’s daughter, Juriah, while they were living in White County, TN.

Isom Hobbs, Isham Bradley’s grandson (already reputed to be a dangerous man, even a murderer), joined the Turk’s “Slickers” as a close friend of Tom Turk, Hiram’s son. Isom Hobbs and Tom Turk conspired to kill Abraham Nowell, a respected Baptist man who had killed James Turk, Tom’s brother, in self-defense. Isom Hobbs (with Tom Turk) ambushed and killed Nowell.

As it turned out, Isom Hobbs accused Tom Turk of chickening out in the ambush of Nowell and letting Isom Hobbs do the deadly deed and face the consequences of the murder. The scene at the top of the page depicts what ultimately happened. Isom Hobbs, who no doubt grew up playing with Daniel Haston’s grandkids in White County, TN, ambushed and killed his former friend, Tom Turk.

Isom Hobbs fled to Holly Springs, Mississippi to avoid prosecution for the murder. He again was involved in some kind of violence and captured by a posse. He tried to flee and was riddled with bullets.

Where the Slicker War Was Fought

In 1845, after the Slicker War ended, Hickory County, Missouri (area of the main war zone) was formed out of southern Benton County and northern Polk County, Missouri. In 1842, in the middle of the Slicker War, David and Polly Haston’s son, Isham Bradley Haston (named after David’s good friend, Isham Bradley) move to what became Hickory County. Isham Bradley Haston was a Van Buren County, TN Justice of the Peace prior to his move to Missouri. David and Polly Haston’s son Daniel McComiskey Haston was already living in Henry County, just west of Benton County, when the war occurred. Sometime between 1860 and 1870, Daniel McComiskey Haston moved to Warsaw in Benton County, Missouri where he owned and operated the hotel where the Turks “Slickers” had used for their meeting place.

In all of the accounts I have read about the Slicker War, I have found no mention of Isham Bradley as a participant in the war, even though (apparently) he was living right in the middle of the war zone. Nor have I found any mention of a Haston/Hastain as a participant. I wonder what their thoughts were concerning the war, particularly the thoughts of Isham Bradley whose namesake grandson was the worst of the worst.

Read the Story of the 1840s Turk-Jones Slicker War of Missouri

You can scroll or click through the 16-page story. Or, you can download the document.

[pdf-embedder url=”https://danielhaston.blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Slicker-War-James-Henry-Lay.pdf” title=”Slicker War – James Henry Lay”]

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Haston FAMILY Highlights of 2022

Looking Back at our 2022 Daniel Haston Family Association Highlights

1. July 22-23 Haston Family Reunion

Our first-ever Daniel Haston Family Association all-Hastons reunion was a remarkable success. About 150 registered from 17 states–all across the USA. Saturday was an unusually hot and humid day, even for July in Tennessee, but the Fellowship Hall where we met was comfortable. We had 10 interest centers set up around the room, enjoyed an excellent Tennessee country meal, and I (Wayne) gave a 50 minutes overview of our Hiestand-Haston FAMILY history. In spite of the heat, most everyone toured some of the main historical Haston sites in the area.

2. Publication of The Story of the Daniel Haston Family Book

More than 20 years of research and writing culminated in the publication of The Story of the Daniel Haston Family. The book was officially released at our July Haston Reunion, with about 100 copies sold in the day and a half of the reunion.

The book covers our family history from its beginning on the south side of Lake Zürich in Switzerland to the little Rhineland village of Ibersheim in what is now southwestern Germany, to Pennsylvania, Virginia, Tennessee, and all across the United States–especially the pioneering years in Missouri, Texas, California, and Washington State, etc. There are thirty-one chapters in the book, consisting of 474 very colorful pages with lots of photos, maps, graphs, and charts.

3. Posted 70+ new articles

4. Approved as a 501 (c) (7) Non-Profit "Social Club"

The Daniel Haston Family Association is now an IRS-approved 501 (c) (7) organization, a kind of “social club.”

Social clubs may be exempt from federal income taxation if they meet the requirements of section 501 (c) (7) of the Internal Revenue Code. Although they are generally exempt from tax, social clubs are subject to tax on their unrelated business income, which includes income from nonmembers. In addition to being taxed on unrelated income, a social club may lose its exempt status if it receives too much unrelated income.

Tax donations to a 501 (c) (7) are not tax deductible for the donor, but the Daniel Haston Family Association is not required to pay taxes on expenditures.

5. NEW connections to several branches of the Daniel Haston FAMILY

The Daniel Haston FAMILY is much like a huge and complex tree, with descendants of our pioneer Haston ancestor, Daniel Haston, scattered all over the USA, in most if not all states–as well as some non-USA countries.

One of the main goals of the Daniel Haston Family Association (DHFA) is to connect to as many of the FAMILY branches as possible. I wish I could give you an accurate number of new branches of our Haston FAMILY that connected to our DHFA this year. I can’t do that, but I can tell you that it was a very good year in terms of new connections. And every branch has its own network of Hastons and Haston-related family members.

Please help us make many more connections to other branches of the Haston FAMILY tree.

Next year (2023) we will begin to work with these family branches to help them organize their own mini-reunions if they don’t already exist. And we want to participate in some of the mini-reunions as representatives of the Daniel Haston Family Association to help them understand the value of connecting to the entire Haston FAMILY.

6. Core Team has expanded significantly this year

Going into 2022, the group that expressed a serious interest in helping to preserve the history and heritage of the Daniel Haston FAMILY was small–only about six or seven people. But as the year progressed some family members joined our Core Team, filling some significant roles. Others joined the Core Team toward the end of the year and in 2023 we hope to find slots where they can be most productive in helping us reach the goals of this Association.

But we need more committed Core Team members! Please check it out.

7. Initiated the Legacy of Service to honor military veterans from our FAMILY

We can be proud of the many ways our Haston kinfolk have served to protect our country over many years. Many of them served heroically in the heat of battles. Others, though not in combat, stood ready to defend our flag and the country it represents if or when the need arose.

This past year (2022) we launched the DHFA (Daniel Haston Family Association) Legacy of Service to honor military veterans from our extended Haston FAMILY.

If you, a member of the extended Haston FAMILY), served in the military or have (or had) a relative who served, we encourage you to register in the Legacy of Service Honor Gallery.

8. Swiss historians, Dr. Peter Ziegler and Dr. Nicole Billeter

It is 4,080 miles from where I live in Pennsylvania to where our ancestors originated in Zürich, Switzerland. And the documents needed to conduct research on our early Swiss Hiestand family are all written in German. So how could I provide reliable historical information about our Swiss ancestors?

I have been very fortunate to have become acquainted (via. email) with two outstanding Swiss historians who have helped me with research and reviewing my writings about our Swiss ancestors. Dr. Nicole Billeter is from Richterswil and Dr. Peter Ziegler is the official historian for Wädenswil, two locations where our earliest Swiss Hiestand ancestors lived. Throughout 2022, these two eminent Swiss historians provided essential guidance, historical insights, translation, and proofreading for my research and writings about Swiss Hiestands from 1401 and beyond.

Here are seven articles that Dr. Ziegler and I co-authored. He provided much of the content which I organized and designed for publishing as blog articles. They are published in German as well as in English, in an effort to help connect us in the USA with some of our current relatives in Switzerland and Germany.

9. A VERY Big Accomplishment that You Will Learn About Very Soon!

10. Planning for the June 2023 Hiestand-Haston European Heritage Tour

Although the tour happens in June 2023, much work was done in 2022 in promoting and planning this tour to sites of special interest to Hiestands/Hastons and other families with similar family roots and historical interests.

But it is more than a history tour, it’s also packed with very popular tourism sites, including a scenic boat ride up the Rhine River with castles along the hillsides, a night high in the Alps, and breakfast in the rotating restaurant where a James Bond movie was filmed, a tour of downtown Zürich and Bern, etc.

And you won’t beat the features and price of this tour anywhere!

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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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The Message of the 1706 Hiestand Coat of Arms

The Message Behind the 1706 Hiestand Coat of Arms

Augmentation of arms is a term describing an addition to a coat of arms at a later date, after the original coat of arms was created. Historically, augmentations were issued by a monarch as either a mere mark of favor or a reward or recognition for some meritorious act. But in more recent times, families have created augmentations on their own initiatives. Why and when the augmentation of the 1706 Hiestand coat of arms was created is unknown.

Every coat of arms carried a message of some sort. Was the 1706 Hiestand coat of arms a simple message about the Snönau line of Hiestands–that they were steadfast? Or, was it a “Don’t tread on me!” and “Make my day!” warning to nosey “Anabaptist hunters” and others who trespassed on their remote farms on the southeast border of Canton Zürich?

There are several existing Hiestand coats of arms, each carrying a message to represent a branch of the Hiestand family.

For Example:

There are several variations of this (anchor and stars) Swiss Hiestand coat of arms. These seem to be connected to families who lived near the Lake of Zürich. It carries a visual message of being anchored, stable, settled, etc.

The 1706 coat of arms was created by a Hiestand who lived in Schönau, a remote area across the Sihl River, east of Hütten. At the time it was created, the families in that area were being harassed by government and church officials.

Jacob Hiestand's 1706 Schönau Hiestand Coat of Arms Message

Contrary to what is commonly believed, a surname group (a Family, all of which carried a common name) generally did not have a single coat of arms that always represented the entire family for all locations, generations, and family lines. Some branches of a family created their own to represent their particular uniqueness or unique circumstances. Living when and where he did, Uli and Barbara’s son Jacob was making a statement–perhaps a warning–to remind intruders (such as harassing “Anabaptist hunters” and common thieves) that he was a Hie-stand.

Review the Previous Background Articles

Avoid Coat of Arms Scams

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FrÃ¼he Schweizer TÃ¤ufer Hiestand im deutschen Rheinland

Frühe Schweizer Täufer Hiestand im Deutschen Rheinland

Co-Autoren: Dr. Peter Ziegler (Zürich, Schweiz) und Dr. Wayne Haston (Pennsylvania, USA)

(Einschließlich bedeutender Forschungsdaten von Kent Douglas Hiestand)

Serie: Frühe Schweizer Hiestand

Aus meiner (Wayne’s) Sicht in Pennsylvania, USA, nahm ich, als ich anfing, etwas über Hiestands in der Schweizer Täuferbewegung zu lernen, einfach an, dass die meisten, wenn nicht alle, Schweizer Hiestands Täufer waren. Diese Annahme beruhte auf der Tatsache, dass alle Hiestand-Familien in den Vereinigten Staaten, die ich kannte, Mennoniten waren, entweder jetzt oder ursprünglich, als sie nach Amerika kamen. Aber ich lernte bald, dass meine Annahmen falsch waren – sehr falsch!

Ich (Wayne) war überrascht und ein wenig enttäuscht, als ich erfuhr, dass fast hundert Jahre des Täufertums in der Schweiz vergingen, bevor es irgendeinen dokumentierten Beweis für einen Hiestand gab, der “schuldig” war, ein Täufer zu sein. Und dann erfuhr ich, dass nur eine sehr kleine Zahl von Schweizer Hiestands Täufer wurden und auf diesem Glaubensweg ausharrten. Viele blieben in der Schweizerischen Reformierten Kirche und andere wurden Katholiken. Ich bin sicher, wenn wir zu dieser Zahl die Schweizer Hiestands des 16. bis 18. Jahrhunderts hinzufügen, die mit ihren täuferischen Verwandten und Nachbarn sympathisierten und sie in gewisser Weise unterstützten, erhöht sich die Zahl erheblich. Dann gab es wahrscheinlich viele Schweizer Hiestands, die in die Bewegung hineingetauft (oder “wiedergetauft”) wurden und später aufgrund von sozialem Druck und politischen oder kirchlichen Verfolgungen widerriefen.

Viele der Schweizer Täufer (ich bezeichne sie jetzt als “Mennoniten”), die aus ihrer Heimat vertrieben wurden, liessen sich in oder in der Nähe des Dorfes Ibersheim westlich des Rheins in der Nähe von Worms nieder. Und viele der Mennoniten, die später nach Amerika reisten und dort Wurzeln schlugen (insbesondere in Lancaster County, PA), stammten aus diesen Schweizer Auswandererfamilien aus dem Rheinland.

Zwei Fragen zur Auswanderung der Schweizer Hiestand-Täufer/Mennoniten

Die in den drei vorangegangenen Abschnitten dargestellten Tatsachen werfen zwei Fragen zu den täuferischen Hiestands auf:

Aus welcher der Hiestand-Familien der Schweiz stammten die Hiestand-Mennoniten, die sich im deutschen Rheinland niederliessen, insbesondere die Hiestands, die sich in oder in der Nähe des Dorfes Ibersheim niederliessen?
Von welchen Hiestand-Familien aus der Gegend um Ibersheim stammen die Hiestand-Mennoniten, die sich in Pennsylvania niederliessen, insbesondere die in Lancaster County, PA?

Glücklicherweise liefert Kent D. Hiestand’s erstaunliche Breite und Tiefe der Forschung über die Hiestand Familie gründlich recherchierte und dokumentierte Antworten auf diese Fragen. Vieles von dem, was folgt, basiert auf Kents jahrelangen mühsamen Recherchen in der Schweiz, in Deutschland und an vielen Orten in den Vereinigten Staaten.

Der Richterswilerberg Weiler Hasslen (heute Haslen)

Der Grossvater von Henrich Hiestand (1704-1779) und der Vorfahre ALLER kolonialen Hiestand-Einwanderer wurde auf dem Hof Haslen in Richterswil geboren.

Kent Douglas Hiestand

Hasslen (heute Haslen) und Feldmoos/Veldmoos (heute Fälmis) sind zwei Weiler, die vor Jahrhunderten an der Pilgerstrasse entstanden, die von der Stadt Zürich nach Einsiedeln im Kanton Schwyz führte, dem Standort der Benediktinerabtei, die im 10. Jahrhundert gegründet wurde. Die beiden Weiler lagen nur etwa einen halben Kilometer voneinander entfernt. Kent Douglas Hiestand stellte die Theorie auf, dass der 1401/1402 erwähnte Heini Hiestand, die erste bekannte Person mit dem Nachnamen Hiestand, in oder bei Fälmis lebte. Wir wissen, dass bereits 1439 eine Familie Hiestand auf einem Bauernhof in Fälmis lebte.

Schweizer Hiestands in der Niederpfalz im deutschen Rheinland

Wir wissen mit Sicherheit, wer die täuferischen Hiestands sind, die Richterswil in der Schweiz verliessen und sich spätestens 1662 in Rheinhessen [Region südlich und westlich des Rheins] niederliessen.

Kent Douglas Hiestand - Die grosse Chronik der Familie Hiestand

Anna Lüthold – die Täufer-Grossmutter

Es ist erstaunlich, wie viel geistigen Einfluss ein Grosselternteil (in diesem Fall eine Gromutter) auf ihre Enkelkinder und deren Nachkommen haben kann. Anna Lüthold, die Heini Hiestand heiratete, wurde eine täuferische Matriarchin in der Familie Hiestand. Ihr Einfluss durchdringt noch heute die Zweige vieler Hiestand- und Hiestand-verbundener Familien.

Welche mennonitischen Nachkommen von Anna Lüthold Hiestand gingen in das koloniale Amerika?

Die Väter der amerikanischen Hiestand-Einwanderer aus der Kolonialzeit sind nicht eindeutig, und es ist reine Spekulation anzunehmen, dass es eine Verbindung zwischen ihnen geben könnte. (paraphrasiertes Zitat)

Kent D. Hiestand

Ich stimme zu, dass es zum Zeitpunkt dieses Schreibens unmöglich ist, irgendeinen kolonialen amerikanischen Hiestand-Einwanderer definitiv mit seinen Eltern in Ibersheim oder einem anderen Ort im deutschen Rheinland in Verbindung zu bringen. Ich stimme jedoch nicht mit Kent überein, dass es “reine Spekulation” ist, dies zu versuchen, zumindest für den Henrich Hiestand (geboren 1704), der sich um 1730 in der Gemeinde Hempfield niederliess.

Zwei mennonitische Paare aus Ibersheim, die (theoretisch) die Eltern der Hiestand-Immigranten aus dem Rheinland um 1700 gewesen sein könnten

Heinrich Hiestand heiratete Barbara Mollinger, 25. November 1694
Hans Heinrich Hiestand heiratete Maria Gochnauer am 6. Februar 1695.

Es gibt genügend Anhaltspunkte dafür, dass Maria Gochnauer wahrscheinlich die Mutter des Henrich Hiestand aus den frühen 1730er Jahren war.

Sowohl Henry Heistant (Hiestand) als auch Joseph Gochanour (Gochnauer/Gochenaur) kamen vor Oktober 1727 in Amerika an, als Passagierlisten in Pennsylvania gesetzlich vorgeschrieben waren. Möglicherweise kamen sie mit demselben Schiff an, obwohl wir den Namen des Schiffes oder das Ankunftsdatum nicht kennen. Auf der Einbürgerungsurkunde von 1728 stehen ihre Namen dicht beieinander.

Henry und Joseph liessen am selben Tag, dem 20. Mai 1735, benachbarte Grundstücke in Hempfield vermessen. Dies waren die einzigen beiden Vermessungen in der Gemeinde Hempfield, die an diesem Tag durchgeführt wurden.

Henry Hiestand liess sich später im nördlichen Teil von Virginia nieder, ebenso wie Jacob Gochanour, vermutlich der Bruder von Joseph Gochanour. Als das Testament von Jacob Gochanour am 30. November 1771 errichtet wurde, wurde Henrys Sohn Peter Hiestand zum Mitvollstrecker von Jacobs Nachlass (zusammen mit Jacobs Frau) ernannt. Obwohl die Hiestands in der gleichen Gegend lebten, waren sie nicht unbedingt enge Nachbarn. Und Jacob Gochanour hatte Söhne, die als Mitvollstrecker hätten eingesetzt werden können.

Ich stelle die Theorie auf, dass Heinrich Hiestand, der Maria Gochnauer am 6. Februar 1695 in Friedrichstadt, Deutschland, heiratete, die Eltern von Henrich Hiestand waren, der 1727 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, ankam und später in das Shenandoah Valley in Virginia zog. Und aufgrund dieser Theorie glaube ich, dass Henrich Hiestand ein Cousin ersten Grades von Joseph und Jacob Gochanour war. -Wayne Haston

Haslen - Fämis - Samstagern in der Neuzeit

Heute (2022) sind Haslen und Fälmis mit je rund 50 Einwohnern kleine Ortsteile am Rande von Samstagern. Im Jahr 1877 wurde in Samstagern ein Bahnhof an der Strecke Wädenswil – Einsiedeln eingerichtet, was zum Wachstum führte. Die Einwohnerzahl von Samstagern liegt heute bei rund 3’000 und nimmt rasch zu.

Nehmen Sie an unserer Hiestand-Haston Tour im Juni 2023 in die Schweiz und nach Rheinland Deutschland teil.

Haben Sie mennonitische oder amische Wurzeln? - Nehmen Sie am DNA-Forschungsprojekt teil.

Swiss Anabaptist Hiestands to the Rhineland and Beyond

Swiss Anabaptist Hiestands to the Rhineland and Beyond

Co-authors: Dr. Peter Ziegler (Zürich, Switzerland) and Dr. Wayne Haston (Pennsylvania, USA)
(Including significant research data from Kent Douglas Hiestand)

"Early Swiss Hiestands" Series

German Language Version of this Article

From my Pennsylvania, USA point of view, when I first began learning about Hiestands in the Swiss Anabaptist movement I just assumed that most, if not all, Swiss Hiestands were Anabaptists. That assumption was based on the fact that all of the Hiestand families in the United States that I knew of were Mennonites, currently or originally when they came to America. But I soon learned that my assumptions were wrong–very wrong!

I was surprised, and a bit disappointed, to learn that nearly a hundred years of Anabaptism passed in Switzerland before there was any documented evidence of a Hiestand who was “guilty” of being an Anabaptist. And then I learned that only a very small number of Swiss Hiestands became Anabaptists and persevered in that faith journey. Many remained in the Swiss Reformed Church and others were Catholics. I’m sure if we could add to that number the 16th–18th centuries Swiss Hiestands who were sympathetic toward, and somewhat supportive of, their Anabaptist relatives and neighbors, the number increases significantly. Then there were probably many Swiss Hiestands who were baptized (or “re-baptized”) into the movement who later recanted because of social pressures and political or ecclesiastical persecutions.

Many of the Swiss Anabaptists (I’ll refer to them now as “Mennonites”) that were forced out of their homeland settled in or near the village of Ibersheim, west of the Rhine River near the city of Worms. And many of the Mennonites who later journeyed to, and took root in, America (especially Lancaster County, PA) were from those Swiss emigrant Rhineland families.

Two Questions about Swiss Hiestand Anabaptist/Mennonite Emigrations

The realities presented in the three previous paragraphs, prompt two questions about Anabaptist Hiestands:

From which of the Hiestand families of Switzerland did the Hiestand Mennonites who settled on the German Rhineland come, particularly the Hiestands who settled in or near the village of Ibersheim.
From which of the Ibersheim area Hiestand families did the Hiestand Mennonites who settled in Pennsylvania come, particularly those of Lancaster County, PA?

Fortunately, Kent D. Hiestand’s amazing breadth and depth of research on the Hiestand Family provide thoroughly researched and documented answers to these questions. Much of what follows is based on Kent’s years of arduous research in Switzerland, Germany, and in many places around the United States.

The Richterswilerberg Hamlet of Haßlen (now Haslen)

Henrich Hiestand's (1704-1779) grandfather and the forefather of ALL the Colonial Hiestand immigrants were born on the farm at Haslen in Richterswil.

Kent Douglas Hiestand

Haβlen (now Haslen) and Feldmoos/Veldmoos (now Fälmis) are two hamlets established centuries ago along the pilgrim road that ran from the city of Zürich to Einsiedeln in Canton Schwyz, the location of the Benedictine Abbey that was established in the 10th century. The two hamlets were only about half of a kilometer (one-third of a mile) apart. Kent Douglas Hiestand theorized that the 1401/1402 Heini Hiestand, the first known person with the Hiestand surname, was living in or near Fälmis. We do know that there was a Hiestand family living on a farm in Fälmis as early as 1439.

Swiss Hiestands to the Lower Palatinate on the German Rhineland

We know for sure who the Anabaptist Hiestands are, who left Richterswil Switzerland and settled am Rheim [on the Rhine River] in Rheinhessen [region south and west of the Rhine] no later than 1662.

Kent Douglas Hiestand - The Grand Chronicle of the Hiestand Family

Anna Lüthold – the Anabaptist Grandmother

It is amazing how much spiritual influence a grandparent (a grandmother, in this case) can have over her grandchildren and their descendants. Anna Lüthold, who married Heini Hiestand, became an Anabaptist matriarch in the Hiestand family. Her influence is still permeating branches of many Hiestand and Hiestand-connected families to this day.

Specifically, Which of Anna Lüthold Hiestand's Mennonite Descendants Went to Colonial America?

The fathers of the American Hiestand immigrants of the colonial period are inconclusive and it is pure speculation to assume they can be connected. (paraphrased quote)

Kent D. Hiestand

I agree that, at the time of this writing, it is impossible to connect any colonial American Hiestand immigrant definitively to his parents in Ibersheim or any other location on the German Rhineland. However, I disagree with Kent that it is “pure speculation” to attempt to do so, at least for the Henrich Hiestand (born 1704) who settled in the Hempfield Township in about 1730.

Two Ibersheim Mennonite Couples Who (Theoretically) Could Have Been Parents of 1700s Hiestand Immigrants from the Rhineland

Heinrich Hiestand married Barbara Mollinger, 25 November, 1694
Hans Heinrich Hiestand married Maria Gochnauer 6 February, 1695.

There is enough evidence to “suggest” that Maria Gochnauer was probably the mother of early 1730’s Henrich Hiestand.

Both Henry Heistant (Hiestand) and Joseph Gochanour (Gochnauer/Gochenaur) arrived in America prior to October 1727 when passenger lists were required by law in Pennsylvania. They possible/probably arrived on the same ship, although we don’t know the name of the ship or the date of its arrival. Their names appear close to each other on the 1728 naturalization document.

Henry and Joseph had adjacent tracts of land in Hempfield surveyed on the same day, May 20, 1735. Those were the only two surveys in Hempfield Township created on that day.

Henry Hiestand later settled in the Northern Neck of Virginia, as did Jacob Gochanour, supposedly the brother of Joseph Gochanour. When Jacob Gochanour’s will was created on November 30, 1771, Henry’s son, Peter Hiestand, was made a co-executor of Jacob’s estate (with Jacob’s wife). Even though the Hiestands lived in the same general area, they were not conveniently close neighbors. And Jacob Gochanour had sons who could have been chosen as co-executors.

I theorize that Heinrich Hiestand who married Maria Gochnauer on February 6, 1695 Friedrichstadt, Germany were the parents of Henrich Hiestand who arrived at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1727 and later moved to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. And based on that theory, I believe Henrich Hiestand was a first cousin of Joseph and Jacob Gochanour. -Wayne Haston

The Future of Genetic (DNA) Genealogy

The advancements in the use of DNA testing in historical family research over the past two decades are mind-boggling. Innumerable genealogical “brick walls” have been penetrated! But as the song says, “Baby, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” In the decades ahead, future developments in genetic genealogy will unveil even more and greater mysteries in our families’ histories. I won’t even begin to speculate what kinds of hidden secrets and long-lost human connections will be exposed. For family researchers, time and DNA research are on our side and the side of the family historians who will follow us.

I think I can say with confidence that future generations of Hiestand family researchers will be able to learn much more about our family’s history than we ever thought possible. Many of our tentative assumptions will be confirmed or rebutted. And some of the haunting mysteries that “brick wall” us now will crumble under the power of genealogical genetics. -Wayne Haston

Haslen - Fälmis - Samstagern in the Modern Era

Today (2022), Haslen and Fälmis, each with approximately 50 residents, are now small subdivisions on the edges of Samstagern. In 1877 a train station was established at Samstagern on the Wadenswil – Einsiedeln line, which led to its growth. The population in Samstagern now is approximately 3,000 and is rapidly increasing.

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400 Years of Swiss Hiestand Comrades in a Richterswil Land Cooperative

Centuries of Swiss Hiestands in a Land Cooperative

Dr. Peter Ziegler (Zürich, Switzerland) and Dr. Wayne Haston (Pennsylvania, USA), Co-Authors

(Including significant research data from Kent Douglas Hiestand)

"Early Swiss Hiestands" Series

German Language Version of this Article

Sometime in the late Middle Ages, some families on the south shore of Lake Zürich apparently marked off a large tract of land and agreed to collectively claim ownership of the land, as well as the rights to cooperatively manage its use. That agreement may have even occurred before family names (surnames) were generally adopted by families. No beginning date of that agreement exists today, nor do we have a record of the original details of the agreement. But, amazingly, the cooperative arrangement continues to bind together some of their Swiss Richterswiler descendants to this day.

Thus, some of our Swiss Hiestand relatives have been comrades in a Swiss allmend (or cooperative) since at least 1564, but probably much earlier. Whether or not our Hiestand ancestors were original members of that agreement, we do not know. But Hiestands do appear on the oldest existing membership list of what we now know as the Allmendkorporation. That’s approaching at least 500 years (but probably much more) of cooperation with other Swiss families around a section of land on the mountainside south of Lake Zürich, above the village (now city) of Richterswil.

Some families, such as some branches of Hiestands, had hereditary rights to the Allmend land. These branches were able to trace their lineages back to ancestors who may have been part of the original group who established the Allmend, or at least very early members. Other families became members by purchasing rights to use the land. But there was no official distinction made between the two classes, meaning the “bought in” families had the same rights and duties as the hereditary families.

The climate and the soil on the Richterswil mountain are not conducive grain cultivation. However, the precipitation-rich pre-Alpine region is excellent for cattle breeding and pasture farming. So the users of the Allmend land generally shifted to livestock farming until the end of the 18th century. Beginning in 1704, comrades who practiced non-farming professions and did not keep livestock were paid an annual sum of money instead of their use of the land. Some farmers chose to use some of the Allmendkorporation’s good land for planting, instead of running cattle on the land. In the early 1800s, grazing became prohibited altogether. Over the years, the corporation has found numerous ways to produce revenue through the use of the land.

The Nouns Cooperative and Allmend Defined

As a noun, the term cooperative refers to a jointly owned enterprise engaging in the production or distribution of goods or the supplying of services, operated by its members for their mutual benefit, typically organized by consumers or farmers. -Dictionary.com

For example, you have may have heard of a Farmers’ Co-op (Cooperative). There are more than 2,100 agricultural co-ops in the United States with more than two million members.

In German, the word allmend translates to common in English, but generally refers to common land. An allmend is a cooperative based upon common land–that is, multiple families share the ownership of (with its responsibilities for and benefits from) a common tract or tracts of land.

Timeline of Hiestand Participation in the Allmend Richterswil

September 5, 1391

Earliest Mention of the Allmend Richterswil

According to current research, the commons are a creation of the late Middle Ages. They are to be seen in connection with the population growth in the villages that were formed. The Allmend was first mentioned in the area of Samstagern, south of Richterswil.

This "earliest mention" (1391) does not mark the beginning of the Allmend. It is only the earliest existing documented record of the Allmend's existence. We do not know the exact date when the Allmend Richterswil was formed.

1391 Document Mentions the Allmend in the Samstagern Area

Samstagern is located about a half mile northwest of Lake Hütten.
As early as the 15th Century, we know that there were already several Hiestand farms in that general area.

1401

First Mention of the Hiestand Name

Heini Hiestand's name appear on a tax list in this year, 10 years after the earliest mention of the the cooperative that became Allmendkorporation Richterswil.

June 7, 1548

Hiestand Farm On or Near the Allmend

Gilg Hiestand on the Sattelbogen sold the Schaffner Batt Wirz an interest on his estate Stollenweid. Adjacent to Marti Tanner's Hausmatte on Dürsenen and all around to the Richtischwyler Allmend.

April 30, 1549

Another Mention of the Gilg Hiestand Farm

The house and farm of Gilg Hiestand at Sattelbogen on Richterswilerberg border on the pasture Strythalden of Gilg Tanner, on the Hügsame, on the Richterswiler Allmend and on the country road.

May 13, 1564

First List of Richterswil Families Entitled to Use the Land

Jakob Hiestand was one of seven men to oversee the recording of 69 comrades who were entitled to use the Allmend. Sixteen families had inherited the rights from their "ancestors," and did not purchase the rights. Men from "old families": Bachmann 1, Eschmann 4, Fox 1, Tanner 1, Hensler 1, Hiestand 4, Hotz 1, Leemann 1. Lüthi 2, Schneider 3, Strickler 8, Suter 1, Tanner 8, Wild 4, Wymann 2, Carpenter 1. One Hiestand [Jacob] was on the list of men who had purchased rights to use the land.

Geschlechterrodel, a 16-page Paper Booklet

The first known list of persons and families from Richterswil who were entitled to use the Erlen-Allmend dates from 1564. It is the Geschlechterrodel, a 16-page paper booklet measuring 11.5 x 33 centimeters in a parchment envelope.

The second part of the Rodel lists the old families who inherited the Allmendrecht from their “ancestors” and did not buy it. These are 43 men from the following 16 families: Bachmann 1; Eschmann 4; Fox 1; Tanner 1; Hensler 1; Hiestand 4; Hotz 1; Leemann 1; Lüthi 2; Schneider 3; Strickler 8; Suter 1; Tanner 8; Wild 4; Wymann 2; Carpenter 1.

This list of names of 69 comrades was recorded on May 13, 1564, in the presence of Thoman Bachmann, Rudolf Tanner, Galli Zimmermann, Hans Hänsler, Rudolf Strickler, Christian Tanner, Jakob Hiestand “and other good gsellen.”

The second Heinrich Hiestand on the list below was “at the Schürli,” which was west of Samstagern.
His name was marked out, which probably indicates he had died or had left the Allmend.

1632

The Wollerau and Richterswil Split

Prior to 1632, the Almend included land in the Richterswil area as well as the neighboring village of Wollerau. After the Swiss Reformation, it became necessary for the two portions of the Allmend to split. Wollerau aligned with the Catholic Canton of Schwyz, but Richterswil became a Reformed district.

1634

Hiestands, one of 12 Families Still on Inherited Rights List

At that time, twelve families still had inherited allotment rights, namely: Baumann, Eschmann, Häusler, Hiestand, Leemann, Lüti, Schnyder, Strickler, Tanner, Weinmann, Wild and Zimmermann.

June 3, 1645

"Statutes and Regulations of the Erlen-Allmend Richterswil"

Heini Hiestand and four other men appeared before the bailiff and presented a set of statutes and regulations for the Allmend that they had unanimously decided on "for themselves and their descendants." They indicated that these policies were constructed to eliminate the uses of the land that had been occurring since the 1632 partition of Wollerau.

May 18, 1663

The Allmend Stallion

Conrad Hiestand and some other men put a stallion on the Allmend for the purpose of breeding mares for a fee of 32 shillings.

March 19, 1679

Eleven Families Still on the Inherited Rights List

There were still eleven inherited families in the Allmend, namely Baumann, Eschmann, Hänsler, Hiestand, Leemann, Lüti, Schnyder, Strickler Tanner, Wild and Wymann.

1738 - 1748

Hiestand Trial

In 1738, a passionate lawsuit broke out over an allotment right. The hatter Heinrich Hiestand, son of a Heinrich Hiestand from Chneus (Richterswiler Berg, today Hütten), who lived in the village of Richterswil within the surcharge, had received the "Allmend crown" paid out by Allmendvogt Jakob Schneider in the years 1733 to 1738. At the Genossengemeinde of June 24, 1738, concerns were raised about Hiestand's Allmend entitlement. Before the bailiff, Hans Ulrich Lochmann and the Wädenswil court, Hiestand, with the help of his mother and his two brothers Rudolf and Ulrich, who still lived in Chneus, managed to make his alleged right to the allotment credible. In its decision of September 4, 1748, the higher court overturned the ruling of the Wädenswil court and dismissed Hiestand's claim.

1794 Begining

Two Hiestands Represented Their Groups in Suggestions for Allmend Improvements

The question is raised whether the extensive and partly unimproved, in many places especially by the Turbengraben barren Allmend could not be brought into a better and more useful condition. A lot of opinions and projects are put forward, partly in favor of, partly against the present allotment constitution and usage letters. In order to prevent disputes arising from this, one man from each of the 10 groups came together with the final reported superior of the allottees on the advice of the authorities, in order to discuss the allotment matters and to put the result in writing.
From the side of the mountain: Country judge Ulrich Hiestand at the Bällen and Jakob Hiestand in the Löchli.

September 22, 1801

Representatives of the Richterswil Citizens

From the side of the mountain: Country judge Ulrich Hiestand at the Bällen and Jakob Hiestand in the Löchli.

August 30, 1807

Two Hiestands Help Rectify Allmend Disorders

Heinrich Hiestand at the Langgass and Conrad Hiestand next to the stork and other men were convened to "rectify the disorders that have arisen in the Allmend and to compensate for the disproportionate benefits that several allottees draw against others."

1808 - The Richterswil Allmend Survey

Approximately 306 Acres or 124 Hectares.

1815

List of 15 Hiestands in the Allmend with Locations and Occupations (or Other Designations)

Hiestands - Jacob at the lake (Carpenter); Heinrich at the Langgass (Captain); Heinrich at the Schulgass (sheep servant); Caspar on the donkey (old mayor); Jacob in the moss (Mabuben); Heinrich in the Weberrüti (Schneiders sel. Knäbli); Heinrich allda (Mabub); Jacob on balls (Jacob blessed); Jacob allda (Judge's brother); Johannes at the Blegi (Mauser); John in Dürsenen (Dolfen sel.); Caspar in Haslen; Conrad in the village (Harness maker); Caspar Wäberrüti; Caspar on the Bergli (from Mistlibühl).

1821-1822

Heinrich Hiestand - Administrator (President) of Allmendkorporation Richterswil

He was also the mayor of the Richterswil municipality.

1826/1827

Johannes Hiestand - the Mouser

Johannes Hiestand and Jakob Baumann were mousers for the Richterswil Allmend--they were charged with the task of setting traps for the mice on the Allmend - Mice trapping became important as the land began to be used more for planting than for pasture.

Number of Hiestands in the Allmendkorporation from 1820 through 2007

Reasons for the decrease in Allmendkorporation membership: 1. Decrease in number of children born to families, 2. Some comrades died without leaving male descendants, and 3. Increased mobility led many to renounce joining the Allmendkorporation.

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Louise Haston Rice – Jesse Haston Family Historian

Louise Haston Rice - Jesse Haston Family Historian

I cannot remember when I did not love history and genealogy. As a young girl of 10 or 12, I started collecting information about my family.

Louise Haston Rice

Louise loved her family, life on the farm, and entertaining. She was active in the Baptist church in Salisbury MO. Her love of genealogy began at a young age and continued all throughout her life. She served as President of the Chariton Historical Society and Museum for several years. Her passion for helping others trace their family roots was genuine and she helped many…never met a stranger. Her dream of finding the family bible took years, her efforts were rewarded when it was located in Oklahoma and it meant the world to her. Family, faith, and love of genealogy led to a fulfilling life with the purpose for our mother.

She never met a cemetery she didn’t like and knew of many in our area. I also should have stated the name of the museum as Chariton County Historical Society. -Daughter, Sherry

Letter from Margaret Banks to Dave & Estelle Haston

Obituary

Louise Rice, 82, of Salisbury, MO, died Tuesday, March 19, 2019, at Brunswick Nursing and Rehab. Louise was born June 9, 1936, in Keytesville, MO the daughter of Roy and Wilhelmina A. (Anderson) Haston. She married John Rice 66 years ago, on March 19, 1953, in Keytesville, MO. John preceded her in death on June 29, 2014.

Louise was a farmers wife, she was a child care provider for 10 years, worked for Scholastic Books in Moberly for 5 years, as a genealogist for many people and her own family tree, and at Summerville Funeral Home for several years. She was a member of the Chariton County Historical Society and was president for 5 years. She attended the First Baptist Church and the United Methodist Church in Salisbury.

Louise is survived by a son Rob (Catherine) Rice of Clifton Hill, MO, daughters Sue Ponder of Salisbury, MO, Sherry (Gary) Wright of Salisbury, MO, sisters-in-law Lucille Haston of Kansas City, MO, Charlotte Haston of Brunswick, MO, six grandchildren Lisa Nugent of Shannondale, MO, Mitchell (Andrea) Rice of Salisbury, MO, Stacey (Jake) Aumock of Kansas City, MO, Mike Wright of Salisbury, MO, Matt Ponder of Salisbury, MO, Sara Ponder of Salisbury, MO, great grandchildren Liam, Colin, Annie, Quinn, Isabell, Abigail, Elizabeth, Katie, Brooke, Brandi, Lyndsay, Jake, Briana, Seleena, Trinity, great-grandchildren Johnathan, Cohen, nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, brothers James Roy Haston, Carl Own Haston, son-in-law Rodney Ponder, and grandson-in-law Ned Nugent.