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| Misc. Notes | ||||||||||||||||||||
| In interviews with several members of the family, the following history develops. John started out as a wagon-maker. In this occupation John went to the woods and selected his own timber. He then cut the wood and hauled it to his place of business. Sometime later, he decided to engage in farming and purchased a farm a short distance east of Heidlersburg. This farm was only partly paid for when the panic of 1853 occurred. John lost his property and was $5000 in debt. With part of his family he removed to Three Square Hollow in Cumberland County. This property included a log house, a barn and a mill. (According to Muriel Martin, he owned several threshing machines and serviced many of the farms in Cumberland county.) After some time he was able to repay all of his debts acquired in Adams County. In 1887 the house burned and he erected a new dwelling close to the old house. (The above statements are being critically evaluated at this time ((JAN1998)). There seem to be some discrepancies in the story.) It is reported by Rose Failor that both John and his wife Elizabeth were blind in their later years. On 21 October 1868, John Bolen of York Springs RD, Tyrone Twp. filed for damages during the Civil War (#2072). The damages were as follows: 1 bull, 1 heiffer, 3 setts gears, collars and bridles as well as 640 new rails. In addition there was " damage to 7 acres of oats (rebels had 130 cattle in it one day and night) and destruction of 2 clover fields (rebels had 200 head of cattle in it). The claim further stated that "said damage and loss of property was occasioned by armed rebels who encamped overnight on petitioners property and that none of said property has ever been returned to the owner." The total claim was for $205.60. ( In the record of this census, John is missing. The rest of the family is there under the name Balder.) At the time of this census, John was in the process of trying to sell his two farms in Adams County and, because of his traveling back and forth, may have been missed. In 1871, John lost his farm in Upper Mifflin Twp, Cumberland Co., PA. Since he had had two farms in Adams County just the year before, it is a mystery as to why he would lose this farm. At this point John cannot be found in the census of 1880. Did he go with his son, William, to West Virginia? Or did he possibly go to Illinois with his two sons, John Dison and Jeremiah or even his grandson, John Calvin? There is a continuing study as to the movements of John between 1870 and his death in 1898. There is no record as to when John bought a farm in Mifflin Twp., Cumb. Co., PA. He lost the farm "owing to sundry losses and misfortunes" in 1871. He remains on the tax rolls through at least 1874 but he has no land. Also on those tax rolls were William and John D. Bolen. The 1877 tax rolls show the name of (John) Dison Bolen having been struck out, but no mention of John and William. (We know that about this time Dison moved to Illinois.) John next shows up on the tax rolls of 1886,7,8, holding 85 acres of land. There is no record on this transaction. In 1892 the tax record shows the land in the hands of William, but the actual deed is dated 1896. John is still on the tax rolls of 1898,9,0. (He died in 1898.) Where was he from 1874 until 1886? We know that William moved to West Virginia at about this time. Did John go with William or possibly to Illinois when John Dison went? The census of 1880 may have the answer. Especially in his later years, John enjoyed playing the organ, singing and reading the Bible. (John was self-taught in both reading and writing.)128 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Last Modified 13 Jul 2004 | Created 9 Dec 2005 by Reunion for Macintosh |