Daniel Van Voorhis and Jane Roberts
Husband Daniel Van Voorhis 1
Born: 25 Nov 1806 - Carroll Twp, Washington Co, PA 1 Christened: Died: 3 Jun 1893 - Zanesville, Muskingum Co, OH 1 Buried:
Father: John Van Voorhis (1781-1874) 2 3 4 Mother: Sarah Frye ( - ) 4
Marriage: 24 Jan 1834 1
Wife Jane Roberts 1
Born: Christened: Died: 11 Apr 1871 1 Buried:
Father: John Roberts ( - ) 5 Mother: Barbara [Unk] ( - ) 5
Children
1 M John Van Voorhis 1
Born: 23 Jul 1836 1 Christened: Died: Summer, 1882 - Nashport, Muskingum Co, OH 1 Buried:
2 F Victoria Van Voorhis 1
Born: Christened: Died: Buried:
3 M Samuel Van Voorhis 1
Born: Christened: Died: Buried:
4 F Sarah A. Van Voorhis 1
Born: Christened: Died: Buried:
5 F Mary I. Van Voorhis 1
Born: Christened: Died: Buried:
6 M Zenas F. Van Voorhis 1
Born: Christened: Died: Buried:
7 M Henry Clay Van Voorhis 1
Born: Christened: Died: Buried:
General Notes: Husband - Daniel Van Voorhis
He was not only a pioneer farmer but a successful merchant in the early days of Muskingum County, Ohio. His thousands of acres and other sources of wealth attest his energy and capacity for gaining a competency. Against his own inclinations he was twice elected to the Ohio Legislature and in that body was reckoned as one of the most safe and useful members. In later years he was elected a member of the Constitutional Convention, where he did good service in aiding to mould many of the wisest provisions in the new Constitution. For years resided in the city of Zanesville, while he held his voting residence in Nashport, near his home.
Zanesville Times-Recorder, Zanesville, Ohio
He died June 3, 1893, at the residence of his son, Hon. H. Clay Van Voorhis, in Zanesville, Ohio. He was born on the original Van Voorhis homestead, in then Fallowfield but now Carroll township, Washington county, Penn'a, November 25, 1806, and was moved by his father and mother, John and Sarah Van Voorhis, to Muskingum county, Ohio, locating in a log cabin near Nashport, Licking county, in April, 1812. His father at the time of his death was the oldest inhabitant of Licking township, and one of the oldest in the county. He was born in Burlington county, N. J., during the revolutionary war and when five years of age moved with his parents to Washington county, Pa., locating three miles west of Monongahela City. In 1805, having two large crops of wheat for which there was no home market, he had it ground, and building a flatboat, he started on April 5 for New Orleans with a cargo of flour. He disposed of part of it enroute for $8 a barrel and finally arrived at his destination May 22, when he disposed of the remainder of his flour and his boat, and after celebrating the Fourth of July in the metropolis of the Louisiana Purchase, he sailed to New York, reaching home August 28. He was married to Sarah Fry December 12, 1805, and continued to reside near the parental home until he came to Muskingum county with his family in 1812.
Daniel Van Voorhis was the oldest son, and soon after the family's arrival at Nashport was started to school in a log school house. The children sat on seats made by splitting round logs in two pieces, shaving the flat sides with a drawing knife, and driving pins into auger holes for legs. The house had a puncheon floor and a large fire place in the end of the building. It was a subscription school, at $2.50 a scholar, the attendance numbering about twenty-five. After taking advantage of these limited educational facilities, he worked on his father's farm until he was about twenty-five years of age. The Ohio canal had then been finished, and he boated on the canal part of the summer of 1831.
He was not pleased with the canal business, and in the fall of 1831 he concluded to open a general store at Nashport. His father agreed that if he would hew the framing timber, haul the logs and have the necessary lumber sawed, and quarry the stone for the cellar wall, he would furnish the necessary money for the erection of the building and would lend him all the money he had-about $800. The building was completed on the 14th of the next April, and with $200 dollars of his own and $800 borrowed from his father, he started on horseback the next morning for Washington county, Pa., where he borrowed $500 more of an uncle, and went to Pittsburgh and purchased a stock of goods. They were shipped to this city by water, and he had his store opened in May. In April, 1838, he associated with himself in the store at Nashport Mr. Abel Randall. They continued their partnership until November, 1843, when they sold out to John W. Thompson.
Mr. Van Voorhis then went back to farming, purchasing a large farm and managing it very successfully until April, 1877, when he rented it and retired from its active management. Since his retirement he has resided in this city, boarding at the Kirk House for a number of years and for the past two years making his home with his son, Congressman Van Voorhis. In October, 1859, he was elected to the Ohio Legislature from Muskingum county, as a Republican, and served during the sessions of 1860 and 1861. He was a strong supporter of the measures proposed in aid of the Government and voted for the two million dollar bill to aid in putting down the rebellion. In April, 1873, he was elected a member of the convention to frame a new constitution for the State of Ohio, but the constitution framed by it failed of adoption by the people.
He was married to Miss Jane Roberts, daughter of John and Barbara Roberts, of Falls township, January 24, 1834. Seven children were born to them, all of whom grew to manhood and womanhood. Six are still living, John having been accidently killed at Nashport several years ago. Those still living are, Mrs. T. M. Taylor and S. F. Van Voorhis, of Newark; Mrs. J. G. Stump, of Dresden; Mrs. N. C. Fleming, of Hanover, and Hon. H. C. and Fuller Van Voorhis, of this city. His wife, Mrs. Jane Roberts Van Voorhis, died April 11, 1871. Two sisters are all of his father's family that survive him. They are Mrs. Littleton Adams, of Madison township, and Mrs. D. R. Cook, of Macon, Ga.
He was a consistent member of the Methodist church at Nashport. During his residence here he attended divine services at the Market Street Baptist Church. He was a liberal contributor to institutions for the dissemination of knowledge and Christianity, among those aided very substantially by him being the American Bible Society, Kenyon College, Ohio Wesleyan University and Denison University.
Mr. Van Voorhis was an example of the noblest work of God, an honest man. He was honest in all the word implies. He was true to every trust and sincere in everything he did. He was a thorough business man, which, coupled with his tireless energy and indomitable will power, resulted in bringing him a competence for his old age. He was a model husband and father and had the confidence and esteem of every one who knew him. He was a splendid example of the pioneer, who had not only witnessed the transformation from the wilderness to the height of civilization, but has had a share in it all.
General Notes: Wife - Jane Roberts
from Muskingum Co, OH
1 John S. Van Voorhis, The Old and New Monongahela (Pittsburgh, PA: Nicholson, Printer and Binder, 1893), Pg 191.
2 Boyd Crumrine, History of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1882), Pg 695.
3 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 1059.
4 John S. Van Voorhis, The Old and New Monongahela (Pittsburgh, PA: Nicholson, Printer and Binder, 1893), Pg 190.
5
John S. Van Voorhis, The Old and New Monongahela (Pittsburgh, PA: Nicholson, Printer and Binder, 1893), Pg 192.
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