Posted on: Lee Co. Ia Biographies Reply Here: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Ia/LeeBios/39 Surname: BEELER, HUGHES, NEWTON, VAIL, GARDNER, BARTLETT ------------------------- IN PURSUIT OF ISAAC BEELER ISAAC BEELER: (1) son of unknown Born: 15 January 1783 Sullivan Co., TN Died: 16 February 1872 Harrison Township, Lee Co., IA Burial: Beeler Cemetery, Section 13, Harrison Township, Lee Co., IA Married: 1) December 1808 Sullivan Co., TN JANE HUGHES daughter of unknown Born: 24 February 1788 Sullivan Co., TN Died: 9 May 1860 Lee Co., IA Burial: Beeler Cemetery Lee Co., IA CHILDREN OF ISAAC AND JANE: 1. Samuel Beeler 2. John Beeler + Hannah Vail (Veil) 3. Molly Beeler 4. Nancy Beeler + William Henry Newton 5. William Beeler + Matilda Bartlett 6. Martha Beeler + Eli Seeley 7. Sarah Beeler + Andrew Weir 8. Joseph Beeler + Margaret Gardner 9. David Beeler + Mary Jane Harness 10. Isaac Beeler 11. Jesse Beeler + 1) Martha P. Moore + 2) Permilia M.(nee unknown) Married: 2) 25 February 1862 MARIA BLAUFUS daughter of Born: January 1825 Died: March 1865 Burial: Beeler Cemetery Beeler Cemetery is located on Isaac Beelers' homestead. On 2 August 1998, we visited and took pictures of Beeler Cemetery. The fence is beautiful, even tho it is rusty and part has been moved inward, because the land has eroded. There is a creek on two sides of the cemetery. We drove through the field about œ mile and parked in an opening in the trees. We walked a short distance to a white gate, opened it and walked back through the woods to the cemetery. There were very few markers in the cemetery. The markers that were readable were photographed. Both of Isaac’s wives were buried with him, one on either side. Isaac’s stone says he was 89 years, 1 month and 1 day. The stones for Jane Hughes Beeler and Maria Blaufus Beeler are much newer than Isaac’s. Isaac’s stone appears to be the original stone. Robert Mc Keehan in his notes made mention that Abraham Beeler had replaced his mother’s stone in the 1930's. According to Robert Mc Keehan, sometime in 1811, they left Tennessee and went to what is now Dearborn Co., in Indiana Territory. He also notes Isaac was drafted from Dearborn Co., IN for the War of 1812. And states that Isaac was listed in the 1820 Wayne Co., IN Census. >From my notes: Abstracts from: “Early Settlers of Indiana’s “Gore” 1803 - 1820" by Shirley Keller Mikesell. “The Indiana Territory was formed in 1800 upon the division of the old Northwest Territory and with separation from the new state of Ohio. The Gore area remained part of Ohio’s Hamilton County; its western boundary was defined by the Greenville treaty Line of 1795. The “Gore” was named Dearborn County when it became part of Indiana in 1803.” ”The boundary line which defined the western border of the Gore was only a suggestion to the Indians. This period was the time of Tecumseh and his efforts to unite his people and win back their land. The Whitewater River which meanders through present-day Union and Franklin counties was a favorite encampment spot. Indian resistance ended with the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811; sporadic raids occurred for a few more years” “THE INDIANA GORE: War of 1812 muster rolls” Wayne Co/ 8th Regt: Capt. ENOS BUTLER’s Co. Isaac Beales (Isaac Bealer) Wayne Co/ 8th Regt: Capt. JOHN FARLOW’S Company Isaac Beason (Isaac Bealor) These are two of the three enlistments Isaac listed in his pension application for the War of 1812. Wayne County was taken from Dearborn County 27 November 1810. According to the early history of Washington Co., IN, there were a number of families holed up in Fort Hattabaugh which was near Plattsburg. The family of Isaac Beeler was one of those documented families. “These ‘forts’ were usually heavy log-cabins provided with port-holes from which to shoot, and furnished to accommodate several families; but in some instances real forts were built as at Hattabaugh’s inclosure in Monroe Township, where a row of log-cabins, provided with port-holes, etc., was built together with a high block-house at each end, and then all surrounded by a high fence of heavy slabs planted firmly in the ground, and leaving a space of about a rod around the cabins. Several of these block-houses or forts had been built before the general uprising, and after that others were hastily erected and occupied by the families of the settlers. In the Hattabaugh Fort were gathered the families of Robert Ellison, Dempsey Rice, Thomas Denny, Elisha Driskell, Elijah Rinker, Isaac Beeler, George Hattabaugh, John Ramsey and others.”....Abstracted from the “History of Washington County Indiana 1884"... “The Hattabaugh fort was probably the only regulation old-time fort in the county. It consisted of a pen twenty feet square, built of logs hewed square, to a height of about eight feet, and ontop of this there was another pen twenty-six feet square, projecting three feet on all sides beyond the walls of the bottom pen. There were port holes on all sides of both pens, as well as in the floor extension of the upper pen, to enable inmates to shoot straight down in case of an attack by Indians or an attempt to fire the fort. A stockade was built around this fort, made of chestnut poles about ten feet long, set two feet in the ground and touching each other. There were port holes arranged through this fence, one about every six feet. This fort was on the east side of the road, not far from a big spring that comes out of the hillside, and it remained there till some time after 1830, when it rotted and tumbled down.” Abstracted from “Centennial History of Washington County Indiana” by Stevens 1916... >From the notes of Robert Mc Keehan: Isaac Beeler served in the War of 1812 in the state of Indiana. He served three different times. 1st he was drafted from Dearborn Co., IN 13 October 1812 - discharged 12 January 1813 Sholts Battalion under Captain Enos Butler’s Company of IN; 2nd 18 May 1813 _ 18 July 1813 in Captain Weaver’s Company; 3rd 9 October 1813 - 11 March 1814 in Captain John Farlow’s Company. He applied for his pension in March of 1871 and it was granted 14 November 1871. He was living in Lee Co., IA at that time. He was granted $8.00 per month. His pension numbers are: SO or SC 9767 was his application number SC 7937 where they granted his pension. Abstracted from the “History of Montgomery County” by H. W. Beckwith 1881... “There were altogether a dozen or fifteen families in Crawfordsville, and most of these were located in the neighborhood of the Whitlock spring, near where Brown & Watkins’ mill now stands. West of town, between where Wabash College now stands and Sugar creek, there was a small settlement, composed of the following persons: John Beard, Isaac Beeler, John Miller, Isaac Miller, George Miller, Joseph Cox, John Killen and John Stitt.” The section on Union Twp., refers to “Old Settlers” by Sanford C. Cox. Mr. Cox was one of the first schoolmasters who kept a diary of his experiences and travels and has the following to say about Crawfordsville in the years 1824 and 1825. “Crawfordsville is the only town between Terre Haute and Fort Wayne. The land office is held here. Maj. Whitlcok is receiver and Judge Williamson Dunn, register. Maj. Ristine keeps tavern in a two-story log house, and Jonathan Powers has a little grocery. There are two stores, Smith’s, near the land office, and Isaac C. Elston’s, near the tavern. Thomas M. Curry and Magnus Holmes are the only physicians, and Providence M. Curry the only lawyer, in town. John Wilson is clerk of the court, and David Vance sheriff. William Nichalson carries on a tannery and shoemaker shop. Scott and Mack have cabinet shops, and Geroge Key blows and strikes at the black smithing business. Old man Hill has a small mill on the south bank of Sugar river, north of town. West of town, in the country, there is a small neighborhood composed of the following persons and their families, namely: John Beard, Isaac Beeler, three of the Millers (John, Isaac and George), Joseph Cox, Joseph Hahn, John Killen, and John Stitt, who owns a little mill about two miles west of town.” Notes from Robert Mc Keehan: “When Isaac Beeler died, in 1872, nearly all of his children had moved away. The two who remained in Lee Co., IA were David Beeler and Martha Beeler Seeley. Nancy Beeler Newton was living in Crawfordsville, Montgomery Co., IN; William Beeler was living in Anderson Co., KS; Joseph Beeler and Jesse Beeler were living in Crawford Co., KS.” >From records I have found: William Beeler was deceased and his widow was living in Anderson Co.,KS Abraham was only 9 years old when Isaac died. Isaac had raised him alone since the death of Maria Blaufus Beeler. Maria Blaufus Beeler was ill and under doctors care for a span of time. The doctor gave deposition on how Isaac behaved while his second wife was ill and dying. He classified Isaac’s behavior as Senile Dementia. He was critical of Isaac for believing that Maria would get well and complained that Maria spoke German and he was unable to communicate with her. He said he would give Isaac instruction on how to care for her and medicate her. He seemed to say that Isaac did not follow his directions well. The doctor seemed so frustrated with the whole situation. Finally, he requested Isaac obtain another physician to care for her. He said a couple weeks later Maria Beeler died. On 21 September 2000 visited Beeler Cemetery, the cemetery had deteriorated some since we visited 2 August 1998. They had mowed the perimeter of the field leading to the woods surrounding the cemetery. The white gate was lying on the ground. The trail thru the woods was clear of major debris. The creek is eroding into the cemetery. Some of the fence is down or separated, especially the left side as you face the gate. The gate has to be lifted off the ground to open it. The five stones that were readable in 1998 are still in good condition. I turned over some of the ones lying on the ground, but they were smooth both sides. When we were in Donnellson, IA, at the library on Tuesday, the librarian spoke of having been at the cemetery 5 years ago. She stated, “at that time horses were being kept in the surrounding woods and had knocked down the fence and trampled some of the stones.” She had reported this and the fence was put back up to keep out the horses. I had noted several smooth and broken stones when we were there in 1998.