Now horse racing catches my eye! It is would seem somewhat likely that he hit "something" big. I hadn't really noticed before that he was admitted to the bar at the ripe age of 23 and was only 25 when elected district attorney. . I would have thought "census errors" or that Paschal was joking around with the 1860 census taker except for the fact that he had a number of farm hands working for him too in 1860. I did know that Elizabeth returned to Chester County after he died but did not know that he was taken back there for burial. Apparently kept up his Quaker membership - I have the Illinois Quaker records at my library so will have to check if there are any clues in there. Actually Paschall probably had quite a good farming background despite his youth, his schooling and his law career. Father Thomas Stalker Woodward had a farm in West Bradford, valued $22,000 in 1850 and had several Irish laborers working for him so Paschall would have been well exposed to large scale farming. Maybe he found the law not to his taste and wanted to return to his farming roots. Father Thomas had a net worth of $30,000 real estate and $3350 personal property in 1860 and only a couple of farm laborers so it doesn't look like the money came from Daddy. Paschall was also probably a smart cookie as he was descended from William and Eliza Marshall Woodward and descendants of Eliza Marshall also descend from James Hunt of England whose two daughters were styled as "geniuses" in some descriptions of the family. So maybe he did make all that money by himself. Didn't find much on the Will County, Illinois Web Site that might be enlightening but would guess from its location just south of Chicago that there was much opportunity there. A huge market for farm products for one thing. Thanks guys for all your input and maybe a descendant will turn up sometime that knows the story for sure. Nadine ----- Original Message ----- From: "George Smedley" <smedley.george@att.net> To: "Nadine Holder" <nadineholder72@ssvecnet.com>; <PA-OLD-CHESTER-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, May 23, 2006 5:53 AM Subject: Re: [PaOldC] Paschall Woodward of Chester County and points west > Nadine > Maybe he hit it big on the Kentucky Derby. > visit"The George Smedley Homepage" > http://smedley.lewis.home.att.net > additional photos at > http://smedley.george.home.att.net > #4679 ELIZABETH JAMES (Jesse,Elizabeth,John,Mary,Sarah,George),b. > Westtown,5-27-1827;d.West Chester,5-25-1891;m.Philadelphia,3-16-1848, > Paschall Woodward,b.West Bradford,9-27-1824;d.Louisville,Ky.,1-28-1870; > buried at Bradford Meeting,Chester Co.;son of Thomas S Woodward and Mary > Worth,of West Bradford.He studied law and was admitted to the bar of > Chester Co.,Nov.4,1847;elected district attorney,Oct.,1850,and served till > Sept,1853,when he resigned and removed to the West. Issue: > > 4679A William Henry,b.12-20-1850;living in West Bradford,unmarried. > > P.O.,West Chester. > > 4679B Emma J,b.Chicago,Ill.,9-12-1855;m.West Chester,Pa.,10-2- > > 1877,E Frank Stoner,b.Lancaster Co.,Oct.,1850;d.Washington, > > Pa.,April,1884;buried Millersville,Pa.;son of Jacob Stoner > > and Susan Funk,of Lancaster Co.He was in the drug business. > > She now resides at 3608 Walnut St.,Phila. Issue: > > Elizabeth,b.Washington,9-18-1878;unmarried. > > Samuel Francis,b.same,2-22-1882;d.Phila.,10-25-1900. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Nadine Holder" <nadineholder72@ssvecnet.com> > To: <PA-OLD-CHESTER-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Sunday, May 21, 2006 4:06 PM > Subject: [PaOldC] Paschall Woodward of Chester County and points west > > >> The list seems a bit quiet so thought I would ask a question that has >> bugged me for some time. >> >> "In 1850, an Act of Assembly was passed, creating the office of District >> Attorney and making the officer elective by the people. The first choice >> of the electors fell upon Paschall Woodward, who acted in that capacity >> until 1853, when he resigned and removed to the West." Tells of a murder >> case tried by Paschall in Jan 1851. From Side Lights on the Bench and >> Bar of Chester County, by Wilmer W. MacElree 1918 >> >> Then I find Paschall in the 1850 census in Chester County: >> 1850 #362 West Chester Chester Co, Pa >> Paschall Woodward, 25, lawyer, $2500, Pa; Elizabeth J., 22, Pa; Anna Mary >> Woodward, 17, Pa; Margaret Mills, 19, Pa. They are next door to a girls' >> school run by Palmer Evans and thus probably the two girls staying with >> them. Anna Mary is Paschall's sister. >> >> Then he did indeed remove to the west and is found in 1860: >> 1860 New Lenox Will Co Ill >> 1119 Paschall Woodward, 35, farmer, Pa, 72,000 real estate 20,000 >> personal property >> Elizabeth J., 34, Pa; Harry Woodward, 9, Pa; Emma J, 4, Il; John Yertze >> 60, farm hand, Pa; John Conwell, 30, carppenter, NY; Wm Edwards, 24, farm >> hand, Pa; James Brenan, 30, farm hand, Ire; Henry Law, 25, farm hand, NY; >> Angus McFadden, 25, farm hand, Scotland; Charlotte Weston, 56, servant, >> England; Lydia Cramer, 14, servant, NY >> >> My question is how did this guy go from a net worth of $2500 in 1850 to >> nearly $100,000 in 1860. That is an enormous amount of money in that day >> and time. A currency comparison site online using comparative cost of >> living gives the value in 2004 of $100,000 from 1860 as over two million >> dollars. >> >> Paschall is only distantly related to me - second cousin, four times >> removed and it is mainly prurient curiosity on my part. He descends from >> William and Eliza Marshall Woodward and I have his family information. >> Didn't find much on him by Googling and wonder if anyone out there knows >> his story , i. e. anything about the murder trial and how Paschall may >> have come into his wealth? >> Nadine Holder >> >> >> ==== PA-OLD-CHESTER Mailing List ==== >> Unsubscribing. 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