Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: Genealogy Report: Descendants of Joseph A. Bennight

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Descendants of Joseph A. Bennight

Generation No. 2

2. ISAAC T.² BENIGHT (JOSEPH A.¹ BENNIGHT)^12,^13,^14,¹⁴ was born February 25, 1796 in PA, and died Abt. 1856 in Clark Co., IL. He married (1) MELLY SEELY^15,^16,¹⁷ September 21, 1825 in Vigo County, IN ¹⁸, daughter of JONAS SEELY and MARY HOPKINS. She was born Abt. 1800 in Ontario, Canada or NY, and died Abt. 1836 in Vigo Co., IN. He married (2) SARAH DANFORD^18,^19,^20,²¹ October 26, 1837 in Montgomery Co., IN ²². She was born Abt. 1817 in NH, and died Bef. 1860 in IL.

Notes for ISAAC T. BENIGHT:
On June 14, 1827, he transferred 100 acres of the NW 1/4 of Sect 9, Twp. 11, Range 9, to Mary Seely (mother-in-law). On March 20, 1837 he purchased 40 acres in Vermillion Co. IL. SE 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of section 14 in township 20 N, Range 11 West. In 1850, Clark Co., IL census, Livingston Precinct, #260. He is said to have died of typhus fever around 1856.

Children of ISAAC BENIGHT and MELLY SEELY are:

	i.	SEELY³ BENIGHT²³, b. August 31, 1827, Vigo Co., IN; d. April 07, 1854, Vigo Co., IN - burial New Harmony Cemetery, Prairieton, Vigo Co.; m. REBECCA A. TAYLOR²⁴, March 22, 1853, Vigo Co., IN.
	ii.	MALE BENIGHT²⁵, b. 1828.
9.	iii.	ALBERT CLAYTON BENIGHT, b. Abt. 1830, Vigo Co., IN; d. Bet. 1870 - 1874, St. Joseph, MO.

Children of ISAAC BENIGHT and SARAH DANFORD are:

	iv.	EDWIN³ BENIGHT²⁵, b. Abt. 1839.
10.	v.	JOSEPH L. BENIGHT, b. Abt. 1841, IN.
11.	vi.	WILLIAM DANFORD/DENFORD BENIGHT, b. February 22, 1842, Prairie Creek Twp., Vigo Co., IN; d. February 10, 1914, Michigan City, La Porte Co., IN - burial Greenwood Cemetery, La Porte Co..
12.	vii.	MARY MINERVA BENIGHT, b. February 03, 1844, near Livingston, Clark Co., IL; d. March 05, 1920, Michigan City, La Porte Co., IN.
13.	viii.	SARAH ANN BENIGHT, b. Abt. 1849, IL; d. Streator, LaSalle Co., IL.
14.	ix.	ISAAC H. BENIGHT, b. Abt. 1853, Clark Co., IL; d. December 22, 1898, Independence, Warren Co., IN.
15.	x.	CHARLES T. BENIGHT, b. Abt. 1855, Clark Co., IL; d. 1929, Hammond, Lake Co., IN.

3. MINERVA² BENIGHT (JOSEPH A.¹ BENNIGHT)^26,²⁷ was born September 25, 1798 in NY, and died August 26, 1872. She married RICHARD HICKS^28,²⁹ October 18, 1815, son of GEORGE HICKS and MARY JOSLIN. He was born September 22, 1794 in NY, and died September 12, 1856 in IN.

Notes for MINERVA BENIGHT:
In the 1850 La Porte Co., IN census, Hudson Twp. page #211A.

Children of MINERVA BENIGHT and RICHARD HICKS are:

	i.		JOHN L.³ HICKS^30,³¹, b. July 18, 1816; d. July 15, 1821.
	ii.		ISAAC C. HICKS^32,^33,³⁴, b. April 10, 1819; d. May 07, 1871; m. EMELINE HINMAN³⁴, June 21, 1846, La Porte Co., IN.
	iii.		ADELIA HICKS^35,³⁶, b. February 20, 1820; d. August 29, 1824.
	iv.		MATILDA HICKS^37,³⁸, b. August 25, 1825; d. March 29, 1846; m. RUFUS M. EARLE, September 10, 1844, Fountain Co., IN.
	v.		BENJAMIN FRANKLIN HICKS^39,⁴⁰, b. October 08, 1827, IN; d. August 29, 1901, Reno, Washoe Co., NV; m. HARRIET N. ASHMORE⁴¹, August 11, 1852, IN; b. March 04, 1833, Coles Co., IL; d. November 13, 1913, Turlock, CA.
	vi.		JOSEPH BENIGHT HICKS^41,⁴², b. February 02, 1830; m. MARTHA JANE SHOEMAKER⁴³, April 12, 1858.
	vii.		GEORGE W. HICKS^43,⁴⁴, b. January 01, 1833; d. August 05, 1834.
	viii.		MARY MINERVA HICKS^45,⁴⁶, b. April 25, 1835; d. May 30, 1835.
	ix.		HARRIET HICKS^47,⁴⁸, b. August 21, 1837; d. November 17, 1842.
	x.		MARY ELLEN HICKS^49,⁵⁰, b. August 18, 1840; d. September 24, 1840.

4. CLEMENTINA² BENIGHT (JOSEPH A.¹ BENNIGHT)^51,^52,⁵³ was born February 20, 1800 in New York, and died March 05, 1847 in Vigo Co., IN - burial New Harmony Cemetery, Vigo Co.⁵⁴. She married DEXTER ANGELL⁵⁵ May 03, 1820 in Vigo Co., IN, son of ASA ANGELL and CYNTHIA HILLS. He was born February 15, 1794 in Johnston, Providence Co., RI, and died August 18, 1854 in New Berlin, Chenango Co., NY - burial Scribner Cemetery, New Berlin.

Notes for CLEMENTINA BENIGHT:
Clementina Angel is listed in the 1840 Vigo Co., IN census, Prairie Creek Twp., page #397.

Children of CLEMENTINA BENIGHT and DEXTER ANGELL are:

16.	i.	ELIZA ANN³ ANGELL, b. September 06, 1822, Vigo Co., IN; d. December 24, 1914, Prairieton, Vigo Co., IN - burial New Harmony Cemetery, Vigo Co..
	ii.	CHARLES H. ANGELL⁵⁵, b. 1825, NY; d. 1909, IA - burial Antioch Cemetery, Clarksville, IA.
	iii.	LEANDER ANGELL⁵⁶, b. Bet. 1826 - 1830.
17.	iv.	DELIA VIOLA ANGELL, b. February 24, 1839, Praireton, Vigo Co., IN; d. October 10, 1916, Shell Rock, Butler Co., IA - burial Lowell Cemetery, Butler Twp., Butler Co..

5. PENINA² BENIGHT (JOSEPH A.¹ BENNIGHT)^57,⁵⁸ was born August 03, 1803 in NY, and died November 12, 1856 in Hudson, La Porte Co., IN - burial Hudson Lake Cemetery, La Porte Co.⁵⁹. She married HALLAM HUNTINGTON^60,^61,^62,⁶³ April 03, 1822 in Vigo Co., IN, son of NATHANIEL HUNTINGTON and MARY CORNING. He was born Bet. 1800 - 1801 in probably Waterford, CT, and died August 24, 1875 in Winnebago, Faribault Co., MN - burial place unknown.

Notes for PENINA BENIGHT:
      In 1850 in Hudson Twp., La Porte Co., IN.

November 19, 1856
DEATH: On Wednesday, the 12th inst., at Hudson, La Porte County,
Indiana., the body of PENINA HUNTINGTON, wife of HALLMAN HUNTINGTON,
aged 53 years. Thus, in a day, affliction falls heavily upon husband
and children. Her funeral was numerously attended on Friday the 14th.
Sermon on the occasion by Rev. WM. ANDREW of La Porte. [Original has
lengthy eulogy]

Notes for HALLAM HUNTINGTON:
      His older brother, Nathaniel, came to Indiana in 1816, and Hallam was there also by 1822. In October, 1822, he purchased from Ariel Harmon 160 acres about 3/4 of a mile from the Wabash River on Honey Creek, Vigo Co. Hallam was a farmer and there are several land records of his purchases dating from 1834 in LaPorte Co., Indiana. The family is on the 1840 LaPorte Co. Census in Hudson Twp. with five children who would have been Adeline, Evaline, Nathaniel, Joseph B. and James. They also appear there in the 1850 census. He with his brothers and wives owned much of the property bordering Hudson Lake and farm land stretching out north and southwest of the lake. Some of the records show the name Lakeport, the earlier name for the village of Hudson Lake. He owned property near Winnebago, MN in 1861-62, where he had gone to live near his daughter Evaline and her husband. He had sold the Hudson Lake, IN property to son, Nathaniel and wife, Sophia, on July 3, 1861.

      The Huntington Memoir states that he was a Colonel. It is not known when or where he served in the military.

                        from Jeanne Hamer's research

Children of PENINA BENIGHT and HALLAM HUNTINGTON are:

18.	i.	ADELINE³ HUNTINGTON, b. October 02, 1823, Hudson Twp., La Porte Co., IN; d. April 16, 1875, La Porte Co., IN.
19.	ii.	EVALINE HUNTINGTON, b. May 05, 1826, Honey Creek, Vigo Co., IN; d. 1897, Elm Creek, Faribault Co., MN - burial Riverside Cemetery, Faribault Co., MN.
	iii.	NATHANIEL HUNTINGTON⁶⁴, b. September 12, 1828, IN; d. February 14, 1889, Cheyenne, WY; m. SOPHIA CUTSHAW⁶⁵, 1858, Galien, MI; b. Abt. 1841, Plymouth, Marshall Co., IN; d. October 20, 1939, near Ukiah, CA.
	iv.	JOSEPH B. HUNTINGTON^65,^66,⁶⁷, b. June 21, 1831, IN; d. June 17, 1852, Hudson Twp., La Porte Co., IN - burial Hudson Lake Cemetery, La Porte Co..
	v.	JAMES HUNTINGTON^68,^69,⁷⁰, b. March 18, 1834, IN; d. April 05, 1913, CA.

Notes for JAMES HUNTINGTON:
Never married.

vi.

HENRY CLAY HUNTINGTON^71,⁷², b. December 03, 1836; d. November 01, 1838, IN.

6. GUY ROSS² BENIGHT (JOSEPH A.¹ BENNIGHT)^73,^74,⁷⁵ was born January 28, 1805 in New York ⁷⁶, and died September 24, 1864 in Black Hawk Co., IA - burial Waterloo Cemetery, lot 130 ⁷⁷. He married HARRIET MAY⁷⁸ March 03, 1827 in Vigo Co., IN ⁷⁹, daughter of SAMUEL MAY and POLLY?. She was born January 16, 1807 in Ontario Co., NY, and died April 19, 1880 in Black Hawk Co., IA - burial Waterloo Cemetery, lot 130 ⁸⁰.

Notes for GUY ROSS BENIGHT:
      On May 30, 1830, Joseph Bennight transferred to Guy east 1/2 of SW 1/4 of Sec. 4, Twp. 10, Range 10. On May 29, 1830, Joseph transferred to Samuel May (Guy's father-in-law) south fraction of Sec. 1, Twp. 10, Range 11. On March 18, 1837, Guy Ross Benight entered land in Vigo County, Indiana. Certificate numbers 425 and 426. Legal descriptions: NW 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of Section 4 in Township 10 north of Range 10 West in the District of lands subject to sale at Vincennes, Indiana containing 40 acres; the NW 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of Section 8 in Township 10 north of Range 10 West in the District of lands subject to sale at Vincennes, Indiana containing 40 acres.

      In 1850, in the Clark Co., Illinois census, Livingston Precinct, page 183, family #261 (as Grey R. Bunight in the index).

      Harriet's obit states that they moved to Black Hawk Co., IA in 1853. Their daughter, Margaret's obit also states that they came to Waterloo in 1853 by oxteam and covered wagon with his brother-in-law, Samuel L. May. They left Terre Haute, Indiana, in April and arrived in Waterloo to find the Cedar River at flood tide. They had to wait on the east bank until the water subsided. At that time, there was only one house and one big tree on the east side of the river where the downtown business district was later developed. Guy operated a sawmill in west Waterloo and suffered an accident in connection with the mill and the injuries later caused his death.

      From the "History of Black Hawk Co., Iowa, 1904": "This family was one of the earliest to settle in Black Hawk County, when they came to the little hamlet of Waterloo, where now stands rows of stately structures, three insignificant huts represented the settlement. Mr. Benight located on a tract of rich land on the banks of the Cedar River, two miles south of Waterloo, selecting a spot that would be safe in case of an overflow of the stream, an occurrence not unusual at that time. It was a good location for his mill, as he was a millwright and farmer combined. In those early days small game was abundant in this locality, prairie chickens were plentiful, while prairie wolves were frequently seen, and at night often heard unpleasantly near. Mr. Benight owned large interests in the Waterloo mills and became a man of substance as well of local prominence. His eight children were, as follows: Elvira J. (should be Alvira), wife of Henry P. Moore, who is deceased; Julia A., wife of Henry Wood who lives in Adams County, Iowa; Samuel M., who lives in Oregon; Hancy (or Nancy), who married Carlos Case, a railway postal clerk and lives in Des Moines; Margaret L., who is a widow of the late Johnson B. Hewitt; Martha A., who married Henry P. Moore; Ellen, who is the wife of Harvey Smith, of North Dakota; and Charles W., a veteran of the Civil War, who lives in Adams County, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Benight were early founders of the Methodist Church in this section, and Mr. Benight the first class leader in Waterloo. He died in 1864, aged 58 years, and was survived by his widow until 1880, when she passed away at the age of 73 years. They were most estimable people, and highly respected."

      A fellow Bennight researcher, Lisa Morris, sent me a copy of a letter - sent to her from her cousin, David. It was from one of her Bennight descendents, Asa Angell, who sent this letter home from Cold Springs, California during the gold rush. What was very interesting is that it was also signed by Guy R. Benight. The date was November 24, 1851. It does not mention him anywhere in the letter, but is most definitely signed by him, placing him in California at this time.

      In the 1860 Iowa census, they are in Black Hawk County - Waterloo Twp., page 39. Dwelling #107, family #99.



Notes for HARRIET MAY:
      Harriet was born in Ontario Co., NY. At the age of nine years she emigrated to Indiana with her father, Samuel May and located in Vigo County, Indiana. She married at the age of 20 years to Guy R. Benight. They removed in 1853 to Black Hawk Co., IA, being among the first settlers of Waterloo, IA. In 1864 her husband died, and since that time she has been the most of the time with her children in different parts of Iowa. She has been a member of the M.E. church about 48 years; always a consistent Christian and many a weary preacher has found shelter under her friendly roof in the early days of Methodism in Indiana and Iowa. Her family and brother Samuel May's family constituted the greater part of the first class that was formed in Waterloo in Mr. May's house.
      She was sick and confined to her bed but eight days and those were days of intense suffering but she did not complain and died without a struggle. She died at the home of her son-in-law, H.M. Wood near Corning, Iowa. Her remains were taken to Waterloo and buried by the side of her husband.

            obituary from the Corning, Iowa newspaper
                  written by R. Randolph, Methodist minister
                        on the Brooks charge

Children of GUY BENIGHT and HARRIET MAY are:

ALVIRA³ BENIGHT^81,⁸², b. January 19, 1828, Vigo Co., IN; d. December 11, 1854, Iowa; m. HENRY P. MOORE^83,⁸⁴, April 05, 1854, Black Hawk Co., IA ⁸⁵; b. Abt. 1824, Indiana.

Notes for HENRY P. MOORE:
In 1860 he was in Butler Co., IA - Shell Rock Twp. page 284.

20.	ii.	JULIA ANN BENIGHT, b. December 27, 1829, near Terra Haute, Vigo Co., IN; d. December 27, 1910, near Corning, Adams Co., IA - burial Oakland Cemetery, Adams Co..
21.	iii.	SAMUEL MAY BENIGHT, b. October 13, 1831, Vigo Co., IN; d. November 09, 1910.
22.	iv.	HANCEY MAY BENIGHT, b. July 31, 1834, Terra Haute, Vigo Co., IN; d. May 28, 1920, Lamanda Park, Pasadena, Los Angeles Co., CA - burial Mountain View Cemetery, 2400 N. Fair Oaks Dr., Altadena, CA.
23.	v.	MARGARET L. BENIGHT, b. March 08, 1837, Terra Haute, Vigo Co., IN; d. October 21, 1928, Waterloo, Black Hawk Co., IA.
	vi.	MARTHA BENIGHT^86,⁸⁷, b. August 24, 1840, Vigo Co., IN ⁸⁸; m. HENRY P. MOORE^89,⁹⁰, January 01, 1876 ⁹¹; b. Abt. 1824, Indiana.

Notes for HENRY P. MOORE:
In 1860 he was in Butler Co., IA - Shell Rock Twp. page 284.

vii.

ELLEN L. BENIGHT^92,^93,⁹⁴, b. April 13, 1843, Vigo Co., IN ⁹⁵; m. HARVEY SMITH, April 13, 1864, Iowa⁹⁵; b. Abt. 1839.

Notes for ELLEN L. BENIGHT:
In the 1860 Iowa census, Black Hawk Co., page 2, household #12, with her sister, Margaret Hewitt and family. Also had that she was born in Illinois.
By 1904, she and her husband were living in North Dakota.

24.

viii.

CHARLES WESLEY BENIGHT, b. March 10, 1846, Terre Haute, Vigo Co., IN; d. October 31, 1911, Juniata, Adams Co., NE - burial Oakland Cemetery, Adams Co., IA.

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