Notes for Benneville Haas: In the 1870 Federal Census, Benneville at age 46 is listed as living in Jefferson Township, Logan County, Ohio. Other member of the household were his wife Catherine, age 45, Mary, age 18, Rebecca, age 16, Sarah, age 14, Caroline, age 11, John, age 8, and Emma, age 6. Benneville's occupation is listed as farmer, and his real estate is valued at $8,860 while his personal estate is valued at $1,000. Benneville is shown as born in Pennsylvania while all other family members are listed as born in Ohio.
In the 1880 Federal Census, Benneville Haas is listed as residing in Jefferson Township, Logan County, Ohio. At the time of the census the members of the family and their ages were: Benneville, 56, Cathrin (Catherine), 55, Sarah, 24, Amanda, 20, John, 18, Emma, 14, and Ida, 9. Both John and Benneville are listed as farmers, and both Benneville and Cathrin (Catherine) were listed as born in Pennsylvania as were the parents of both.
According to the History of Logan County and Ohio published by O. L. Baskin and Company in 1880 (p. 757), Benneville came from Berks County, Pennsylvania, in 1839 with his family and settled at New Jerusalem in Jefferson Township of Logan County, Ohio. John Haas had purchased 42 acres of land there. Later Benneville purchased three acres of land to begin farming. His holdings grew to 215 acres, and he built a house at Jerusalem Corners where he ran a small store and became the Postmaster of New Jerusalem in 1877.
The complete text of the biography of Benneville which appears in the O. L. Baskin history is provided below:
BENNEVILLE HAAS, farmer; P. O., New Jerusalem; was born March 26, 1824, in Berks Co., Penn; son of John Haas, who was born in Berks Co., May 1800; his wife was Elizabeth Bagenstose, who was the mother of Benneville. The familly emigrated West in 1839, and located at New Jerusalem, which has since been the abode of the family; his father first purchased 42 acres of land, and began clearing the same. Oct. 7, 1850, our subject was married to Catharine Harple, who was born May 25, 1825, in Washington Co., Penn.; she was a daughter of Conrad and Mary (Moore) Harple; he was born in Lancaster Co., Penn., and his wife in Washington Co., Penn. The first purchase Benneville made was 3 acres of land; the business of his life has been farming, and although he began poor and unaided, he now has 215 acres of good land; he now resides on a portion of the land his father settled; his house, newly built, is located at Jerusalem Corners, is pleasant for location; in connection with his farm is carrying on a small store, and is Postmaster, which position he has filled since July, 1877, more to accommodate the neighbors than for the meagre allowance he receives from the government; nine children were born him, eight of whom survive --- Mary E., now Mrs. James Collins; Rebecca, now Mrs. Thomas Slonecker; Sarah Ann; Caroline, now Mrs. B. F. Slonecker, in Kansas; Amanda; John F.; Emma, and Ida. When Mr. Haas began for himself, $100 was all he was worth; after renting for a few years, moved to the place were he now lives in 1853, and will, in all probability, spend the remainder of his days there.
According to Simon E. Herring in Postal History of Logan County, Ohio published by Rhodopress Publications in 1969 (pp. 11-13), Benneville Haas was the first postmaster of the post office at New Jerusalem. The post office operated from January 10, 1876 through April 30, 1904. Herring used records from the National Archives in compiling his information. Only 200 copies of the history were published, and a copy is in the rare book collection of The Ohio State University.
Records in the Logan County Recorders Office, Deed Records Book 72, page 568, document the sale of one acre of land by Benneville and Catharine Haas to the Board of Education of Jefferson Township, Logan County, Ohio for $100 on July 22, 1887. The Board of Education built a school on the site, and I have in my possession a picture of the first class in the new school taken during the 1888-89 school year. On August 18, 1927, the Board of Education sold the property to Della Dickinson as recorded in Deed Book 134, page 378 in the offices of the Logan County Recorder in Bellefontaine, Ohio. On June 15, 1949, Clara Antrim as administratrix of the estate of Della Brenton, formerly Della Dickinson, sold the property to Paul D. and Leila Marie Thompson for the sum of $232.50 as recorded in Book 187, page 217, of records in the offices of the Logan County Recorder. My mother, Leila, ended up owning the land that had once belonged to her great grandparents, Benneville and Catharine Haas.
A search of the internet in 2003 revealed only two locations in the United States known as New Jerusalem. One was in Logan County, Ohio where John Haas settled. The other was in Berks County, Pennsylvania where John Haas was born. It seems likely that the New Jerusalem in Logan County was named after the site in Pennsylvania.
More About Benneville Haas: Burial: Unknown, New Salem Cemetery, Jefferson Township, Logan County, Ohio.945
More About Benneville Haas and Catherine Harpel: Marriage 1: November 07, 1850946, 947, 948 Marriage 2: October 07, 1850, Logan County, Ohio.949 Marriage minister: Daniel Cowgill, J.P..950, 951
Marriage Notes for Benneville Haas and Catherine Harpel: The bride's surname is spelled differently across several sources of information. On the application for the marriage license and in the recording of the marriage, her surname is spelled Harple. Other documents show the spelling as Harpel. Her first name appears as both Catharine and Catherine on various documents, but it is spelled Catharine on both the application for the marriage license and in the recording of the marriage by Daniel Cowgill, J.P. Likewise, there are alternate spellings of the groom's first name. It is Banneville on the application for the marriage license, Beneville in the recording of the marriage, and Benneville in other documents. Spellings aside, the couple applied for the marriage license on November 6, 1850 and were married on November 7, 1850.
Children of Benneville Haas and Catherine Harpel are:
Benneville Haas (b. March 26, 1824, d. 1898)
Notes for Benneville Haas: