My second great grandfather

Howell Newcomb was born on October 6, 1825, in Adams, Ohio, to Jane Dubois, age 37, and Joseph Newcomb, age 40. He was the youngest of eight children.

Howell is a peculiar name but there appears to be a reason. Jane Dubois’s sister, Leah, married Charles Howell. Their son Sheppard Howell was born on 8 Oct 1822 in Fairton, New Jersey. The sisters must have corresponded. Jane named her son born on 17 January 1822 as Sheppard. Leah probably did the same months later. Jane probably then named her next son after her brother-in-law.

Howell spent his childhood growing up on the family farm in the southeast corner of Section 18 of Adams Township. The nearest town at the time was Carysville. Carysville was platted in 1830 by Calvin Cary, and named for him. A post office called Carysville was established in 1837, and remained in operation until 1901.

His brother Nathaniel died on April 20, 1844, in Champaign, Ohio, when Howell was 18 years old.

Marriage

Howell married Eliza Jane Johnston in Champaign County, Ohio, on November 8, 1848, when he was 23 years old, Eliza was 20 and the daughter of Walker Johnston and Sarah McCrosky. The Johnstons had land in the NE corner of Section 31 of Adams, just northwest of Carysville, which they were granted in 1819.

Howell and Eliza’s first four children – Napoleon, Hamilton, Sarah and Mary Jane – died while young. The first two boys died a fortnight apart in the summer of 1852. Similarly the two girls died a fortnight apart in the autumn of 1860. Their first cousin, Samuel son of Sheppard, also died that autumn at the age of three.

Both most likely died of an infectious disease in the household.

Child mortality

In the mid-1850s, children in Ohio and other parts of the United States faced many health and medical challenges, and a number of diseases and other factors could contribute to child mortality. Some of the most common causes of death among children during this time period included:

• Infectious diseases: Diseases such as tuberculosis, diphtheria, whooping cough, and measles were common and often spread rapidly in close-knit communities. These diseases could be particularly dangerous for children, who had weaker immune systems and were more susceptible to serious illness and death.
• Gastrointestinal diseases: Diseases such as cholera and dysentery, which caused severe diarrhea and dehydration, were also common and often fatal, especially in children.
• Nutritional deficiencies: Malnutrition was a common problem in the mid-1850s, especially in areas where food was scarce or expensive. Children who suffered from malnutrition were more susceptible to diseases and infections and had a higher risk of death.
• Accidents: Children in the mid-1850s faced many risks, including fire, drowning, and injury from work-related accidents.

These and other factors contributed to high rates of child mortality in Ohio and other parts of the country in the mid-1850s. Despite these challenges, families and communities did their best to care for their children, and medical advancements and improved hygiene and sanitation practices gradually led to a decline in child mortality over time.

Howell’s mother, Jane, passed away on 28 Mar 1856 eight days after Howell’s daughter Mary Jane was born.

Howell and Eliza’s fifth and sixth children survived. Victoria was born one month after her sister Sarah died.

Civil War

Howell (38 years old) and his brother, Sheppard (41), registered for the draft in June of 1863. At the time both were farmers and fathers of young families so it does not appear that either were called up for duty. Fathers with dependent children were often exempt or less likely to be drafted. While the law didn’t automatically exempt fathers, draft boards tended to favor single men without dependents. Older draftees (like age 38+) were less likely to be called unless quotas were high or not enough younger men volunteered.

Howell’s father Joseph passed away on February 3, 1867, in Rosewood, Ohio, at the age of 81. He most likely willed the family farm to Howell and Sheppard as the two older brothers, Joseph and Nathaniel, died before their father.

Farming

The 1870 agricultural census showed that Howell had 53 acres of improved land and 40 acres of woodland for a total of 93 acres. The farm was valued at $3200 plus $300 in farm implements. He paid $300 in wages over the year and owned five horses and three milk cows. In addition he had two other cattle, 14 sheep and 10 swine. The livestock was valued at $624. He harvested 360 bushels of winter wheat, 400 bushels of Indian corn and 150 bushels of oats.

Sheppard headed west sometime after the August 1870 census. By 31 July 1871, he was in Yuba City, California. He most likely sold his shares of the farm to Howell.

In 1876, Howell’s daughter, Flora, married William Franklin Bailar. They remained in Adams County until they died. They had two children before Howell died.

In the 1880 agricultural census Howell had 60 acres of tilled land, 23 of pastures, 25 in woodland and 4 for other uses. The 109 acres is more than the 93 in 1870. Total farm value of 4125, including 275 in equipment and 600 in livestock. [census has additional info about crops … to transcribe] The original homestead was 160 acres. Joseph sold 25 acres in 1832 and 25 acres in 1837. That would leave 110 acres and in line with the the acreage of the 1880 census.

His wife Eliza died on 27 Sep 1887.

On 9 Jun 1887 – three years after his wife Jane died – Howell married Barbara Jenkins who also have a surname of Comer. Her birth name was Barbara Ann Hoak. The Comer farm was right next to the Newcomb farm.

His youngest daughter, Victoria, married on 26 December 1888 to Manford McCroskey.

Death

Howell died of heart disease five months after Victoria wedding on 24 May 1889 at the age of 63.

A death announcement in the Urbana Daily Citizen of 6 June 1899 reads: Howell Newcomb, a highly respectable citizen, of this township [Adams] died at his home 2 ½ miles east of this place [Carysville] on Friday morning, May 24, 1889, of heart disease. Mr. Newcomb was one of our oldest citizens, was honored and esteemed by all who know him.

Burial

Howell and Eliza are buried in the Rosedale Cemetery in Rosewood.

For proper citations and sources, see Howell’s page on my ancestry.com family tree.