The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1876-06-16
REUNION OF THE DUKES.
Large Family Gathering.

The Dukes family of Hancock coun,
ty. is connected not only with the ear
lv history of its settlement and organic
alton. but also with the early history
and settlement of the State. In 1SO6,
while the State was yet comparatively
a dense wilderness, john aud Mary
Dukes, with their progeny, consisting
of Lydia, William, James, Stephen,
John, Richard and Nancy-the latter
an infant-left Culpepper county, Nir-
ginia, to find home in Ohio. After a
tedious journey they reached Franklin
county, and there established their
home. There Nicholas, Susan, Lewis,
and billiard r., were born, and there,
in 1913, the father John Dukes died.
Several years subsequently the widow
married William Powell, and in the
Spring of 1928, they moved to this
county, bringing Susan, Lewis, and
billiard with them and settling in what
1
ell returned to Franklin county in the
| same summer and died there, when
Mrs. Powell, taking billiard with her
also returned there, and remained until
the fall of 1929, when she returned to
this county with billiard.
Her sons John and Richard came to
this county in the fall OF 1928, aud set
tied in Blanchard township. Nieho-
las came still later, in 1884, and settled
in Union township, where he died in
1850 leaving family of six children.
William, Stephen, and Nancy, married
and settled in the West. James en-
gagged in boating and made several
trips to New Orleans from Chillicothe.
During one of these trips, while he
was still a young man, he disappeared,
and nothing was ever heard of him
afterwards. He is supposed to have
been murdered during an assault upon
the the boat by outlaws, but nothing
definite as to his fate was ever learned.
Susan married McKinnis and moved
to Putnam county, where she died.
William McKinnis, OF the firm of Davis
Detwiler s. Co.. is q son of Susan.
John Dukes built residence Oh his
farm just south of the present Dukes
church, where he resided for "a years
when he moved to Wood county, and
died there in December, 1874, aged "A,
leaving wife and one child-Mrs Geo.
Spugler. He was married four times.
Richard, who resides just North of
Findlay, completed his nth year on
the 2nd of May last. He has been
married three times and has had il
children, six of whom are still living,
Elizabeth and Susan in Iowa, and
Nancy in Missouri, and the sons, Lewis
Eli and Pierce w. reside in this couns
ty. He still owns, the farm upon
which he settled in Blanchard town
ship.
Lewis, 65 years old on the 9th day
of April last, has resided in the same
neighborhood, in Blanchard township,
since his settlement there in 1928, has
been married twice, but remains child
less.
billiard r., who completed his 63d
year on the 20th of March last, set
tied in Union township. where he has
fine farm, and where he continues to
reside. He has family of four chill
dren, Eliza, Laura, Jasper, and More
ton.
Lydia Dukes, the oldest of the fami
ly, was born in Culpepper county, Va
The record of birth is lost, but sup
posed to be in 1870. She o. now in
her Seth year and has enjoyed good
health until the past two years, dur
ing which she has been troubled with
asthma, but otherwise is quite we'll for
one of her advanced age. In 1909, in
Franklin county, Ohio, she married
Ishmael Davis, and by him had five
sons and one daughter, OF these, four
sons are now living, John Davis, aged
&C, in Van Buren township, Putnam
county: James Davis, aged 63 years,
in Calhoun county, Illinois; Alfred
Davis aged 61, in Blanchard township
and l. n Davis, aged 50, near Ant
werp, Paulding county.
IL 4, &c
her husband 1920. Previous to his
death, Mr.. Davis had purchased a
small farm in Wyandot county. To
this, in 1925, Mrs. Davis moved with
her family, and there resided ten years
when she sold out and moved to this
county, purchasing the farm on which
her son Alfred Davis now resides, in
1885, and has lived there ever since.
We have thus traced the genealogy
of the Dukes family of this county
one of the wealthiest and most widely
connected of any of the early settlers.
To give some idea of their possessions
in land alone, we gathered an estimate
from among them, showing that the
Dukes and their immediate connections
who were present at the re. :,ion own
ed G, 293 acres of land, mos: iy lying in
Blanchard township. Averaging this
at an assessed value OF say $50 per acre
they pay taxes on nearly q quarter of
a million dollars of realty, to say moth
ing of personal property. They area
hardy and healthy race, temperate in
their habits, almost invariably Repub-
liean in principle, intelligent, upright,
and reliable citizens, and not one of
them addicted to the use of intoXicat-
ing liquors,
Two years ago they inaugurated
these family reunions, and the present
gathering was the third Of the series.
There were present So persons, about
20 of whom were Dukes and their i'm
mediate connections and descendants,
the balance being neighbors and other
invited guests.
The reunion was held on Thursday
the Sth inst, at the residence of Mr..
Alfred Davis, whose mother. tthe old
est of the Dukes family resides with
him. Mr.. Davis was born Oct. 18th,
1915. in Franklin county, Ohio, came
here with his mother in 1885, and has