FOLLIS Family Milestones
All genealogy research contain errors, so let me know if your research contradicts mine. My research of Indiana and Ohio families comes from conversations with relatives, copied scrapbooks, library research, online records, courthouse visits, and multiple visits to final resting places on family farms and cemeteries. Families in other states rely mostly on the research of others. If you have additional information on any families, corrections, photos, or anything to add to the history of our families, please leave a Comment in my Guest book, join my Follis Families on Facebook page, or send an Email. Read Dick Eastman's discussion of Unverified Data.
Milestone is of Roman origin meaning a stone marker every mile. I use this page to highlight unique family achievements.
Family members served in every war since the Revolutionary War and in Church Ministry so will be found on my Service pages. Many early families had Places such as towns, churches, cemeteries, creeks, and schools named after a family.
Fourth Great-grandparents Isaac FALLIS of Greene County, Ohio and Benjamin FOREMAN of neighboring Clark County, Ohio owned tanyards where they turned animal hides into leather. In 1796 Benjamin FOREMAN bought 227 acres on the waters of the 4 Mile and Stoner Creeks a few miles south of Winchester the Clark County, Kentucky county seat. This is only 5 miles east of Boonesborough founded by Daniel Boone in 1775.
Austin, Texas the capital of the state is named after descendants of my Austin Families from Virginia.
Sixth Great-grandfather Simon ESSIG a Revolutionary War Veteran was probably with General George WASHINGTON Christmas 1776 depicted in the famous painting at the Battle of Trenton, New Jersey
There is a fair amount of evidence to support the stories that fifth great-grand uncle George FALLIS oldest son of Thomas FALLIS probably was an acquaintance of General George WASHINGTON.
Third cousin four times removed Lydia FALLIS's husband Reuben HAWKINS son Benjamin F. HAWKINS claims they were a distant cousin of the pioneer scout and explorer Davy CROCKETT whose mother was Rebecca HAWKINS.
- Davy CROCKETT Genealogy
- Davy CROCKETT biography
- Davy CROCKETT Genealogy.com
- Davy CROCKETT American West
- HAWKINS Queries
My Kelker Families are connected with Bethlehem Steel in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and Alexander Ramsey the First Territorial Governor and 2nd elected Governor of Minnesota and include many intermarried Revolutionary War veterans.
My sixth Great-grandfather Henry LANDIS in 1750 built a stone house still standing in Amwell, New Jersey. A signs says "Built about 1750 by Henry Landis, local saddler. Lafayette, stayed here while being treated by Dr. Gershom Craven." He is a descendant of Hans LANDIS the last martyr executed in Switzerland for not practicing the state religion and ignoring many warnings.
My fourth great-grandfather Jacob ZIEGLER had one of the famous Sower Bibles when the British soldiers tried to destroy the Germantown, Pennsylvania Sower Publishing Company during the Revolutionary War by scattering the pages as bedding in their horse stalls. Sower rebound the first Bibles produced in America and they contain the evidence in the few surviving Bibles today. Unknown if this family Bible still exists.
Descendants of John ZIEGLER a son of David ZIEGLER were relatives of the Wright Brothers famous for the first successful flight December 17, 1903 at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Harold S MILLER, a ZEIGLER descendant, was administrator of their estates and husband of Ivonette WRIGHT a niece of the Wright brothers.
- Ivonette WRIGHT MILLER (click LISTEN) talks on NPR recording
- Ivonette WRIGHT MILLIER unofficial Wright Historian
- Harold S MILLER executor wife donates papers to Wright State University
- Harold S. MILLER - Dayton, Ohio Library Scrapbook
- MILLER memorial dates - Dayton, Ohio Library Bibliography
- Marianne MILLER HUDEC 2004
- Wilbur and Orville Wright
- Wright Brothers Smithsonian
- Wright Brothers Museum Dayton, Ohio
- Wright Brothers National Park Service
- Wright Way NASA
A Mary WRIGHT married William Martin FOLLIS in Union County, Indiana first county south of where the WRIGHT brothers lived in Richmond, Indiana. William was a brother to my Thomas FOLLIS sons of Jacob FALLIS and Hannah KINGERY. I have not had time to see if these WRIGHT's are related.
Second great-grand uncle Anthony KELKER was an early engineer in Fort Wayne, Indiana along with his brothers Samuel KELKER, George KELKER and John KELKER sons of David KELKER. There were many KELKER write ups in early newspapers. Anthony had a couple of half page spreads outlining his railroad achievements and some of the KELKER family history. Anthony was a city councilman in 1894 and Samuel a Civil War Veteran was instrumental in early Memorial Day parades when thousands viewed the parades to local cemeteries. John and George moved to Colorado, although some of their children stayed in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
My first cousin four times removed Anna ESSIG married George PEABODY a nephew of Simon J. PEABODY a prosperous early businessman in Columbia City, Indiana whose established the Peabody Library. His brother established the Peabody Retirement Community and contributed to the Public Library in North Manchester, Wabash County, Indiana the next county south.
Great-granduncle Isaac FOLLIS a veteran of the Civil War was a blacksmith. He is listed in Somerset, Wabash County, Indiana. It always reminds me of the poem we learned as children by Henry Wadsworth Longellow's The Village Blacksmith.
My ZEIGLER family is related to the Ziegler Meeting House one of the churches of the Little Swatara Church of the Brethren in Berks County, Pennsylvania which celebrated its 250th anniversary October 16, 2007.