WELCOME
to our GRAHAM family ties
Samuel Graham and Hannah Way were the parents of Esther Hannah Graham who married our ancestor Samuel McCullough Snodgrass. Samuel Graham was b.1772 Washington Co., Pennsylvania, d.March 23, 1850, in Buffalo Twp., Washington Co., Pennsylvania. He m. first on November 1, 1803 to Rachel Jeffrey. Their children, all born in Washington Co., Pennsylvania, were:
1-Mary Graham, b.August 29, 1804, d.November 28, 1903, m.December 26, 1826, Thomas Hodgens.
3-John Graham, b.April 22, 1806, d.April, 23 1891, m.September 29, 1874, to Bell Davis and had three sons - Sammy (born abt. 1884), William, and Johnny (died 1878).
3-Esther Graham, b.May 7, 1808, and d.July 14, 1815, at the age of seven.
Samuel Graham remarried in February 1827 to Hannah Way (she b.1794 in Washington Co., Pennsylvania, d.November 17, 1869, in Buffalo Two., Washington Co., Pennsylvania, d/o Samuel and Agnes Way) and had four more daughters;
4-Sarah Jane Graham, b.August 22, 1830, d.February 17, 1841, in Buffalo Twp.
5-Nancy Johnson Graham, b.April 11, 1832, m.December 19, 1865, to Thomas McCullough (who was b.1833 Ohio and d.1914 Claysville, Washington Co., Pennsylvania). Nancy d.February 12, 1916, at the age of 83, and was buried in Claysville Cemetery beside her husband.
6-Rosanna Way Graham, b.February 28, 1834, d.December 6, 1898, Buffalo Twp., m.October 4, 1864, to Nathanial Neely (he b.July 16, 1822, Buffalo Twp.)
7-Esther Hannah Graham, (follow the link to view Personal Information Page for Esther Hannah Graham) b.January 31, 1836, d.November 7, 1917, Taylorstown, Washington Co., Pennsylvania, m.May 10, 1865, in Washington, Washington Co., Pennsylvania, to our ancestor Samuel McCullough Snodgrass, s/o William Snodgrass and Margaret Chambers of Crawford County, Ohio. Follow the link to view the Samuel McCullough Snodgrass and Esther Hannah Graham genealogy.
John Graham, born April 22, 1806, was the son of Samuel Graham and Rachel Jeffrey, who married on November 1,1803. He was raised near Taylorstown, and died on April, 23 1891. According to his obituary in the Washington, Iowa Press, at the time of his death John was at an extreme old age. It reads as such:
John Graham, who was born and raised near Taylorstown, and who was a half brother to Mrs. Samuel Snodgrass and Mrs. Rosana Neely, Buffalo Township, and Mrs. Nancy McCullough, Claysville, was killed by the card a few days since. His little son who was with him in the buggy was also killed. The Washington, Iowa, Press of April 29th gives the following account of the accident.
John Graham and his little boy, Sammy, were killed on the R.R. crossing, east of the coal chute, by the Firefly, a little after 6pm, Friday last. He was making his third trip to the farm that day. The following account summarizes the testimony taken before Dr. Roberts' coroner's jury, composed of J.M. Denny, A.J. Dawson, and Win Smouse.
The train was running forty miles an hour. At the whistling post, Engineer Stone gave the usual crossing whistles. Seeing a party still advancing toward the track he sounded twelve blasts, the warning signals' signal, shut off steam, and applied the brakes, also the vacuum brakes on the engine, and slowed up to the rate of twenty-five miles per hour when the fatal stroke was made. The horse was killed and pitched to the south side of the track. The fore wheel of the buggy was caught and the two occupants were thrown through the air to the north and west. Mr. Graham was almost in a standing position when struck, whipping at the horse.
At that point a train could be seen a quarter or half mile away. Clarence Warner and brother were watering stock nearby and shouted to Mr. Graham that the train was coming and to be careful. He said `O no, I can get across' and whipped up. Little Sammy told him to wait and clutched the reins, but his father said `Let me alone, I can get over' and he put his arm around the sweet little fellow, and so they went out of life together.
The train was stopped its length ahead, and Engineer Stone, his fireman, and the conductor, Dan Steffey, Jas. H. Lewis, Geo. Hagerich, et. al. looked at the ghastly site. The boy was not much mutilated but his neck, arm, and leg were broken, and his hip gashed. Mr. Graham's brains were almost literally dashed out, and it was almost impossible for the surgeon and undertaker to make his body presentable.
The jury found these to be the facts and gave a verdict of death by accident, accordingly, exonerating the trainmen, who plied all the signals. It must be said, that Father Graham, at his extreme old age, has been careless or rash in crossing tracks. One day last week, he got over just four feet as the train swept by. Indeed, it is remarkable that he had so long escaped injury. He often dozed as he drove alone and rode horseback. He had the somnolent habits of old people.
The news of the dreadful accident went through the town like wildfire. He was one of our best known men. He had been coming and going since 1839 and permanently settled here in 1870. He was born in Washington Co. Pa. April 22, 1806. His diary for 1891 was handed to us, and last Wednesday he entered in it, in his fine, steady John Hancock hand; my birth-day; 85th mile-stone. He has kept these annuals for many, many years, each day setting down his doings and goings, receipts, expenditures, weather record, and on Sundays the text, preacher's name, etc. He was as coy as a woman about telling his age. He would never tell. But he had a pride to keep going. The year round he would at three or four AA hitch up the dri to his farms, rain or shine, in cold or heat, tireless, bound never to knuckle to fate. He once told us `I mean to die in harness'. And he did. We wish it could have been less tragic.
He was one of three children. One died at seven years of age; his sister Mrs. Mary Hodgins, 1 and 1/2 yrs. older and very feeble now lives in the old home county. The mother died when John was 6 years old; his father married again and three half sisters survive. He comes of good stock, sturdy, religious people, with whom industry and thrift were religious principle stalwart virtues. His grandfathers on each side were revolutionary soldiers. He had scant schooling but he picked up a good practical education by hard knocks - the best university to go to. He wrote a splendid hand, he could talk as straight to the mark as a bullet and his mother's wit made him a good match for anybody. He could figure with the best of them, in his prime.
He got the western fever and in 1838 attended the Burlington land sales and bought right and left, at one time owning 15,000 acres in Iowa. He sold off a good deal, years ago, concentrated, but still had 2,000 in this county. He leaves, probably, a large estate, but in what condition it is impossible to say till and administrator or executor reports. It is likely he left no will.
On the 29th of September, 1874, he married Miss Bell Davis in Ohio. She died Oct. 20, 1886 leaving two boys, William and Sammy, little Johnny the idol of his fond father having died in 1878. It nearly broke his heart to loose that boy. His hopes seemed to be all centered on that promising child. Willie, alone, remains. He was nearly frantic over the tragic news. He has inherited traits from each parent. Sammy nestled into the old man's heart; he brooded the boy as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings; and if, in the awful moment of death, he could have realized it, he would have been glad to go out of the light of day into the night with that darling boy. Mr. Graham was a very generous ----- rest of article missing.