Oldham Family Files
Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio
These series of pages have created to display the various OLDHAM Family related files. If you have information that might relate here, please forward the webpage URL that I can link to.
For information on this Isaac OLDHAM Sr, please write to
Marcia Rothman.
Back to Isaac Oldham Page
Isaac OLDHAM, Jr
Isaac Oldham Jr
Isaac Oldham Jr. was born November 8, 1779 at the forks of the
"Yaw", to Isaac and Sarah Oldham. Isaac lived his first seventeen years of
life at the "Yaw," a name for the Youghiogeheny River in Pennsylvania. In
1796 his father, Isaac Sr, moved the family to Ohio County, Virginia, which
is presently West Virginia .
In the summer of 1805, Isaac Jr., at the age of 25, left home,
around Wheeling, on foot, traveling westward along Zane's Trace. He carried
with him an ax and a gun on his shoulder. He soon reached the Wills Creek
Crossing in what is now Cambridge, Guernsey County Ohio. He could have been
enticed to go westward because of the lack of money to buy his new bride a
home in Virginia. At that time Virginia land was getting scarce and was
expensive. Isaac had heard that Ohio, which had just recently been
admitted to the union, had excellent land and could be obtained from the
government at a small cost per acre.
During his travel westward, for several days he had been walking
alone through a nearly uninhabited country, seeking a suitable location for
a future home. At the Wills Creek crossing, when he arrived there were two
or three log cabins occupied by members of the Gomber, Metcalf, Hutchinson
and Beatty families. There was a small clearing around the cabins, but all
the territory within the present boundaries of Cambridge was thick forest.
On his arrival, Isaac learned that Gomber and Beatty were planning to lay
out a town. He liked the country and decided to remain for a time, mean
while he looked about for a suitable location to place his home. Isaac
assisted Gomber and Beatty in clearing and staking off 140 lots which is now
the town of Cambridge.
Isaac did not want to locate in town, being a farmer, he wanted a
farm outside of town. Isaac could choose just about any location he pleased
and as many acres as he wanted at one dollar and twenty- five cents and
acre, to be paid for at the land office in Zanesville. We may suppose, that
he roamed the woods in every direction in search of the most desirable place
to settle. He chose a location in the broad Wills Creek Valley north of
the newly platted town. It was second- bottom land, fertile, free from
floods and well drained. Isaac purchased 160 acres of this land from the
government in the spring of 1806.
With the ax he had carried with him from Virginia, he cut such logs in a
size he could handle alone and raised a cabin near a strong spring of water.
The floor of the cabin was the earth, the roof was clapboards weighted with
poles. No door was hung, the crevices between the logs were not chunked and
daubed with clay. A bed was made by driving a forked stake in the ground
near one corner of the cabin, the poles extended to the crevices in the
walls and upon the poles a tick filled with leaves was laid. For a table he
used a split section of a log into which four legs were driven and blocks of
wood served as chairs.
After Isaac had built his cabin and cleared a patch of ground around
it, he went back to Virginia to married Sarah Marling. They were married at
Roney's Point near Wheeling, Ohio County, Virginia on February 7, 1806.
In February of 1807 Isaac and Sarah left for their new home in Ohio.
The return was over Zane's Trace again, but this time he did not
walk. Both he and Sarah rode horses, carrying a few articles to be used in
housekeeping. One account says Sarah's Parents went with him and another
says they bid them good-bye and wish the Godspeed. Remarking that she
needed a riding switch, her father then pulled a small sprout from the
root of an apple tree planted near in the ground and handed it to her.
She used the switch her father gave her in their long journey. When she
reached their new cabin she noticed some small roots hanging from the end
of the switch. Hoping that it might take root and grow, she planted it
below their cabin in the fertile soil.
It did indeed grow and has continued to grow since that day. It was
reported 135 years later in 1942, as being the oldest apple tree in Guernsey
County and probably the oldest in the state of Ohio. Just a few years after
Sarah planted the tree it began bearing apples. They were what are called
"Common Fruit," yellowish and somewhat sour and ripening in the late summer.
Each year the tree has borne its crop of fruit and continued to do so
in1942. The main trunk is hollow and the branches are gnarled, the truck is
eight feet three inches in circumference, one and a half feet from the
ground. The tree is about thirty feet in height.
The couple made their home in the wilderness and it was there that Sarah
proved to be worthy helpmate. She made the little cabin in the wilderness
as attractive as an oasis in the desert to her husband's eyes. The cabin
was still standing in 1942 and near the site of the cabin was a large log
barn about thirty feet by sixty feet, that Isaac built in 1820. Isaac and
Sarah occupied the cabin until 1822 when they built a new home on the site
of the old cabin. This new home was built of stone quarried form an
adjacent hill. In the high ceiling basement mad of massive hand hewn beams
was a wide wood fireplace. The above interior finishing were dressed by
hand. This was the first house other than a log cabin that was built in
the township.
When Isaac and Sarah began housekeeping in the log cabin they had no
neighbors nearer then the settlers in Cambridge town and the Indians at the
Indian town less than a mile north of them. The Indians were friendly most
of the time. They frequently gave them fish and game. Wild beasts were
numerous in the woods and precautions was necessary both day and night for
ones safety. Isaac was once pursued form the clearing to the very door of
the cabin by a large panther.
Isaac and Sarah were members of the Wills Creek congregation of the
Reformed Dissenting Presbytery which was located near Miller's Mill in
Liberty Town. Isaac served as a elder there until September of 1850.
Before that they were members of the Old Seceder Church.
It is written that Isaac and Sarah had twelve children. Nine of the twelve
children made it to adulthood and most stayed in Ohio to their death. On
August 7 of 1851 Isaac made out his will appointing his sons Moses and
Marling to be the executors of his will, John Marling and James Oldham was
witnesses. In his will he leaves the property they lived on to his wife
Sarah, and other property in both Guernsey County and Licking County to his
children along with money. He also left money to his grandchildren. Isaac
lived to be seventy one years old and died September 3, 1851, just before
his seventy second birthday.
Sarah died June 14, 1869, ten days after her 85th birthday. Her obituary
reads "Mrs. Sarah Oldham, 85 years of age. She was one of the first
settlers of this county, having lived 62 years where she died. After a long
toilsome life she rests from her labors."
After Sarah death her last will and testament was lost, or destroyed by
some unknown means. This will was made out by Thomas Oldham at her
request. As a witness in court he testified, " Sarah Oldham at the time of
her death lived in Cambridge township and she died on the 13th day of June
1869. I was at the residence of Mrs. Sarah Oldham about the last of
March or first of June 1869 and at that time wrote a will for her, which
was done at the request of her sons, it being the remodeling of a former
will written by John McCall. This will was a new will.. She desired me to
change the old will. The suggestion was made in her room and in her
presence that certain alterations be made in her will or in other words I
was asked if I would make certain alterations that she desired in her will.
I then wrote a new instrument making the alterations she desired. I took
the will after it was written and went in her room, there being no other
person present but herself and there read the will to her. She objected to
a bequest of three hundred dollars made to her son Thomas that being the
mount in the old will and upon my suggesting an inter lunation in that
particular she said no saying as that amount was already written there to
let it stand as written and stating that all the other changes made was as
she desired. ...............
Her grandchildren was the last to see her will and testified the
following.....
" I Rachel J Long of lawful age, .......I was acquainted with Sarah Oldham,
deceased at the time of her death, she was my grandmother. I was at the
house of grandmother where she died on the Monday after her death. On that
day I saw a will that was executed by my grandmother. I saw said will in a
bureau drawer in the room where she died and was then a corpse. It was
wrapped up in a piece of newspaper in a pocket book. I opened it and
looked at it, but did not read it. I glanced over it and saw what it was ,
saw that it was grandmother's will. The will was sighed by Sarah Oldham and
signed by William Garey and Thomas Oldham as witness. After we looked at
it, we closed it up and put it back in the drawer, closed up in the pocket
book as it was. My sister Elizabeth Baxter was with me. I did not see the
will afterwards."
"I Sarah Elizabeth Baxter, of lawful age............depose and say That I
knew Sarah Oldham my grandmother I was at her house where she died after
her death. I was there at the time she died and remained there until after
she was buried. On Monday evening after her death I saw a will in the top
drawer of a bureau that stood in the corner of the room where she died, the
will was in a pocket book and the pocket book was wrapped up with newspaper
around it. I did not read the will through, but examined it enough to know
that it was Sarah Oldham's will. It was signed by Sarah Oldham and William
Garey and Thomas Oldham. The date of the will was in March 1869 but I do
not recollect the day of the month. I did not know the hand writing of
that will. My sister Rachel Long was present when I looked at the will.
My sister first opened the pocket book and after we looked at the will she
put it back in the pocket book and then put the pocket book back in the
drawer. I know the pocket book to be grandmother's. I have not seen that
will since.
Marling Oldham was called to witness, " I Marling Oldham of lawful
age ..... That I am a son of Sarah Oldham, deceased. On Wednesday evening
before her death, I was at her house and saw her then and at that time she
told me she had executed a will and that it was in her pocket book and she
then requested my brother Samuel and I to execute the will after her
decease. She did not state where the pocket book was. I know at the time
where she kept her pocket book having done all her business. I saw the
pocket book in the bureau drawer frequently. The bureau stood at the foot
of the bed in the room she occupied. On Tuesday evening after the funeral
of my mother I made search for the will and I found the pocket book in the
top drawer of the bureau where it had usually been kept and examined the
pocket book but found no will in it. I searched the bureau through where I
thought it would likely and could not find the will. My brother John made
further search through the house but I left before he finished. None of us
boys have been able to find the will after search. I never saw the will
and did not know what was in it until after the death of mother and then
only from hear say. Mother had no other pocket book than this one that was
kept in the drawer.
From the statements of Thomas Oldham and William Garey, witnesses of
the will of Sarah Oldham the court reconstructed Sarah Oldham's will as the
following:
I, Sarah Oldham of Guernsey County, state of Ohio, being in my usual and
good state of mind, do here in, after the payment of my funeral expenses
and debts, would resign my body to the grave and bequeath my soul to God
who gave it and bequeath my real and personal estate as follows, to wit:
First I give and bequeath the house in which I now live and the ground
belonging to it about fourteen acres to Sarah Baxter. I give and bequeath
to Thomas my son three hundred dollars. And I give and bequeath to Samuel
my son, four hundred dollars, and to my sons John and James and Moses M.
and Marling each four hundred dollars. And I give and bequeath all my
household goods and wearing apparel and two hundred and fifty dollars to
Sarah Baxter. And I give the remainder of my effects to my sons Samuel and
John and James and Moses M and Marling. I appoint as the executor of this
my last will and testament
Sarah X Oldham (her mark)
Witness
Thomas Oldham
William X Garey (his mark)
Isaac and Sarah are buried in the Old City Cemetery in Cambridge, Ohio.
More land was added to the original 160 acres until the Oldham farm
became one of the largest in this section. On it is Oldham grove where
picnics used to be held annually. Marling Oldham built a large brick house
near by. His son, Isaac J., married and went in the old stone house, and it
was there he died in 1939, at the age of 82. The old stone house in 1942
was occupied by Isaac's daughter , Mrs. Clara E Mason, and her son Edgar O.
Mason.
1. Rachel Oldham. Her married name was Nelson. She was born on 11 November
1807 in Cambridge, Guernsey, Ohio. She married John Nelson on 1 April 1830
in Ohio. She died on 31 March 1837 at age 29; other source say she died 31
Mar 1839.
2. SAMUEL MARLING OLDHAM was born on 20 March 1809 in Cambridge, Guernsey,
Ohio. see his separate write up
3. John Oldham was born on 15 October 1810 in Cambridge, Guernsey, Ohio;
do not have all sources for this family. He married Florence Stevenson on
24 February 1835 in Cambridge, Guernsey, Ohio; Moorehead's family history
says they were married in Green County, Pennsylvania Feb. 20, 1835. He
lived in 1837 in Alexandria,, Ohio. He lived in 1854 in farm west of,
Hilliard,, Ohio. He lived in 1864 in Waggoner Road, Reynoldsburg,, Ohio. He
died on 2 April 1890 in Reynoldsburg,, Ohio, at age 79. He was buried after
2 April 1890 in Silent Home Cemetery, Reynoldsburg,, Ohio.
4. James Oldham listed on the muster roll of a company of men who went
from Guernsey County into the army in the war of 1812 in 1812 in Guernsey,
Ohio. He was born on 4 January 1813 in Cambridge, Guernsey, Ohio. He
appeared on the census of 1830 in Liberty, Guernsey, Ohio. He married Susan
Scott on 22 September 1835 in Guernsey, Ohio. He died on 20 March 1873 in
Crawford, Illinois, at age 60.
5. Sarah Oldham. Her married name was Baxter. She was born on 17 April
1815 in Cambridge, Guernsey, Ohio; need sources for children. She married
John Baxter on 3 June 1839 in Guernsey, Ohio. She died on 12 July 1877 in
Afton,, Iowa, at age 62.
6. Moses Mcwhorter Oldham was born on 27 August 1817 in Cambridge,
Guernsey, Ohio. He married Sarah Christie Golista Taft on 24 October 1843
in Green, Ohio. He died on 27 October 1883 in Springfield,, Ohio, at age
66.
7. Marling Oldham was born on 22 August 1819 in Cambridge, Guernsey, Ohio.
He married Isabella Marling, daughter of John Marling and Esther Oldham, on
21 January 1841 in Guernsey, Ohio. He was (an unknown value). He died on 13
March 1894 in Cambridge, Guernsey, Ohio, at age 74. He was buried on 19
March 1894 in Old City Cemetery, Cambridge, Guernsey, Ohio.
8. Thomas Oldham lived in Licking, Ohio. He was born on 1 January 1822 in
Cambridge, Guernsey, Ohio. He married Phobe Mcdonld circa 1842. He died on
1 March 1876 in Belmont, Ohio, at age 54. He was buried after 1 May 1876 in
Old City Cemetery, Cambridge, Guernsey, Ohio; I could not find him there.
9. Elizabeth Oldham. Her married name was Meharry. She was born on 7
September 1825 in Cambridge, Guernsey, Ohio. She married Samuel Meharry on
5 June 1842 in Ohio. She died on 6 September 1863 in Afton,, Ohio, at age
37.
The following is stories handed down through the family of the adventures and experiences of Isaac
in the new land of Ohio.
Oldham's Narrow Escape
One morning ass Isaac was endeavoring to kindle the fire in his
cabin, whilst upon his knees blowing the few remaining embers and Indian
chief named Doughty crept stealthily in upon him, caught him by the neck and
raised his tomahawk ready to deal the fatal blow. After bolding Isaac in
that position for some time he released his hold and remarked, "Ingen let
white man go, white man no let Ingen go", and left the cabin. This
occurred just before the War of 1812 and after the larger part of the
Indians had removed further to the westward. It was always supposed that
Doughty intended to kill Isaac before he left, but feared of being caught
before he could overtake the rest of the tribe, and that is what thought
deterred him.
The Sabbath Respected
This incident in Isaac's career happened in 1806. Forty warriors
and several squaws and children had a camp a little east of his cabin.
Isaac never killed any game while the Indians remained his neighbors, but
traded milk and vegetables for wild game with them. He thereby never
incurred their displeasure. One Sunday morning while Isaac was reading
aloud from the Scriptures and Indian came with a quarter of venison, and
after listening awhile set his venison behind the door. When Isaac had
finished the Indian said "You worship the Great Spirit above?" "Yes" said
Isaac, "Every Seventh day we do no work but give the entire day to His
worship." After that the Indians never came on the Sabbath, nor ever fired a
gun within his hearing on that day.
©Copyright 1997 Marcia J Rothman. All rights reserved. Duplication of this document in any means to sell or make money, with or without intention is prohibited without the expressed written permission of Marcia J Rothman PO 43, Langley, WA. 98260.
Bibliography
Guernsey County, Ohio 1825 tax List, Vertical file, Seattle Public Library,
Seattle, King, Washington.
International Genealogy Index, n.d., LDS Family History Center, Everett,
Snohomish, Washington.
Letter from Audra Wayne, 268 Willow Lane, Wheeling, WV 26003
of the Wheeling Genealogical Society, August 10, 1991.
letters from Mrs. Ada Evans
Marriage record of Samuel Marling Oldham and Mary Sherrard, Guernsey
County, Ohio, 27 January 1831.
Obituary of Marling Oldham, March, 1894.
Obituary of Samuel Marling Oldham (Cambridge, Ohio), Aug 7, 1890.
Oldham Family Group Sheet sent to Marcia J Rothman by Darlene Libbey,
Oldham Family Record, sent to Marcia Rothman by Lilly Moorehead of
Cambridge, Ohio, ?.
Pioneer Cemetery Of Guernsey County, Ohio, n.d., Seattle Public Library,
Seattle, King, Washington.
Record of Deaths Probate Court for Guernsey County, Ohio, 1870.
Roots and Branches, "Root and Branches," is on individual detailed
citations.
Sarchet, Col. Cyrus P.B., History of Guernsey County Ohio, 1 (Indianapolis,
Indiana: B.F. Bowen and Company, 1911).
Sarchet, Col. Cyrus P.B., Portrait and Biographic Record of Guernsey County
Ohio, 2 (Indianapolis, Indiana: B.F. Bowen and Company, 1911).
The Old Grave Yard in Cambridge
Burial Records of Founders Cemetery Cambridge, Ohio, abt 1970.
United States Federal Census.
William G. Wolfe, Stories of Guernsey County, Ohio; History of an Average
Ohio County (Cambridge, Ohio: William G. Wolfe, 1943).
Williams, T.F., Home Guide and Instructor with Biographies; History of
Guernsey County, Ohio (Cleveland, Ohio: T.F. Williams, 1882).