married MELLINGER Melchior in ABT. 1766 in Germany. Melchior (son of UNKNOWN, son of UNKNOWN, son of MELLINGER Jacob, Jr.) was born in ABT. 1730 in Ruchheim, Germany; died in Nov 1806 in Salem Township, Columbiana Co, Ohio; was buried in Ohio. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Came to America when 2 years old, his mother had died and was buried at sea. Landing at Baltimore, his father immediately removed to Lancaster County, PA where he followed the occupation of a weaver. After marriage, Benedict worked at weaving 12 years and removed to Ohio sometime before 1807. He can be found on the Ohio Census Records for 1807 and 1809 in Columbiana County.

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www.the-daily-record.com-10/22/2002


Mellinger land donated for research, education
By MARC KOVAC
Staff Writer
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WOOSTER


The Mellinger Farm, located located about eight miles northwest of Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, has been donated to OARDC and its development rights to the state and a local land trust to ensure the site remains agricultural for generations to come. Ken Chamberlain photo
The Mellingers came to Wayne County to farm close to 200 years ago.

The family had come to the United States from Germany and first settled in Lancaster County, Pa., before Benedict Mellinger loaded a covered wagon and began clearing 300-plus acres not too far from what today is Ohio State University's Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center.

In total, five generations of Mellingers farmed the site, and numerous tenant farmers planted crops there after Patricia Miller Quinby and her sister, Virginia Miller Reed, inherited the site in the 1940s.

Earlier this month, Quinby, who lives in Upper Arlington in the Columbus area, and the estate of her late sister donated the farm to OARDC and its development rights to the state and a local land trust to ensure the site remains agricultural for generations to come.

"Out of respect for all of (the Mellingers') work, and for Wayne County too, I think it's important that it's not all paved over," Quinby said.

The donation of the land to OSU will ensure the site remains a working farm. The 324 acres, located about eight miles northwest of OARDC, will be used for agricultural research, education and conservation activities by students and faculty.

Steve Slack, OARDC director, said in a release, "We were in need of an outdoor laboratory to bring together the research in integrated systems by our faculty during the last decade. This is a unique opportunity for us, and we are indebted to Mrs. Quinby."

The donation of the easement to the Killbuck Watershed Land Trust and the Ohio Department of Agriculture will prevent future nonagricultural development. The easement donation prevents present and future owners from developing anything on the land other than agricultural uses, except by judicial order.

Howard Wise, executive director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Office of Farmland Preservation, said the easement donation is the 10th his office has received and the first in Wayne County.

"We're working on several (more) right now," he said.

The Mellingers purchased the land from the government and went to work making it a farmstead.

"It was all in timber," Quinby said. "They had to clear the land."

The Mellingers were weavers and opted to raise flax and sheep at the farm. They were skilled in designing patterns for linens and coverlet, Quinby said.

Quinby's father's sister married a Mellinger, which is how the Wayne County farm eventually was passed down to the siblings. Since 1946, the farm has been rented to tenants; it was operated a dairy for some time and was used for crops.

Quinby said she and her sister wanted to find someone to continue to farm the land. They contacted OARDC and finalized the details earlier this month.

More than half of the farm is used for crop production. Mixed hardwoods cover another 120 acres, and the remaining area includes buildings, pastures, a stream and road right-of-ways.

According to OSU, the farm "will incorporate integrated systems of forestry, crops and livestock, emphasizing the linkages among production, environmental quality, economic feasibility and social responsibility. Research will be conducted at multiple levels -field, landscape, whole farm with diversified enterprises. These include balancing field crop and livestock management, development of high-value food and 'nutraceutical' products, creating cropping systems with the use of new species and combinations of species, composting and nutrient management studies, precision agriculture and environmental quality, and whole farm/landscape modeling."

Ownership of half of the property (the portion held by the Virginia Miller Reed estate) already has been transferred to the university. The remainder will be transferred during the next six years.

WAYNE COUNTY OHIO
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The farm has been in operation since 1816, when Wayne County pioneer Benedict Mellinger purchased land from the United States government to raise sheep and flax for his family's weaving business.


"History of Wayne County, Ohio, From the Days
of the Pioneers and First Settlers to the
Present Time", published in 1878, by
Robert Douglass, Publisher

BENEDICT MELLINGER, SR.

Benedict Mellinger, Sr., was born
in Germany, over one hundred years ago, and
removed to America when but two years of
age, landing at Baltimore. His mother died
on the ocean, his father immediately re-
moving to Lancaster County, Pa., where he
followed the occupation of a weaver. After
marriage he worked at weaving twelve
years, and removed to Plain township, Wayne
county, Ohio, in 1816, locating where
Christian Mellinger now lives. He had
eleven children--seven daughters and four
sons--the names of the latter being David,
John, Benedict, and Christian. He died
twenty years ago, at the age of eighty.


Last Will and Testament of Benedict Mellinger

I, Benedict Mellinger of the County of Wayne in the State of Ohio do make and publish this my last will and testament in the manner and form following that is to say that it is my will that all my funeral expenses and all my just debts be fully paid. Second, I give, devise and bequeath to my wife Barbara Mellinger in the lieu of her dower the plantation on which we now reside in Plain Township and County of Wayne during her Natural life and all the live stock horses cattle sheep and hogs by me now owned and kept thereon also all the household furniture and other items not particularly named and otherswise disposed of in the will during her natural life. Third, to Each of my married children I bequeath five hundred dollars at my decease. Fourth but if any children which are now single should marry after my decease one year after marriage shall receive five hundred dollars out of my estate. Fifth if any should marry after my wifes decease each shall receive five hundred dollars out of my estate one year

Benedict Mellinger

Signed published and declared by the above named Bennadict Mellinger as and for his last will and testament in presence of us who at his request have signed as witnesses to the same.

George McCulley
Jane Mc Culley
Elizabeth Mc Culley

We the undersigned appraisers of the estate and property of Benedict Mellinger deceased after being duly sworn have made an inventory and appraisement there as follows:

One note on David Mellinger calling for five hunderd dollars. Date May 28th 1831 wtihout interest.
One note on John Mellinger calling for five hundred dollars. Date May the 28th 1831 without interest.
One note on Benedict Mellinger calling for 5 hundred dollars dated May 28th 1831 without interest.
One note on William Spitler calling for 5 hundred dollars dated July 18, 1835 without interest.
One note on HENRY GEINES calling for 5 hundred dollars dated May 9th 1840 without interest.
One due bill on Mathias Rittenhouse calling for $157 dated November 7th 1851 with interest from date.
One due bill on Thomas Pallips calling for $107.54 dated November 11, 1851 with interest from date.
One note on Henry Long calling for $25 dated July 8, 1851 with interest from date.
One note on Joseph rittenhouse calling for $40 dated June 15, 1849 with interest from date.
One note on William Beck since callinge for $95.41 dated November 6, 1851 with interest from date.

The final account of Christian Mellinger Administrator with the will annexed of the estate of Benedict mellinger deceased.

Signed Paid HENRY and ESTER GEINES No 1 $4500.00
Amount paid to SR. Barnuf as per receipt No 2 $28.00
Amt paid for clerk of court of Lawrence Co, IL $6.40
Amount paid probate judge $2.63
Amt returned as .... ..... $500


This is to certify that Benedict Mellinger my father in law gave me on my marriage with his daughter the sum of five hundred dollars. Lawrenceville Illinois docket number 1854.

Signature of HENRY GEINES


Benedict is found on the 1809 census records for Columbiana County, Ohio

Benedict is found on the 1820 census records for Wayne County, Ohio, Plain Twp. This part of Columbiana Co became Wayne Co in 1812.

Benedict is found on the 1830 census records for Wayne County, Ohio, Plain Twp, he is living close to his sons David and John.

Benedict is on the 1840 census records in Wayne County, Plain Twp, living next to his sons David and John.

Benedict is found on the 1850 census records for Wayne Co, Ohio, Plain Twp,
Benedict, 79 years old, born in Germany, 7,000 acres
Barbara, 77, born in PA
Francis, 56, born PA
Anna, 53, born PA
Barbara, 51, born PA
Mary, 49, born PA
Elizabeth, 47, born PA

The family is living next to the sons Christian and David.

Benedict married BINKLEY Barbara on 3 Sep 1793 in First Reformed Church, Lancaster County, PA. Barbara (daughter of BINKLEY Christian and SHULMAKER Elizabeth, daughter of BINKLEY Christian and ELIZABETH) was born on 12 Apr 1773 in Lancaster County, PA; died on 27 Apr 1863 in Wayne County, Ohio. [Group Sheet]

David married FELGER Mary on 29 Dec 1827 in Probably Wayne Co, Ohio. Mary was born on 12 Jan 1805 in PA; died on 17 Oct 1881 in Wayne Co, Ohio. [Group Sheet]

John married CASEBEER Hannah in 1831 in Wayne County, Ohio. Hannah (daughter of CASEBEER Solomon and EMERT Elizabeth) was born on 24 Sep 1812 in PA; died on 24 Jan 1882 in Wayne Co, Ohio; was buried in Reedsburg Cemetery, Ohio. [Group Sheet]

Benedict married CASEBEER Sarah on 7 Feb 1828 in Wayne County, Ohio. Sarah was born in 1810 in PA. [Group Sheet]

Catharine married SPITTLER William on 19 Jun 1831 in Wayne County, Ohio. [Group Sheet]

Esther married GEINES Henry on 16 Nov 1837 in Wayne County, Ohio. Henry (son of GEINES Philip and GUTTHATEL Catharine) was born on 11 Aug 1813 in PA; died on 29 Jun 1883 in Lawrence Co, IL; was buried in Brian Cemetery, Lawrence Co, IL. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Christian and his family are found on the 1870 census records for Wayne Co, Ohio, Plain Twp, they are living next door to his sisters Fronica, Barbara, Ann, and Mary, and also Mary Mellinger, born 1703 in PA (perhaps this is Mary Felger.)

Christian married SHOWALTER Elizabeth on 20 Oct 1842 in Wayne Co, Ohio. Elizabeth (daughter of SHOWALTER Joseph and WEAVER Martha) was born in 1821 in PA; died on 23 Jun 1906 in Wayne Co, Ohio. [Group Sheet]

David married FOSS Susannah C. on 29 Sep 1859 in Wayne Co, Ohio. Susannah was born in 1841 in Ohio. [Group Sheet]

Mary married MOON Cornelious. Cornelious (son of MOON John and ELIZABETH) was born in Jun 1835 in Ohio. [Group Sheet]

Issac married RUTH. was born in Jun 1844 in Ohio. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Found living with John Mellinger and wife Hannah and children on 1860 census records.

Benedict married SOPHIA in ABT. 1860 in Ohio. was born in 1842 in Ohio. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Hannah is found living with her sister Mary and Mary's husband, Cornelious Moon, in the 1900 census records for Wayne Co, Ohio.

John married GILL Rosannah on 15 May 1862 in Wayne Co, Ohio. [Group Sheet]

Solomon married ROSANNA. was born in 1843 in Ohio. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Martin is found boarding with Joseph Morris in the 1900 census records for Wayne Co, Plain Twp, Ohio.

Anna married KREITZER William?. William? was born in 1830 in Ohio. [Group Sheet]

Christian married ROUCH Sophia on 12 Sep 1861 in Plain Twp, Wayne Co, Ohio. Sophia (daughter of ROUCH William and SUSANNA) was born in 1846 in Ohio; died in AFT. 1910. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Listed as Sarah Miller on marriage record.

Sarah married STAIR Mathias on 1 Jan 1857 in Wayne Co, Ohio. Mathias (son of STAIR John and ELIZABETH) was born in Jul 1834 in PA. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Amanda married the younger brother of Jesse Landis, John Landis, who married Hannah Elizabeth Herrin. Hannah later married Henry Silas Gines, brother to Amanda. Hannah's first husband died in 1864, possibly in the Civil War as a soldier.

Amanda married LANDIS Jessie on 21 Nov 1860 in Lawrence County, IL. Jessie (son of LANDIS Jesse and SPANGLER Sarah) was born on 7 Aug 1842 in IL; died on 6 May 1909 in Richland Co. Illinois; was buried in McBurg Cemetery, Richland Co., Illinois. [Group Sheet]

Christina married SCHMIDT Johann Christian in 1859 in Lawrence Co, IL. Johann (son of SCHMIDT Heinrich Peter and WERNER Anna Margaretha) was born on 8 Oct 1831 in Damflos, Germany; died on 14 Apr 1908; was buried on 17 Apr 1908 in College Hill Cemetery, St. Clair Co, IL. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Wanda L. Gines has the original "Certificate of Birth and Baptism" which reads as follows. To these two parents: As Henry Geines and his Wife Easter a daughter of Moellinger was born a boy on the 11 day of Mardch in the year of our Lord 1843.
This Child was born in Lukin Township in Lawrence County, in the State of Illinois in North America; was baptized by the Rev. A _______ (unreadable) and received the name of Henry S. Geines.

Wanda L. Gines has the original discharge papers as discussed below.

DISCHARGE

Henry S. Gines, a private of Captain Cyrus D. Kindall's Company, (Kl;) 11th Regiment of Missouri Infantry Volunteers who enrolled on the 26th of July 1861 to serve 3 years. Discharged August 5, 1864 at Memphis, Tennessee
by reason of being mustered out of service on the expiration of this turn.
Born in Lawrence County, Illinois.
Eighteen years of age. 5'8", fair complexion, grey eyes, light hair.
Farmer when enrolled.

US OF AMERICA DEPT. OF THE INTERIOR BUREAU OF OF PENSONS

HANNAH E. GINES
Wanda L. Gines has pension document.

Widow of Henry S. Gines who was a Private Co. R ll Reg Missiouri Vol.
Infantry is entitled to a pension under the provisions of the Act of June 27, 1890
amounting to $8 per month.
Commencing 17th July 1890 through 16th birthday, she also receives $2 per month for any children - George A. Gines until
September 11, 1896.

Given at the Dept. of the Interior this 8th day of March 1895.

John Wesley had a store in Sumner, Illinois. He had a soup kitchen in Sumner when B & O RR was being straightened and made enough to pay for farm in Crawford County at Tunnel Hill (English, Indiana, County Seat). He had a grocery store in Vincennes.

Henry Geines fought three years in the Civil War. He always returned thanks in German according to his son, John Wesley Gines.

Found a page from an old letter from W. F. Cunningham to Henry: (copied as it was written)

Well, Henry I will give you some of the prices of things here. Hogs fat $2.25 % hundred gross. Fat Cattle 1 1/4 to 2 cts. gross. Flour $2.75 to $3 per hundred. Corn meal 35%, bushel corn 20 cts. Potatoes 50 cts. New potoes shiped from Texas in $1.00. Coffee 4 to 5 lbs to $1. Calice 5 cts. % yd and other things in proportion. Wheat looks well has rust in the blades but not on the stalks yet. Well we are having a mill built in our town now comenced a few days ago. intend to have it runing against the first of August. There will be plenty of apples here in a year or two There was lots of them shiped here all winter sold for $1.00 and $1.25 % bushel Dried peaches 7 cts % lb. Eggs 7 cts % doz. butter 8 cts has been 15 and 20 cts all winter Will I have wrote you all of importance So I will close for this time.
W. F. Cunningham

Henry and Hannah can be found on the 1880 census records for Lawrence Co, IL where they are listed with their son John Wesley, 13 years old and born in IL, and Samuel Landis, 16 years old and step son to Henry. They are living a few doors away from Henry Gines and his wife Easter.

Henry married HERRIN Hannah Elizabeth on 27 Sep 1866. Hannah (daughter of HERRIN Elijah and THOMPSON Sarah Elizabeth) was born on 13 Aug 1835 in Putnam, IN; died on 27 Apr 1916 in Steele Twp, Hyatt Station, now Capehart; was buried in Brian Cemetery, Lawrence Co, IL. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Philip and his family moved to Curtis, Nebraska sometime before 1900. They are found living with the Harmish family there in the 1900 census records.

Philip was the executor for his brother, Henry Silas Gines, named by Henry as executor in his will.

Philip married STARCHI Elizabeth on 30 Oct 1869 in Richland County, IL. Elizabeth (daughter of STARCHEY Henry and ELIZABETH) was born on 14 Jul 1851 in Ohio; died on 26 Feb 1926 in Curtis, Nebraska. [Group Sheet]

Catharine married MARRIED Never. [Group Sheet]

Fannie married CUNNINGHAM William Thornton on 10 Sep 1871 in Lawrence Co, IL. William (son of CUNNINGHAM Silas Henry and WRESTLER Martha Ann) was born in 1847 in Brown County, OH. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Esther is listed as Hester Geines with a question mark because the marriage record is difficult to read, but it is clear it is Esther Geines, daughter of Henry and Esther Geines.

Esther married UMFLEET Leander M. on 4 Jun 1881 in Lawrence County, IL. Leander (son of UMFLEET Jarvis Andrew Jackson and ECKISS Emeline) was born in Dec 1861 in Lawrence Co, IL. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Justice of Plain Twp, Wayne Co, Ohio and a teacher.

William married BUCKWALTER Samantha on 26 Oct 1869 in Ohio. Samantha was born in Dec 1851 in Ohio. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Franklin and his family are found on the 1910 census records for Plain Twp, Wayne Co, Ohio. They are living by Christian B. Mellinger and his wife. Christian is the son of Benedict Mellinger, JR.

Franklin married ALICE. was born in Jan 1861 in Ohio; died in AFT. 1910. [Group Sheet]