One Heck of a Woman
Our Third Great-Grandmother
Christopher and Martha met while working their parents land. They married and wanted opportunity of their own and in 1797 that meant land. We know Christopher had land in what is now Murraysville.
I found their journey from Pennsylvania to Ohio Territory a remarkable story and now as we trace the route along Ohio and Hocking rivers and Federal creek, I am overwhelmed by all they accomplished. Maybe at best 10 miles a day by mud, barely passable creeks and mature woods- perhaps 30 days overland for Martha.
1799. Christopher arrived at the land office and bought his first purchase of 100 acres for $150.00. He returned to Millersburg to pack up Martha and the two children and then make their way down-river to Marietta, soon buying another 100 acres for $100.00, probably near water to make a mill. It is written by Thomas Ewing, published 1869,"We of course had no mills....until Christopher Herrold set up a horse mill on the ridge....". Later, according to The History of Athens County, Christopher and Daniel Herrold supplied 27,964 board feet of lumber at $1.12 per hundred feet for a new college building at Athens. What is impressive about Christopher and Martha is the ability to accomplish so much from a trip down a river. "Just give us the chance and we can do it."
Before you read the following consider where you put the children, the mill and the still:
The following is a published account of the journey:
Just a Walk in the Wilderness – Martha Magdelena Cable
The following is copied from the Evening Dispatch (Michigan City, Indiana) of Wednesday, September 7, 1910: Christopher Herrold, the son of John Herrold, was born near Elder's Ford, a few miles from Blairsville, Pa., on the Conemaugh river, Indiana County, Pa., March 20, 1777. Martha Cable, the wife of Christopher Herrold was a daughter of Martin and Christina Repley Cable, and was born November 27, 1783. They were married August 8, 1797, in Indiana County, Pa. Christopher was then but 20 years old and his father believed in having boys stay at home and work for their parents until of age, so he refused to give him his time, so Christopher accompanied by his wife went into the fields and worked the required time. At the time of their marriage she was but 14 years of age, but owing to the fact that her parents were preparing to move from Indiana County, Christopher and Martha feared that if she went with them they might not meet again, so they decided to get married. In the year 1798 they began to work for themselves, clearing the woods and both working together. In the spring of 1800 several families of Indiana County, Pa. immigrated to Ohio and settled on land known as the Ohio company purchase. Among them were George Wolf and wife and Christopher Herrold and family, consisting of his wife and two children, John aged 2 years and Daniel, a babe of six weeks, both having been born in Pennsylvania. Their possessions consisted of one ox - the mate having died during the winter - two cows, two sheep, a two-year old colt and a few household goods. They came by Pittsburgh down the Ohio river in a flat boat as far as Marietta, Ohio, which was founded in the year 1788. This was the first town west of the Alleghany Mountains and the first permanent settlement in what is now the State of Ohio. The settlement was established by a few families under the auspices of the Ohio company. This company controlled 2,300 square miles situated along the Ohio River from Marietta nearly to the extremity of the state and extending north to Hocking County, which is near the center of the State, and owing to the cheap lands and other inducements offered by the company attracted settlers to this portion of the northwest territory. At Marietta they loaded a portion of their possessions, consisting of two barrels of flour and household goods, into two canoes. Wolf took one and Herrold the other, with John, his two-year old son, whom he tied with a bed cord to the canoe so he could not fall out. The women taking the other child and stock started across the country, then a wilderness, to Athens County, their future home. This trip was quite an undertaking for two women through an unbroken forest inhabited by wild animals, but having been reared on the border land of civilization, they were inured to the exposure and hardships of pioneer life. They did not hesitate, but started with determination on their long and tedious journey of fifty miles. They put a pack saddle on the back of the ox to carry some clothing, provisions and beds. Before reaching their destination their herd had been increased by the arrival of two calves and twin lambs. So far they had succeeded in getting along very well, the women taking turns riding the colt and carrying the baby while the other drove the stock. With this accumulation of difficulties they found it necessary to devise some new plan before proceeding on their journey. Mrs. Herrold, the more resourceful of the two in overcoming difficulties, took a coverlet and sewed the calves up in it, leaving their heads out. This they threw over the back of the ox, placing the pack saddle on the back of the cow. She then took her husband's Sunday coat, sewed up the ends of the sleeves, and put a lamb in each sleeve, securing them so they could not get out. She then put them on the back of the other cow, and then proceeded on their journey, arriving in due time at their home. The men proceeded down the Ohio to the mouth of the Hocking river, then up this river to Federal creek, then up this creek to their destination. As they came up the stream they stopped at the home of Silas Dean and inquired if he had seen any movers pass there. He said, "Yes, and a hell of a figure they cut, too. One woman was riding a two-year old colt, and carrying a 'young 'un' and the other woman was driving two sheep and two cows, one with a pack on its back and the other with two lambs sewed up in the sleeves of a coat and slung across her back, and an old ox with a coverlet with two calves sewed up in it and slung over its back." This proved to be the first tidings the men had had of their families since leaving Marietta. After a hearty laugh the men started on their journey and soon joined their families, who had arrived in safety with the first cargo of livestock. They settled on Federal creek, Ames Township, Athens County, Ohio. Also in the same newspaper article: Christopher Herrold died August 25, 1823, aged 46 years, 5 months, 18 days, and was buried at Wolf's Plains, near Athens, Ohio. After his death his wife, Martha Cable Herrold, married Capt. Silas Bingham, and one son, Hiram Bingham was born in 1825. Capt. Bingham dying in 1832, she afterwards married John Jackson. She died June 16, 1867 aged 83 years, 7 months, 19 days, and was laid to rest beside her first husband in the cemetery at Wolf's Plains. When Grandmother Herrold passed away she left a long line of descendants. There were then living 210, as follows; 11 children, 86 grandchildren, 104 great grandchildren and 9 great-great grandchildren. _________________________ A similar accounting of the story of Martha Cable Herrold traveling from Marietta to Federal Creek is related by William H. Herrold, Martha's grandson, in "The Wolfe Family History", by Nora Wolfe Atkinson, Dru Riley Evarts, editor, Lawhead Press, 1964, pp. 26-29
Christopher Herrold (our 3X great-grandfather and Martha Magdelena Cable).
This is about their move from Pennsylvania to Athens, Ohio.
Story from the family of George Wolff @ Christopher Herrold and his wife Martha Magdalena Cable Herrold
GEORGE2 WOLFF (ANDREAS1) was born June 26, 1771 in PA., and died February 07, 1850 in Athens County Ohio.He married JANE PISOR April 02, 1800 in Westmoreland City, PA. Notes for GEORGE WOLFF: Born February 17, 1774, baptized February 9, 1778 at Herrolds church. Sponsored by Mother, Eva Crebs Wolff, wife of Andreas.
George arrived in Athens County in 1797 and located farming land near where Concord Church still stands. He returned to his home in Westmoreland County, PA in 1800 several families of Westmoreland County migrated to Ohio and settled on land that was known as Ohio Company`s Purchase. Among these were George Wolf and his bride, And Christopher Herrold with his wife and two children. Their possessions consisted of one ox (their mare having died during the winter), two cows, two sheep, a two-year-old colt and a few household goods. They came by Pittsburg, down the Ohio River in a flat boat as far as Marietta, which was then a permanent settlement of the Ohio Company. Here they loaded a portion of their possessions, consisting of two barrels of flour and some household goods into two canoes. George Wolf took one and Herrold with his two-year-old son (tied in the canoe with bed cord) took the other, and they set out to reach their Athens County properties by way of the Ohio and Hocking Rivers and Federal Creek. This trip was quite and undertaking, but even more so was the overland trip of the two wives, who set out on foot with the Herrold baby and the livestock to journey 50 miles through unbroken forest to meet their husbands in Athens County, their future homes. They put a pack saddle on the back of the ox to carry some clothing, provisions, and bedding. Before reaching their destinations, their livestock herd had increased by the arrival of twin lambs and two calves. They had been getting along by taking turns riding on the colt with the baby and driving the livestock. But these new arrivals increased the difficulties and made going ahead very tedious. Finally they took a coverlet and sewed the twin calves in one on either side with their heads sticking out, and threw this strange "saddle bag" over the ox`s back. Then they took Christopher Herrold`s Sunday best suit coat which they had been carrying, sewed up the ends of the sleeves, put a lamb in each sleeve, and arranges this strange cargo over the back of one of the cows. The other cow carries the pack that had previously been on the ox`s back. Thus, they went on with only trail blazings to guide their way.
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