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'/ Remember, I Remember*Newark (O.) Advocate Wed., April 17, 1969Hillyers MigratedBy Minnie Hitt MoodyThe five children of Justin Hillyer and wife, Adah Munson Hillyer, who came to Granville, Ohio, from Granville, Mass, in the fall of 1805 by ox cart, were Rodah, Adah, Juslm Jr.hand, fled to the corn field, concealed herself behind the fence,and Sarah. The next child, bom July 16, 180? (died May 27, 1876), was Oriema, who married Edwin C. Wright, son of Spencer Wright, Esq, and for years partner with his father in the tanning business. Oriema came as a bnde (1826) to live in the house where I live now, Mr. and Mrs. Spencer Wright had moved to a new brick house across the road (razed 1905). Spencer Wnght had married for the second time. Abby, the wife who had come with him from Massachuetts, and the mother of all his children, died in. 1819The Justin Hillyers had five more children after Oriema, They were Virgil, Lydia, Horace, Lewis and George S. In 1881, Virgil Hillyer was living in Washington, D C, and transcribed for his “Cousin Bushnell” (who must have been the Henry Busft-nell who wrote the History of Granville) a short history of his father, Justin Hillyer Sr., and also of the youngest brother, George S, who was the first of six Hillyer brothers to die. What I wish I knew is, why did so many people from Granville, Ohio, migrate to Grasshopper Falls, Kans ? Perhaps we shall never know—but now that I have discovered that it was Bathsheba Howe Hilyer’s coachman who murdered her, I am spurred on to have faith that I can find the answer to almost any question.Virgil Hillyer’s biographical sketch of his brother George (written 1881) is as follows:“George S. Hillyer, the youngest of the large family, married a young lady of Granville, Ohio, and moved into Kansas while it was a territory; bought land and commenced farming. He entered vigorously into the anti-slavery movement, and the great struggle for freedom in Kansas He had his stock stolen and crops destroyed several times, at one time his crude dwelling was threatened with destruction—Ms heroic wife, gun inIwatching the movement of the marauding party, determined to let them have one charge at least, if they attemped the de* struction of her little dwelling Fortunately for her and them too, after viewing the premises closely they passed by and went on their way, on their diabolical errands.“George participated actively in the constitutional election; was elected delegate to the convention to form the constitution foi the new state and at the first election under that constitution, to the legislaure; subsequently he was elected state auditor and at the expiration of his term of office, went to California. On his return to Kansas he again engaged in farming ana died m Grasshopper Falls in 1874, the first of six brothers to die. Five, with one sister, are yet living, whose ages are 82, 80, 72, 70, 66 and 63 years—in the aggregate, 433 years1 The whole famly of 11 children were remarkable for their temperate habits, not one of them ever used tobacco in any form or intoxicating dnnks. The father and six sons entered heartily into the incipient stages of the anti-slavery movement. The sons all lived to see the triumph of their cherished pnn-ciples They were always among the first to join in all effortscalculated to advance Christian civilization and education.“Justm and Horace are living m Kansas, Truman in Ohio, Lewis m Iowa, Lydia in California, and Virgil in Washington,D. C”These facts are taken from family papers generously lent me by Mrs. Clarence R Jones (Mary Sherwood Wnght), 342 Granville St, great-granddaughter of Oriema Hillyer and Edwin C Wnght. Her father, the late Edwm Cooley Wnght, president of the First National Bank, had been named for his grandfather. Gomg back even further into the Hillyer ancestry, my impression is that Justm Hillyer Sr. was a son of Asa Hillyer of Granby, Conn Asa, a physician and surgeon, served in that capacity to Col. Andrew Ward’s Connecticut Regiment In the War of the Revolution Of Asa’s sons, one was a physician, two were lawyers, one (Asa) was a Presbyterian clergyman in New Jersey, and Justin became a businessman in Ohio. One brother remained in Conneelcut, two removed to Georgia, one to New Jersey, and Justm to Ohio.In Atlanta, by coincidence, our good neighbor, friend andphysician, Br, Bernard P. Wolff, is a descendant of one of the Hillyers who settled in Georgia. His mother and her two sisters were a few years ago, as old ladies, but still lovely, pictured m LIFE Magazine a “the three beautiful Hillyer girls.** And to bring that line of the family up to date, Dr. Wolff’s daughter, Marian Hillyer Wolff, is one of the members of the 1968 Atlanta Debutante Club, and will make her bow this autumn to Atlanta society.
Newspaper Details
Newark Advocate
Newark, Ohio, US
Wed, Apr 17, 1968
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Rosenberg L.
TX, USA 08 Mar 2022
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