This post is part of an ongoing series, sharing the first draft of my Revised Callin Family History.
George Callin is the 11th person in a descendant report beginning with the earliest known ancestor of our Callin family, (1.) James Callin. This descendant report uses the Register Style of the New England Historic and Genealogical Society.
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Third Generation
George Callin and Mary Ann “Polly” Lewis were married about 1832 in Ohio. Polly Ann Lewis was born about 1812 in New York.
George and Polly not only raised their large family on their farm near Monroeville, but they may also have played a larger role in America's history. In a brief 1973 memoir written by Rosemary Callin, the daughter of the same George W. Callin who compiled The Callin Family History, she recalled a story told to her by her father. According to Rosemary:
"Father said they were warned not to say nothing at school about it, but their cabin was a station on the Underground Railway. I don't know whether it was William or Elizabeth, probably the latter, who awakened them softly in the middle of the night and led them to the window. The moon flashed out and they saw a white man, maybe William, leading a string of blacks through the clearing around their cabin and into the woods. They were on their way to Great Uncle George's barn. From there he would take them onto the next stop."
“William” refers to Rosemary’s grandfather – the same William who retrieved his sister Margaret from Iowa. William was a younger brother of George Callin of Ridgefield. William’s family lived in Peru Township during the 1850s, so if we believe the story handed down to Rosemary, George Callin’s Ridgefield farm was a part of the Underground Railroad.
George died on 12 Feb 1887 1877 at the age of 72 years, 6 months, and 10 days, and was buried in the Riverside Cemetery in Monroeville, Huron County, Ohio. Polly survived her husband and remained in Monroeville, Huron County, Ohio, where she died on 29 Feb 1884 at the age of 73. Polly was buried in Riverside Cemetery with her husband.
George Callin and Polly Ann Lewis had six children:
33 i. John C. Callin, born 23 Nov 1830, Ohio; married Helen Minor, 1 Nov 1854, Huron County, Ohio; died 6 Dec 1905, Elkhart, Elkhart, Indiana.
34 ii. Minerva Callin, born abt 1834, Ohio; married John N Smith, abt 1855; married Dana A Robinson, 14 Feb 1870, Winnebago County, Illinois; died 3 Sep 1895, Fresno County, California.
35 iii. William H Callin, born 4 Mar 1834, Ohio; married Ellen C. Channing, 8 Mar 1860, Sandusky, Ohio; died 16 Nov 1919, Huron County, Ohio.
iv. Sabra Ann Callin was born in Jan 1837, died on 11 Feb 1849 at the age of 12, and was buried in Monroeville, Huron County, Ohio.
36 v. Lovina Callin, born 1839, Union County, Ohio; married Edward C. Rickey, 24 Oct 1855, Huron County, Ohio; died 12 Jul 1877, Williams County, Ohio.
37 vi. Amelia A Callin, born 16 Mar 1849, Monroeville, Huron, Ohio; married Charles Henry Horton, 8 Nov 1876, Huron County, Ohio; died 3 Dec 1899, Painesville, Lake, Ohio.
Here you state George Callin, Born 1804 and died 12 Feb 1887. But I think it is maybe 1878 as you also state that his wife survived him and died in 1884
ReplyDeleteThank you! This is a great catch.
ReplyDeleteApparently it was wrong in my Ancestry record - I suspect it was wrong in Find-A-Grave when I first added it, and once the photo was added, everything got corrected *except* my Ancestry file!