by J C Overmyer, Columbus, Ohio
Nancy Waggoner Mackling, second daughter and sixth child of John Sr and Elizabeth Leach
Waggoner, was truly a "Daughter of the American Revolution", her father leaving
an enviable record of service in the American Army during the Revolutionary War, as a
member of Captain Valentine Creager's Company during the year 1776. After his term of
enlistment expired he joined Captain
Bartholomew Von Heer's Company, "Troop of Horsemen", in which he served until
the close of the war. This service made him one of the "Life Guards" of the
Commander-in-Chief, General George Washington, for which service he was granted a pension
from March 3, 1826, until his death, December 15, 1842, and after his death his second
wife, Sarah Minic Waggoner, received a widow's pension until her death February 6, 1856.
Nancy Waggoner was born April 7, 1798, in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, and accompanied
her parents to Perry County, Ohio, in 1803, as a child of less than five years of age. She
enjoyed very limited educational advantages as afforded the pioneer settlers of Reading
Township, when public schools did not exist and the only schools were church or
"parochial schools", and "subscription schools". The parochial school
was taught by the pastor of the congregation or some student studying for the ministry and
was partly or entirely in the German language, and conducted about three months of the
year. Reading, writing, and Arithmetic were the main subjects taught in the
Catechism and religious teaching was always a part of the instruction given.
"Subscription schools" were supported by the settlers who subscribed to pay a
certain amount, either in money or provisions, for the support of the teacher, who usually
boarded around with the patrons of the school. The length of the term and number of
scholars were dependant upon the amount subscribed and paid for its support, and the
school was only open to those who subscribed to its support.
Under these conditions, Nancy Waggoner, like many other children in those frontier
settlements, secured very little schooling. On May 8, 1824, she united in marriage with
John Mackling, William Mackling, J.P., of Hopewell Township, Perry County, officiating.
(Volume One, Page 46, Perry County Records)
The name "Mackling" has been subjected to various forms of spelling as is shown
in the records of Perry County. When the name first appeared there in 1803, it was
"Mechling" or "Meckling", later it was "Macklin" or
"Mackling"; the latter form is used herein because Sandusky County records show
it was the prevailing form used there and the tombstone inscriptions of both John and his
son, John Jr, erected in 1848 and 1849, are "Mackling", while that for Nancy,
erected in 1891, is "Macklin".
John Mackling, husband of Nancy Waggoner, was born in Pennsylvania, September 4, 1798; a
son of Jacob and Mary Otterman Mackling. He accompanied his parents to Perry County, Ohio,
in 1816, a youth of eighteen years of age. John, the principal of this sketch, located in
Sandusky County, died, and is buried there.
He purchased from the state of Ohio, Pike Tracts No 133 and No 134 in Section Fifteen,
Washington Township, Sandusky County, Ohio, containing 252 acres, on May 1, 1825, which
appears to have been the first purchase made by any of the Waggoner family in Sandusky
County. They, however, did not move to Sandusky County and locate upon this tract until
1829, when they erected a tavern which they operated for about ten years, during a period
when there were thirty-two taverns operating within a distance of thirty-one miles,
between Lower Sandusky (Fremont) and Perrysburg, Ohio.
The Western Reserve and Maumee Turnpike was only a mud road and almost impassable during
most of the year. an endless stream of pioneers and western emigrants were working their
way westward with ox teams and horses through this Black Swamp region with such slow
progress that they were frequently obliged to stay three nights in succession at the same
tavern before being too far for walking distance to the same tavern at night fall.
The next tavern to the west was on the west bank of Big Mud Creek and the south side of
the pike, and was called "The Bowman Tavern". It was built, owned, and operated
by Barnhart Henry Bowman and his wife, Elizabeth (Betsy) Waggoner, the older sister of
Nancy Waggoner Mackling. The next tavern to the east was the "Reed Tavern",
owned and operated by Joseph Reed, at the
corner of what is now the Lindsey road and turnpike.
During the period when John and Nancy Mackling operated their tavern they purchased
additional land from the government; December 6, 1830, the West 1/2 of Section Four,
Jackson Township, and april 17, 1833, the East 1/2 of Section Five of the same township,
making a total of 665 acres purchased by them from the government during a period of about
eight years. They, however sold 100 acres in Section Four, Jackson Township, to George
Roberts Sr, December 15, 1832, and the balance of their land in Section Four and Five,
Jackson Township, consisting of 312 acres, to Henry Bashore and his wife, Sarah Klingler.
The latter no doubt was a sister of Margaret Klingler, wife of George Waggoner Sr, as both
families came from Perry County, and both couples were married there in 1818 by Rev Andrew
Henkel, Lutheran minister.
April 6, 1836, John and Nancy Mackling sold to David Berry, Pike Tract No 134, containing
thirty acres, and the west part of tract No 134, containing 222 acres. The balance of
tract No 134, containing thirty acres, they retained until May 20, 1840, when they sold it
to Benjamin S Chambers. November 2, 1840, Berchard and Dickenson recorded a plat of the
lands lying north of the pike and west of the Sandusky River in Lower Sandusky (Fremont)
and among the first purchasers of lots from this plat, George Waggoner Sr, bought lot No
25, John Bashore lot No 26, and John Mackling bought lot Nos 27 and 37.
Lot No 27 is located at the northeast corner of West State and Clover Streets, and Nos 25
and 26 are to the east ofNo 27 on the north side of West State Street.
Upon lot No 27, John Mackling erected a brick tavern and named it "The American
House". This was the third brick building erected in the present city of Fremont. The
Beaugrand home, which stood on the bank of the river just north of the present Wheeling
and Lake Erie R.R. depot, was the first brick building; and the "Eagles Home",
built by Dr L.Q.Rawson as his residence, and located just west across Clover Street from
"The American House", was the second brick structure, and was begun just prior
to the erection of "The American House", about 1840.
John and Nancy Mackling built "The American House" in 1840 and resided there
conducting a tavern or hotel until his death February 4, 1849, after which it was sold at
auction by Peter Burgoon, administrator of the estate, on November 24, 1849, to George
Engler, but subject to the dower interest held by Nancy Mackling.
After nearly a century of use this building bears mute testimony to the care and quality
of material with which John Mackling had it built, and the ravages of time and the
elements have left it in excellent condition, a monument to the generation that built it.
Nancy never released her dower
rights in this property and for forty-two years, during the remainder of her life, she
received an annual rental therefrom.
Copy of a Bill of Sale given by John Mackling to John Stuber, July 8, 1844, is given
herewith showing the prices which prevailed at the time, viz: one team of horses,$120; two
sets of harness, $10 each; one wagon, complete, $80; two red steers (4 yr. old oxen) $35;
two cows, $12 each; one heifer, $7; twenty-two sheep, $1 each.
John and Nancy Mackling were the parents of one son, John Jr, born in Perry County, Ohio,
February 20, 1825.
by J C Overmyer, Columbus, Ohio
John and Nancy Mackling were the parents of one son, John Jr, born in Perry County, Ohio,
February 20, 1825. He grew to young manhood in the home of his parents and early in life
began purchasing real estate in his own name. June 16, 1847, he purchased 80 acres in
Jackson Township, the North 1/2 of the Northwest 1/4, Section Twenty-six, and February 11,
1848, he purchased two acres in Out Lot No 2, Tract No 5, of Platt Brush, in Sandusky
Township.
He had just entered upon the active duties of life when he became afflicted with Bright's
Disease from which he died April 20, 1848, aged twenty-three years and two months, and his
remains were interred in the Four-Mile Cemetary. He was never married and his sudden
passing weighed heavily upon his parents and no doubt hastened the death of his father,
who followed him in death in less than a year, having passed away February 4, 1849, aged
fifty years and five months. His remains were interred by the side of those of his son in
the Four-Mile Cemetary.
Nancy, the widowed mother, never fully recovered from the loss she sustained, although she
lived more than forty-two years after the death of her husband. She never ceased to mourn
the loss, especially that of her only son, and during the remaining years of her life she
was always doing kind
deeds and assisting others, doing all she could to make those around her happier and
better for her having lived among them.
She disposed of the real estate owned by her son and March 26, 1853, purchased twenty-six
acres of land in Section Twenty-nine, Sandusky Township, fron Jacob Bowlus Jr. This
parcel was located on the north side of the pike and immediately east of the twenty-two
acres owned and occupied by Joseph Shively. Here she moved into a log house which was
afterwards replaced by a large frame house which was later destroyed by fire, and she lost
nearly all of her household goods and private possessions.
She went to live with her brother, George Waggoner Sr, temporarily and employed Jacob N
Engler to build another house on the site of the burned one which she occupied until
October 19, 1870, when she sold the tract of twenty-six acres to Daniel Lattig for $2600.
She also arranged with Mr Lattig to build her a new house on the lot in Lindsey, since the
relatives and friends persuaded her to dispose of the twenty-six acre tract and retire to
a smaller place in the village. She purchased lot No 145 on South Main Street and lot No
139 immediately east of lot No 145, on October 28, 1870, paying $220 for the two lots.
Daniel Lattig built a house for her on lot No 145 in which she lived for about eight
years, duringwhich time her brother, George Waggoner Sr, and his children and
grandchildren looked after her welfare, providing wood for fuel and assisting her in
various ways.
She was known as "Aunt Nancy" and was always anxious to reciprocate for kindness
shown her and did much sewing and other work for various relatives and friends, was very
generous, and had many friends.
When Nancy's father, John Waggoner Sr, married his second wife, Sarah Minic; she had three
daughters, Catharine, Eve, and Anna Smith, by a previous marriage. The second daughter,
Eve, had a daughter, Catharine, born August 21, 1827, who married Aaron Engler, January 8,
1854; Rev. Henry Lang officiating. To them was born a daughter, Almeda Engler, October 26,
1856. The wife and mother were taken in death December 25, 1856, leaving the infant
daughter, Almeda, only eight weeks old. The mother's remains are interred in the Four-Mile
Cemetary, beside those of her mother, Eve Smith. Grave marked.
Nancy took the infant and reared it as her own and the father, Aaron Engler, married for
his second wife, Julia Ann Morton, May 16, 1858, by Rev Jeremiah Heller.
When Nancy's house burned Almeda was saved by her uncle Nehemiah Engler, who took her out
through a window to safety. Almeda attended the Four-Mile House School until she was
fourteen years old and during the Civil War had the writer's father, B B Overmyer, as her
teacher for two winters.
The biography of Nancy Mackling would not be complete without further mention of Almeda
Engler or "Mackling", as she was known to many who thought she was Nancy's
daughter; so closely associated and inseparable until death were they, that we will
briefly combine the two in this biographical sketch. When Nancy moved to Lindsey in 1870,
Almeda accompanied her, at the age of fourteen years, and attended school there for some
time, and January 22, 1878, married James Morris, Rev Richards of the Reformed Church
officiating. Mr Morris was employed on the farm of George Waggoner Sr, and after their
marriage they resided with Nancy at Lindsey for about a year and February 26, 1879, Nancy
sold her home at Lindsey and accompanied them to Whitehouse, Lucas County, Ohio, where she
bought a farm and engaged in farming.
The deal may have involved a trade of the Lindsey property for the farm, for the house at
Lindsey was transferred to J W Heitt, of Toledo, for $2000 consideration and two years
later, 1881, Alfred S Boyer and his wife, Caroline Overmyer, a daughter of Abigail
Waggoner Overmyer, bought the Lindsey property of Mr Heitt. In 1883, Nancy came back to
Lindsey and lived with Alfred S Boyer and family in her former house until her death.
Almeda Morris moved from Whitehouse, Ohio to Elmore in 1883 when Nancy returned to
Lindsey. Mr Morris died February 4, 1910, and his remains are interred in the Union
Cemetary at Elmore, Ohio. Almeda continued to reside with her children in the vicinity of
Elmore, although past eighty-two years of age, she possesses a keen mind and wonderful
memory covering a span of about four score years, and she can relate many interesting
experiences of pioneer life in the Black Swamp. The original of the picture heading this
biographical sketch is the property of Almeda Morris and is a tintype taken by a transient
photographer in a wagon on July 4, 1876, at Lindsey, on the occasion of the centennial
celebration there, when they had a parade and the Lindsey band made its first public
appearance. It is the only picture she ever had taken. She was seventy-eight years of age
at the time. During the last eight years of her life she made many trips by train from
Lindsey to Elmore to visit Almeda and her family and invariably carried a basket filled
with with gifts of fruit, baked goods or delicacies for Almeda's children, with whom she
was a great favorite.
Nancy died in her former home in Lindsey, then owned and occupied by Alfred S Boyer and
family, with whom she lived for eight years preceding her death. The end came on Monday
morning, June 22, 1891; aged 91 years, 2 months and 15 days. Funeral services were held
Wednesday, June 24, at the Four-Mile House Reformed Church, with burial in the cemetary
beside the remains of her
husband and only son, who preceded her more than forty-two years.
Her brother, George Waggoner Sr, was still living when she passed away, but he followed
her in death December 28 of the same year, aged 96 years and 28 days. Her brother,
Solomon, living at Rochester, Indiana, the last of her family, died June 2, 1893.
She was truly a pioneer in Sandusky County, Ohio, who did her full share in the services
she rendered to others, and in her passing she left no descendants but hosts of friends
who mourned her departure, and many relatives still speak in kindly remembrance of
"Aunt Nancy Mackling".