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Abraham Lehigh

Birth
Vermont, USA
Death
Apr 1836 (aged 40–41)
Perrysville, Vermillion County, Indiana, USA
Burial
Burial Details Unknown. Specifically: Lost or destroyed, may have been buried alone on his farm Add to Map
Memorial ID
View Source
Married Experience Guild, daughter of William Guild and Abigail Streeter, in Mason Co., WV. Her mother later married Eusebius Fargo.

Children
William Guild Lehigh (1818, Mason Co., WV–1862)
Mary Lehigh (1820, Mason Co., WV-1894) m. Samuel Harper
John Lehigh (1822, Mason Co., WV–1906)
Irene Maria Lehigh Lindsey (1824, Mason Co, WV–1875, IL)
Alvira Lehigh (1827, Mason Co., WV–1846, IL)
Benjamin Lehigh (1829, Mason Co., WV–1851, IL)
Nancy Lehigh (abt. 1831, Perrysville, Vermillion Co., IN-bef. 1850)
Lucinda Lehigh Messer (1833, Perrysville, Vermillion Co., IN–1904)
Frederick Abram Lehigh (14 Apr 1835, Perrysville, IN-1905, IL) m. Sarah M Snyder

1820 Census (Mason Co., VA) now WV
Abraham Leehi
males
1(under 10) John
1(10-15) William
1(26-44) Abraham
females
1(under 10) Mary
1(16-25) Experience

1830 Census (Vermillion Co., IN)
Abram Lehi
males
1(under 5) Benjamin
1(5-10) John
1(10-15) William
1(40-50) Abraham
females
1(under 5) Alvira
1(5-10) Irene Maria
1(10-15) Mary
1(40-50) Experience

1850 Census (Dist. 1, Iroquois Co., IL)
Experience Shih 48 NY 1,200 (farm)
Lucinda Shih 17 IN
Frederick Shih 14 IN

also in District 21: Mary (Lehigh) Harper (1820, WV), John Lehe (1822, WV)
Benjamin Leehigh (1829) at Weaverville and Vicinity, El Dorado, California

1860 Census (Onarga, Iroquois Co., IL)
John Lehigh 38 **** farmer 1,200
Margaret Lehigh 38
Alina Lehigh 8
Benton Lehigh 4
Benjamin Hull 6 (when John and Margaret died, Benjamin Hull took charge for their burials)
Fredk Lehigh 24 **** farmer 1,157
B F Schooley 29 farm laborer
Ann Hull 18
_____________________________________________________________________________________

His wife Experience was born in Genessee County, New York, November 28, 1801. Her father, William Guild, emigrated from Vermont to that country and was married to Abigail Streeter. Miss Streeter was born in Connecticut. Her second husband, Eusebius Fargo, was also from Vermont. He had lived in Canada some years before their marriage. In November of 1814 they emigrated to West Virginia. Four days before her sixteenth birthday Experience Guild was married to Abraham Lehigh. Mr. Lehigh was born in Vermont but lived most of his early life in Canada. From 1817
to 1819 they farmed. Mr. Lehigh was a hard working, frugal man and well liked by his neighbors.

In the fall of 1829 with six children they gathered their small possessions and with a team of three horses and a large wagon started for the Wabash River in Indiana. At this time Experience's half brothers and sisters were: Viletty Fargo (who married William Hall, now a resident of Onarga, Illinois), Irene Fargo, Henrietta Fargo LaRalt (living in Kentucky), Adelia Fargo (wife of T. A. Nowell, of Gilman, Illinois), Amanda Fargo, Luna Fargo, John Fargo, Nancy Fargo, Lucinda Fargo (wife of Nelson Skeels of Montana), and Abigail Fargo, all of whom with their father and mother were left behind. In 1829, the six children were: William Gould Lehigh, their eldest child, named for her father, was 11 years old. Mary Lehigh was nine, John Lehigh seven, Irene Maria Lehigh four, Alvira Lehigh two, and Benjamin Lehigh was five months old. The journey across Ohio and Indiana took a month including a few days' stopping on their route because of the illness of Abraham Lehigh's wife Experience. Perrysville, Vermillion County, Indiana was their destination. There they lived with five children and there two more were born, Nancy Lehigh and Lucinda Lehigh. Abraham Lehigh had feeble health and much was demanded of his wife Experience.

Early in 1834, a new settlement began on Upper Spring Creek in the vicinity of Del Rey. In the fall of 1834 Abraham made a selection of land on Spring Creek and moved there the following winter.

In the spring of 1836, Abraham died leaving a widow and eight children, the eldest eighteen and the youngest, Frederick Abram Lehigh, born April 14, 1835, eight months old. They had 194 acres and a claim of 120 acres, a team of oxen, the usual household goods, and farming implements. William Lehigh and John Lehigh did the work of men. William Lehigh, being the eldest, was his mother's main assistant until he married, at which time John Lehigh took his place. Experience saw that her children received educational advantages.

Louisa Wright taught in the Lehigh cabin in 1837, and in 1838 Mrs. Diana Harper taught in the same place. Caroline Grice and Nelson Skeels were teachers in the Lindsey neighborhood and in the winter of 1842-43. In 1843, after the Lindsey family moved into their brick house, Mrs. Lindsey taught a school in their cabin. The first preacher on Spring Creek was the Rev. Mr. Springer. He was the first Methodist minister located in the county and lived at John Nelson's on Sugar Creek in 1834. He held meetings at Abraham Lehigh's and Jesse Amos' in 1835.

When the older ones were married, she removed the remainder of her family to Middleport (now Watseka, Iroquois County, Illinois). Benjamin, then 21, went with a large company of men to California. He returned in a year and died within a few days. After three years in Middleport (Watseka), she returned to the farm in Onarga, Illinois. Benjamin Lehigh died March 21, 1851, leaving her with her youngest son, Frederick Lehigh, then sixteen, as her only farm help.

In 1856, she bought a house and lot in Onarga, Iroquois County, Illinois, where she lived until 1857 and then returned to the farm. She lived to see her children settled
in life. William Lehigh lived with his family in town; Mary Lehigh became the wife of Samuel Harper; John Lehigh took on one-half of the old farm in Onarga; Irene Maria Lehigh became the wife of Forrest Lindsey; Lucinda Lehigh became the wife of M. H. Messer; and Frederick Abram Lehigh lived on the farm with her. Experience died March 28, 1860, mourned by all who loved her.

Abraham died and was buried in the Del Rey homestead area, north of Perrysville, in 1836. After his death, the family moved to Onarga, Iroquois County, Illinois. The cemetery where his wife and children were buried was named the Lehigh Cemetery and was also called the Del Rey Cemetery. Perhaps Experience had some influence on the creation of the cemetery and it's naming.
Married Experience Guild, daughter of William Guild and Abigail Streeter, in Mason Co., WV. Her mother later married Eusebius Fargo.

Children
William Guild Lehigh (1818, Mason Co., WV–1862)
Mary Lehigh (1820, Mason Co., WV-1894) m. Samuel Harper
John Lehigh (1822, Mason Co., WV–1906)
Irene Maria Lehigh Lindsey (1824, Mason Co, WV–1875, IL)
Alvira Lehigh (1827, Mason Co., WV–1846, IL)
Benjamin Lehigh (1829, Mason Co., WV–1851, IL)
Nancy Lehigh (abt. 1831, Perrysville, Vermillion Co., IN-bef. 1850)
Lucinda Lehigh Messer (1833, Perrysville, Vermillion Co., IN–1904)
Frederick Abram Lehigh (14 Apr 1835, Perrysville, IN-1905, IL) m. Sarah M Snyder

1820 Census (Mason Co., VA) now WV
Abraham Leehi
males
1(under 10) John
1(10-15) William
1(26-44) Abraham
females
1(under 10) Mary
1(16-25) Experience

1830 Census (Vermillion Co., IN)
Abram Lehi
males
1(under 5) Benjamin
1(5-10) John
1(10-15) William
1(40-50) Abraham
females
1(under 5) Alvira
1(5-10) Irene Maria
1(10-15) Mary
1(40-50) Experience

1850 Census (Dist. 1, Iroquois Co., IL)
Experience Shih 48 NY 1,200 (farm)
Lucinda Shih 17 IN
Frederick Shih 14 IN

also in District 21: Mary (Lehigh) Harper (1820, WV), John Lehe (1822, WV)
Benjamin Leehigh (1829) at Weaverville and Vicinity, El Dorado, California

1860 Census (Onarga, Iroquois Co., IL)
John Lehigh 38 **** farmer 1,200
Margaret Lehigh 38
Alina Lehigh 8
Benton Lehigh 4
Benjamin Hull 6 (when John and Margaret died, Benjamin Hull took charge for their burials)
Fredk Lehigh 24 **** farmer 1,157
B F Schooley 29 farm laborer
Ann Hull 18
_____________________________________________________________________________________

His wife Experience was born in Genessee County, New York, November 28, 1801. Her father, William Guild, emigrated from Vermont to that country and was married to Abigail Streeter. Miss Streeter was born in Connecticut. Her second husband, Eusebius Fargo, was also from Vermont. He had lived in Canada some years before their marriage. In November of 1814 they emigrated to West Virginia. Four days before her sixteenth birthday Experience Guild was married to Abraham Lehigh. Mr. Lehigh was born in Vermont but lived most of his early life in Canada. From 1817
to 1819 they farmed. Mr. Lehigh was a hard working, frugal man and well liked by his neighbors.

In the fall of 1829 with six children they gathered their small possessions and with a team of three horses and a large wagon started for the Wabash River in Indiana. At this time Experience's half brothers and sisters were: Viletty Fargo (who married William Hall, now a resident of Onarga, Illinois), Irene Fargo, Henrietta Fargo LaRalt (living in Kentucky), Adelia Fargo (wife of T. A. Nowell, of Gilman, Illinois), Amanda Fargo, Luna Fargo, John Fargo, Nancy Fargo, Lucinda Fargo (wife of Nelson Skeels of Montana), and Abigail Fargo, all of whom with their father and mother were left behind. In 1829, the six children were: William Gould Lehigh, their eldest child, named for her father, was 11 years old. Mary Lehigh was nine, John Lehigh seven, Irene Maria Lehigh four, Alvira Lehigh two, and Benjamin Lehigh was five months old. The journey across Ohio and Indiana took a month including a few days' stopping on their route because of the illness of Abraham Lehigh's wife Experience. Perrysville, Vermillion County, Indiana was their destination. There they lived with five children and there two more were born, Nancy Lehigh and Lucinda Lehigh. Abraham Lehigh had feeble health and much was demanded of his wife Experience.

Early in 1834, a new settlement began on Upper Spring Creek in the vicinity of Del Rey. In the fall of 1834 Abraham made a selection of land on Spring Creek and moved there the following winter.

In the spring of 1836, Abraham died leaving a widow and eight children, the eldest eighteen and the youngest, Frederick Abram Lehigh, born April 14, 1835, eight months old. They had 194 acres and a claim of 120 acres, a team of oxen, the usual household goods, and farming implements. William Lehigh and John Lehigh did the work of men. William Lehigh, being the eldest, was his mother's main assistant until he married, at which time John Lehigh took his place. Experience saw that her children received educational advantages.

Louisa Wright taught in the Lehigh cabin in 1837, and in 1838 Mrs. Diana Harper taught in the same place. Caroline Grice and Nelson Skeels were teachers in the Lindsey neighborhood and in the winter of 1842-43. In 1843, after the Lindsey family moved into their brick house, Mrs. Lindsey taught a school in their cabin. The first preacher on Spring Creek was the Rev. Mr. Springer. He was the first Methodist minister located in the county and lived at John Nelson's on Sugar Creek in 1834. He held meetings at Abraham Lehigh's and Jesse Amos' in 1835.

When the older ones were married, she removed the remainder of her family to Middleport (now Watseka, Iroquois County, Illinois). Benjamin, then 21, went with a large company of men to California. He returned in a year and died within a few days. After three years in Middleport (Watseka), she returned to the farm in Onarga, Illinois. Benjamin Lehigh died March 21, 1851, leaving her with her youngest son, Frederick Lehigh, then sixteen, as her only farm help.

In 1856, she bought a house and lot in Onarga, Iroquois County, Illinois, where she lived until 1857 and then returned to the farm. She lived to see her children settled
in life. William Lehigh lived with his family in town; Mary Lehigh became the wife of Samuel Harper; John Lehigh took on one-half of the old farm in Onarga; Irene Maria Lehigh became the wife of Forrest Lindsey; Lucinda Lehigh became the wife of M. H. Messer; and Frederick Abram Lehigh lived on the farm with her. Experience died March 28, 1860, mourned by all who loved her.

Abraham died and was buried in the Del Rey homestead area, north of Perrysville, in 1836. After his death, the family moved to Onarga, Iroquois County, Illinois. The cemetery where his wife and children were buried was named the Lehigh Cemetery and was also called the Del Rey Cemetery. Perhaps Experience had some influence on the creation of the cemetery and it's naming.

Gravesite Details

His headstone and/or its inscription would not have survived the test of time



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