EVARTS Family in 1830s
Who is the "EVARTS" father of AMANDA EVARTS (15 Sep 1818 OH - 1880 Dallas Co. IA)? It appears that the mother and wife of this unknown male "EVARTS" was an "EXPERIENCE EVARTS".Her name appears in the 1850 Census data as a member of the household of NATHANIEL ADKINS, her son-in-law and husband of daughter AMANDA, in the Berriens Co., MI Census of 1850, where her age is shown as "65", making her born in 1785.Her maiden name is unknown, as is the identity of her husband, who was obviously an "EVART".
AMANDA delivered a daughter, a MARY ANN, to NATHANIEL ADKINS on 13 Nov 1833 in Henry Co., IN when she was the tender age of only two months into her 15th year (and thus she had started the adventure with ol' NATHANIEL on or before the age 14 in 1832 or 1833). After the birth of the daughter, MARY ANN, AMANDA was later married to the ol' rascal, NATHANIEL, on 20 Feb 1834 in St. Joseph Co., IN, when their daughter was 3 months old.However, it appears that that NATHANIEL ADKINS was previously married ON 16 Sep 1830 in Henry Co., IN to MARIAN (MARIA) MAIN (B: 1808/1812 in NY - D: 1867).She was the daughter of CHRISTOPHER MAIN (6 Oct 1774 CT - 12 Jul 1866 So. Bend, St. Joseph Co., IN) and AMELIA (MILLIA) WEAVER (17 Dec 1776 NY, NY - 11 Feb 1841 So. Bend, St. Joseph Co., IN; Mg: Bet. 1795-1802 NY, NY; Bd: Portage Prarie Cem., St. Joseph Co., IN).It appears that there were serious "problems" in that marriage, and it is unsure if NATHANIEL & MARIAN MAIN were formally divorced, or she was merely abandoned by him, and he bigimously remarried comely AMANDA, fresh with child, early in 1834.I suspect that the father of AMANDA EVARTS may have already died by 1830-33 and his wife, EXPERIENCE EVARTS, was left a widow to work outside the home trying to make ends-meet, while tring to raise a spirited, perhpas rebellous or independent-minded daughter who was under-supervised, and took up with the married neighbor who was himself experiencing an apparently unhappy marriage.After the marriage to AMANDA EVARTS, everybody apparently "made nice", as AMANDA eventually bore him a total of 9 children, and the presumably widowed mother-in-law joined the happy household between 1834 and made the move to Berriens Co., MI by 1840, where their names appear on the Census of that county.It appears that EXPERIENCE EVARTS must have died in Berriens County, MI between when she showed up on the 1850 Census, and 1860 by which time the family had moved in the mid 1850s to Dallas Co., IA.Her name does not appear in the 1860 Census for that County.Thus, I assume EXPERIENCE EVARTS died and was buried somewhere in Berriens Co., MI.If her husband, the father of AMANDA EVARTS, died in about 1830, leaving EXPERIENCE a widow, he is likely buried somewhere in Henry Co. IN, but I have no records, and this is all mere surmise on my part.
I would like to learn the true identity of the mysterious male "EVARTS" (or EVART, or EVERET possibly), who is the father of AMANDA EVARTS and the husband of EXPERIENCE EVARTS.
I am related to AMANDA through her eldest daughter, MARY ANN AKINS (she dropped the "D" for some unknown reason)(1833 Henry Co., IN - 1907 Dallas Co., IA), who on 11 Apr 1855 in Des Moines, IA married a JOHN H. HOFF (1830 Chesterhill, Washington Co., OH - 1909 Dallas Co., IA) one of the 12 children and son of POWELL HOFF (1801 VA-1870 Dallas Co., IA) and wife MARTHA BREWSTER (1802 Ostego NY - 1892 Dallas Co., IA), and of their 8 children of this JOHN H. HOFF and MARY ANN AKINS' son, JOHN CASSIUS HOFF (5 Mar 1875 Dallas Co., IA - 10 Mar 1960 DSM, IA), and his wife, MABLE MINA TENNANT (1881 - 1963), and of their 3 children, their eldest and son, JOHN RICHARD HOFF (1909 DSM - 1971) DSM), and his wife, VALETTA FLORENCE SCOTT (1912 - now living in DSM), who are my parents.I am JOHN SCOTT HOFF (B: 2 Jan 1946 in DSM, IA - now living in Chicago).
Given the lack of any record keeping on the newly opened frontier/prarie, I have "hit the wall" on trying to learn of the true identity and lineage of the unknown EVART father of AMANDA EVARTS back to the EastCoast Evart families.Any insight would be welcome and appreciated.Please contact me at either my work in Chicago (312)346-8111 or E/M me directly at
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Re: EVARTS Family origins
JOHN HOFF 7/02/06