The Menges Family History Pages

Huron County, Ohio

Fairfield Township, Huron County, Ohio:

Huron County Ohio was formed in 1815 from Indian lands. Settlers from Connecticut whose holdings had been burned out by the British during the Revolutionary War settled on the half million acre tract that became Huron and Erie Counties. It was for this reason that the land was called Firelands. John Menges was a resident of Portland Township, Huron County in 1833. Since there is no Portland Township in today's Huron County and there is one in the adjacent Erie County, it is assumed that John Menges resided in Portland Township in Erie County as Erie County was taken from Huron County in 1838.

John Menges/Minges was probably born in Rockland Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, 1789-90, just before his parents, Johann Conrad and Anna Maria Menges moved to Turbot Township, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. John Minges married Elizabeth -- before 1804. Three children were born to then in Turbot Township; a daughter (name unknown), Christian Menges and Samuel Menges. About 1812, John and Elizabeth moved to the Town of Fayette, Seneca County, New York. Their last son, John Elias Minges was born there on September 19, 1813. It should be noted here that John Minges used the Menges spelling in Pennsylvania and New York, Mangas or Mangus spelling in Michigan and was referred to as Minges in Ohio.

In 1830-32, John Menges followed his brother Jacob Menges/Mangus to the Michigan Territory. There, he purchased land adjacent to Jacob in Raisin Township, Lenawee County. John stayed in Michigan until 1833. He signed a note with Jacob on May 4, 1833 and left it along with other notes with a local lawyer, R. R. Adam of Tecumseh. It is presumed that John made at least one trip to Ohio to purchase land in Huron County. His final crossing of Lake Erie was made in the fall of 1833, when he drowned, either from falling overboard or in the ship's sinking.

John's estate was opened November 23, 1833, at the Huron County Courthouse in Norwalk, Ohio. These estate papers list all of the household goods, so we know that his personal belongings arrived even if John did not. After John's death, his widow Elizabeth married, before 1841, J. Christian Kime, the widower of Anna Margaret (Menges) Kime and sister of John Menges. It is not known if Elizabeth accompanied John on the move to the Michigan Territory. She did, however, move to Ohio after the death of her second husband, Christian Kime. She resided with her son John at Peru, Ohio until her death in 1871. She was buried in Brightman Cemetery, Peru Hollow Road, with a marker that gives her name as Elizabeth Minges, "Grandmother," rather than Elizabeth Kime.

John's son, he Reverend John Elias Minges, was residing in the Town of Fayette, Seneca County, New York, at the time of his father's death. He came to Ohio in 1833 to settle his father's estate and manage the property. He was single at that time, being a young man of 19 years of age. He was married three years later to Margaret Seed, who lived only six years after the marriage. It is presumed that John Elias lived in Portland Township when he first arrived in Ohio as that was the address for his father given in the estate papers. In an article by Sharon Cooper, The Northern Ohio Mingus Family, she states that John Elias' first place of residence in Ohio was at Bloomingville, Erie County, Ohio. Sharon Cooper also states that in 1834 John E. Minges settled in Reed Township, Seneca County on a farm which he worked and cultivated for a number of years. At the time of his marriage in 1836, John E. was residing in Seneca County on property located at Attica, Ohio. After Margaret's death, John Elias Minges married Lydia Wilbur.

In 1855 John Elias returned to Huron County, locating in Fairfield Township. He then moved to Greenfield Township where he carried on farming and at one time owned the place formerly known as Buckingham farm in Norwalk. In 1868 he settled on the Ezra Smith farm in Peru Township, Huron County, Ohio. According to articles appearing in county histories, John E. owned and operated businesses in Attica and Fairfield. It is not known just what type of businesses he operated but it was probably some sort of mercantile business associated with farming.

John Elias and Lydia (Wilbur) Minges were the parents of three daughters; Margaret Elizabeth, Flora and Dessie. Margaret married Alonzo L. Simmons and resided near the Village of North Fairfield, Huron County, Ohio. He was a farmer and part owner of the Phoenix Gristmill. They were childless.

Dessie Minges married (1) Frank R. Williams and (2) George A. Waggaman. She resided in Toledo with Frank and in New York City with George where he was a stockbroker. Dessie's two marriages were childless.

Flora Minges married Francis Marion "Frank" Marriott and resided in Delaware, Delaware County, Ohio, where he was an attorney and state senator. They were the parents of five children; John Minges Marriott, Wilbur McClelland Marriott, Florence Dale Marriott, Frances Marion "FM" Marriott, Jr. and Joy McDowell Marriott.