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35. Walter Dunham (Married Elizabeth ? (36) before 1815.(The reason for this is that one of their children, Ann, was born in 1815.)

Born: about 1788 (29 March 1787, according to LDS and correspondence with Susan L. Williams (A Dunham Family Genealogist). (LDS says he was born in Tisbury, Dukes, Massachusetts) of Jonathan Dunham (69) & ? Atsatt Atsalt (Edget) (Adsit) (70).

Died: He died sometime after the 1860 Census, probably in Delaware County, Ohio. A map dated 1866 of Porter Township, Delaware County, shows that property previously owned by Walter is owned by Mrs. E. Dunham. Thus, Walter's death happened after the 1860 Census was taken, but before the 1866 map was drawn. His burial site is unknown.

1866 map (Click to enlarge.)

 

[His siblings included the following persons listed below: (note that all blue additions about family members (unless otherwise indicated) are from correspondence with Susan L. Williams or from the History of the Dunham-Donham Family in America website---founded 20 March 1997, created and maintained by James A. Streeter.):

Infant (unnamed and gender unknown) Born: 9 May 1780. Died: 20 May 1780 in Conway, Hampshire Co. Massachusetts (cvr);

Harlock Dunham (Married Elizabeth Haskins on 15 November 1804 (cvr) Born: 13 April 1781 in Conway, Hampshire County, Massachusetts. Died: 28 August 1868 in Albion, Marshall County, Indiana (Served in Captain Joab Norton’s Company, War of 1812 (as a Copr. according to "Roster of Ohio Soldiers in War of 1812"). In 1826, he owned 56 acres and 3 cattle in Delaware County, Ohio, according to Russell Leach's study of the family. According to the 1826 Auditor's Tax List Delaware County, Ohio p. 9; compiled by Florence and Carl Main, 1955, Ohio Historical Society, in 1826, Harlock owned two portions of land in Berlin Township, one 50 acre plot was valued at $52, another 6 1/3 acre lot was valued at $18. Page 12 of the 1826 Auditor's Tax List affirms that he owned 3 cattle worth $24. In Tombstone Inscriptions & Other Records of Delaware County Ohio Including Portions of Morrow & Marion Counties p. 368 by Esther Weygandt Powell, it states that in Peru Township [Morrow County] early settlers there by 1817 were Harlock & Walter Dunham. According to Tombstone Inscriptions and Other Records of Delaware County Ohio by Esther Weygandt Powell, 1972, Harlock Dunham with his wife Elizabeth (1786- 1856) are buried at Berkshire Cemetery in Delaware County. His son Thomas H. is also buried there (The burial sites for Elizabeth and Thomas H. have been confirmed by Susan Leach Snyder) ;

Jonathan Hamar ? Dunham (Married Lydia Butler...daughter of Rebecca Dunham and Jethro Butler. His wife was his first cousin. After Jonathan’s death, she married his brother, Thomas...issue on file) Born: 7 January 1783 in Conway, Hampshire County, Massachusetts. Died: 19 September 1858 in Delaware County. (Served in Captain Joab Norton’s Company War of 1812. (Jonathan was a drummer in Capt. Joab Norton's Company according to "Roster of Ohio soldiers in War of 1812.") Moved to Delaware County 1807, then to Berkshire Twp. In 1826, he owned 75 acres in Berkshire Township worth $129, 2 horses worth $ 80 and 4 cattle worth $32- Auditor’s List. The previous sentence was verified in the Auditor's Tax List Delaware, Ohio, pp. 1 & 6; compiled by Florence and Carl Main, 1955, Ohio Historical Society. The 1826 Auditor's Tax List Delaware County, Ohio p. 9; compiled by Florence and Carl Main, 1955, Ohio Historical Society, states that a Jonathan Dunham owned 65 acres in Liberty Township worth $45. Is this the correct Jonathan, or could it be his father(#65) or a cousin? The History of Delaware County, published by O.L. Baskin & Company, Historical Publishers, 1880, p. 698, states that Jonathan was born in 1783 in Northampton, Conn., married Lydia Butler, moved to Berlin Twp and subsequently to Berkshire Twp., he died in September, 1858, and Lydia died April 13, 1869). However, the History of Delaware County publication is incorrect in stating that Jonathan was born in Connecticut. Susan Williams (direct descendent of Jonathan) found documentation in the Conway Vital Records that Jonathan was born in Conway, Hampshire County, Massachusetts.

Unnamed Born and Died April 1784 (cvr),

Silas Dunham: (He married unknown person, but it looks like he left issue. Son, Spencer was the only one to survive to adult, and was Administrator of Silas’ Estate in 1843.) Born: 19 August 1785 in Conway, Hampshire County, Massachusetts. Died: ? Will probated 1843 in Delaware County, Ohio (In 1804, he came to Delaware County, Ohio, from Conway, Mass. He returned to Mass., and in 1807 returned to Delaware County with his brothers Harlock, Walter, Daniel and Thomas. Silas was the builder of one of the first houses in the City of Delaware and voted in the first election in Delaware County, 11 October 1808. (Both the house and election date are verified in History of Delaware County, published by O. L. Baskin & Company, Historical Publishers, 1880, p 321 & 318.) Silas served in Captain Joab Norton’s Company in War of 1812. (Silas was a fifer in Captain Joab Norton's Company according to "Roster of Ohio Soldiers in War of 1812".) In 1826, he owned 80 acres in Berlin Twp., Delaware County. This last sentence is verified in the 1826 Auditor's Tax List, Delaware County, Ohio p. 9; compiled by Florence and Carl Main 1955, Ohio Historical Society. The value of the 80 acres was $110. Page 22 of the Auditor's Tax List states that he owned two cattle worth $16. According to the History of Delaware County, p. 346, in 1840, the upper bridge on North Street was restored at an expense of $449.00, Silas and Spencer Dunham taking the contract. On page 366, Silas is listed as an advocate for the right of suffrage to be extended to females at a February 1, 1841 public discussion) ;

Anna Dunham Born: 31 January 1789 (cvr), Died: ?;

Sarah Dunham Born: 30 August 1790 (cvr), Died: ?;

Rebecca Dunham Born: 8 November 1791 (cvr), Died: ?,

Deborah Dunham Born: 6 July 1793 (cvr), Died 19 February 1803 in Conway, MA , age 10 of measles (cvr),

Martha Dunham Born: 15 January 1795 (cvr), Died: ?;

Daniel Dunham (Married 3 times: #1 Lydia Pierce-issue; #2 Polly (Still) widow Triplett- no issue known, #3 Olive (Harris) widow of Morey and widow of -Hodgden- issue.; Born: 3 February 1796 in Conway, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, Died: After 1880 Census, probably in Oceana County, Michigan; According to Norwood Dunham <NrwdDnhm@aol.com>, Daniel (like Walter) served with Captain Aaron Strong’s Company in the War of 1812.

Thomas Dunham (Married: 3 times: #1: Caroline Abbott (DCMR); she died 29 November 1860. Had issue. #2: Lydia (Butler) Dunham, his first cousin and widow of his deceased brother, Jonathan. No issue. Lydia died 13 April 1869 in Delaware County, Ohio. #3: Mehalah (Mehala) (Beardsley) widow of Hawkins on 27 March 1870 (DCMR), no issue. She died in 1880.) Born: 29 June 1798 in Conway, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, Died: 5 October 1882 Delaware County, Ohio. (He is buried in the Berkshire Cemetery, Delaware County, Ohio according to research done by Russell Leach (#3). Also Tombstone Inscriptions and Other Records of Delaware County Ohio by Esther Weygandt Powell, 1972 states he is buried there with his wives Caroline and Mehala with a flag . (With Harlock, Thomas built a sawmill and grist mill just east of Alum Creek bridge on the Delaware-Sunbury Road. Daniel had a leather tannery further east. History of Delaware County published by O. L. Baskin & Company, Historical Publishers, 1880, p. 463 confirms that, “A tannery was built at an early date, on the Berkshire Road, by the Dunhams, but the time is uncertain.:” This would have been in Berlin Township.)]

 

Miscellaneous: According to Russell Leach’s research, Walter served as a private in Captain Aaron Strong’s Company in the War of 1812 from October 7 until December 15, 1812. (Source Roster of Ohio Soldiers In War of 1812 p. 129). Walter would have been about 24 years old when the war began. Walter enlisted 1 May 1813 and served as a private in Captain George Sanderson’s Company (27th United States Infantry from 1813-1814.) This is verified in Roster of Ohio Soldiers In War of 1812 and in History of Franklin and Pickaway Counties, Ohio, published by Williams Bros, p. 107. in 1880. Page 106 states that Captain George Sanderson’s company was attached to the Twenty-seventh regiment United States infantry, commanded by Colonel George Paul, and formed a part of General Harrison’s army at the defense of Fort Stephenson, and was in the disastrous battle of the Thames, October 5, 1813.

Walter is listed in the following Federal Census Indexes: 1820 for Delaware County, Ohio, Kingston Township, p. 114, ID # OH320373434 (see below); 1830 for Knox County, Ohio, Bloomfield Township, p. 283, ID # OH56081488; 1840 for Knox County, Ohio, Bloomfield Township, p. 218, ID # OHS4a785727; 1850 for Delaware County, Ohio, Porter Township, p. 322, ID #s OHS6a907091 & OHS9a2494484; 1860 for Delaware County, Ohio, Porter Township, p. 149, ID # OH15336402.

Below: The 1820 Ohio Federal Census Index, Delaware County, Kingston Township

Walter lived in part of Porter Twp., Delaware County, Ohio, that became part of Morrow County about 1849. According to History of Delaware County, published by O. L. Baskin & Company, Historical Publishers, 1880, p. 582, Walter lived on the State road. According to Russell Leach’s research, one-half of his farm was in Delaware County- the other half was in Morrow County. His farm adjoined that of Harvey Leach. Walter's daughter, Ann Mariah Dunham, married Harvey on 11 February 1841.

Walter and Elizabeth had 7 children: Almeda, Hattie, Ann Mariah (18), Susan L., George, Chancey C., and Samuel Huxford.

Below is a map of Delaware County, Ohio, dated 1849. It shows the location of Walter's Porter Township property at that time. It appears on the map that all of Walter's property was at the time in Delaware County if the dark line above his property represents the Delaware County/Morrow County line. When Susan Snyder superimposed the 1849 map on top of a present-day map, 1/2 of Walter's farm does fall within the borders of present-day Morrow County. So it appears that the boundary must have been changed after the 1849 map was drawn. Also, this map does not show Walter's farm adjoining Harvey's, but it does show part of Walter's land adjoined Amos' (Harvey's father). In a later map dated 1866, Harvey owned the land, but by that time, Walter had died. The border between Delaware County and Morrow County must have moved North before 1866 because the 1866 map showd only half of the previously owned acreage now belonging to Elizabeth. It has to be assumed that if a Morrow County map dated 1866 is located, that Dunham property will be shown.

Below: Maps of 1849 and 1866. (Click on the images to enlarge them.)

By overlaying the 1846 and 1866 maps on a modern map (1998) of Delaware and Morrow Counties, Walter's property can be located. On modern maps of Delaware and Morrow Counties, SR. 656 runs northeast at an angle identical to the diagonal line on the 1849 map. Based on this, the proximity of the Morrow County Line to Walter's property, and the location of a creek thought to be the "Long Run" waterway shown on the 1849 map, Susan Leach Snyder and her husband located the probable location of Walter's land on 20 August 2006. Directions to this location from Columbus, Ohio are as follows: Drive North from Columbus on I-71 to Rt. 36. Turn right toward Sunbury. In Sunbury, turn left at the first traffic light (Rt. 61.) Turn right at SR 656. Proceed to Peerless Rd. (It is on the Delaware County/Morrow County line.) Turn right on Peerless. At Trimmer, turn right. The land to the right or west is believed to be what was owned by Walter. By going down the hill, you will cross the creek, thought to be "Long Run". See the pictures below.

 

Left: Walter's land from Trimmer Road, facing Northwest toward the corner of SR. 656 and Peerless Rd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Left: Walter's land along Trimmer Road, facing Southwest towards creek (notice trees adjacent to creek bed).

Below: Creek bed, possibly dried up "Long Run."

 

Walter's additional 10 acres that adjoined Amos Leach is thought to be just South of Beechtree on the East side of Trimmer. (See the 1849 map.)

 

 

Below: Walter's 10 acres on the East side of Trimmer. This acreage was eventually purchased some time before 1866 by his son-in-law, Harvey Leach.

 

Walter was blind in later years of life. The 1860 census reports him as living in Porter Township, Delaware County, Ohio. He was survived by his wife, who continued to live on part of the farm until at least 1866 as shown on the 1866 map.