Jacob
Minerd III
(1816?-1907)
Jacob
Minerd III was born on the Fourth of July 1816 (or 1817) in Hexebarger near Kingwood, Somerset County,
PA, the son of Jacob and Catherine (Younkin) Minerd Jr. Extensive research
of his life in newspapers and court records reveal a long life filled with activity.
As a boy, Jacob may have attended school but never learned how to sign his name. He married neighbor Rachel Ansell, the daughter of Michael Ansell. The Minerd and Ansell families were close, and Jacob's brother John married Rachel's sisters Sarah and Hannah.
Jacob and Rachel had only one child, Elizabeth (Minerd) Long-Gallentine.
When his father died in 1842, Jacob agreed to buy a quarter share of his late father's farm. The section totaled 122.75 acres. Within two years, he built a two-story log house on his farm. The "1849" date was carved into the cornerstone in the foundation. The house stands today, and was profiled in a July 1986 Historical Resource Survey - Selection of Significant Structures published by the Somerset County Planning Commission.
In
1854, serving as a trustee of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, Jacob persuaded
his brother John to sell a small portion of his farm to the
congregation "so that they shall erect and build a house or place of
worship for use of members." (The
"M. Church" is shown next to the farms of "Jno. Minerd" and
"Jac. Minerd" on a rare 1860 map, seen here. The "W.B.Ch."
is thought to have been the "Winebrennarian" Church of
God.) Jacob's church was named "Mt. Zion." Nineteen years later, in 1873, the tract was sold back
into private hands by the remaining trustees -- Harmon Younkin, William Eicher
and John Eicher. It's thought that the Mt. Zion congregation joined with a newly
formed church, the Mt. Bethel Church at nearby Paddytown.
Jacob and his brother John sold their farms in 1865, and both moved to Normalville, Fayette County, PA, where they remained for the rest of their lives.
Heartache struck in the winter of 1872 when son in law George Long Jr. died from pneumonia, contracted while helping a neighbor build a barn. The next year, at his daughter's suggestion, Jacob was appointed guardian for his three grandchildren -- Rachel, Susannah and William Long. He served in this role for 30 years, until 1903.
Jacob operated a small coal mine "in working condition" on his farm east of Normalville, as described in Franklin Ellis' 1882 History of Fayette County.
Weekly
newspapers of Jacob's era carried tidbits about everyday living. An 1894 issue
of the Connellsville Keystone Courier reported that "Jacob Miner is putting a new roof in his
house." The next year, The Courier reported that "Jacob Miner and [grandson] William J. Long cut
wheat on Thursday. This is the first cut in this section." Seen here
is a colorized old postcard showing a typical wheat harvest.
Jacob also suffered many physical ailments. On Christmas Day 1881, said the Uniontown (PA) Republican Standard, "He was in the act of getting on one of his horses to ride him to water, when he scared and threw him heavily to the ground, dislocating his shoulder-blade, besides other painful injuries." Added the Courier, "Dr. McCoy reduced the fracture, and at present the patient is doing as well as could be expected."
In 1887, the Courier reported that "Jacob Minor, an old and respected citizen of this township, is confined to his room with a complication of diseases." That same year, Rachel died on May 12, 1887, and is buried at the Normalville Cemetery. And in 1892, niece Sadie (Minerd) Luckey wrote to a cousin, "Tell your papa that Uncle Jake Minerd is poorly. I was over there last Sunday. They don't think he can live long. They Dr. says he will have to have his foot taken off and he thinks he can't stand the operation. He says he will die first."
Jacob's
foot apparently continued to be a problem over time. The March 4, 1902 issue of
the Daily Courier reported that "Jacob Miner, who some time since
had his toe amputated, is suffering intense pain and fears are entertained as to
his recovery."
As Jacob aged, he lost track of prices as they rose due to inflation. In June 1906, after visiting his granddaughter Susanna Kooser in Wellsville, Ohio, he traveled back to Connellsville alone. According to a front-page story in the Daily Courier, he arrived "dead broke."
He had been visiting relatives in Ohio and when he left there he had $3. He thought it was a pile of money and was greatly disappointed when he found that it had taken all of it to get to Connellsville. How he managed to get through on such a small amount was the wonder of Burgess Soisson this morning when the old man told his tale. After endeavoring to learn where his home was and all about him the Burgess gave him money to hire a team to take him to his home in Springfield township.
B&O Railroad station in Connellsville, where Jacob "landed broke"
Jacob lived another 20 years following Rachel's death. He passed away on Oct. 31, 1907 at the home of his granddaughter Susanna Kooser, in East Scottdale, PA. He is buried beside Rachel at Normalville Cemetery.
Copyright
© 2000-2003, 2005-2008 Mark A. Miner.
1860 Map of Somerset
County courtesy of the Pennsylvania State Archives