Pound, Kester, Liston families of Vigo County
THOMAS POUND, a son of John and Sarah (MARTIN) POUND, was born in Middlesex Co., N.J. July 28, 1767, died February 2, 1848, and is buried at the Second Prairie Creek Cemetery, Vigo Co., Indiana. He moved to Maryland with his parents and shortly after his marriage migrated from near Cumberland, that State, to Nelson Co., Kentucky, by way of the Ohio River on a flat boat, arriving there in April 1786. He lived in Nelson County for a few years and then moved to the adjoining county of Shelby, now Spencer County, near Elk Creek, and in 1801 to Butler Co., Ohio on the Miami Bottoms, and in November 1816, to Vigo Co., Indiana, near Prairie Creek, where he resided until his death. He was married in Maryland in 1786 to Sarah KESTER, daughter of William and Elizabeth (LACOCK) KESTER, who was born June 24, 1767, and died February 2, 1848, a few hours before her husband passed away, both being buried in the same grave. Thomas was short and of dark complexion, while his wife was rather tall and fair, her hair being golden.
ELIZABETH KESTER, a daughter of William and Elizabeth (LACOCK) Kester, was probably born in New Jersey, about 1763, died in 1840 and is buried in the Second Prairie Creek Cemetery, in Vigo Co., Indiana. After her marriage she "Settled under the Laurel Hills on George's Creek" southwest of Cumberland, Maryland, and 1786 moved to Kentucky, by way of the Ohio River, on a flat boat, arriving in Louisville in April of that year. She lived first in Nelson County, Kentucky, then moved to Jefferson County in 1789, to Spencer County in 1791, to Butler Co. Ohio, in 1801, to Knox County, near Vicennes, Indiana, in 1808, and to Vigo County, near Prairie Creek, Indiana, in 1814, where she remained until her death. She was known for her skills as a "Doctor Woman" and nurse.
'The following sketch, kindly furnished by Mr. Marvin B. CRIST, is as dictated to him in 1863 by his grandfather, Joseph LISTON, son of Edmund and Elizabeth (KESTER) LISTON:
"EDMUND LISTON and family immigrated from Maryland to Kentucky in 1786. They traveled overland to Pittsburg, Pennsylvamia, where they "took water" on a flat boat in company with another boat belonging to two brothers by the name of COX, who were immigrating to the same locality. There were ten men in the party, five to each boat.
"During the voyage down river Edmund LISTON concluded to go ashore and procure game, and a negro called Gabe (who was with the company in addition to the white men) and the two COXES rowed him ashore. Indian signs were so plain that it was evident the woods were full of them and Edmund returned to the boat. COX and his brother, however, called on Gabe to see them over and they insisted he complied. As they neared shore the Indians fired, killing Joseph COX, the older of the two, and wounding Benjamin COX by a shot through the shoulder. William CHENOETH, who accompanied them, jumped out of the canoe and dived as far as he could, while Gabe wheeled the canoe and made for the boat, and Benjamin COX, who in falling out of the conoe caught by it's side, was using his endeavors to aid Gabe by kicking and paddling to get out of the reach of the Indian guns. Those in the boat were using their utmost to persuade Gabe to lie down in the canoe as COX seemed able to guide it at the same time keep it between himself and the Indians, but the negro did not heed and was soon shot dead by the Indians. CHENOETH was seen to raise his head behind some willows, but soon disappeared, he again made a dive, and every time his appeared the water would foam around it, caused by the bullets from the indian's guns. So desperate was his struggle that he gave out, COX having overtaken him with the canoe in time, crippled as he was. Thomas POUND, who was one of the members on the boat, made a well directed shot, killing one of the Indians, which caused them to cease shooting. This occurred just below Limestone Creek above Cincinnati, where the boats soon landed, and which then consisted only of a fort and a few log huts. John Cleves SYMMES, afterwards William Henry HARRISON'S father-in-law, lived there at that time and was founder of the settlement.
"The party pushed on down river to where Louisville now stands, arriving on the foruth day of April, 1786, to find only a few log cabins. Edmund LISTON started the next day to Nelson Co. and obtained pack horses and moved his family near his father, within four miles of Bardstown at a fort called Fort Rogers. Here they lived, buying land and having it taken away by what was said to be an older title. In 1789 they moved to Jefferson County, where they remained two years, and then moved to Spencer Co. and bought land. In 1801 they sold out and moved to Butler County, Ohio."
'This party of five probably consisted of William KESTER, his two sons, Paul and William, and two sons-in-law, Edmund LISTON and Thomas POUND, and their families - John KESTER, son of William, at that time but sixteen years old, probably not being counted as one of the five.
'Prior to moving to Vigo County, Indiana, the family of Edmund LISTON, who married Elizabeth KESTER, resided in Knox Co., near the fort at Vincennes, Indiana. They lived in a cabin and tilled the fields nearby, but stayed in the fort at night. The Indians were numerous in the vicinity and, as history shows, were at times friendly, at others of a warlike mood. Some of the Indians were in the habit of visiting the LISTON home and practicing archery with the boys. The daughters at home then were Delilah and Elizabeth, and to the latter, a beautiful girl, one of the younger Indians took a fancy and would often aim his bow and arrow at the girl purposely to scare her. But no one among the LISTON family was at the time aware of his attachment. One day a squaw called on the LISTONS and said her son (meaning the young Indian above mentioned) was "sick at heart" and wanted the girl "Lizzie" LISTON for his squaw. Her request being promptly refused she went away, but on the following day two Indians came and walked straightway into the cabin and threw some silver money on the table and seizing Lizzie LISTON ran off with her between them as fast as they could. The screams of the girl and also her sister were heard by a brother who was in a field cultivating corn about one-half mile away, and he threw off the "hame string" from his horse and made chase after the Indians, and soon overtaking them released his sister. On their return to the cabin they found the silver money the Indians had left was gone.----As told by Nancy Ann (REED) HUNT.
'Margaret H. LISTON, wife of John POUND, "Has often told some of the thrilling experiences she had with the Indians. Among other things she related that her husband had a deep hole under the floor large enough for her and the five children to get into when they heard the Indians coming. She would raise the plank in the floor and after all the children got in she would follow and the frightened chicks would crouch quiet as the grave, when the Indians would enter the cabin and take what they wanted and go away. She also related that when the corn was tall enough they would escape into the cornfield. On one occasion one of the little boys was forgotten and left in the house. The mother realized the awful fact and when she crept back in the forlorn hope of saving the child's life and got to where she could see, to her horror she beheld the boy laughing and chatting and turning the grindstone for an Indian to grind his tomahawk. She looked on in mute horror, but the Indian finally left and did the boy no harm."
THE POUND AND KESTER FAMILIES
John Hunt - 1904
Submitted by Ken Reed
A. DECKER F. POUND was born near Malott, Kentucky, December 19, 1851, died August 15, 1879. Prior to his death he practiced medicine two years at Prairie Creek, [Vigo Co.], Indiana. He married June 23, 1877 [should read 1878], Sarah Emily WEIR, daughter of William D. and Rebecca (THOMAS) WEIR, born in Vigo Co., Indiana, December 12, 1858.
Parents - Frederick Boyer POUND, son of John and Polly (BOYER) POUND, was born near Malott, Kentucky April 7, 1817, died February 3, 1887, and is buried at Malott, Kentucky. In October 1838, [Frederick] built a house 1� miles East of his father's and resided there until his death. He married, October 7, 1838, Elizabeth Catherine TAYLOR, daughter of James F. and Anna (FOREMAN) TAYLOR, born at Waterford, Kentucky, January 27, 1820.
Emily WEIR later married James YEAGER.
THE POUND AND KESTER FAMILIES
John Hunt - 1904
Submitted by Janice Thomas
Click here to read Dr. Pound's diary.
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