Caspar Booher (1758)
| Caspar Booher | |
|---|---|
| Born |
September 15, 1758[1][2] Germany[3] |
| Died |
March 31, 1831 (aged 72)[4][5] Shirley Twp., Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Resting place | Mt Union Cem., Huntingdon Co., PA[6][7] |
| Spouse | Phoebe Shaver (m. 1778–1831)[8] |
| Children |
Elizabeth Booher (b. 1779) John Booher (b. 1780) Henry Booher (b. 1782) Catharine Booher (b. c. 1785) Samuel Booher (b. 1788) Jacob Booher (b. 1794) Nancy Booher (b. 1798)[9] |
| Parents | Henry Booher[10] |
Excerpt from Nicholas Shaver Family by John Koning
Like that of his father-in-law, the history of Casper Booher and his family is a mystery before the mid-1780's. Casper was a witness on the indenture agreement when Nicholas bought his land in Shirley Twp. in 1785, and he also shows up on the Shirley Twp. tax lists starting in 1784. No earlier confirmed records for Casper have been found to this point. The family bible shows that Casper and Phoebe were married in 1778, but there is no indication where the marriage took place.
Excerpt on Casper's Homestead[11]
Based on early tax records, Casper and Phoebe Booher arrived in Shirley Township, Bedford (now Huntingdon) Co., Pennsylvania about 1783. It is not known for sure whether they immediately settled on the exact plot of land in Hill Valley that became associated with the family over the next 145 years, but it is likely they were there soon after their arrival. As many as four of their seven children may have been born there.
The property straddles Route 747, two miles south of downtown Mount Union, where the state game road heads off west towards Jack's Mountain.
After the death of Casper in 1831, the land passed to his son, John, who died only two years later. John Booher, Jr., who was born on the farm in 1818 eventually came to own the land; he farmed and lived there for the next 60 years until his death in 1893. William Ambrose and Ernest Luther, sons of John, Jr., continued to operate the farm until the beginning of the Great Depression in 1929 when it was lost to foreclosure. (The picture above was taken in the early 1900's while the farm was possessed by the two brothers. Chestnut Ridge is in the background.)
After the foreclosure, the property was purchased by Charles Stitt. Some time later, Murphy Corfman developed a portion of the site into the "Hill Valley Hotel," which would become a well-known country tavern with a less than stellar reputation. In 1955, Peter George purchased the property including the tavern which he operated for the next 50 years until his death in 2006. The "Hotel" was sold and for a short time became "The Roadhouse on 747," a bar and eatery that catered to hard rock music fans. Currently (summer of 2011), it is the home of "Ronnie's Place," another bar and eatery. Of the remaining property, all of the area west of Route 747 towards Jack's Mountain and part of the area east of Route 747 towards Chestnut Ridge has been subdivided and sold off for individual homes. The rest remains in the hands of Mr. George's family.
Caspar's Family Bible
Caspar's Last Will & Testament[12][13]
In the name of God, Aman I Casper Boocher of Shirly township Huntington County, being in perfect health and sound in mind memory and understanding, thanks be to God for the same being mindfull of my mortality do make and constitute this my last will and testament. First and princeapally I recom- mend my immortal spiret to God who gave it in hopes of a joyfull resurrection and my body to the earth, when it shall pleas God to seperate my soul and my body, and my body to be buriate in a decently maner at the discretion of my exeudor according to the rites of our church. And as to such worldly estate wherwith it hath pleased God to pless me. I gave and dispose therof as follows, it is my will that my personall property shall imediately after my desease be sold by my executor at at publick vendue and from the proceeds therof all my just debts and funeral expence shall be payd, and the ballance if eny shall be equelly dividet amongst my children. I do nominate my son John Boocher of Shirly township to be my executor of this my last will & testament. it is further my will that the plantation I now live on shall after my desease be the property of my son John Boocher for his proper use and behoof and the said John shall pay the sum of tweffe hundert dollers including the purchase money and feeses due for all my lands to the Comenweth of Pensylvania and whatever the said purchase money and feeses may amt over and above two hundret dollers shall be payd out of the proseeds of my personall property and the ballance of said purchase money to be payd by my son John Boocher shall and will be a thousand dollers shall be payd by the said John or his executors or administrators as follows, he the said John Boocher is to have as a part of his legasee the sum of two hun -dert dollers, which sum shall be redused out of the above sum of a thousent dol -lers, and the said John Boocher is further to pay on or before the first day of April after my desease unto my son Samuel Boocher the sum of one hundret dollers and also the same amt of one hundret dollers to be payd on or before the second first day of April to the sd. Samuel Boocher and the sd Samuel Boocher is to have the privilegeof the stone house and the other privileges as h..r to fore for his own proper use for the term of six years from and after the first day of April last paste, it is further my will that my son John shall pay one hun- -dret dollers on or before the third day of Aprile after my desease unto my son Henry Boocher and also on or before the fourth first day of Aprile after my desease the same amt of one hundert dollers to the same by the same, and it is further my will that my son John shall pay unto my daughter Nancy Linn the sum of one hundret dollers on or before the fifth first day of Aprile after my desease and it is further my will that the said John shall pay unto my daughter Elizabeth Roberts one hundert dollers on or before the sixth first day of Aprile after my desease and it is further my will that the said John shall pay unto my son Jacob the sum of one hundert and sixty dollers on or before the seventh first day of Aprile after my desease and it is further my will that my son John shall pay unto my grand daughter Elizabeth Bady the sum of forty dollers on or before the eight first day of Aprile after my desease, and if the said Elizabeth Bady has not recd. the following property viz. one cow two sheep one bed one spinging wheel she shall recd and have them artikels emedeatly after my desease, it is further my will and I do order that my son John shall have my two stills and all belonging to them and also my big bible, it is further my will and I order that my beloved and dear wife Pheoby shall have two betts and betseads, one beurow one copper kitle one iron pot steukettle one sciled one tea kitle coffee stomper one tin bucket and one other bucket one washing tup one jurn one table two chairs one chelf bowles and sausers one cobert 8 milk crocks 4 large croks 4 tins and a set of knives and forks 2 smoothing irons one cow one pot rack one pear of toungs and fire shovel on chest one weomans sadle and bridle one reel and spining wheel one stove and stovepipe one heogsed and two good barrels two oken barrels and it is my will and I order that my wife shall have the dwelling house - wherein I now live during her naturall lifetime for her resi-dence, together with part of the garden for her use and the stable which I have now in posession for to keep her cow likewise firewood for one fireplace and stove as much as she wants and my son John is to haul and cut the same and put convenient to her house in rediness for to put on the fire or in the stove, it is further my will that my son John shall pay or yild unto my wife yearly and every year the following items six pound of good wool 8 pounds of good hackled flax she is to have the third of the aples of the big grafted tree, six bushels of winter aples every year that ther are aples on the place, one barrel of sider if ther be aples the fourth part of peaches and 3 bushels of poteates three bushels of buckwheat 6 bushels of corn 18 bushels of wheat 150 pounds of pork to one hind quarter of beef to be not less than 70 pounds one bushel of salt 15 lb of sugar 10 lb of good coffee 30 heads of cabages to one pair of fine shoes 3 gallon of honny all these items my son John is to deliver to my wife at her sd dwelling house and the wheat and other grain he is to get ground and deliver the prosids thereof at her requist and she is to get one and a half ton of good hay delivered at her request, and if my wife should want for to leve the aforesaid dwelling and move els where in bounds of two mills my son John shall be bound to deliver unto her all the above mentioned items with the exeption of the fire wood at her new place of residence and during her absence of her dwelling my son John shall have the use of the house and other privileges, nevertheless if my wife would want to come and move back again she shall not be deprived of so doing and shall be intilet to all her former privileges in full, it is further my will that my son John shall not be bound to pay any money to his brothers or sisters until the death of mine and my wifes notwithstanding it is stated otherwise above all the interlining was done before it was signed. I publish and declare this and none other to be my last will and testament. In Witness whereof I have here unto set my hand and seal this 6th day of Aprile in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty. Casper Booher {Seal}
Huntingdon County ss, Before me the Register for the probate of Wills and granting letters of Administration in and for the County of Huntingdon, personally appeared Harmanus Ow and Joseph Ow, who being sworn according to law depose and say that they were personally present and saw and heard the above named Casper Booher sign seal execute publish pronounce and declare the above and foregoing instru- ment of writing as and for his last will and testament. and that they the siad Har- manus Ow and Joseph Ow did sign their names thereto as wtnesses in the presence of each other and in the presence of the said Testator, and at his instance and request. and that he the said Testator was at the time of sound and disposing mind mem- ory and understanding to the best of their knowledge and belief. Harmanus Ow Joseph Ow Sworn & subscribed the 14th day of } April 1831 – Before D N Porter Regr. }
Historical Records
See also: here
- In 1788, Caspar owns 1 horse, 2 cattle, and 80 acres of land[14]
- Casper Booher served in the militia under Capt. John Galbreath.[15]
- He is found in the 1800 census in Shirley Township, Huntingdon County, PA.[16], with
- Free White Males Under 10: 1 (probably: Jacob, age 6)
- Free White Males 16 to 25: 2 (probably: Samuel, age 12; Henry, age 18)
- Free White Males 26 to 44: 1 (probably: Caspar, age 42)
- Free White Females Under 10 : 1 (probably: Nancy, age 2)
- Free White Females 10 to 15 : 1 (probable: Catharine, age 15)
- Free White Females 26 to 44 : 1 (probably: Phoebe, age 44)
- (Likely not in the home: John, age 20; Elizabeth, age 21)
- In 1803, Casper was the supervisor of Shirley Township.[17]
- He is found in the 1820 census in Shirley Township, Huntingdon County, PA.[18], along with:
- Free White Males - 45 and over: 1 (probably: Caspar, age 62)
- Free White Females - Under 10: 1 (unknown. possibly a child of the 26-44 year old female)
- Free White Females - 26 thru 44: 1 (unknown.)
- Free White Females - 45 and over: 1 (probably: Phoebe, age 64)
- Caspar is living in Shirleysburg, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania in the 1830 Federal Census, along with:
- Free White Persons - Males - 70 thru 79: 1 (probably: Caspar, age 72)
- Free White Persons - Females - 15 thru 19: 1 (unknown.)
- Free White Persons - Females - 70 thru 79: 1 (probably: Phoebe, age 74)
- Caspar's land is distributed among his heirs in a number of Booher deeds in the 1830s
See Also
Notes
- ↑ http://www.searchtrees.com/tree/10090.htm
- ↑ Find-A-Grave
- ↑ http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/s/h/a/Lori-J-Shaffer/GENE8-0028.html
- ↑ http://www.searchtrees.com/tree/10090.htm
- ↑ Find-A-Grave
- ↑ http://genealogyandmore.com/MyFamily/PS05_177.HTM
- ↑ Find-A-Grave
- ↑ http://www.searchtrees.com/tree/10090.htm
- ↑ http://www.genealogy.jostko.com/Special/Booher/BooherWorksheets.pdf
- ↑ http://www.searchtrees.com/tree/10090.htm
- ↑ http://www.genealogy.jostko.com/Special/Booher/Misc/BooherHomestead.htm
- ↑ http://www.genealogy.jostko.com/Special/Booher/Wills/CasperBooherWill.pdf
- ↑ Huntingdon Co., PA Will Book Vol. 3, Pages 342-344 (Family History Library Microfilm #0854232)
- ↑ http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/huntingdon/taxlist/1788-shirley.txt
- ↑ http://www.searchtrees.com/tree/10090.htm
- ↑ http://www.searchtrees.com/tree/10090.htm
- ↑ http://www.searchtrees.com/tree/10090.htm
- ↑ http://www.searchtrees.com/tree/10090.htm