John

b. abt 1731
d. 11 Jan 1784 Cumberland Co., PA

William claimed John, his eldest son,  as his beloved son in his will.  John followed in his father's footsteps running a tavern that served as a stopover for wagons waiting to cross the Susquehanna River at Harrisburg while on their way to Philadelphia to sell livestock.  The river, which had to be forded, was sometimes too deep to cross and layovers could become lengthy. Besides the tavern John owned the pastures where the herds would graze until they could continue, he also owned a repair shop.

John like the rest of his family was a staunch church supporter.  He pledged support of 75 pounds a year to the Silver Springs Presbyterian Church.  This was a huge sum of money in the late eighteen hundreds.

In 1768 John was taxed on 3 horses, 3 cows, 4 sheep, 200 W and 60 C. In 1769 there were 2 horses, 33 cows and 5 sheep, 300W and 50C; however, a second John Trindle is listed, this can not be a son as John's son John was not born until 1768.  The second John has 3 horses and 3 cows, 150 W and 50 C.  It might be relavant to note that a John Trimble listed in 1768 is not in the 1769 listing.  In 1770 the only listing is 3h, 2c, 6s, 150W, 50L, 60C.  There is no Trimble listing.

In 1778 we find John Esq'r with 183 acres, 3 horses, 5 cows paying 18.12.0 and John with 22 acres 2 horses and 4 cows paying 7.3.4

In 1777 the Supreme executive council of Pennsylvania appointed an entirely new board of justices when some of the old ones failed to take the oath of allegiance, John was one of those that did take the oath. In 1778 he was appointed a Captain of the Cumberland County Militia and in 1780 was commissioned as a sub-lieutenant (leader of a battalion) in the Continental Army.  John served throughout the Revolution.

Like many men of the time,  the war seemed to have taken the last of John's strength and he died at the age of 53 in 1784. He is buried in the Silver Springs Presbyterian Church Graveyard. The tombstone, which is still standing, says  "Here lies the body of John Trindle, who departed this life , the 11th day of January, AD 1784  53 years."

Upon his death, John's estate was held up by the presence of minor children. Final papers were not signed until about 1803 when those children had come of age.  In some cases their spouses were named.  It is fortunate for us that this is the case, some of the unknown descendants were tied in using these Orpan Court Papers. The city lot of John Trindle's estate was bought by Adam Longsdorf who built a new hotel on it.  The Trindle Inn, a two story-three brick thick hotel built in 1800, stood in place until 1962 when the main road encroached upon it's foundation.  During the spring floods, residents would move to the second floor to escape the water. Part of the land that John Trindle owned was occupied by a housing development called TRINDLE MANOR in the 1960's.  It is along one of the original Trindle Springs.

"Cumberland County, The commonwealth of Pennsylvania to the sheriff of Cumberton County greeting.  Whereas Joshua Myers of the county of Cumberland preferreda petition before the Judges of the Orphan Counrt of the said county on the 22 day of October AD 1800 then sitting in the Borough of Carlisle setting forth that John Trindle late of the county of Cumberland died Intestate leaving a wido Margery Trindle, and seven children vis, Anne Trindle now intermarried with Samuel Lamb Jane Trindle now Intermarried with James Holmes, John Trindle, Alexander Trindle, Agness Trindle intermarried with Samuel Paxton. margery Trindle now intermarried with Samuel Johnston and David Trindle and being in his lifetime and at the time of his death seized in his demesne as of fee of and in one certain tract or parcel of land containing three hundred and twenty acres more of less situate in Alen and East-Pennsborough Townships in the County aforesaid bounded by lands of the Heirs of Alexander Trindle the Heirs of Wm Trindle the lands of Matheas Sailer and John Stear and others and that he died intestate so there of seized.  And whereas Alexander Trindle aforesaid one of the children of the said John Trindle deceased and his wife Sarah Trindle by their deed of Indeture bearing the date of April 1795 did transfer and convey to the said Joshua Myers all their Interest right title claim and demand whatsoever in and to their undivided share of the above mentioned tract or parcel of Land reference being had to the  said deed more fully appears.  And whereas Margery Trindle aforesaid one of the children of the said John Trindle decd intermarried with Samuel Johnston by their deed of Indenture bearing date the twenty first day of January 1800 did transfer & convey unto the said Joshua Myers all their right, title, interest, claim and demand whatsoever in and to their undivided share of the above mentioned tract or parcel of land being had to this said deed more fully appears...."

Alexander

b. 22 Oct 1772  Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
d. 23 Sep 1832  Ross County, Ohio

What was once a tight knit enclave of Trindle cousins in Cumberland County, PA was no longer.  John, William and Alexander, the three sons of original settler William Trindle had led their troops through years of revolution.  Each returned home with a decimated body and each expired within a year of the others in 1784-1785.  Children and wives remained.

Over the next twenty years the wives remarried, the children grew up, Orphans Courts released the estates, the cousins married and the lands were sold.

Alexander, the son of John,  had married Sarah Crockett in the town of Carlisle, Cumberland, PA on 19 Dec 1793.

First Presbyterian Church, Carlisle PA, Records of the First Presbyterian Church, Carlisle, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Marriages, 1785-1800 (1785-1800).

By 1800, Pennsylvania's population had swelled to 602,000 people.  German emigrants were rapidly taking over the area from the original Ulster Scotch Presbyterian settlers.

The Northwest Territories became a draw to those leaving Pennsylvania.  Ohio with a population of 42159 in 1800 became a state in 1803 and saw a five fold increase in population by 1810.  Indiana Territory was created in 1800.  Congress reduced the amount of land that was allowed to be sold under the Northwest Ordinance to 320 acres and allowed payments to be made over a period of time.(2)

The location of Alexander in 1800 is not known for certain.  There is a listing in the census for Alexr Trimble showing one male between 26 and 45 (Alexander would be 28), two males between 16 and 26 (brother David and brother-in-law Andrew Crockett both fall in this range) and one male 0-10 (son James was born in 1798).  There were two females listed one 26-45 (we believe Sarah was only 24) and one 0-10 (daughter Eliann was born in 1794).(1)

By 1806, the last of his father John's estate settled, Alexander found himself one of the many leaving Cumberland County.   The following entries can be found in the records of Paxton Township, Ross County, Ohio where he settled. "An election was held at the house of Thomas Edmonson, on the sixth day of April 1807 for the purpose of electing township officers, when the following persons were chosen.... Alexander Trindle....Supervisors of highways..."  " ......at John Comb's house 4 April 1808.....Alexander Trindle, overseer of the poor....." "....in the house of _____ on the second day of April 1810 .....Alexander Trindle.....Supervisors of highways" , "___day of April in the house of ____ (Bainbridge) Alexander Trindle, treasurer.....", "5 April 1813 in the house of Elishe Kelly.....Alexander Trindle, treasurer...." The records in this source go for a few more years, but it seems Alexander had fulfilled his civic duties as his name does not appear again.(2)   


No census records survive for Ross County in 1810 (or 1800), but Alexander can be found on tax lists starting in 1809 indicating that he did own land, although the earliest land record found to date is for 1818 when he purchased the warrant to part of a Virginia military land grant that had been given to William Royall.   Perhaps this was a choice piece of land, found as he surveyed the roads for the government, perhaps it was the land he had lived on all along, now officially his.  Lying along Paint Creek in the present Ross county the land was a deciduous forest laced with creeks and rivulets.

(1) Alexr Trimble Household, Middleton, Cumberland, Pennsylvania; Second Census of the United States, 1800.  NARA Microfilm publication M32-38 p. 84
(2) About Patents, Bureau of Land Management - General Land Office Records http://www.glorecords.blm.gov
(2)  A History of Ross and Highland Counties Ohio; Williams Brothers 1880 p.325-326; No Libel, The Ohio Supporter, 6 Jul 1811 pg 1


See Documents page for links to Alexander's documents. 

To be continued

Andrew

1803 - Cumberland Co., PA
1885 - Dallas Co., IA

Andrew was born in the area now called Trindle Springs, but spent only his first few years there.  His father moved the family to Paint Township in Ross County OH about 1807.  They followed the Dill family who had settled at Dill's Station on Paint Creek in 1800.

Life for Andrew was busy as he worked with the family to create a farm from the untamed land.  Nights and winters were devoted to learning, a family tradition even in these early days of the 19th century.....

The rest of their chores finally done, John and Andrew raced off buckets in hand.  They wove their way through the redbuds and buckeyes to the bubbling creek that meandered along the southern edge of the family farm.  Andrew is twelve and the year is 1815.  The closest young neighbors are nearly an hour’s hike away so John and Andrew the two oldest sons of Alexander and Sarah Crockett Trindle were most often found in each others company as dusk settled over the land.  John is nearly grown, seventeen this year and Andrew often wondered how much longer this big brother he so adored would have time for him. (1)  
 
Perhaps Andrew didn’t learn to love this land, or perhaps he had grown to love the wildness and wonder of new land, for he early in his twenties left home and traveled on to the next frontier, Indiana.

Andrew didn’t travel alone.  His brother John had settled into Tippecanoe County with his wife Mary Himes and on 3 August 1826 Andrew married her sister Nancy and together they journeyed to join their siblings.(2)

1838  Tippecanoe County Indiana - Andrew silently weeps as he stands beside the grave of his beloved wife Nancy, lost in childbirth with his seventh child.  John standing beside him turns his eyes toward the grave of his first wife Mary.  Sisters, daughters of Abraham and Elizabeth Himes,(3) the Trindle wives  left their young husbands with large families to raise.  


Both sisters are buried in Shumacher Cemetery, Wea township, Tippecanoe County, Indiana.  Nancy left behind four children, three others preceded her to the grave.

Andrew went on, marrying once again on 23 Oct 1839 (4).  His second wife Mary DeHart, born in Virginia in 1811, gave birth to eight children.  Of Andrew's fifteen children, eight survived to adulthood.

In 1860 Andrew decided to move on  He eventually settled on a farm in Jefferson Township, Madison County, Iowa.(5)  His son Aaron settled next door.  Andrew struggled to keep both farms going during the years Aaron was away at war.   Son John also settled on a farm near by and his younger sons were old enough to help with the farming.  Andrew remained in Madison county for the rest of his life.

In his 82 years of life, he lost a father to the hardships of the Revolutionary War, saw the ravages of the War of 1812 in which he lost an Uncle, and saw his sons and nephews debilitated by the rigors of the Civil War.  He died in 1885 and is buried in Union Chapel Cemetery, Boonesville, Madison County, Iowa.(6)
--------------------------
(1) The description of the land comes from the deed to the land. (General Land Office OHIO 61651818/10/1383.0000)
(2) Casari, Robert, Marriage Records of Ross County Ohio 1798 - 1849 (: Closson Press, 1994) pg. 240
(3) The Parents of Nancy and Mary are named on their tombstones.
(4) Indiana Marriage Record - Tippecanoe, IN MR 2 1/2 (126) by Joseph Ashby MG
(5) Bureau of theCensus, RG 29 Micropubliation M593, Ninth Census of the United States 1870,Population schedule - Rol 407 page 41[written 7] Jefferson township --Winter, Madison, IA 18 Aug 1870 Thomas F Stile -- Andrew Trindle 66 MW Farmer 2500/19000 PA,, Mary 59 FW VA, Nancy 30 FW IN, Jacob 20 MW IN farm laborer, Abner 17 MW IN student, Olly 16 FW IN student,  Samuel Shultz 18 MW IN student
(6) Iowa. District Court (Madison County), Probate records, 1852-1978; indexes, 1850-1978, Will Records B, 89, #868 Estate of Andrew Trindle; FHL microfilm 1028192 Items 1-2; Tombstones, Union Chapel Cemetery, Jefferson Township, Madison, Iowa (); Brittian, Joseph and Lewis E Morris 1970/1977.Trindle, Andrew, d. 5-9-1885, 81 y 6 m 8 d, h/o Mary

See Documents page for links to Andrew's documents. 

Aaron

1833 Tippecanoe Co., IN 
1916 Loveland, Larimer, Colorado



2 May 1863 – New Carthage, Louisiana – Pvt. Aaron Trindle rustles impatiently on the cot crammed into the hospital tent.  He is worried about the battles facing his friends in Company A of the 23rd IA Regiment on the fields near Vicksburg.  Although his once hale 5' 10 3/4 inch frame is somewhat decimated by a bout of dysentery, he has recovered and managed to avoid the measles and smallpox that have invaded the troops, killing four from his company alone.(1)  

Rather, it is a senseless wound that  kept him from joining his company as they marched out on April 27,  “. . .  I was not very badly wounded but it come very near being a bad one my privates were touched but I do not think injured and the ball went through the thick part of my right thigh it was done by one of my own company looking at a revolver we was in a board shanty and I was faceing him and cautioned him to be careful and turned over on my hands and knees and was talking to nat thornton and while I was in that position it went off but it was purely accidental for he was badly scared and hated it very bad . . . ”(2) 

Aaron’s thoughts turn to home, the farm in Dallas County, Iowa,  “. . . you wanted to know that our land is rented and all sewed in wheat, our debts are paid . . . ” (3)  He then visualizes the bulging household of his father-in-law, Aaron Smith, in Tippecanoe County,  Indiana, where Eliza reported “copperheads (southern sympathizers)  are getting very bold” (4)   These were the least of his worries.

His worries focus on his loved ones, on Wesley his small son laid in the grave in Iowa the fall before, “I could almost see the dear little ones agonys but thank god he has gone where there is no more suffering but oh my Dear wife it is heard for me to give him up      of to think I could be there to kiss his dying brow . . .  you must excuse my bad writing for my feelings was so stirred and the tears blinded me so I could not write” (5) 

He tries to picture his third child, just weeks old.  The child that he is destined never to meet (6) ,    “. . . ma you insist that I must name it I would rather you would name it yourself but if you cant think of a name that suits you better call it Ellen . . . ” (7) 

Thoughts turn from the new baby to Ally, now four  . . . ”Tell Allie that I still think of her and ma  tell her that she must be a pretty girl and mind what ma says and pa will love her better.” (8)  His thoughts settle finally on his beloved Jane wrenched from her home in Iowa, suffering through birth, death and sickness without him at her side for support . . .  he has urged her not to “despair the restoration of the union and the termination of the war soon . . . I still look forward to the day not very far distant when this rebellion will live only in history.”  (9)  He has assured her of his love “Believe me my love for you and the children will last while life shall last.” Aaron longs to hold her in his arms and give her true comfort.

Aaron survived the war, and Eliza continued to cherish and save his letters the entire time he was away.  At the time of his discharge as a corporal on 5 June 1864 in Harrisburg Texas the 23rd IA infantry once 961 strong had dwindled to less than one hundred. (10) Three hundred and seventy men were lost at the Battle of Black River Bridge and fifty more in the battle with the rebels on Richmond road where for the first time colored troops took a prominent part. (11) “On 14 Jul 1863 Aaron tells Eliza “. . . our regiment is nearly played out both officers and men --we started from vicksburg with about 80 men and part of them was not able to march – and there is now about 65 effective men in the regiment . . . ” (12) 

August 1912 – Loveland Colorado  – Aaron Trindle rustles impatiently in his bed, confined by a what he calls a breakdown, most likely a stroke.  Nearly 80 now his life has been filled with joys and sorrows both.  Nearly deaf, blind in one eye and fraught with rheumatism and lung disease, he has been collecting a military pension, now $20 a month,  for over twenty years.  In granting the pension it was noted that he had “no vicious habits.” (13) 

Visions of his life occupy him as he struggles to recover from this newest trial: the sorrow of losing four of his children cushioned by thoughts of the grandchildren scattered throughout Colorado and California; the hardship of keeping the farm in Iowa mitigated by the prosperity of the farm in Colorado and the eventual retirement in the town of Loveland; Jane the love of his life still after fifty four years of marriage. (14)     However, Aaron is worried about Jane and his son Howard, who was unable to care for himself.  He had put off his will for too long, now is the time to make sure that Howard will be cared for when he and eventually Eliza Jane are gone.

Aaron died April 1, 1916. (15)   In his will, Aaron did make special provisions for Howard with the same love that he had felt for him throughout his life. (16)  Aaron is buried in Lakeside Cemetery,  Loveland, Colorado (17) and Eliza Jane who died in Long Beach California 19th Feb 1923 is buried at his side. (18) 

(1)  National Archives, Civil War Pension Files, Washington DC # WC-810-095 - Aaron Trindle filed 1891

(2) Trindle, Aaron, Civil War Letters 1862-1865 to His Wife Eliza Jane Trindle. Original Letters in possession of Bruce Trindle, Nebraska, great-grandson of Aaron. Page 22, Letter dated 12 May 1863

(3) Ibid 2 Mar 1863

(4) Ibid 4 Apr 1863

(5) Ibid 10 Oct 1862

(6) Ellen is not buried with Wesley and Ida in the family plot in Iowa.  Most likely she was buried with the Smith family in Indiana.

(7) Civil War Letters 24 Apr 1863

(8) Ibid 18 Apr 1863

(9) Ibid 7 Feb 1863

(10)  Oliver, Philip (developer), The Civil War CD-ROM, The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies (Guild press of Indiana, Inc 1997) Dyer's Compendium Part 3 Regimental Histories - Iowa Regiments

(11) Peterson, William J, The Story of Iowa v 1-2, Lewis Historical Publishing, NY 1952 p474.

(12) Civil War Letters 14 Jul 1863

(13) Civil War Pension File 

(14) Tippecanoe County IN - MR7 page 537 license issued 20 Feb 1858 at Lafayette, Tippecanoe, IN. The marriage was performed by G.H. Rondebush JP.

(15) Death Certificate -  Loveland, Larimer County, Colorado #153 filed 4-2-1916

(16) Will #1941,  Loveland, Larimer County,  Colorado, filed 16 April 1916 Trindle/Simpson Lawyers/ witness William H Trindle

(17) Reading provided by Lakeside Cemetery - Aaron Trindle 2 27 2 1833-1916 Corp Co A IA inf

(18) Reading provided by Lakeside Cemetery  – 3 27 2 Eliza Jane Trindle 1841-1923

See Documents page for links to Aaron's documents. 

Walter

1867 Dallas Co, IA
1930 Long Beach, Los Angeles, CA

Walter, the fifth of eleven children of Aaron Trindle and Eliza Jane Smith, was born in Dallas Co. IA in 1867.  He was only the second child and the first son to live past the age of two.  The family moved to Colorado shortly after the marriage of his older sister in 1877 and there on 18 Dec 1889 in Loveland he married Annie Dora Naylor.
"Mr. Walter H. Trindle and Miss Dora A. Naylor were married on Wednesday, December 18, at the residence of the brides parents, north of this town. Rev. Mr. Griffith officiating. Only the families of the contracting parties were present.  Mr. Trimble is one of our brightest of young men who has a host of friends and the bride is a charming young lady who is much admired in society circles.  We wish them a prosperous journey through life and that their pathway may be strewn with roses." FORT COLLINS WEEKLY COURIER


Walter was employed by the Great Western sugar Corporation  in Loveland .  Over the next 17 years five children extended the family. In 1910 he was transferred to Long Beach, California, where in 1918 they bought a house at 2260 Elm Street.


Beulah Garrison recalls "  I was 11 when he died and I don't remember him very well.  He was a big man and very quiet.  He had 5 Chihuahua dogs and a big brown leather chair.  When he came in and sat down they all flew into his lap.  They hated everyone else and just tolerated Grandma.  I knew him with a huge red mustache and he drank from a mustache cup.  (Greg's picture reminded me a lot of him)  I don't remember him playing with me at all.

He was an excellent carpenter and built the Holly Sugar Factory in Santa Ana that was in use until the middle 1990's, when it was torn down.  Whe he lived in long beach he built busses and was much sought after because he was left handed and could use tools in places difficult for a right handed man (actually he was totally ambidexterous) "

Walter died in Long Beach on 30 Dec 1930.  His death certificate attributes his death to apoplexy due to high blood pressure.  He is buried in Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood.

Annie Dora remarried but is buried next to Walter.

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