Adam Hays in Marion Co, IA

HAYS, HAYES, MESSENGER

Posted By: Elizabeth Chain (email)
Date: 9/1/2002 at 16:40:35

Descendancy Register for Adam Hays [ed. E.E. Chain, Ph.D]

First Generation

1. Adam Hays was born on 12 Jan 1807 in Franklin Tp, Greene Co, PA. He died on 1 Jul 1885 in Marion Co, IA. He was buried in Concord Cm, Indiana Tp, Marion Co, IA. He had other parents.

Adam served in the military Civil War.

Adam's parents have not been found, even after extensive searching by Walter Hayes, his 2nd great-grandson. It is possible he was orphaned at an early age.

It is likely that at least one of Adam's forebears fought in the Revolutionary War, as this story has come down through the family.
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Before they left Greene County, Pennsylvania, for Knox County, Ohio, Adam and Mary had three sons and a daughter. The U.S. Census for Ohio in 1840 showed the Adam Hays family living in Pleasant Township (six miles from Mount Vernon). The son, Adam M. Hays, said that Adam operated a Mill there as well as farming. While in Knox County they had seven more children. Responding to the lure of cheap land and great opportunity offered by the land agents and railroads, Adam took his family by covered wagon across Ohio and Indiana to LaSalle County, Illinois (abt 1849). In LaSalle County they grew grain and produce for the Chicago market.

After about six years in Illinois the family broke up with Sam and Steve getting married in Earlville and taking their brides north to Crawford County, Wisconsin, to escape the mosquitoes (and consequent malaria) that dwelled along the river around Starved Rock. The rest of the family ended up momentarily in Marshall County, Iowa, near the town of Albion.

Hearing the cry 'Gold Discovery near Denver' in 1848 Adam again loaded up his family and headed west. They nearly lost a son, Robert, while prospecting for gold and silver at Central City (known as Mountain City at that time). Robert caught Mountain Fever and needed help. Accordingly Adam abandoned a lucrative prospecting trade and headed for Fairfield, Iowa, where Mary Hays' sister was living. Upon reaching Marion Count, Iowa, they found the weather too cold to go farther. James and Adam purchased farms, as did Adam Junior and Chester and Jane (Hays) Twining.

David Hays had sold some of his property in Marshall County and came to Marion County before he
and Holsworth took off for Helena, Arkansas, where they taught school.

- 'A Hayes Family History' by Walter O. Hayes, Des Moines, Iowa, 1989.
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The 1820 US census shows an Adam Hays between 26 and 45 years, listed by himself in Franklin Tp, Greene Co, Pennsylvania. This is too old for our Adam, but on the line right above that is William Hays, head of a household that has two sons the right age for our Adam. To strengthen the possibility that this is the correct Hays, there is a Messinger family listed in the same township with a daughter the correct age to have been Adam's future wife.

Here are the writer's theories: The Adam Hays in Greene County could have been a brother of William Hays, who names one of his sons after his brother, a not uncommon practice. Since families moved around little, marriages in most cases were between neighboring families - Adam Hays did marry Mary Messinger, that we know. This is all circumstantial evidence, but it is the best available. It needs much more work to prove the theory is correct.

- from Jack Richard Terry, 103 James River Road, Kimberling City, MO 2002.
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Adam married (1) Mary Anne Messenger daughter of David Messenger on 26 May 1828 in Greene Co, PA. Mary was born on 13 May 1813 in Near Middletown, OH. She died on 25 Jul 1870 in Marion Co, IA. She was buried in Concord Cm, Indiana Tp, Marion Co, IA.

The publication, "Cemeteries of Marion County, Iowa" on page 40 lists her birthdate as 14 April 1811 and deathdate as 29 July 1872.

Adam and Mary had the following children:

+ 2 M i. Samuel H. Hays was born in 1830. He died on 3 Feb 1865.

+ 3 M ii. Stephen T. Hays Hayes was born on 1 Feb 1832. He died on 28 Sep 1902.

4 F iii. Marinda Hays was born on 20 Aug 1833 in Greene Co, PA. She died on 15 Feb 1857 in Marshall Co, IA. The cause of death was likely mosquito-borne disease.

5 M iv. David C. Hays was born on 18 Jun 1835 in Greene Co, PA. He died about 1873 in near Denver, CO. He was buried On the mountainside.

David served in the military 2nd Cavalry of Texas Civil War.

+ 6 M v. Henry H. Hays was born on 6 May 1837. He died on 11 Jan 1911.

7 M vi. Holsworth Hays was born in 1839 in Knox Co, OH.

Holsworth served in the military Civil War, with the South.

+ 8 F vii. Jane Belle Hays was born on 28 Oct 1840. She died on 17 Jul 1918.

+ 9 M viii. James Mervin Hays was born on 18 Mar 1842. He died on 26 Jun 1920.

+ 10 F ix. Mary Anne Hays was born on 28 Jul 1843. She died on 24 Apr 1924.

11 M x. Robert Guy Hays was born on 15 Jan 1847 in Knox Co, OH. He died on 4 Jul 1908 in Oklahoma City, OK. He was buried in Oklahoma City, OK.
Robert married Clara Bear .

+ 12 M xi. Adam Messenger Hays was born in Oct 1850. He died on 20 Oct 1925.

Adam married (2) Mary Young daughter of Alexander Young in 1872 in IA. Mary was born on 26 Sep 1831. She died on 1 Feb 1903. She was buried in Concord Cm, Indiana Tp, Marion Co, IA.

They had the following children:

13 F xii. Lulu Belle Hays was born on 27 Feb 1874 in Marion Co, IA. She died on 18 Apr 1922 in Gillespie, IL. The cause of death was cancer. She was buried in City Cm, Gillespie, IL.
Lulu married Tom Stiller on 3 Aug 1890. Tom died in 1914 in Gillespie, IL.

14 M xiii. Alexander Leroy Hays was born on 11 Mar 1876 in Marion Co, IA. He died on 6 Dec 1945 in Marion Co, IA. He was buried in Graceland Cm, Knoxville, IA.
Alexander married Nora Isabell Breese on 6 Dec 1899.