The Muhlenberg Family- Pennsylvania

The Early American Life magazine, April 2017 edition, provided an excellent source of names to put into the collection box of names to make further connections to Charles Cist, American Revolutionary War Philadelphia printer.

The article starts out by explaining who the Patrich, The Reverend Henry Muhlenberg was in early colonial Pennsylvania history. He was instrumental in organizing the Lutheran ministry in early colonial America. His house was furnished with excellent examples of 18th century furniture from Pennsylvania and Philadelphia German wood makers. The furniture was made to entertain extensively. Reverend Muhlenberg emigrated from Germany in 1742. This is the same time period that Count Nikolaus von Zinzendorf  visited Philadelphia from Germany that I wrote about in previous blog posts ( Wednesday night Celtic Service)

Additionally, the article mentions an intriguing connection to an added viewpoint on the ongoing battle to better understand slavery, indentured servitude, freedom, and liberty.  The Muhlenberg family had both German indentured servants and enslaved African servants living at the house. A German woman servant and one of the enslaved African servants got into a physical altercation that could not be reconciled, so she went to a neighboring Muhlenberg's house.

The second son of Henry and Mary Muhlenberg was Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg. He was born in Trappe, Pennsylvania on January 1, 1750. He went to Germany in 1763 for his education. NOTE TO SELF( Did he go to the University of Halle, Germany, the same university as Charles Cist and Nikolaus von Zinzendorf ?) Frederick returned home from his educational studies back to America in 1770.

Frederick Muhlenberg was very active in both ministries and later in Pennsylvania politics have been involved at the 1787 Pennsylvania's constitutional convention, elected to first Federal Congress of 1789, became first Speaker of the House and first signer of the Bill of Rights. He was elected three more times in the House.

Andrew C. Allen
pewabic34@gmail.com
October 31, 2017

10,000th view page hit. Thank you readers!

During a visit to the Lilly Rare books department at the Indiana University in Bloomington, IN in January 2014, I located Charles Cist's printing of early colonial hot air balloon rides. Many doctors, statesmen, as well as President George Washington were there for the grand festival. Benjamin Franklin donated scientific instruments to the exploratory experiments with air pressure, air moisture, and other natural philosophies studies that the group sought answers to questions. I have videos of documents, but I am having a challenge placing them onto my blog. I am working on this to help better explain findings.

An important auction of important maps and books from The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is being auctioned off November 10-11, 2017. Many of the maps and books belonged to many of the names that I come across while collecting material on Charles Cist. The works offered are by John Graves Simcoe, Lewis Evans, Thomas Hutchins, Lieutenant John Hills, Joseph Frederick, Wallet des Barres, Theodore de Bry, Robert Morden, John Senex, and more. Brunk Auctions is selling off an example of the American Spirit of information pertaining to the early development of America. This period of maps and books go up to 1805. This is when Charles Cist died in Washington, D.C. Cist worked in the Adams administration and helped establish an early governmental printing office there.

This is going to be a very exciting auction that will bring an added vantage point to the continuing American Spirit.

Andrew C. Allen
pewabic34 at gmail.com
October 2, 2017

Bracebridge, Ontario Public Library July 2017- Henry M. Cist

I spent a number of days at the Bracebridge, Ontario Public Library in July. To my surprise I found a reference book that mentioned Henry M. Cist. I knew that his second wife, Jennie Bear was from the Pittsburgh, PA area. Many old time cottagers were from the Pittsburgh area. There is an 1890 map of the Muskoka Lakes region that lists the cottage that Cist lived in.  A special thank you goes to Louis Allen (Buzz) Carmichael for correcting information. Mr. Carmichael mentioned that it was the family of Jennie Bear that owned the cottage. I find this interesting because Cist traveled quite extensively during his life time. He grew up in Cincinnati, endured traveling to Georgia during the Battle of Chickamauga, during the American Civil War. He also traveled to Florida to a Cist family homestead what is now Thistle lodge on Sanibel Island, Florida.Then there is the cottage in northern Ontario. Why did he do so much travelling? It took days and/or weeks to get to a destination back then.

Beaumaris, by Patricia Walbridge Ahlbrandt, The Boston Press is were I found this information. Pages 139-40 discusses Bay Point were the cottage was built in 1897 by Peter Curtis. When Henry M. Cist died in Rome, Italy in 1902, the cottage was sold to the Willocks family. When Henry M. Cist died he made one finally trip from Rome, Italy to Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati, Ohio. He is buried in the Cist plot.

The Cist family did not start the Dixie Highway system. They were a family that experienced the development of the Dixie Highway system that the U.S. Government built. Many other American families have used this highway system through the generations. I can imagine the conversations and daily encounters that Mr. and Mrs. Cist had with fellow travelers and possibly developed  new friendships. The Civil War ended over 150 years ago and the Dixie Highway system recently celebrated its 100th anniversary.

I will leave my readers with a possible connection question. In a previous blog entry, I wrote about the hot air balloon rides that Cist published in the late 1700's. The founding fathers had a long list of items on their agendas. Building the national road would be on the agenda for the next generation with the Louisiana Purchase.Could  Charles Cist (Philadelphia printer and grandfather of Henry M. Cist) had the foresight to use the hot air balloon rides to develop and map out a very early and primitive road system that lead out west? Did Charles Cist past down a desire to continue learning? Many activities during Charles Cist days were done in groups, so it was with others that Cist  was included working on a continuing plan to map a road system.

Andrew C. Allen
pewabic34 at gmail.com
August 10, 2017

The Federal Procession of 1788

Talk Delivered to the Quarterly Meeting of The Carpenters' Company, July 20, 1987

by John C. Van Horne, Librarian, Library Company of Philadelphia

The Federal Edifice

I was delighted to have been asked to speak to you this evening about "The Meaning of the Grand Federal Edifice and Procession" because this is the year of the Constitution, as we're now almost too well aware, and because the Library Company and the Carpenters' Company share a common link to the historic events of the summer of 1787, which I'll get to in a moment. But our two institutions share much more than a link to the Grand Convention — we have histories that were closely intertwined for almost twenty years-and before I turn to the topic of the evening I want to briefly describe the nature of that long connection.

It began in the summer of 17-72, when the Carpenters' Company offered space on the second floor of its newly built Carpenters' Hall to the Library Company. The Library was at the time in the west wing of the State House, but had outgrown its quarters and needed additional space not only for its books, but also for its "philosophical apparatus" (or scientific instruments) and its cabinet of curiosities The Library Company directors accepted the offer, and when negotiations were completed, it was agreed that the Library Company would rent the entire second floor of Carpenters' Hall for £36 per year. The move took place in August 1773, and from that time until the fall of 1790, the Carpenters" Company and the Library Company occupied the same building.
I understand that you are contemplating restoring the Library's quarters on the second floor, and I commend you for that effort. Such a restoration would be, I think, equally as significant as the replication of the facade of our 1790 Library Hall by the American Philosophical Society when the Society's own library building went up thirty years ago on Fifth Street. I must warn you, though, that you won't be able to bring back to Carpenters' Hall all the books that once lined the shelves upstairs — they're the heart of the Library Company's collection! In any case, our directors' minutes shed much light on what the rooms were like and should be a prime source for the restoration. For instance, the minutes record that wire lattices were installed in frames in front of the books; that Gabriel Valois was engaged to carve and gild two roses for the ceiling above two chandeliers for £7.10; that the books were kept in the east room and the philosophical apparatus in the west room; that the windows were fitted with inside shutters; that the room was heated by an open fire; and that the furnishings included a dozen Windsor chairs made by Joseph Henzey for £9.
The years of our occupancy of Carpenters' Hall witnessed some momentous times. The First Continental Congress convened in Carpenters' Hall in September 1774 and its delegates relied upon the Library Company as their book resource. During the Revolution, the building served as a hospital for both British and American troops. Many meetings of the Library Company's directors had to be postponed for lack of a quorum, and the Library's hours were severely curtailed. The presence of combustible materials on the lower floor caused alarm among the Library Company's directors and members, who decided to investigate the possibility of moving to other, presumably safer, quarters.

The Federal Edifice at George Bush's Presidential Innauguration

As I read over the minutes, I was struck by another curious thing, which on reflection is really not all that remarkable: those chaotic years were marked by a high turnover of Librarians. From the appointment of Charles Cist in May 1773 to the appointment of Zachariah Poulson in February 1785, there were seven Librarians (Poulson then served until 1805). Of those seven, the man who served the longest was a Frenchman named Francis Daymon (Librarian, April 1774 to June 1777). Daymon was a witness (indeed he acted as a sort of mid-wife) to one of the most important events ever to have taken place in this building. He was translator at a December 1775 meeting between Franklin and John Jay, who comprised the Committee of Secret Correspondence of the Continental Congress, and Achard de Bonvouloir, the secret agent of the French court. That historic meeting, and Bonvouloir's subsequent report to French foreign minister Vergennes, contributed mightily to the French decision to join the war on the American side and turn the tide against Britain.
Your own Charles Peterson has long held that Daymon was hired by Franklin so that he would be in place for just such a contingency. It's an intriguing theory — I might even say an intriguing conspiracy theory — but I just can't corroborate it. The minutes say virtually nothing about Daymon or why he was hired. And when he was hired, Franklin was in England, and his surviving correspondence for that period fails to mention Daymon. Perhaps it was just fortuitous that this obscure Frenchman — librarian, French instructor, translator, merchant, and privateer — was on the scene to earn himself a place in history.
1787 was another important year for the Library Company and the Carpenters' Company. When the delegates to the Constitutional Convention met in the state House, the Library Company directors offered them the use of the collection, following the precedent set in 1774. This privilege was acknowledged by the Convention in a vote of thanks to the Library Company, and the delegates repaired to Carpenters' Hall to consult the 5,000 volumes in our collection — the largest collection in the country of the works of political theory, history, law, and statecraft that we now know were influential in shaping the thinking of the Founders. Our current Bicentennial Exhibition, "The Delegates' Library," displays sixty of the very books that were available to the delegates here at Carpenters' Hall and are still on our shelves today, works by such important thinkers as John Locke, William Blackstone, Adam Smith, Daniel Defoe, Baron de Montesquieu, and Thomas Paine.
Lest you think that all the activities of the Library Company were of a serious or scholarly nature during its occupancy of Carpenters' Hall, consider that bound in with our directors' minutes is a letter from librarian Zachariah Poulson to director William Parke of 19 November 1788. Parke was a member of the committee to prepare a new catalogue of the Library Company's collection. Poulson wrote that the committee had met two days previously, but "only left as much of the Catalogues as will engage them till seven o'clock this evening. As they mean to devote the remainder of the evening to oysters and social converse, they earnestly wish the puncutal attendance of all of the Members of the Committee" at six!
The Library Company's stay in Carpenters' Hall ended in 1790, when the collection was removed to our newly-constructed Library Hall on Fifth Street. The departure was made inevitable by the growth of the collection and the members' desire to avoid the danger of fire posed by the joint occupancy of a building. So a relationship that had lasted almost twenty years came to an end, but in the intervening two hundred years there have been many other occasions, such as tonight's, when that association can be recalled and strengthened.
And now on to a consideration of the Grand Federal Procession.
Following the signing of the Constitution on September 17, 1787, the document was submitted to the states for their approval. The final article of the Constitution stipulated that "the ratification of the conventions of nine states shall be sufficient for the establishment of this Constitution between the states so ratifying the same." The implication, of course, was that any state that did not ratify would become an independent state or nation, outside the bounds of the Government of the United States under the Constitution
One by one the states began to ratify, as the arguments of the Federalists and the enthusiasm of the Constitution's supporters steadily overcame the objections of the Antifederalists, those principled men whom a recent historian has labeled "Men of Little Faith."
But faith in the future of the nation, faith in the people, great and small, who comprised the nation, is what the Constitution was all about. Delaware was the first to ratify, on December 7, 1787, not three months after receiving the document. Pennsylvania followed on December 12, and New Jersey on December 19. The new year brought Georgia on January 2, Connecticut on January 9, Massachusetts on February 6, Maryland on April 28, and South Carolina on May 23. That made eight, with only one more state needed.
Three states — New Hampshire, Virginia, and New York — had scheduled Conventions to meet in June, and though Antifederalist sentiment was strong in each, it was assumed that soon at least one would ratify, giving life to the Constitution. Francis Hopkinson, poet, judge, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and my predecessor as Librarian of the Library Company of Philadelphia, hoped to make the most of this fortuitous timing by planning a huge celebration for July 4, 1788. New Hampshire cooperated with Hopkinson by ratifying on June 21, followed closely by Virginia on June 25. That made ten states, one more than the nine required to call the Constitution into effect. Hopkinson's party could go on, but it had to be prepared on very short notice.
Ceremonies and parades in each state had already marked each successive ratification since the previous December, but they were mostly modest and sedate affairs. Hopkinson was thinking big, and he planned to put on the largest civic event the nation had ever seen. What came to be called the Grand Federal Procession, of which the Grand Federal Edifice was literally as well as figuratively the centerpiece, started to take shape.
In the incredibly short space of four or five days, everything came together. Benjamin Franklin Bache, as head of the printers, published a broadside detailing the order of the procession. Musician Alexander Reinagle quickly composed a Federal Grand March. Charles Willson Peale, the artist who loved to entertain the public, had just returned from Maryland in the last days of June. He was soon as busy as Hopkinson, laying out the route of the parade, providing flags of all of America's allies, suggesting costumes, banners, and mottos for the participating groups, and, of course, working on the Grand Federal Edifice. And the representatives of Philadelphia's trades and professions prepared their own entries in the parade.
The procession began at Third and South Streets, 5,000 strong, at 9:30 a.m. The assembled multitude marched north to Callowhill, west to Fourth, south to Market, and finally west to Union Green at Bush Hill, the estate of William Hamilton beyond Twelfth and Market. The parade route was about three miles long, but the marchers stretched out over a mile and a half! The evening before the Procession, the city's street commissioners had seen that along the route the streets were swept, the trees trimmed, and all obstacles removed. The day went more flawlessly than Hopkinson and Peale might have dared hope. Clouds blocked out the hot July sun, and a cooling breeze blew all day. In the evening the sky was illuminated by a beautiful Aurora Borealis. And on top of that, the utmost order prevailed. There was not one accident, not one quarrel. Providence certainly shined on that day.
The procession included literally a cast of thousands — military units; artillery; officers of the court of admiralty; representatives of America's allies, including Mr. J.H.C. Heineken, consul from the Netherlands; wardens of the port; collectors of customs; officers of the land office and of Congress; justices of Philadelphia's courts; wardens and constables; men of the bar; clergymen; members of the college of Physicians and of the Agricultural Society and of the Manufacturing Society; merchants and traders; ship carpenters and boat builders and students of the University.
And then there were the men (and no doubt more than a few women) from the Trades and Professions. We tend to think of our own age as one of specialization, and to romanticize and envy those who lived two centuries ago as somehow more well-rounded, or better able to do more for themselves because so many goods, services, and foods were not available commercially. But the Grand Federal Procession reminds us that Philadelphia's economy was remarkably diverse, and that there was a great deal of specialization. The listing of the 44 Trades and Professions that marched in the procession should be read so that we can understand the cohesiveness and pride that must have attached to each of these skilled groups:
Cordwainers; coach-painters, cabinet and chair makers; brick makers; painters; porters; watch makers; fringe and ribbon weavers; bricklayers; tailors; instrument makers, turners, and windsor-chair makers; carvers and gilders; coopers; plane makers; whip manufacturers; blacksmiths, whitesmiths nailsmiths, and bell hangers; coach makers; potters; hatters; wheelwrights; tin-plate workers; skinners, breeches makers, and glovers; tallow chandlers; butchers; printers, stationers, and bookbinders; saddlers; stone cutters; bakers; gunsmiths; coppersmiths; goldsmiths, silversmiths, and jewelers; distillers; tobacconists; brass founders; stocking manufacturers; curriers; druggists; upholsterers; sugar refiners; brewers; peruke makers and barbers; ship chandlers; engravers; and plasterers.
The grand Federal Edifice, at the heart of the Procession, was loaded with allegories and symbols, with which you're all no doubt more familiar than I am. But I think it would be appropriate if I read the detailed description of the Edifice written by Hopkinson himself and published in the magazine American Museum:
"The new roof, or grand federal edifice, on a carriage drawn by ten white horses; the dome supported by thirteen Corinthian columns, raised on pedestals proper to that order; the frieze decorated with thirteen stars; ten of the columns complete, and three left unfinished: on the pedestals of the columns were inscribed, in ornamented cyphers, the initials of the thirteen American states. On the top of the dome, a handsome cupola surmounted by a figure of Plenty, bearing her cornucopia, and other emblems of her character. The dimensions of this building were as follow: ten feet diameter, eleven feet to the top of the cornice, the dome four feet high, the cupola five feet high, the figure of Plenty, three feet six inches; the carriage on which it was mounted, three feet high; the whole thirty-six feet in height. Found the pedestal of the edifice were these words, 'in union the fabric stands firm.' This elegant building was begun and finished in the short space of four days, by Mr. William Williams and Co." Hopkinson continued,
"On the floor of the grand edifice, were placed ten chairs for the accommodation of ten gentlemen. These gentlemen sat as representatives of the citizens at large, to whom the federal constitution was committed previous to the ratification. When the grand edifice arrived safe at Union Green, these gentlemen gave up their seats to the representatives of the states, who entered the temple, and hung their flags on the Corinthian columns to which they respectively belonged." Behind the Edifice marched 450 architects and house carpenters (your own predecessors), and attached to them were the sawmakers and file cutters. What a stunning sight it must have been!
As I studied contemporary accounts of the Procession, it occurred to me that it translated the Constitution into visible symbols. It made palpable to all present, whether the 5,000 marching or the untold thousands watching, certain facets of the new republican form of government that distinguished it from all other governments on earth. The Procession truly made evident the revolutionary nature of the new national Constitution, and that is its importance for us today. Most obviously, the presence of so many artisans and tradesmen among the various dignitaries testifies vividly to the democratic spirit of the Revolution and the republican system instituted by the Constitution. The great physician Dr. Benjamin Rush described this well in a letter written immediately after the Procession. "It was very remarkable, that every countenance wore an air of dignity as well as pleasure. Every tradesman's boy in the procession seemed to consider himself as a principal in the business. Rank for a while forgot all its claims, and Agriculture, Commerce and Manufactures, together with the learned and mechanical professions, seemed to acknowledge, by their harmony and respect for each other, that they were all necessary to each other, and all useful in cultivated society. These circumstances distinguished this Procession from the processions in Europe, which are commonly instituted in honor of single persons. The military alone partake of the splendor of such exhibitions. Farmers and Tradesmen are either deemed unworthy of such connections, or are introduced like horses or buildings, only to add to the strength or length of the procession. Such is the difference between the effects of a republican and monarchial government upon the minds of men!" And now from that general observation to the specific, I can give you several instances of correlations between the Procession and the Constitution:
Take the blacksmiths' float, which included a working forge on which swords were literally beaten into plowshares. This graphically illustrated the fact that the U.S. was a nation whose intentions toward other nations were benign and that was a society based on law and consent rather than the force of might and coercion. The Preamble to the Constitution addressed these feelings, for our charter of government was established to insure domestic tranquility and provide for the common defense, and local militias composed of citizen-soldiers, rather than a large standing army of professional soldiers, were considered the only proper means of accomplishing those objects.
Or take the house, ship, and sign painters, who held aloft a banner proclaiming that "Virtue alone is true nobility." A noble sentiment, you might think, but it is more than that, for Article 1, section 9, paragraph 8, stipulates that "No title of nobility shall be granted by the United States" and also prohibits any one holding federal office from accepting any "employment, office, or title, or any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreigh state." Thus virtue was not just true nobility, as the painters declared — in the new United States it was the only nobility to be had!
The goldsmiths silversmiths, and jewelers displayed a flag depicting the genius of America holding in her hand a silver urn, with the motto, "The purity, brightness, and solidity of this metal are emblematical of that liberty which we expect from the new constitution." This same flag also had an allegory of the Constitution, for America's head was surrounded by 13 stars of varying brightness depending on whether the state represented by each star had yet ratified the Constitution. And there was a fourteenth star, "of equal luster with the first ten (which had already ratified), just emerging from the horizon, near one half seen, for the rising state of Kentucky."
The Constitution authorized (4:3:1) Congress to admit new states into the union, and it was understood by all that new states would join the union on an equal footing with the original states. Indeed the stars of the new states did shine as brightly as the stars of the original states. This was an important aspect of the new American system, an unprecedented arrangement whereby inhabitants of newly settled areas were not treated any differently than those who happened to live in the older states. Perhaps more than anything else, this fact encouraged Americans to move ever westward, eventually conquering a continent.
The bricklayers carried a flag with the motto "Both buildings and rulers are the works of our hands," acknowledging that the people are truly sovereign in the form of government established by the Constitution, with officeholders answerable to the electorate.
As for religion, the Constitution went beyond mere tolerance of all denominations to a system of true equality. There was to be no establishment, no state church (although this did not become explicit until the ratification of the First Amendment in 1791), and the sixth Article, third Section stated that "no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States." The Procession brought this new reality to the popular consciousness. Hopkinson reported that "the clergy of the different Christian denominations, with the rabbi of the Jews, walk(ed) arm in arm," "united in charity and brotherly love." Of course, the dietary laws of the Jews prevented a total mingling. In the Library Company's collections is a letter from Naphtali Phillips written 80 years after the event. Phillips, who had just celebrated his 95th birthday, recalled the first Procession vividly. He noted that at the end "there was a number of long tables loaded with all kinds of provisions with a separate table for the Jews who could not partake of the meats from the other tables, but they had a full supply of soused salmon bread and crackers, almonds, raisins, etc."
In any event, the Procession made visible the new equality among all of America's religions.
The Grand Federal Procession, with the Grand Federal Edifice at its center, thus made manifest some of the more unique aspects of the very innovative American Constitution. It celebrated not only a document, but what that document would mean for the daily lives of all Philadelphians. And it did that remarkably well, by all accounts. The Procession was an event unlike any other in the annals of the city, or indeed of the nation. I hope, with you, that this September 17th will be as remarkable in its way as the Fourth of July 1788 was. I know that your Grand Federal Edifice will be as central to this year's Procession as its 199-year-old prototype.
Now I'll say "thank you" and sit down, but my use of those two words signifies more than just thanks for your invitation and your polite attention. I mean thank you for giving so generously of your time and efforts to help Philadelphia make the most of 1987. Just as I am proud to be a successor at the Library Company of Francis Hopkinson, who conceived the idea of the Procession, so, too, you should be proud to be the successors of those Philadelphians who made Hopkinson's dream a reality.

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The article mentions Charles Cist as an early librarian in Philadelphia during this time. It places him in the mist of American Revolutionary thought. It is documented that Styner and Cist were the first to translate and print the Declaration of Independence into German. This article puts Charles Cist in the framework of being a possible translator and printer of the Declaration of Independence into French. It would add stability to a theory that Cist helped promote the ideals of liberty and freedom and spread it through out the world in different languages.

Andrew C. Allen

pewabic34 at gmail.com

06/09/2017

Crossroads Coins, Vandalia, Ohio

Crossroads Coins, 344 East National Road,Vandalia, OH  45377 was kind enough to let me video their sample of Continental Currency that they had on display. Charles Cist was a printer of currency and signer of currency, too. The samples of currency that Crossroads had on display showed a different name than Cist. The dates from Cist currency notes and the different dates from the other samples can be used to help pin point a time frame of where patriots were during the American Revolutionary War.

Krista Willis of quillstranscription.com transcribed video for me. Next step is to place video into blog.

ANDREW:     Here we are at Crossroads Coins, and this is part two of my blog entry.  This is walking stick (indicates) of Charles Cist from Philadelphia.  This is Philadelphia Cherry wood.  And if we open the top up here (opens), this was a way to smuggle documents as well as Continental currency in the secret compartment where people would visit the printing shop of Charles Cist and Henry Steiner, and the Continental currency issues that we just filmed would go in here and if someone was stopped, the currency and/or documents would be in here and not on the person themselves.  So the -- this was a very ingenious way to share information and get information to the printers.  And this stick was also used by many people.  And some people would knock on the door this way (indicates) and then some people who used the stick would announce themselves by tapping the door at the end here (indicates).  And of course, through time -- I'm not sure which way Charles Cist used his cane -- but that's why there are dents on the circular part here (indicates) and nicks down below (indicates). 

Thank you, Matt.

(End of recording.)

Piatt and Cist family Connections

DAVID:          Now we are over here at the -- what we call the Stone Church.  This is outside of West Union, Ohio, right in the middle, a lot of where the Piatt families were.  Of course, a lot of the Piatt's were farmers, so a lot of them didn't get necessarily moved to cemeteries.  But this old Stone Church was built in the early 1800s and several of the Piatt names are carved along the base of it and stuff.  This is the Piatt end of the cemetery, down through here (camera pans cemetery).  Unfortunately, a lot of these stones are marble and they haven't weathered over the hundred and fifty, two hundred years that they've been in here.  Some of them have not weathered very well, so there's a lot of fading and stuff like that.  But this is one of the oldest documented cemeteries where there are Piatt's and stuff at.  But like I said, the names are carved into the stones along the walls and stuff.  And as a matter of fact, the generation, my brother's stone and his wife are -- carved their names into the church, too.  So it's been just a tradition that the families, when you get married into the Piatt's, you bring them over here and they carve their name in the stone church, and then when they get divorced, we sand it out and put the new name on.  Sort of --

ANDREW:     Okay.  (Laughs.)

DAVID:          It's sort of an -- also a family tradition.

ANDREW:     Yes.

DAVID:          Back in the old days when the wife died -- a lot of women died unfortunately during childbirth, so like my grandfather was one of four, was actually born (phonetic) -- was one of the youngest children of the fourth wife.  The other wives had died in childbirth and stuff like that.  But after the medical advances and stuff like that, it turned out that the Piatt men weren't having to change wives four and five times.  So then Moses created divorce and so we use that process now to change wives four or five times --

ANDREW:     Okay.

DAVID:          -- during our lifetime, and it works easier.

ANDREW:     Okay.  David, do you know anything about the history of this old tree (indicates)? 

DAVID:          No.  I know some of these are old cedar trees and stuff around here and things.  This one -- that one is -- for a cedar tree, that is a humongous old tree (camera indicates tree).

ANDREW:     What?  That tree right there?

DAVID:          Yeah.  Yeah.

ANDREW:     Okay.

DAVID:          They don't get that big --

ANDREW:     Okay.

DAVID:          That's a -- that's probably a hundred and fifty, two hundred years old.

ANDREW:     Okay.

DAVID:          But when they put that fence and stuff up in the early '20s, they thought they had most of the cemetery fenced in.  There is some question about whether or not there weren't more graves up here under these old oak trees and stuff, so --

ANDREW:     I see.

DAVID:          But that's where they put the fence and that's where it's at.  But a lot of the stones were literally like this right here (indicates).

ANDREW:     Uh-huh.

DAVID:          A stone.  I mean, they might be carved and they might not be carved at all.  But a lot of the graves -- and the -- the church, if the church was open today, we could go in and I could show you the plat and they would show you who was in some of these graves or who they think were in some of these graves.

ANDREW:     I see.

DAVID:          But you're basically -- this is the Piatt end of it right here.

ANDREW:     I see.

DAVID:          We were talking about that Burr that was up there that you took a picture of and stuff.  That is the descendents Aaron Burr's family.  This is where he came when he -- after the duel with Alexander Hamilton, when he killed Hamilton, he came over here and hid -- or basically low-profile, and West Union is just about as low-profile as you can get.

ANDREW:     I see.

DAVID:          But it's kind of funny because it's a very surprising size town.  But it was a crossroads and it was a farming community, and this is where people came.  But as you can see, the old marble stones did -- do not and have not weathered well.  (Indicates headstone.)  You know, they just don't.  It makes it very difficult.  And like you were talking about, the small ones were usually for children and stuff.  See, look how many of these have fallen and laid down and stuff.

ANDREW:     Yes.

DAVID:          But you're also in the flats up here, and this is a -- not a necessarily what -- this would probably what you'd have to consider -- Ohio is tornado alley.

ANDREW:     I see.

DAVID:          There's been a lot of storms and stuff go through here.  And this is mostly sandy soil and it doesn't stand up well.  You see how all the stones are leaning or tilting and no matter what you do or how you try, it seems like that over the years…

ANDREW:     Now, when I've been on Route 32, I've seen signs for Seaman and it looks like the Seaman's and the Piatt's married into each other or --

DAVID:          They were, and that's what -- this is the Seaman's…

ANDREW:     Oh, I see.

DAVID:          These are the Seaman's that founded Seaman, Ohio.

ANDREW:     Okay.

DAVID:          But they're here, buried here because this is where the family was.

ANDREW:     I see.

DAVID:          And there's two Civil War generals buried in here. 

ANDREW:     Well -- well --

DAVID:          Sam Mason (indicates headstone), he was in the Civil War.

ANDREW:     That's --

DAVID:          He died --

ANDREW:     -- Colonel Samuel Mason?

DAVID:          Yes.  And then there's a…

ANDREW:     Okay.  And he fought for the Union side, correct?

DAVID:          Right.  Yeah.  And…

(Camera pans headstones.)

DAVID:          I'm not sure who the other one was, where he's at.  He has a white marble stone. 

ANDREW:     And who's on up here? 

DAVID:          Well, that's like my -- that's like I told you, my grandfather always said he married a black woman.  This is -- this is Sarah Piatt.  This is Ann Troy (phonetic) Piatt, Jacob Piatt.  These go all the way back to 1800, born in 1800s and died, what, 1802.

ANDREW:     Okay.  Jacob Piatt, I think, was the merchant in Cincinnati.

DAVID:          Right.  Well, this is his grave.

ANDREW:     Okay. 

DAVID:          Yeah. 

ANDREW:     Very interesting.

DAVID:          Yeah.  And that's a -- Benjamin.

ANDREW:     Oh, Benjamin. 

DAVID:          Benjamin --

ANDREW:     Okay.

DAVID:          -- Piatt right here (indicates).

ANDREW:     Yes.

DAVID:          And it doesn't seem like much, but you got to remember in that time, a lot of these people did not have elaborate stones.  And then this (indiscernible) outlandishly ornate for a -- over the period.  So you can see right down from the Piatt's, you've got -- this is where the black (indiscernible) down here, and that's where Papaw always said he married a black woman.  That's -- that's what the joke was. 

But what's amazing is these people live -- you know, back in a time when people were only living to be 30, 40 and 50 years old, these people lived to be -- now, this one is not, but like the Piatt, he lived to be 80 years old, and there are several of them that lived to be 75 and 80 years old, which was kind of unheard of.  But my grandpa, when he was born, his dad was 70 years old.  He was on his fourth wife and was 70 years old when grandpa was born, was the youngest.

ANDREW:     Amazing.

DAVID:          Amazing.

ANDREW:     (Laughs.)

DAVID:          (Indiscernible.)

ANDREW:     And the date, 1859, is on the top of the --

DAVID:          That's one of the ones that's carved in.

ANDREW:     -- building, yeah.

DAVID:          (Indiscernible) I'm trying to think of where the -- like I said, if they couldn't afford the stones, sometimes they carved their name in the building.  But this is sandstone, locally quarried and it weathers so the names fade.

(End of recording.)

Thank you Krista Willis of quilstranscription.com for transcribing videos.

This video was produced before my trip to Philadelphia this spring before I met new Cist family cousins. During my trip to Philadelphia I have learned that Jacob Cist (son of Charles Cist, printer) had information about Jefferson County, Ohio in his family papers from the late 1790's- to early 1800's when Jacob Cist was living in Washington, D. C. Why would an individual from Philadelphia / Washington, D. C. areas have information about Jefferson County, Ohio? Was Jacob Piatt who is buried in Piatt cemetery named after Jacob Cist? Could Piatt family and Cist family married into each others before Henry M. Cist was the Don Piatt family lawyer? This is a piece of the puzzle when the Cist family decided to move west to Cincinnati, Ohio.
Andrew C. Allen
pewabic34 at gmail.com

Wednesday night Celtic Service- Trinitiy Church, Troy, OH

I believe that when doing interdisciplinary studies research it is important to write down names and events that on the surface may appear to have nothing in common with an individuals research thesis. Then all of a sudden information just clicks into place. This was the case during a Wednesday night Celtic service at Trinity Episcopal Church, Troy, OH.

The service is about half an hour long. The leader of the service reads about a saint for the day. That night is was about Count Nikolaus von Zinzendorf from Germany. He was born on May 26th in Dresden in 1700, from an ancient noble birth. His parents wanted him to do the usual aristocratic career and go into government, but Count Zinzendorf had a profound experience with GOD. Count Zinzendorf allowed a group of Moravian religious followers to stay on his family estate in Germany. He later became a Bishop in that church.Charles Cist was part of the Moravian Church in Philadelphia during his life in the 1770-until his death in 1805. Both Charles Cist and Count Zinzendorf went to the University of Halle, Germany. Count Zinzendorf was a generation earlier than Cist, but the fact that Cist had German blood in him and went to University of Halle and was connected to the Moravian Church allows me to focus in this new area of interests. This is assisting me in placing pieces of the escape puzzle together on how Charles Cist could have escaped from his imprisonment in Siberia, Russia and made his way to England were he sailed to the British Colonies. He did not escape alone. He had help. This is interesting news.

Count Zinzendorf with five other students formed the Order of the Mustard Seed while attending University of Halle, Germany. Cist was a student during the next generation age. Thesis question: If Cist was a member of the Order of the Mustard Seed could these university connections helped him with his escape from Siberia and moved through Europe?

Count Zinzendorf made a trip to the British Colonies during a tour of the colonies in 1747-49. This was before Cist came to Philadelphia, but if Cist knew Count Zinzendorf in Germany this may have influenced Cist decision to settle in Philadelphia to work as a translator and then form his printing partnership with Mr. Styner The photo is of Count Nikolaus von Zinzendorf.

Andrew 

Charles Cist and Benjamin Rush Connections?

Dr. Benjamin Rush lived in Philadelphia, PA during the same time as Charles Cist was translating for individuals and printing with Mr. Styner. I have not found a letter mentioning that Cist knew Dr. Benjamin Rush. What do the historical scholars think about this connection?
The Ohio State Historical Society had a display of individuals moving from Philadelphia to Cincinnati after the War of 1812. This was the  next generation from Charles Cist. Charles Cist had one of his sons move to Cincinnati after serving serving in the War of 1812. His name was Charles E. Cist, a well-known librarian and editor in early literary circles in Cincinnati, Ohio. Benjamin Rush Spencer moved to Cincinnati from Philadelphia, PA during this time period, too. It is a documented fact that families moved to the West  in groups. I believe that this is a valid connection that Cist and Rush knew each other from the previous generation. The fact that their offspring traveled and started a new life together is a statement in itself. Matthew Carey was another printer from Philadelphia and his offspring moved to College Hill. Both Cary and Cist farms were in College Hill, Ohio. Pheobe and Alice Carey were well-known poets. Lewis J. Cist worked with the Carey ladies and collected their autographs for his collection.

My trip to Philadelphia, PA was interesting. I made connections without having written letters saying that yes, Cist knew Benjamin Rush and others during the American Revolution.

Andrew C. Allen
513.638.7140
pewabic34@gmail.com

Grand Opening of Musuem of American Revolution

Meeting a cousin, Christian W. and his family was a joyful time. I also received an email from another cousin who was not able to attend opening, but wishing me well. I do appreciate it!

Philadelphia is certainly still full of early American history. There was excitement in the air when we walked by the new museum witnessing many news reporters giving interviews, and informing their audience about the building and what to expect inside. The newly built, red brick, building blends in very nicely with the neighborhood. A few large bronze pieces of art, depicting General George Washington crossing the Delaware river, adorn the exterior of the building before you first walk in. The first thing I noticed was how young the overall staff was and how relaxed everyone appeared. This is a sign of high organizational skills from senior management. Before we started the tour I had my picture taken with period dressed characters roaming the hallways, frontiersmen's, patriots, and colonial statesmen's. There were videos to watch and many historical artifacts!

The museum did an excellent job of illustrating the many multi-level aspects of liberty and freedom of securing independence ranging from the Oneida Indians, slavery (both the African-American and indentured servants experience), the loyalist to England, and the colonists outlook. I also saw a connection in the exhibits between the connections between the American Revolution and the Civil War.

Our tour started at 3:40 and by 5:00 we were not even half way through the tour. I hope your family can attend the new Museum of American Revolution. Plan your trip to maximize your time in Philadelphia. I stayed at the Wyndham hotel located at 400 Arch Street which is located near many eateries and other historical locations.
Andrew C. Allen
513.638.7140
pewabic34@gmail.com

Celebrating the life of Charles Cist in Philadelphia, April 18 & 19th, 2017.

This blog has helped me locate long lost descendants of Charles Cist. I have made reservations at the Wyndham Hotel, 400 Arch Street, downtown Philadelphia, during April 18 & 19th grand opening of the Museum of the American Revolution. Cist family history can help enrich the already planned exhibits at the museum. I plan on bringing Charles Cist's cherry wood Philadelphia walking stick, a signed copy of Continental currency that Charles Cist signed when he was acting treasurer during a session of the Continental Congress, and Cist family photo album from 1800's. This is the first showing of many items to the general public. Come and learn more to enhance your own tour of the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, PA.

You do not need to be a descendant of Charles Cist to visit the Wyndham Hotel just an enthusiast of American History.  There will be an informal gathering to share and discuss American Revolutionary War history.

I have joined the email list of The Journal of The American Revolution. This blog can add value added insights into history, culture, war, economics, and other conflicts concerning Cist.

More information to follow in upcoming blog posts! Make your itinerary travel plans now. Support this new Smithsonian museum. The address is below.
The American Revolutionary War Museum
103 South 3rd Street
Philadelphia, PA.  19106
Recommend to call first # 215.253.6731
by
Andrew C. Allen
pewabic34 at gmail.com
02/28/2017

New Museum of American Revolution to open April 19th, 2017.

Attention readers! A new museum in downtown Philadelphia, PA is planning an opening, April 19, 2017. Museum of the American Revolution is accepting donations to preserve collections for generations.
More information:
Museum of the American Revolution
101 South Third Street
Philadelphia, PA  19106
Toll free: 1.877.740.1776


Andrew C. Allen
pewabic34@gmail.com