The Marvel Family Moves West

The Move West – Away From Delaware and Maryland

 

Road Map Moves East

                        As the new century arrived (1800), various Marvel families, as well as other Americans, moved West.  They started as the land opened up for discovery and making new homesteads.  Land in the Delaware, Maryland, Virginia area was becoming harder to find.  Those that farmed for a living moved to find new land to plant their crops.  Others moved to find adventure and start a new life in the new territories.

Click on the map to enlarge it and see the various routes west from the east coast

       While most of the Marvel family stayed in the Delaware and Maryland, there were members of Thomas Marvel Jr. and the David Marvel Sr.’s families that traveled South to Georgia.   After several years they moved on to Kentucky, Southern Indiana and Illinois.

       Members of the Benton Marvel and Robert Marvel II families traveled westward to find a new life and take advantage of the land opportunities located in the expanding western territory of Ohio and Indiana.

David Marvel Sr. and Thomas Marvel Jr. Families

The following families moved to Georgia and then on to southern Indiana and Illinois:

  1. James Knowles (son of Richard Knowles Sr.) and Patience Marvel (daughter of David Marvel Sr.)
  2. Prettyman Marvel Sr.(son of David Marvel Sr.) and Lavina Rogers (daughter of John Rogers)
  3. Elisha Marvel (son of Thomas Marvel Jr.) and Orpha Rogers (daughter of John Rogers)
  4. Eli Marvel (son of Thomas Marvel Jr.) and  Leah Rogers (daughter of John Rogers)

These Marvel families traveled to Georgia in hopes of finding fertile land. Cotton enamored farmers and they saw that it as a way to gather wealth.  “The unsurpassable climate of Georgia, and the adaptability of her soil to the cotton plant was known everywhere.” (from The Marvel Family History at marvelcreations.com/marvel2html)    After several years, they moved on to Kentucky and finally moved into in Gibson County, Indiana.  Several Marvel families moved on to southern Illinois.

More on these Marvel families that moved to Georgia and then to Illinois.

 

The Robert Marvel Family

Robert Marvel III traveled west by way of the National Road. He helped with the construction of the road on its way toward Ohio and later to Indiana. The first leg of his journey west landed him in Zanesville, Ohio.  Here he met his wife Sarah Wilkins. Robert Marvel worked as a ‘plasterer’ while in Zanesville.  Two of his children were born in Ohio.  When construction restarted on the National Road westward toward Marion County, Indiana,  Robert Marvel III, along with his brother-in-law, Hance Wilkins joined the crew working on road construction.

( Click here to see the article from The National Road Traveler that lists those that worked on the road)

Click here to see the Robert Marvel III family and their life in Indiana.

 

The William Marvel Family

William Marvel, brother to Robert Marvel, also traveled to Ohio and then his family moved on to Illinois.

WILLIAM1 MARVEL was born on 13 Mar 1803 in Sussex County, Delaware. He died on 26 Jun 1852 in Joshua Township, Fulton County, Illinois (Age: 49). He married Sarah Gregory Story, daughter of Marmaduke III Story and Rachel Baggs, on 20 Mar 1825 in Pickway County, Ohio. She was born on 22 Jul 1805 in Sussex County, Delaware. She died on 07 Apr 1872 in Fulton County, Illinois.

William Marvel and Sarah Gregory Story had the following children:

2.      i. HENRY STORY2 MARVEL was born on 13 Dec 1825 in Circleville, Pickaway, Ohio. He died on 13 Jun 1913 in Ferndale, Humboldt County, California (Age: 87).  He married (1) RACHEL BOYER on 11 Jun 1848 in Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio. She was born on 05 Apr 1828 in Pennsylvania. She died on 18 May 1851 in Fulton County, Illinois (Age: 23). He married (2) MALINDA MELINDA ROBINSON, daughter of John H. P. Robinson and Mary Plasters, on 20 Nov 1855 in Fulton County, Illinois. She was born in 1830 in Illinois. She died between 1880-1900 in Iowa.

3.      ii. WILLIAM THOMAS MARVEL was born on 03 Oct 1827 in Circleville, Pickaway County, Ohio. He died on 10 Oct 1909 in Joshua Township, Fulton County, Illinois (Age: 82). He married Mary Ann Creath on 20 Dec 1849 in Knoxville, Knox Township, Knox County, Illinois. She was born on 11 Oct 1830 in Ohio. She died on 17 Feb 1908 in Joshua Township, Fulton County, Illinois (Age: 77).

        iii. JOSEPH MARVEL was born on 02 Apr 1830 in Franklin County, Ohio. He died on 29 Jan 1843 in Franklin County, Ohio.

4.     iv. MARMADUKE MARVEL was born on 22 Jul 1832 in Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio. He died on 31 May 1919 in Bushnell, Bushnell Township, McDonough County, Illinois (Age: 86). He married Marcy ‘Mary’ Standard, daughter of Irwin Morris Standard and Mary Lavina Bales, on 07 Dec 1856 in Fairview, Fulton County, Illinois. She was born on 26 Aug 1840 in Fulton County, Illinois. She died on 07 Sep 1916 in Fairview, Fulton County, Illinois (Age: 76).

5.      v. HESTER ANN MARVEL was born on 17 Nov 1834 in Franklin County, Ohio. She died on 27 May 1922 in Lindsay, Garvin County, Oklahoma (Age: 86). She married (1) JOHN BLACKBURN BALES, son of Solomon Bales and Elizabeth John, on 22 Nov 1855 in Fulton County, Illinois. He was born on 24 Dec 1828 in Mercer, Mercer County, Ohio. He died on 14 Dec 1879 in Alvarado, Johnson County, Texas (Age: 50). She married (2) WILLIAM ANTHONY WOOD, son of William Wood and Elenor Wood, on 30 Nov 1884 in Johnson County, Texas. He was born on 31 Jul 1827 in North Carolina. He died on 18 Jun 1908 in Johnson County, Texas.

6.       vi. ROBERT MARVEL was born on 23 Feb 1838 in Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio. He died on 18 Sep 1916 in Exeter, Fillmore County, Nebraska (Age: 78). He married Eleanor Margaret Scott, daughter of Thomas Scott and Margaret Copeland, on 11 Nov 1858 in Fulton County, Illinois. She was born on 18 Apr 1840 in Fulton County, Illinois. She died on 03 Dec 1904 in Exeter, Fillmore, Nebraska.

7.      vii. RACHEL SAMUEL MARVEL was born on 03 Oct 1840 in Franklin County, Ohio. She died on 07 Aug 1893 in Peru, Belleville Township, Chautauqua County, Kansas. She married James Chamberlain, son of James Chamberlain and Sarah Peterson, on 10 Feb 1859 in Fulton, Illinois. He was born on 18 Dec 1836 in Ashland, Ashland, Ohio. He died on 09 Dec 1919 in Peru, Chautauqua, Kansas.

        viii. SAMUEL C. MARVEL was born on 12 Feb 1842 in Franklin County, Ohio. He died on 22 Jul 1864 in Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia.

Notes for Samuel C. Marvel

Gen. J. D. Cox reports the Union losses in the battle of Atlanta on the 22nd at 3,521 in killed, wounded and missing. Full returns of the Confederate casualties are not available, but Logan estimated them at 10,000. His command captured 5,000 stand of small arms, 18 stand of colors and 1,107 prisoners. The total number of prisoners taken by the Union army was about 2,000. Walker’s division lost so heavily that the remnants of its brigades were assigned to other units

Name: Samuel C Marvel ,
Residence: Washington, Iowa
Enlistment Date: 11 October 1861
Distinguished Service: DISTINGUISHED SERVICE
Side Served: Union
State Served: Iowa
Unit Numbers: 185 185
Service Record: Enlisted as a Private on 11 October 1861 at the age of 20
Enlisted in Company I, 13th Infantry Regiment Iowa on 01 November 1861.
Reenlisted in Company I, 13th Infantry Regiment Iowa on 01 January 1864
Missing on 22 July 1864 at Atlanta, GA
Source Information:  Historical Data Systems, comp. Military Records of Individual Civil War Soldiers.
[database online] Provo, UT: Ancestry.com, 1999-. Data compiled by HistoricalData Systems of Kingston, MA from the following list of works.Copyright 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 – Historical Data Systems Inc.P.O. Box 196  Kingston, MA 02364

8.          ix. FRANCIS MARION MARVEL was born on 16 Sep 1844 in Franklin, Ohio. He died on 21 Oct 1917 in Danville, Vermilion County, Illinois (Soldiers Home for Disabled Soldiers (Now Veterans Administration, Illiana Health Care System),). He married (1) EMMA LEVAN, daughter of Isaac W. Levan and Catherine Yeager, about June 1901 in Lexington, Cedar Township, Washington County, Iowa. She was born on 14 Feb 1846 in Reading, Adams County, Pennsylvania. She died on 06 Aug 1907 in Cedar City, Washington, Iowa. He married (2) ELIZABETH ALICE MARVEL, daughter of John Alexander Young and Nancy Eyestone, on 20 Mar 1867 in Washington County, Iowa. She was born on 03 Nov 1845 in Washington County, Iowa. She died on 12 May 1877 in Washington, Iowa.

9.           x. LEWIS CASS MARVEL was born on 30 Jul 1848 in Joshua Township, Fulton County, Illinois. He died on 18 Jul 1912 in Rural DeLand, Goose Creek Township, Piatt County, Illinois. He married Elizabeth Margaret McBride, daughter of George Washington McBride and Eliza Amelia Long, on 13 Feb 1868 in Len Churchill Farm near Canton, Fulton County, Illinois. She was born on 20 Jul 1848 in Hagerstown, Washington County, Maryland. She died on 21 Jan 1920 in DeLand, Piatt County, Illinois.

You can find the next generations of the William Marvel family by clicking the followng link  — Descendants of William Marvel

The Steven Harris Marvel Family

Steven Harris Marvel and his family put down roots in Kosciusko County in Northern Indiana.

STEPHEN HARRIS1 MARVEL was born on 23 May 1826 in Sussex County, Delaware. He is the son of Benton Marvel and Sarah E. Collins. Stephen died on 18 Aug 1912 in Warsaw, Kosciusko County, Indiana. He married (1) Catherine M Pepper, daughter of Issachar Pepper Jr. and Elizabeth Pepper, on 03 Apr 1849 in Circleville, Pickaway County, Ohio.  She was born on 28 Feb 1828 in Ohio. She died on 09 Oct 1867 in Elkhart County, Indiana. He then married (2) Sophia Ott, daughter of John Ott and Amelia “Milly” Rookstool, on 12 Mar 1868 in Warsaw, Kosciusko County, Indiana. She was born on 11 Jan 1830 in Preble County, Ohio. She died on 07 Jan 1912 in Plain Township, Kosciusko County, Indiana (buried in Oaklwood Cemetery).

Stephen Harris Marvel and Catherine M Pepper had the following children:

  1. SARAH ELIZABETH2 MARVEL was born on 17 Dec 1849 in Benton, Elkhart, Indiana. She died on 21 Jan 1929 in Compton, Los Angeles, California (Age: 79). She married James Henry Moore, son of William Moore and Elizabeth J Stephenson, on 22 Jun 1874 in Pierceton, Kosciusko County, Indiana (Married at the home of her grandfather.). He was born on 18 Nov 1853 in Kosciusko, Indiana. He died on 09
    Dec 1925 in Monrovia, Los Angeles, California.
  2. ABNER THOMAS MARVEL was born on 02 Oct 1852 in Elkhart County, Indiana. He died on 27 Jan 1938 in Oswego, Kosciusko, Indiana. He married (1) Effie Luetta Ott, daughter of Aloway Ott and Martha Jane Littleton, on 06 Aug 1876 in Kosciusko County, Indiana. She died on 13 Jan 1883 in Kosciusko County, Indiana. He married (2) Ida Catherine Wyland, daughter of Jacob Wyland and Catherine Nine, on 06 Feb 1888 in Kosciusko County, Indiana. She was born on 18 Mar 1868 in
    Kosciusko, Indiana. She died in 1910 in Kosciusko, Indiana.
  3. HENRY PEPPER MARVEL was born on 17 Dec 1853 in Syracuse, Kosciusko County, Indiana. He died on 25 Jan 1939 in Warsaw, Kosciusko County, Indiana (Age: 85). He married Emily ‘Emma’ Jane Baum on 25 Apr 1875 in Kosciusko County, Indiana. She was born on 07 Sep 1858 in Kosciusko, Indiana. She died on 19 Jan 1912 in
    Warsaw, Kosciusko County, Indiana.
  4. EDWARD ALLAN MARVEL was born on 13 May 1857 in Jackson, Elkhart, Indiana. He died on 27 Feb 1943 in Big Rapids, Mecosta, Michigan. He married Elizabeth ‘Lizzie’ May Thomas, son of Jeremiah Jerry Thomas and Amanda Baum, on 15 May 1894 in Leesburg, Kosciusko County, Indiana. He was born on 01 Oct 1877 in Prairie Township, Kosciusko County, Indiana. He died on 16 Feb 1952 in Big
    Rapids, Mecosta, Michigan.
  5. KENDALL BENTON MARVEL was born on 05 Nov 1859 in Elkhart County, Indiana. He died on 12 Dec 1870 in Kosciusko County, Indiana (buried in Syracuse Cemetery).
  6. GEORGE WILLIAM MARVEL was born in 1862. He died on 25 Jan 1866.
  7. CHARLES LEMON MARVEL was born on 20 Oct 1865 in Elkhart County, Indiana. He died on 16 Mar 1924 in Coral Creek, Montana. He married Mary Cory, daughter of Orange Lemon Cory and Salina Evans, on 12 Jun 1877 in Kosciusko County, Indiana. She was born on 20 Jan 1871 in Kosciusko County, Indiana

Stephen Harris Marvel and Sophia Ott had the following child:

  • JOSEPH GRANT MARVEL was born on 02 Jan 1869 in Indiana. He died on 11 Apr 1870 in Warsaw, Kosciusko County, Indiana (Age: 1).

Notes for Stephen Harris Marvel:

  • According to the 1900 Census – Stephen and two of his sons had farmers next to each other. — Stephen – Charles and family – Edward and Family
  • Stephen married Miss Catharine Pepper in 1849 and had six children: Sarah E., Abner, Henry, Edward, Kendall, and Charles. After Catharine died in 1867, he married Mrs. Sophia Ott Kitson (1868) and had another son, but Joseph died when he was still a baby.
  • Mr. Marvel died of cancer and Brights disease on July 18, 1912, about six months after he
    endured the death of Sophia.

Obituary
After suffering for several weeks from cancer in the stomach and Bright’s disease, Stephen H. Marvel, a pioneer resident of Kosciusko county passed away Sunday night at the McDonald hospital in Warsaw. Mr. Marvel was 86 years of age and had lived in the county for more than seventy years.
The Syracuse Journal, Aug. 22, 1912

From the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette (Fort Wayne, Indiana) August 24, 1912

WILL OF KOSCIUSKO MAN ADMITTED TO PROBATE
Warsaw, Indiana. August 23.,- The will of Stephen H. Marvel, who died a few days ago at the home of his granddaughter, Mrs. Jacob Rathbun, has been admitted to probate in the Kosciusko circuit court. The will was made June 25, 1912, and witnessed by attorney Walter Brubaker and d. A. Bowman. William A. Marvel and John H. Brubaker are named as trustees of the estae and both real estate and personal property is given to them to divide according to the terms of the will. The trustees are not to give bond and the estate is to be settled out of court. In case there are any contestants in regard to the provisions made, the persons contesxting will receive nothing and their shares of the property will be divided among the other beneficiaries. The sum of $1000 is to be paid to Sarah Moore, a daughter; $300 is left to four grandchildren, Clara Stevens, Ona Stevens, Myrtle
Silvius and Harvey Marvel, and the remainder of the este is to be divided equally between the following grandchildren: Arthur Marvel, Bessie Rathbun, Georgia Marvel and Richard Marvel, A note for $1200 against a son, Abner Marvel, is not to bear interest and not to be collected unless
he disposes of the farm he now owns.

 

Click here to see the Maps of Indiana Counties in 1816 and 1830

Click here for the story on the National Road

 

The Marvel Families that Settled in Indiana

Robert Marvel – Hendricks County – 1835

David Marvel Family – Gibson County – 1837

Prettyman Marvel – Gibson County – 1837

David J. Marvel – Hendrick & Clay Counties by 1880

Charles A. Marvel – Madison County –

Benton Marvel – Elkhart County –

James Marvel – Posey County – 1835

Painter Marvel – Gibbson County – 1835

Thomas W. Marvel – Gibbson County – 1837

Steven Harris Marvel – Kosciusko County