The latest precious find goes right in my "Treasure Chest of wonderful things I can not now imagine living without." It's a map made in 1787 that identifies the Revolutionary War Military Lots for these two counties. I keep a list of ancestors given Military Lots by the Maryland Legislature and so far I've identified the lot numbers belonging to the Workman and Eckhart families. Although I need to back-track and see exactly how these folks came by the land assignments and follow the paper trail, it's helpful to have set in my mind where the lots are and compare that to what I know about where the families lived. So let's take a look at the lots and I'll tell you what I know right at the moment about each family and how they came by the lots... and what I don't yet know.
Isaac Workman
Which Isaac Workman? That's the big question. Father Isaac Workman 1710 - 1827, or son Isaac Workman 1742 - 1827? Just looking at the dates, it seems that the father, Isaac Sr., would have been too old to serve in the militia. That said, perhaps he served in some other role and that's why he was awarded lot # 3536. The most often used source for this line is Thelma Anderson's book Workman Family History, which she put together in the 1950s. In it she identifies the father as the person awarded the lot. My genea-sense (newly blossoming) tells me there's got to be more to this story.
I find lot 3536 directly across from Indian Purchase and am really curious as to what that was. Indian Purchase was between Sugar Bottom and Rosse's Mistake. Need to ask around my local sources and find out if these are still landmarks. Walnut Bottom is located down river on the Potomac and it's still there and called by the same name. And I notice that the Potomac River is called by it's old name, "Potowmack." Also notice that the town of Frostburg, where Mom lives, is called Mount Pleasant in the old way, on this map. Am hoping that with a little luck the location of this Workman property won't be too hard to find now. And, I must add, this is not where the Workman Farm of old is located!
Eckhart
It is generally believed that George Adam Eckhart purchased his Military Lots # 3644, 3645, 3646 as well as lot # 3694. I find these lots just about where I thought they might be. There is one surprise: the location of lot # 3694. Looks like that one is not contiguous and might be now located across present Route 40 in the stretch near Eckhart Mines. Again, have to walk the land and see what's what.
George Adam Eckhart's son-in-law, Jacob Loar, also had something to do with this land and he reportedly was awarded a lot or lots for his service in the Revolutionary War. Could that be the explanation for the non-contiguous lot #3694?
As you can plainly see there are too many loose ends here. Those go on the list of stuff to find out about.
See, that's the thing with jumping into all the fine work Mom has done building the family tree since the 1970s: stuff is missing here and there and begs being expanded upon because it actually has half a chance to be found now. I'll find a new resource like this one, take a cursory glance, dig a bit deeper, make a to-do list for it, and try to get back to what I was doing before the beautiful distraction happened. I'm learning as I go and trying to keep the actual work orderly. Yeah, Diane, good luck with that!
You can see the map in its entity here.
Map of Military Lots, Tracts in Allegany and Garrett Counties, Maryland, Copy of 1787 map
Developer/Owner: Deakins, Francis. Accessed 19 FEB, 2013 at: http://plato.mdarchives.state.md.us/msa/stagser/s1500/s1529/cfm/dsp_unit.cfm?county=al&qualifier=S&series=0451&unit=3
Treasure Chest Thursday is a blogging prompt of GeneaBloggers.
The URL for this post is: http://nutsfromthefamilytree.blogspot.com/2013/02/treasure-chest-thursday-military-lot.html
Wow, what a great resource!
ReplyDeleteHi Heather:) I am loving that old map! Can't keep away from it. Love the old manes of land holdings. Today was looking again and am having trouble telling where the two counties border's are. But then maybe Deakins did too;)
DeleteChhers and thanks for stoping by, Diane
Diane,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this blog! I am trying to document this family line. I descend through 2 different daughters of Jacob Loar and Sarah Eckhart Loar. I have these lines documented and have found the will of Jacob Loar listing his wife and all his children by name. I was hoping that I could also find proof of Revolutionary War service and make this documentation available to all the cousins through DAR and SAR. That has proved elusive. However, there is a confusing thing to me. I have the record of a Jacob Loar that served in the Revolutionary War (and it appears he has documentation to 1775?). Anyway, there is another Jacob Loar (spelled Lahr), who defected from the British upon arrival as a mercenary in Saratoga in 1777. Other things I've read on my Jacob Loar is that he came to America on the same ship as his future father in law (Union?) in 1750. The Jacob Loar listed there is older, and I am guessing very possibly the first Jacob Loar. I believe George Adam Eckhart came from the area of Rheinland-Pfalz, which I find it also interesting that the Jacob Lahr/Loar that defects was also from this area. I have been posting this to an Eckhart/Loar facebook group that I belong to. Do you follow this group?