Thomas Dye, Son of John Dye, Sr.

Thomas Dye was born in 1776 in New Jersey and died in 1858 in Washington Co., Ohio (?). Sherry Rathbun Neff (Sherneff44@aol.com) shared the following information about Thomas. "Dye Data informs us that at age 18, Thomas settled near Baltimore, MD, hauling goods from Baltimore to Pittsburg, Pa and to Marietta, Ohio (see map to the right) in a freight wagon called "The Old Penn Wagon".

Thomas Dye married Jane Mankin. It is believed that Thomas settled in Williamstown, West Virginia, across the Ohio River from Marietta prior to 1806. Thomas then moved his family to Belleville (red dot on the map above) in Wood County, West Virginia near Parkersburg, when his son Martin was 12 years old -- 1813. Around 1819 he moved into Meigs Co., Ohio. "

The Will of Thomas Dye, Son of John Dye

According to Silas Thorla, Furmin Dye told him that a "Tom" Dye settled in Parkersburg, West Virginia. "He was a "wild one", something like a typical cowboy. He would hit the settlement with a whoop and a hurrah riding an Indian pony and shouting ..... "long live the Dyes"

In the 1810 Census, Thomas Dye is given as the head of a household in Wood County, (Belleville) with 1 male under 10, 1 male between 10 and 16, 1 male between 26 and 45 (Thomas Dye), 4 females under 10 and 1 female between 26 and 45 (most likely his wife). [Thanks to Carlisle Bowling - zavron@aol.com for the lookup.] There is transfer of deed recorded on December 23, 1819 in which Ephram Cutler and wife sold 649 acres in Scipio Township, Meigs County, Ohio to Thomas Dye.

Thomas is listed in the 1820, 1830, 1840 and 1850 U.S. Federal Census Meigs County reports. They apparently traveled in the "Old Penn Wagon". [Wood County is directly across the Ohio River from Meigs County, Ohio.]

There is a town of Dyesville in Columbia Township, Meigs County, Ohio. The role that Thomas Dye and his family may have played in establishing this town is currently being researched. When Furman Dye attempted to give this name the Dyes Settlement in Nobel County in the mid 1850s, his petition was denied due to the existence of the Dyesville in Meigs County.

Milton Crum supplied me (2/11/98) with the following information about Dyesville. "There is no indication in my book as to the genesis of Dyesville, but the plat book for the time tells a different story. The land where Dyesville is now located was owned in 1867 by a J. S. Dye, and was the only land in Columbia Township owned by a Dye. The Old Ohio Central Railroad went through the town at one time. Unfortunately, I have no clue as to what J.S. stood for."

Joyce provided the following information. "In response to your query posted on the Meigs Co., OH web page concerning Dyesvilles. According to the Meigs Co., history Book, Volume 1, "Dyesville is located in Southeastern Columbia township on Leading Creek. It was named for (Joseph) Seldon and Margaret DYE, parents of Electa DYE Vale who earlier supplied this information. The DYE's gave the land where Dyesville Community Church now stands, for a church to be built on in 1883. A flour mill at Dyesville was owned by Nathan Vale and was later sold to White's Mill in Athens, OH. An elementary school and a 2 year high school operated in Dyesville for many years on tax money provided by the railroad company."

Mary(Bradfield) Dye, along with Martin's second wife, Mary Riggs, are remembered as being some of the first settlers in Scipio Township. A W. H. Dye is named as a superintendent at the then Cumberland Presbyterian school in Harrisonville, and a Mrs.. Martha Dye listed as an instructor at the same school. The Dye name does not show up in any of the personal histories in the book."

In Hardesty's historical and geographical index for Meigs county (1867, Thomas Shultz) the Dyes appear in Scipio Township list J. Dye on section 9+26, Martin Dye on section 9+19 and T&Z Dye on sections 19.

Thomas Dye and Jane Mankin Dye had 7 children:

  1. Catherine Dye, married Jacob Uhl in 1819 and they migrated to California

  2. Coley Dye, born on March 6, 1799, married Ann Pugh

  3. Martin Dye, born on March 17, 1801, (in Middlesex, New Jersey) and died April 9, 1883 in Meigs County, Ohio. He married Margaret (Mary) Bradfield -- listed in the 1830, 1840, and 1850 U.S. Federal Census Meigs County reports. When Margaret died, Martin married Mary Riggs (who may have been related to James Riggs who married Violena Dye. Her father was Jeremiah Riggs who established the first settlement in Scipio Township, Meigs County, Ohio in 1799 when he built a cabin in section 16 in Scipio Township. He married Rachel Keller in 1800. They had a large family. [Thomas Shultz]

    Martin Dye had 12 children: (Laura L. Myers)

    1. Barbara Dye, born on January 12, 1827 and died May 9, 1907. She married John Kirkendall on November 1, 1846 in Meigs County Ohio. They had 5 children.

    2. Joseph Sheldon Dye born on November 21, 1829 and died October 10, 1890 in Meigs County, Ohio. Thomas Shultz suppied the following information. In the 1850 Census Joseph appears with the family of Martin Dye in Scipio Township. In the 1860 census Joseph is listed as living in Columbia Township with wife Margaret (McClure - married on November 5, 1854 in Meigs County, Ohio) and Mary (4) and Electa (1). He appears in the 1870 and 1880 Census records in Columbia Township. He is the only Dye listed as owning property in Columbia Township - which was located at the site of Dyesville. Thomas Dye and his son Martin Dye lived a few miles to the east in Scipio Township. Thus, it was most likely Joseph Sheldon Dye who was involved in the establishment of Dyesville.

    3. Lousia Dye, born on June 17, 1831 and died January 2 in 1892 She married Loren P. White in Meigs County and they had 7 children.

    4. Martin Dye, born on June 8, 1833 and died on August 6, 1878 He married Martha Berkely on February 7, 1857 in Meigs County, Ohio and they had 5 children.

    5. Thomas Dye, born August 18, 1834. He married ___ Cross. Thomas was a doctor who lived at Long Bottom, Ohio.

      Thomas Dye, son of Martin and Margaret Bradfield Dye, was born at the Farmhouse at Harrisonville on the 18th day of August, 1834. He and Zack Dye were twins. Thomas was born cripple (sic) and was not able to work on the farm as the others were, so he was given an education and taught his first term of school in Sub District ____ in Scipio Twp, a summer term of 3 months in 1856, a winter term of 4 mo beginning Nov. 1856 to March 1861. - taught 7 terms of 2 - 3 - 4 mo in Scipio Twp in 1861. He and his twin brother Zack and his wife made a trip to Mo in a covered wagon to visit George Howell, who was a brother to Mrs. Zack Dye. While in Missouri he taught a 3 mo term of school at Eetna (sic),Scotland Co, Missouri then 1 mo at the same place, then came home and a 2 mo term of school in Bedford Twp. He attended Starling Medical College at Columbus in 1863 and 64. He began Practicing in Harrisonville - 1864. The first name on his Ledger was Perry Wise l was on Aug. 11 64.

      This handwritten family account of the twins and their children was written by Gusta E. Wolfe , the only child of Thomas Dye.

    6. Zachariah Dye, born on August 18, 1835 in Harrisonville, Meigs County and died on December 9, 1930 in Meigs County. He married Eliza Jane Howell on June 6, 1857 in Meigs County and they had 3 children. His Aunt Eliza Dye married John Matthew Howell in 1825 in Meigs County, Ohio. Their sixth child was Jane Howell who was born about 1838. (Could they be the same.)

      Zachariah and Thomas were twins.Zack's early life was spent in helping to clear 600 acres of land which his father owned in Scipio Twp. He helped to clear the path or road over the horner hill from Harrisonville to Pomeroy.

    7. John Dye, born March 5, 1838 and died in 1913 He married Abigail Chase on July 31, 1859. They had 4 children.

    8. William Henry Dye, born on October 7, 1840 and died May 6, 1929., He married (1) Elizabeth Welch and (2) Martha Welch. WIlliam Henry Dye served in the Civil War, Company G, 116th Regment, O.V.I. with the rank of Sargent. They had 5 children.

    9. Andrew Dye, born June 26, 1843 and died May 14, 1917 in Meigs County. He married Sara J. Skinnner on APril 10, 1870, and they had 4 children. He is burried at the Shipment Cemetery, Harrisonvile, Meigs County, Ohio.

      Andrew Dye above was a soldier of the Civil War in 2d W.Va. Cavalry Co. A. Andrew saw Lee's surrender at Appromatix (sic) Court House. While riding along the road he saw soldier who was sick and stopped to give aid and found that the sick man was his brother W.H. (Tippy) [William Henry Dye] and he gave him water and assisted to get him to hospital and he recovered and lived to very old age. and these two brothers were very great friends. Tipp always said that his brother saved his life.

      While at Cedar Creek Andrew was getting off his horse and the horse was shot down, Andrew kept looking for transportation and a last caught a mule and saddled him and the Captain ordered him to halt as he did so the captain came up and told him to get off in the altercation the mule kicked the Captain and Andrew got to keep his mule.

      Andrew came home on furlough and rode his own horse back to war and also he took a pair of saddle bags off a southern soldier and loaned them to his brother Thomas who was ___. and they were there in possesion of Tom's daughter Gusta Wolfe until Aug, 1936 and then they were returned to Andrew's daughter Nelle Boothe who has them now.

      John Dye (via Jayne Dye) has added a postscript here: " The horse he rode to war was the one shot from under him and the Gov. paid him 160.00 for it several years after the War was over. He did not bring any horse home with him.

    10. David Dye, born November 21, 1846 and died in 1914. He married Sarah A. Welch. He was a veteran of the Spanish American War. He and Sara had 3 children.

  4. Violena Dye, born 1800/1804, married James Riggs

    When Thomas's daughter Violena and her husband, James Riggs, died in Iowa leaving several small children, Thomas hired George Downing to go to Iowa and bring the children to his home in OH.

  5. Eliza Dye, born 1808 and married John Matthew Howell on June 25, 1825 in Meigs Co., Ohio. John Matthew Howell and Eliza Dye had a family of six children:

    1. Thomas W Howell..b..abt 1826/1827?

    2. Franklin F Howell.b..16, Dec, 1829

    3. Matthew Howell..b..28, Nov, 1832

    4. John Wesley Howell..b..9, Dec, 1834

    5. Sarah Howell..b..23, Nov, 1836

    6. Jane Howell..b..abt 1838?

    This family left OH and migrated west to Clark Co, MO about 1840, where John earned his livelihood as a farmer. John died in 1856 in Luray, Clark Co, MO and is buried in Eldorado, Clark Co, MO. Eliza Dye Howell died in 1882 Luray , Clark Co, MO..buried in Eldorado, Clark, MO.

  6. Jane Dye, born ???, married Peter Akin

  7. Thomas Jr., born about 1818, married (1) Belinda Alkire (2) Elizabeth Wise -- listed in the 1840 U.S. Federal Census Meigs County reports

    The children were all born in OH.

    Jane Mankin Dye, died 7, April, 1847. Thomas married Elizabeth Wilson prior to the 1850 census. She was born ~ 1784 in Pennsylvania. Thomas died 8, April, 1858 and Elizabeth died 1, Mar, 1860 -- both died in in Meigs County, Ohio.