John Gann

Narrative:

     John Gann was born on 23 Jun 1775 in Berks Co., Pennsylvania.^4,5,6
     John married Catherine Christ, daughter of Adam Christ and Elizabeth Follmer, about 1801 in Milton, Pennsylvania.^7,8,9
     According to an account published in 1906, John "moved to Milton, later to Lewisburg, thence to Dry Valley, and finally to the Nippenose Valley, which he reached in 1808, having made the journey thither by canoe and Indian trail. He first settled near what is now Oval, where he remained six years, and then moved to what became known as the 'old Gann homestead,' consisting of three hundred acres, which he purchased at a price of one dollar and a quarter per acre." This no doubt was based on interviews with surviving family members, and seems to be generally correct, but details are not totally consistent with currently available documentation.¹⁴
     John appeared on the 1810 Federal Census of Nippenose Twp., Lycoming Co., Pennsylvania, with a household consisting of three males under age 10 (sons Harry, Jacob and John), and one 26 to 44 (himself), and one female age 26 to 44 (wife, Catherine Christ.)¹⁵
     John was in the militia in the war of 1812. He would seem to have been the John Gann who served as a private in John Bakeoven's Company, 2nd Bragade, 1st Division, Pennsylvania Militia, under the command of Col. John Thompson. The unit was drafted, serving from 11 Sep 1814 until 5 Jan 1815.^16,17

Patenting His Land --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     In 14 Jan 1814 John prepared an application to purchase from the Commonwealth 400 acres of land in Lycoming Co.. It was described as on the north side of the Nippenose Valley, to include his "actual settlement and improvement" and "a large spring." A deposition by Simon Huntington was included, stating that he had seen oats raised and three or four acres of wheat sowed, and another by John Stiner stated that there had been no improvements before 1805, about August. Note that it is not stated whether John was the one who made those initial "improvements," so we cannot be sure whether he was there in 1805 or took over land initially worked by someone else. John did made a deposition declaring that there was no other claim to the property.¹⁸
     The law then in effect allowed citizens to obtain a patent on Commonwealth-owned land only after they occupied and cultivated it. Applicants had to pay a fee for the land, plus interest from the date of the first improvements, and establish that no other warrant existed for the land. The application was intended to show all these requirements had been met.¹⁹ A warrant, which authorized a survey be made, was issued by the Commonwealth 9 Feb 1814 after John had made payment at the rate of 50 shillings per hundred acres. Interest from 1 Mar 1805 was to be paid before the patent would be issued.²⁰
     The survey was not actually made until 16 Sep 1823, perhaps because he had to pay for the survey before it was made. It defined a rectangular parcel, 165 rods (2,722 ft.) east and west, and 410 rods (1.28 miles) north and south. It contained 398 acres, 149 perches, plus a 6% allowance for roads. The Land Office had begun requiring a few years before that parcels be surveyed in neat rectangles rather than the highly irregular shapes common before then. The survey indicates a spring and stream, as described in the original application. It states that the improvements were a small log dwelling house and barn, and about 15 or 20 acres of cleared land.²¹
     Over ten years passed from the making of the survey of John's land until it was officially returned to the land office on 14 Mar 1834. A patent, granting him title, was issued the same day. He had paid $24.34 in interest from the date of the first improvements.²²
     The only occupation that has been found for John is a farmer.²³

Living in the Nippenose Valley --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     John appeared on the 1820 Federal Census of Nippenose Twp., Lycoming Co., Pennsylvania, with a household consisting of three white males under age 10 (sons Israel, Andrew and Lewis), three age 10 to 16 (George, John and Jacob), and one over 45 (himself), one white female under age 10 (daughter Elizabeth), and one age 26 to 45 (wife Catherine.)²⁴
     Adams Twp., named for President John Adams, was established 4 Dec 1824 by the Pennsylvania General Assembly. It was made up from parts of Wayne and Nippenose townships, including the Nippenose Valley where John and his family lived.²⁵ John appeared on the 1830 Federal Census of Adams Twp., Lycoming Co., Pennsylvania, with a household consisting of two males age 10 to 15 (sons Andrew and Lewis), one age 15 to 20 (Israel), three age 20 to 30 (probably George, John and Jacob but could have included Harry instead), and one age 50 to 60 (himself), and one female age 15 to 20 (daughter Elizabeth), and one age 50 to 60 (wife Catherine Christ.)²
     The name of the township was changed to Limestone Twp. on 14 Apr 1835.²⁵ John appeared on the 1840 Federal Census of Limestone Twp., Lycoming Co., Pennsylvania, with a household consisting of one male age 60 to 70 (himself), one female age 15 to 20 (unknown), and one age 50 to 60 (wife Catherine Christ.)³
     John died on 10 Mar 1842 at age 66.^10,11 He was buried in St. Peters Lutheran Church Cemetery, Collomsville, Lycoming Co., Pennsylvania.^12,13
     John died intestate, without a will. His eldest surviving son, John, filed a petition for partition of real estate with the Lycoming Co. Orphan's Court in its Dec 1844 term. The petition asked the Court to award an inquest to divide the property among the heirs according to law if that could be done without spoiling the whole, and if not to appraise the property. The petition described three parcels, all in Limestone Twp. The largest appears to be eastern portion of the parcel patented in 1834, but was only 126 perches (2,079 feet) wide east to west, containing just over 306 acres. A small parcel adjacent to his property and to that of John Jr. contained 42 perches, or about half an acre. A third parcel adjoining his son-in-law James Clark, contained 28 acres. The Court awarded an inquest as requested, ordering that personal notice be served on the parties residing in the county, and be published in the Lycoming Gazette for six weeks.²⁶