14 September 2012

Where is Maze Corners? Who is the Maze Family of Williams Co, OH?


By Pamela Pattison Lash

This detailing springs from a recent query on the Maze family who lived in Williams County, Ohio in its early days.  These pioneers lived on property that was known as Maze Corners.  The first part of the query asked for a location of Maze Corners.  It appears to be in the sw ¼ of Section 5 in Center Twp, Williams Co, OH and had an active post office from 1842-1849. (Post Offices of Ohio, John S Gallagher, 1979, p256-257)

The Williams County Public Library has a wonderful resource known as the family files – these are alphabetical by surname and can contain a wealth of information deposited by other researchers, queries to the library, stray obits, etc OR they may simply contain a card with the name of someone who is interested in connecting with another researcher.  Sometimes you hit pay dirt checking out the files.

In this case, I’ve included entries that were found in the Maze file with the corresponding source, if one exists.  You will also find in the Bryan Press article for 1903 (**) a very inaccurate history of this family.  Below all this you’ll find some things I’ve discovered about this family. 

West Buffalo (Florence Twp, Williams Co, OH)
Nelson Maze, then 20, came to West Buffalo c1841.  His father was a minister of the English Lutheran Church.  Their farm was the northwest quarter section in Center Township.  After 3-4 years there the family moved over into Michigan, where the remuneration was better for the labors of a preacher (undocumented source in West Buffalo file)

West Buffalo - David B Maze, one of our old settlers, moved from our midst last week.  We understand he has pitched his tent in the vicinity of Pioneer.  Since the removal of Mr Maze, the life of our post office is seriously endangered, but it is to be hoped it will survive. (Bryan Press, 13 Nov 1873)

**(Bryan Press, 8 Oct 1903) – you will find that some of this is totally inaccurate (see below)
Reminiscence
Nelson Maze, whose death notice appears elsewhere in this paper, came to this county with his father's family in 1841.  His father was a minister of the English Lutheran Church.  The family settled at West Buffalo, their farm being the northwest quarter section in Center Township.

The last night before the family reached their destination they spent in Bryan, then a village of but 3-4 houses.  They stopped with a family that then occupied a cabin on the lot where the dwelling of George W Hopkins now is.  After remaining there 3-4 years on their farm at West Buffalo, the family moved over into Michigan, where for better remuneration for the labors of a preacher.

Mr Maze's father was twice married; his first wife's children were
Jason
Jackson
Joseph
Martin
Nelson
His children from his second wife were
David B, who passed from life at or near Pioneer, recently
Mrs Elizabeth Yeagley, daughter, now and for many years past a resident of Bryan

Mr Maze was a soldier in the Civil War, having enlisted in Company I, 40th Regiment Ohio Infantry Volunteers, 21 Oct 1861, and serving until 1 Aug 1863, when he was discharged on surgeon's certificate of disability.  He was a pensioner on account of disease of the eyes and for several years past has been almost totally blind.

David B Maze - on 11 July 185? was post master of West Buffalo PO; the postmaster before him took over on 11 July 1854 (Daniel W Wright) next post master was William Street on 22 Apr 1857; later after several others, David Maze was postmaster on 1 Apr 1872 (National Archives Microfilm M841 - Record of Appointment of Postmasters, Roll 101, Ohio - Pike-Wyandot Counties)

Early Burials in West Buffalo Cemetery (A History of Williams County Cemeteries: A Documentary, Bryan, Ohio, Richard Cooley, 1988 p4)
Rev R Maze (d 16 July 1851)
Joseph Maze (d 1852)

Row 20
Rev R Maze (1798 - 1851)
Joseph (1828-1852)
Robert (? - 1861)

Row 21
Samantha Maze (1834-1856)

Row 31
Eva C Maze (1870-1961)

The above information was basically what I started with to piece together this family.  Here is what I found on this Maze group:

Reverend Robert Maze (c1798 Washington Co, PA – 16 July 1851 Center Twp, Williams Co, OH; burial at West Buffalo Cem, Florence Twp, Williams Co, OH); son of Lancelot and Mary Maze

This Maze family appears to have moved around quite often:
C1808 they came from Washington Co, PA to Portage Co, OH (now Summit Co)
By 1818 they lived in Darby, Union Co, OH
C1825 they lived in Crawford Co, OH* where Robert served as JP from 1830-1838 when they moved to Seneca Co, OH
By 1840 the family lived in Wayne Co, KY for about a year and then c1841 they came to Williams Co, OH**; Robert became the postmaster at Maze Corners; they again moved to Jackson Co, MI but were back in Williams Co, OH c1850

(History of Crawford Co, OH, 1881, p667-668 and 699)
*On 22 June 1826 Robert’s father, Lancelot Maze of Union Co, OH, deceased; Robert and Mary Maze were appointed administrators of his estate according to Delaware Patron and Franklin Chronicle; on 27 Sept 1826 Robert Maze filed an inventory of goods and chattels in Millcreek Twp, Union Co, OH
**In 1838 there is a deed for land sold by R Baker to R Maze in Deed V5 p267-268 for 160A on sw ¼ of Sec 35 in Wi

1883 History of Union Co, OH
Lancelot Maze, who also became a settler here in 1818, located on Mill Creek on land now owned by Mrs. Freshwater, where he died in the fall of 1823. He was a native of Ireland, from which he emigrated to America when sixteen years of age, and, with his wife Mary, to whom he was married in Pennsylvania, is, removed to Huron County, Ohio; thence to this county, as above stated. It is said by some of the early settlers that he was one of the first Justices of the Peace of Mill Creek Township. Children-John; one daughter, married and resides in Huron County, Ohio; Robert, Sarah, Jane, Joseph, Jesse and Millie, all of whom moved away soon after their father's death.

Married 1 – Mary King, 24 Sept 1818, Darby, Madison Co, OH
Mary King (d 27 Sept 1821 and was buried in Mitchell Cem, Darby, Union Co, OH)
(Darby-Jerome Twp Cemetery Records, Union Co, OH, 1982)
Known children:
Martin b1819
Nelson b1821, pos Bucyrus, Crawford Co, OH; CW vet

Married 2 – Sarah Delano Mitchell, 20 Nov 1823, Union Co, OH by James Boals, JP (Union Co, OH Marriage Records, Dianna Hearl, 1997, V1 p12; Gateway to the West, Ruth Bowers, 1989, V2 p586
Sarah D Mitchell (3 Feb 1802 Danby Twp, Union Co, OH – 18 Feb 1887 Bridgewater Twp, Williams Co, OH; bur Oak Hill Cem); dau of Samuel and Elizabeth Robinson Mitchell

1883 History of Union Co, OH, Beers
Samuel Mitchell, Jr. had married Elizabeth Robinson in York Co., PA and removed to Darby with his family a few years after his relatives settled here.  After his emigration, he continued his residence upon the place until his death, which occurred about 1820.  He built the first wool carding machine within the bounds of Union County and operated it in connection with farming.  His children were Sarah, who married Robert Maze; Margaret, who was the wife of John Crawford; Samuel who removed to Iowa, James, an old bachelor, and David both of Washington, Iowa; Jane, Betsy and Eleanor, married and residing in Iowa.

Maze -- At the residence of her son, David B. Maze in Bridgewater Township, February 18, 1887, Mrs. Sarah D. Maze, aged 85 and 15 days.
Another of Williams County pioneers has fallen. Mrs. Maze was married in 1823 in Union Co and from hence various migrations moved to Williams County OH in 1841. When the ashes of the Indians dwellings were yet seen. Amidst the privations and hardships of pioneer life the father and mother found time for religious enjoyment, and for several years Mr. Maze was a minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church. His death occurring in 1851 left her dependent upon the resources and the care of her children. She was the mother of eight children, five of whom survive her (David, Sarah, Jason, Mary, Elizabeth living; Joseph, James, Andrew deceased). Twenty-three years of her widow hood were spent at the home of her son David, who, not withstanding the perplexities, unfortunate circumstances did not fail to give the most tender care and filial attention to his aged mother, though she had not been subject to disease, yet age brought serious infirmities and made life a burden to herself. Frequently, she longingly prayed that she might be released; death comes as a welcome guest. She was buried in the Oak Hill Cemetery; unfavorable circumstances preventing her burial in the West Buffalo Cemetery by the side of her husband. (Bryan Press, 24 Feb 1887 p2 c6)

Note the mention of “unfavorable circumstances” for her burial beside her husband – I have no idea what that means. Perhaps there was no money for her body to be transported there or no space available in the cemetery for her remains??

Note the proper listing of her children, which shows the inaccuracy of the later 1903 Bryan Press article.

Known children:
1. James H (22 June 1826 Milford, Union Co, OH – 9 June 1884 Grand Rapids, Kent Co, MI) m Sally M Savage, 22 Mar 1853 Hillsdale Co, MI
2. Joseph (1828 OH – 13 Feb 1852 Florence Twp, Williams Co, OH; m Samantha Gilbert)
3. Elizabeth (1830 Crawford Co, OH – bef 1912); m Melancthon W Lewis, 30 Apr 1849 Pulaski, Jackson Co, MI
4. David B (29 Oct 1832 Crawford Co, OH – 15 July 1900 Bridgewater Twp, Williams Co, OH); m Nancy Ann Sullenberger, 20 Feb 1855 Camden, Hillsdale Co, MI
5. Jason (4 Jan 1835 Seneca Co, OH – 10 Aug 1906 Ellsworth Co, KS) m1 Sarah Maze, 22 Nov 1857 Williams Co, OH; m2 Mary C Rainey 18 Oct 1866 Williams Co, OH
6. Mary Elizabeth (22 Jan 1837 Crawford Co, OH – 9 Apr 1912 Bryan, Williams Co, OH) m 14 Mar 1860 Williams Co, OH to Charles Henry Yeagley – later divorced (see divorce data on my blog under Yeagley)
7. Andrew Jackson (1840 Wayne Co, KY - )
8. Sarah Mitchell (7 July 1842 Edgerton, St Joseph Twp, Williams Co, OH – 5 July 1927 Palo Alto, Santa Clara Co, CA); m William Scofield, 6 Sept 1866 Litchfield, Hillsdale Co, MI

1820 Millcreek, Union, Ohio; Page: 207; NARA Roll: M33_94; Image: 254.
Robert Maze
1m under 10
1m 16-25
1f 16-25

1840 Wayne, Kentucky; Roll: 126; Page: 145; Image: 963; Family History Library Film: 0007832
h/h Robert Mays
2m under 5
1m 5-9
1m 10-14
1m 15-19
1m 40-49
1f under 5
1f 5-9
1f 30-39

1850 Center, Williams, Ohio; Roll: M432_741; Page: 71A; Image: 143.
h/h 91/93 Maze, Robert 52 PA farmer $1200
Sarah 49 OH
David 17 OH farmer
Jason 15 OH farmer
Mary 14 OH
Andrew 10 KY
Sarah 8 OH

This should be a good start to help someone discover Maze/Mays/Maize roots for Williams Co, OH.

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