Birth* | 28 February 1768 | Asahel Johnson was born on 28 February 1768 at Woodbury, New Haven Co., Connecticut; Asahel, s. Artemas & Mary, b.Feb 28, 1768, at Woodbury.1,2 |
Marriage* | | He married Beulah Hitchcock; Asahel Johnson married Beulah Hitchcock, born Feb. 19, 1770, died Sept. 13, 1851. Their children were Lydia; Altemas; Simeon, now living in Illinois; Amanda, Charlotte, married Chauncey, son of Capt. Josiah Grant, and died May 9. 1840; Joel, born at Orwell, May 17, 1799, and still living in the town; Wealthy; Julia; Clarissa; Lydia, married Harry Wilson, and lives in Warren; Nelson; and Mary. Truman Johnson married a sister of Joel Cook, and went west for eight or ten years, and returned and settled in Pike.3 |
Event-Misc* | 1797 | Asahel Johnson had the following event: in 1797 Asahel Johnson and Zenas Cook came first to Sheshequin in the winter of 1795-96, and made that settlement their headquarters while they explored the country for a location. They made their selection in Orwell, Mr. Johnson purchasing of Towner Hill. Their report was so flattering, several of their neighbors determined to come also; a company was formed, and Marks and Cook were sent to view the land more thoroughly. Their report being favorable, the company purchased the township, which was to be divided among its members. Mr. Johnson remained a year at Sheshequin, and came into Orwell permanently in 1797. The town was six miles square, and was called Menden; Mr. Johnson owned 3,000 acres. He lived where Albert Conklin now lives, and his brother Truman, who came in 1796, lived on the farm now owned by Albert Allen and Lewis Darling. His brother William lived where Zebulon Frisbie lives, The family came from Burlington, Litchfield Co., Conn. Capt. Josiah Grant settled in the town in 1798, from Vermont. He was a captain in the Continental army during the Revolutionary War, serving under Col. Ethan Allen, whose cousin he was, in his brigade of "Green Mountain Boys." Capt. Grant lived about one hundred rods west of the present site of the Presbyterian church in Orwell. Samuel Wells, _who married a sister_ of Asahel Johnson, came from Burlington, Vt (sic, s/b Ct)., and settled on the farm just south of Johnson, in 1799. His eldest son, Theron, now owns the property. ... (different paragraph) Levi Frisbie, Richard Marks, Asahel Johnson, William Johnson, Truman Johnson, Zerias Cook, Asa Upson, and perhaps one or two others, formed the company, which, at the solicitation of Col. Ezekiel Hyde and Blisha Tracy, agents for the first Delaware company, purchased of these agents a township of land six miles square, as before stated, extending north and east from the present Orwell. Zenas Cook was the surveyor. Although they discovered the Connecticut title was worthless, yet so pleased were the company with the country, that they determined to settle herein. (Levi Frisbie came to Orwell from Bristol, Connecticut, in February, 1800.)4 |