This is the second part of the story on the family of William Simonton from the book by William Simonton entitled 'Family History of the Simonton and Related Families'. The book provides details of the early Simontons that came originally from Scotland, then to Ireland and eventually to the new lands of North America.


Our Father, William (1788-1846), was the third son of Dr. William and Jane (Wiggins) Simonton. The precise date of his birth does not appear in any accessible record, but it was in the year 1788. At the death of his father he was only twelve years of age. His early education was received under the direction of his mother, and consisted of the branches usually taught in the common schools of that period. As he was inclined to the profession of his father (medical), he studied Latin under the tuition of the Rev. James R. Sharon, pastor of Derry and Paxton church. After the usual preliminary reading, under Dr. Samuel Meyrick, of Middletown, Pa., his private preceptor, he entered the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia, and after a full course of lectures, received the degree of Doctor of Medicine, in 1809.

In 1815 he married to Martha (1791-1862), second daughter of the Rev. James Snodgrass, pastor, of the Hanover Church, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. On the 8th of June 1817, he made a public profession of his faith in Christ, by uniting with the Presbyterian Church of Derry. His wife united with the same church at the same time, on certificate from the church of which her father was pastor.

Repeated mention of the three churches of Paxton, Derry and Hanover, in the days of our fathers, may call for a further word of explanation. These churches were all established before the middle of the Eighteenth century, and were mainly of Scotch-Irish constituency. They were situated in Dauphin County, Pa., In somewhat triangular relation; Paxton two miles, and Derry twelve miles east of Harrisburg, formed the (nearly) east and west base line of the triangle, while Hanover, ten miles north of Derry, occupied the apex. Paxton and Derry were generally in charge of the same pastor, Derry having two-thirds of his, time. Father's farm lay between Derry and Hanover, but two miles nearer the former: he was loyal to the congregations' bounds as designated, and so remained connected with Derry church, (in which he later became an elder), although he had married a daughter of the pastor of Hanover. But Derry being without service every third Sabbath, we, as the family grew, eagerly embraced the opportunity of hearing grandfather preach that day. The roads were hilly, so that a timely start had to be made. As we approached the church, from one side and another could be seen carriages coming out of private roads or shady lanes, and falling into line upon the main road to the house of God. There our fathers worshipped, sitting in their rigid, straight-backed pews: singing Rochester, Devizes, Dundee. The late Washington Rogers writes: "Father was chorister of Hanover church for over twenty-five years. I have the old 'pitch-pipe' he used, and can easily imagine I hear it 'toot.' Mr. Allen Sturgeon and your father sang the bass."

After sermon the carriages left the church in a long string, winding around turns and up ascents with laborious strain, or quickening their pace in succession at the same descent, till perchance they punctuated their course by sousing in turn into the same splashy rut or mud-hole at the bottom, emerging with dripping wheels. Doubtless the turnouts of those days would look plain, or even uncouth, to modern eyes, but we choose rather to see them surrounded with the halo of a sacred past, In which kindred and neighbours faithfully made use of the facilities Providence granted them to hear the word of God and keep holy the Sabbath day. T. D. S,

In the distribution of property resulting from Grandfather Simonton's death, the farm, "Antigua," was equally divided between father and his brother, John Simonton. The latter retained the homestead and continued to occupy it until his death, in 1824, which occurred two or three days before that of Grandmother, who lived with him after her husband's death. As the part of the farm taken by father was without buildings, he was under the necessity of erecting both house and barn before he could occupy it as a separate property. This he did about 1818, and soon afterward took possession of his new home, where the whole of his subsequent life was spent. While his own time was devoted to the practice of medicine, the farming, operations were carried on by means of hired help - for a number of years by a colored man named Frank, who, with his wife, Peggy, occupied a tenant house by the roadside some 300 yards from the family mansion.

Eleven children were born to father and mother. The eldest and third were sons. Their names were John and James. They died in infancy. The following are the names of the brothers and sisters who reached adult life, and the order and time of their births: Martha Jamison, born 1816; Jane, November 22, 1818; William, September 12, 1820; Elizabeth Wiggins, September 4 1822; Anna Mary, late in 1824; John Wiggins, December 2, 1826; James Snodgrass, March 20, 1829; Thomas Davis, January 25, 1831; Ashbel Green, January 20, 1833. Of these nine, all the four sisters and the youngest brother have been removed by death. Further notice will be taken of them in the subsequent part of this history.

Father had always manifested an interest in National and State politics, and was accustomed to act with the Whigs, in opposition to the Democrats, who had retained possession of the general Government since the election of Andrew Jackson to the Presidency in 1824. He was elected County Auditor in 1823, and served a term of three years. He opposed the principles of Masonry while they were a factor in local and State politics in Pennsylvania. In 1838 he was very unexpectedly to himself, nominated by the Whigs as a candidate for the Lower House of Congress, from the District then composed of Dauphin and Lebanon counties. His party having a heavy majority in the District, he was elected without difficulty. The Congress for which he was chosen was the Twenty-sixth. In l840 he was re-nominated and re-elected to the Twenty-seventh Congress. In this same year William Henry Harrison was chosen President, with John Tyler Vice President. After the death of President Harrison, April 4, 1841, Mr. Tyler, as his successor in office, called an extra session of Congress, which was held in the summer of 1841. During his attendance upon this session of Congress, father's health suffered very greatly. He had been accustomed to an active life, and to exercise upon horseback. Close attention to public business, with confinement to the atmosphere of Washington during the heated term, so prostrated him physically that he was unable to attend constantly the sessions of 1842 and 1843. He never fully recovered his health, though he resumed his medical practice, which was continued three years after his congressional career closed.

His successor in Congress from the District of Dauphin and Lebanon counties was none other than Ex-Governor Ramsey (cf St. Paul, Minnesota, his warm personal and political friend, then beginning a public career that has covered more than fifty years. It was after his congressional term he was appointed the first territorial governor of Minnesota. And it is pleasing to record that having ably filled successively the office of Governor, U. S. Senator from his adopted State, and of Secretary of War, he still lives (1900), hale, hearty and genial, and though it involves an approach toward ninety years of age, seeing abundant fruits of his labors.

I cannot resist the temptation to introduce here a glimpse from our boyhood life. Father took the "Daily National Intelligencer" then full of Washington news, and of debates fresh from the lips of the political giants of those days, - Webster, Clay, Calhoun, Benton. These he read, with great interest, and discussed with his friends - Mr Sharon, James Clark, Dr. Henderson and others. When thoroughly aroused over the deeds of the "Loco Focos" (Democrats) be was accustomed to draw up his chair close to his visitor and tell of their enormities in the only voice fit for such deeds of darkness, a whisper, meantime emphasizing the utterance by pressing his finger on his neighbor's knee. The tariff was a great issue then. Whig and "Loco Foco" were pitted against each other in deadly array, while the question of our North-western boundary stirred all classes and gave rise to the Jingo watchword. "Fifty-four forty or fight." Our Post office was two miles away, but brother John made short work of getting the mail when he mounted our sturdy little horse, Eclipse, and dashed along at a spanking pace. But these runs ware only incidents. Fox hunting among the hills and over the country on his steed, with a pack of yelling hounds, was with him a more worthy and normal sport. William had left the plow and gone to college. James was becoming expert as a shot. He was death on hawks, as their carcasses, nailed on the front of our barn, testified. We two younger brothers were scarcely beyond the age when "whopper's" were pulled out on our hooks from the "deep" holes in streams you could step across. It was on our return from such a fishing excursion we heard, from Katie Farling, as we passed the little tenant house on the roadside, the words, "Boys, the President's dead." They were only too true. The first President Harrison had died suddenly April 4, 1841.

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