Esther Sowards

Biography

When Esther Cutewah Cornstalk was born in 1751 in Virginia, her father, Shawnee, was 42, and her mother, Ms. Helizikinopo, was 36. She married Thomas Sowards in 1768 in her hometown. They had five children in 15 years. She died on January 8, 1821, in Wayne, Ohio, at the age of 70, and was buried there.

Children:

• Thomas
• John B
• Diannah
• Jacob
• Griffin
• George
• Esther

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Bicentennial speakers taught a lot about Wayne area

By Bobby Warren Staff Writer Posted Aug 12, 2012 WOOSTER -- The Wayne County commissioners expressed appreciation for those who participated in Sunday’s bicentennial celebration and made it a success.

Commissioner Ann Obrecht, who helped welcome the visitors to the event at Fisher Auditorium, said it was nice to hear from mayors, township trustees and other public officials about their areas. “There were things I didn’t know about,” she said. “There were a lot of events that happened that I was not aware of.”

“I was impressed with David Mann’s presentation,” said Commissioner Jim Carmichael. Mann, who is a Franklin Township trustee, “rattled off from memory; he didn’t use any paper,” Carmichael said.

Mann spoke about how Franklin Township was the first settlement in Wayne County outside of Wooster. Thomas Butler, a Revolutionary War veteran, came in 1808. Later, John Morgan Sr., a Revolutionary War veteran, and John Morgan Jr. settled in the area, too. Isaac Munson, who fought under George Washington, came in 1816.

Someone who stood out to Mann was Thomas Sowards, who was born in 1746 in Scotland. Mann described him as a true frontiersman, who in 1768 married an Indian woman, Esther Cornstalk, the daughter of a Shawnee chief and cousin of the Great Tecumseh. In 1777, Sowards enlisted in militia and fought through the Revolution. Following the war, he returned to Virginia before moving to Tennessee, Kentucky and the Carolinas before eventually returning to Virginia in 1804.

Around this time, Mann said a man in Southern Ohio, Thomas Dowty, left Athens County for Virginia to find a wife. He met up with Sowards and married his daughter, Rosanna, who was more than 6 feet tall and known as the Indian Princess. They settled south of Moreland.

Mann said four Revolutionary War veterans and the daughter of a Shawnee Indian chief are buried in the Butler-Morgan Cemetery, which is deep in the Killbuck Marsh. He told the audience the cemetery is severely neglected, and he wants to do something about it.

The Franklin Township trustee also spoke of an Englishman who came to the area in 1832, George James. Mann is a descendant of his. He told the group the English can be persistent, and Mann said he is going to be persistent in trying to see the cemetery cleaned this year. He would like to see it done and will speak to the state about the possibility of gaining access to the site, which is in a wildlife area.

Of the bicentennial event, Carmichael said he did not realize Rittman had several other names.

Rittman Mayor Bill Robertson during his comments talked about the string of names the city has been known as. About 176 years ago, when a post office was first established in the area, the town was known as New Prospect. In 1870, it became known as Milton Station. By 1879, the town became Ellio, named after one of the founding families. But, a year later it was Arkona. This caused a lot of problems for the railroad because people were getting it confused with Akron and getting off at the wrong stop, Robertson said. In 1881, it was suggested the name be Rittman, after Fred Rittman, treasurer for the railroad that went through town. Robertson said it is not known if Fred Rittman ever stepped foot in the city that now bears his name.

“We appreciate everyone who participated,” Commissioner Scott Wiggam said. “We’ve heard nothing but good things.”

Obrecht also praised Paul Locher’s presentation. The Daily Record reporter, author, historian and speaker gave an overview of the county.

Reporter Bobby Warren can be reached at 330-287-1639 or bwarren@the-daily-record.com. He is @BobbyWarrenTDR on Twitter. https://www.the-daily-record.com/article/20120812/NEWS/308129622

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As the daughter of Chief Cornstalk and niece of Tecumseh of the Shawnee nation, most probably this connection to the Greater Huron Nations and the Algonquin Indian tribes saved the family and helped them to return Virginia by 1775 to 1777. Thomas Soward was familiar with the Turkey Cove area in the Powell Valley, in what is now Scott County VA, as Thomas Berry, William McGaughy, and he went there to hunt buffalo in 1770 or 1771.

References

• Esther Soward in the Ohio, Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center Obituary Index, 1810s-2016Name: Esther Soward Death Date: 8 Jan 1821 Death Place: Wayne County, Ohio, USA Other Source Information: Title: Wayne Co OH Wills: 1812-1851; Location: Wayne County Public Library; Description: Will Abstracts, Estates and Guardianship: Wayne County, Ohio 1812-1851 by Richard Smith; Details: PAGE 40 | Title: Wayne County Probate 1812-1917; Location: Wayne County Public Library; Description: Wayne County Ohio Index to Probate Court Records 1812-1917; Details: S-70 Library Link: Order Copy Source Citation Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center; Spiegel Grove, Fremont, Ohio; Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center Ohio Obituary Index, 1830s to 2011 AncestryImage
• The Soward and Tipsword Families: Rebels, Natives, Hunters, and Settlers, 2nd edition. MaryAnn Doty Rizzo. link to cover page
• Shawnee Heritage II By Don Greene
• http://www.appalachianaristocracy.com/getperson.php?personID=I9964&...
• http://vagenweb.org/scott/TurkeyCoveMA.html
• http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=80552214
• Shawnee Heritage IX By Don Greene
• Ancestry tree

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From link to Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 07 May 2018), memorial page for Esther Sowards (1760–8 Jan 1821), Find A Grave Memorial no. 80552214, citing Butler Cemetery, Moreland, Wayne County, Ohio, USA ; Maintained by Karen (contributor 47026177) .

Probate papers on file Franklin Township, Wayne County, OH Common Pleas Journal Vol 2 pg 193. Administrator Robert Sowards

Children:

• Thomas
• John B
• Diannah
• Jacob
• Griffin
• George
• Esther