Person:Abraham Pickering (1)

Information on Abraham Pickering

28. ABRAHAM10 PICKERING (WILLIAM9, WILLIAM8, SAMUEL7, JONATHON6, JOHN5, GILBERT4, JOHN3, JOHN2, JAMES1) was born July 08, 1776 in New Market, Rockingham County, Virginia, and died June 23, 1833 in Pickerington, Fairfield county, Ohio. He married (1) ANN LOOKER March 25, 1799 in Rockingham county, Va., daughter of JAMES LOOKER. She was born September 10, 1776 in Rockingham county, Va., and died November 30, 1840 in Pickerington, Fairfield county, Ohio. He married (2) ANN LOOKER March 25, 1799 in Rockingham County, Virginia, daughter of JAMES LOOKER and FRANCES RUSSELL. She was born September 10, 1776 in Rockingham County, Virginia, and died November 30, 1840 in Pickerington, Fairfield County, Ohio.

Abraham Pickering who laid out Pickerington, Fairfield County, Ohio giving a site for a church, schoolhouse, and cemetery, was the eldest son of William Pickering and Barbara Woodley and was born near Newmarket, Rockingham County, Virginia, July 8, 1776, only four days after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. His Wife, Ann Looker was born in Rockingham County, Virginia. Ann was his first cousin, once removed. Their common ancestor was Thomas Looker. They were married in 1799 in Rockingham County, Virginia. They emigrated to Ohio in 1806 and settled in Fairfield County. They brought with them their little daughter Elizabeth and son James, the latter being but six years old. To them were born eight children: Elizabeth, who became the wife of Thomas Morton; James who married Catherine Williams, Mary, who became the wife of Mathias Swayze; Jonathan, who married Cyrene Miller; Jacob and Daniel, both of whom died in early manhood; and two others who died in childhood.

In 1815, Abraham Pickering acquired the land that Pickerington was laid out on from James Looker, his father-in-law who had acquired the land 1 May 1811. After it had been sufficiently cleared, Pickering proceeded to lay out the town. For a time the town had no name, but when news came to the settlement of General Andrew Jackson's victory over the British at the Battle of New Orleans, Pickering promptly gave the village the name of "Jacksonville" in honor of "Old Hickory." The first plat of Jacksonville was filed at Lancaster, Fairfield County, Ohio, on September 15, 1815. The 1820 census found 49 people in Jacksonville. Twelve years later, the citizens of the village, wishing to honor Abraham Pickering for his generosity and his regard for the public welfare, petitioned the state legislature to change the name from "Jacksonville" to "Pickerington." This was done by a special act of the state legislature in 1827.

Source: http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/w/e/l/Christina-L-Wells/GENE8-0012.html