Person:John Slater (31)

John could not read or write (census).

“John Slater was a great deer hunter. He and his brother, Jacob, were descended from an old Patroon family that settled on the banks of the Hudson River when the colony was known as New Netherland. John was born in 1780. He wandered down into the mountains of Virginia where he married Rebecca Albin, the oldest daughter of James Albin and his wife. He loved the frontier and soon after marrying, he and his little family and the large Albin family came to Ohio and settled near where Pleasant City now stands. The wife died in 1828 and was the first person buried in the Mt. Zion Cemetery, the land having been given by her son-in-law, Isaac Secrest, for cemetery purposes. Three daughters were born of that union. Some time later Mr. Slater married a widow, Polly McLaughlin and one son was born to them. There may have been more children of this marriage but unknown. The boy was named Albert Slater and on reaching manhood went to Missouri and married and left a family still located in Jasper County, Missouri. After the second wife’s death, Mr. Slater lived with his children and grandchildren, especially Levi Secrest in Pleasant City. He lived to a great age and when old enjoyed entertaining the youngsters with his stories of pioneer life and hunting. He had been a soldier in the War of 1812. His home farm is now (1922) owned by Wilbur Gregg on the hill near Pleasant Grove. He died at the home of his niece, Rebecca Larrick, where he had gone for a visit in 1871, and is buried by the side of his two wives at Mt. Zion. We think Harriet Rigdon and Nancy Lyons were daughters of the second marriage – possibly others.”

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Judy & Gary Griffin, [email protected]. Hutchinson - Laird - Griffin - Eggleston and Related Families.
2.   Annette Fisher Albin. The Albin’s of Harrison County, Indiana. (1990, Revised 1992, Revised 1994).