Person:Steele Sample (1)

Steele worked as a printer throughout his life. He may have worked for a time for his uncle, William Sample. Steele worked as a “journalist and editor of the first newspaper issued in California, Pennsylvania." ^[4] Although it was not the first paper published, the Washington Reporter was one of the first and was started by William Sample in 1808.^[10] William Sample was the "son of David Semple of the Westmoreland county bar,"^[11] who is believed to be Steele’s grandfather.

Evidence of a direct connection from Steele to his putative father, David Sample, and grandfather, David Sample, Esq. is lacking in this page at the moment, however, the connection appears to be accepted among the various family trees on the internet.

Woodman Sample Death Certificate

1. ↑ Fayette, Pennsylvania, United States. 1850 U.S. Census Population Schedule: Seventh Census of the United States, NARA Microfilm Publication M432. (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration).

   The 1850 United States Federal Census for Jefferson, Fayette County, Pennsylvania lists:
   
   Steele Sample, Age 42. Profession: Printer, Place of Birth: Westmoreland County, PA.
   
   Household members are:
   
   Caroline Sample, age 42, Place of Birth: Maryland;
   Ellen Sample, Age 15, born Summersette Co., PA [sic],
   Abraham Sample, Age 13, born Summersette Co., PA [sic];
   George Sample, Age 11, born Summersette Co., PA [sic];
   Woodman Sample, Age 10 born Summersette Co., PA [sic];
   Johnston [sic, Johnson?] Sample, Age 6, born Summersette Co., PA [sic];
   Thompson [Sic, Thomas?] Sample, Age 3 years, 3 months, born Summersette Co., PA [sic]

   1850 Census
2. ↑ Washington, Pennsylvania, United States. 1860 U.S. Census Population Schedule.

   The 1860 United States Federal Census for California, Washington County, Pennsylvania lists:
   Steele Sample, Age 65, Occupation laborer, value of real estate $300, value of personal estate $100, place of birth: Pennsylvania;
   
   Caroline Sample, age 46, Place of Birth: Pennsylvania;
   Morrison Sample, age 23, Place of birth: Pennsylvania;
   George Sample, age 21, place of birth: Pennsylvania;
   Woodman Sample, age 19, place of birth: Pennsylvania;
   Johnston Sample, age 16, place of birth: Pennsylvania;
   Thos. Sample, age 12, place of birth: Pennsylvania;
   John Sample, age 9, place of birth: Pennsylvania;
   Henry C Sample, age 7, place of birth: Pennsylvania.

   1860 Census
3. ↑ ^3.0 3.1 Find A Grave
   Steele Sample.
4. ↑ Jordan, John W, and James Hadden. Genealogical and personal history of Fayette County, Pennsylvania. (New York, United States: Lewis Historical Pub. Co., 1912)
   Vol III, page 854.

   "He married, in 1858, Ellen Sample, born 1833, died, November 9, 1900, daughter of Steele Sample, a journalist and editor of the first paper published in California, Pennsylvania. Later he moved to and edited a paper in Fairmont, West Virginia, where he died aged eighty-eight years. He was a Presbyterian, as was his wife. Children of Mr. and Mrs. Sample: 1. Morrison of Los Angeles, California. 2. Wood of Fairmont, West Virginia. 3. Johnson. 4. Thomas, a music dealer of Warren, Ohio, where he died. 5. George, for the past forty years a resident of California. 6. John, deceased. 7. Henry, one time editor of the Fairmont Free Press, now retired. 8. Ellen, of previous mention...."

5.   Storey, Henry Wilson. History of Cambria County, Pennsylvania: with genealogical memoirs. (New York; Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1907)
   Vol. I, pages 368-369.

   "The journal is next the Sky, and Robert D. Canaan of Altoona, has the file of the paper during the time it was under the control of his father - the late John J. Canaan, of Altoona. This file includes, with two exceptions, all of the numbers of the Sky from the time it was established in Ebensburg in 1931 until it passed into the hands of Steel Sample, in Johnstown, in the latter part of 1837."
   
   "The paper [the Sky] was then run for about a year by Steele Sample...."

6. ↑ Marion, West Virginia, United States. 1870 U.S. Census Population Schedule.

   The 1870 United States Federal Census for Palatine (Fairmont Post Office), Marion County, West Virginia lists:
   
   Steele Sample, Age 69, Occupation: Printer, Value of Real Estate: $550, Place of Birth: Pennsylvania;
   Catherine [sic] Sample, Age: 55, Occupation: Keeping House, Place of Birth: Maryland;
   Johnson E. Sample, Age 24, Occupation: Coal Miner, Place of Birth: Pennsylvania;
   John L. Sample, Age 22, Occupation: Coal Miner, Place of Birth: Pennsylvania;
   Henry C. Sample, Age 17, Occupation: Coal Miner, Place of Birth: Pennsylvania.

   1870 Census
7. ↑ Fayette, Pennsylvania, United States. 1840 U.S. Census Population Schedule.

   The 1840 census for Jefferson, Fayette, Pennsylvania lists:
   
   Steel Sample; free white persons - males under 5: 2; free white persons - females 5-9: 1; free white persons - males 30-39: 1; free white persons - females 30-39: 1; free white persons - females 60-69: 1; free white persons under 20: 3; free white persons: 20-49: 2; total free white persons: 6; total all persons - free white, free colored, slaves: 6.

   1840 Census
8. ↑ Marion, West Virginia, United States. 1880 U.S. Census Population Schedule.

   The 1880 census for Palatine, Marion, West Virginia lists:
   
   Steele Sample, age: 81, married, occupation: printer, place of birth: PA, place of birth of the father of this person: PA, place of birth of the mother of this person: PA.
   
   Caroline E. Sample age 69, relation: wife: occupation: keeping house, birthplace: Maryland, birthplace of the father of this person: Ger.(?), birthplace of the mother of this person: PA.

   1880 Census
9.   J.M. Lathrop, H.C. Lathrop, W.R. Penny. An Atlas Of Marion And Monongalia Cos., West Virginia. From Actual Surveys by J.M. Lathrop, H.C. Penny and W.R. Proctor. (Philadelphia: D.J. Lake & Co.)
   19, 1886.

   On page 19 of the above-cited atlas, there is a map of Palatine, West Virginia (across the river from Fairmont). The map shows a lot owned by S & C Sample (presumably Steele and Caroline Sample) on Merchant Street. Also, of note are a lot owned by John E. Sample (presumably, Johnson E. Sample) on the northeast end of Merchant Street and a lot owned by W.S. Sample (presumably Woodman Stokely Sample) at the corner of Diamond and Polk Streets.
   
   A copy of the atlas can be found at The David Rumsey Map Collection, including page 19 of Palatine, Marion County, West Virginia.

10. ↑ ^10.0 10.1 Crumrine, Boyd; Franklin Ellis; and Austin N Hungerford. History of Washington County, Pennsylvania: with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men. (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Apollo, Pennsylvania: L. H. Everts & Co.; Closson Press, 1882; 1984)
    Page 350-351, 630.
11. ↑ Egle, William Henry. Notes and queries: historical, biographical and genealogical, relating chiefly to interior Pennsylvania. (Baltimore [Maryland], 1894-1901)
    Vol. 2, pages 147-148.

    "Blaine, ... Margaret Jane; m William Sample, son of David Sample of the Westmoreland county bar; learned printing in Mr. Snowden's office at Greensburg; and at the age of nineteen went to Washington, where he established, in 1808, the Washington Reporter; in 1819 he was elected prothonotary of the county, and later removed to the west; a daughter, Mrs. Eliza Ewing Sample Malcolm, resides in Lee county, Iowa."

12. ↑ Directory of Monongahela Valley, California, Washington County
    1859.

    A directory for the town of California, Washington County lists Steele's occupation as coal digger.

13. ↑ Franklin Ellis. History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania: with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men. (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: L.H. Everts & Co, 1882)
    623, 1882.

    The source lists Steele Sample as the "assessor" for the town of Jefferson in Fayette County.

14.   Wheeling Daily Intelligencer
    4, December 21, 1885.

    The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer of December 21, 1885, page 4, 5th column, announced the death of Steele: "Steele W. Sample, probably the oldest printer in the United States, died recently at Palatine, aged 87 years."

    Wheeling Daily Intelligencer, December 21, 1885 announces the death of Steele W. Sample.
15. ↑ ^15.0 15.1 Will of Steele Sample.

    Will of Steele Sample
    
    I, Steele Sample, of the town of Palatine, County of Marian, State of West Virginia, being of sound mind and disposing memory and mindful of the uncertainty of life, do make this my last Will and Testament, in manner following to it:
    
    To the everlasting God, maker of Heaven and Earth, I will my immortal soul having an abiding hope in that Salvation purchased by the blood of crucified Savior.
    
    To my beloved wife, Caroline E. Sample, if she shall survive me, I will devise and bequeath, all my estate real and personal, of every kind and description whatsoever, to be hers for and during the term of her natural life and at her death the whole of my real estate shall go to my three sons, namely, Johnson E. Sample, John L. Sample and Henry C. Sample, as joint tenants, to be theirs in fee forever, and also all my personal estate shall, at her death, in like manner descent to and vest in my said three sons in equal parts. But this limitation over to my three sons, of my personal estate, is not intended to limit in the quality the right of my wife to consume the said personal estate in a legitimate and proper use thereof, during her lifetime, if it shall be necessary for her comfort so to do.
    
    And in case I shall survive my said wife, then at my decease all my property and estate both personal and real shall descent to and vest in my three sons aforesaid to wit: Johnson E. Sample, John L. Sample and Henry C. Sample, to be theirs in equal portions forever. But all the devises and bequests herein contained are subject to my just debts remaining unpaid at my decease, which are to be first paid out of my personal estate and in case it shall not be sufficient for the purpose then so much of my real estate shall be sold as may be necessary for that purpose.
    
    In Testimony whereof I have hereunder set my hand and affixed my seal this 7th day of January in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred and seventy-one and in the presence of A. Brook Fleming and James Morrow, Jr., whom I have called to witness this my last will and testament.
    
    /ss/ Steele Sample
    
    Witness: James Morrow Jr.
    A.B. Fleming
    
    
    State of West Virgina, S.S.
    At a County Court held in and for the County of Marion at the Court House of said County in the 19th day of January, 1886:
    
    A paper writing was produced in open Court this day purporting to be the last will and testament of Steele Sample, deceased, and offered for probate, and it being proven under oath of A.B. Fleming and James Morrow Jr., the subscribing witnesses thereto, the said paper writing was admitted to record as the last will and testament of Steele Sample, deceased, late of said County.
    
    … J.B. Carpenter
    [Emphasis Added]

    Document from Ancestry.com database