Person:William Cooper (112)

Personal History

"During the American Civil War the Cooper family were Southern Sympathizers. Jennie Cooper wore a butternut pit, the badge of a southern woman sympathizer. She was said to have hated Abraham Lincoln. The story which was whispered in a hush-hush way was handed down that her family stole horses and hid them in a hollow back of the West Salem School. At night they were ridden to Kentucky to help in the Southern cause. If the story was true, it would seem more likely to have been the horses were hidden in the valley behind the Symaria Church, which was across the road from the George Ford home. The cave was perhaps used for the riders to hide in as it is there also. Jennie Ford was a very good rider when a young girl. Was she a rider for the Cause? After the War some members of her family went west as their activities were very dangerous. Jennie Always carried her pin in her purse. On 14 February 1866, after the Civil War, Jennie met and married William Henry Cooper, of Pike Township, Marion County, Indiana. His folks were Quakers and were for the North. William Henry had joined the army but his mother got him out and paid someone $800 to go in his place." - Taken from Memoirs of Iva Dell Eudaly Craver

"William Cooper met Jennie Ford at a 'big meeting' at Monrovia. Everyone came for miles around. It was probably a five year Quaker meeting as Will and his family were Quakers. Jennie's folks we most likely Quakers at one time as many Fords are listed in Quaker history." - Iva Craver, 1966

"William taught school as a young man. His mother, Elizabeth Moore Cooper, was a Quaker. When the Civil War broke out Elizabeth paid $800 to another person to take his place. He and Jennie (as his wife was known) went to Atlanta, Missouri, (about 1869) but did not stay. They made the trip in a large prairie schooner or Conestoga wagon. Their first child was born in the wagon on the trail. When they came back, they lived in Clinton County where Uncle Mont and Aunt Ellen were born. Aunt Julia was born in Delaware County, Della was born in Boone County and Uncle Grant was born in Morgan County. He was born in a storeroom at the town of Salem where Grandma Ford lived. Uncle Perle was born in Hendricks County, Aunt Nora in Boone County. William Henry died of a kidney infection and left Jennie with small children. She had a very hard time. She made rugs of rags for other people, kept a few cows and chickens, sold he butter and eggs at the store in Lewisville (Indiana), walking and carrying them the two miles. She was a proud, hard working woman, took care of her mother in her last illness, and acquired the old house at Salem (Indiana)." - Written by Iva Dell Eudaly Craver, granddaughter of William and Jennie

“West Salem was in Section 26, near the crossroads of Shuler and Potteroff roads (950 West and 200 north), in the south central part of Ashland Township, west central Morgan County, Indiana. Rolling fields and an occasional rural home fill the modern landscape. Salem School is the only remaining structure. The one-room brick building still stands, on private property, and can be seen from Potteroff Road, formerly called Old Salem Road.The father of the current owner was a student of the school. Early settlement records for this area show that George Shultz and William Johnson bought land in the area of West Salem in 1824. Hiram Alexander and Levi Meafield settled in 1825, followed by Jacob Bullen in 1826 and Jacob Seachrist in 1829. Postal records show West Salem having the first post office in the area. It was established March 24, 1848 with Jacob Secrest, formerly Seachrist, as the first postmaster. Jacob Bullen was the proprietor when the town was platted, May 30, 1849. It consisted of eight blocks of two lots each on Cross and Main Streets. In 1855, records show the town had a store and a blacksmith. The same year the post office changed to Graysville, which was to become the area of Sheasville-Alaska. By 1874 none of the land owners previously mentioned were listed in the Ashland Township Directory. Araminta July Ann Carpenter Ford bought the land, and what was left of the town, from Jeremiah Davis in 1875. As a child she is reputed to have survived an indian attack in which she was scalped, ever after she wore a cap or bonnet. Her parents were killed in the attack. A bear attacked her and her sister Sarah in Switzerland County, Indiana shortly after moving there from Kentucky. She moved to Morgan County with her husband from Bartholomew County where they had sold their 157 acres. They were reported to be ‘set in their ways.’ George was raised a northern Mormon. Araminta's parents and grandparents were from the south, didn't like Mormon customs, and they differed strongly in their views during the Civil War. They were divorced in 1871. The land was deeded to her daughter, Eliza Jane Cooper, in 1892. She lived in the house until 1935. Eliza's husband, William Cooper, was a wagon maker, together they had seven children. Other town names in the area are Graysville, Sheasville, Lewisville, and Alaska which had a post office until 1909.” - http://www.sweetowen.net/westsale.htm

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} United States Census, 1850.

   FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHJR-Y5F), William Cooper in household of Samuel Cooper, Pike, Marion, Indiana, United States; citing family 1421, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} United States Census, 1860.

   FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4FY-5FN), William Cooper in entry for Samuel Cooper, 1860.

3. ↑ Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007.

   FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV99-7DLD), William Cooper and Eliza Jane Ford, 14 Feb 1866; citing Morgan, Indiana, United States, various county clerk offices, Indiana; FHL microfilm 2,419,997.

4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3} United States Census, 1870.

   FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M46L-NMG), William Cooper, Missouri, United States; citing p. 18, family 126, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 552,289.

5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4} United States Census, 1880.

   FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHM6-YKT), George P Cooper in household of William H Cooper, Perry, Boone, Indiana, United States; citing enumeration district ED 123, sheet 192A, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0267; FHL microfilm 1,254,267.

6. ↑ Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007.

   FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XXJK-HWR), Wm Cooper in entry for Perlie Cooper and Stella Myers, 28 Jul 1901; citing Owen, Indiana, United States, various county clerk offices, Indiana; FHL microfilm 1,312,989.

7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2} Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007.

   FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K62H-5CF), William Cooper in entry for Joseph B Endaly and Della Oneal, 19 Dec 1906; citing Putnam, Indiana, United States, various county clerk offices, Indiana; FHL microfilm 1,315,790.

8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2} Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007.

   FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV99-48DC), Wm T Cooper in entry for Grant Cooper and Sallie Susie Ratts, 17 Aug 1910; citing Morgan, Indiana, United States, various county clerk offices, Indiana; FHL microfilm 2,420,001.

9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1 9.2} Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007.

   FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VRXZ-8GD), Wm Henry Cooper in entry for Grant Cooper and Emma Alexander, 30 Dec 1934; citing Morgan, Indiana, United States, various county clerk offices, Indiana; FHL microfilm 1,929,494.

10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2} Find A Grave Index.

    Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/5082522/william-henry-cooper), memorial page for William Henry Cooper (8 Aug 1836–3 Apr 1895), Find a Grave Memorial ID 5082522, citing Samaria Cemetery, Paragon, Morgan County, Indiana, USA ; Maintained by Susiqsers (contributor 22040498) .

11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1 11.2} Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007.

    FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV99-41WS), Wm Henry Cooper in entry for Grant Cooper and Emma Alexander, 30 Dec 1934; citing Morgan, Indiana, United States, various county clerk offices, Indiana; FHL microfilm 2,420,022.

12. ↑ William Cooper, as well as his father-in-law George Ford & brother-in-law Noble Ford, all have a mark under: “Male Citizens of the U.S. of 21 years of age and upwards, where right to vote is denied or abridged on other grounds than rebellion or other crime.”