Prior to moving to Illinos Thomas Otho Hyten lived in Hendricks County, IN, just Northwest of his brother William Caywood Hyten. On3-30-1837, Otho Hyten registered two land purchaces: one was 40 acres, Section 1, NENE, T 16 N, R 1 E and the other 80 acres, Section 6, E ½ SE, T 16 N, R 1 E. both in Hendricks County.IN.
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| ILLINOIS LOCATIONS OF THOMAS OTHO HYTEN'S FAMILY-yellow and WILLIAM HYTEN'S FAMILY- blue. |
When Thomas Otho Hyten’sdaughter Angelina (1848-?), who was born in Fayette County, Kentucky, was five years old, she is said to have moved to Cumberland County, Illinois. Thus, when the family arrived there in 1853 it was just a few years after the county had been formed out of Coles County. As late as 1825 the area was said to be 100% Kickapoo Indians, but by 1832 they had been driven out. When in 1844 it became known as Cumberland County, most of the 2000 settlers in the area were of Kentucky heritage. It was near the same place and about the same time that Abraham Lincoln's family was to move from Kentucky.
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| Believed to be THOMAS OTHO HYTEN |
Despite this being my own branch of the family and the area being only a couple of hours’ drive away, I had a great deal of difficulty being able to trace all of Thomas Otho’s children. In fact, it was only in1986 that I became aware that his name was Thomas Otho not just Otho as listed in our family Bible. A great deal of this difficulty is due to the fact that the Cumberland County courthouse and almost all of its records burned in a fire somewhere between1869 and 1878. By then both Otho and his wife, Elizabeth Alexander (1806-1854), had died and the family scattered.
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| ELIZABETH ALEXANDER-HYTEN |
For the longest time I had only the word of family stories telling me that he had come to Cumberland County. Finally I found a microfilm index of Illinois land records listing Otho Hyten as having bought two plots of land in Cumberland County on July1,1853. He bought 40 acres and 35.44 acres in Section 07, Township 10N, Range 07E, Lots 1 & 2. This land is now within the city of Neoga, Illinois. On March 20,1863, for $344.00 Otha Hyten bought 40 acres in Section 12, Township 10N, Range 6E which is possibly adjacent to the other land but in neighboring Shelby County. Since his son, Hugh,is in the 1860 census of Neoga, this firmly roots the family in that area.
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| LOCATION OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY, IL PROPERTIES |
In Feb., 1997, I made a trip to Cumberland County and Neoga where I tried again to trace this further but without success. I was hoping to find a family cemetery on the farm land that Thomas Otho had owned but no one in the area knew of any such cemetery.
I have not yet been able to locate much information on two of Thomas Otho's sons, Thomas A. (1833-1857) and William M. (1845-?). The early birth dates of these two leaves the possibility of a great number of undiscovered heirs. It is more likely that they died without marrying, but I cannot be sure.
In 1864, presumably when her father died, Angelina moved to Hendricks County, Indiana, to live with her uncle William Caywood Hyten. There in 1865 she married William C. Parks. They had eight or ten children. I have a picture taken by Ikenberry of Newton, Iowa, which has Angelina Hyten Parks written on the back of it. It pictures an older couple with four young children and ten young adults whose sexes correspond to the names I have for her children. I assume that one of the adults was a son-in-law and the young children were Angelina's grandchildren. While she may have lived in Iowa for quite a while, by the time she died she was back in Indiana where she was buried in Sugar Creek Cemetery four miles west of Danville. An obituary in a Bible says she was living with James Gorrell at the time of her death. He may have been the son of her grandmother, Rebecca Caywood-Heighton-Gorrell.
It is interesting to note that the book, Hendricks County, Indiana, Early Marriage Records, 1824-1841, lists Martha Darnell marrying Johnathan D. Parks. Johnson Allen Hyten, who was William Caywood's son and Angelina's cousin, married Julia Darnell in 1846. The Darnells were one of the families that had moved from Kentucky to Indiana with the HYTENs in 1833.
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| HUGH A. HYTEN, ANGELINA HYTEN-PARKS, JOHN R. HYTEN |
Thomas Otho’s son Hugh A. Hyten (1835-1898) seems to have lived several places in east central Illinois. He married Cynthia H. Barnett (1838-1879) in Shelby County in 1858. The 1860 census of Cumberland County,IL, lists Hugh A. Heyton,a 25 year old farmer born in Kentucky, his wife Cynthia, age 22, born in Illinois, and a one year old son, John W., living in Neoga, IL, indwelling #266. This census and a cemetery inventory are the only records of the existence of Hugh's first two sons, John W. (1859-1879) and William O. (1861-1874). Hugh's modern day heirs did not know of these boys. Hugh served as a private in the Civil War in the 50thIllinois Infantry.
By 1880 Hugh was livingin East Milton Township, Moultrie County, which is just west of Mattoon in Coles County where he later lived and I was to find his heirs. Listed with him was Benjamin (17), Tabitha (13), Simon(11), and Clara A. (8). From other sources I have Angie (ca.1865-?) who would have been14 or 15 but no Tabitha, and Elory Albert (1872-1930), who I know was 8 years old then, but no Clara A. I assume that both are errors by the census taker. Benjamin H. (1863-1909) died without marrying and a final son, Thomas (1876) died in infancy.
My trail of Hugh's heirs actually began with a memory of my father, Robert S., Sr. He remembered having gone to Mattoon, IL, to the funeral of a cousin in the early 1930s, but that was his last contact with those HYTENs When I found Donald William (1913-1999) in the Decatur phone book I guessed he might be one of those "cousins". The funeral had been that of Donald’s father and Hugh's son, Elory Albert (1872-1930). Elory had been a carpenter, contractor, and grocer in the Mattoon, IL, area. Elory’s wife, Nona G. Clegg may have been part Cherokee. I found Elory’s other son, Harry Alexander (1910-1996), in Tucson about the same time.
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| SIMON MARION HYTEN and Family |
Elory's brother, Simon Marion Hyten (1869-1946), was also a carpenter. Twice he shows up in the Matoon, IL census. In1900 he is on Shelby Ave., age 31, with his wife Myrtle M. (21), Ruth M.(8 mo.), and Ely H. (28). The latter was actually his brother, Elory. By 1910 Elory had married and moved on and Simon's family had grown to Myrtle(31), Ruth (10), Florence (8), and Charles (6).
Simon's son, (Wesley) Charles Wesley (1903-1953),lived in California where he was an electrician at the Paramount movie studios.Among his accomplishments there was the development of field trucks for the recording of sound. He also installed the top beam on the Los Angeles city hall. Wesley and Elory's sons, Harry and Donald allserved in the Navy at one time or another. Ruth Marie (1899-) and Florence Myrtle (1901-1992) stayed in El Paso. At the time the first edition of this book was being published in 1988, Ruth Marie, who is said to look like her mother, was the oldest living Hyten. Her son Theodore Lockhart was raised by Simon and Myrtle. He told me that they "were both very wonderful people, religious, thoughtful, kind and caring", and to this day have had a great influence on his life.
Thomas Otho’s son John R. Hyten(1838-1904) is traditionally said to be a native of Kentucky who moved to Illinois in 1845. This somewhat parallels Angelina's story. He was a farmer as were many other HYTENs. He, too, bought land in Cumberland County. On October 27, 1864, he paid $504.00 for 40 acres in Section 08, Township 10N, Range 07E which is now at least partially in the city limits of Neoga, IL. This was thirteen days after he sold 40 acres in Shelby County for $600 (NW 1/4 OF SE 1/4 of Section12, T10S, R6E.) This was his father, Thomas Otho’s land indicating that he had passed away. John R. seems to have again sold this same piece of land on March 3, 1867.
John R.'s wife Eliza Jane Spencer (1851-1877) was descended from Caleb Spencer (1718- ), the son of Samuel and two further generations of Carrol County, KY Spencers. Another of the early settlers of Cumberland County had been a B.R. Spencer who most likely was related to her.
From 1879 to 1892 he was a resident of Bond County, IL. (I can’t find any record of him selling his Shelby County land.) The 1880 census finds John R. Hyten, age 40, living on Main St., Greenville, Bond County, IL. Listed with him are Annette(12), Robert (10), Evalena (8), Ollie (4), and Lucy(2). His wife Eliza had died by then. The same census lists an orphan, Lucy E. Hyten (6), living in Neoga, Cumberland County, IL, with a Francis Richardson, a male. Since other records indicate that John R.'s daughter Lucy was born in 1874, I would guess that this was his daughter who, at least at the time of that latter census, was living with friends.
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| GEORGE ROBERT HYTEN |
In 1892 he moved from Smithboro, IL, to Edwardsville, IL, to live with his son George Robert Hyten(1869-1953). Their descendants of still live there. His first home in Edwardsville was at 606 No. Fillmore atthe corner of Orchard St. The 1900 census of Edwardsville shows John R. (61) living on Buchanan St. with Nettie Glenn (32), George Robert (30), Lucie E. (26), and Ollie (23). I have anundated picture which is labeled as “Residence of G.R. Hyten on Union Street” which I determined is 415 Union St.
The announcement of George Robert Hyten’s marriage in 1905 to Whilimina Katherine (Minnie) Meier (1878-1929) in 1905 says they were to go on a wedding trip to New Mexico to visit relatives (although I suspect it was Simon in El Paso, TX, whom they were to visit). Also on this trip was a visit to Mexico, MO (Or maybe they went only to Mexico, MO) to stay with the Doerge (pronounced Durr-Gee) family who were related through the Meier family. It also says he, the groom, was a successful plastering contractor.
In 1903, a year before John R.'s death, George Robert bought a house at 403 No. Kansas St. from a man named Schneider. He was to raise his family and spend the rest of his life there. He is listed there in the 1910 census along with his family; Minnie K. (31), Eleanor M. (3), Ruth R.(2), and Robert S. (0) who had been born the previous fall.
George Robert Hyten was pictured with "A Group of 25 Prominent Business andProfessional Men of Edwardsville" in the 1912 Madison County Centennial issue of the Edwardsville Intelligencer. In the early 1900s he owned several different businesses including a planing mill, lumber yard, bakery, concrete road-laying firm, soda-bottling factory, and much real estate. The 1905 City Directory lists G.R. Hyten and H.H. Theuer running a wood working plant on M St. That building became part of a fight between the city and preservationists when the city sought to demolish it in 1988. The preservationists lost because the building wasn't all that architecturally significant. He also built several houses on surrounding M St. and Chapman St. properties which he rented until he lost them during the depression. One of those houses would be the home of his daughter Eleanor Hyten-Schwalb.
In1920 Geor. R. Hyten had a building supply company at 200 Linden St., another building since destroyed. He ran his road paving business out of that building as well. Many old roads in the area have bridges with the name Hyten molded into their concrete. George Robert was hit hard by the depression, coming out of it with only a plastering company.
George's daughter Anne Lorraine Hyten-Streif-Martensen (1912-2006) told me that her father received fromEngland the notice of a bequest, thus leading me to first believe that the name HYTEN is English. The full story of that is told in “The$5 Million Dollar Inheritance”, part of Chapter 21. She also said that there was some connection to France, probably through his wife. As it turns out these references must have been to his Turpin "cousins" who were said to be of French extraction. That connection would have been through his great grandmother.
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| MARY and ROBERT S. HYTEN, SR. |
My father Robert SpencerHyten, Sr. (1909-2001) quit school at age 14 to drive a cement truck fo rhis father. By the age of 11 he had been on the job sites working as a water boy. He later became acarpenter and then a contractor. It seemed natural that I would continue in the building industry as I became an architect. I also got a B.S. in P.E. as a second degree eleven years after my BA in architecture. My brother Kenneth Charles (1942) is a dentist and my sister Mary Kay (1945) was a P.E. and driver’s ed teacher.
You will noticed that there are four generations of Roberts, and probably five if John R.'s middle name was Robert as I suspect. My grandpa, George Robert, was Bob, dad was Bud, I am Bob, and myson Is Rob. My sister is Kay, though actually Mary Kay. My daughter is Mary Kay, using both names, though was not named after her aunt. My mother is Mary (Mary Josephine) (1911-2002). My brother's wife is Janie and my cousin's first wife was named Jane. I hope that does not confuse you too much, but one day it will no doubt confuse a genealogist in search of HYTEN roots.
My son Mark Bonham (1964) does not have to share his name with anyone in the immediate family, nor does he share his occupation as a pilot with any other HYTEN. He finished his Navy career as a test pilot and now flies for Delta Airlines. (Rob) Robert Spencer III, (1962) has followed in his uncle's footsteps by becoming a dentist. Being the third Robert Spencer Hyten should be good for some later confusion as well. •Mary Kay (1965) is a business graduate. All three were at one time or another nationally-ranked age-group runners.
Their interest in running was a natural extension of my somewhat consuming hobby of coaching women's track and field. Since 1963 I have coached at virtually every level from club to college including the pleasure of having had one of my girls, Judy Vernon, run in the 1972 Olympics. My interest in running grew when I ran cross-country for the University of Illinois from 1957 to 1959. Ten years later I began running again and have never stopped. I frequently run in road races and often win awards in my age group. My highest running achievement was to place third in the 800 meter run in the 1992 Master’s National Indoor Championships.
I have had several articles about running published in Runner’s World magazine; had a column in the Missouri Runner until it ceased publication; and won an award from the Road Runner’s Club of America for my writing in the St. Louis Track Club’s Newsletter.
I have had my own architectural business since 1969. I have also done a bit of building contracting as had both my grandfathers and father. My projects include homes, small businesses, remodeling, and the occasional church or shopping center.
The same curiosity that drove me to write this book has led me on a few adventures of my own. I lived briefly in England where I worked for a small architectural firm and coached at a local track club. My teaching degree allowed me to substitute-teach for twenty years; to teach and coach in Puerto Rico for a year; and to teach engineering technology at Missouri Western State College for a semester. For a couple of years I worked part time in the travel business, more for the benefits than the money. That allowed me to visit the jungles of Ecuador and take a couple of cruises.
Now using the benefit of free flyingt hat my son Mark’s job as a Delta Airlines’pilot allows me, I travel frequently to Latin America, England, and other European countries. I sometimes write about my travel, but none of that writing has been published yet.
I guess maybe I have in me some of that same HYTEN blood that made Josiah Heighton take his bold journey through the Cumberland Gap back in 1800; William Todd Hyten and his sons to make the run into the Oklahoma Territory a hundred years ago; and Herb Hyten to wander the West in his Ford Model-T in 1919. Page 7-1 Tree follows the HUGH A. HYTEN branch of THOMAS OTHO HYTEN's family:
Page 7-2 Tree follows the JOHN R. HYTEN (my) branch of THOMAS OTHO HYTEN's family:
Page 7-2 Tree follows the JOHN R. HYTEN (my) branch of THOMAS OTHO HYTEN's family:
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