Penisten sketches of Pike County, Ohio

The following sketches about PENISTEN men in the Pike County, Ohio are were found in the book "History of lower Scioto Valley, Ohio..." by Andrew Roy, 1884, Chicago, Inter-state Pub. Co., page 769


George Penisten


George Penisten, Sr., was born in the State of New Jersey, and while still in his youth removed to Kentucky.  From there he emigrated to Ohio about the year 1797 and settled on what was then known as "Bullskin" near Cincinnati.  He afterward located in the present territory of Pike County (then a part of Ross County) where he died about the year 1847, at the age of 79 years, nine months, one day.  He reared a family of ten children; five boys and five girls, all of whom lived to rear families of their own.  George Penisten, Jr., the only surviving son of George Penisten, Sr., was born in 1804.  In 1833 he married Vienna Murphy.  They reared a family of eight children, five boys and three girls, all of whom are now dead except three.  Isaac C., the second son, died while a member of the Ohio Legislature.  He served two terms as Auditor of Pike County.  George Penisten lived all his life in Pike County with the exception of five years when he resided in Highland County, where he married his second wife, Rebecca Rains, who is still living.  Mr. Penisten filled many local offices and served in the militia five years as First Lieutenant.


Lewis Penisten 


Lewis Penisten, also a son of George, Sr., was born in 1809, in what is now Pike County; lived all his life in said county.  He was the father of twelve children, eight boys and four girls, nine of whom are now living, all in the West except Uriah.


Uriah Penisten


Uriah Penisten, third son of Lewis and Elizabeth (Boyles) Penisten, was born in Benton Township, Pike Co., Ohio, Jan. 18, 1836.  His father was also born in Pike County about the year 1809, and after living out a lifetime of usefulness died at fifty-two years of age.  His widow still survives him.  Our subject assisted his father on the farm until attaining his majority.  The two years following he engaged with his cousin at farming.  At the close of the first year he married Elizabeth Henry, by whom he had three children, two daughters and one son - Amanda, William Henry and Agnes Alwilda.  Since the year 1877 he has been engaged in the mercantile business.  He located in Waverly in the fall of 1881 where he operates a general store and is also proprietor of the hotel known as the Penisten House, located on Market street.  Mr. Penisten comes of pioneer stock and is one of the substantial and enterprising business men of Waverly.  He is a member of the Idaho Lodge, No. 620, I.O.O.F.; was also one of the charter members.


On page 855:


George Wesley Pennisten


George Wesley Pennisten, junior member of the firm of Humphreys, Pennisten & Co., dealers in dry-goods, groceries and general merchandise, Brington, was born April 2, 1848, in Pike County.  He lived on a farm till seventeen years of age, and was educated at the common schools, after which he taught school during the winter seasons and farmed in the summer season for a number of years.  He was elected Assessor of Sunfish Township when twenty-one years old and served three years.  He was Township Clerk one year, and served as a member of the Board of Education of Pebble Township, and also School Director in Sub-district No. 9.  He also served as County School Examiner from 1872 till 1875, and was appointed to that position in the spring of 1883.  He has been Treasurer of Mifflin Township since 1879, and is serving his second year as member of the Board of Education of this Township.  He was Assistant Postmaster at Idaho, Pike County, two years, and in November, 1880, was appointed Postmaster of Brington.  In 1875 he engaged in his present mercantile business, with his father-in-law, under the firm name of Humphreys & Pennisten.  He was married Feb. 21, 1875, to Calverna M., daughter of John and Elizabeth A. (Mustard) Humphreys, of Brington.  They have five children - Clarence E., John W., Charles R., F. Grace, and Leroy H.  Mrs. Pennisten belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church.  Our subject's father, William Pennisten, was born in Pike County and was married to Mary Ann E. Anderson, a native of Virginia.


On page 869:


George Penisten, Jr.


George Penisten, Jr., was born in Pike County, June 8, 1825, a son of Joseph and Jerusha (Lunbeck) Penisten, his father a native of Kentucky and his mother of Ohio.  His mother died July 17, 1830, aged thirty years, leaving six children.  His father afterward married Sarah Ann Hill, by whom he had nine children.  He was magistrate for thirty years, and an officer in the State militia for many years.  He died May 2, 1866, at the age of seventy years, six months, twenty seven days.  George Penisten was married March 26, 1846, to Amanda Melvina Cawgill, a native of Virginia, who was born Feb. 10, 1827.  They have had ten children - Mary J., born Jan. 2, 1847; Nancy J. (deceased), born Feb. 11, 1849; Juliett (deceased), born Oct. 4, 1851; Ann Eliza., born March 25, 1854; William A., born Nov. 2, 1856; Daniel (deceased), born March 11, 1859; Harriet E., born March 30, 1860; Georgiana, born June 1, 1863; Flora Gale, born Sept. 11, 1866, and Virginia Maie, born April 28, 1869.


Each of these sketches will definitely give me more information to research and try to tie all of these various PENISTEN lines together.  Particularly the first three sketches appear closely related to the lines that came to Madison County, Indiana.

George T. Pennisten

From Samuel Harden's "Those I Have Met, or Boys in Blue", Anderson, Indiana, 1888, page 173:

George T. Pennisten was born December 23, 1842, in Pike county, Ohio, and came to Lafayette township, Madison county, Indiana in 1861, where he settled upon a farm.  In the month of August, 1862, he enlisted in Company G, 75th Indiana Volunteers, and in common with the great majority of the soldiers of the late war, encountered many dangers and endured much suffering in defense of the flag.  During his term of service he participated in the battles of Murfreesborough, Mission Ridge, Resaca, Atlanta, Jonesboro and many skirmishes and engagements of less importance.  He was discharged June 16, 1865, and returned home, where he as married to Louisa Bodin, May 15, 1866.  She is the daughter of the late Alexander Bodkin, and a devout member of the United Brethren Church.  I first met Comrade Pennisten in 1874.  He was then living in Lafayette township, and the first impression I received of him was a good one, and has improved ever since.  A good soldier most always makes a good citizen; at least this holds good in Mr. Pennisten's case, and I gladly remember him among my friedns and wish him many years of happiness and prosperity.

Believe that this is the George T. PENISTEN, listed as the brother of Isaac C. PENISTEN, killed in a train accident.

I believe that I've also located the correct George T. in the 1850 census of Pike County, Ohio.  This would make his parents Lewis and Elizabeth PENISTEN.

Source: Lewis Peniston household, 1850 U.S. census, population schedule, District 117, Benton Township, Pike County, Ohio, dwelling 1626, family 1626, Ancestry.com [database on-line].

My database contains a Lewis PENISTEN, son of George and Rebecca (WHEATON) PENISTEN, who married an Elizabeth BAYLS on May 1, 1829.  Perhaps this is the same family.  More data will have to be searched.  I have some other PENISTEN data to input in my Rootsmagic database in order to sort it out.

Terrible Accident : Isaac C. Penisten

While updating and inputing copies of records I've located over the years into my database, I came across this record of Isaac C. PENISTEN, whom I've not yet connected to my PENISTEN line in Madison County, Indiana.

Anderson Democrat 23 Jul. 1880

TERRIBLE ACCIDENT

On Wednesday forenoon between 10 and 11 o'clock a terrible accident, resulting in the killing of a brakeman of the Bee Line Railway neear the depot in this city, took place.  The brakeman's name was Isaac C. Penisten.  He was on the top of a freight car at the time and was getting ready to couple the car with one in front, when a car to the rear of the one he was on came rolling along, striking it and knocking him off.  He fell on the track and was crushed at once by the wheels, which passed over his left arm and breast, killing him instantly, as he never breathed after being lifted from the ground.  Penisten was about 23 years of age, was married, his family consisting of a wife and two children.  He resided at Indianapolis.  He was well-known in this county, having resided here several years.  A brother, George T. Penisten, resides in Lafayette township, and a sister is the wife of Carroll Bronnenberg.  His mother also, we believe, is living in Lafayette township.  His wife is the daugher of Squire Heath, of Chesterfield.  His remains were taken to Indianapolis for interment.  He had been in the employ of the railroad company for a year or more, and was popular among the men all along the line.

Source :Zook, Haroldyne S.. Deaths and Administrations from Madison County, Indiana 1849-1880. Kokomo, Indiana, USA: Selby Publishing & Printing, 1988, page 363.

A cursory search of the 1880 census records on Ancestry.com has failed to locate him in the 1880 census.  Was also unable to locate him in the marriage records database for Indiana.  


There were numerous PENISTEN families in the Richland Township, Madison County, Indiana area.  My line comes from John PENISTEN (1839-1908), son of George Washington and Sarah (MUSTARD) PENISTEN of Pike County, Ohio.  The surname is spelled a number of ways, including PENNISTEN, PENISTON, etc.