May family farm
Down in a rural area of Lewistown township in section 29 lies the land that once belonged to area farmers in the family which they had for about 90 years. What I do know of it Thomas May had purchased this land possibly from Ira Scovel whoses daughter he would marry. Ira had property of his own also in the area in a different section a few miles away. All of them are buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in Lewistown and only their names remain on old maps and a mention in one of the old Fulton County history books. The farm has been long torn down and while someone has built a home and farm in the vicinity it's mostly just fields and wooded areas now. This lies off of Scovill Road west of Lewistown several miles. I've seen the name Scovel misspelled so many times it's not funny. Ira Scovel owned land in Section 19 and Thomas May owned some in Section 29 and a small section of Section 30 at one time. There is a old school house on Scovill Hill road the May's might have went too. The building was there about 15 years ago but was in terrible shape but I haven't been down there since and need to go see if it's still there. As poor shape as it was probably not or in ruins by now. I have yet to identify the name of the school or the years it was active. No doubts some of the May children went here at one point. Also on the May farm may have been a burial of one of the children that died young but I am not sure. I cannot find any cemetery with her burial so I assumed they might have buried her on family property which wasn't uncommon back in those days. All that i know is her name was Margaret Almeria May and she was born in 1851 and died young. Thomas May's father was buried on lands he owned back in Virginia so she might be buried on May property near Lewistown. Who knows? It's sad whatever the case she died so young probably before age ten.
Thomas was born in 1818 in Virginia the son of Noel and Aleavy Eddins May. He was christened
with the Methodist Church in 1834 or 1835 in Virginia. He moved from Madison County, Virginia and took up residence after buying property west of Lewistown in 1842. He married Ira Scovel's daughter Elizabeth two years later in 1844. Thomas was a farmer and at one point a road commissioner in the county. He and his wife had seven children: Mary Susan, Oleva Jane,
Margaret Almeria, Amanda Emma, Thomas Allen, James and Sarah A. May. His son James would take after the farm after Thomas died in 1873. Thomas became ill in 1873. A newspaper
item from the Canton Register June 7, 1873 tells of some gypsies hearing of his illness. They went to his home saying they could help him. The family was induced to try the remedies. They
were given three bottles they thought were medicine which turned out to be sugar of lead, wash in one, sweet oil and a villainous compound of boiled herbs. It was so badly put together it soured and
Thomas ended up dying on June 20, 1873. His wife and her son James continued the farming afterwards. His wife Elizabeth died in 1907 and both are buried in Lewistown's Oak Hill Cemetery.
The son James May took over the farm with his wife Samantha ( Coney) May. James was born in Fulton County in 1859 and he married Samantha Ellen Coney, daughter of Ira & Ellen (Meeker)
Coney in in 1883 in Fulton County. They had seven children: Roy, Elnora, Don Vern, Dean, Edna,
James and Mildred May. James was a well known farmer in rural Lewistown at the time period.
James belonged to the Mystics workers & Modern woodman of America. James & Samantha also raised Duroc Hogs, Jersey Cattle, & Percheron Horses. They once sold a team to a Brewery
in Saint Louis, Missouri. In August 1909 the Canton Register reported he died while driving a
buggy to Lewistown with his ten year old daughter Edna & a grandchild. Edna had to hold his dead body & turn the buggy around to head for home with a baby in her lap. Luckily a woman arrived &
assisted helping her home. After he died the farm remained in the family probably ran by his wife
Samantha and one of the sons. After she died in 1935 the farm was sold and the May's went their own ways employment wise. I do know Dean worked at the International Harvester in Canton at some point for many years. He retired from the Harvester in 1961. When Samantha died it ended ninety years of family farming. I'm not sure why they sold either no one wanted to bother with it or they weren't making a profit to keep up. I'm not sure. They might have not wanted to be farmers for all i know. It's kind of sad but in a way it's not because there is a good chunk of history there. Most May men ended up as laborers for manufacturing or did odd jobs. My dad was a laborer then worked for Midland Coal Mine near Trivoli for 16 years then was a manufacturing laborer again after the mines shut down. The end of the farm might have been a financial move too maybe they'd all benefit from selling the farm or they couldn't make enough to run it then not having a desire to continue farming. These are all guesses I have no idea. I wonder how the May's that stayed in Virginia all faired out. I wonder if they still farm today or have they too strayed to other financial opportunities.
Thomas was born in 1818 in Virginia the son of Noel and Aleavy Eddins May. He was christened
with the Methodist Church in 1834 or 1835 in Virginia. He moved from Madison County, Virginia and took up residence after buying property west of Lewistown in 1842. He married Ira Scovel's daughter Elizabeth two years later in 1844. Thomas was a farmer and at one point a road commissioner in the county. He and his wife had seven children: Mary Susan, Oleva Jane,
Margaret Almeria, Amanda Emma, Thomas Allen, James and Sarah A. May. His son James would take after the farm after Thomas died in 1873. Thomas became ill in 1873. A newspaper
item from the Canton Register June 7, 1873 tells of some gypsies hearing of his illness. They went to his home saying they could help him. The family was induced to try the remedies. They
were given three bottles they thought were medicine which turned out to be sugar of lead, wash in one, sweet oil and a villainous compound of boiled herbs. It was so badly put together it soured and
Thomas ended up dying on June 20, 1873. His wife and her son James continued the farming afterwards. His wife Elizabeth died in 1907 and both are buried in Lewistown's Oak Hill Cemetery.
The son James May took over the farm with his wife Samantha ( Coney) May. James was born in Fulton County in 1859 and he married Samantha Ellen Coney, daughter of Ira & Ellen (Meeker)
Coney in in 1883 in Fulton County. They had seven children: Roy, Elnora, Don Vern, Dean, Edna,
James and Mildred May. James was a well known farmer in rural Lewistown at the time period.
James belonged to the Mystics workers & Modern woodman of America. James & Samantha also raised Duroc Hogs, Jersey Cattle, & Percheron Horses. They once sold a team to a Brewery
in Saint Louis, Missouri. In August 1909 the Canton Register reported he died while driving a
buggy to Lewistown with his ten year old daughter Edna & a grandchild. Edna had to hold his dead body & turn the buggy around to head for home with a baby in her lap. Luckily a woman arrived &
assisted helping her home. After he died the farm remained in the family probably ran by his wife
Samantha and one of the sons. After she died in 1935 the farm was sold and the May's went their own ways employment wise. I do know Dean worked at the International Harvester in Canton at some point for many years. He retired from the Harvester in 1961. When Samantha died it ended ninety years of family farming. I'm not sure why they sold either no one wanted to bother with it or they weren't making a profit to keep up. I'm not sure. They might have not wanted to be farmers for all i know. It's kind of sad but in a way it's not because there is a good chunk of history there. Most May men ended up as laborers for manufacturing or did odd jobs. My dad was a laborer then worked for Midland Coal Mine near Trivoli for 16 years then was a manufacturing laborer again after the mines shut down. The end of the farm might have been a financial move too maybe they'd all benefit from selling the farm or they couldn't make enough to run it then not having a desire to continue farming. These are all guesses I have no idea. I wonder how the May's that stayed in Virginia all faired out. I wonder if they still farm today or have they too strayed to other financial opportunities.
Comments
Post a Comment