52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks. Week #2 Theme - Origins

As we keep searching further and further back in the generations of our families, we can never hope to find the origins of our ancestors. But at every level we discover clues about immigration, occupations, and family history. In a couple of cases, I've found origins of places where my ancestors had an influence in exploration or naming, etc.

When the area of Cleveland, Ohio, called Columbia Station, was being surveyed, our Frost and Paine ancestors from Connecticut were among the first settlers. Elias C. Frost, son of our ancestor, Isaac Frost, is mentioned as one of the first surveyors of the Columbia Station in 1807. These first men came from Waterbury, CT to Buffalo, NY, then spent 21 days on the rough waters of Lake Erie to reach Cleveland. Elias C. Frost and 4 others, as ax and chain men, "set out from Cleveland taking a southwest course until the northeast corner of the town was reached. From this point they proceeded west two and a half miles, thence south a like distance to the center of the township. The party made their encampment here, on the west bank of the Rocky River. A daughter of Levi Bronson, (possibly a cousin of the Frosts) Mrs. Oliver Terrell, accompanied the party to do their cooking, to whom must be accorded the honor of being the first white woman that ever set foot on the soil of Columbia.” History of Lorain County, Columbia Township (Part 1).

Father, Isaac, and sons, Elias C. and Lyman J. Frost (our direct ancestor), are shown to settle on lot #28 of the Columbia Station Township in 1808. Another direct ancestor, Seth Paine, helped survey the town of Brecksville, OH, where he was the first settler, in 1811. Streets in the area are named for Seth Paine and his daughter Oriana (our 3Gt Grandmother,first teacher in Brecksville, OH), and the first post office was Frostville.

Thus, our family was influential in the origins of what has become the metropolis of Cleveland and suburbs.

Isaac Frost, Transcription of Will

Isaac Frost Will
Recorded in Book D
Page 143
Journal K 156

Proved and append (?) in
Open Court May 2 1839

Est. A, No. 621

Isaac Frost of the township of Olmsted, county of Cuyahoga, and the state of Ohio, being sick in body but of sound and disposeing mind, memory, and understanding do make and publish this my last will and testament in manner and form following. That is to say

First: it is my will that my funeral expenses and all my just debts be paid.

Second: I give devise and bequeath to my beloved wife Annise Frost in heir of her dowry one third of all the movable property to be her owne and the use of the other tow thirds for two years use of all my farm on which I now reside situated in the township of Olmsted on the road runing west from Elias C. Frost containing about 30 acres for as long as she lives; she however first disposeing of a sufficensy there of to pay my just debts as afforesaid & when she has done with it all the property bequeathed to her as aforesaid except the one third of moveable property to be her owne to my grandchildren that I shall here after disignate and to their heirs and assigns forever in the following manner, vis.

Third: I give and divise to the children of Sally my eldest daughter one hundred and seventy five dollars and to their heirs and assigns forever.

Forth: I give and divise to the children of Easter my second daughter one hundred and seventy five dollars and to their heirs and assigns forever.

Fifth: I give and divise to the children of Lyman my second son one hundred and seventy five dollars and to their heirs and assigns forever.

Sixth: What remains is to be divided into four equal parts to the children of the aforesaid Sally one part, the children of the aforesaid Easter one part, and the children of the aforesaid Lyman one part, to the children of Elias one part to their heirs and assigns forever.

Seventhly: It is my will that Elias C. Frost ____ inheritance in my estate.

And lastly: I hereby constitute and appoint Annice Frost, wife, and William Wood to be my executors for this my last will and testament revoking and annulling all former wills by me made and satisfying and confirming this and no other to be my last will and testament.
Signed Isaac Frost

In testimony whereof I hereby set my hand and seal this thirty first day of December, AD one thousand eight hundred and thirty eight.

Sined published and delivered by the above named Isaac Frost and from his last will and testament in presence of us who at his request singed as witness of the same.
John Kennedy
Hiram B. Gleason
William Wood


_______________
My notes:
I believe Isaac Frost died early 1839. His first wife, Anna, had died about 1812. The second wife, Annise, was much younger than her husband, but I don't find any children by the union. She is still living in Olmstead Twp. Ohio in 1840, age 40 - 50.

One of his daughters was Sarah "Sally" Frost who married Mr. Hosmer Merry. Both Sally and Hosmer had died by the date of this will. They had six children.

Daughter, Esther Frost, married Mr. Abijah Comstock. I don't have her children listed at this time. She was still living at the time of this will.

Older son, Elias C. Frost was a physician. He married Phoebe McIlrath, and had 6 children. In 1840, two or three of his sons migrated to Johnson County Iowa. I believed he traveled there soon afterward, leaving his wife and other children in Olmstead OH. An Iowa record says he was buried in Johnson County, Iowa, as were 2 or 3 of his sons, Jarvis, Jackson, and possibly a son named Lyman.

Second son, J. Lyman Frost is my ancestor. He was a Dr. although I believe self-proclaimed. He married Oriana Paine. They had 4 children born in Ohio. In 1830, the family migrated to Michigan, then in 1836 to Peoria, Illinois, where his wife died. By 1841, Lyman and his family had moved to Johnson County Iowa, about the same time as did his nephews above.

Although there is a missing word (torn corner) in the will concerning son, Elias C. Frost, it is possible that being the oldest son, he inherited the balance of estate. Or the missing word(s) could say that he "has no" inheritance in the estate. Note that none of Isaac's other children received anything, just grandchildren. In 1840, Isaac's widow still lives on the estate, near Elias and family. She may have remarried after that... no record found yet.

Will of Isaac Frost, 1759 - 1838

Isaac Frost, b. Waterbury CT, 1759. Lived in Cuyahoga County OH from early 1800s to his death. This will was written and signed by him Dec. 31, 1838. Probate was in early 1839. We do not know the exact date of his death. The scan is hard to read, but I will follow up with a transcription.

Elias Carrington Frost, brother of our Ancestor Johnson Lyman Frost

Isaac C. Frost, and sons, Lyman and Elias Carrington Frost, lived in Olmstead, Middleburg District, where Isaac was the town’s first treasurer, during the late 1820s. This was not far from the Cedar Trail Valley and Rocky River. Elias C. Frost was a doctor, and lived near Kennedy Ridge and Columbia Drive. [I believe this is now the location of a mall.] He is said to have been a classmate of Dr. Jared Potter Kirtland, back in CT. Kirtland’s father was one of the first members of the Connecticut Land Company and in that capacity made some of the earliest trips of exploration. And the grandfather, Jared Potter, was one of the first doctors of the area. Perhaps Elias and Lyman studied under him, as both are listed as doctors in census records. Dr. Jared Potter Kirtland is still known in Ohio as a renowned physician, botanist, and legislator.

In 1829, Elias Carrington Frost opened one of the first post offices in Olmstead, OH. He applied for the town name of Lennox, but it was already in use, so he used his own name and home and called the Post Office “Frostville”. There has never been such a town, but this name remained in use long after the town adopted the Olmstead name, and is now the name of the well known Historical Museum of Olmstead Falls, Ohio. Frostville Museum is located in the Rocky River Reservation not far from Frost’s original home near the corner of Columbia and Kennedy Ridge Road. The Cedar Valley Settlers’ Celebration is held every year in September at the Frostville Historical Center.