John Yocum

John Yocum is listed in the 1790 Douglass Twp. census with a wife, a son and a daughter. John Yocum left Douglass (now called Pottsgrove), Montgomery Co., PA shortly after 1790 and relocated to nearby Chester Co., PA. It is uncertain where in Chester Co he lived, or why he journeyed there. One suggestion that is consistent with the facts is that his wife was from that area and they returned to her home for a period. It is probable that his wife was a daughter of one John WATSON Sr and sister of John Watson Jr, who later became a friend and business partner of John YOCUM. Perhaps it is during this time in Chester Co that the two of them teamed up. Head of family information from Chester County, PA in the1790 census reveals four WATSON families living there at the time, including two headed by a John WATSON. Of these two, the John WATSON family of East Town Twp indicates a family of two males 16+ years of age (John and John Jr.?), three males under 16 and two females of unspecified ages (Mrs. WATSON,Sr & the first Mrs John YOCUM?). Regardless, John moved soon thereafter. Along with his family and his business partner John WATSON Jr, John Yocum came from Chester Co to Huntingdon Co in about 1796 or shortly before. For a period, John Yocum was a blacksmith in Huntingdon, as were several of his sons. He helped build the Broadtop Railroad. He is mentioned in J.S. Africa's "History of Huntingdon Co as a blacksmith in Huntingdon as early as 1796. Both his wife and eldest son (name unknown) apparently died soon there after. The names of John Yocum and John Watson seem to be closely linked. By deed dated 7 Sept 1799, John Yocum and John Watson,Jr. "of the Great Valley in the County of Chester" acquired from Rebecca Armitage, for L 200, lot #103 and the premises thereon in Huntingdon borough. This John Watson remained his partner for a number of years (died 7 Sep 1799). It is said that John Yocum named his 2nd son in honor of John Watson, but this may be incorrect, as there is no evidence of a middle name for this son. It is, however, true that the grandson of John Yocum and( Rachel?) Watson, was named John Watson Yocum. John Watson's daughter, Sarah Watson, and her husband, John Gahagens, moved to Iowa with a few of John's children: James, William and Anna Yocum. There are several records of property purchases within Huntingdon borough by John Yocum in the years 1810 through 1822. Around 1822, John and Sarah purchased a farm near McConnellstown, PA, and moved there to live. It is thought to be a 169 acre farm in Walker Twp "adjoining Crooked Creek on the north, lands of John F. Yocum and John Bell on the East, lands of Michael Mcbride and William McCall on the South, and lands of James Watson and Issac Hawn brothers on the West,". The farm was sold to their son Edmund on 11 Nov 1850 for $1,350. John has a revolutionary war plack on his tombstone, but Peter Craig questions whether he actually served, primarily because of his age. Born in 1866, he would have been only 15 at the timeof the Yorktown surrender in 1781. While this is young, it is certainly not too young to have served. It is said the boys as young as 11 may have served in the military. The following paragraph appears in J.Simpson Africa book: One of the old Enyeart farms became the property of the Yocum family. John Yocum came from Chester County in 1800, and for some years had a smith-shop at Huntingdon. From there he removed to McConnellstown, where he died. Of his family, Richard, the second son, died in Hollidaysburg ; Edmund died in Walker; William lives in Scott County, Iowa; Samuel is a citizen of Henderson; Isaac, of Walker; and James, of Iowa. His daughters married James and Samuel McGee, of Indiana; Jesse Yocum, of Brady ; Arthur Foster and Joseph Gibbony, of Shaver's Creek ; Robert Carmon, formerly of Alexandria; and John Houck, of Fulton.