Weldon Family

In the early nineteenth century, some time previous to the year 1815 Jacob and Polly Weldon with three children came into this territory from the Mohawk Valley, driving oxen and a cart. The Weldon family was of Holland Dutch descent, and a striking feature of Jacob and the majority of his children was bright red, curly hair.

On a piece of land opposite the Will Skinner farm* in the northwestern part of the town of Sandy Creek the Weldons made a clearing and built a log cabin, moving later to the MacNitt farm where they erected a log cabin, replacing it later with a structure that still stands.


Family of 15 Children

Of the fifteen children which were born to Jacob and Polly Weldon, two died in childhood, the remainder growing to maturity: Of the fifteen, four were girls, the birth of the youngest, Mrs. Horace MacNitt, occurring when the eldest son in the family was thirty years of age. Just once in their lives, this entire family was together, because several of the sons were married and had families of their own when the younger members were but children.

Jacob, the head of the family, was by occupation a carpenter. One evening as it grey dark and her husband had not returned, Mrs. Weldon threw her apron around her shoulders and went out to meet him, wondering what detained him. A short distance from their home she met him dragging home a deer which he had shot near the Landing. At another time, they saw a deer in their garden, and rushing out to shoot it, Jacob grew excited and failed to aim accurately, the shot striking the ground at his wife's feet.

In front of the farm house, still known as the MacNitt farm, there was in the early days a beautiful grove of large maples, where now are the flats. Between that farm and the present Will Sitinner farm were dense woods with but a path connecting the two homes. Martha Caroline, who became Mrs. Horace McNitt in later years remarked how frightened she used to be when sent on errands to that place, often running the entire distance.

-Jacob Weldon-

Jacob Weldon loved to dance, and so greatly did he exert himself at this pastime that it was not an uncommon occurrence for him to return home with the feet of both stockings entirely gone. People in those days evidently played as hard as they worked.

Fish Story

Another story is told of Jacob. One Sunday morning he was standing by the creek bank and glancing down into the stream, saw three good sized fish. Although his family welcomed and had need of all the food he could get, yet it was Sunday and he debated long over whether or not he should catch those fish. Finally, the story goes, he turned away, resisting temptation. His reward came the following morning, when upon returning to the creek he found six fine fish where the day before there had been but three.

Of the fifteen children born to Jacob and Polly Weldon, Mrs. Eva MacNitt, the daughter-in-law of Martha Caroline Weldon MacNitt, was able to recall the following: Alec, Washington and Gilbert who in early young manhood went west to Michigan, Allen who settled in California, Franklin who settled in Illinois, Madison who made his home in Nebraska, and Calvin. Washington and Calvin were the two Weldons named
on the Census of 1845. The four girls were: Waity, who also settled in Nebraska, Angeline, Mary and Martha Caroline.

Excerpt source: Sandy Creek News, April 26, 1928
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Weldons

The Sketch of the Weldon family recently published in this column has brought forth further information.

W.V. Joslin says of Alec Weldon, the eldest of the children of Jacob Weldon, and brother of the two of that name on the Census of 1845, that he was afflicted with a form of sleeping sickness. Often when walking around, (or eating at the table) he would fall asleep and while asleep continue walking. Mr. Joslin was able to recall another of the fifteen children of Jacob Weldon, Sherman Weldon, the favorite brother of Martha Caroline Weldon MacNitt. It was Sherman who looked thoughtfully after his youngest sister, and when the other members of the family would have left her at home with the excuse that she was too young, he would plead in her behalf and see that she was allowed to go. It was he who tucked her into the sleigh when they started for the "bees" which were so popular in those days

Source: Sandy Creek News, May 17, 1928


On the MacNitt farm are eight little graves with stone markers where children of the Weldon family and of the neighborhood were buried