Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center

Jonathan Twiss

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Introduction

Biographical Sketch

Scope and Content

Inventory

Introduction

The Twiss ledger was donated to the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center in 1968 by Glenn Giffen of Clyde, Ohio.

Biographical Sketch

Jonathan Twiss was born on 15 May 1778 in Amherst, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire to Jonathan and Rachel (Pike) Twiss. He married Phebe Clark, the daughter of Benjamin Clark, on 2 December 1799. Phebe was also born in Amherst on 24 April 1780.

After their marriage, the couple moved to Springfield, Windsor County, Vermont before settling in the counties of Oneida and Genesee in New York. Jonathan and Phebe had nine children, two of whom died during childhood with no record of their names. The surviving children included; Walter Roby, Benjamin Clark, Prosper, Fortune, Polly or Phebe, Betsey and Abigail. On 28 August 1819 the Twiss family headed to Lyme Twp. Huron County, Ohio, arriving in early September. Jonathan became a well-known pioneer of the area around Huron County.

There is little information regarding the occupation of Jonathan Twiss, but his accounting ledger suggests that he may have owned a mercantile. He made his last entry in the ledger 13 August 1820, about one month before his death in September. Jonathan’s oldest son, Walter Roby Twiss, settled his father’s last account with Nathan Strong 22 December 1820. Additional entries were likely made by Walter Roby Twiss. Following Jonathan Twiss’ death, his widow married John Moore of Huron County 4 March 1823. Phebe Moore is buried in Strong’s Ridge Cemetery in the plot of her son Prosper Twiss. She died 6 October 1860.

Scope and Content

The collection, spanning the years from 1816 to 1831, contains one leather bound accounting ledger belonging to Jonathan Twiss, a pioneer of Huron County, Ohio. The ledger records the sale of wheat, grains, meat and alcohol made by Twiss while he lived in New York and Ohio. There are occasional references/memoranda regarding several of the Twiss children and other family members. This ledger contains a total of 88 hand-written pages.

Inventory

Ac. 1864

1 item

Accounting Ledger : 1816-1831 (Jonathan Twiss)