Benjamin Yordy’s family, originated in
Switzerland, (their name was originally spelled Jorde). The Yordy’s were
Mennonites farmers. Like many other Mennonites, who came to America in the 18th
century, they sought a place to practice their pacifist religion freely and the
opportunity for a better life. The first of the Yordy family to immigrate was
Peter Yordy who left his home in the then small village of Signau , (Berne
Canton), Switzerland for the then new frontier of Lancaster County, PA in 1717.
Over the next century the Yordy‘s family, grew
in size and their farms prospered.
Daniel Yordy (1772-1849), Peter Yordy’s grandson, had four children with
his wife Elizabeth Thomas who reached maturity. The four were:
Susannah Yordy was born 3
May 1808 in Lancaster County PA and Died 1 March 1890 in Inwood, Lyon County,
IA. She married Adam Brenner 23 December 1828 in Lancaster, Lancaster County
PA. Adam died 23 October 1870 in Cherry
Grove Twp, Carroll County IL.
Christian Yordy was born
30 March 1811 in Lampeter Twp, Lancaster County, and died 6 May 1889 in Shannon
Twp, Carroll County, IL. He married Susan Sowders 8 May ABT 1835 in Lancaster
County, PA. She was born 1818 in Lancaster County, PA and died 1878 in Shannon
Twp, Carroll County, IL.
Benjamin Yordy was born 14
July 1820 in Conestoga Twp, Lancaster County, PA and died 3 September 1900, in
Rising City, Butler County, Nebraska. Married Susan Conrad 23 January 1843.
Elizabeth Yordy was born
ABT 1824 in Manor Twp, Lancaster County, PA. Died AFR 1860. She married John
Bortzfield ABT 1850. He was born in ABT 1825. Death AFR 1860.
As young people, the four Yordy children
attended the township school and took and active role in their families
Mennonite devotions. The boys learn to work the land and acquired a practical
knowledge of farming from their father Daniel, while Susannah and Elizabeth
learned the domestic arts from their mother.
During the 1830’s, Benjamin and his brother Christian Yordy broke with
their family’s agrarian tradition and took up the relatively new trade of
jacquard weaving. Benjamin and Christian are both listed in the 1850 census for
West Lampeter Twp, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, as “coverlet maker’s”. Probably
Benjamin Yordy learned his weaving trade from his older brother Christian and
perhaps from Thomas Patterson and Irish immigrant who was to remain close to
Benjamin and his family over the next three decades. The Yordy brothers used
their new jacquard looms to weave coverlets for over two decades throughout
Lancaster County. Benjamin appeared to have worked principally in Conestoga Twp
but like many local weavers may have moved about Lancaster County. The brothers
gained solid reputations for crafting colorful and dramatic woven coverlets and
as a consequence developed thriving businesses. Coverlet weaving was often a
family endeavor. Although most weavers were male, there are some examples of
women learning the trade and setting up their own shop. Wives often filled
helped with the actual weaving and younger children both male and female would
have helped prepare and dye the thread. Susan most likely looked after the
bookkeeping and helped Benjamin managed the workload. Many coverlet
weavers often had other occupations as well most probably both brothers had
considerable farming experience. Few coverlet weavers were itinerant craftsman,
the size of their looms made moving about impractical and weavers often had to
farm their own land or engage in some other business that would tie them to a
given locality. Signature block recording different places more often indicate
that the maker relocated. How much did the Yordy’s charge for their work? While
their are no surviving account books, for Benjamin or his brother , approximate
prices for their woven coverlets can be determined from old inventory
records and contemporary Pennsylvania
newspaper advertisements. In the 1840’s Andrew Krump of Hanover PA states he is
willing to weave a coverlet for $2. He goes on to state he will furnish the
necessary yarn for each coverlet for $ 1.62 ½. An 1842 inventory of Thomas
Weaver conducted at time of his death states the Weaver had 47 coverlets valued
collectively at $ 140.00. Today signed
coverlets by Benjamin and Christian Yordy are highly prized and sought after by
antique and folk art collectors.
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This
is an
example of Benjamin Yordy's work as a coverlet weaver. This is coverlet is one
of the last he wove in Pennsylavania prior to going west but he actually resumed
weaving toward the end of his life in Rising City NE (althought we do not have
any examples of this work perhaps a reader will). |
On January 23, 1843 Benjamin Yordy married
Susan (Also Susannah in some documents) Conrad (17 March 1821- 16 September
1905. The couple had four children three of whom lived to reach maturity they
were:
Daniel Yordy,
Born 14 August 1847 at Conestoga PA
Mary Ann Yordy (Uphoff), Born 29 August 1854 at
Conestoga PA. Died June 6, 1928 at Rising City NE
John C. Yordy, Born 3 February 1860 Florence,
Stephenson County Illinois. Died 30 December 1908 at Surprise NE
Beginning in the late 1840’s and the early
1850’s however the brief era of prosperity enjoyed by Pennsylvania journeymen
weavers ended. What killed the jacquard loom business for the weavers so
rapidly, were changes in home fashion and the commercial transformation of the
American textile industry. These two developments effectively put an end to
Christian and Benjamin’s jacquard loom based weaving business. This, in
addition to a shrinking pool of arable farmland, convinced the Benjamin,
Christian and Susannah to move west and to seek new opportunities in Illinois
in July 1858. (Benjamin made his last recorded coverlet for Thomas L. Cooper,
of Conestoga PA in 1858.).
In Illinois, Christian and Benjamin’s both
bought land and went back to the only other craft they knew; farming. Here the
two brothers took up agricultural and bought land in Carroll and Ogle Counties.
Their change in occupation is reflected on the 1860 Illinois census; here both
Christian and Benjamin are now listed as “Farmers”, Benjamin at this time is
living in Florence, Illinois. According to the census enumerator, Benjamin and
Susan’s household includes: Benjamin 40
Susan 39, and their son Daniel 12, daughter Mary 5 and son John age 1. Also
listed in the Yordy household is John Patterson now age 70. Living nearby was Benjamin’s younger sister
Elizabeth and her spouse John Borzfield and their three children. During the next two decades Benjamin Yordy
prospered, in 1863 he purchased 4000 acres and in 1869 he purchased another
8000 acre of land.
The 1870 census found Benjamin Yordy living on
his farm in Forreston Twp, Ogle County Illinois. The total value of Benjamin’s
real estate was enumerated at $ 4, 000.00. Benjamin and Susan were both 50
years old, living with them were their three children older son Daniel 23 and
enumerated as a farmer, daughter Mary was 16 and her brother John 11 both
living at home. Benjamin and Susan’s
family had expanded by 1880; Benjamin was still living in Forreston. Benjamin
and Susan were now 59 years of age and their children were beginning to
marry. Daniel age 30 was married to
Amelia age 24, listed as daughter in law, while John 21 is listed as working on
the farm and Mary Ann 22 is listed as keeping house. Benjamin’s household now
has two hired hands Richard Uphoff age 25 and John Fleck age 21. Both Richard
Uphoff and John Fleck were born in Germany. Richard Uphoff. Richard Uphoff was
soon courting Mary Ann Yordy and the young couple was married on 11 October
1881. They would go on to have eleven children.
In 1885 Benjamin and Susan both now in their
60’s with their son John and daughter Mary Ann and son in law Richard Uphoff
and their grandchildren decided to move to Nebraska. Their motivation for
leaving Forreston Illinois not explicit, perhaps, they wanted to take advantage
of opportunities in this new state where cheap and available land would help
John, Richard and Mary Ann get off to a sound start. Another factor for
Benjamin may have been the adventure of starting off for a new land. In the
1880’s Nebraska was still very much a land of “ milk and honey “ in the popular
imagination. Many Newspapers in Illinois during the 1870’s and 1880’s had
advertisements broadcasting the merits of the new state (entered the union on 1
March 1867). One of these announced “Nebraska the largest and finest crops, the
best class of settlers and the cheapest land. This company offers long credit
at a rate low interest. Stop renting a farm and start now for Nebraska” Daniel
Yordy had earlier moved to Iowa and would farm near Melbourne Iowa for the rest
of his days.
Benjamin Yordy purchased his homestead, according to the
State of Nebraska records, was located as follows: Reading Twp, Butler County Nebraska, 27 NW ¼
NW ¼ Benjamin Yordy 17 559. His son John
and son in-law, Richard Uphoff, and daughter Mary Ann bought their farms
nearby. Here Benjamin and Susan settled and continued to farm until 1895 when
they decided to move into the nearby town of Rising City.
The Nebraska State Gazetteer Business
Directory 1890-91; for Rising City NE lists Yordy, Benjamin,
confectionery. At an age when many others would have retired Benjamin and Susan
established a small store and here, they sold candy and baked goods Benjamin also
resumed making carpets and coverlets.
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Rising City,
Nebraska circa 1895
The woman
standing by the door in front
of her Rising City Restaurant
Susannah (Susan)
Yordy
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The following is a contemporary
description of Rising City from the 1890 directory:
“Rising City is in the western part of Butler County,
seven miles from David City, the county seat, is located on the O. &R.V. branch
of the U.P. Rising City, and has about 750 inhabitants. The neighboring country
is rich in its soil, and farm products are abundant. One thousand carloads of
grain, 300 of potatoes, 15 of flax and 150 of live stock were shipped from here
during the last year. Banking facilities and hotel accommodations are ample.
The churches and societies are well represented. Of the former are the
Congregational, Methodist, Christian and Lutheran. The town’s peak population
in 1880 was: 775. The Post office named changed
from Summit Oct. 14, 1878.The town is now named in honor of two brothers, A. W.
and S. W. Rising, who owned the town site”.
Benjamin Yordy died 3 September
1900. He and Susan had been married for 57 years. The funeral was held at his
home and he was buried at Circle Mount Cemetery Rising City Nebraska. (The
Rising City Independent September 6, 1900 (page 1 column 4). His obituary stated that he was one of the
few men who “had lived and died with out having had an enemy.”
Benjamin ‘s beloved wife Susan lived on, residing with her
children and grandchildren she died age 84 on September 16, 1905 and was buried
next to Benjamin in Circle Mound Cemetery, Rising City, Nebraska. (Rising
City Independent 28 September 1905 page 8 column 4.). While her obituary notes that she” was a
quiet and unassuming women” her photo reveal a person of inter strength,
courage, dignity and character.
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Headstone of
Benjamin
and
Susan
Yordy
Circle Mound Cemetery, Rising City, Nebraska
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Sources
A special thanks to Nancy Hartman of Bellwood NE who
contributed much of the information in this article and who also generously
shared her wonderful photos of Benjamin and Susan Yordy. Thanks Nancy.
Information on Christian and Benjamin Yordy in Illinois is
at:
http://genealogytrails.com/ill/carroll/carrollfamilywhitmore.html
Butler County Genealogical Society
1850 U.S. Census for Lancaster County PA
1860, 1870 and 1880 U.S. Census for Carroll, Ogle and
Stephenson Counties Illinois
Rising City Independent for 1900 and 1905.
Reflections of Rising City published 1976
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