Indiana McCaslins

In the 1850 US Federal Census for Franklin, Johnson, Indiana, Jacob Sibert is a 47-year-old County Clerk with a $1,000 worth of personal property. He is a widower since his wife Eleanor died on 22 February 1850 as this census was taken on 13 Aug 1850. In his household are his children, 21-year-old Eliza, 17-year-old merchant clerk Henry, 14-year-old B.J., 12-year-old Mary Jane and 9-year-old Thomas. Eliza was born in Pennsylvania like her father, but Henry was born in Indiana, which would indicate that the family moved to Indiana after 1829 but before 1833.

In the 1860 US Federal Census for Franklin, Johnson, Indiana, Jacob Sibert is a 55-year-old merchant with real estate worth $800 and personal property worth $3,500. In his household are his 35-year-old wife, Margaret McCaslin Stewart Sibert, her 11-year-old daughter, Florence Stewart, and their children, 5-year-old Alonzo G, and 4-year-old Ella M. None of Jacobs five children by his first wife Eleanor are present in the household.

In the 1870 US Federal Census for Franklin, Johnson, Indiana, Jacob Silbert's [sic] fortunes have taken a turn for the worse as he is not a merchant, but a Justice of the Peace with only $100 worth of personal property. In his household are his 45-year-old wife, Margaret (who has $400 worth of personal property) and their children, 17-year-old apprentice mason Alonzo G, 14-year-old Margaret, and 9-year-old Sarah E. His step-daughter, Florence, has left the household.

Jacob Sibert died 20 May 1878, aged 73 years, and was buried at Greenlawn Cemetery, Franklin, Johnson, Indiana.

From "Washington, West of the Cascades", 1917 "He [Alonza G Seibert] was born on the 9th of August, 1851, in Franklin, Johnson County, Indiana, a son of Jacob Seibert [sic], a native of Pennsylvania. The latter's father emigrated from Germany to America in 1779 and located in Pennsylvania. Jacob Seibert was a shoe maker by trade, but after following that line of work for years turned his attention to the hardware business, becoming a successful merchant of Franklin, Indiana. Later he established the first shoe store in the town and also met with success in that venture. In early manhood he was a democrat, later supported the whig party and at the time of Lincoln's nomination became a republican and an abolitionist. During his remaining years he worked ardently for the success of the republican party and was recognized as one of its leaders in his section of the state. For four terms he held the office of mayor of Franklin, for twenty-five years was justice of the peace, for two terms was county auditor, and for a similar length of time was county clerk, his long and honorable record as an office holder testifying to the confidence reposed in his ability and integrity. At the time of his death, which occurred on the 18th of May, 1878, when he was seventy-three years old, he was the incumbent in the office of justice of the peace. He had been prominently connected with the development of the town of Franklin since its early days and left the impress of his individuality upon its growth along many lines."