Indiana McCaslins

From Banta's History of Johnson County Indiana 1888 (Brant & Fuller) Henry S. Byers, Sr., is a native of Henry County, Ky., born May 16, 1823, and is of German lineage. His father, Henry Byers, was born in Pennsylvania, January 15, 1788, and died in this county, April 15, 1865; his mother, Elizabeth (Wiley) Byers, was born July 25, 1791, and died January 9, 1871. In 1825, the Byers family came to Johnson County and settled at Mt. Pleasant, in Franklin Township. Our subject is the sixth in a family of eleven children, six of whom are now living. In 1845, he settled on his present farm, which contains 535 acres, upon which is a good residence. For several years he has been engaged in buying and shipping cattle. The marriage of Mr. Byers occurred January 9, 1845, to Miss Maria McCauley, born in Henry County, Ky., in 1825. To this union were born thirteen children, eight of whom are living: Robert M., George W., Alonzo N., Adaline, Caroline, Sylvanus, Susan, and Archibald. Mr. Byers was formerly a whig, but is now a staunch republican, and himself and wife are members of the Missionary Baptist Church.

In the 1850 US Federal Census for Franklin, Johnson, Indiana, 26-year-old Kentucky-born farmer Henry Byers owns $5000 worth of real estate. He and his 25-year-old Kentucky-born wife Mary [McCauley] Byers have in their household their Indiana-born children, 4-year-old Robert McCauley, 3-year-old Mary E and one-year-old Sarah, 19-year-old Indiana-born laborer Abraham Mitchel and 14-year-old Kentucky-born Elizabeth Crim, whose relationship to the family is unknown.

In the 1860 US Federal Census for Franklin, Johnson, Indiana, 37-year-old Kentucky-born farmer Henry Byers owns $15,000 worth of real estate and $5,000 worth of personal property. He and his 35-year-old Kentucky-born wife Mary [McCauley] Byers have in their household their Indiana-born children, 14-year-old Robert M, 11-year-old Sarah M, 9-year-old George W, 6-year-old Alonzo N, 4-year-old twins Caroline and Adaline, and 2-year-old Sylvanus, 17-year-old Indiana-born domestic servant Sara E Flinn and 20-year-old Indiana-born farm laborer Thomas Flinn.

In the 1870 US Federal Census for Franklin, Johnson, Indiana, 47-year-old Kentucky-born farmer Henry Byers owns $36,000 worth of real estate and $3,710 worth of personal property. He and his 45-year-old Kentucky-born wife Mary [McCauley] Byers have in their household their Indiana-born children, 24-year-old Robert M, 21-year-old Sarah M, 19-year-old George, 16-year-old Alonzo N, 15-year-old twins Caroline and Adaline, 12-year-old Sylvanus, 5-year-old Susan and 5-month old (December-born) Archabald, and 14-year-old Indiana-born Julia White (relationship to the family unknown). Maria is keeping house, Robert M is a farmer with $5,500 worth of real estate and $1,700 worth of personal property, Sarah M has no occupation, and George, Alonzo, Adaline, Caroline, Sylvanus and Susan have attended school in the past year.

In the 1880 US Federal Census for Franklin, Johnson, Indiana, 57-year-old Kentucky-born farmer Henry Byers, Sr and his 54-year-old Indiana-born [sic] wife Mariah [sic] [McCauley] Byers have in their household their Indiana-born children, 22-year-old farmer Silvanis [sic], 14-year-old Susanah, 10-year-old Archibald, 31-year-old widow Sarah M Byer Vandivier and her son 7-year-old Elmore Vandivier. Also in this household are two of Henry's nephews, 15-year-old Lincoln Byers and 20-year-old Franklin Aten who are listed as working on the farm.

In the 1900 US Federal Census for Franklin, Johnson, Indiana, 44-year-old Indiana-born farmer Robert N and his 34-year-old Indiana-born wife Susan [Byers] McCaslin have been married eight years and have had one child, their Indiana-born daughter, one-year-old Clara B. Also in their household, are Susan's parents, 77-year-old Kentucky-born Henry S and 74-year-old Kentucky-born Maria [McCauley] Byers, who have been married 55 years and have had thirteen children, eight of whom are living. The family employs three servants, 71-year-old Ohio-born widow Nancy Sutter (nurse), and a couple, Kentucky-born 33-year-old Frank Grant (hired hand) and Kentucky-born 33-year-old Mollie Grant (housekeeper). Henry Byers and the Grants cannot read and write. The rest of the adults in this household are literate. Robert's father was born in Indiana and his mother in Tennessee; Susan's parents were born in Kentucky. Henry S parents were born in Kentucky; Maria's father was born in Scotland and her mother in Kentucky.