The Odyssey of the Valentin(e) Himmelberger Family
continued ...

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Second Generation: The Heavenhills of Kentucky

Ulrich Himmelberger (Oliver Heavenhill) Source:  Sheila Rae Larson
Revolutionary War Paper of Oliver Haverhill
(see original at Sheila Larson's site)

Children of Oliver Heavenhill and Elizabeth Tesch (or Lesch):

I love the Letter to the Editor, Kentucky Standard Bardstown, Kentucky, and have transcribed it so that it may be more readily viewed: Source: MyFamily.com - Our Heavenhill/Havenhill/Himmelberger Families

How “Heavenhill” Got Its Name

Bardstown, Kentucky — Sept. 17, 1955 Letter to the Editor, Kentucky Standard Bardstown, KY

Dear Sir:  —
Several weeks ago in riding from Bardstown over to Marion County, I used the highway which starts near the Old Kentucky Home and goes on through Marion County, and thence on to the extreme south. About a mile and three-quarters north of Bardstown I observed the erection of a new brewery near what is known in the history of this section of the state as the “Heaven Hill Spring.”

It got its name from William Heaven Hill who was born under a cliff very near the spring on October 20, 1783. At that time the ravages by the Indians were frequent. Just about the time that William Heaven Hill was born most of the very few forts in Kentucky were being attacked by the Indians. At that time there was a fort in Nelson County called K__chrice Fort rather near Fairfield. The Indians attacked that, killed and scalped a number of the inmates and then burnt the fort, which goes down in history as the “Burnt Fort.”

There was no house near the cliff where William Heavenhill was born. However, shortly thereafter his father build a log house on the hill just above the spring. In after years, he built the brick house which now is occupied by Bertram Smith.

Only a few years after the erection of the log house just mentioned, a man named J. Simpson came to Bardstown, set up a little shop wherein he repaired surveying instruments, clocks and watches. In addition to that kind of work he would melt silver coins and make spoons of the melted silver. Some of these spoons are still in existence in and around Bardstown. I have some of them. Simpson’s name is on the handle of each of those spoons.

Simpson was a bachelor and boarded with Heavenhill. He walked to town of mornings and back out to Heavenhill’s house of evenings. In 1820 he built a grandfather clock and encased the works in a large cherry frame about nine feet tall. He made Mr. Heavenhill a present of the clock and took it out and delivered it unexpectedly to him. When they undertook to set it up in the log house, it was discovered that the clock was taller than the ceilings of the rooms. The legs were sawed off, and likewise some of the top of the woodwork. The sawed off legs and top were preserved. Upon Mr. Heavenhill’s death on June 5, 1870, his daughter, Mrs. Prunty, got the clock. Upon the death of Mrs. Prunty, her daughter, Mrs. Charles Rapier, who died a few years ago over at New Haven, became the owner of the clock. Mrs. Rapier and Mrs. W.A. Rosenham of Bardstown were granddaughters of William Heavenhill. Some years ago I purchased that clock from Mrs. Rapier, and it is now in our house keeping perfect time, although it is a hundred and fifteen years old, as shown by the date on the face of the clock.

But the clock is not what I was driving at when I commenced this communication. First, I wish to reinvite attention to the fact that William Heavenhill was born under a cliff in 1783, when this country was [pestered] by marauding Indians. Another principal thought that I have in mind is that I recall quite distinctly one day many years ago hearing my father and Wm. F. McGill talk about a very small distillery that Mr. Heavenhill operated at that spring. In those days there was no tax on whiskey and it was neither against the law of God nor of man to manufacture whiskey. A few years ago, in looking through an old Bible formerly owned by a man named Cruise (sic) between Cow’s Creek and High Grove, I came across in that Bible his formula for making whiskey.

Certainly for more than a hundred years a wire has been stretched from the Heavenhill spring up to the residence. Through all these years a bucket was run down that wire by gravity; and being automatically filled with water, a crank was turned at the house to bring the bucket back.

I do not know who is erecting the new distillery near that spring, but I am told that “Uncle Joe” Beam is at least part owner and is to be the distiller. I do not hesitate to venture the opinion that if they will give “Uncle Joe” the material, he will make “what is” whiskey. His years of experience in that line have given him a reputation second to none as a maker of the best bourbon whiskey that can be made.

I am told that the water from that spring is charged with limestone and magnesia, two necessary ingredients for the best whiskey. The site of this distillery is a historic one for the reasons heretofore set out.
      Yours truly, Ben Johnson.


. . . And now, back to Oliver Heavenhill

A bit of a free spirit, Ulrich changed the spelling of his European family name to Oliver Heavenhill, which — when translated to English — means “heaven” and “hill.” Oliver married Elizabeth Tesch of Bern Township in 1776. So far, it has not been determined who Elizabeth’s parents were. Among Pennsylvania German pioneers, three Tesches are listed: In 1752, Adam, Georg Friederich & Henrich Peter Tesch were on the Philadelphia Co. Census. All gave a foreign oath of alliegence, Adam and Henrich Pewter arrived on the ship Bawley. from Rotterdam. Georg Friederich Tesch, sick, arrived on the Ship: Queen of Denmark via Cowes on Nov. 3, 1752. As Elizabeth was born about 1766, it is possible, probable, that she was the daughter of one of them. Source: http://www.gironet.nl/home/hommelbg/hom-himmelberger-e.htm

Oliver left his large family of Himmelberger relatives in Berks County, Penn., in the late 1700s and migrated to Nelson County, Kentucky. It seems that he left Berks County with friends and descended the Ohio River to Nelson County, Kentucky, one of the first 4 counties of that state. His wife, 4th Great Grandmother Elizabeth Tesch, and his first-born son (George was probably born in Pennsylvania) followed soon after.

Here is an account* of that trip to Kentucky:

“Christopher Kaufman and Jacob Kaufman came from PA or VA to Nelson Co, KY, in the 1780s along with John Wible and Ulrick Himmelberger. They divided a Virginia Treasury Warrant of 1000a issued to Theophilis Philips. Oliver actually had land entered but because it was never surveyed and returned. 1785 - Ulrich Himmelberger ‘Old Processioners Report Book, Nelson County KY - entered 250 acres land warrant entry 557. There had to be a very close relationship between the Kaufman family and Oliver that Kaufman would have allowed Oliver to enter the land. This was part of a 1000 acres that Jacob Kauffman had and along with Ulrich was Christopher Kauffman, John Weeble all for 250 acres each. The Kauffman’s were the only ones who had it surveyed and returned.”
Source: http://www.gironet.nl/home/hommelbg/hom-himmelberger-e.htm

Seven of Elizabeth and Oliver’s eight children were born in Nelson County, Kentucky, George in Pennsylvania. Their names were: George*, Elizabeth, William, Mary Polly (our direct descendent and my 3rd Great Grandmother), Margaret Peggy, Valentine, Sarah & Susan Heavenhill.

Laura Wild -- she writes:
 “A descendant of Oliver and Elizabeth Heavenhill sent me a photo of William Heavenhill's home located about two miles from Bardstown, Kentucky on U.S. 49 near Heaven Hill Distillery. The home (according to book) was built around 1820 by William Heavenhill. He first built a house of logs a short distance from where the brick house now stands. Nearby is the Heaven Hill Distillery and the old cemetery where the following people are buried:

    William Heavenhill 15 Sep 1783 - 6 Jun 1870
    Susan Heavenhill 26 Oct 1783 - 26 Jan 1871
    Elizabeth Price, wife of Joseph 1 Jun 1793 - 28 Feb 1865
    James N. Coleman 23 May 1805 - 17 Aug 1845
    Isabel B. Coleman, wife 30 Apr 1809 - 10 Jul 1898
    Ruth, daughter of J.N. & I.B.Coleman 27 May 1842 - 10 Nov 1846
    Elizabeth, daughter of J.N. & I.B.Coleman 27 Jan 1838 - 14 Nov 1846
    Sarah Patterson 10 Jan 1786 - 1 Oct 1847
    James Patterson Nov 1822 - Dec 1847
    Thomas N. Price died 13 Aug 1839, age 21 years
 
Third Generation:
 Mary Polly Heavenhill

Mary Polly, fourth child of Oliver and Elizabeth, was born on Nov 29, 1785. She married Frederick Kelly on Apr 17, 1802, in Nelson County. The 1850 Hopkins County, Kentucky, Census indicates that he was born in Virginia. What is now Kentucky was once part of Virginia, so the Kelly’s home may have been on that land for some time before. It is not known when they moved to Hopkins County, but his son, John D. Kelly — our direct descendent and my 2nd. Great Grandfather — was born there on Mar 08, 1818. This entry was found in Kentucky archives: The Nelson County, KY Memo Book 1831-1832] June 1832, Joseph Price against Joseph Lewis, Leven Lawrence, and George Heavenhill, William Heavenhill, John Holtshouser & Elizabeth his wife (formerly Heavenhill), Frederick Kelly & Mary his wife (formerly Heavenhill), John Fryrear & Peggy his wife (formerly Heavenhill), Sally Rice, daughter of Sally Rice (formerly Heavenhill), Michael Hall & Susan his wife (formerly Heavenhill), heirs of Oliver Heavenhill and Elizabeth Miller. Source: MyFamily.com - Our Heavenhill/Havenhill/Himmelberger Families.
 
Fourth Generation: John D. Kelly
John D. Kelly, a farmer, married Mary Ann Robertson of Kentucky before 1832. The couple had three daughters, David Ella, Henry Ann, and Elizabeth H. between 1833 and 1835. John met an untimely death at age 30 and was buried in the Grapevine Cemetery of Hopkins County, Kentucky. Mary Ann remarried David L. Cardwell in 1849 in Hopkins County, Kentucky. More children were born to this marriage. Mary Ann died on Oct 12, 1907, and is buried in the same cemetery as John D. Kelly.
Fifth Generation:
 David Ella Kelly
David Ella Kelly was born in 1845 in Kentucky. She married William F. Fowler on Feb 24, 1867, in Hopkinton (Hopkins) County, Kentucky. The couple had five children: Ella, James, Alex, Laura and Maud. She died on May 09, 1934, at her daughter Maude Raley’s home near Boxville, Union County, Kentucky, and is buried in the Boxville Cemetery. William F. died in 1925 in Boxville and is also buried in the Boxville Cemetery.

Sixth Generation: Alexander Fowler
James Fowler
Ella Fowler
Maud Fowler
Laura Fowler

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