Lydia Jane Presnell

Family/Spouse: John H. Dressler. John (son of Charles Henry Dressler and Elizabeth Jane Williams) was born on 15 Jan 1863 in Indiana, USA; died on 2 Apr 1919 in Sugar Ridge Township; was buried in Center Point, Clay County, Indiana, United States of America. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Guy Dressler was born on 27 Jul 1891 in Clay, Indiana; died on 9 Mar 1931; was buried in Bowling Green, Clay County, Indiana, United States of America.

Notes:

Buried:
Center Point Cemetery

Calvin married Jane Epsebah Whittington on 25 Jul 1854 in Bowling Green, Clay, Indiana, USA. Jane (daughter of John Wesley Whittington and Rachel Lavina Gibbons) was born on 6 May 1835 in North Carolina, USA; died on 31 Dec 1915 in Brazil, Clay, Indiana, USA; was buried in Center Point, Clay County, Indiana, United States of America. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Esau Presnell was born on July 15, 1812, in his native state of North Carolina. He lived with his parents until he joined a group of emigrants that came to Indiana where they settled in Clay County on July 10, 1833. This part of Indiana was mainly a wilderness. When Esau arrived he had $25.00 in silver which he loaned to his uncle, John Sturdevant. Soon after Esau came to Clay County, he found employment shoveling dirt on the construction of the National Road in the locality of Williamstown. He earned 62 ½ cents a day and he invested his earnings in land. He joined his uncle in buying and acquiring more land from the government. On March 19, 1835, Esau married Nancy Green, in a ceremony performed by Esquire Pierce Jones. The improvement of his land and the making of a farm engaged all his attention and energies. Esau noticed that there were no stores nearby so he constructed a small log building in his yard and engaged in merchandising. In 1850, in the building of the Terre Haute & Indianapolis Railroad, he sub-contracted one mile of grading and accepted forty per cent of the contract price in bonds in the road. He continued to acquire additional bonds and when the transfer of the road to the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton occurred, Esau held as much as $25,000.00 interest in the road.

In 1855, Esau sold his farm to Henry Dial and in 1856 he embarked in merchandising at Center Point which began as a town that year. He continued in business up to the time of his permanent retirement in 187l. Previous to the burning of the court house, under the old constitution, Esau served a term, perhaps two terms as county commissioner. In 1861, he was again elected commissioner, serving one term as president of the board. During his fifty-five years as a resident of Clay County, he made three trips back to his native state. On the third trip he was able to travel by railroad and not by horseback. On this trip he returned with his mother. All through his life, Esau adhered tenaciously to never engage the services of a physician. He held to this resolution until a short time before his death. Esau was one of the largest landowners in the county. He was known for his integrity and unbounded confidence in the native integrity of the poor man. Though wealthy, Esau was known for never denying his fellow man credit or oppressing him. At the time of his retirement, few people knew the volume of obligations owed to him. When questioned about the loans, Esau would reply, "They'll all pay at some time. It is true that many of these claims could not be collected by process of law, but by being indulgent, giving them their own time, practically all of them, from their sense of appreciation and the right, will come up and redeem their paper."
Esau was a simple, frugal citizen whose qualities endeared him to a large circle of friends. He died at his residence at Center Point on October 29, 1888.


Buried:
Center Point Cemetery

Esau married Nancy Green on 19 Mar 1835. Nancy (daughter of Jane Green) was born on 31 Mar 1818 in USA; died on 4 Jul 1897 in Clay, Indiana, USA; was buried in Center Point, Clay County, Indiana, United States of America. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

John married Rachel Lavina Gibbons. Rachel was born on 22 Mar 1816 in Winchester, Frederick, Virginia; died on 27 Jan 1899 in Springpoint, Cumberland, Illinois. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Lived on Little River in Lower part of Randolph Co, NC

John married Rebecca Sturdivant on 5 Jul 1808 in Randolph, North Carolina, USA. Rebecca (daughter of Randolph Sturdivant and Sarah Dicey Rainey) was born on 13 Apr 1799 in Randolph Co., North Carolina, USA; died on 9 May 1875 in Asheboro, Randolph, North Carolina, USA; was buried in Old Hope Church Cemetery (1/4 m NW of New Hope Church). [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]