Barnhart Sr. and Margaret Kline had three sons. Our direct ancestor was the oldest son, Solomon, born on December 26, 1787. More can be read about his family HERE and ALSO HERE. Solomon removed to Hocking County, Ohio.
His eighth child was also a son, Henry Kline, born August 26, 1800, in Union County, Pennsylvania, and he stayed there and in Union County for his lifetime, farming and acquiring land, and even by 1850, he had real estate worth $6,000. In Union County, he married Mary "Polly" Kratzer around 1820. They had together twelve or thirteen children: Samuel, Barnhart Maurice, Catherine, Mary Anna "Polly", Henry Jr., Jacob Joseph, Rebecca, Solomon, Elizabeth, Sarah, and Eva.
Little could be found on Henry, beyond the censuses. His wife died on March 31, 1875, and he followed on September 16, 1883. In the 1880 census, he lived with his daughter Polly Derk and her husband, John, farmers in Snyder County.
The last child (#10) and son of Lt. Barnhart Sr. and Margaret Kline, was the colorful Barnhart Kline Jr., born June 17, 1805, in Union County, Pennsylvania. He removed to Sandusky County, Ohio, in his youth and there married Rosetta Cook Chapples on September 23, 1838, the daughter of Comstock and Hannah Chapples.
Several children were born with a first wife before his marriage to Rosetta and Barnhart remembered those in his will and they had the Kline surname: Phoebe Kline (1830-1849), died at age 19; Wealthy Kline (1832 -1899); and Elizabeth Kline (1837 - 1859), died at age 22. The rest of their children were: Sarah Annette "Nettie" Kline (Cuyler Smith Price); Frances Amelia Kline (Frank Abraham Avery); Barnhart "Barney" Kline III; Peter Comstock Kline (Jennie Stone, Helen Tichenor); Henry Edward Kline; and an infant daughter born and died in 1851.
In 1857, Barnhart Jr and Rosetta went through a very publicized divorce. The divorce petition was filed in Sandusky County, Ohio in the Chancery Records, Vol. 9, page 100 and read as follows:
" Rosetta vs Barnhart Kline, December 1857
Couple married 23 September 1838
The couple married in Sandusky County and had resided there until 22 November 1857. Rosetta stated her age was 52 years. The couple had six children: Sarah, 18; Frances A., 16; Barnhart, 14; Peter, 12; and Henry E. 11. One child died in infancy.
Barnhart had been attending spiritual and 'Free Love' meetins after which he became abusive and locked her out of their bedroom. One Saturday in 1857, he began choking Rosetta and when her daughter tried to help, Barnhart hit Rosetta, threw her in a buggy, and had her driven to Weaver's Tavern. She then stayed with the Amos R. Carver family.
Barnhart accused Rosetta of selling their personal property. He further stated that Rosetta had been abusive, had left his bed, and was meeting a man named Queen. On 20 December 1857, she threatened to poison him. He believed she owned $354 worth of land in York Township which she could use for her support.
Divorce decree and $3,000 alimony were granted to Rosetta. Barnhart was ordered to pay $75 every 6 months. Failure to pay would result in double payments. Barnhart appealed to the district court."
As would be expected, Barnhart and Rosetta lived apart for the 1860 census. Barnhart, 55, and Master Farmer, lived on his farm in York Township, Sandusky County, Ohio, with the three sons - Barnhart III, Peter and Henry - along with four farm hands and two domestic girls, aged 16. He had real estate valued at $35,000 and a personal estate of $2500. Rosetta, on the other hand, moved in with Jeremiah and Delora Smith. Nettie Kline,19, worked there as a domestic, and one 15 year old boy was a farmhand. Another older lady, Louisa Knapp, and Rosetta, 54, were not listed with occupations.
On May 7, 1879, The Bellevue Gazette reported:
"Horse Thieve About - Attempt to Steal a Rig From Barney Kline
Friday night thieves visited the premises of Barney Kline, just out of town on the pike, and made a futile attempt to get away with a horse, buggy, and harness belonging to that gentleman. Two of Mr. Kline's men were sleeping upstairs in his house and were awakened during the small hours of the night, either because they happened to wake up, or because of the curse occasioned by the operations of the would-be horse thieves. Further listening developed the fact that some parties were moving about the premises, and accordingly, Mr. Kline was aroused and accompanied his men out to the barn werhe they found a horse had been turned out of the stable and left in the south end of the barn. Undoubtedly, the approach of Mr. Kline and his men gave the thieves timely warning in which to make themselves scarce."
On July 25, 1885, the newspaper above reported that Barney Kline Jr. was in a very critical condition due to congestive fever, and on August 3, 1885, he died. Before he died, he called a lawyer to him so he could speak his will, which was probated then on August 10.
Witnesses who signed testified that Barnhart was in a very weakened state and questioned if he had a sound mind. One witness said he hadn't been of sound mind for three years. "He showed this by selling the property the way he did - he didn't have people pay him then." One witness was there at the time lawyer, Mr. Schyler, was helping him with his will. He thought Barnhart was easily influenced by Mr. S. Barnhart tried to speak, but couldn't, so Mr. S. answered for him.
Mr. Schyler, Barnhart's lawyer for thirty years, was well acquainted with Kline for the last 15 years, having been his ally on several cases. About a month before this, Barnhart came to Ridole's Hotel in Bellevue and had a physician attend him. He dropped in on Mr. Schyler several times before his death and wanted help in getting his papers together and wanted them looked over. The papers were in a safe in his home, so he had the physician who was there
open the safe with a key and he unloaded the papers and checked them in Barnhart's presence. Mr. Schyler said that most were of little or no value, so he packaged them up to look at them further and he came to Barnhart several times more, but Barnhart was too weak to talk.
Then
someone came to Mr. Schyler and said that Kline wanted him to see to his will. Mr. Schyler said he did write it and then read it back to Barnhart in its entirety. The lawyer felt that Barnhart understood fully and he answered the questions softly so he doubted that the witness could hear.
At his death at Kline's Corners on the Pike (Rt. 20),his nephew, Amos Kline, was named executor and Mr. Scyler, assistant. He wanted his debts and funeral expenses paid, and then $1,000 to go to each of his children - Sarah Annette, Henry E. and Peter C. - 1/2 in one year and 1/2 in the next year, and the same to his nephew, Amos.
The remainder of his estate he gave to daughters, Wealthy (Dunton) and Frances A. (Avery), to be owned and used by them for the rest of their natural lives, and then on to their children.
Last he gave the homestead farm in York Township to be given to Wealthy and Frances and their children. All other real estate was to be sold on the discretion of the executors as to time and the profits to those daughters and their families. The final appraisal of his property was $34,944.57, and the will signed with Barnhart's mark.
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