Henry and Nancy (Kinnick) Riddle family “wanderlust”

Henry and Nancy (Kinnick) Riddle family “wanderlust”


[This is one of a number of stories related to Kinnick family members over the years that I was privileged to receive from my friend, and fellow Kinnick researcher, Jean Rieper (1933-2010)(of Kilgore, TX, during our 15 or so years of correspondence). I publish them here at "The Kinnick Project" in tribute to her decades of family history research!]


“After following the many moves of Henry Riddle, we have to agree that he was filled with the “wanderlust.” He married Nancy Kinnick in 1817 and their 1st son was born in 1818. It would have been soon after, that Henry taking his young wife and baby, began his trek westward. An earlier history of the family says that Henry was first in Hardin County, Tennessee before going to Indiana. It would have been a very brief stay. He crossed Kentucky and ventured into the wilds of Indiana, and is found in the 1820 Federal Census of Delaware County, where he remained until sometime between 1827 and 1830. During this period he may have gone into Illinois and on his return purchased 80 acres of land in Fountain Co., Jan. 13, 1830. On Nov 15, of that same year he bought a Federal Patent of 40 acres in Pleasant Twp., Johnson County, Indiana, which is on the southern border of Marion County, the former home of this family. On Feb 23, 1831, Henry Riddle bought land from John McClain in Johnson County, and again on Oct 20, 1834, purchased 40 acres from the Federal Government.

“Again in 1837, Henry Riddle felt the call of the wild, this time pushing northward to St. Joseph County, Indiana on the Michigan border. He purchased four land patents from the Federal Government in Union Twp. Today a large lake in this twp is known as Riddles Lake. His land certificates #6967, 6968, 6969, 6970, dated Aug 10, 1837, St. Joseph County, Indiana contained 272 acres. Here his children attended school, Wiley grew to manhood and married in 1841. In 1846 he again sold out and went to Iowa, to what location is not known. Not liking the climate there, Henry returned to St. Joseph Co., Ind. In 1849 he purchased three hundred and twenty acres of land in Warren twp, where he resided until the death of his wife, Nancy, in 1854. At this time he gave his two eldest sons, Wiley and Benjamin, one-half of his real estate in 1855, and sold the remainder in 1856. Henry then stuck (sic)out for Kansas, perhaps his son, John H. accompanied him at this time. At the time of his settlement in Kansas, the trouble relative to its admission to the Union was rife, and he returned to St. Joseph County, Indiana, where he died and was buried by side of his wife. The years of hardships and toil involved in his constant search for a better place, took their toll at an early age for this pioneer couple. Their son, Wiley, remained in St. Joseph County, Indiana, where he died sometime before 1870. William and John H., also remained in the county, raied (sic) their families and died there. Only Benjamin inherited “the spirit of adventure” from his father.”

From the work of Cora Alice Young Duncan (Manhattan, Kansas) “Our Riddle Family”

Source: Attached to a letter dated 11 Sep 1996; one page of source documents included with the attachments.


Families are Forever!  ;-)