HOGGARD FAMILY HISTORY
Temple Hoggard (born 1802) and wife Margaret (Johnson) Hoggard (born 1803) were born and raised in Virginia. The couple married in 1822 and had six children. In 1836 the family moved from Virginia to Ross County, Ohio near the home of Margaret’s brother Alexander Johnson. A short time after the move Margaret passed away, leaving behind Temple and their children. The actual date of Margaret’s death is unknown and is missing from her headstone.
By 1838 Temple had acquired around 110 acres in and near what is now the Buzzard’s Roost Nature Preserve area. In 1844 he was remarried to Mary Cline, a widow with children of her own and the same year they purchased an additional 32 acres from his first wife’s brother, Alexander Johnson, adjacent to the land already owned by Temple. The couple had three children together before Mary’s passing in 1890. Mary, along with other family members are buried at the McDill Cemetery nearby.
Three years later at the age of 91, Temple passed and was buried at his family cemetery on what is now Hoggard Trail. Though his tombstone reads a death of Feb, 4th 1898, newspaper records mention his funeral occurring on Friday, Jan. 6th 1893. Perhaps the headstone was made at a later date and the year was forgotten, or the date has another significance.
Land and real estate were parted and sold after Temple’s death to cover debts and there were several different buyers.
Notably, Maggie and Henry Trego purchased the tract that contained the cemetery (8/20/1894).
Temple and Mary’s son James also purchased a portion of the land of his father’s estate in 1894 for $216 where he continued to farm the land.
Life in a different time.
News articles from the farm of James Temple:
Eagle Made Attack Upon Child 8/20/1905
Bitten By a Copper Head Snake 5/27/1908
In 1909, J. Crumley purchased a portion of the land with intention of turning it into a forest reserve. The assistant state forester from Wooster was “deeply impressed” with the possibility of timber culture in Ross County. Though it seems that his intentions were to harvest trees for timber, one can’t help but wonder if this was the first glimmer of the idea for a nature preserve in the vicinity.
A Practical Example of Reforestation 12/20/1909
James Hoggard continued to farm the area until his death in 1925 at the age of 77. His wife and children remained at their residence until her death in 1936. It is suspected that the homestead was abandoned at that time.
Jump forward about 50 years to 1952 and Crumley/ Burroughs sell to Earl H. and Jean Barnhart. Eventually Earl and Jean own 372 acres of this historically rich land and in granting Earl's final wishes, Jean donates the land to the Park District in 2000.
Who we know is buried in the cemetery:
Margaret Hoggard: Temple’s wife and family Matriarch- Born: 10/19/1803- Died: Unknown, but must be sometime after they arrived in Ross Co. in 1836 and before Temple remarried in 1844.
Temple Hoggard: Family Patriarch- Born: 11/7/1802- Died: around 1/6/1893. Headstone reads 2/4/1898.
Alexander M. Hoggard: Temple and Margaret’s son- Born: 1828- Died: 2/14/1877
Lovey James Hoggard: Alexander’s child- Born: 1856- Died: 1862
Nancy W. Mull: Born: 1811- Died: 1/4/1847. More research is needed to find Nancy’s connection to the family.
What else you see:
Along the Hoggard trail, especially near the cemetery, you will notice remnants of the family home, cellar, well, and cistern.
A keen eye may notice abandoned roads, non-native plants, or areas where the family may have quarried for stone.