Individual Details
David Abbott
(14 Jan 1766 - 1822)
Abbott Bridge, ghost town in Erie County, Ohio
It was originally settled by David Abbott (1766 - 1822) & Mary (Brown) Abbott (1770 - 1849) who moved to Ohio from Massachusetts & accumulated 1800 acres which stretched on both sides of the river. After David passed away, the biggest land owner & entrepreneur was Jared Ward (1767 - 1857). Valentine Fries (1826 - 1900) was the last proprietor, a grocery store owner & later a ship builder in the 1870's & 80's. The Abbott Home built in 1824 made it onto the National Register Of Historic Places in 1975.
Taken from the History of Milan, Ohio
If there is a father of the Milan area, it's David Abbott. He was the first person to purchase land in the Firelands in 1809, over 1,800 acres in one of the most beautiful areas in Milan Township, land on both side of the Huron River, and the first person to rent and re-sell land to other pioneers moving into this county. David and his family moved to this land in 1810 and they lived in the woods and sleep under the stars while David built a cabin for his family. He was, as were all the people that moved to this area in the early 1800’s, a true pioneer. What made Abbott unique from other settlers, is that he was a lawyer who graduated from Yale law school. It would have been much easier and safer for him and his family to establish residence in New York and practice law and live a more comfortable life. But David Abbott, like so many other pioneer settlers, had a vision to carve out a new land and develop a new settlement into a good place to raise his family. He farmed the land, leased land to others to farm, built a huge barn which was also used for community events, built a new home overlooking the river, discovered the river could be forged between his property and offered safe passage across the river in his land known as “the landing”. As more families moved into this area, he became Justice of the Peace which allowed him to marry couples and he even opened a tavern. He donated land for the county seat and help found the town of Huron as it was known at the time. Together with his wife Mary, they raised four children in this growing community beside the Huron River. David passed away in 1822 and Mary passed away in 1848.
It was originally settled by David Abbott (1766 - 1822) & Mary (Brown) Abbott (1770 - 1849) who moved to Ohio from Massachusetts & accumulated 1800 acres which stretched on both sides of the river. After David passed away, the biggest land owner & entrepreneur was Jared Ward (1767 - 1857). Valentine Fries (1826 - 1900) was the last proprietor, a grocery store owner & later a ship builder in the 1870's & 80's. The Abbott Home built in 1824 made it onto the National Register Of Historic Places in 1975.
Taken from the History of Milan, Ohio
If there is a father of the Milan area, it's David Abbott. He was the first person to purchase land in the Firelands in 1809, over 1,800 acres in one of the most beautiful areas in Milan Township, land on both side of the Huron River, and the first person to rent and re-sell land to other pioneers moving into this county. David and his family moved to this land in 1810 and they lived in the woods and sleep under the stars while David built a cabin for his family. He was, as were all the people that moved to this area in the early 1800’s, a true pioneer. What made Abbott unique from other settlers, is that he was a lawyer who graduated from Yale law school. It would have been much easier and safer for him and his family to establish residence in New York and practice law and live a more comfortable life. But David Abbott, like so many other pioneer settlers, had a vision to carve out a new land and develop a new settlement into a good place to raise his family. He farmed the land, leased land to others to farm, built a huge barn which was also used for community events, built a new home overlooking the river, discovered the river could be forged between his property and offered safe passage across the river in his land known as “the landing”. As more families moved into this area, he became Justice of the Peace which allowed him to marry couples and he even opened a tavern. He donated land for the county seat and help found the town of Huron as it was known at the time. Together with his wife Mary, they raised four children in this growing community beside the Huron River. David passed away in 1822 and Mary passed away in 1848.
Events
| Birth | 14 Jan 1766 | Brookfield, Worcester, Province of Massachusetts |  | ||
| Marriage | 1796 | Molly Brown | |||
| Death | 1822 | Milan, Erie, Ohio | |||
| Education | |||||
| Biography |  |
Families
| Spouse | Molly Brown (1769 - 1849) |
| Father | Jonathan Abbott (1723 - 1805) |
| Mother | Elizabeth Dodge (1730 - 1816) |
| Sibling | John Abbott (1762 - ) |
| Sibling | Mary "Molly" Abbott (1764 - ) |
| Sibling | Jonathan Abbott (1768 - ) |
| Sibling | Moses Abbott (1770 - 1830) |
Notes
Biography
Detailed biography written by likely his son, image 114, p 21https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSD3-4QGF-4?i=113&cat=299185
Endnotes
1. Ancestry.com, Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011).