Individual Details

Birth

Alexander Saxon married Mary Baldwin in 1790. Their nine children were James Saxon, Mary Ann Saxon Henderson, William M. Saxon, Elizabeth Saxon Procter "Aunt Betty Lee", Alexander Gillespie Saxon, Salina M. "Celina" Saxon McCrory, Robert F. Saxon, John L. Saxon, and Phineas Clayton Saxon. Alexander Saxon disposed of his holdings in Georgia in September, 1808. We presume he was preparing for another journey through the wilderness with his family in the old covered wagon. Preparations for such a journey took from six months to one year, depending on circumstances and other people who might be going along in the same cavalcade, as that was how they were obliged to travel for protection in those days. They took a northern trail over the Smokey Mountains by way of Cumberland Gap which was a long hard pull. They landed in Ohio where they stayed one year. Not satisfied in Ohio, they smeared some tar on the wagon axles and headed for the golden sunset. In October 1811 they landed at John Conner's Post with all the family except the three oldest children, two sons and one daughter. These three were past 21 and were supposed to shift for themselves. They remained in Ohio one or two years, then followed the others to Conner's Post. When the family came to Conner's Post, they were not pleased with the looks of the situation and wanted to get closer to the frontier. They did not unpack the wagon until the next year, but took the family to the Block House, living with the soldiers all winter. But the land sales were on at Cincinnati, and on December 8, 1811, Alexander Saxon entered the southeast quarter of Section 25, Township 14, Range 13 east. The old Indian Trail that came up from Brookville led across this quarter section, crossing the river opposite the location of the present Uhl and Snider Mill. The river at that time cut off a portion of this quarter section. In 1812 Alexander Saxon built a log house about one quarter of a mile east of the river above high water level and along the side of the Indian Trail which was becoming white man's trail. Before leaving the south, Mr. Saxon set his slaves free. In their Fayette county, Indiana, home, there was one thing which at times irritated his wife, Mary Baldwin Saxon, and that was having to lace her own shoes. Having land on both sides of the river, Mr. Saxon established a ferry at the crossing, charging a fee for carrying travelers and their belongings across the river. He kept watch from the house on the east side, sending two of the boys across to watch the west side. One of them was Alexander Gillespie, my grandfather. One day the boys got hungry for some sweets, so they put out a bee bait and caught the bees feeding. They set up stakes to follow their line of flight and found the bees in a white oak tree which stood in what is now the southeast corner of the county court house yard. The old log house is still standing along the trail and is believed to be the oldest house in Fayette county. It is in a fair state of preservation, being used at present for storing farm tools. There were two tribes of Indians here when the Saxons came to this county, the Pottowatomies and the Delawares. My grandfather and his brothers and sisters frequently played with the Indian children on either side of the river. In 1813 Alexander Saxon entered the Northwest Quarter, Section 29, Township 14, Range 12 east, which is east of Williams Creek and north of Bunker Hill. Later he built a cabin of logs and moved in. He lived here until 1844 when he traded farms with George Martin, Sr., which is the east half of Northeast Quarter, Section 10, Township 14, Range 11 east, containing 0 (sic) acrese, (sic) consideration $1500. He lived here only a few months. As he was on his way home from Connersville one day over what was then called the Old State Road, now State Road 44, while braking his wagon on a hill a stage coach drawn by six horses struck him, breaking his hip. This caused his death in December, 1844, at the age of 77 years, one month and 21 days. His wife, Mary Baldwin Saxon, lived on this farm until July, 1855, when her life came to an end after 82 years of frontier living. They left six sons and three daughters to carry on - James, William, John L., Phineas Clayton, Robert and Alexander Gillespie, Elizabeth (called Aunt Betty Lee), Scelina and Mary Ann." [Written by great grandson Arthur Gillespie Saxon.] 1885 History of Fayette Co. p. 164: "Connersville Township ... land sales... section 29 sold in 1813, 1814, 1815, and 1816 to Alexander Saxon ..."; p.165: "...Section 25 sold in 1811 and 1812 to ... Alexander Saxon ... Alexander Saxon with family emigrated from Georgia in the fall of 1811, and settled on the south-east quarter of Section 25. Near a point opposite where the lower mill in Connersville now stands, was the place for crossing the river. Here Mr. Saxon kept a canoe, and ferried travelers across the river." Illustrated Historical Atlas of Fayette Co., IN 1875 p. 16: re the first tracts of land purchased in the township in 1811 - " Entries, First Settlers, etc. ... Alexander Saxon, Dec. 8th; ...". Also re the first settlers in the township - "It is difficult to tell who was the very first settler in this township. ... Alexander Saxon ... came as early as 1814. ...". kes, a great great great grandson of Alexander Saxon, looks at the replacement sandstone marker which was inscribed and donated as a bicentennial tribute to the Fayette County pioneer by cemetery caretaker r.m.

Marriage

Alexander SAXON and his wife Mary BALDWIN SAXON lived in Halifax, NC in 1790, and had 3 children. Probably went to SC and then on to Franklin Co., GA, as William SAXON was born there 17 Mar 1798. Alexander Gillespie SAXON born there 1802. Their land there sold in 1808 to Robert SAXON & Michael RAGSDALE. Then moved to Warren Co., OH for about a year, then to John Conner's trading post on the fork of the White Water River in 1811.

Alexander Saxon Family Bible
The Holy Bible Containing the Old and New Testaments. Edinburgh: Mark and Charles Kerr, His Majesty's Printers, 1793.
This is the family Bible of Alexander Gillespie Saxon and his wife Margaret (McCrory) Saxon of Fayette County, Indiana. Jane, Selina, McHenry, John and William Andrew Saxon were four of their twelve children. Clayton Hender(son) was their nephew, the son of Alexander Gillespie Saxon’s sister, Anna (Saxon) Henderson and her husband, Nathan Henderson. A photocopy of the Bible is in the possession of Dawne Slater-Putt, a descendant of Alexander Gillespie Saxon’s brother, William M. Saxon. Ms. Slater-Putt received the actual Bible from the late Arthur Richard Saxon, formerly of Louisville, Kentucky, in the late 1990s. After photocopying the Bible, Ms. Slater-Putt passed it on to Linda (Gross) Fox, then of Richmond, Indiana. Both Arthur Richard Saxon and Linda (Gross) Fox were descendants of Alexander Gillespie and Margaret (McCrory) Saxon. Alexander Gillespie Saxon, William M. Saxon and Anna (Saxon) Henderson were children of Alexander and Mary (Baldwin) Saxon

Residence

[The following was written by Alexander's great grandson Arthur Gillespie Saxon.]
Alexander Saxon disposed of his holdings in Georgia in September, 1808. We presume he was preparing for another journey through the wilderness with his family in the old covered wagon. Preparations for such a journey took from six months to one year, depending on circumstances and other people who might be going along in the same cavalcade, as that was how they were obliged to travel for protection in those days. They took a northern trail over the Smokey Mountains by way of Cumberland Gap which was a long hard pull. They landed in Ohio where they stayed one year. Not satisfied in Ohio, they smeared some tar on the wagon axles and headed for the golden sunset. In October 1811 they landed at John Conner's Post with all the family except the three oldest children, two sons and one daughter. These three were past 21 and were supposed to shift for themselves. They remained in Ohio one or two years, then followed the others to Conner's Post. When the family came to Conner's Post, they were not pleased with the looks of the situation and wanted to get closer to the frontier. They did not unpack the wagon until the next year, but took the family to the Block House, living with the soldiers all winter. But the land sales were on at Cincinnati, and on December 8, 1811, Alexander Saxon entered the southeast quarter of Section 25, Township 14, Range 13 east. The old Indian Trail that came up from Brookville led across this quarter section, crossing the river opposite the location of the present Uhl and Snider Mill. The river at that time cut off a portion of this quarter section. In 1812 Alexander Saxon built a log house about one quarter of a mile east of the river above high water level and along the side of the Indian Trail which was becoming white man's trail. Before leaving the south, Mr. Saxon set his slaves free. In their Fayette county, Indiana, home, there was one thing which at times irritated his wife, Mary Baldwin Saxon, and that was having to lace her own shoes. Having land on both sides of the river, Mr. Saxon established a ferry at the crossing, charging a fee for carrying travelers and their belongings across the river. He kept watch from the house on the east side, sending two of the boys across to watch the west side. One of them was Alexander Gillespie, my grandfather. One day the boys got hungry for some sweets, so they put out a bee bait and caught the bees feeding. They set up stakes to follow their line of flight and found the bees in a white oak tree which stood in what is now the southeast corner of the county court house yard. The old log house is still standing along the trail and is believed to be the oldest house in Fayette county. It is in a fair state of preservation, being used at present for storing farm tools. There were two tribes of Indians here when the Saxons came to this county, the Pottowatomies and the Delawares. My grandfather and his brothers and sisters frequently played with the Indian children on either side of the river. In 1813 Alexander Saxon entered the Northwest Quarter, Section 29, Township 14, Range 12 east, which is east of Williams Creek and north of Bunker Hill. Later he built a cabin of logs and moved in. He lived here until 1844 when he traded farms with George Martin, Sr., which is the east half of Northeast Quarter, Section 10, Township 14, Range 11 east, containing 0 (sic) acrese, (sic) consideration $1500. He lived here only a few months. As he was on his way home from Connersville one day over what was then called the Old State Road, now State Road 44, while braking his wagon on a hill a stage coach drawn by six horses struck him, breaking his hip. This caused his death in December, 1844, at the age of 77 years, one month and 21 days. His wife, Mary Baldwin Saxon, lived on this farm until July, 1855, when her life came to an end after 82 years of frontier living. They left six sons and three daughters to carry on - James, William, John L., Phineas Clayton, Robert and Alexander Gillespie, Elizabeth (called Aunt Betty Lee), Scelina and Mary Ann."

Death

As he was on his way home from Connersville one day over what was then called the Old State Road, now State Road 44, while braking his wagon on a hill a stage coach drawn by six horses struck him, breaking his hip. This caused his death in December, 1844, at the age of 77 years, one month and 21 days.