Throwback Thursday: Descendants of Two Revolutionary Nurses from Yellow Springs
An Old Book From Our Library Tells Us About The Intertwined Families of Abigail Hartman-Rice and Christina Hench
What Is This?
This book was found in a package in the Moore Archives Library. The Library at the Moore Archives at Yellow Springs is being carefully catalogued and organized for ease of reference. To do this, we are investigating each book and item we find with great care.
Opening up this package, we found a book. The book looks fairly old, but is in very good condition.
The front cover clues us in a bit about what this book actually is: an account of the Records of the Annual Hench and Dromgold Reunion. Credited to Mrs. Lelia Dromgold Emig, this book also comes with a note on the inside pages.
What’s Inside?
Handwritten note reads as follows:
Gift to the Yellow Springs Foundation
In Memory of Lelia Dromgold Emig, and her ancestresses, Abigal Hartman Rice and Christina Hench, Who helped to nurse the sick and wounded soldiers at Yellow Springs Hospital [Washington Hall] during The Revolutionary War.Given by her daughters, Evelyn Emig Mallors and Gladys Emig Endicott
3 February, 1976
Lelia Dromgold Emig, Edwardian Genealogist
These records were compiled by Mrs. Lelia Dromgold Emig (pictured above), a descendant of Abigail Hartman-Rice and Christina Hench in 1913. Additionally, it was her daughters who donated the book to HYS- making them their decedents too.
Both Abigail and Christina served as nurses during the Revolutionary War at Washington Hall, and their stories were kept alive for many years by their descendants.
John Hench- Husband of Christina Hench
John Hartman- Brother of Abigail Hartman-Rice
Zachariah Rice and Abigail Hartman-Rice
What Does This Mean For Us, Today?
We have chosen to highlight helpful sections of this report above. Reading through them can help us learn ore about the Hartman-Rice family history, both from genealogical records and family folklore.
Extremely helpful to our ongoing research, these records compiled by Mrs. Lelia Dromgold Emig in 1913 shed light on what the descendants of Abigail Hartman-Rice and Christina Hench thought of their ancestors over 100 years ago.
As we build out our Living History Biography database, we can double check the information we have found to these records. Furthermore, this process helps us fill in any gaps we may be missing.
Our database is being updated as we confirm information and do research. We have several biographies available to the public, including Abigail Hartman-Rice (which can be read here).
Keep an eye on this page as we build it out further to get a close glimpse into the lives of these people from the past!
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Learn more about the history of Yellow Springs
You can read the more in-depth version of this post here
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