Lighting Ancestral Lamps

The following information was provided by Dan Olds. It was published in 1954 as an appendix to Lighting Ancestral Lamps, by William Benton Bunn. Although most of the book doesn't deal with our Winans families, Dan felt that this appendix was of enough interest to Winans researchers to merit inclusion in our Carey family album. We agree!

APPENDIX

Winans and Other Related Families
Maternal Ancestors of
Barbara and Charlotte Bunn

The first Winans landed in America the early part of the Seventeenth Century. There is a difference of opinion as to whether one, two, or three of the same name came at that early date. "All, however, are of the opinion that the earliest settlers named Winans were brothers or cousins. They were of German descent." Further commenting, Samuel R. Winans said in his speech referred to in the footnote1: "Referring to the early Winans history, as related to me by my Winans ancestors, who could trace back with much certainty for about two hundred years, only one Winans came to America at an early date. His name was Conrad Wynants,2 a German. This early ancestor never learned to speak English. He is said to have left Germany at the time of the German plague. According to tradition, three of his sisters died during one night. Conrad fled for his life to Holland. He married in Holland, and later emigrated to America and settled on Staten Island.

The Indians were troublesome in this general area. For this reason, he soon left and bought a farm on the south side of Elizabethtown Creek. Possibly some portions of it are now within the city limits of Elizabethtown, New Jersey. Early ancestors told me they remember some very large apple trees said to have been planted by Conrad Wynants. His horse power for operating the farm is said to have comprised his yoke of oxen and one horse."

Trustworthy well-broken oxen in those days were very valuable. On the other hand, land was cheap. Conrad Wynants was offered for one yoke of his oxen a farm known as the Halsted Farm comprised of several hundred acres. This farm was located between Elizabeth and lower Rahway. But his wife protested the proposed deal. She said that she would never consent to have her sons go into the wilderness only to be killed by the Indians. Apparently, this land was located in the general area of the New Jersey early Bunn settlement.

Commenting further, Samuel R. Winans reported in 1868 that he had tried for forty years to trace whether the first emigrants were one, two, or three, but that he had failed to establish proof. Nevertheless, he continued by saying, "the Winans family became numerous as the generations expanded. Families of this name are not only commonly and currently found in the Middle States, but also in the Northern, Southern and Western areas of America. Most of them have been farmers. However, some of them have served positions of distinction such as bishops, clergymen, doctors, military officers, legislators, judges, and magistrates. Wittingly Samuel R. concluded his recorded speech with these comments: "Their general character has been that of honesty and industry. I never heard of one being hanged, although some of them may have observed it."

After a lapse of forty years from the time that Samuel R. Winans' recorded speech about the history of the Winans family spoken at a picnic in Elizabeth, New Jersey, in 1868, the thread of the family genealogy is again picked up. This time, in March, 1908, an S. R. Winans, son of Samuel R. Winans I, of Princeton, New Jersey, wrote at least two letters to Joseph Minett Winans, Olney, Illinois, the maternal grandfather of Barbara and Charlotte Bunn.

S. R. Winans commented in one of these letters addressed to Joseph Minett Winans: "Your cousin, Fannie Winans, in Bowling Green, Kentucky, sent me a copy of that picnic address - to my great delight. I attended this picnic when a mere boy. The speaker was my father - now long dead. I had no copy. I remember the day and place very vividly. Father had great interest in the matter of genealogical history. I seemed to have inherited this interest. He had only traditions. I have made searches in records, wills, deeds, etc.

Your line3 is:

This letter presents rather conclusive evidence that there was more than one early Winans emigrant.

The parents of Joseph Minett Winans, maternal grandfather of Barbara Winans Bunn and Charlotte Frances Bunn were:

Aaron S. Winans operated a leather goods shop in Kentucky during the Civil War. Apparently, the war greatly disrupted his business and thereafter, he made his way to Jasper County, Illinois. There he spent the remainder of his life.

The records of a brother, a Capt. William B. Winans have been partially preserved. William B. Winans died at the age of about 77 years at Bowling Green Kentucky.

Aaron S. Winans' father-in-law Minett married a lady by the name of Simms. This couple apparently emigrated from England after their marriage. The Minett family were French Hugenots. They came to England during the French Revolution. Many of the family are buried in Berkley Church burial grounds near Glouchester, England.

A Navy Captain, Henry Minett, and first cousin of Joseph Minett Winans, retired and lived in Cincinnati, Ohio, during the later part of the first quarter of the present century.

As heretofore mentioned, Joseph Minett Winans was the maternal grandfather of Barbara Winans Bunn and Charlotte Frances Bunn. He married Lottie Baughman who was the daughter of Edmund C. Baughman. This man was one of Richland County, Illinois, most prosperous and best known citizens during his day.

Edmund C. Baughman, son of Jacob Baughman and Mary Houser-Baughman was born in Cochocton County, Ohio, on December 27, 1837. He passed away July 11, 1919. This man emigrated from his Ohio home in the fall of 1859, by way of covered wagon. He settled in Madison township, Richland County. His father beforehand had entered land from the government. Here he hued the logs to build his house, cleared this land, split rails for the fences, and worked with more than ordinary energy. We taught school for ten years during the winter months.

On March 28, 1861, he married Gabriella Reeder, daughter of Abijah S. Reeder and Lacinda Smith-Reeder. Mrs. Baughman passed away in 1917. Edmund C. Baughman lived in Madison township for 23 years. He gradually branched out in the stock business and made livestock his chief occupation for life. When the war of 1861 was declared he drove to St. Louis to enlist, but was rejected on account of a physical disability. This he always regretted.

He was not an office-seeker. However, he served his township as supervisor for a number of years. In 1884, he moved to Wayne County Illinois on a large farm which he had previously purchased. Here he resided and prospered at farming and stock dealing. In those days he drove his cattle to market in Central Illinois. In 1894, he moved to Olney, Illinois, and made that city his home from that time until his death.

Mr. Baughman was a very active man and a man of considerable ability. He founded a bank in Tuscola, Illinois. This bank in 1954, is still operating. When he severed his connections with this bank, he turned his attention to the Delta lands in Mississippi where he acquired thousands of acres of land at a nominal price. He lived to see this land develop into one of the great agricultural areas in America. The land advanced many fold in price.

During Governor Altgelds administration he was appointed trustee of the Southern Illinois Normal at Carbondale. He was active in his church and made liberal contributions to churches, as well as other community welfare enterprises.

Edmund C. Baughman, born December 27, 1837, Cochocton County, Ohio, and Gabriella Franklin Reeder, born January 10, 1840, near Covington, Kentucky, were married March 28, 1861, in Madison township, Richland County, Illinois.

The following is a record of their children:

  1. Edmund Jacob Baughman - Born Feb. 10, 1862; married Jennie Clarkson on Dec. 23, 1891. He died Aug. 16, 1934, in San Diego, California.
  2. Margaret Lucinda Baughman - Born December 22, 1863; married James H. Wilson on Oct. 27, 1885. She died Feb. 17, 1900, in ---, Illinois.
  3. Mary Charlotte Baughman (afterward called Lottie May) - Born May 7, 1866; married Joseph Minett Winans on March 8, 1887. She died May 30, 1944 in Youngstown, Ohio.
  4. Infant son (Un-named) - Born dead on February 14, 1868.
  5. Harry Clarence Baughman - Born March 9, 1869; married Lucy Homorighous on Oct. 14,1896. He died Nov. 21, 1928, in Brawley, California.
  6. William Reeder Baughman - Born March 2, 1871; married Edna Anderson of Champaign, Illinois, on July 19, 1898. He died in Jackson, Mississippi, April, 1954.
  7. Lura Viola Baughman - Born April 9, 1874; married George Herbert Bainum, a resident of Kansas City, Mo., on Nov. 27, 1895. She died on Jan. 15, 1904.

Finally, the record of the Joseph Minett Winans and the Lottie May Baughman - Winans family and descendants are:5

  1. Luella Minett Winans - Born May 6, 1889, Olney, Illinois. Graduate of Home Economics, University of Wisconsin. Followed the career of a dietician throughout her active adulthood. She never married; now retired, and lives at 447 W. Main St., Decatur Illinois.
  2. Aaron Edmund Winans - Born Dec. 12, 1891. Graduate Gem City Business College, Quincy, Ill. Sales supervisor for Proctor-Gamble for more than thirty-two years. Veteran of World War I. Married Winifred Ethel Moore on July 5, 1917; divorced June 9, 1921, no children. Second marriage to Fern Stonecipher on Dec. 9, 1921...
  3. Hugh Neal Winans, Sr. - Born Jan. 6, 1894, Olney, Illinois; attended U. of Wisc. Served across the seas in World War I. Farmed in Mississippi for a number of years near Canton; married Dora Little Wood on Oct. 20, 1921. Died March 22, 1945...
  4. Ruth Winans Bunn - Born July 5, 1899, Olney, Illinois; married William Benton Bunn, Jr., then of Olney, Illinois in Canton, Miss., on Sept. 3, 1924. Graduate Col. of L.A.S. Univ. of Illinois 1924. Died Pittsfield, Illinois, on February 19, 1946...
  5. Grace Winans Leaton - Born Nov. 6, 1902, Olney, Illinois. Graduated Home Econ. University of Ill. Married James Culver Leaton, of Chicago, Ill., on Aug. 1, 1929 in Chicago. Home Address - 721 W. Wash., Wilmette, Ill...
    The following is Mr. Bunn's footnote:
1 Samuel R. Winans spoke at a picnic at Elizabeth, New Jersey, in 1868, concerning the history of the Winans family.
    The following are my own footnotes:
2 At first I was skeptical about the existence of a Conrad Wynants of German origin, and whether he had anything to do with our Winans family. Neither William Bunn nor Samuel R. Winans attempts to show this alleged ancestor's connection to John Winans (1640?-1694?) who is named by other researchers as the original Winans immigrant. But when I googled "Conrad Wynants", I had a single hit. It was on Le nobiliaire universel: ou, Recueil général des généalogies historiques et veridiques des maisons nobles de l'Europe, Volume 22, by Ludovic de Magny, published by Institut Heraldique in 1894. This book, in French, contains an 11-page chapter on the Wynants or Winans family, of Brabant, Holland and America. It divides the family into two branches – elder (ainée) and junior (cadette) – and lists many familiar and unfamiliar names. The "junior branch" is the one which migrated to America, but there are such great discrepancies between the names and dates listed for this branch and those contained in the works of such researchers as Major Ira Winans and Alice Winans Egy Woolley that I'm not going to take any more of my time investigating it. Your comments are welcome!
3 The line of descent given here from John to Joseph Minett Winans (1854-1926) is stated correctly.
4 The 1810 birth year given here for Aaron Squire Winans doesn't agree with what we find in his entry in Mrs. Egy's book -- 1816. Aaron's parents were married in 1811, according to the book.
5 The information on Joseph and Lottie's children's families, which includes living persons' data, has been abbreviated in this compilation.
Last updated 10 Sep 2010.