Snyder, Joseph

Submitted by Tamara Kincaide

ADAM SNYDER the first of this family probably of German origin came to Warrick from Pennsylvania to buy a farm for his brother JOSEPH in the year 1817.
JOSEPH and wife SARAH CORYELL SNYDER coming by way of flatboat on the Ohio from Cattaraugus Co, NY arrived in 1829 with their six children. JOSEPH JR the first of their children to be born in Indiana in the year 1830. He grew to manhood helping his father on the family farm and learning the cabinet making trade.

In 1849 he succumbed to the gold rush in California, with no trains going west he went by boat. He returned home in 1853 and remarked he made more money with his cabinet making trade than with mining gold.
He married MARY HATHAWAY in 1858, together they had fur daughters. MARY died sometime after the birth of the last daughter and JOSEPH married her sister LAVINIA HATHAWAY. JOSEPH and LAVINIA had 3 daughters and a son born to them. The son died in infancy.

He farmed the land on which he made his home with LAVINIA and was quite the entrepreneur.
He bought and sold many products such as hay, grain and potatoes, which he took himself to New Orleans by steamboat. He was known as the HAY KING of Warrick County for the storing hay in the largest hay barn in the county.

There were robbers known to frequent the trails for producers returning with cash made from their sales of hay and other products, on one occasion JOSEPH met with a robber. Being quick witted he prepared for this by stashing his largest sums of money in his shoe allowing the robber to obtain but a small amount from him.

JOSEPH retired at age 72 selling the farm and moving into the town of Newburgh.