Benjamin Stokely and Esther Alexander

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Husband Benjamin Stokely ^{1 2}

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           Born: 4 Oct 1766 - Sussex Co, DE 1 3
     Christened: 
           Died: 1843 - Mercer Co, PA
         Buried: 

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         Father: [Unk] Stokely (      -1770)
         Mother: Unknown (      -1777)

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       Marriage: 12 May 1789 1

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   Other Spouse: Elizabeth Stevenson (      -1876) - 18 Mar 1817 4 5

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• Biographical Sketch: from History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania. Its Past and Present (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk & Co., Publishers, 1888).
To read this brief biographical sketch of his life and career, click here.

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Wife Esther Alexander ^{1 3}

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 16 May 1814 - Mercer Co, PA 4 5
         Buried: 

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         Father: [Father] Alexander (      -      )
         Mother: Unknown (      -      )

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Children

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1 F Polyxenia Stokely ⁶

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 1856 6
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Hiram White (      -1841) 6

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2 F Ariadne Stokely ⁴

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           Born: 19 Sep 1797 4
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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General Notes: Husband - Benjamin Stokely

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Undoubtedly the first settler of Cool Spring township, Mercer County, Pennsylvania, was Benjamin Stokely. He is also believed by many to have been the first white resident of the entire county, though the latter statement is in dispute. His first en-trance into the county was as a surveyor of land warrants. He left Pittsburgh in company with others May 1, 1795, and proceeded some distance north, but was forced to turn back in a short time, owing to the hostilities of the Indians. A return was made in October of the same year, and the party arrived near the present site of Mercer. A second time the surveyors retraced their steps to Pittsburgh, only to resume operations in May, 1796. On the 7th day of Octo-ber, 1796, in company with his family, Mr. Stokely set out on his third journey to Mercer County. This time he effected a settlement, and reached his new home, in the southeastern part of the township, on the 14th of the same month. At this time there were other families living in the vicinity, but these all left upon the approach of winter, and Stokely and family were forced to pass the long, dreary months of winter without any other companions than wild beasts and Indians. Fortunately, however, the latter were not hostile.

1 —, History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1877), Pg 22.

2 —, History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania. Its Past and Present (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk & Co., Publishers, 1888), Pg 987, 1118.

3 —, History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania. Its Past and Present (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk & Co., Publishers, 1888), Pg 987.

4 —, History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1877), Pg 23.

5 —, History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania. Its Past and Present (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk & Co., Publishers, 1888), Pg 990.

6 —, History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania. Its Past and Present (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk & Co., Publishers, 1888), Pg 1118.