John Noble Cummings Schenck (January 24, 1778 – October 26, 1867) was an

American pioneer American pioneers, also known as American settlers, were European American,Asian American, and African American settlers who migrated westward from the British Thirteen Colonies and later the United States of America to settle and develop areas ...

and early

postmaster A postmaster is the head of an individual post office, responsible for all postal activities in a specific post office. When a postmaster is responsible for an entire mail distribution organization (usually sponsored by a national government), ...

of the

Northwest Territory The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and formally known as the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, was formed from part of the unorganized western territory of the United States after the American Revolution. Established ...

Early life

John N.C. Schenck, son of Rev. William Schenck, was born January 24, 1778, in

Churchville, Pennsylvania Churchville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Northampton Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 5,348 at the 2020 census. Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Churchville has a total area of , of ...

. His father had the chief supervision of his education, combined with facilities as were to be found in

Ballston, New York Ballston is a town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 11,831 at the 2020 census. The name is derived from an early settler, Eliphalet Ball, a Presbyterian minister who relocated there from Westchester County, New ...

, and

Huntington, New York Huntington is one of ten Administrative divisions of New York#Town, towns in Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County, New York (state), New York, United States. The town's population was 204,127 at the time of the 2020 census, making it the 11 ...

. Like his brother William Cortenus Schenck, John went to the Northwest Territory.

Life in Ohio

Once arriving in

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

, John made connections with local businessmen, such as Martin Baum, and established himself as a very savvy businessman. At the insistence of Mr. Baum and his brother, John moved permanently to

Franklin, Ohio Franklin is a city in Warren County, Ohio, United States, along the Great Miami River. The population was 11,690 at the 2020 census. The city lies about southwest of Dayton and northeast of Cincinnati. Ohio State Routes 73, 123 and 741 pas ...

, around 1801 to establish a point of trade there. In 1802 he built a two-story

log cabin A log cabin is a small log house, especially a minimally finished or less architecturally sophisticated structure. Log cabins have an ancient history in Europe, and in America are often associated with first-generation home building by settl ...

for himself in downtown Franklin. Later that year he was appointed one of the first postmasters of

Great Miami River The Great Miami River (also called the Miami River) (Shawnee language, Shawnee: ''Msimiyamithiipi'') is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe Nat ...

valley by President

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...

. His home was soon converted into the

Franklin Post Office The Old Log Post Office, also known as the Franklin Post Office is an historic building located in Franklin, Ohio. Built in 1802, the two-story log cabin is the oldest surviving post office in the state and the oldest building in Franklin. On ...

that still stands today in a different location and is the oldest

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...

in Ohio. He continued to prosper in trade in

Akron, Ohio Akron () is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Ohio, fifth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 190,469 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Akron metr ...

, and

Cleveland Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...

and he was a key figure in the founding of

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...

. He also became a prominent citizen in Franklin, becoming an elector and plotting out many neighborhoods.

Personal life

John was married twice. His married his first wife, Sarah Tapscott, on September 2, 1802; they had twelve children. His second wife was Phebe W. Reeder, widow of his cousin William R. Schenck, and they married on October 8, 1843. He was a successful merchant until his retirement in 1847. He died on October 26, 1867.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schenck, John N. C. Ohio postmasters 1778 births 1867 deaths