Benjamin RAIL (RIEGLE)
Sources: Benjamin Rail birth and death from Van Buren County Grave Records. Visual sighting of headstones in Old Birmingham Cemetery, Birmingham, Van Buren County, Iowa, for Benjamin and Susanna Rail by Dorothy Taylor in summer of 1965. Occupation listed as Tanner.
Sources: THE TRIBE OF RAIL by Dorothy Taylor. Copy in possession of Ellis Charles Rail. Visual sighting of tombstone in Old Birmingham Cemetery by Ellis Charles Rail in July 1994. 1849 census 5 in household Van Buren county, DM twp
1840 census Benton, Yates, NY 1850 census listed as Saml Rail Dansville, Livingston,new YOrk 1860 Caneadea,Alleghany, New York George Vandergrift age 20 miller from Ohio living with them 1870 Caneadea, Alleghany, New York Libbie Sharp age 19, maybe Elizabeth Rail, living with them 1880 16th ward, Rochester, Monroe, New York pg 429D Louis G. Vandgrift G son male 17 NY, Edwin Vandgrift Gson male age 8 Conn. and Addie C. Vandgrift G dau female age 13 NY all living with him Sources: THE TRIBE OF RAIL by Dorothy Taylor. Copy in possession of Ellis Charles Rail. Have not located any place called Moscow in LIvingston or any other county in New York
NAME: Rail aka Riegle 1841Tax place not listed Seth Ogg Debts Clerk for both Adam and Joseph Rail Dec 1844 Territorial tax in Brimingham, Van Buren County, Iowa 15 Dec 1845 Territorial and county tax 1846 poll and school tax 17 Dec 1846 Birmingham Van Buren, Iowa 1847 County, state and school tax 1848 county, state and school tax 1849 county, state and school tax 1850 county, state and school tax 27 Dec 1851 School house taxes Van Buren county 24 Feb 1852 received letter from Hiram Fitsworth to Adam from Dansville, NY n Samuel is living in Allegany, NY 13 Mar 1852 received a letter from Hiram Fitsworth from Dansville, NY 31 Dec 1852 Taxes Van Buren , Iowa 19 Dec 1853 County, state, school and road tax Van Buren County 27 Nov 1854 county, state, school and road tax Van Buren County 24 Feb 1855 letter from Samuel Rail from NY 25 Feb 1855 school house tax 18 Dec 1855 County, state, school and road tax Van Buren County 27 Nov 1856 Collector and Treasurer's office School and Road Tax 5 Aug 1857 one shair of stock by Birmingham Colegiet Institute 16 Dec 1858 taxes Van Buren Co. Iowa 4 Nov 1868 taxes Van Buren , Iowa 25 Nov 1869 taxes Van Buren County 9 Jan 1972 taxes Van Buren County 30 Nov 1872 Tax Van Buren County 22 Nov 1973 taxes Van Buren County, Iowa 7 Dec 1876 poll, personal property and annexed real estate tax Van Buren county, Iowa 1 Feb 1878 Assessment Van Buren County 28 Feb 1879 Assessment Van Buren County 30 Nov 1880 Assessment Van Buren County 1880 census Lick Creek, Van Buren, Iowa pg 361C Ida B. Inman listed as grandaughter age 16 born in Nebraska 29 Nov 1881 Assessment Van Buren County 11 Dec 1882 Taxes Van Buren County, Iowa 10 Dec 1883 Taxes Van Buren County, Iowa 23 Dec 1884 Taxes Van Buren County, Iowa Lick creek twp 9 Feb 1886 Taxes Lick Creek, Van Buren County. Iowa Feb 1887 Assessment Van Buren 8 Feb 1888 Taxes Lick Creek twp Van Buren Co. 5 Feb 1889 Taxes Van Buren County, Iowa 7 Feb 1890 Birmingham cemetery deed Iowa Pioneer Certificate application of Jane Murrow Atherstone, descendant of Benjamin Rail (Reigle) gives Adam's birthdate as 1 Feb 1815, and death date as 2 June 1890. This probably came from place where dates expressed in numerals only. Tombstone noted above in Maple Hill Cemetery says ADAM RAIL, DIED FEB 6, 1890, AGED 75 YRS 15 DAYS. 6 Feb 1890 Adam Rail sells land to Rebecca his wife.
Sources: THE TRIBE OF RAIL by Dorothy Taylor. Copy in possession of Ellis Charles Rail. Daughter of Benjamin Riegle, but family changed name to Rail at some point in time.
Sources: THE TRIBE OF RAIL by Dorothy Taylor. Copy in possession of Ellis Charles Rail. " from Directory of Van Buren County, Iowa (1878) Lick Creek Township. Rail, Joseph, farmer, Sec. 24, P.O. Birmingham; born in Dauphin Co., Penn., Nov. 12, 1817; when 5 years old, moved with his parents to Seneca Co., N.Y., in 1826, moved to Yates Co., N.Y.; September 1838, to Fort Madison, Iowa; the following spring to Van Buren Co., and settled in Lick Creek Twp. farming has been his principal occupation; worked six months in 1841 as a tanner in Keosauqua; moved to Birmingham; followed that business alone about four years, Married Sarah Hootman Nov. 23, 1843; she was born in Harrison Co., Ohio, Feb. 10,1824; have had twelve children, eight living---George H., Mary S., Jay, Sarah C., Margaret A., John B., Adam G. and Martha E. Members of M.E. Church. He has 160 acres of land valued at $5,000. submitted by Mertis Clark, dau. of Ethelyn Skinner Gilbert, dau. of Dick Skinner, son of Catharine Rail Skinner." Some clue as to the birth date of the two oldest children may be found in the following information from the 1847 Iowa census--Van Buren Co. Head of Family # in Family Joseph Rail 4 Tombstone is in Maple Hill Cemetery, Birmingham, Van Buren County, Iowa.
Sources: THE TRIBE OF RAIL by Dorothy Taylor. Copy in possession of Ellis Charles Rail.
Sources: THE TRIBE OF RAIL by Dorothy Taylor. Copy in possession of Ellis Charles Rail. Occupation listed as shoemaker. Name also spelled REIGLE. May have wife Nancy in 1850 census Birmingham, Van Buren, Iowa Ancestry.com record of Iowa State Census of 1885 shows: Bengamine F. Rail, Township Number 71, Range 36, Age 60, Sex:M, Marital Status:M, Birth State: NY,Line Number: 9, Dwelling Number: 81, Family Number: 83, Page Number: 313, State: IA, County: Montgomery, Township Name: Jackson, Town: Villisca, Family History Film: 1021500, Volume: 237 1850 census Birmingham, Van Buren, Iowa listed as Nancy born in Ohio 1860 census Lick Creek, Van Buren, Iowa listed as Nancy born in Ohio 1870 census Lick Creek, Van Buren, Iowa listed as Nancy born in Ohio 1880 census Villisca Jackson twp, Montgomery, Iowa in Pennsylvania 1885 census Jackson, Montgomery, Iowa Agness born in Ohio 1895 Iowa state census not listed.
He married Susanna Mohler 18 Feb 1813 at PA . Susanna Mohler was born at Cocalico Twp., Lancaster, Pennsylvania 26 Sep 1791 daughter of John Mohler and Ann Bollinger .
They were the parents of 6
children:
Samuel Riegle
born 10 Nov 1813.
Adam Rail
born 21 Jan 1815.
Anna Catharine Rail (Riegle)
born 12 Jun 1816.
Joseph Rail (Reigle)
born 12 Nov 1817.
Sarah Bell Rail (Riegle)
born 13 Sep 1819.
Benjamin Rail (Riegle), Jr.
born 19 Jun 1824.
Benjamin Rail (Riegle) died 17 Sep 1848 at IA .
Susanna Mohler died 25 Nov 1853 at Birmingham, Van Buren, Iowa .