Atlas of Steuben County, Indiana 1880 P. 52 clm 2 Millgrove Township            

        Twichell, Jonas H. Sr., was born in Connecticut, December 15, 
1800.  He is the son of Robert and Anna Smith Twichell, and is now the 
only remaining member of a family of nine, of whom he was the eldest.   
At the age of eighteen, he left home and worked by the month, sometimes 
as stone-cutter, sometimes on the river as raftsman.  October 18, 1823, 
at the age of twenty-three, he was married, in Coventry, Schenectady, 
County, N.Y., to Miss Melinda Scott, a young lady of twenty years, who 
was born in Hartford, Conn., and whose parents were both natives of 
Connecticut.  By her, he has been blessed with nine children--Harriet 
E., Clarissa  A., Charles T.,(deceased), Benjamin S, (deceased), Jonas 
H., Marcus W., Melinda(deceased),  Stering S.,  and Theodore Bliss.  
Beginning life in earnest at so early an age, he went to work and 
cleared up a farm of 115 acres, and built a house and barn.  Finding, 
however, that the farm would never realize his expectations, he 
concluded to sell and received $700, which he considered a good price 
for it.  He went to Catskill and remained two years, soon after which 
time he came to Indiana and settled in this county in 1836.  He built a 
little log house, which was the first house on the prairie which was 
shingled; and he raised the first substantial frame building in Steuben 
County.  During the months of April, May and June, in the year of 1838, 
he helped raise thirty-six buildings.  Mr. Twichell's father who was a 
staunch Whig,  died in 1826, and his mother died in 1843.  Mrs. Twichell 
is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and has always enjoyed very good 
health.  Mr. and Mrs. Twichell reside in the town of Orland, surrounded 
by the comforts of life.  They are, probably, the oldest couple in the 
county among the old settlers; and though they have already reached 
together a good old age, they still bid fair to have many years of
life before them.

Submitted by J.A. Childers