After Margaret's death, Jonah sent his son Alvin to live with his in-laws, Samuel C. and Mary Ann Read. Their farm was located in Blairstown Township and had been the original farm of Joseph Read and Sarah Sutton. Jonah remained single for two years then married again in 1866. His second wife was Christean G. or Christina G. (Last Name Unknown). She was born May 1845 in New Jersey. Their first daughter, Elizabeth, was born in New Jersey in about 1868 (1870 United States Federal Census, Hanover Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, page 521). The year before Elizabeth was born, Jonah's father Richard died (on 31 March 1867). Jonah and Christeana remained in Warren County until at least the end of 1868. According to court records associated with the settlement of Richard's estate, Jonah was a resident of Warren County on 9 January 1868, when his brother, Isaac Read and his wife Mary Allen Read of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania signed off on their share of the estate in favor of Isaac's brothers and sisters. In return, Isaac received title to Richard's land in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania (Warren County Land Records, hereinafter WCLR, Deed Book 70, page 629). Jonah and Christeana and all of Jonah's surviving siblings and their spouses executed a deed signing the Pennsylvania property over to Isaac and Mary on 20 November 1867. The deed was recorded in the Luzerne County courthouse on 28 March 1868 (Luzerne County Land Records, hereinafter LCLR, Deed Book 123, page 360). Jonah was still residing in Warren County on 24 December 1868 when the estate made its first disbursement. By 12 March 1869, when the second disbursement was made from Richard's estate, Jonah was probably not living in Warren County. He directed that his second payment be made to his brother Samuel H. Read who resided in Warren County. Jonah and Christeana, and their infant daughter Elizabeth, probably moved to Luzerne County, Pennsylvania in January 1869. Jonah's son Alvin did not accompany the family to Pennsylvania. He stayed behind in New Jersey with his mother's parents.
Jonah and Christeana purchased a lot in Coalville (now Ashley Borough), Hanover Township, Luzerne County from the Leigh and Susquehanna Coal Company on 15 January 1869. The lot was located on Ross and Railraod Streets and contained 4,485 square feet. It was lot 34 on the plat of Coalville as laid out by the Leigh and Susquehanna Company. They paid $350 for the lot. Later in the year, on 6 November, Jonah purchased lot 33 from the Leigh and Susquehanna Coal Company. This lot contained 7,600 square feet and was sold for $400. It was also located along Ross Street and was adjacent to lot 34. Covenants for both lots gave Jonah surface rights only to the land. The coal company retained rights to the minerals below the ground. The deeds also stated that Jonah was to erect and maintain fences along lines of the property that bordered land owned by the Leigh and Susquehannna (LCLR Deeds Book 129, page 372 and Book 158, page 72). It is probable that neither of the lots was developed at the time of purchase and that Jonah built the house(s) on the lot. He and Christeana paid a total of $750 for the two lots in 1869. Three years later when they sold the lots they went for a total of $3000 (LCLR Deeds Book 158, page 74). This is an increase of $2,500 in the value of the land in only three years; it probably indicates that the lots had been improved.
Jonah, Christeana and Elizabeth were all living in Hanover Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania by 1870 (1870 United States Federal Census, Hanover Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, page 521). Hanover Township is on the east side of the Susquehanna River and on the south edge of the city of Wilkes-Barre. Jonah's brothers, Isaac and Ira lived on the west side of the river to the north and west of Wilkes-Barre in Kingston Township (Beers 1873; Bradsby 1893). The family was probably living in Coalville on lots 33 and 34 (Coalville, now Ashley Borough, was part of Hanover Township at that time). Jonah and Christeana sold the two lots in Coalville on 13 April 1872. By 1872, Coalville was known as Ashley Borough. The combined lot size was 12,753.75 square feet. The earlier deeds have the lot size at 12,085 feet, there is an extra 668.75 square feet. Whether this includes an alley that is described in the metes and bounds of lot 33 is currently unknown. They sold the two lots to Levi Howell for $3000 (LCLR Deeds Book 158, page 74). Levi was Jonah's first cousin, the son of his Uncle George Green Howell (his mother's brother). Levi's first wife was Sarah Margaret Luce. She was also Jonah's first cousin, the daughter of his Aunt Elizabeth Read Luce (his father's sister). Sarah was dead by 1872 and Levi was married to his fourth wife, Emeline Griffith Vaughn (Howell and Phethean 2000). Levi and Emeline lived in Kingston Township near Jonah's older brothers, Isaac Read, IV and Ira K. Read.
Jonah and Christeana appear to have remained in Luzerne County until at least 1874. They were definitely in Pennsylvania in 1873 when their son Arthur was born (1880 United States Federal Census, Jackson Township, Vinton County, Ohio, page 82B). They probably settled in Kingston after the sale of the Ashley property. They may have been residing in a house owned by Jonah's brother Ira K. Read. On 2 April 1874, "Christiann T. Read, wife of Jonah Read of Kingston Borough" bought a lot in Kingston Borough, Luzerne County from her brother-in-law Ira K. Read and Ira's wife Elizabeth Howell. The lot was located on Wyoming Avenue at the intersection of College Street. It contained 124 percehes of land. Christiann paid $1,000 for the lot. When Ira and Elizabeth purchased the lot on 14 March 1867, they paid $3,300 for the lot. According to Newbury, Jonah and Christeana moved to Ohio by 1874. Why Christeana purchased a lot in Kingston in April of that year is unknown. The deed was not recorded at the county courthouse until 3 October 1874. To date I have not located a deed of sale for the property by Christeana to another party. The deed makes it clear that she was the sole owner of the land. Jonah's name is not on the deed (LCLR Deeds Book 180, page 207). By an act of the Pennsylvania Assembly passed on 3 April 1872, married women in Pennsylvania had a right to their own wages and the benefits of their wages free of the control of their husbands (LCLR Deeds Book 258, page 26). This meant that a married woman could hold property in her own right, without fear of her husband selling it or of her husband's creditors taking the property.
The 1870 census lists Jonah as a laborer. Given the size of the lots that he owned in Ashley and the size of Christeana's lot in Kingston, it is doubtful that Jonah was farming at this stage in his life. Both lots were small and were located within the bounds of either a small village or a developed urban area (Kingston). Jonah may have supported his family by working in and around the coal mines and railroads in Ashley or Kingston. The mines employed numerous men above ground as well as below ground. Those working above ground worked as carpenters and in the mine shops. By the late 1870s Jonah had decided to leave employment as a wage earning laborer and return to farming. He took his famiy to Vinton County, Ohio and settled on a farm in Jackson Township. The exact date of the family's removal to Ohio is unknown. Jonah's son by Margaret Eliza, Alvin Richard Read, joined the family in Ohio after his grandmother Read died in 1874. Although Jonah had married Christeana in 1866, Alvin had remained with his mother's parents. His grandfather, Samuel Read died in 1869, but Alvin continued to live with his grandmother, Mary Ann Read, in Warren County. However, after Mary Ann died in 1874, Alvin was sent to live with his father. Both of Alvin's maternal aunts were married and had families of their own in 1874 (Kern 1938; Newberry c1934). In 1875, Jonah took steps to ensure that Alvin's inheritance from his maternal grandfather, Samuel Cooke Read, was secure. Jonah wrote to his brother Samuel H. Read, who was living in Frelinghuysen Township, Warren County, New Jersey, and asked him to petition the Warren County Orphan's Court to act as the guardian of Alvin's inheritance. Alvin was to receive $1,000 plus interest from Samuel Cooke Read's estate when he reached the age of 21 in 1885. However, because Jonah lived in Ohio there was no way that he could personally oversee his son's assets. The court agreed with Jonah and appointed Samuel H. Read as Alvin's guardian (WCSCR Petitions Book 1, page 129). Alvin's Uncle Samuel only had control over Alvin's assets, not over his physical person. Jonah retained physical control over his son until he reached 21.
Jonah, Christena, and at least Alvin and Arthur settled in Jackson Township, Vinton County, Ohio. Their daughter Elizabeth died sometime between 1870 and 1880. Whether her death occurred in Pennsylvania or Ohio is currently unknown. It is likely that Elizabeth died in Pennsylvania. According to Laura L. Bennett Meyers (2003), who does volunteer look-ups for the Vinton County, Ohio GenWeb, Elizabeth does not appear in the lists of burials for any of the cemeteries in either Jackson or Swan Townships. Jonah's brothers both had family burial plots in Kingston Township, Luzerne County. Isaac's family was buried in the Carverton Methodist Church yard and Ira's was buried in Forty Fort Cemetery (which was associated with a Methodist Meeting House). However, there are no marked graves for Elizabeth in either cemetery. It should be noted that Ira's family plot is right on the edge of the area which was heavily damaged during Hurricane Agnes in 1972. The cemetery is adjacent to the dike along the Susquehannah River. This section of the dike was breached during the flooding that followed the hurricane. A huge hole was gouged into the cemetery itself and many stones were damaged or lost during the flooding. Ira's section was underwater during the flood, but appears to have survived in relatively unscathed condition. If Elizabeth was not buried in Carverton or Forty Fort, it is possible that she was buried in a cemetery in Hanover Township.
In 1880, the Read household in Jackson Township, Vinton County, Ohio consisted of Jonah, Christeana, Alvin and Arthur. Both Jonah and Alvin were farmers (1880 United States Federal Census, Jackson Township, Vinton County, Ohio, page 82B). The family stayed in Jackson Township for at least the next 20 years. Jonah was appointed the post master of the Ural, Ohio post office in Vinton County. Ural is located in the northwest corner of the county just south of Eagle Mills. He was appointed on either October 12th or 21st 1881 and was the third post master. The first post master, Miss Hannah Jane Snyder, was appionted 25 August 1880. She was succeeded by Josiah Brewester on 29 August 1881. Brewester retained this office for about a month and half before Jonah took over. Jonah continued in the office until 11 June 1883. The post office was discontinued on that date and all mail was sent to Eagle Mills in Vinton County. Evidently the community felt there was a need for a local post office and the Ural post office was re-established on 23 May 1884. However, Jonah was not reappointed as postmaster. William Vanderford became the post master in May 1884. The Ural post office served the community until 27 July 1907 when it was permanently closed. All mail was sent to Allensville in Vinton County as of 31 August 1907. This may be due to a major decline in population in Vinton County between 1880 and 1910. In 1880 Vinton's overall population reached an all time high of 17,223, it had declined to 13,096 by 1910 (Vinton County, Ohio GenWeb). However, Jonah and his family had probably left Vinton County by that date, but more on that forward in this essay.
During the 20 some odd years that Jonah's family lived in Jackson Township, the family grew. Between 1880 and 1900 new babies arrived in the family and there was a wedding. Jonah and Christeana had a daughter in November 1883. They named her Grace Azubah Read. Their son Alvin married Sarah Ellen Seitz on 22 June 1889. He and Sarah had three children by 1900: Edna (born 28 November 1889), Bertha (born 8 August 1893) and Ira (born April 1895). Both families still lived in Jackson Township in 1900. Jonah, Christeana and Grace lived in dwelling 111 and were family 111. Arthur (who was about 27 years old) no longer lived with his parents. Alvin, Sarah and their three children lived in dwelling 112 and were family 112. Both Jonah and Alvin were farmers (1900 United States Federal Census, enumeration district 110, Jackson Township, Vinton County, Ohio, sheet 6B).
After 1900, there were major changes in the households of both Jonah and Arthur Read. First, in 1905, Alvin Read became a minister in the Methodist Protestant Church. He left his farm in Vinton County and began a long career serving churches in Ohio (Ohio Annual Conference 1953:642). The second major change was the death of Christeana Read between 1900 and 1910. Laura L. Bennett Meyers (2003) of the Vinton County, Ohio GenWeb, could not find her listed in the Jackson or Swan Township cemeteries. It is possible that she did not die in Ohio, but that her death occured in Hamilton County, Kansas. The Kansas location brings me to the final change in the family structure. In 1910, Jonah Read was living with his daughter Grace and her husband Cortis Robert Winton in Syracuse, Hamilton County, Kansas. Christeana was not a resident of the household (1910 United States Federal Census, enumeration district 61, Syracuse Township, Hamilton County, Kansas, sheet 6A). Grace had married Cortis in about 1906 (McAllister n.d.). It is very likely that they were married in Kansas. Cortis was born in Crawford County, Pennsylvania on 4 November 1886. His parents, James "Lloyd" Winton and Adelia Connor moved to Syracuse Township, Hamilton County in about 1890. Their remaining five children were all born in Syracuse Township. Logically, I see no reason for Cortis to be in Vinton County, Ohio in the first decade of the twentieth century. However, I am also at a loss to explain what would have motivated Jonah to give-up the Ohio farm he had established over a 25 to 30 year period, and move to Kansas where he would have had to start anew. In addition, Jonah was 64 years old in 1900, not exactly an age to be risking everything on a move to a new farm. Jonah was still a farmer in 1900, but by 1910 he had no occupation, which probably indicates that he was retired. What could have motivated him to leave Ohio?.
A possilbe explanation lies Alvin's decision to become a minister. The two Read housholds appear adjacent on the 1900 census in Vinton County. Both Alvin and Jonah were working as farmers and it is very likely that the two men were working the land together. Alvin's decision to leave the farm and preach the gospel meant that Jonah no longer had help on the farm. The missing piece of the puzzle is the location of Jonah's son Arthur Read in 1900. He was in Hamilton County, Kansas in 1910 working as a well driller with a drill outfit. Was he in Kansas in 1900? Did Jonah decide to move to Kansas because Arthur was there? He was probably in Kansas by 1906 when Grace married Cortis Robert Winton. And it is possible that Christeana died in Kansas. By 1910, Jonah lived with his daughter Grace Winton, her husband Cortis R. Winton, their first son, Alvin Richard Winton (who was born in Syracuse Township, Hamilton County Kansas on 27 September 1907) and Jonah's son Arthur G. Read. Cortis Winton worked as a pumper for the railroad water services (1910 United States Federal Census, Syracuse Township, Hamilton County, Kansas, enumeration district 61, sheet 6A). Cortis probably worked for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad, which ran through Syracuse, Kansas.
The Wintons and Read family stayed in Syracuse until 1910. Grace and Cortis's son Harry Nathan Winton was born there on 2 July 1910. Fifteen days later the family moved to LaJunta, Orteo County, Colorado (McAllister n.d.). The 1911 and 1914 city directories for LaJunta list Jonah H. Read, residence 414 Smithland Ave. Also residing at 414 Smithland Ave. were Cortis R. Winton and his wife, Grace A. Winton. Cortis was a fireman with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad. According to Kern (1938), Jonah lived his later life in La Junta. Kern cites Mrs. G.A. Winton (Grace Azubah Read Winton) as one of his sources. Grace Winton died in 1917. The location of her death is currently unknown. There are no recorded burials of Grace in Otero County (De Bond, personal communication 2003). Her husband Cortis remarried in 1919. His second wife was Minnie J. White. They were living in Cushing, Payne County, Oklahoma in 1920. It is possible that Grace died in Oklahoma, but she is not buried in Fairlawn Cemetery in Stillwater, Payne County, Oklahoma with her husband Cortis (Payne County, Oklahoma GenWeb).
Cortis and Grace's two sons eventually joinned Cortis and Minnie in Cushing. Jonah and his son Arthur stayed in Colorado. In 1920, they lived in Irondale Township, Adams County, Colorado, and rented a room(s) from Dominic and Louiza Telis, who were immigrants from Italy. Dominic had arrived in 1908 and was a naturalized citizen, Louiza arrived in 1910, but was still an alien. There were three young children in the family who had all been born in Colorado. The Telis family owned a truck farm. Dominic Telis was listed in the census as a gardener. Both Jonah and Arthur were employed as laborers. This is in marked contrast to the 1910 census, where Jonah was 74 years and was to all appearances retired. In 1920, he was 84 years old and he was again employed. Grace's death had greatly changed Jonah's life (1920 United States Federal Census, Irondale Township, Precinct number 11, Adams County, Colorado, enumeration district 8, sheet 1B, 2 January 1920).
Jonah's son Arthur Read married shortly after the 1920 census. The name of his first wife is unknown. They had at least one child, a son Ralph, who was born in Colorado in late 1920 or early 1921. Arthur's first wife appears to have died by 1923. Arthur married his second wife, Ada Bomar, on 28 November 1923 in Denver, Colorado (Colorado Marriage Record No. 97046). They bought a farm in Irondale Township (1930 United States Census, Irondale Township, Precinct Number 25, Adams County, Colorado, enumeration district 1-30, sheet 2A, 28 March 1930). Accoriding to Kern (1938), Jonah lived to be 90 years old and died in Colorado in about 1926. It is probable that he spent the last years of his life in the household of his son Arthur Read and that he died in Irondale Township.