The Eagy Family in America

The Eagy family name has several variations of spelling. The pronunciation is long A, hard Gee, and is often spelled Agee, Agy and Agey, sometimes spelled Egy, Eggy, Egee and Egi. These and other variations may be found in Census indexes from the 18th and 19th Centuries for Pennsylvania and Ohio. The earliest Eagy found in any records in America is Rudolf Egy who was among the passengers of the St. Phoenix from Rotterdam, listed on Nov. 22, 1752 to the port city of Philadelphia, Pa. Rudolf emigrated from Europe, probably from Germany or Alsace Loraine. This Rudolph Eagy may have been Andrreae Rudolph Eagy who was born about 1729 in Wuerrttemberg, Germany and was married to Catharinae Scheffelin, who was born about 1725 in Germany. The next Eagys found in Census records are Anthony Eagy, George Eagy, Frederick Eagy and Philip Jacob Eagy in the 1780 and 1790 Pennsylvania indexes for Bedford County and also John Eagy in Berks County. Philip Jacob Eagy and Gertraudt are listed in some Pennsylvania German Society baptismal records as being the parents of Elisa Barbara and J. George, baptized Feb. 18, 1759. Anthony Eagi from Alsace and Maria Elizabeth are listed as sponsors for children baptized on Aug. 29, 1762. An interesting sidelight is the six man assemblymen election of 1782, Berks Co., Pa. in which Abraham Lincoln came in third with 505 votes and George Egy came in sixth and last with 268 votes.

Apparently some of the Eagys in Pennsylvania moved to West Bethlehem Township (Twp) in Washington County, because by 1810, George Eagy is found in the Census Index with four sons and three daughters. By 1820 the Census Index lists David, Jacob and George Eagy, and George has three sons and at least five daughters. The 1840 Census Index lists George with two sons between 15 and 20 years of age, and six women in his household, aged between 4 and 40 years of age, along with 3 agricultural employees (farm hands). The records indicate that George's wife's name was Anna Mary Harsh or Harse. Their children were named John, born Jan. 1, 1803, married to unknown wife, he died in 1877 in Jay County Indiana; George Jr., born Feb. 26, 1806, married to Matilda Pillars on Oct. 21, 1830, he died in 1877 in Allen Co., Ind., Jonathan, born before 1810, married to Mary Mooney on Dec. 11, 1839, he died after 1838 in Van Wert Co., Ohio; Henry who remained a bachelor, died in Jay County, Indiana; Samuel, born about 1807, married to Nancy McClure, she died in Jay Co., Indiana; Delila, born before 1815, married to Elias Beamer on Feb. 22, 1833, he died after 1838 in Paulding Co., Ohio; Katie, born before 1820, married to Mr. Stout, she died after 1838 in Allen Co., Indiana; Elizabeth (Betsie), born May 27, 1820, married to Abraham Brandeberry, on July 29, 1841, she died after 1838 in Allen County, Indiana; Permelia, died after 1840 in Allen Co., Indiana; Peggy, married to Samuel Wass on Jan. 27, 1849, she died after 1850 in Allen Co., Indiana; and Rachael, married to James Knestrick on Feb. 18, 1835. Based on census records it is apparent that the Eagy family left Washington Co., Pa for Carrol County, Ohio before 1830. They remained in Ohio until some time before 1850, when they moved to Allen County, Indiana. During this period, John Eagy's wife Susannah (Scott) passed away, and unable to take care of his family, John sent his boys to live and work on the farms of friends and relatives in Rush Co., Indiana.

The children of John and Susannah Eagy were Charles, George, John and Washington. In 1850, Charles, who was born on Sept. 19, 1831 in Washington Co., Pa., lived on the farm of Owen and Keziah Scott in Rush Co., Indiana. His brother George, who was born on Dec. 20, 1838, that same year of 1850, lived with Polly Hite and her family in Rush Co., Indiana. John S. Eagy, was born about 1837, in Washington Co., Pa., and in 1850, he lived with William and Martha Bell, in Rush Co., Indiana. Washington, the oldest brother, was born on July 24, 1829, also in Washington County, Pa., and in 1850 he worked as a hired farm hand on the Corbin farm in Rush Co., Indiana.

Washington Eagy married Jane Brown McCorkle on February 14, 1855 in Rush Co., Indiana. She was the daughter of James McCorkle of Fleming Co., Kentucky and Ann Young of Bourbon Co., Kentucky. She gave birth to Mary Jane Eagy on November 1, 1855, but died shortly after giving birth in Marion Co., Iowa. Washington remarried later to Sarah Smith, whose relatives had emigrated to Linn Co., Oregon. Mary Jane Eagy grew up on the farm and went to school in Marion Co., Ohio, and later she met and married a farm hand named Alfred Hedrick. In 1876, Washington, encouraged by his wife's relatives, decided to immigrate to Oregon by train, and after selling his farm, he took his family, including Alfred, and his second daughter, Martha Elizabeth, who was born in 1860. Washington, whose first, unused name was George, bought a farm near Oakdale, in Linn Co., Oregon. However his son-in-law, Alfred decided that he didn't like Oregon, and by July, 1879 he left his pregnant wife, though neither husband or wife knew then that she was expecting, and he went by train back to the farm of his father in Iowa, George Hedrick, a civil war veteran. Mary Jane gave birth to a daughter she named Elma Maud Hedrick, in December 1879.

Elma grew up on her grandfather, Washington Eagy's farm, and after he died, her stepmother sold the farm in 1893 and they moved to a small town called Shedd, in Linn County, Oregon. Elma went to high school in Shedd and later married Chester Huffman in January of 1899. Her mother had remarried to Mr. William Henry Pugh and had several children, and her sister, Martha had married Albert Kemp, a Civil War veteran. Elma lived to the age of 89, and is buried in the Pleasant Valley cemetery alongside her husband, in Benton County. Washington Eagy is buried in the Oakdale cemetery in Linn County, Oregon. While he was alive, he told his granddaughter Elma, that he and she are descended from the famous Native American Princess, Pocahontas.