JOHN KNOLL
JOHN KNOLL'S MIGRATION FROM GERMANY TO OWEN COUNTY
Posted by Debbie Jennings
John Knoll was born in the province of Bavaria, Germany.His father Andrew was in the Napoleon war. In May 1832, John Knoll, his sister, Mary, and her husband Andrew Graber and baby,Sebastian, left Germany and came to the US to find a home. Due to stormy weather, they were on the ocean during May, June and part of July. John Knoll used to relate how during the storm he would stay near the captain of the vessel so that he might judge by the captain's actions when they were in great danger. They reached New York City in July 1832.From that city they went to Albany, Buffalo,Cleveland Ohio,Cincinnati Ohio, and stopped at Richmond IN. At sunrise in a small town 16 miles west of Richmond, IN- Andrew Graber died of cholera. John Knoll married Susannah Knipes in 1834. She was 16 years old, they began married life on the second floor of a large brick house a few miles south of Abingnon, IN. In 1840 they moved from Union County to Owen County,IN, making the journey over the National Road( now W. Washington Street) in a covered two horse wagon. At this time John Knoll was 27 and his wife Susannah was 22. They had 2 children with them, William, age 5 years and Margaret, an infant less that a year. When John Knoll first reached Owen County, in the year 1840, the country was almost an unbroken forest. He lived in a log cabin in Jennings Twp, about 1/4 mile south of the present home of Elmer Knoll. It is said he laid out the first public road that lead from his cabin over the hill and crossed Doe Creek a short distance down stream from the present bridge.John Knoll blazed the trees in the forest so the children might find their way to school. On May 9th 1846 John purchased from Richard Magg the land now owned by Dora Rouck in Jackson Twp Owen county, situated NW of Cunot and moved there shortly after that date. In 1852 he built a house, which he moved into in January of 1853. Prior to this date he lived in a log house of one large room which was located about 50 yards NE of the one he built. At this time he had a family of 8 children, Mary Knoll being 2 weeks of age.Grandmother Knoll used to relate how Aunt Elizabeth age 5 carried Aunt Mary at 2 weeks old, head down and feet up from the old house to the new one when they were moving.