Update: Thanks to McNitt family historian Bill McNitt I have answers to the questions I posted just last week. I will post his answers in blue after my questions below. If anyone else has any additional information, I would love to hear from you too. If you are looking for McNitt information, click here to visit Bill's website.

1.  John (1795-1873) and Lydia (1802-?) McNitt from Avon, Rock Co., Wisconsin. John and Eleanor McNitt mentioned above had a son named John who married a woman named Lydia Graves. I know no more of that family. However, Margaret's son Nelson Sill came to Avon around 1860 and lived and farmed with John and Lydia. I find it too much of a coincidence that Nelson would have come to Wisconsin and farmed with a John and Lydia McNitt who were not his relatives. I believe John and Lydia were his uncle and aunt. John and Lydia had no children that I am aware of, and Nelson eventually owned all of the land that was once owned by John. John is buried in the Avon Cemetery. I don't know what happened to Lydia. The 1880 census shows her still living in Avon, but with her sister, Hannah Johnson. I have not been able to find any more recent information about her.

John and Lydia McNitt. I had wondered where they had gotten to, but had never looked for them in Wisconsin. Your circumstantial evidence is pretty convincing that this is the same couple.

2.   Daniel (1817?-app.1860) and Weltha (1817-?) McNitt, from Avon Township, Rock Co., Wisconsin. Daniel and Weltha had a son named James (1854-1904) who was a barber in Beloit, Wisconsin at the time of his death. I believe they also had another son named Nathan, born in 1840, in New York. The 1860 census shows Weltha (sp. Welthy) living with a Nathan McNitt and his wife Mary (aka Polly). Also living with them are a Sarah McNitt, age 7, a James McNitt, age 6, and an Alex Sill. Alex was another son of Margaret McNitt and Deodatus Sill. Weltha's husband Daniel would have been Alex's first cousin. There is no mention of Daniel in this census, so I suspect he died sometime between 1853 and 1860. Nathan and Mary went on to have at least 6 kids: Daniel, Nathan, George, Ulysses, Dwight, and Milo. Weltha was still alive in 1900. She was listed as a "charity boarder" of a 7th Day Adventist Preacher in Brodhead, Green Co., Wisconsin. Based on census records, Weltha was born in 1816 or 1817. John and Eleanor McNitt had a son named James who had a son named Daniel, who was born in 1817. I am wondering if the Daniel, husband of Weltha, and the Daniel, son of James, are in fact the same Daniel. I have no proof of this, but once again it seems too coincidental that Alex Sill would have come to Wisconsin to live with someone with the same name as his cousin. Especially when his brother Nelson came to Avon and lived with someone with the same name as his Uncle.

Daniel and Wealthy McNitt. Yes, this is the Daniel McNitt born 4 April 1817 at Norwich, New York. If you check the 1850 census of Smithville, Chenango County, NY you will find Daniel, his first wife Sarah J. Cady, his daughter Harriet and his son Nathan.

3.   William S. (1809-1888) and Christina ( 1806-1851) McNitt from Milton, Rock Co., Wisconsin. William and Christina had at least 2 children, Alexander and Elizabeth. Elizabeth died in 1844, age on headstone illegible, but appears to be a single digit. Alexander was born in New York in 1834. He married Malvina Harvey (1843-1882) and in 1880 they had the following children: Christina, Wiilie, Anna, Grant, Ira, Alexander, and Charles. In 1880 William was listed on the census as McNett and his wife's name was Kate, so he had obviously remarried at some point. William died in 1888 and is buried in the Otter Creek Cemetery, Milton, Rock Co., Wisconsin, next to his first wife Christina and his daughter Elizabeth. Alexander, Malvina, and their daughter Mariette are also buried nearby. John and Eleanor McNitt had a son named William who married Lucy Smiley. I have not seen proof, but have found evidence at the GenForum site that William and Lucy McNitt had a son named William Smiley McNitt born in 1809. I am trying to discover if the William S. McNitt, born 1809, who lived in Milton, Wisconsin is the same person as the William Smiley McNitt born in 1809 to William and Lucy.

William and Christiana. Yes, this is son of William McNitt and Lucy Smiley.

4.   Here's a few other McNitt's from Wisconsin that I know a little about, but not as much.

     a)   Clayton McNitt, born in Brodhead, Green Co., Wisconsin in 1890. His parents were George Harris McNitt and Jennie Scoville. I have seen George's birthplace recorded as Wisconsin and as Ohio. I have also found on the internet someone who states George's parents were from Pennsylvania. If that is correct, it is quite possible they are not closely related.

George Harris McNitt descends from the McNitts of Mifflin County, PA. There is no proven connection between this McNitt family and ours.

     b)   Lyman D. McNitt, born in Pennsylvania in 1836. Lyman and his family were living in Whitehall, Trempeleau Co., Wisconsin in 1880. He was married to Mary and had at least the following children: Mabel, Luther, Orson, Ambrose, Lyman, and John. His parents are listed as Philetus and Betsy Ann. I have seen Philetus' birthplace listed as Pennsylvania and as New York. I'm not sure exactly where they are from.

Lyman D. McNitt - I do not have his ancestry traced, but he was born in Meadville, Crawford County, PA and may also descend from the Mifflin County McNitts.

     c)   James Scott McNitt, born in Ohio. Wisconsin birth records show that James and his wife Ida Ray had at least 2 children born in Green Co., Wisconsin: Jessie, born 1894, and Ray, possibly born in 1886.

James Scott McNitt - he is a brother the the George McNitt in 4A.

     d)   Lorenzo McNett, born in New York in 1808. Lorenzo came to Wisconsin in 1835 and settled near Cuba City.

Lorenzo McNett - he is a son of Samuel McNitt/McNett of Jefferson County, NY (Samuel was a son of Barnard McNitt's son Andrew).

     e)   A number of McNitts, all born in New York, were living in Beaver Dam, Dodge Co., Wisconsin, in 1880. 1) John W., born 1806, married to Julia. 2) Henry, born 1835, married to Jane, children named Howard, Elmer, John, and Anna. 3) E. Crocker, born 1821, married to Melvina, children named Frank, Fred, and Flora.

John W. McNitt and E. Crocker McNitt were brothers and Henry was John's son. John and Crocker's father was James C. McNitt. James C. was a son of Barnard's son John.

If any of this looks familiar to anyone, please send me an email and help me put together the pieces of my McNitt puzzle.

Thanks!

John Sill
Edgerton, Rock Co., Wisconsin

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