Grave marker for Adam Hoffman, died 1897. [13]
Adam Hoffman did not marry.
1830 Father Adam Hoffman (age 40-50) and female (Susanna?, age 30-40) lived in Codorus Twp, York County, Pennsylvania with male children: two age 0-5; one age 6-10; one age 15-20 and with female children: one age 0-5; one age 10-15 (Lydia?); and one age 15-20. [1] [2]
1843 The will of Adam [Hoffman] Huffman was dated April 16 in Congress Twp, Richland County, Ohio. Adam Left 50 cents to each of his sons Michael and Adam. [3]
1849 Adam Hoffman sold 2.52 acres of land on April 14, to the Cleveland Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad, for $90, in section 7 of Township 19 (likely North Bloomfield Twp, Morrow County, near land of brother Michael, as shown on 1857 map of Morrow County. The land was on Hoffman land and was for a railroad station. Hoffman was to maintain the fences. [4]
1850 Adam Hoffman (age 28) lived in North Bloomfield Twp, Morrow County, Ohio with the family of brother Michael. [5] [6]
1857 A. Hoffman owned 40 acres in section 7 of North Bloomfield Twp, Morrow County, Ohio, just north of brother Michael's 40 acres, based on the Woodford atlas of Morrow County. The neighbors Benjamin White and James Nail were listed in the 1860 census near the listing for Adam's brother Michael. [7]
1864 Adam Hoffman secured access to harvest straw from land in Noble County, Indiana after wheat had been threshed. [8]
1870 Adam Huffman (age 53, born in Pennsylvania) lived in Elkhart, Noble County, Indiana, at post office Wawaka, adjacent to Weaver Huffman (age 42), Lucinda Huffman (age 34), Allice Huffman (age 13), Louisa Huffman (age 11), Albert Huffman (age 4), and Joseph Huffman (age 2). [9]
1880 Adam Hooffman (age 63, born in Pennsylvania), single, self (head), Farmer, lived in Orange, Noble County, Indiana (father born in Pennsylvania and mother born in Pennsylvania) with niece Menerva Mcewen (age 32), and nephew William Mcewen (age 14). [10]
1897 An obituary for Adam Hoffman reported [11]:
Adam Hoffman was born in York County, Pennsylvania, January 13, 1816. At the age of 19 he moved to Crawford County, Ohio, where he lived 21 years, then moved to Orange Twp [Noble County] where he departed this life October 15, 1897, aged 81 years, 9 months and 2 days. Funeral was at the residence of his brother, John of Jefferson Twp on October 17. He was confirmed in the Evangelical Lutheran Church. He leaves 3 brothers, one sister and a number of nieces and nephews. Burial, Rose Hill Cemetery.
1897 Adam Hoffman died on October 15, 1897 at Noble County, Indiana. Estate papers named several brothers and sisters with their married names. "Fd: 10-19-1897. Brothers: John Sr, Jesse, Samuel, Michael Hoffman. Sisters: Polly Bowman, Lydia Hosler, Eliza Humpsbaugher." [12] The estate papers reproduced here report that Samuel Hoffman and Lydia Hosler were deceased, and does not name Eliza Humpsbaugher. [Indiana, Noble County courthouse clerk's office] [Photocopy, 1897 estate papers for Adam Hoffman.]
If you looked at the legend on the grave marker photo cited above, you may be asking for an explanation. Here is the story behind Adam's death (From Michael McCoy, the author of Everytown, USA: From Main Street to the Front Lines by Michael McCoy) [14]:
Adam Hoffman was a wealthy local, Albion, Indiana, merchant. He also owned several farms on which he rented tenant housing. One such renter was Cal Holey, who had a thirteen-year-old son named Charles. Because Hoffman was elderly, age 81, Charles spent most nights with him, helping out with chores.
October 15, 1897 was one such night. The boy recalls that at sometime around midnight, he was awakened by a commotion from the adjoining room in which Hoffman stayed. Intruders soon also found Charles and gagged him, then bound him to his bed frame, with the warning of be silent and still - or else. The robbers ransacked the house for hours, but failed to find the valuables they sought. They returned to Hoffman.
He (Charles Holey) heard them threatening to kill the old gentleman unless he told them where his money was hidden. He remembers distinctly of having heard one of them say: "Now, Adam will you tell?" After they had gone, the boy set to work to unbind himself, and after much work succeeded. He then went to the old gentleman's room and found him cold in death. His hands firmly bound together and tied to his leg. His feet were likewise bound together and then fastened to the framework at the foot of the bed. About daylight, the young man went to a neighbor's house about twenty or thirty rods away and told the story. (Kendallville Standard, 10/22/1897)
Adam Hoffman - MURDERED - for his money. The news spread quickly throughout the vicinity, county and area. A large crowd of the neighbors and citizens from other localities were at the place at an early hour and the feeling was of one accord - that if the dastardly villains were caught they would be dealt with in a very severe manner without letting the law take its course. (Noble County Democrat, 10/21/1897)
Mr. Myers from Huntertown and Mr. Smith from Tiffin, Ohio, both known for their bloodhounds, were summoned. But by then, the gathering crowd had compromised the crime scene.
Hoffman's funeral was held at his brother, John's house in Jefferson Township. His remains were laid to rest in Albion's Rose Hill Cemetery. People came many miles to attend the funeral and it was doubtless the largest crowd that the history of Noble County ever recorded at a funeral service. (Noble County Democrat, 10/21/1897)"
Yes, there is more: [http://www.everytownusa.com/historys-this-n-that/gold-brick-scam-of-yesteryear/] "In 1890, Albion, Indiana businessman and farmer, Adam Hoffman, was known to be a man of considerable wealth. That October, he would meet his "confidence man" in an encounter he would not soon forget. However, the attempted swindle would not be by mail or through the phone, but face-to-face.
That morning while out on his farm at work, he was approached by a stranger, who spoke his name and appeared to be well acquainted. After a short rambling conversation, the stranger informed Mr. Hoffman that he was an Indian agent from the west, and was in search of a large quantity of gold which had been buried by Indians in that vicinity forty years ago. He had one of the original Indians with him for the purpose of locating the burial places, and he had succeeded. - Mr. Hoffman was considerably worked up by the rascal's ingenuity and finally consented to go with him into the woods nearby and dig at the spot where the Indian had said a portion of the gold was buried. Arriving there with a spade, the stranger commenced digging in unbroken ground, but struck a root, and the old man went to the house for an ax to facilitate the excavation. Upon his return, a few minutes work revealed the precious metal in the shape of a half bushel brick, weighing possibly 50 pounds. This the fellow said was worth fully $14,500 and was one of fifteen just like it buried in the vicinity. (Kendallville Standard, 10/24/1890)
In hindsight, the scam appears obvious. Yet, to someone unprepared as Adam Hoffman was that day, it proved to be quite clever and very well crafted. He began in unbroken ground to convince the victim that he had not recently buried a nugget. He purposely dug near a tree in order to hit a root. As his victim was away retrieving an ax, he would plant the brick. Upon the victim's return, he would quickly unearth the treasure. Each step was rehearsed.
Now, it was time to complete the deal. The Indian agent wanted to divide the booty into thirds, one for himself, one for the Indian and one for Hoffman. Hoffman was to make a down payment on his portion of the large nugget already unearthed. He was also given the option to purchase the Indian's share.
The agent made multiple trips into the woods to confer with his mythical Indian partner. When Hoffman asked to see the Indian, he was told that, he was afraid of white men and would run away if approached. No Indian was ever shown to Hoffman because in reality, no Indian existed.
Hoffman finally conceded to a payment of $1,000 if the agent could prove the brick to be genuine. As the brick was too large to carry into town, the con-man pretended to chisel off a small piece to be tested. Clearly, he had a small sample of real gold on his person to satisfy just such a request. The two men loaded into the agent's buggy and headed for Rome City. After passing the nitric acid test, druggist J.P. Chapman pronounced the gold to be pure and true.
Mr. Hoffman, by this time, was worked up to a fever heat, and in an excited state of mind, his hands and limbs trembled, his tongue could hardly wag to tell the story of hidden treasures beneath the sod, soon to be unearthed. Visions of huge chunks of gold as large as a bushel basket floated through Mr. Hoffman's brain. He danced around in glee, saying that soon he would be worth fifty thousand dollars. (Kendallville Standard, 10/22/1890)
However, upon hearing the tale, interested onlookers soon recognized the situation for what it was - a scam. Hoffman was beside himself. The proper authorities were contacted. A warrant for the Indian agent was issued, but he had already fled the scene. Local deputies mounted a pursuit, but to no avail. The perpetrator had boarded the Lake Shore train, but jumped off between stops, never to be heard from again.
Research Notes:
1860 Adam Hoffman has not been found in the US census.
[1] United States Federal Census, 1830, [FamilySearchImage], [FamilySearchRecord].
[2] United States Federal Census, 1830, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[3] Ohio Probate Records, 1789-1996, Richland, Administration Record 4-332, [FamilySearchImage].
[4] Morrow County, Ohio Deed 2-035, [FHLCatalog].
[5] United States Federal Census, 1850, [FamilySearchImage], [FamilySearchRecord].
[6] United States Federal Census, 1850, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[7] Harwood & Watson, surveyors, Map of Morrow County, Ohio, from actual surveys (Philadelphia: Woodford & Bartley, 1857), [LibraryOfCongress Map], [LibraryOfCongress Catalog].
[8] Noble County (Indiana). Recorder, Deed records, 1836-1925; index, 1836-1902, 21-465, [FamilySearchImage], [FSCatalog].
[9] United States Federal Census, 1870, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[10] United States Federal Census, 1880, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[11] C. J. Whan, Noble County, Indiana, Records from the Whan Collection (Web-based: Noble County Public Library), Martha's Noble County obituaries, citing Democrat Newspaper, Noble County, Indiana, 10-28-1897, [Noble_County_Library].
[12] C. J. Whan, Noble County, Indiana, Records from the Whan Collection (Web-based: Noble County Public Library), Noble County Probate abstracts, [Noble_County_Library].
[13] Adam Hoffman history, [URL].
[14] Adam Hoffman history, [URL].