Tracing the Ownership of the Daniel Korns, Jr. farm

Unless otherwise indicated, the real estate documents that are linked from this page were provided by the Rev. Ken Korns, son of Lester, grandson of Earl, great-grandson of John Wilson Korns. The reason Ken has these documents is because at one time, due to a timber sale, there was a need to know the boundary between his grandfather Troutman's farm and the adjacent Korns farm. The property owners didn't know where the boundary was exactly, so with the aid of these old deeds and drafts, they were able to accurately establish the boundary, locating the original stone piles that were used as markers.

Click here to see deeds related to the acquisition of the farm by Allen Lester Korns that were in the possession of Mrs. Melvin Lester Korns at the time of her death. The deeds show that the farm had been jointly owned by brothers John Harvey Korns and Allen Lester Korns.

By family tradition, Daniel Korns, Jr. moved to the farm circa 1870-71
On July 19, 1998 I visited for the last time with Lester Korns, a much-loved Somerset County patriarch, who was well versed in local Korns history and genealogy. Lester died of pneumonia on Saturday Dec. 5, 1998, on his 89th birthday following a barnyard fall that broke his hip. He was the son of Earl T. and Ella (Lepley) Korns.

Lester told me that Dan Korns, Jr. (father of Wilse Korns) lived on a farm back in Richy Hollow, (My father hiked back there many years ago with Allen Korns to see the foundations) and said that the Daniel "Dan" Korns, Jr. family moved to the Sturtz farm when Dan's son Wilse was 12 years old. John Wilson Korns was born March 10, 1858, according to his tombstone, so according to the oral tradition, the family would have moved sometime between March 10, 1870 and March 10, 1871. Daniel Korns, Jr. was born April 6, 1820, according to his tombstone, so according to the oral tradition, he would have been about 50 years old when he moved his family to the farm.

Lester also said that Dan Korns, Jr. sold the Richy Hollow farm for three thousand dollars and bought the Sturtz farm for four thousand dollars after the Sturtz's died. The man who bought the Richy Hollow farm had only paid Dan Korns, Jr. two thousand dollars, than moved on to Philadelphia. Dan Korns, Jr. went to Philadelphia after the debt, and came back with the one thousand dollars he was owed. Richy hollow is along the Gladdens creek or run that is north of the Daniel Korns, Jr. farm.

Daniel Korns was living on the farm by 1876
We know from the 1876 F.W. Beers & Co. "Atlas of Somerset County Penn." that Daniel Korns, Jr. was already living on the farm by 1876, because on the map of Southampton Township, the house is labeled with his name. Click here to see an enlargement of the relevant portion of the map.

Daniel Korns paid a judgement on the farm in 1883
Click here for a document that shows that Daniel Korns, Jr. paid a judgment on the farm in 1883. The document reads "Meyesrsdale Pa Dec 14 1883 Received of Daniel Korns thirteen hundred & twenty nine & ______ seven cents Being Principle amount of Judgement (sic) in the Real Estate of John Sturtz Died Shown & entered to No 234 Aug __, 1879 16 May 1884 ______ _______ Dennis Cook trustee for the sale of the Real Estate of John sturtz decd". We can only guess at this late date, but the reason for the judgment may have been the tardy payment by the person who bought the farm in Richy Hollow from Daniel Korns. In any case, it is clear that the farm was previously owned by John Sturtz, and not by Daniel Korns, Sr. In the 1949 book "The Genealogy of Michael Korns, Sr. of Somerset County Pennsylvania" by Charles Byron Korns, Sr., M.D., this farm is said to be the home of Daniel Korns, Sr.. The 1883 judgement document shows that the Korns book is wrong. Daniel Korns, Jr. clearly bought the farm from the estate of John Sturtz.

Click here for a copy of a draft that was made in August of 1869. This draft was in the possession of Mrs. Melvin Korns when she died and matches the property shape shown on a 2022 county plat map. These 1869 and 2022 documents are not a part of the documents that were obtained from Ken Korns.

Click here for a draft, which reads "Copy of draft made by A.J. Colborn 3rd Decr 1860 at the instance of Sherrif Walker & being the real estate of Adam Sturtz decd, - Per Orphans Court Docket of Somerset County Penna vol. 7 page 386. The part in blue - 108 as & 114 ps. Was sold by S. Boyer Trustee &c to D&M Hay, now owned by J.A Korns 28th May 1886. D. Meters, Sur." The name "J.A Korns" seems like an error, it seems like it should have been "J.W. Korns" (John Wilson Korns) unless this still-mysterious Jac. or Joe Alfred Korns owned it, or part of it. John Wilson Korns, the son of Daniel Korns, Jr., was born in 1858, and died Sept 13, 1926. Daniel Korns, Jr. died July 7, 1901 at the age of 81 years, 3 months and one day.

Click here for a draft that shows the aforementioned 108 acres & 114 perches, which reads "Situate in Southampt Township, Somerset (&c) County, ajoining (sic) other land of Adam Sturts (sic)".

Documents showing purchase of the farm by John Sturtz
A number of real estate documents show that John Sturtz was an administrator in the estate of Christian Sturtz, and bought the property from others who had a joint right to the property. Some of the people he bought the farm from were obviously heirs, as would be expected. They are probably all heirs, but I have not researched Christian Sturtz to see who his descendants were. Links to the documents are provided below: