Courting: The Courtship and Marriage of Amos Gorrell, Jr. and Catherine E. Sayre in Ross County, Ohio
Amos Gorrell, Jr. and Catherine E. Sayre were married on 6 February 1866 in Chillicothe, Ross County, Ohio and, following their ceremony, returned to their respective homes. [1] The day started out “cold and cloudy in the morning” but “clears up about 10 o’clock.” [2] These words have come from the diaries kept by Amos Gorrell, Jr. Copies of the diaries dating from 1862 to 1872 have been transcribed and handed down to Amos Gorrell’s grandchildren. The story of the courtship between Amos and Catherine, who lived not far from each other in Huntington Township, Ohio, in a community called Hooppole, can be found in the 1865 and 1866 diaries. Amos Gorrell, Jr. was born 12 February 1837 in Beaver County, Pennsylvania to Amos Gorrell, Sr. and Leah Wollam. [3] The family, including his younger brother, Joseph, moved to Ohio in 1843, first settling in Jackson and then in Ross County. [4] Catherine Elizabeth Shotts was born 18 February 1835 in Ross County to Daniel Shotts and Mary Ann Bi...