Person Page 3,765

David Wyrick

Person Exhibits

Biography

• David Wyrick was also known as David Wirick.
• He was born on 14 July 1804 in Cumberland Valley Township, Bedford County, Pennsylvania.
• He was born on 14 July 1806 in Bedford, Pennsylvania.
• He and Nancy Huff were married on 4 July 1833 in Perry County, Ohio.^1,2,3
• He died on 13 April 1864, at age 59, in of Newark, Licking, Ohio.
• He was buried on 15 April 1864 in Newark City, Licking, Ohio.

Citations

1. [S8983] Find A Grave (http://www.findagrave.com/index.html)
   Nancy Huff Wyrick BIRTH unknown DEATH 1843USA BURIAL Somerset Methodist CemeterySomerset, Perry County, Ohio, USA Add to Map MEMORIAL ID 15710427 · View Source --- Added by Jason ScottAdded by Jason Scott Advertisement Nancy Huff Wyrick BIRTH unknown DEATH 1843USA BURIAL Somerset Methodist CemeterySomerset, Perry County, Ohio, USA Add to Map MEMORIAL ID 15710427 · View Source SHARE SAVE TOSUGGEST EDITS MEMORIAL PHOTOS 3 FLOWERS 0 Wife of David Wyrick, also spelled Wirick, died after giving birth to their 7th child, Nancy. Nancy died 2 months after birth and is buried next to her mother. David and Nancy were married 4 July 1833 in Perry County. Source: A History of Licking County, Ohio -- pg. 822 excerpted from http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/message/an/surnames.wyrick/364.1 See her husband's bio at http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=15710078 On 15 Aug 2008 Jason Scott scottjasonATliveDOTcom wrote: "I was in the cemetery today and I found a Nancy Wirick . . . died March 22, 1843. She was 31 years, 2 mos. and 17 days old. The spelling is different . . . I did not see any other Nancy Wyrick in the cemetery. . . . it said on the stone she was the consort of David Wirick. Also had a daughter buried beside her who's name was also Nancy." -------------------- Inscription In Memory of NANCY Consort of David WIRICK Who departed this life March 22nd 1843 Aged 31 years 2 months & 17 days. I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. Job XIX 25.
2. [S6686] Ancestry, Ancestry.com
   https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/tree/11321042/person/26099890410/media/d332a683-0a3b-4cb6-a671-3ef88f85ca14?_phsrc=Hpl2539&_phstart=successSource
   Source: A History of Licking County, Ohio -- pg. 822
   
   David was a County Surveyor for Licking County from 1854 - 1856. (another source states he served from 1850 - 1859). 
   --------------------------------------
   
   BIOGRAPHY (I'm not sure where I copied this from... May not be completely accurate.)
   
   : David Wyrick was a controversial figure in mid-19th century Ohio, as he was responsible for the discovery of what became known as The Newark Holy Stones. David Wyrick was born in 1804 in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, the oldest child of John and Mary Wirick. John Wirick and his brother Henry and their respective families moved from Bedford County to Reading Township, Perry County, Ohio in 1819. 
   
   David attended school in Somerset, Ohio, and was employed as a clerk in a dry goods store there. For whatever reason, David was the only Wirick in Perry County to spell the last name WYRICK, and, of course, his descendents continue to do so. He married Nancy Huff on July 4, 1833 in Perry County, and they had 7 children. 
   
   Nancy died in 1843 shortly after giving birth to their last child, a daughter also named Nancy. The child died just two months later, and mother and daughter are buried next to each other at Somerset Methodist Cemetery, Somerset, Ohio. 
   
   David started the first newspaper in Logan, Hocking County, Ohio in 1838 called the Hocking Republican. He was the editor, publisher, printer and pressman, but the paper failed by 1840. He had always been interested in science and archaelogy, and was a gifted mathematician. 
   
   He married Caroline Dodd in Perry County on July 14, 1844, and had at least two more children. He relocated to Newark, Licking County, Ohio, in the late 1840's, where he became the County Surveyor in 1850. 
   
   David suffered from severe rheumatoid arthritis, and took a drug called laudanum for his condition. He was described by his good friend, supporter, and prominent local figure Charles Whittlesey, in this way: " He was physically disabled by rheumatism by which he suffered intensely: his fingers were swollen and distorted, and his feet so much enlarged as to render them almost useless....and that his appendages were so disfigured as scarcely to retain their human aspect, he was everywhere regarded with commiseration". He goes on to say: " Wyrick was wholly a self-taught man, in many respects possessed of genius....". After continually battling with his ailment, he retired as county surveyorabout 1859. 
   
   It was at this time, in a state of retirement, that he began his quest for excavating artifacts in the ancient burial grounds of The Moundbuilders at the Newark Earthworks, in Newark, Ohio. David Wyricks first real expedition into the Earthworks was in June of 1860, when he and a group of men unearthed what became known as the Keystone. It was an arrowhead shaped stone with four Hebrew inscriptions on it. The inscriptions read "The Holy of Holies", "King of the Earth", "The Law of God", and "The Word of God". Wyrick recieved both notoriety and criticism for his discovery, as some people believed the stone was real, while others believed it was fake. 
   
   Wyrick organized another expedition into the Earthworks in November, 1860, to find more artifacts in order to back up what he had already found. He took with him a group of men that included his cousin, my great-great grandfather John Jacob Wirick of Perry County. He also invested all the money he had to finance this expedition. During this dig, he unearthed a coffin and skeleton, along with other artifacts. But the big find was a small box that, when opened, contained what became known as the Decalogue Stone. It was an elongated stone with a side view of a robed and bearded figure carved on the front with the Hebrew spelling of Moses above the figure. The front, sides, and back of the stone contained a condensed version of the Ten Commandments in Hebrew. David stood behind his belief that these stones were buried in the Earthworks by the Moundbuilders, and ancient tribe descending from the Lost Tribe of Israel. However, he came under much continued criticism, mostly from other scientists, who believed that David created the stones himself to achieve fame and back his theory of the Moundbuilders. Eventually, the public began to believe that Davids discoveries were a hoax. 
   
   He had previously taken three mortgages against his property, probably to finance his expeditions, about the time of his retirement as county surveyor. Now broke and defamed, he attempted to sell the stones, but to no avail. David Wyrick took his own life in April, 1864, by taking an overdose of laudanum. He is buried at Cedar Hill Cemetery, Newark, Ohio. 
   
   Some time later, Davids friend and supporter, Charles Whittlesey, wanted to write an article about David and his work. In order to do so, he requested Dr. J.W. McCarty, Davids friend and administrator, to go through Davids records and personal belongings to retrieve information about the Holy Stones. In the process of searching Davids belongings, Dr. McCarty found a Hebrew bible, stone cutting tools, and fragments of the same type of black rock that the Holy Stones were made of. Only one conclusion could be reached: David Wyrick did, himself, create the Holy Stones, probably to achieve fame and notoriety. Whittleseys article, which was to be a tribute to David Wyrick, was thereafter titled "Archaelogical Frauds." The late Dr. Robert W. Alrutz of Denison University in Granville, Ohio (near Newark) researched and published a book about the mystery behind the Newark Holy Stones in 1980. He questioned whether or not the stones were fraudulent, but could not prove otherwise. Currently, Dr. J. Huston McCulloch of Ohio State University, is maintaining a web site devoted to the Newark Holy Stones, as he feels that although the stones are probably not ancient, they were not created by David Wyrick himself. The stones are currently owned and on display at the Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum in Coshocton, Ohio.
   
   ----------------------------
   1860 Census for Newark, Licking, Ohio -- living on the same page of the census as: Samuel & Elizabeth Wyrick
   
   David Wyrick -- age 56, born in PA
   Mrs. Caroline Wyrick -- age 32, born in Ohio (2nd wife?)
   John Wyrick -- age 25, born in Ohio
   Salin (Solan? male) - age 24, farmer, born in Ohio
   Sarah -- age 20, seamstress, born in Ohio
   Clarence -- age 10, born in Ohio
   Fremont - age 2, born in Ohio
3. [S14838] Marriage Records Perry County Ohio 1818-1878
   

Sarah Rachel Wyrick

Parents

Biography

• Sarah Rachel Wyrick was born on 3 April 1840 in Logan, Hocking county, Ohio.¹

Citations

1. [S6686] Ancestry, Ancestry.com
   https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/64752557/person/44127662177/facts

Nancy Mary Wirick

Parents

Biography

• Nancy Mary Wirick was buried in Somerset Methodist Cemetery, Reading Township, Perry, Ohio.¹
• She was born on 5 March 1843 in Thornville, Perry county, Ohio.^1,2
• She died on 16 May 1843, at age 0, in Reading township, Perry county, Ohio.^1,2

Citations

1. [S8983] Find A Grave (http://www.findagrave.com/index.html)
   Nancy Wyrick BIRTH 1843 DEATH 1843 (aged less–than 1 year)USA BURIAL Somerset Methodist CemeterySomerset, Perry County, Ohio, USA Add to Map MEMORIAL ID 15710453 · View Source Infant daughter of David and Nancy Wyrick (also spelled Wirick). Her mother died shortly after her birth, and she died at the age of two months. She is buried next to her mother. On 15 Aug 2008 Jason Scott scottjasonATliveDOTcom wrote: "I was in the cemetery today and I found a Nancy Wirick . . . died March 22, 1843. She was 31 years, 2 mos. and 17 days old. The spelling is different . . . I did not see any other Nancy Wyrick in the cemetery. . . . it said on the stone she was the consort of David Wirick. Also had a daughter buried beside her who's name was also Nancy." Inscription In Memory of NANCY M. Infant daughter of David & Nancy WIRICK who departed this life May 16th 1843 Aged 2 months & 11 days Sweet baby rest from all thy pain Thy little head no more shall ail As Jesus calls thee to thy mother In Paradise with her to wait
2. [S14638] Perry County, Ohio [cemeteries]
   

William Solon Wyrick

Parents

Biography

• William Solon Wyrick was born on 24 February 1836 in Somerset, Perry county, Ohio.¹
• He was buried in 1883 in Dayton, Montgomery, Ohio of America.
• He died on 15 July 1883, at age 47, in Ohio.

Citations

1. [S6686] Ancestry, Ancestry.com
   https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/64752557/person/44125930643/facts

John Wesley Wirick

Parents

Biography

• John Wesley Wirick was born on 24 April 1834 in Somerset, Perry county, Ohio.¹
• He was born in 1835 in Somerset, Perry, Ohio.

Citations

1. [S6686] Ancestry, Ancestry.com
   https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/64752557/person/44127661668/facts

Child 5 Wyrick

Parents

Child 6 Wyrick

Parents

Child 7 Wyrick

Parents

Ella Rose Beck

Biography

• Ella Rose Beck was also known as Ella Rosa Beck.
• She was born in 1857.
• As of 11 July 1878, her married name was Ella Rose Huff.
• She and David A. Huff were married on 11 July 1878 in Logan County, Illinois.^1,2,3
• She was enumerated on the census of 1880 with David A. Huff in Corwin, Logan, Illinois.⁴
• She died on 12 April 1894, at age ~37, in Lincoln, Logan County, Illinois.

Citations

1. [S13427] US Newspaper.com recorded as Extract #13095 , Newspaper.com, http://www.newspaper.com. Hereinafter cited as Newspaper.com. (http://www.newspaper.com)
   
2. [S13598] Illinois, Marriage Index, 1860-1920 (http://www.ancestry.com)
   Name: David Huff
   Gender: Male
   Marriage Date: 11 Jul 1878
   Marriage Place: Logan, Illinois, USA
   Spouse Name: Ellen Beck
   Spouse Gender: Female
3. [S15207] Hough, Granville W., Miscellaneous information on Hough and Huff families of Ohio (Book)
   
4. [S2795] 1880 Illinois Census and Soundex
   

Susan Cordelia French

Biography

• Her married name was Susan Cordelia Riley.
• As of 15 October 1896, her married name was Susan Cordelia Huff.
• Susan Cordelia French and David A. Huff were married on 15 October 1896 in Logan County, Illinois.^1,2,3
• She died on 19 May 1921 in Lincoln, Logan County, Illinois.

Citations

1. [S13427] US Newspaper.com recorded as Extract #13095 , Newspaper.com, http://www.newspaper.com. Hereinafter cited as Newspaper.com. (http://www.newspaper.com)
   
2. [S13598] Illinois, Marriage Index, 1860-1920 (http://www.ancestry.com)
   Name: David A Huff
   Gender: Male
   Marriage Date: 15 Oct 1896
   Marriage Place: Logan, Illinois, USA
   Spouse Name: Susan Riley
   Spouse Gender: Female
3. [S15207] Hough, Granville W., Miscellaneous information on Hough and Huff families of Ohio (Book)