The ledgers provide very little concrete information about John Snyder except for that he was a blacksmith most likely living in the Augusta County area during the 1850s and 1860s. The 1860 census lists a J. Snyder living in Augusta County who is married to S. Snyder, with two children: W. H. and J. A. Snyder. The 1860 census, along with the 1899 Augusta County Business Directory, also lists J. Snyder as a blacksmith. Additionally, a genealogy site documenting the Sheets family of Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Iowa references a John Snyder who was born in 1824 and died after 1900 in Augusta County. This John Snyder was married to his cousin, Sarah Sheetz, in March 1849, and together they had four children: William H. Snyder (b. 1849), Joseph A. Snyder (b. 1851), Martin Snyder (b. 1861), and Lewis J. Snyder (b. 1863). The genealogy site also mentions that John worked as a blacksmith as well as a farmer. All of this information is consistent with the business directory, census records, and dates of the ledgers.
Furthermore, the Snyder family photo album that was purchased with the ledgers included a sheet of paper that records the date of death of a John Snyder on February 7, 1901, a date that correlates with the information above. A few of the photographs inside of the album contain captions such as “Uncle John,” “Lewis Snyder,” and “Cousin Martin Snyder,” indicating that the album may have been owned by a sibling or cousin of John or Sarah Snyder.
From the guide to the Snyder Ledger Collection, c. 1853-1865, (Special Collections, James Madison University)
