Samuel P. Hoke, c. 1827–1870

Samuel P. Hoke was born about 1827 in Pennsylvania to Thomas and Elizabeth (Roadman) Hoke. In about 1836, his family moved west from Pittsburgh to Marion City, Marion County, Missouri. At that time, his family consisted of his parents, two older brothers, William R. and John Henry Hoke, and a younger brother, George Washington Hoke. His youngest brother, Benjamin Franklin Hoke, was born after the move to Missouri, on 2 November 1838.

By September 1850, twenty-three-year-old Samuel had moved to St. Louis County on the Hoke farm consisting of five improved acres and 122 unimproved acres. The farm included 150 heads of sheep, forty swine, and nine “milch” cows with crops of corn, oats, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and hay, and the production of honey and butter. His older brother William had already married and moved back to Marion County before heading further west to Calaveras County, California, by 1852.

On 8 October 1854, his father, Thomas, passed away with heirs listed in a 20 January 1855, St Louis County legal document. “. . . the following heirs, to wit first his widow Elizabeth Hoke, and the following named children, to wit; William R. Hoke aged about thirty-three years residing in the state of California; 2nd this affiant [John H Hoke] about thirty-one years; 3rd Samuel Hoke aged about twenty-eight years residing in the county of St Louis; 4th George W. Hoke aged about twenty-one years and upward and now residing in California; 5th Benjamin F. Hoke aged about eighteen years and residing in the said county of St. Louis.” [Signed] John H Hoke.

The magnificent country property of the celebrated “Hoke Farm” was sold and his mother, Elizabeth, and brothers, John, George, and Benjamin, moved further west to California. In 1857, Samuel testified against someone who was suing the Thomas Hoke estate for bushels of corn.

Samuel remained in Missouri, and in 1860, he lived with the Towers family in Central Township, St. Louis County, Rock Hill P. O. He had real estate valued at $3,300 and personal estate valued at $2,200.

Forty-year-old Samuel, an unmarried farmer, was listed in the 1863 St. Louis County Civil War draft registration records, 1863–1865, at a residence on St. Charles Rock Road. Listed next to him was his twenty-five-year-old unmarried brother, Benjamin Franklin Hoke, born in Missouri, with the occupation of farmer and residence on St. Charles Rock Road.

Samuel’s mother and brothers had returned to Missouri from California, likely in early 1863. Samuel then moved to Monroe, Lincoln County, Missouri, to live with his mother near the families of his brothers John, George, and Benjamin. The Lincoln County Mortality Schedules for Monroe and Bedford Townships listed Samuel’s mother, Elizabeth, age about seventy-four, born in Pennsylvania. She was keeping house and died of heart failure and/or pneumonia in March 1870. The Mortality Schedules also listed Samuel Hoke, age forty, born in Pennsylvania, a farmer, who died in February or April of consumption.

Written by Lena Yates Seng
December 2022
© 2023, St. Louis Genealogical Society

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Last Modified: 07-Mar-2023 13:13