From "A Biographical & Genealogical History of Southeastern Nebraska". The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago and New York, 1904; pp. 980-983 (no other Pettits found in the index).
Samuel Pettit, who has been living retired from his long career of farmer and building contractor since 1897, has been a resident of Nemaha county for nearly fifty years. He is not only one of the honored pioneers and old-timers, but has been foremost in all the activities in which he has engaged. While desiring and taking no part in practical politics, he was one of the earliest representatives of this county in the territorial legislature, and was there when Lincoln was assassinated. For this half century he has quietly performed his duties as a citizen and man, has been always reliable and capable, has won friends and kept their high esteem, and now at the age of more than fourscore has passed a life of worthy activity and credible performance and can enjoy his remaining years as befits the true workman whose labors have been well done.
Mr. Pettit was born about five miles from Batavia, New York, 3 June 1823, and from his native state, in 1833, went to Logan county, Ohio, and thence in 1850 became a pioneer of Wisconsin, and in October 1856, took up his permanent residence in Nemaha county, Nebraska, which has proved the last stage of his earthly pilgrimage.
David Pettit1, his father, was born in Albany, New York, in 1783, and died near Lima, Allen county, Ohio in 1853. He was a non-commissioned officer in the War of 1812 and a teacher in Batavia. The family is of Scotch-Irish ancestry. In 1820 he married Scenia Elms who was born in France about 1803, and who had three brothers that served under Napolean at Moscow, only one ever returning to his native land. David Pettit and his wife had five sons and two daughters, one son dying in childhood, and Samuel Pettit being the only survivor. The son Rudolphus Pettit was for many years a teacher in Logan county, Ohio, giving his most enthusiastic efforts and best years to this profession, and for several years before his death served as clerk of the district court; he died in 1900 at the age of eighty years and had been twice married, rearing three children; he was not a money-getter, but gave all his children good educations. Jonathan Pettit, another son, was a carpenter, and met his death as a Union soldier at the siege of Vicksburg, filling an unknown grave; he had a wife and three children. Mrs. David Pettit was a widow for many years and died in Henry county, Indiana, when past the age of eighty.
Samuel Pettit had all his schooling before he was eleven years old, and since that age has been dependent on his own resources. He lived at home until he reached his majority. At the age of twenty-one he learned the carpenter's trade, and served four years for board and clothes along [alone? - ed.]. He was a mechanic and contractor and builder in Ohio, then in Wisconsin, and also after coming to Nebraska.
He bought his first farm land in 1862, paying a thousand dollars for three hundred and twenty acres situated on the west bank of the Missouri river. Within four years this land had all been swept away by the currents of the Bit Muddy. He saved some of the timbers from this place, and with them built his house on the 120 acre tract which he bought in 1868 and which is still his home farm. He bought nine lots in Peru in 1871 and still owns three of them. He has built many of the dwellings in this vicinity and has worked on all the fine school buildings in this town.
On 12 December 1843 Mr. Samuel Pettit was married in Logan county, Ohio to Miss Mary A. Knox who was born there in 1823. Leonard Knox, her father, came from Virginia to Ohio in 1804. He was a scout under Daniel Boone, Benton McCarthy and General Cox during the Indian wars. Mrs. Pettit's family were all intense pro-slavery advocates, but she was on her part much opposed to this institution. Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Pettit had eleven children, two of whom died in childhood. James Pettit, born in Ohio in 1844 was a teacher, postmaster and followed other occupations and is now living in Iowa, having three sons and one grandson; George Pettit who is the grain dealer and owner of the elevator in Peru has several sons and daughters; Alfred Pettit is a farmer and prominent Republican of Thayer county, Nebraska; Mark Pettit is a railroad agent in Kansas and has three sons; Lincoln Pettit is a carpenter and contractor in Eagle, Nebraska and has three sons; Greely Pettit died in Nemaha county at the age of three years; Mary Pettit is the wife of Booker Morrison, a farmer in this county and has three children; Esterline and Emeline Pettit, twins, the former the wife of Frank Rigwald and the latter of Jesse Robinson, both men of whom are farmers on Mr. Pettit's place near Peru. Mr. Pettit lost his noble wife and the mother of these children on 15 November 1897 and has since then lived alone, keeping his own house and passing his days in sweet and quiet simplicity. He is a strong Republican and during the Civil war was a member of the home guards. He has been a member of no church, but his wife was a Methodist. His children were all educated in the normal school and the oldest was a teacher.
1See October 1988 issue of TPC, p. 40, "Some Pension Abstracts", under Jonathan Pettit - Ed.