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- [S1] Ancestry Family Trees, (Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.;).
Record for Isaac Bair
https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1030&h=34470569106&indiv=try
- [S2218] Charles, Tina, "The Pow-Wow Doctor", Biography of Henry Bear. Accessed: 29 May 2022.
The Pow-Wow Doctor
April 1, 2021
In York County, Pennsylvania, the term "Pow-Wow" is usually automatically associated with Nelson Rehmeyer, the victim in the Hex murder case of 1928-1929. Some say he was a witch while others say he was simply a Pow-Wow doctor. The practice of Pow-Wow, or faith-healing, and its practitioners use religious charms to end the evil influences of witches who cast spells upon man and beast. In the 20th century in several small towns in York County, the Pennsylvania Germans, the “plain folk,” such as the Amish, Dunkers, and the Mennonites, as well as the Lutheran and German Reformed church members – Pow-Wow and the Pow-Wow doctor had a significant following.
Long before the Rehmeyer case, there was the case of Henry Bear, an African/Native American from Wrightsville. In 1896, Henry Bear was charged with abortion by Dr. C.F. Markle of Columbia. Dr. Markle, who was not personally knowledgeable of the supposed crime, brought the charges based on the story he received from a Mrs. Hannah McCloskey of Columbia. According to the York Daily, Mrs. McCloskey, a mother of five children, claimed that in March, she went to the home of Henry Bear, a well known local African American "doctor" and "Pow-Wow" practitioner, for the purpose of having the operation performed. She had been told prior to going that there was no doubt Mr. Bear would help her out. Mrs. McCroskey had became very ill and sought the attention of Dr Markle, who discovered that an operation bad been performed and brought the charges against Mr. Bear. It was then that she told a story of going to the home of Mr. Bear, who performed the abortion in the front room of his home, with the door that led to the kitchen locked.
Henry Bear, who was 63 years old, denied the allegations. He claimed that Mrs. McCroskey did come to his place and told him she was suffering from erysipelas (a rash caused by a bacterial infection), and asked him to "pow wow", which he did. She then told him of her "troubles" and asked him to help her out. Mr. Bear refused, sending her on her way with Mrs. McCroskey stating she would perform the operation on herself, as she had before. Mr. Bear's housekeeper, Caroline Buchanan, corroborated his story, stating the door could not have been locked, as the lock was broken and the door was left ajar while Mrs. McCroskey was in the room.
Henry Bear (1833-1899), was the son of Isaac Bear (a mulatto) & Mary Cunningham (a French & American Indian) and the husband of Elizabeth Cowens, whom he married July 3, 1856, in Marietta, Lancaster County.
According to Find-A-Grave contributor, Dennis Brandt, he was a Civil War veteran, enlisting in Harrisburg on September 6, 1864, with Co. I, 127th U.S. Colored Troops, and was promoted to corporal. His eyes were damaged by an exploding shell during the breakthrough assault on the Confederate works at Petersburg, Virginia, April 2, 1865. He was immediately hospitalized and, on June 22, 1865, was discharged by surgeon's certificate according to general order from the hospital at Fortress Monroe.
Henry Bear is interred at Mount Pisgah Cemetery in Wrightsville, Pennsylvania.
https://friendsoflebanoncemetery.com/blog/f/the-pow-wow-doctor
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