Born in Washington County, Pennsylvania, Abraham Van Vorhes married Mary W. Vorhees in 1817.
[2] He served in the Pennsylvania militia and acquired the rank of major before moving to Alexander Township, Ohio in 1832 and then to Athens, Ohio in 1838, where he was a mechanic and editor of the Hocking Valley Gazette (later the Athens Messenger).
[4][2] In 1849, President Zachary Taylor appointed Van Vorhes register of the United States Land Office, in Stillwater, Minnesota; he later arrived in October of that year.
[6][5][8][2] Van Vorhes had eight children with Mary,[2] two of whom were Nelson H. Van Vorhes, who served in the Ohio General Assembly and the United States House of Representatives, and Andrew J.
He was a member of the Presbyterian Church for most of his life, having joined in 1832 when he moved to Ohio.