Nathaniel Atwell and Lydia Hunkins

Posted on December 17, 2010 by jmk

DIRECT LINE

Nathaniel ATWELL, son of John ATWELL and Bridget CUMMINGS , was born 15 Jun 1766 at Hollis, Hillsborough Co. NH. He died 13 Nov 1844 at Johnson, Lamoille Co. VT and is buried in the Plot Cemetery at Johnson.

On 15 June 1794 at Bradford, Orange CO., VT., Nathaniel married Lydia HUNKINS, daughter of Capt. Robert HUNKINS and Lydia CHAMBERLIN.

Lydia was born 21 Jan 1772 at Bradford, Orange Co. NH and died 20 Jan 1846 at Johnson, Lamoille Co., VT.

Nathan was 28 and Lydia 22 when they married. Nathan was 78 at the time of his death and Lydia was 73. They were married 50 years.

Nancy Benton notes, “From Hollis, N.H., came into Johnson among the earliest settlers, and located on Road 11, where he resided until his death, at the age of 84 years.”

Caroline Atwell, granddaughter, passed along the story that “Lydia came to Johnson VT. on horseback when the country was new. She brought her feather bed and mirror. The mirror was broken when her horse jumped a log and she did not have another mirror for twenty years.”

Asher E. ATWELL made a copy of the old family bible on February 17, 1883. Birth place and date, death and marriage information for Nathan, Lydia and children is from Caroline Atwell NOYES’ copying of the Asher E. ATWELL copy which she made March 1st 1885.

View Carrie Atwell Noyes’ copy of the Nathaniel Atwell Family Births.

View Carrie Atwell Noyes’ record of the Marriages of the Children of Nathaniel and Lydia Atwell

View Carrie Atwell Noyes’ record of the Deaths of the Children of Nathaniel and Lydia Atwell.

=======================================
Husband: Nathaniel “Nathan” + Atwell
=======================================
Born: 1766 Jun 15 – Hollis, Hillsborough, New Hampshire
Christened:
Died: 1844 Nov 13 – Johnson, Lamoille, Vermont
Buried: – Plot Cemetery, Johnson, Lamoille, Vermont
Father: John + Atwell (Cir 1737-1820)
Mother: Bridget + Cummings (1739-1794)
Marriage: 1794 Jun 15 Place: Bradford, Orange, Vermont
——————————————————————————–
Events
——————————————————————————–

1. Name: ATWELL is the spelling in Carrie A. NOYES copying of the Asher
ATWELL copy of the Atwell Family Bible. An alternative spellling often
found is ATWILL.

2. Birth: 1766 Jan 15 Hollis, Hillsborough, New Hampshire.

3. Census: Give as a possible for Nathan Atwell. 1790 Cockermouth,
Grafton, New Hampshire.
Pg. 30
ATWELL John 1 2 2 – – 5
ATWEILL Nathan 1 – – – – 1

4. Migration: After 1790. From Hollis, N.H., came into Johnson among the
earliest settlers, and located on Road 11, where he resided until his
death, at the age of 84 years.

5. Marriage: 1794 Jun 15, Bradford, Orange, Vermont. Nathaniel ATWELL
marries Lydia HUNKINS, daughter of Capt. Robert HUNKINS and Lydia
CHAMBERLAIN. She is 22 and he is 28. Note that Nathan’s mother died two
days after the wedding, so perhaps the wedding took place when it did as
his mother was ill.

6. Mother’s Death: 1794 Jun 17, Hollis, Hillsborough, New Hampshire.
Nathaniel’s mother, Bridget CUMMINGS, dies.

7. Child’s Birth: Bridget is born., 1795 Mar 15. She will marry Ralph
HILL.

8. Child’s Birth: John is born., 1796 Jun 10. He will marry Evelyn COATS.

9. Child’s Birth: Susan is born., 1797 Nov 10. She will marry Joel
HAYFORD then N. THOMPSON.

10. Child’s Birth: William C. ATWELL is born., 1799 Aug 25. He will marry
Patty STINE.

11. Census: 1800 Johnson, Franklin, Vermont.

12. Child’s Birth: Hiram is born., 1801 Mar 2. He will marry Rachel
SCAGEL. DIRECT LINE

13. Child’s Birth: Benjamin is born., 1802 Dec 2. He will marry Lora HUNT.

14. Child’s Birth: Lydia is born., 1804 Aug 2. Lydia is not recorded as
marrying.

15. Child’s Birth: Phoebe is born., 1806 Aug 2. She will marry Johnson
ROBINSON.

16. Child’s Birth: Olive is born., 1808 Mar 21. She will marry Clark FISK.

17. Census: Pg. 330 1810 Johnson, Franklin, Vermont.
Nathan ATWELL 1 male 10 thru 15, 1 male 30 to 44, 3 females under 10, 2
females 10 thru 15, 1 female 30 to 44
COMMENT: The census shows John or William apparently but not Benjamin or
Hiram who were both under 10. It shows Lydia, Phoebe and Olive who were
all under 10, and Bridget and Susan who were over 10. So where are
Benjamin and Hiram?

18. Child’s Birth: Nathan is born., 1810 Sep 19. He is not recorded as
marrying.

19. Child’s Birth: Caroline is born., 1812 Oct 17. She will marry Caleb
SIMMONS.

20. Child’s Birth: James is born., 1814 Sep 26. He will marry Lucy
GILMORE.

21. Child’s Birth: Asher is born., 1816 Nov 10. He will marry Charlotte
THORNTON.

22. Father’s Death: 1820 Jan 31, Groton, Middlesex, Massachusetts.

23. Residence: Johnson, Lamoille, Vermont.

24. Census: Pg. 172 1820 Johnson, Franklin, Vermont.
Roll: M33_127
Page: 172
Image: 185
Nathan ATWELL 3 – 1 4 – 1 1 2 3 – 1 – 3
COMMENT: 3 males under 10 b. 1810 to 1820, 1 male between 16 and 18 b.
1802 to 1804, 4 males of 16 and under 26 including heads of families b.
c. 1794 to 1804, 1 male 45 and up born c. 1774 and over. 1 female under
10 b. 1810 to 1820, 2 females 10 and under 16 b. 1804 to 1810, 3 females
of 16 and under 26 b. 1794 to 1804, 1 female 45 and up born 1774 and
over.

The 3 males under 10 are Asher, James and Nathan. The male between 16
and 18 is Benjamin, guess the 4 males of 16 and under 26 are John,
William, Hiram and Benjamin, then there’s Nathan. The female under 10 is
Caroline. The 2 females 10 and under 16 are Olive and Phoebe. The 3
females 16 and under 26 would be Bridget, Susan and Lydia, and then there
is Lydia.

25. Census: Pg. 46 1830 Johnson, Franklin, Vermont.
Pg. 46, Roll: M19_183, Image 97
ATWELL Nathan – – 1 2 – – – – 1 / – – – 1 2 – –
1
Nathan ATWELL 1 male 10 to 15, 2 males 15 and under 20, 1 male 60 and
under 70, 1 female 15 and under 20, 2 females 20 and under 30, 1 female
50 and under 60
NOTE: The census shows Asher in the 10 to 15 range, James and Nathan in
the 15 to 20 category, Caroline as 15 and under 20, and Lydia and Olive
as the 2 females 20 and under 30, Olive not marrying until 1832. Nathan
and wife Lydia are the elder individuals. (The marking for 1 or 2
females in the 20 to 30 category is actually ambiguous. It could be
either.)
ANDREWS Asa
ADAMS James
ATWELL John – – 1 – – 1 / 1 – – – 1
ANDREWS Samuel
ALLARD Henry
ABBOTT Oliver
ATWELL Benjamin – 2 – – 1 / 1 – – – 1

26. Census: Pg. 47 1840 Johnson, Lamoille, Vermont.
Joshua CHASE
Benjamin ATWELL 3 1 – – – 1 / – – 1 – – 1
…
Nathan ATWELL – – – – 2 – – – – 1/ – – – – 1 1 1 –
1

COMMENT: The two 20 to 30 males would be James and Asher. The 20 to 30
female would be Caroline. The 30 to 40 female would be perhaps Lydia for
whom a marriage isn’t given. The 40 to 50 female is unknown. Nathan
and Lydia are the elder adults.

27. Death: 1844 Nov 13 Johnson, Lamoille, Vermont. Died at age 78.
Nathaniel and Lydia had been married 50 years.

28. Accessory Document: Family Birth Record Nathan and Lydia Atwell, 1885
Mar 1.

29. Edit : 2003 Oct.

================================================================================
Wife: Lydia + Hunkins
================================================================================
Born: 1772 Jan 21 – Bradford, Orange, Vermont
Christened:
Died: 1846 Jan 20 – Johnson, Lamoille, Vermont
Buried:
Father: Captain Robert + Hunkins (1739-1818)
Mother: Lydia + Chamberlin (1746-1831)
——————————————————————————–
Events
——————————————————————————–

1. Birth: 1772 Jan 21 Bradford, Orange, Vermont.

2. Residence: Bradford, Orange, Vermont.

3. Marriage: 1794 Jun 15, Bradford, Orange, Vermont. Nathaniel ATWELL
marries Lydia HUNKINS, daughter of Capt. Robert HUNKINS and Lydia
CHAMBERLAIN. She is 22 and he is 28.

4. Child’s Birth: Bridget is born., 1795 Mar 15. She will marry Ralph
HILL.

5. Child’s Birth: John is born., 1796 Jun 10. He will marry Evelyn COATS.

6. Child’s Birth: Susan is born., 1797 Nov 10. She will marry Joel
HAYFORD then N. THOMPSON.

7. Child’s Birth: William C. ATWELL is born., 1799 Aug 25. He will marry
Patty STINE.

8. Census: 1800 Johnson, Franklin, Vermont.

9. Child’s Birth: Hiram is born., 1801 Mar 2. He will marry Rachel
SCAGEL. DIRECT LINE

10. Child’s Birth: Benjamin is born., 1802 Dec 2. He will marry Lora HUNT.

11. Child’s Birth: Lydia is born., 1804 Aug 2. Lydia is not recorded as
marrying.

12. Child’s Birth: Phoebe is born., 1806 Aug 2. She will marry Johnson
ROBINSON.

13. Child’s Birth: Olive is born., 1808 Mar 21. She will marry Clark FISK.

14. Census: Pg. 330 1810 Johnson, Franklin, Vermont.
Nathan ATWELL 1 male 10 thru 15, 1 male 30 to 44, 3 females under 10, 2
females 10 thru 15, 1 female 30 to 44
COMMENT: The census shows John or William apparently but not Benjamin or
Hiram who were both under 10. It shows Lydia, Phoebe and Olive who were
all under 10, and Bridget and Susan who were over 10. So where are
Benjamin and Hiram?

15. Child’s Birth: Nathan is born., 1810 Sep 19. He is not recorded as
marrying.

16. Child’s Birth: Caroline is born., 1812 Oct 17. She will marry Caleb
SIMMONS.

17. Child’s Birth: James is born., 1814 Sep 26. He will marry Lucy
GILMORE.

18. Child’s Birth: Asher is born., 1816 Nov 10. He will marry Charlotte
THORNTON.

19. Father’s Death: 1819 Apr 1, Bradford, Orange, Vermont. Lydia’s
father, Captain Robert HUNKINS, dies.

20. Census: Pg. 172 1820 Johnson, Franklin, Vermont.
Roll: M33_127
Page: 172
Image: 185
Nathan ATWELL 3 – 1 4 – 1 1 2 3 – 1 – 3
COMMENT: 3 males under 10 b. 1810 to 1820, 1 male between 16 and 18 b.
1802 to 1804, 4 males of 16 and under 26 including heads of families b.
c. 1794 to 1804, 1 male 45 and up born c. 1774 and over. 1 female under
10 b. 1810 to 1820, 2 females 10 and under 16 b. 1804 to 1810, 3 females
of 16 and under 26 b. 1794 to 1804, 1 female 45 and up born 1774 and
over.

21. Census: Pg. 46 1830 Johnson, Franklin, Vermont.
Pg. 46, Roll: M19_183, Image 97
ATWELL Nathan – – 1 2 – – – – 1 / – – – 1 2 – –
1
Nathan ATWELL 1 male 10 to 15, 2 males 15 and under 20, 1 male 60 and
under 70, 1 female 15 and under 20, 2 females 20 and under 30, 1 female
50 and under 60
NOTE: The census shows Asher in the 10 to 15 range, James and Nathan in
the 15 to 20 category, Caroline as 15 and under 20, and Lydia and Olive
as the 2 females 20 and under 30, Olive not marrying until 1832. Nathan
and wife Lydia are the elder individuals. (The marking for 1 or 2
females in the 20 to 30 category is actually ambiguous. It could be
either.)
ANDREWS Asa
ADAMS James
ATWELL John – – 1 – – 1 / 1 – – – 1
ANDREWS Samuel
ALLARD Henry
ABBOTT Oliver
ATWELL Benjamin – 2 – – 1 / 1 – – – 1

22. Mother’s Death: 1831 Jan 26, Bradford, Orange, Vermont. Lydia’s
mother, Lydia CHAMBERLIN, dies.

23. Census: Pg. 47 1840 Johnson, Lamoille, Vermont.
Joshua CHASE
Benjamin ATWELL 3 1 – – – 1 / – – 1 – – 1
…
Nathan ATWELL – – – – 2 – – – – 1/ – – – – 1 1 1 –
1

24. Death: 1846 Jan 20 Johnson, Lamoille, Vermont. Lydia died two years
after her husband, at the age of 73.

25. Accessory Document: Family Birth Record Nathan and Lydia Atwell, 1885
Mar 1.

26. Accessory Document: Deaths of the Family of Nathan and Lydia Atwell,
1885 Mar 1.

27. Edit : 2003 Oct.

================================================================================
Children
================================================================================
1 F Bridget Atwell
Born: 1795 Mar 15 – Johnson, Lamoille, Vermont
Christened:
Died: Unknown
Buried:
Spouse: Ralph Hill (Cir 1784- )
Marr. Date: 1821 Mar 27 – Johnson, Lamoille, Vermont
Spouse:
Marr. Date:
——————————————————————————–
2 M John Atwell
Born: 1796 Jun 10 – Johnson, Lamoille, Vermont
Christened:
Died: 1880 Mar 13 – Johnson, Franklin, Vermont
Buried:
Spouse: Evelyn (Elvina) Coats (Cir 1807- )
Marr. Date: 1827 Dec 10 – , , Vermont
Spouse:
Marr. Date:
——————————————————————————–
3 F Susan Atwell
Born: 1797 Nov 10 – Johnson, Lamoille, Vermont
Christened:
Died: 1862 Jun 21 – Ohio, Lorain County, Oberlin Township
Buried:
Spouse: Rev. Joel T. Hayford ( – )
Marr. Date: 1827 Nov 25
Spouse: N. Thompson ( – )
Marr. Date: 1840 Jul 15
Spouse:
Marr. Date:
——————————————————————————–
4 M William C. Atwell
Born: 1799 Aug 25 – Johnson, Lamoille, Vermont
Christened:
Died: 1865 May 15 – Johnson, Lamoille, Vermont
Buried:
Spouse: Patty Stine (Cir 1800- )
Marr. Date:
Spouse:
Marr. Date:
——————————————————————————–
5 M Hiram + Atwell
Born: 1801 Mar 2 – Johnson, Lamoille, Vermont
Christened:
Died: 1849 Dec 2-1850 – Waterbury Center, Washington, Vermont, USA
Buried: – Old Waterbury Center Cemetery, Waterbury Center, Washington,
Vermont, USA
Spouse: Rachel + Scagel (1802-1843)
Marr. Date: 1830 Oct 7 – Waterbury Center, Washington, Vermont, USA
Spouse: Matilda Smith (1805- )
Marr. Date: After 1843
Spouse:
Marr. Date:
——————————————————————————–
6 M Benjamin H. Atwell
Born: 1802 Dec 2 – Johnson, Lamoille, Vermont
Christened:
Died: 1884 Jan 4
Buried:
Spouse: Lora Hunt (Cir 1809- )
Marr. Date: 1832 Apr
Spouse:
Marr. Date:
——————————————————————————–
7 F Lydia C. Atwell
Born: 1804 Aug 2 – Johnson, Lamoille, Vermont
Christened:
Died: Unknown
Buried:
Spouse:
Marr. Date:
——————————————————————————–
8 F Phoebe Atwell
Born: 1806 Aug 2 – Johnson, Lamoille, Vermont
Christened:
Died: 1889 Feb 14 – Hyde Park, Lamoille, Vermont, USA
Buried:
Spouse: Johnson Robinson (Cir 1806- )
Marr. Date: Bef 1832
Spouse:
Marr. Date:
——————————————————————————–
9 F Olive Atwell
Born: 1808 Mar 21
Christened:
Died: Unknown
Buried:
Spouse: Clark Fisk (Cir 1798- )
Marr. Date: 1832 Jul 15 – Eden, Lamoille, Vermont, USA
Spouse:
Marr. Date:
——————————————————————————–
10 M Nathan Atwell Jr.
Born: 1810 Sep 19 – Johnson, Lamoille, Vermont
Christened:
Died: 1846 Mar 24
Buried:
Spouse:
Marr. Date:
——————————————————————————–
11 F Caroline Atwell
Born: 1812 Oct 17 – Johnson, Lamoille, Vermont
Christened:
Died: 1878 Jul 1 – Waterbury Center, Washington, Vermont, USA
Buried:
Spouse: Caleb Simmons (1810- )
Marr. Date: 1848 Apr 14
Spouse:
Marr. Date:
——————————————————————————–
12 M James A. Atwell
Born: 1814 Sep 26 – Johnson, Lamoille, Vermont
Christened:
Died: 1895 Nov 5 – Johnson, Lamoille, Vermont
Buried:
Spouse: Lucy Ann Gilmore (1829-1895)
Marr. Date: 1848 Oct 22 – , Lamoille, Vermont, USA
Spouse:
Marr. Date:
——————————————————————————–
13 M Asher E. Atwell
Born: 1816 Nov 10 – Johnson, Lamoille, Vermont
Christened:
Died: 1900
Buried:
Spouse: Charlotte Thornton (1832-1888)
Marr. Date: 1854 Oct 29
Spouse:
Marr. Date:

Nathaniel Sanford Straughan and Mary “Polly” Brewer

Posted on December 15, 2010 by jmk

Courtesy of John Houk

Nathaniel Straughan and Mary Polly Brewer
Thanks to John Houk

Nathaniel Straughn and Polly, retouched

With a bit of photoshopping

Nathaniel Sanford Straughan married Mary “Polly” Brewer, a daughter of Daniel A. Brewer Sr. and Nancy Smith. This Straughan family is not down our direct line, instead Mary Brewer is a sibling of our Daniel Levi Brewer.Nat

John Houk has supplied a couple of valuable photos of Daniel A. Smith with relations which I will be putting up in other posts.

==============================================
Husband: Nathaniel Sanford Straughan
==============================================
Born: 1810 Apr 21 – , , Kentucky
Christened:
Died: 1898 Oct 28 – , Putnam, Indiana
Buried: – Harwick Cemetery (near Clinton Falls), Putnam, Indiana
Marriage: 1830 Oct 11 Place: , Shelby, Kentucky
——————————————————————————–
Events
——————————————————————————–

1. Census: 1840 Madison, Putnam, Indiana.

2. Census: Pg. 458 1850 Indiana, Putnam County, Marion Township.
pg. 458
103/109 Daniel BREWER 26 $300 b. KY
Catherine 26
Sarah 6 b. IN
William 5
Nancy 3
James D. 1
104/ Nathaniel STRAGN 40 farmer $1000 b. KY
Mary 42
John W. 18 b. IN
Nancy 16
Margaret A. 12
Mary C. 5

3. Photo: Daniel Brewer and male Dunlavy Relations, Cir 1879, , ,
Indiana.

4. Photo: Nat Straughan and Polly Brewer.

==============================================
Wife: Mary “Polly” Brewer
==============================================
Born: Sept 1808
Christened:
Died: 1883 Mar 25 – , Putnam, Indiana
Buried: – Harwick Cemetery (near Clinton Falls), Putnam, Indiana
Father: Daniel A. ++ Brewer Sr. (1784-1881)
Mother: Nancy ++ Smith (1785-1859)
——————————————————————————–
Events
——————————————————————————–

1. Census: 1840 Madison, Putnam, Indiana.
1840 IN PUTNAM MADISON
William EVANS
James CONNELLY
David HUNTER 3 – – – 1 / – – – – 1
NOTE: David married Jane BREWER, aunt of Daniel Levi BREWER who married
Catherine HEDDEN.
William HEDDEN – – – – – – – 1 / – – 2 2 – – 1
NOTE: WIlliam 40 to 50, 2 females ages 10 to 15 and 2 females 15 to 20,
with Rachel as 40 to 50
Henry SHEILDS
Samuel CEICIL
Isaac HOPE
Andrew C. EVANS
Nancy BIRD
Alfred LUNSFORD
Nathaniel STRAUGHN – 1 – 1 1 1 / 1 1 1 1 – 1 – 1
NOTE: Mary Polly BREWER married Nathaniel STRAUGHN. She was an aunt of
Daniel Levi BREWER.

3. Photo: Daniel Brewer and the Dunlavy Family, Cir 1877, , , Indiana.

4. Photo: Nat Straughan and Polly.

===============================================
Children
===============================================
1 M John W. Straughan
Born: Cir 1832 – , , Kentucky
Christened:
Died: Unknown
Buried:
Spouse:
Marr. Date:
——————————————————————————–
2 F Nancy Jane Straughan
Born: 1834 May 10
Christened:
Died: 1901 Feb 21
Buried:
Spouse: John Wesley Dunlavy (1831-1916)
Marr. Date:
Spouse:
Marr. Date:
——————————————————————————–
3 F Margaret A. Straughan
Born: Cir 1838 – , , Kentucky
Christened:
Died: Unknown
Buried:
Spouse:
Marr. Date:
——————————————————————————–
4 F Mary C. Straughan
Born: Cir 1845 – , , Kentucky
Christened:
Died: Unknown
Buried:
Spouse:
Marr. Date:
——————————————————————————–

=============================================
General Notes: Husband –
=============================================

John HOUK submits the following on his ancestors, Nathaniel S. STRAUGHN and
Mary Polly BREWER.

Daniel Brewer Genealogy Notes of Edwin Wesley Dunlavy, (6/25/1874-3/5/1953)
Part of one hundred pages of mostly hand written notes found in his residence
when he died. Found by Howard Jacob Houk, his nephew and executor or his
estate. Given to John Howard Houk, son of Howard Jacob Houk, by Howard’s wife,
Bernice Wuethrich Houk in June 2001.

“Page numbers are from a numbering system that John Houk devised to organize
these notes

“p. 46
“Hawrick Cemetery – near Clinton Falls
Nathaniel S. Straughan –
B Ap 12 -1810
D Oct 28 – 1898”
“(Nathaniel Sanford-this crossed out) Nancy S Straughan
D. Mar 25, 1883
B – Sept 1808”

(I think this is an error and actually refers to Mary Brewer – John Houk)

==================================================
General Notes: Wife –
==================================================

John HOUK submits the following on his ancestors, Nathaniel S. STRAUGHAN and
Mary Polly BREWER.

“Page numbers are from a numbering system that John Houk devised to organize
these notes

(I think this is an error and actually refers to Mary Brewer – John Houk)

Robert Harrington Johnson and Bathsheba/Bersheba Potter

Posted on December 14, 2010 by jmk

Robert Harrington Johnson was born 11 Nov 1796 in VA, the son of Francis Johnson and Nancy Harrington. A biography gives him as dying on 21 Feb 1837 at McLean Co. IL at 40 and is buried at the Scoggin Hill Cemetery in Bloomington IL. There is however a problem with his death date as on the 30th of March 1837 he took out a land patent for 80 acres in McLean county.

Bathsheba/Bersheba Potter is given as having been born 1789 in TN, and died 2 Oct. 1859 in McLean Co. IL. She is also buried at the Scoggin Hill Cemetery in Bloomington IL.

Robert and Bathsheba were married Aug 1814 in Overton Co. TN.

If one looks at the census information below, it seems reasonable that Bathsheba would be related to the family of a Thomas Potter who was located several pages away in the 1820 Jackson County, Tennessee census, but there as of yet no known links to the family. Also, that family didn’t enter Tennessee until, it seems, not long before 1820, whereas Bathsehba gives herself as born in Tennessee. She would not be a child of that family as that Thomas married an Ann, and it appears that Bathsheba’s mother may have been a Sarah. In 1830 an elder woman was in the household, and in Dec. 1831 RH Johnson applied to the Court for relief for Sarah Potter, an insane person in his care. I’m unable to find any burial information currently for Sarah Potter.

When Bathsheba was widowed in 1837, the eldest of her 10 children was but 12.

The family story as to their daughter, Mary Jane (our direct line), is as follows:

John (Fowler) was a Union sympathizer and had to leave NC. Came to Bloomington, IL where he decided to settle. He disguised himself as a peddler and returned to NC to get the girl he loved. They eloped and were married and moved to Osage Mission, KS in 1863. Her family was so angry with her husband that she never heard from them again.

Nancy Benton notes that this was passed along to her from Cora Granger, related to the Brewers through the Spurlings, along with family sheets prepared by Dottie Skinner Elliott, and that there was no source given other than family story.

The Johnson family had actually migrated to ILL when Mary Jane was little (see Robert Herrington Johnson information), her father died when she was only 5 years of age, she is in the 1850 census with her mother, and her mother died in 1859 (so both parents were dead before the move to Kansas) and even in 1860 Mary Jane had family living in the McLean County area around she and John. So that’s one story that bites the dust, though it raises questions as to why the estrangement story would have arisen in the first place. The story may be accidentally assigned and belong to a relative, and it was thought because Mary Jane moved to Kansas that she was the one estranged, or there may have been an estrangement here which has become mixed with the story of yet another.

The following article is the source for new data on the family that places the Johnsons in IL by the 1820s.

The article notes a George Hinshaw having constructed a cabin for Robert and his family prior his arrival. This is George Hinshaw who married Susannah, Robert’s sister. Marietta Johnson married a brother of George, Jacob. George and Jacob Hinshaw with their families moved to Illinois in the Spring of 1827, preceding Robert Harrington Johnson.

Dr. E. Duis, The Good Old Times in McLean County, Illinois
(The Leader Publishing and Printing House – 1874)

ROBERT HARRINGTON JOHNSON

Robert H. Johnson was born November 11, 1796, in Virginia. His father was
Francis Johnson, and his mother’s name before her marriage was Nancy
Harrington. Francis Johnson was born in Ireland, and brought to America when he
was four years of age. Nancy Harrington was partly of Pennsylvania Dutch
descent. When Robert Johnson was only four years of age he was taken to Jackson
County, Tennessee, where he lived until he was twenty-six or seven years of
age. There he followed framing and tanning leather. He married in August, 1814,
Bathsheba Potter. In about the year 1822 or ’23 he went to Overton County,
Tennessee, where he lived until the year 1828, when he came to Illinois. He
came on his journey by team and arrived at Blooming Grove on the first of
December. He had no particular adventure except that his daughter Mathurza fell
from a horse which she was riding, and broke her thighbone, and the party was
delayed fifteen days in consequence. The party arrived at Blooming Grove in the
evening of December 1, when everyone for miles around was at church. As the
party passed the church, a bell on one of the colts was heard by the
congregation, and it was known that another family had arrived. The addition of
a single family to the neighborhood was then a great event, and at the close of
the meeting the entire congregation, which was not large, though it included
everyone in the country for a great many miles around, came to see the Johnson
family and give them a welcome. No one waited for an introduction, but each
shook hands cordially and said: “How are you, Brother Johnson?” and, “How are
you, Sister Johnson?”

The family first moved to Three Mile Grove, now called Harley’s Grove, into a
log house fourteen feet square, with a few logs extending for a porch. This
cabin was put up for the Johnson family by George Hinshaw some months before
their arrival. It happened in the meantime that the Funks (Isaac and Absalom)
had driven a lot of pigs to this grove to eat the mast, and the latter had
taken possession of the unoccupied cabin. Pigs which have been running in the
timber, became wild, and when excited or aroused are more dangerous than any
other wild animal. During the night after the Johnson family moved into their
cabin, they heard their dog barking and fighting with the hogs. The cabin had
no door to it. A hole had been cut out for entrance, and also another for a
fire-place. In the latter a large fire was burning, and some green sticks were
near by. Mr. Johnson jumped up and grasped a long, green stick and met the
hogs, about seventy-five in number, in the door-way as they were attempting to
come in. He fought them there for life, while Mrs. Johnson prevented them from
coming in at the fire-place by throwing fire at them. Mr. Johnson fought until
he was exhausted completely. He battered their heads; he struck powerful blows,
and at last knocked off the snout of one of the hogs, which ran squealing away
to Funk’s Grove, followed by the whole drove. But Mr. Johnson, fearing the
return of the brutes, put his family into the wagon to protect them. The next
day Isaac, Absalom and Robert Funk came up to Harley’s Grove to whip the band
of villains, who, they thought, had been knocking out the eyes and breaking the
snouts of their hogs; but when they learned what a fight Mr. Johnson had made
to protect his family from being eaten up by the brutes, they left in a
different humor.

As the Johnson family was the first to settle in Harley’s Grove, the wild
animals were taken by surprise. A day or two after the hogs were driven off a
black wolf came up close to the door. During that winter Mr. Johnson killed a
great many deer within half a mile of the house. At one time he severely
wounded a deer, which turned on him and knocked him down several times; but it
was so badly hurt that he broke away and left it in a thicket within a few
hundred feet of the house. He went in for ammunition, and told the children to
stay inside and hold the door shut. But when he started for the thicket, the
children disobeyed orders and ran out and climbed the fence, and jumped on the
stumps to see the fun. The deer sprang up and ran towards the children, but the
dog grabbed it by the ear and Mr. Johnson shot it through the neck and it fell
within a few feet of the door. During the spring following, Mr. Johnson fenced
forty-five acres of land and planted nearly all of it in corn. But he was
unable to enter it immediately and soon afterwards a man named Jack Hougham
entered it away from him and gave him forty-five dollars for his improvement.
It was a custom among the old settlers never to enter a man’s claim away from
him; but Mr. Hougham had no such delicacy. He gave Mr. Johnson notice of his
intention and went to the land office and took up the land. Mr. Johnson then
settled on the south side of Twin Grove, improved a claim and entered the land,
and lived there until 1837, when he was killed by an ox which he was attempting
to yoke up to a wagon. This was on the twenty-first of February, 1837. He was a
very industrious man, and made shoes and looms in the winter, and worked his
land during the summer. He tanned leather for the whole country around.

Mr. Johnson had ten children, two of whom were born in the West. They are:

Nancy Johnson, who married Moses Wooden Brown, and lives at White Oak Grove in
Woodford County.

John S. W. Johnson lived at the head of the Mackinaw and died in 1865. Mathurza
Johnson, now the wife of Jeremiah Rhodes, lives three miles from Bloomington,
on the Leroy road. She furnished the items for this sketch, and seemed to have
very clear ideas and a good recollection.

Jacob H. Johnson lives between Brown’s Grove and Twin Grove.

Thomas P. Johnson lives near Osceola, Clark County, Iowa.

Benjamin M. Johnson lives about a mile and a half west of Bloomington.

Francis, Lewis S., and James B. Johnson, are dead.

Mary Jane Elizabeth Johnson married John Fowler, and lives in Osage Mission,
Kansas.

Mr. Johnson was about six feet in height, was possessed of immense strength,
but was very good-natured, kind-hearted and religious. He never wished to
quarrel with anyone, was always on good terms with his neighbors, and was very
honorable in all of his transactions.

================================================================================
Husband: Robert Harrington + Johnson
================================================================================
Born: 1796 Nov 11 – , Warren, Tennessee or Virginia
Christened:
Died: 1837 – Twin Grove, McLean, Illinois
Buried: – Scoggin Hill Cemetery, Bloomington, McLean, Illinois
Father: Francis + Johnson ( – )
Mother: Nancy Or Mary + Harrington ( – )
Marriage: 1814 Aug Place: , Overton, Tennessee
——————————————————————————–
Events
——————————————————————————–

1. Birth: 1796 Nov 11 , , Virginia.

2. Migration: 1800, , , Tennessee.
Robert’s family migrates to Tennessee.

3. Marriage: Marries Barsheby POTTER., 1814 Aug, , Overton, Tennessee.

4. Child’s Birth: John born., Bef 1815.

5. Child’s Birth: Nancy born., Abt 1815.

6. Child’s Birth: Mathurza born, 1818 Nov 1.

7. Child’s Birth: Jacob born., Bef 1820.

8. Census: 1820 , Jackson, Tennessee.
1820 JACKSON CO TN CENSUS
pg. 72
JOHNSTON Francis – – – 1 – 1 1 3 – – (7)
JOHNSTON Robert 2 – – 1 – – 2 – – 1 (2)
Note: The 2 young males are John and Jacob, the 2 young females are
Nancy and Mathurza.
JOHNSTON Elizabeth 1 – – 1 1 – 1 2 3 – (8)
PG. 78
POTTER Thomas 1 – – – 1 – 2 – 1 – (2)
POTTER Zachrius – – – 1 – – 1 – 1 – (2)
POTTER James 1 – – 1 – – 2 – 1 – (2)
POTTER William 3 1 – – 1 – 2 1 – 1 (4)
POTTER Thomas 1 1 – – – 1 – – 1 2 (4)
POTTER Samuel – – – – 1 1 – – 1 – (4)

9. Child’s Birth: Francis born., 1821 Jul 17.

10. Migration: 1822, , Overton, Tennessee.

11. Child’s Birth: Thomas born., Cir 1825.

12. Child’s Birth: Benjamin born., 1827 Aug 22.

13. Migration: 1828, , , Illinois.
The bio of Robert mentions the family first moved to Three Mile Grove,
into a log house put up for the Johnson family by George HINSHAW some
months before their arrival.

14. Child’s Birth: James born., Cir 1829.

15. Census: Pg. 178 1830 Illinois, Tazwell County (Later Became
Mclean), Mackinaw Township.
Sam. John WILLIAMS
James BROWN
Shadrack WILLIAMS
WIlliam B. DADE
Miles BROOKS
George REYNOLDS
Ebenezer BARNS
Robt. H. JOHNSON 2 males under 5, 2 males 5 to 10,
2 males 10 to 15, 1 male 30 to 40, 1 female 10 to 15, 1 female 15 to 20,
1 female 30 to 40, 1 female 40 to 50
NOTE: The 2 males under 5 are Jame and Benjamin, 2 males 5 to 10 are
Thomas and Francis, 1 males 10 to 15 are Jackob and John. The 1 female
10 to 15 is Mathurza, the 1 female 15 to 20 is Nancy. An unknown female
40 to 50 appears. If she is on the far end of the 40 to 50 age group she
could be the mother of Bathsheba or the mother or Robert.
Benjamin HENSHAW
Stephen WEBB
WIlliam MCCORD
James A. DALE
John HERBERT
Landa HURST
Matthew HERBERT
Samuel BARKER
Aaron RHODES
Samuel RHODES
John MACCONNELL
James TOLIVER
John GREENMAN
Henry MILLER
James ALLEN
David WHEELER
James A. JOHNSON
William EVANS

16. Child’s Birth: Lewis born., After 1830.

17. He was involved in a court case in 1831 in , McLean, Illinois.
Title: County Records
Text: Dec. 1831 RH Johnson applied to the Court for relief for Sarah
Potter an insane person in his care.
NOTE: This was perhaps Barsheba’s mother, the older individual observed
in the household in 1830. There are no POTTERS listed in the Cemetery
Index for McLean County.

18. Child’s Birth: Mary Jane born., 1832 Feb 9.

19. Land Patent: 2 patents for 80 acres total, 1833 Oct 10, , McLean,
Illinois.

Patentee: Robert H. JOHNSON
Issue Date: 10 October 1833
Land Office: Danville
Cancelled: No
Mineral Reservations: No
Authority: April 24, 1820: Sale-Cash Entry (3 Stat. 566)
State: Illinois
Acres: 40
Metes/Bounds: No
Document Nr: 237
Acession/Serial Nr: IL0620_234
BLM Serial NR: IL NO S/N
Aliquot PARTS: SESE
Sec/Block: 32/
Township: 24-N
Range: 1-E
Fract. Section – No
Meridian: 3rd PM
State: IL
Counties: McLean
Survey Nr:

Also:

Patentee: Robert H. JOHNSON
Issue Date: 10/10/1833
Land Office: Danville
Cancelled: No
Mineral Reservations: No
Authority: April 24, 1820: Sale-Cash Entry (3 Stat. 566)
State: Illinois
Acres: 40
Metes/Bounds: No
Document Nr: 239
Acession/Serial Nr: IL0620__.236
BLM Serial NR: IL NO S/N
Aliquot PARTS: SWSE
Sec/Block: 24-N
Township: 1-E
Range: No
Fract. Section –
Meridian: 3rd PM
State: IL
Counties: McLean
Survey Nr:

October 1833 land patent

20. Occupation: Leather tanner.

21. Death: 1837 , McLean, Illinois.
There is a problem with Robert’s death date of 21 Feb as given in his
bio, for he took out a patent March 30 1837 for 80 acres of land.

An Index of McLean County Cemeteries gives JOHNSONS buried at Scoggin
Hill as:
Benjamin M Johnson–1827-1893–Scoggin Hill Cemetery pg13-Volume 5-Dale
Township
Nancy J Johnson–1832-1916–Scoggin Hill Cemetery pg13-Volume 5-Dale
Township
Merritt C Johnson–1860-1907–Scoggin Hill Cemetery pg13-Volume 5-Dale
Township
Emmet P Johnson–1867-____–Scoggin Hill Cemetery pg13-Volume 5-Dale
Township
Bathsheba Johnson–____-1859–Scoggin Hill Cemetery pg13-Volume 5-Dale
Township
Robert H Johnson–____-1837–Scoggin Hill Cemetery pg13-Volume 5-Dale
Township

22. Cause of death: Was killed by an ox which he was attempting to yoke
up to a wagon.

23. Land Patent: 80 acres, 1837 Mar 30, , McLean, Illinois.

Patentee: Robert H. JOHNSON
Issue Date: 3/30/1837
Land Office: Danville
Cancelled: No
Mineral Reservations: No
Authority: April 24, 1820: Sale-Cash Entry (3 Stat. 566)
State: Illinois
Acres: 80
Metes/Bounds: No
Document Nr: 3412
Acession/Serial Nr: IL NO S/N
BLM Serial NR:
Aliquot PARTS: W1/2SE
Sec/Block: 32/
Township: 24-N
Range: 1-E
Fract. Section – No
Meridian: 3rd PM
State: IL
Counties: McLean
Survey Nr:

24. Edit : 2003 Nov.

================================================================================
Wife: Barsheby (Bathsheba, Abersheby) + Potter
================================================================================
Born: 1789 Nov 2 – , , Tennessee
Christened:
Died: 1859 Oct 2 – , McLean, Illinois
Buried: – Scoggin Hill Cemetery, Bloomington, McLean, Illinois
Father: + Potter ( – )
Mother:
——————————————————————————–
Events
——————————————————————————–

1. Birth: Cir 1789 , , Tennessee.

2. Marriage: Marries Robert Harrington Johnson., 1814 Aug, , Overton,
Tennessee.

3. Child’s Birth: John born., Bef 1815.

4. Child’s Birth: Nancy born., Abt 1815.

5. Child’s Birth: Mathurza born, 1818 Nov 1.

6. Child’s Birth: Jacob born., Bef 1820.

7. Census: 1820 , Jackson, Tennessee.
1820 JACKSON CO TN CENSUS
pg. 72
JOHNSTON Francis – – – 1 – 1 1 3 – – (7)
JOHNSTON Robert 2 – – 1 – – 2 – – 1 (2)
Note: The 2 young males are John and Jacob, the 2 young females are
Nancy and Mathurza.
JOHNSTON Elizabeth 1 – – 1 1 – 1 2 3 – (8)
PG. 78
POTTER Thomas 1 – – – 1 – 2 – 1 – (2)
POTTER Zachrius – – – 1 – – 1 – 1 – (2)
POTTER James 1 – – 1 – – 2 – 1 – (2)
POTTER William 3 1 – – 1 – 2 1 – 1 (4)
POTTER Thomas 1 1 – – – 1 – – 1 2 (4)
POTTER Samuel – – – – 1 1 – – 1 – (4)

8. Child’s Birth: Francis born., 1821 Jul 17.

9. Migration: 1822, , Overton, Tennessee.

10. Child’s Birth: Thomas born., Cir 1825.

11. Child’s Birth: Benjamin born., 1827 Aug 22.

12. Migration: 1828, , , Illinois.
The bio of Robert mentions the family first moved to Three Mile Grove,
into a log house put up for the Johnson family by George HINSHAW some
months before their arrival.

13. Child’s Birth: James born., Cir 1829.

14. Census: Pg. 178 1830 Illinois, Tazwell County (Later Became
Mclean), Mackinaw Township.
Sam. John WILLIAMS
James BROWN
Shadrack WILLIAMS
WIlliam B. DADE
Miles BROOKS
George REYNOLDS
Ebenezer BARNS
Robt. H. JOHNSON 2 males under 5, 2 males 5 to 10,
2 males 10 to 15, 1 male 30 to 40, 1 female 10 to 15, 1 female 15 to 20,
1 female 30 to 40, 1 female 40 to 50
NOTE: The 2 males under 5 are Jame and Benjamin, 2 males 5 to 10 are
Thomas and Francis, 1 males 10 to 15 are Jackob and John. The 1 female
10 to 15 is Mathurza, the 1 female 15 to 20 is Nancy. An unknown female
40 to 50 appears. If she is on the far end of the 40 to 50 age group she
could be the mother of Bathsheba or the mother or Robert.
Benjamin HENSHAW
Stephen WEBB
WIlliam MCCORD
James A. DALE
John HERBERT
Landa HURST
Matthew HERBERT
Samuel BARKER
Aaron RHODES
Samuel RHODES
John MACCONNELL
James TOLIVER
John GREENMAN
Henry MILLER
James ALLEN
David WHEELER
James A. JOHNSON
William EVANS

15. She was involved in a court case in 1831 in , McLean, Illinois.
Title: County Records
Text: Dec. 1831 RH Johnson applied to the Court for relief for Sarah
Potter an insane person in his care.
NOTE: This was perhaps Barsheby’s mother, the older individual in the
household in 1830. There are no POTTERS listed in the cemetery index for
McLean County.

16. Child’s Birth: Lewis born., After 1830.

17. Child’s Birth: Mary Jane born., 1832 Feb 9.

18. Husband’s death: 1837 Feb 21, , McLean, Illinois. Robert Harrington
Johnson dies.

19. Census: Pg. 254 1840 , McLean, Illinois.
Wm. DICKSON
Jonathan MASON
Bersheba JOHNSON – – 2 3 2 / – 1 – – – – – 2
Macy STOUT
John PERRY
Simon MASON
Jacob HINSHAW
NOTE: The 2 10 to 15 males would be Lewis and James. The 3 15 to 20
would be Benjamin (though born about 1827), Thomas and Francis. The 2 20
year olds would be Jacob and John. Nancy and Mathurza are out of the
house. Mary Jane is the 5 to 10 female. Barsheby is given as 50 to 60.
There is also another unknown 50 to 60 year old female.

20. Census: Pg. 37 1850 Dry Grove, McLean, Illinois. Mary Jane is given
as Nancy J. in her mother’s household, 18 b. Illinois. Her mother is
given as Asherby. The family is residing between brothers Francis and
Thomas JOHNSON.

pg. 5
A 13 year old R. H. JOHNSON b. IL is given as living in the National
Hotel in Bloomington. I don’t know if there is a relationship to the
family but the initials are interesting.
pg. 37
(initial census number on each of these was cut off, so give the second
here)
781 John DEAL and Ellen and family
782 Peter MASON and Henerett and family
783 William D. HARBORD and Susan and family
784 Thomas JOHNSON 25 farmer $1000 b. TN
Eliza J. 21 b. IL
Nancy 1 b. IL
785 Abersheby JOHNSON 60 $200 b. TN
James 21 farmer b. IL
Nancy J. 18 b. IL
786 Samuel BARKER and family
787 Mariah BARKER and family
788 Francis JOHNSON 24 (or 29) farmer $1200 b. TN
Jane 25 b. IN
Thursy 8 b. IL
Francis W. 6
Charles W. 5
David W. 3
Martha 1
Mary 2/12

21. Death: 1859 Oct 2 , McLean, Illinois.

22. Cemetery: ? Scoggin Hill Cemetery, Bloomington, McLean, Illinois.
An Index of McLean County Cemeteries gives JOHNSONS buried at Scoggin
Hill as:
Benjamin M Johnson–1827-1893–Scogin Hill Cemetery pg13-Volume 5-Dale
Township
Nancy J Johnson–1832-1916–Scoggin Hill Cemetery pg13-Volume 5-Dale
Township
Merritt C Johnson–1860-1907–Scoggin Hill Cemetery pg13-Volume 5-Dale
Township
Emmet P Johnson–1867-____–Scoggin Hill Cemetery pg13-Volume 5-Dale
Township
Bathsheba Johnson–____-1859–Scoggin Hill Cemetery pg13-Volume 5-Dale
Township
Robert H Johnson–____-1837–Scoggin Hill Cemetery pg13-Volume 5-Dale
Township

23. Edit : 2003 Nov.

================================================================================
Children
================================================================================
1 M John S. W. Johnson
Born: Bef 1815 – , Jackson, Tennessee
Christened:
Died: 1865
Buried:
Spouse: Susannah Tolliver (1823-1879)
Marr. Date: 1842 Jan 7 – , McLean, Illinois
Spouse:
Marr. Date:
——————————————————————————–
2 F Nancy Johnson
Born: Abt 1815 – , , Tennessee
Christened:
Died: Unknown
Buried:
Spouse: Moses Wooden Brown (Abt 1816- )
Marr. Date:
Spouse:
Marr. Date:
——————————————————————————–
3 F Mathurza Johnson
Born: 1818 Nov 1 – Overland, Tennessee
Christened:
Died: 1899 Nov 14 – Bloomington, McLean, Illinois
Buried: – Illinois, Mclean County, Woodland Cemetery
Spouse: Jeremiah Rhodes (1806-1882)
Marr. Date: 1835 Mar 26 – Overland, Tennessee
Spouse:
Marr. Date:
——————————————————————————–
4 M Jacob H. Johnson
Born: Abt 1820 – , Overton, Tennessee
Christened:
Died: Unknown
Buried:
Spouse:
Marr. Date:
——————————————————————————–
5 M Francis Johnson
Born: 1821 – , , Tennessee
Christened:
Died: Bef 1860
Buried:
Spouse: Jane (1825- )
Marr. Date:
Spouse:
Marr. Date:
——————————————————————————–
6 M Thomas P. Johnson
Born: 1825 – , , Tennessee
Christened:
Died: Unknown
Buried:
Spouse: Eliza (1829- )
Marr. Date:
Spouse:
Marr. Date:
——————————————————————————–
7 M Benjamin M. Johnson
Born: 1827 Aug 22
Christened:
Died: Unknown
Buried:
Spouse: Nancy (1838- )
Marr. Date:
Spouse:
Marr. Date:
——————————————————————————–
8 M James B. Johnson
Born: 1829 – , , Illinois
Christened:
Died: Bef 1874
Buried:
Spouse:
Marr. Date:
——————————————————————————–
9 M Lewis S. Johnson
Born:
Christened:
Died: Bef 1874
Buried:
Spouse: Mary Ann Rhodes (1827-1888)
Marr. Date: 1846 Feb 12 – , McLean, Illinois
Spouse:
Marr. Date:
——————————————————————————–
10 F Mary Jane + Johnson
Born: 1832 Feb 9 – , Tazewell, Illinois
Christened:
Died: 1902 Jan 30 – Greenfield, Dade, Missouri
Buried: – Carr’s Chapel Cemetery, Greenfield, Dade, Missouri
Spouse: John B. + Fowler (1827-1883)
Marr. Date: 1851 Jan 7 – , McLean, Illinois
Spouse:
Marr. Date:
——————————————————————————–

================================================================================
Notes: Marriage
================================================================================

A courthouse fire in April 1865 destroyed almost all the public records from
the beginning of the county with the exception of the deed books.

Last Modified: 2011 Mar 12

Paris Wood Hackney and Dora Knox

Posted on December 13, 2010 by jmk

Paris Wood Hackney was born Jan 5 1855 in Iowa, likely Van Buren county, a son of William S. Hackney and Mary Jane Enlow. When he died is unknown and he will likely remain a bit of an enigma. His sister, Sarah Hackney Crockett, gave him as going to California during “the gold rush”, writing back that he had found gold and was returning by way of Mexico. He never made it home and family believed he had been killed for his gold. My research has shown that he went with the family from Iowa to Belleville, Kansas. He disappears in the 1880 census, but is found in the 1900 census in Murphy, Josephine, Oregon, married to a Dora Knox, and has a child. He is a gold miner. Then in 1910 Dora gives herself as widowed, but Paris is observed in the Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona census in 1910, mining down there, and also gives himself as widowed. This isn’t uncommon. I’ve observed this often enough with couples from this period, that they would give themselves as widowed when instead they had separated…I don’t even know if they would have even bothered to divorce, but I doubt all did. After the 1910 census, Paris evaporates into history. He never made it home to his birth family. If anyone has more information on him, as well as Dora, I would love to have it.

I think it’s likely that Dora was married three times. In the 1900 census, when with Paris, she gives herself as not having any children. In the 1910 census she gives herself as having instead 2 children. We see in the census a 14 year old Olda Jennings whose father is given as born in KS, and Mary Hackney, 8 years of age, whose father is given as born in KY. Looking back at the 1900 census I take another look at the girl just below Dora, a Golda Jennings who is 4, both parents given as born in Oregon, she’s only stated as a granddaughter of the household head, Sarah F. Knox, mother of Dora. I could be wrong but I think she is a daughter of Dora.

Dora married another time after Paris. It was to Isaac B. Matney, b. about 1869 in Oregon. They married in March of 1912 in Josephine, Oregon, Dora going by the name of Dora Hackney. I don’t find them in the 1920 census, which is too bad, I’d like to see that household. Dora died Aug 29 1923 in Josephine County, Oregon.

I wish I had any idea what happened to Mary, the daughter of Paris and Dora.

Dora’s family is an interesting one.

Her father was Thomas Lyttleton Knox, born Sept 12 1824 in Nicholas County, KY, died 1887 in Josephine Co. Oregon. Her mother was Sarah Ellen Oglesby born 1831 Jan 20 in Illinois. Thomas and Sarah married on 1846 Nov 12 in Hancock, Illinois.

Thomas Lyttleton Knox’s parents were Samuel Knox b. 1775 in PA, died 1865 in Hancock Co. IL, and Malinda Doughty b. 1793 in VA and died 1871 in Hancock Co. IL. Samuel Knox appears to have been first married to a Mary Margaret Donnell, and they had two daughters, Catherine and Elizabeth, who married sons of John Sparks and Catherine Waddel. John Sparks parents were William Sparks and Martha Moore, who were parents of George Sparks who married Elizabeth Wells, who were parents of James Sparks who married Mary Ann Ellis, who were parents of James E. Sparks who married Carrie Burch, who were parents of Belle Sparks who marred George W. McKenney, who had been in Van Buren, Iowa with the Hackney family during the 1860s, and whose son, James Albert McKenney, married Vera Crockett, daughter of Samuel Kelly Crockett and Sarah Elizabeth Hackney (sister of Paris) in 1904.

Returning to Samuel Knox and Malinda Doughty. Another son of theirs was William Doughty Knox, born 1822 Dec 23 in Kentucky. He moved to Wapello County (next to Van Buren), Iowa where, on Nov 15 1846, he married Amanda Jane Doughty…yes, a relation of his, a first cousin. She was daughter of Skillman Doughty b. 1797, died 1887 June 12 in Iowa, who married a Jane Downey, and Skillman was a son of Thomas Doughty and Mary Skillman, who were also parents of Malinda Doughty.

Thomas Doughty and Mary Skillman were also parents of Francis Fanny Doughty b. 1786 who married James Mason Ellis, who were parents of Mary Ann Ellis who married James Sparks, who were parents of James E. Sparks who married Carrie Burch, who were parents of Belle Sparks who married George McKenney Jr. So, Dora and James E. Sparks were 2nd cousins descending from Thomas Doughty.

But back to William Doughty Knox who was Dora Knox’s uncle. Here’s where it gets really interesting. The Stuart/Morgan Family History on Ancestry states: “Was a farmer till 1853, when he went into the mercantile business in Abingdon, Iowa. In 1856 he moved to Illinois, and in 1859 he traveled to California to look for gold. Have heard that William never returned from California.”

It’s rather odd that both Paris Wood Hackney, and the uncle of his wife, are given as having gone to hunt for gold in California and never returning.

In 1870 William Doughty Knox was in Virginia City, Storey, Nevada, a teamster living in what looks to be the hotel of Antoine Montoi, a prostitute, with miners, a seamstress and a saloon and bar keeper. In 1880 he was in Carson City, Ormsby, Nevada, working as a carpenter and living in the household of Daniel W. Smith, a tailor.

================================================================================
Husband: Paris Wood Hackney
================================================================================
Born: 1855 Jan 5 – , , Iowa
Christened:
Died: Unknown
Buried:
Father: William S. + Hackney (1820-1891)
Mother: Mary Jane + Enlow (1824-1895)
Marriage: 1898 circa Place:
——————————————————————————–
Events
——————————————————————————–

1. Birth: 1855 Jan 5.

2. Name: William S.’s sister Margaret married a Paris CALDWELL 1845.
It’s possible Paris was named for his uncle. The Wood is possibly a
namesake for his grandmother Elizabeth Wood Enlow.

3. Census: 1856 Lick Creek, Van Buren, Iowa. Iowa, Van Buren County,
Lick Creek Township
Pg. 300
John SEARS PA trader and Rosan (his is illegible age, perhaps 58)
90/91 Ann LUCAS 60 PA
William HACKNEY 34 OH farmer
Mary J. 32?
Amos S. 15 IA
William F. 5
James 4
92/92 Perrs M. 1
John VANSEL 34 IL and Lydia from IN
Martha 7 IL and children
93/93 Elizabeth WILBERN 49 OH and family
…
97/97 Bluet PARTLOW 50 OH
Letta 33 IN
Jams 11? IA
Emilin HALE 4
Marshall HALE 1
98/99 Mary BUCKMASTER 90? from Ireland followed by Cyntha b. PA
100/100 George SHAFFER illegible PA
Margaret 53?
Jacob 21 OH
illegible 18
Elizabeth 12
illegible female
H. D. SHAFFER 30?
Nancy J. 21 PA
Others following, David Carson, St. Leger Stout.

4. Census: 1860 Lick Creek, Van Buren, Iowa. 1860 VAN BUREN CO., IA
CENSUS
pg. 295 LICK CREEK TOWNSHIP (pg. 145 ancestry.com)
8 June 1860
319/331 PARTLOW
320/332 GODOWN Mark (OH) and Mahala (PA)
321/333 SCHAEFFER J. (OH) and Elizabeth (OH)
322/334 CARSON D. G. (VA) and Sarah (OH)
323/335 HACKNEY Wm. J. 40 m. farmer $90 $200 b. OH
Mary J. 36 f b. OH
HACKNEY Amos S. 17 b. IA
HACKNEY William 10 b. IA
HACKNEY Parris 6 b. IA
HACKNEY Sarah 2 b. IA

5. Census: 1870 Lick Creek, Van Buren, Iowa. 1870
Lick Creek Township
Birmingham Post Office
8 June 1870
pg. 300
147/140 HACKNEY William S. 50 m w Farmer $610 personal b. OH
Mary J. 43 f w Keeping House b. OH
Paris W. 15 mw Farm Laborer b. IA att school
Sarah E. 12 fw At home b. IA att school
Susan 9 fw b. IA att school
George R. 6 mw b. IA att school
3 June 1870
Birmingham Union Township
Birmingham PO
84/84 THOMPSON E. 62 fw keeping house $1000 $1100 b. PA
HACKNEY W. 19 mw Workmen Blacksmith b. PA
SADDLES ? 16 mw Apprentice wagonmaker b. IL widowed

6. Occupation: Farm Laborer 1870.

7. Census: 1875 Belleville, Howard, Kansas. Pg. 12
97/97 W. S. Hackney 55 Farming $300 $200 Ohio from Iowa
Mary 50
P W 20 Iowa
Sarah E 17
Susan 14
George 10
Elizabeth Enlow 74 b. Mass from Iowa

8. Census: 1900 Murphy, Josephine, Oregon. Source Citation: Year: 1900;
Census Place: Murphy, Josephine, Oregon; Roll: T623 1347; Page: 3A;
Enumeration District: 21.

48/48 Sarah F Knox 69 Jan 1821 md 10 of 12 children surviving b. IL
father b. VA mother b. TN
John G Knox 31 July b. OR father b. IL mother b. IL
Artha F Knox 26 July 1873 b. OR
P W Hackney 45 Jan 1855 md 1 year b. IA parents b. NY gold miner
Sara A Hackney 39 b. Aug 1870 daughter no children b. OR parents b.
IL
Golda Jennings 4 granddaughter Oct 1895 b. OR parents b. OR
Lola Harriott 20 granddaughter April 1880
Geo Elliott 23 Boarder b. OR father b. KY mother b. OH
Harold Robison 18 Boarder b. CA father b. IL mother b. CA

9. Census: 1910 Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona. Source Citation: Year: 1910;
Census Place: Mesa, Maricopa, Arizona; Roll: T624_40; Page: 13B;
Enumeration District: 71; Image: 410.

262/212 Joseph Bartson 50
Charlie Bartson 38
Charles A Bartson 5
Martha L Bartson 4
Mary A Bartson 1 11/12
Pearl Bartson 6/12
John Beal 44 roomer
Paris W Hackney 55 widowed b. IA father b. OH mother b. IN roomer
Hamilton Lefevre 57 married roomer

10. Death: Date of death unknown. Family bible records, “Went to
California (Gold Rush) and wrote back found some gold there but was going
on into Mexico before returning and was never heard from again.”

================================================================================
Wife: Dora A. Knox
================================================================================
AKA: Dora A. Hackney
Born: 1870 – , , Oregon
Christened:
Died: 1923 Aug 29 – , Josephine, Oregon
Buried:
Father: Thomas Lyttleton Knox (1824-1887)
Mother: Sarah Ellen Oglesby (1831- )
——————————————————————————–
Other Spouse: Isaac B. Matney (1869- ) Date: 1912 Mar – ,
Josephine, Oregon
——————————————————————————–
Events
——————————————————————————–

1. Census: 1880 Williamsburg, Josephine, Oregon. Source Citation: Year:
1880; Census Place: Williamsburg, Josephine, Oregon; Roll T9_1081;
Family History Film: 1255081; Page: 151.3000; Enumeration District: 57;
Image: 0515.
88/94 KNOX Thomas L. 55 farmer ague b. KY father b. PA mother b. VA
Sarah E 49 b. IL parents b. TN
George 21 b. OR father b. KY mother b. IL
Oscar 16
Carrie 14
John 11
Dora 9
Frederick 6
89/95 KNOX William 26 b. OR father b. KY mother b. TN
Maggie 22 b. OR parents b. TN
Mary 3 b. OR parents b. OR
Josephine 1
ROBINSON Rosco 13 nephew b. OR parents b. MO

2. Census: 1880 Jacksonville, Jackson, Oregon. Source Citation: Year:
1880; Census Place: Jacksonville, Jackson, Oregon; Roll T9_1081; Family
History Film: 1255081; Page: 109.4000;
100/106 ARMPRIEST James R. 33 IL
Eliza J. 24 OR
Annie F. 4
Hattie B 2
James F. 1
KNOX Dora A 9 sister in law

3. Census: 1900 Murphy, Josephine, Oregon. Source Citation: Year: 1900;
Census Place: Murphy, Josephine, Oregon; Roll: T623 1347; Page: 3A;
Enumeration District: 21.

48/48 Sarah F Knox 69 Jan 1821 md 10 of 12 children surviving b. IL
father b. VA mother b. TN
John G Knox 31 July b. OR father b. IL mother b. IL
Artha F Knox 26 July 1873 b. OR
P W Hackney 45 Jan 1855 md 1 year b. IA parents b. NY
Dora A Hackney 39 b. Aug 1870 no children b. OR parents b. IL gold
miner
Golda Jennings 4 granddaughter Oct 1895 b. OR parents b. OR
Lola Harriott 20 granddaughter April 1880
Geo Elliott 23 Boarder b. OR father b. KY mother b. OH
Harold Robison 18 Boarder b. CA father b. IL mother b. CA

4. Census: 1910 Murphy, Josephine, Oregon. 76/77 KNOX Sarah E. head 74
widowed 10 of 12 children surviving IL father b. VA mother b.TN
John B. single 44 OR father b. KY mother b. IL
HACKNEY Dora daughter 38 widowed 2 of 2 children surviving OR b. KY
father b. IL
JENNINGS Olda granddaughter 14 OR father b. KS mother b. OR (single)
HACKNEY Mary granddaughter 8 OR father b. kY mother b. OR
DERRICK Ike nephew 50 b. OR father b. PA mother b. IL

5. Census: 1920 Unable To Locate.

6. Death: 1923 Aug 29 , Josephine, Oregon. Oregon Death Index, 1903-98

================================================================================
General Notes: Husband –
================================================================================

Sadie wrote that her brother Paris Wood went to California during the gold rush, that he wrote home saying he had found gold and would be going to Mexico before returning, and that he was never seen again. It was supposed he’d been killed in Mexico for his gold.

He’s located in 1900 in Oregon, a gold miner and in 1910 he was a miner in
Maricoa Arizona.

Amos S. Hackney

Posted on December 12, 2010 by jmk

Amos S. Hackney, b. 1843 Nov 26 in Van Buren County, Iowa, was a son of William S. Hackney and Mary Jane Enlow. He died Sept 2 1915 an was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Belleville, Kansas.

On Nov 20 1879, in Van Buren County, Iowa, Amos married Julia E. Her family is unknown right now. If anyone passes this way who has this info, please let me know.

Another question mark is their eldest daughter Cora, b. 1881. I don’t know who she married.

I’ll just post here a report on the family from my gene program.

================================================================================
Husband: Amos S. Hackney
================================================================================
Born: 1843 Nov 26 – , Van Buren, Iowa
Christened:
Died: 1915 Sep 2
Buried: – Oak Hill Cemetery, Belleville, Chautauqua, Kansas
Father: William S. + Hackney (1820-1891)
Mother: Mary Jane + Enlow (1824-1895)
Marriage: 1879 Nov 20 Place: , Van Buren, Iowa
——————————————————————————–
Events
——————————————————————————–

1. Birth: 1843 Nov 26 , Van Buren, Iowa. Bible of McKenney Lloyd
Clinton gives 25 Nov.
Likely born in Van Buren Co.

2. Name: Mary Jane’s eldest brother’s name was Amos Wood. Amos may
possibly be a namesake.

3. Census: 1850 Union, Van Buren, Iowa. 1850 VAN BUREN CO., UNION
TOWNSHIP
pg. 390 B
Enumerated 2 Nov. 1850
87/87 Robert JAMISON and Emily
88/88 Hannah YOUNG
David JAMISON
89/89 John CALHOUN and Isabella
Julia FOX
Paschal KOOTING?
90/90 Lown BENJAMIN and Eliza
Jepa PARRISH
John ALEXANDER
91/91 Edward ENLOW 50 m $200 b. KY (John ALEXANDER is given as being a
clerk and Edward has a scribble so may be a ditto)
Elizabeth 50
? 25 m clerk OH
Ann 17 b. OH
Susan 14 b. IA
Jane HACKNEY 22 b. OH
Amos HACKNEY 6 b. IA
Charles 3 b. IA
W. 8/12 b. IA

4. Census: 1856 Lick Creek, Van Buren, Iowa. Iowa, Van Buren County,
Lick Creek Township
Pg. 300
John SEARS PA trader and Rosan (his is illegible age, perhaps 58)
90/91 Ann LUCAS 60 PA
William HACKNEY 34 OH farmer
Mary J. 32?
Amos S. 15 IA
William F. 5
James 4
92/92 Perrs M. 1
John VANSEL 34 IL and Lydia from IN
Martha 7 IL and children
93/93 Elizabeth WILBERN 49 OH and family
…
97/97 Bluet PARTLOW 50 OH
Letta 33 IN
Jams 11? IA
Emilin HALE 4
Marshall HALE 1
98/99 Mary BUCKMASTER 90? from Ireland followed by Cyntha b. PA
100/100 George SHAFFER illegible PA
Margaret 53?
Jacob 21 OH
illegible 18
Elizabeth 12
illegible female
H. D. SHAFFER 30?
Nancy J. 21 PA
Others following, David Carson, St. Leger Stout.

5. Census: 1860 Lick Creek, Van Buren, Iowa. 1860 VAN BUREN CO., IA
CENSUS
pg. 295 LICK CREEK TOWNSHIP (pg. 145 ancestry.com)
8 June 1860
319/331 PARTLOW
320/332 GODOWN Mark (OH) and Mahala (PA)
321/333 SCHAEFFER J. (OH) and Elizabeth (OH)
322/334 CARSON D. G. (VA) and Sarah (OH)
323/335 HACKNEY Wm. J. 40 m. farmer $90 $200 b. OH
Mary J. 36 f b. OH
HACKNEY Amos S. 17 b. IA
HACKNEY William 10 b. IA
HACKNEY Parris 6 b. IA
HACKNEY Sarah 2 b. IA

6. Military: 5 Iowa Vol. Inf. Hackney, A. S., e. June 24, 1861, disd.
July 26, 1862, sick.

7. Census: 1870 Place In Census Yet To Be Located.

8. Marriage: 1879 Nov 20. Married at the age of 36 to Julia who was 17.
Lloyd Clinton’s bible gives only the marriage date, not the woman to whom
he married.

9. Census: 1880 Washington, Washington, Kansas. Given as “other” in
census rather than son

1880 KS, WASHINGTON CO.
W. S. HACKNEY 60 b. OH Farmer father b. VA mother b. KY
Mary Jane HACKNEY 56 b. OH father b. KY mother b. MA
Sada Dau HACKNEY 21 IA teacher parents b. OH
Susan Dau 18 IA teacher parents b. OH
George Son 16 IA parents b. OH
Amos S. Other 36 IA farmer parents b. OH
Julia wife 18 IA parents b. OH

10. Occupation: Farmer 1880.

11. Census: 1885 Farmington, Washington, Kansas, USA. 1885 KS Washington
Co. Farmington
4/4 WILLBRANDT Lewis
5/5 HACKNEY A S 41 b. IA from IA
J E 24
Cora 4 b. KS
William 2
6/6 BLACKSTONE WC

12. Census: 1900 Place In Census Yet To Be Located.

13. Census: 1910 Strike Axe, Osage, Oklahoma. Source Citation: Year:
1910; Census Place: Strike Axe, Osage, Oklahoma; Roll: T624_1268; Page:
2B; Enumeration District: 167; Image: 1087.
47/47 HACKNEY AS 66 md 30 years b. IA parents b. OH
J E 49 3 of 3 children surviving b. IA father b. VA mother b. OH
NUTTLE ? boarder 49 b. IN
Mary wife 22 b. IL

14. Death: 1915 Sep 2. Died at the age of 71. He and his parents
are buried at the Oak
Hill Cemetery.

15. Cemetery: ? Oak Hill Cemetery, Belleville, Chautauqua, Kansas.
HACKNEY, George R. 23 Aug 1864 19 Nov 1890
HACKNEY, William S. 17 Mar 1820 02 Jun 1891 Co. H, 5 Iowa Inf.
HACKNEY, Mary J. 02 Jan 1895 w/o Wm. S. (70 y, 1 m, 28 d)
HACKNEY, Amos S. 26 Nov 1843 02 Sep 1915 Co. H, 5 Iowa Vol. Inf.
HACKNEY, Julia E. 05 Mar 1861 12 Jan 1939

Photo of Amos S. Hackney’s gravestone taken by John Jackson, Flickr.

================================================================================
Wife: Julia E.
================================================================================
AKA: Julia Hackney
Born: 1861 Mar 5 – , , Iowa
Christened:
Died: 1939 Jan 12
Buried: – Oak Hill Cemetery, Belleville, Chautauqua, Kansas
——————————————————————————–
Events
——————————————————————————–

1. Marriage: 1879 Nov 20. Married at the age of 17.

2. Census: 1880 Washington, Washington, Kansas. 1880 KS, WASHINGTON CO.
W. S. HACKNEY 60 b. OH Farmer father b. VA mother b. KY
Mary Jane HACKNEY 56 b. OH father b. KY mother b. MA
Sada Dau HACKNEY 21 IA teacher parents b. OH
Susan Dau 18 IA teacher parents b. OH
George Son 16 IA parents b. OH
Amos S. Other 36 IA farmer parents b. OH
Julia wife 18 IA parents b. OH

3. Census: 1885 Farmington, Washington, Kansas, USA. 1885 KS Washington
Co. Farmington
4/4 WILLBRANDT Lewis
5/5 HACKNEY A S 41 b. IA from IA
J E 24
Cora 4 b. KS
William 2
6/6 BLACKSTONE WC

4. Census: 1900 Place In Census Yet To Be Located.

5. Census: 1910 Strike Axe, Osage, Oklahoma. Source Citation: Year:
1910; Census Place: Strike Axe, Osage, Oklahoma; Roll: T624_1268; Page:
2B; Enumeration District: 167; Image: 1087.
47/47 HACKNEY AS 66 md 30 years b. IA parents b. OH
J E 49 3 of 3 children surviving b. IA father b. VA mother b. OH
NUTTLE ? boarder 49 b. IN
Mary wife 22 b. IL

6. Census: 1920 Chelsea, Rogers, Oklahoma. 1920 Chelsea, Rogers,
Oklahoma
138/145 Hackney, William 37 single b. KS father b. PA mother b. WV
engineer/operator at oilstation
Julia E. mother 58 widowed b. IA parents b. IA
Janice Leona sister 32 b. KS parents b. IA
Yeager, Melvin boarder 30 b. KS father b. WV mother b. MO
engineer/operator at oil station

7. Census: 1930 Chelsea, Rogers, Oklahoma. 1930 Chelsea, Rogers,
Oklahoma
22/25 Hackney, William A. 47 single b. KS parents b. IA Gager in oil
field
Julia mother 68 wuidowed b. IA parents b. IA
Jane sister 45 single b. KS parents b. IA

8. Death: 1939 Jan 12. Died at the age of 77.

9. Cemetery: ? Oak Hill Cemetery, Belleville, Chautauqua, Kansas.
HACKNEY, George R. 23 Aug 1864 19 Nov 1890
HACKNEY, William S. 17 Mar 1820 02 Jun 1891 Co. H, 5 Iowa Inf.
HACKNEY, Mary J. 02 Jan 1895 w/o Wm. S. (70 y, 1 m, 28 d)
HACKNEY, Amos S. 26 Nov 1843 02 Sep 1915 Co. H, 5 Iowa Vol. Inf.
HACKNEY, Julia E. 05 Mar 1861 12 Jan 1939

================================================================================
Children
================================================================================
1 F Cora Hackney
Born: 1881 – , , Kansas
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse:
Marr. Date:
——————————————————————————–
2 M William Hackney
Born: 1883 – , , Kansas
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse:
Marr. Date:
——————————————————————————–
3 F Janice Leona (Jane) Hackney
Born: 1887 – , , Kansas
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse:
Marr. Date:
——————————————————————————–

================================================================================
General Notes: Husband –
================================================================================

Amos S. b. 25 Nov 1843 IA (seen in Van Buren censuses), died 26 2 Sept. 1915,
is buried at the Oak Hill Cemetery in Chautauqua Co. KS. Fought in Civil War,
union. Co. H, 5 Iowa Vol. Inf. Sarah wrote of watching her father and Amos both
go off to fight in the Civil War when she was a little girl. He married 20 Nov.
1879.
Source for dates: Lloyd McKenney family bible, which has Amos born 25 November
1843)

William France Hackney and Flora Ellen Anderson

Posted on December 11, 2010 by jmk

William France Hackney, born Feb 28 1850 in Iowa, died Oct 26 1915 in Washington County, Kansas, was a son of William S. Hackney and Mary Jane Enlow. On April 10 1872 in Van Buren County, Iowa he married Flora Ellen Anderson, daughter of Foster Anderson and Mary Ann Hardesty. Mary Ann Hardesty’s parents appear to have been a William Hardesty b. abt 1800 and a Mary.

Annals of Iowa
Volume 1 No. 9 January 1865
History of Davis County, Iowa
by Capt. Hosea B. Horn of Bloomfield
Chapter II

In the year 1838, Mr. William Hardesty came to this county and settled onthe disputed territory near the line of Van Buren county. He was from Fountain county, Indiana, and came to the territory of Iowa in company with Uriah Biggs, Esq., who had a contract with the United States government for surveying certain public lands of the “Black Hawk purchase.” He settled on a small stream called Henry Creek, where he lived and died…In the autumn of 1840 Mr. Haden Smith and Mr. William F. Johnson came up from Van Buren…and settled “claims”…This was some two years and a half before the whites were permitted by law to settle on the “purchase.” Hence those adventurers were surrounded on all sides by the Sac and Fox Indians. They were friendly, however, and assisted the squatters to raise their cabins, capture wild game, hunt bees & c., and many of them took a pride in doing so. Some ten or a dozen Indians were present and assisted Mr. Johnson to raise his cabin.

In the 1850 Lick Creek, Van Buren, Iowa census, Foster Anderson was living a couple of doors from Job Yarnell, an assumed relation of Eli Yarnell, father-in-law of William McKenney who is believed to be a brother of our ancestor, George W. McKenney Sr.

I’m just going to take the lazy way out and give a straight out report here from the genealogy file I have on them.

================================================================================
Husband: William France Hackney
================================================================================
Born: 1850 Feb 28 – , , Iowa
Christened:
Died: 1915 Oct 26
Buried: – Washington Cemetery, Washington, Washington, Kansas
Father: William S. + Hackney (1820-1891)
Mother: Mary Jane + Enlow (1824-1895)
Marriage: 1872 Apr 10 Place: , Van Buren, Iowa
——————————————————————————–
Events
——————————————————————————–

1. Birth: 1850 Feb 28 , , Iowa.

2. Name: William S had a sister Isabel Francis. Perhaps she and William
France were named for a France or Francis in the family. Isabel’s first
son was named Francis (Frank) I would think that Isabel had been named
for another Francis in the family. Theodore, another sibling of William
S., named his son Frank.

The family bible (Lloyd Clinton McKenney) gives his middle name appearing
to have been France but this is difficult to make out. It could instead be Frances.

5. Census: 1870 Union, Van Buren, Iowa. W. HACKNEY is here given as born
in PA, but it is actually W. HACKNEY born in IA. He is a workman
blacksmith and is a blacksmith in the 1880 census.

1870
Lick Creek Township
Birmingham Post Office
8 June 1870
pg. 300
147/140 HACKNEY William S. 50 m w Farmer $610 personal b. OH
Mary J. 43 f w Keeping House b. OH
Paris W. 15 mw Farm Laborer b. IA att school
Sarah E. 12 fw At home b. IA att school
Susan 9 fw b. IA att school
George R. 6 mw b. IA att school
3 June 1870
Birmingham Union Township
Birmingham PO
84/84 THOMPSON E. 62 fw keeping house $1000 $1100 b. PA
HACKNEY W. 19 mw Workmen Blacksmith b. PA
SADDLES ? 16 mw Apprentice wagonmaker b. IL widowed

6. Occupation: Workman Blacksmith 1870.

7. Marriage: Married at the age of 22., 1872 Apr 10, , Van Buren, Iowa.
Early Van Buren Co. Marriages
http://www.rootsweb.com/~iavanbur/VBCmarriages_HIJ.html
Hackney, W. F. Anderson, Flora 4/10/1872

Marriage date is also recorded in the family bible.

8. Business: Blacksmith shop, 1876, Washington, Washington, Kansas. The
city in 1876 contained 600 inhabitants. It had three hotels — the
Washington House, by C. Albright, the Central House, by George H. Wilkes,
and the American House, by Mrs. Stevens; five stores of general
merchandise, kept by Barley & Young, Dr. Walden, Smith, Holcomb & Co.,
James S. Vedder & Co., and E. D. & A. W. Moore & Co.; one bank, loan and
real estate agency, by Shriner Brothers; one furniture store, by J. C.
McCew; two groceries, by Penwell & Tucker and John Bilsc; one restaurant
for the sale of fancy groceries and confectionery, by John Crider; two
billiard halls, by Peter Erb and Miller & Allen; two blacksmith shops, by
W. F. Hackney and John Drape.

http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/washingt/70th-3.htm#WASHINGTON

9. Census: 1880 Washington, Washington, Kansas. 1880 KS Washington,
Washington census
pb. 498D
William HACKNEY 30 IA blacksmith
Flora Ellen 27 IA father b. PA mother b. IL
Enid Mable 7 b. IA
Lula Belle 2 b. KS

10. Occupation: Blacksmith 1880.

11. Census: 1900 , Washington, Kansas. Year: 1900; Census Place:
Washington, Washington, Kansas; Roll: T623 503; Page:
2B; Enumeration District: 146.

53/53 HACKNEY William head Feb 1850 50 b. IA parents unk
Laura E. wife April 1853 47 9 of 9 children living b. IA father b. PA
mother b. IN
Lulu B daughter June 1878 21 b. KS parents b. IA
Joe L. daughter May 1886 14 b. KS parents b. IA
Mildred L. daughter July 1892 7 b. KS parents b. IA

12. Census: 1910 Washington, Washington, Kansas. Source Citation: Year:
1910; Census Place: Washington, Washington, Kansas; Roll: T624_459; Page:
2B; Enumeration District: 162; Image: 973.
47/47 WRIGHT George A. 44 md 15 b. OH parents b. OH
Enid A wife 36 md 15 1 child b. IA parents b. IA
Mildred daughter 7 b. MO father b. OH mother b. IA
48/48 HACKNEY William 60 md 38 b. IA parents b. OH
Flora E. 57 md 38 4 of 4 children surviving b. IA father b. PA mother b.
IN
Mildred 17 b. KS parents b. IA
ANDERSON William W. brother-in-law widowed 58 b. IA father b. PA mother b.
IN

13. Death: 1915 Oct 28. Died at the age of 65.

================================================================================
Wife: Flora Ellen Anderson
================================================================================
AKA: Flora Hackney
Born: 1853 circa – , , Iowa
Christened:
Died: Unknown
Buried:
Father: Foster Anderson (1825-1918)
Mother: Mary Ann Hardesty (1830-1873)
——————————————————————————–
Events
——————————————————————————–

1. Census: 1860 Union, Van Buren, Iowa. Source Citation: Year: 1860;
Census Place: Union, Van Buren, Iowa; Roll: M653_342; Page: 127; Image:
372.
779/788 Foster ANDERSON 36 carpenter1300 175 PA
Mary A 31 IN
FLora C 7 IA
Wm W 9
Henrietta 5
Clara B 3
Osckar 10/12

2. Census: 1870 Lick Creek, Van Buren, Iowa. Source Citation: Year:
1870; Census Place: Lick Creek, Van Buren, Iowa; Roll: M593_421; Page:
302; Image: 604.
Daniel RENECKER household
145/168 ANDERSON Foster 44 farmer 3200 920 PA
Mary A. 41 IN
William W. 18 IA
Ellen F 14
Hamilton 15
Carri B 12
Oscar 9
Mary J 8
Nettie 6
James W 4
illegible 1 (female?)

3. Census: 1880 Washington, Washington, Kansas.

4. Census: 1900 , Washington, Kansas. Year: 1900; Census Place:
Washington, Washington, Kansas; Roll: T623 503; Page:
2B; Enumeration District: 146.

5. Census: 1910 Washington, Washington, Kansas. Source Citation: Year:
1910; Census Place: Washington, Washington, Kansas; Roll: T624_459; Page:
2B; Enumeration District: 162; Image: 973.
47/47 WRIGHT George A. 44 md 15 b. OH parents b. OH
Enid A wife 36 md 15 1 child b. IA parents b. IA
Mildred daughter 7 b. MO father b. OH mother b. IA
48/48 HACKNEY William 60 md 38 b. IA parents b. OH
Flora E. 57 md 38 4 of 4 children surviving b. IA father b. PA mother b.
IN
Mildred 17 b. KS parents b. IA
ANDERSON William W. brother-in-law widowed 58 b. IA father b. PA mother b.
IN

6. Census: 1920 Washington, Washington, Kansas. 2nd January
Sheet 1B
201 18/18 HACKNEY Flora Head own free fw 66 wd b. IA father b. PA mother
b. IN
Mildred daughter fw 27 sg b. KS father b. IA mother b. IA Trimmer at a
Millinery Store for wages
19 WRIGHT George A. rent mw 54 md b. OH father b. PA mother b. OH
Commercial (trimmer?) Calendars for wages
Enid wife fw 46 md b. IA father b. IA mother b. IA
Mildred daughter fw 17 sg b. MO father b. OH mother b. IA

7. Census: 1930 District 34, Washington, Washington, Kansas. April 23
Sheet 3A
201/62/62 HACKNEY Flora Head own $3500 has radio, doesn’t live on farm
fw 77 wd 19 b. IA father b. PA mother b. IN
Mildred Daughter fw 38 single b. KS parents b. IA Clerk at post office
WRIGHT George A. Son in law mw 63 md. 21 b. OH parents b. PA Salesman
(can’t read for what) not a veteran
Enid Daughter fw 57 m 21 b. IA parents b. IA

8. Property: Home valued at $3500 1930.

================================================================================
Children
================================================================================
1 F Enid Mable Hackney
Born: 1873 – , , Iowa
Christened:
Died: Unknown
Buried:
Spouse: George A. Wright (1866- )
Marr. Date: Bef 1903
Spouse:
Marr. Date:
——————————————————————————–
2 F Lula Belle Hackney
Born: 1878 – , , Kansas
Christened:
Died: 1914
Buried: – Washington Cemetery, Washington, Washington, Kansas
Spouse: Algie ( – )
Marr. Date:
Spouse:
Marr. Date:
——————————————————————————–
3 F Joe L. Hackney
Born: 1886 – , , Kansas
Christened:
Died: Unknown
Buried:
Spouse:
Marr. Date:
——————————————————————————–
4 F Mildred Hackney
Born: 1892 Jul 4 – , , Kansas
Christened:
Died: 1984 Aug – Long Beach, Los Angeles, California
Buried: – Washington Cemetery, Washington, Washington, Kansas
Spouse:
Marr. Date:
——————————————————————————–

================================================================================
General Notes: Husband –
================================================================================

William is mentioned below as having a blacksmith shop in Washington KS by
1876.

http://skyways.lib.ks.us/genweb/washingt/70th-3.htm#WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON

Town Company Organized County Seat In 1859

Washington, the county seat of Washington County, is situated in the valley of
Mill Creek, one mile north of the geographical center. Three different towns
were rivals for the county seat. The first was at the center, the second was on
Mill Creek, close to James McNulty’s, and the third the present site. An
election was held in April, 1860, the result being in favor of the present
location. The town was organized September, 1859. The incorporators were Geo.
G. Pierce, H. Lott, James W. Darby, R. C. Darby and David E. Ballard. In
September 1869 Colonel Bowen acquired an interest by the assignment of R. C.
Darby. D. E. Ballard played a prominent part in the history, development and
progress of the county and city. He was the only commissioned officer who went
out of Washington county during the war. His past efforts in our interests, as
well as his last in aid of our railroad enterprises, should always be
remembered in a spirit of just appreciation. The first house was built by Mr.
Ballard and George Pierce. It was also the first school house, and second
hotel.

The second house built and occupied was by Thomas Bowen, at Mr. Melvin’s
blacksmith shop, a log cabin 12 by 14 feet. Later it was the headquarters of
McClimate, one of the New York colony that was driven back by the Indians from
White Rock in 1870. In this cabin was also the first store; goods were sold out
of a big box when needed, shelves being superfluous. Mr. Woolbert, sr., built
the first hotel. It was made of logs, put up endwise, stockade fashion, and six
inches thick. It was afterwards sold to the county for a temporary court house.
Burning down in the spring of 1869, it was rebuilt by the county in 1871,
burning again, December 15, 1872, rebuilt again by the Insurance Company July
1, 1873.

The first land broken on the site was on block twenty-nine, previous to proving
up on the land. There were living on the townsite, at that time, Elgin
Richards, who proved up on the east 1/2 of the northwest 14 of Section 1, and
the north 1/2 of the northeast 1/4 of Section 2, also Christian Strohm who
entered the east half of the northeast 1/4 of Section 11, and the south half of
the northeast 1/4 of section 2, each one proving up separately, and then
deeding their land to the above named company. The 80 acres of land lying south
of East Washington was then part of the town site. D. E. Ballard afterward
bought up the lots and sold them to S. F. Snider, who sold them to Mr.
Sprengle.

James McNulty and D. E. Ballard built and kept the first regular dry goods
stores. At that time they had mail once a week from Marysville. It was kept in
a candle box with two partitions in it. As late as 1859, deer, elk and antelope
were to be seen close to the city limits. When the war broke out Geo. G. Pierce
and Thos. Bowen went into the U.S. Army, leaving the town in charge of D. E.
Ballard, under the laws of the State governing the same. A partial drawing of
lots was made on August 22, 1860, and others set aside to give away to them
that would build. Other lots were given to the county in consideration of the
county seat being located here.

The war arrested for a time the growth of the town, but in 1866 immigration
commenced pouring in. Geo. W. Shriner and Dr. Chas. Williamson of Atchison
county, Kansas, located in Washington in the summer of 1866, and two years
later James F. Tallman and Charles Smith arrived. The stone school house was
built in 1869, being the first school district in the county that voted bonds.
In 1867 was started the first pioneer drug store by Mrs. S. A. Williamson. The
streets were then lined with white topped immigrant wagons. We had but one main
street, and Saturday was gala day. The Mill creek boys ran foot and horse
races, and the rest, all being on an equality — poor alike — sat.around,
braced up each other’s courage, talked politics, and felt better over the
glorious future of the town and county.
The advent of Mark J. Kelley and his Observer a little 7 by 9 newspaper, was a
turning point in our history that should be properly appreciated. It was full
of locals week after week, and advertising the county in glowing colors. It
found its way to the home of Chris Albright in Wisconsin and J. W. Barley in
Ohio. The pen jottings of irrepressible Mark J. Kelley went everywhere into
Eastern homes, and immigration poured in as a sequel. And no wonder; in the
editor’s sanctum might be found the lawyer, the doctor, legislator and future
judge, for Andrew S. Wilson had just moved in from Springfield, Ill. They wrote
copy, corrected proof, distributed ink, forded papers, and as printers call it,
played the “devil” generally.

The city in 1876 contained 600 inhabitants. It had three hotels — the
Washington House, by C. Albright, the Central House, by George H. Wilkes, and
the American House, by Mrs. Stevens; five stores of general merchandise, kept
by Barley & Young, Dr. Walden, Smith, Holcomb & Co., James S. Vedder & Co., and
E. D. & A. W. Moore & Co.; one bank, loan and real estate agency, by Shriner
Brothers; one furniture store, by J. C. McCew; two groceries, by Penwell &
Tucker and John Bilsc; one restaurant for the sale of fancy groceries and
confectionery, by John Crider; two billiard halls, by Peter Erb and Miller &
Allen; two blacksmith shops, by W. F. Hackney and John Draper; two harness
shops, by John R. Pruden and G. E. Ross; two drug stores, by John A. Brown and
William Frank; two jewelers and watchmakers, William Frank and W. Road; two
Boot and Shoe shops, by John W. Ayres and G. A. Caswell; two millinery
establishments, by Miss E. F. Collins and Mrs. John A. Brown; three sewing
machine agencies, by James H. Brown, A. J. Palmer and William Clark; one
butcher shop; one barber shop; one stationery store and post office, by E. N.
Emmons; two livery stables by Samuel Musser and Henry Stevens; one wagon shop,
by Jacob Etter; three boarding houses; three physicians, E. H. Walden, Chas.
Williamson and E. G. Whetstine; one photograph gallery, by E. M. Lewis; one
school house; one hall occupied by the Good Templars, and one by the Masons and
Odd Fellows; one grain elevator and store; two paint shops by S. H. Maunder and
Daniel Lashell; one Presbyterian church; a Methodist Episcopal parsonage. There
were two flouring mills within a half mile of the city, on Mill creek.

William France Hackney’s memorial at Findagrave. Flora Ellen Anderson Hackney’s memorial at Findagrave.

Addie McKenney McWhirt

Posted on December 10, 2010 by jmk

A photo of Addie McKenney McWhirt at her 86th birthday party on October 10th of 1950. Addie McKenney Mcwhirt, was born 10 Oct 1864, and died March 26 1952 in Osage County, Oklahoma. She was married to Samuel McWhirt.

Stories of Liberal, Missouri from George Ashley’s “Reminiscences of a Circuit Rider”

Posted on December 9, 2010 by jmk

Note: Thanks to Greg Olson for sending me the pages of the book from which I made the following transcription.

It was a surprise to see Mrs. Harmon mentioned by Ashley. This would have been Emma Viola Noyes, wife of Orrin Ellie Harmon. She was born 1860 and was the daughter of my ancestors James Allen Noyes and Caroline Atwell, both freethinkers and spiritualists and early members of the town of Liberal, having moved there in 1882. Orrin Ellie and Emma, however, did not move there until 1897–according to both Orrin’s autobiographical sketch in his book on Liberal, and also an obituary–yet Ashley gives himself as meeting “Mrs. Harmon” in 1890. So though the Harmons are understood as having been in Washington state until 1897, apparently they were also in Liberal during 1890 or Emma was there during that time. Her sister, Cora, had died in 1887 and they had taken in her son to raise. Though there is no 1890 census, O. E. Harmon’s father, Asa, in the 1890 Veteran’s census, is found in Nagapine Precinct, Lewis, Washington, so it would seem he was living with his son and daughter-in-law and this record may suggest that that the primary residence of the Harmon’s would have still been in Washington State.

Though the book is given as published in 1941, the year of Ashley’s death, there was either an earlier publication date in a different form, or O.E. Harmon, who wrote “The Story of Liberal, Missouri” was given a copy of the unpublished manuscript, as Harmon included an extract found in these pages, and his book was published in 1921. Ashley, in the 1941 edition, makes mention of his son being 55 years old at the time of the writing, so the work Harmon referenced was not the one which was published in 1941, though the extract he published is verbatim as it appears in this biography.

Two other people mentioned are Mr. Umbrite and Mrs. Yale. Mr. Umbrite was one of the town druggists. The Yale family had been one of the early members of the town. J. P. Moore’s book gives them as later moving to Joplin.

REMINISCENCES OF A CIRCUIT RIDER by George Ashley (1864-1941) published in 1941.

CHAPTER XVIII

LIBERAL IN 1890

Perhaps this is as good place as any to give a brief account of the town of Liberal, in Barton County, Missouri in 1890. Only six miles east of the Kansas line, it was laid out when the Kansas City, Fort Scot and Memphis Railroad (now the Frisco) was built thru there in the early ’80’s. The land of the town site belonged to a lawyer by the name of Walser, who lived in Lamar, the county seat, about fifteen miles east; and altho a small village called Pedro had already been started on a branch of the Missouri Pacific Railroad that ran just west of Walser’s land where it crossed the K. C. F. S. & M. R. R., he induced the R. R. company to lay out another town there and call it “Liberal”.

Walser called himself a liberal–a free-thinker, tho most church people called him an infidel. He certainly had a deep antipathy to the church and Christianity. His purpose was to establish a Freethinker’s paradise in his new town of Liberal, to which he certainly hoped to draw only the better element of free-thinking people. Hence, he wrote in all deeds to lots a provision that it should never be sold to any religious organization or used for any religious purpose. Walser was a man of some means and he advertised his new town far and wide as a town that prohibited preachers and churches, and where Free-thinkers could pursue their course without molestation by religious fools and fanatics. While he thus attracted a few very fine, high-minded, free-thinking people to the town, it turned out later that more had come who were not of the best type.

He started a Free-Thinking newspaper; a Free-Thinking school, and a small corporation to promote these, in which he held a majority of the stock. They put up two buildings, one a small frame hall for lectures, the other a two story building for a school and class rooms.

On the front of the hall was painted in big letters, “U.M.L.” meaning, University Mental Liberty. They invited anyone and all to speak in it who wished, preachers and all, on condition that an opponent might reply to him then and there. They did not get many takers, tho a few did try it once.

This situation went on a few years without any material growth. In fact, the whole thing was a failure from the start. It is true, no church or religious movement has been started in the town; tho a number of religious people in the vicinity were anxious for an opening. It came about in the following way:

Walser, who had the controlling stock in the institution and tried to completely dominate it, had trouble with some of his followers and the whole thing was going to pieces. Apparently, to spite his associates whom he could not control, he formed a plot to sell the U.M.L. Hall to a church. One day, he met a prominent Methodist layman who lived a few miles out, and offered to sell him the U.M.L. Hall fora church if he wanted it, and set a price. This man consulted a neighbor, another Methodist layman next day, and they bought the hall and the land it was on for $500.00 cash; a few laymen advancing the money.

When this became known consternation prevailed in the town. To the Free-Thinkers Walser had sold them out. To the church people who had drifted into the town, and also many in the surrounding country, it was a great feeling of victory. The Presiding Elder of the district was called in, and with the aid of a neighboring preacher, a short revival was held and a Methodist Church organized early in the year 1890. It was placed on a circuit with three other churches, all within a radius of ten miles. This was the circuit the Presiding Elder had written me about while I was in Louisiana, and at which we arrived on the 10th day of May, 1890.

CHAPTER XIX

ARRIVAL IN LIBERAL

Upon our arrival at Liberal about 10 A.M., I left my family at the station while I went to the post office for my letter of instructions. I found that I was first to call on one of the stewards, Mrs. Harmon, who lived in town. I asked the postmaster the way to her house and he told me she was at that hour down at the church at a funeral, and directed me to it. I wondered if it was our church. When I arrived at the church, they were just coming out. I asked Mrs. Harmon and she was pointed out to me. I introduced myself to her. She treated me very cordially and told me to bring my family to her house for the time being and she would be there by the time we got there.

Of course my first question, when I arrived at her home, was whether that was our church where I found her, and if it was one of our people who had died. But I learned it was a Spiritualist church; that there was quite a Spiritualist community in town; that the funeral was for a middle-aged lady, one of their members, who committed suicide–unintentionally.

* * *

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE?

As the ban against religion had broken down, not only the Methodists had invaded it, but the Spiritualists, who were mostly of the Free-thinking type and already there, came forth and built a chapel. A Christian Science lecturer had also visited the town and made a few converts, among them this lady who had inadvertently committed suicide. She had imbibed the idea there was no such thing as disease, pain, ache, or other ailments; that it was all only “mortal mind”‘ that medicine, not even poison, had any effect on the body except thru “mortal mind”‘ and if the mind was strong enough to resist it, it would have no effect at all. And she had set out to demonstrate this fact by deliberately taking a dose of “Rough on Rats”, and proved it by dying. This was my first introduction to Christian Science, not a very favorable one. This is not said in disparagement of Christian Science, as I have since learned to know it better, but only of her misinterpretation of it.

One of the leading men on the circuit was old Brother Ford, a saintly old man of the early Methodist type, who had a definite antipathy to any form of amusement or other diversion. His daughter was organist at one of my churches and often visited at our house. It just so happened that I had learned to play a little on a violin, and we played together one day at my house, when she cautioned me not to let her father know that I had a “fiddle” in the house, lest it would be all off with me on the circuit. We stayed there two years and old Brother Ford never learned that his preacher played the fiddle. If he had, it would have been just too bad for me.

Yes, Brother Ford was one of the finest men that I ever knew, but he belonged to the old time group that had a definite antipathy to almost any kind of amusement; especially dancing, theatres, circuses, etc. I want to say here that exactly thirty-five years later I visited Liberal again and found a fine new church building with an orchestra furnishing part of the music at the services in which there were two violins. I thought of old Brother Ford, who, as the saying goes, would turn over in his grave if he could see it.

Brother Fenis was another good man, one of the stewards who had a small dairy, fruit, and truck farm just outside the town. He supplied the preacher’s two small children with fresh milk every morning without charge. When the blackberries, raspberries or strawberries were ripe, they had to be picked and shipped daily to keep them bearing thru the season. So Brother Fenis stayed home from church one Sunday and picked his berries, and the ultra-pious Sabbath keepers could not endure it. He should have let the berries go and trusted in the Lord and He would take care of it. And the preacher almost lost his reputation because he ignored the complaints and would not bring Brother Fenis before the church board for discipline. Did the free milk cause it? “Strain out a gnat and swallow the camel.”

One of the first things I had to do when I got into the M.E. Church (North) was to procure a Book of Discipline, from which I learned that the use of tobacco by ministers was prohibited. As there was no such prohibition in the South, and the custom was quite common among all classes, I had developed the smoking habit, in a rather mild form; but still I smoked occasionally. Fortunately, I made the discovery before anyone “caught” me at it, and stopped.

CHAPTER XX

THE SPIRITUALISTS

I have referred to the Spiritualist “Chapel”, as they called it, where the funeral was held of the unfortunate woman who died in her effort to demonstrate the truth of her faith, as she understood it. After this, the Christian Scientists could make but little impression in the town, tho one or two more lecturers visited it while we were there. But there was quite a group of Spiritualists and they seemed to flourish, and I had opportunity to become quite well acquainted with it as it was preached and practiced there. I found many good, honest, sincere people who firmly believed in this cult, but many others were charlatans, deliberate impostors, playing upon the credulity of the people.

There were all kinds of mediums dealing with every variety of physical phenomena common to the cult. My wife got along with them much better than I did, for she would always listen with manifest interest to their stories, never expressing any doubts as to their truth, but only amazement and wonder; and they would often tell her that she had all the natural qualities of a successful medium if she would only permit herself to be developed. But I was always skeptical, asking too many foolish questions. A few episodes are worth mentioning as illustrations of what went on.

An elderly lady who lived with a bachelor son in a little two-room cottage at the edge of the town was a prominent medium. All sorts of messages could be had thru table rapping under her dining table in her kitchen, at the low price of ten cents a seance. However no act with less than ten people. The group gathered around the table, all joining hands and placing them on the table, sang a song and rapping would be heard apparently against the leaf of the table on the under side. That was the signal that the spirits had come. Question would be asked and the answers indicated by so many raps. Thus things went on until the old lady died many years later; and when the cult was much run down. Then the son “spilled the beans.”

Note that the seance was always held in the kitchen around the table, in the night the lights out. No one apparently ever noticed that the son was never present at the seance, or that there was a small cellar right under the table and he did the rapping against the floor in such a way that the credulous thought it was against the under side of the table itself. He could easily hear the questions through the thin board floor, and give the answers in raps which the medium, his mother, interpreted.

The man Walser, founder of the town, referred to in the previous chapter, having failed in his great Free-thinking paradise, married a second wife, a prominent spirit medium, and he became in due time an ardent Spiritualist. They promoted a Spiritualist Camp-meeting in a near-by grove one summer, and members of the cult from far and wide came to it; and of course, among them all the real fake mediums in reach, as well as the honest sincere Spiritualists. Among these was a Spirit Photographer who could take your picture with a number of your departed relatives showing in the picture. This was a new phenomenon there and everybody was having their pictures taken with their Spirit friends on it at a dollar a picture.

An old leader among them, but not a medium himself, an ex presbyterian minister who had made several efforts to convert me, came to me with his story about the spirit photographer who wanted to take my picture for nothing, just to convince me. I told him that I did not want the picture for nothing but would gladly pay him ten dollars for it if any of my spirit friends were on it, on one condition: that he let the local photographer of the town, a friend of mine, furnish the plate on which the picture was to be made, and then let the photographer stay with him in the dark room through all the process of preparing the plate for exposure and then developing it. The old man assured me that the photographer would be glad to do it and went away. I did not see him any more until the meeting was over and the photographer was gone. Then he told me that the medium said that I was so skeptical and “negative in character”–whatever that means, that my spirit friends could not gather around me while sitting for the picture and therefore it was useless to try.

They had “materialization” mediums who could made the corpus delicti, or astral body of the departed appear visible to the natural eye, always under certain favorable conditions which were very rare; and some of them could even audibly speak. And here was a case: I have already stated that many of the first settlers in Liberal were Free-thinkers, skeptics who did not believe in any continuity of life after death, much less the return of discarnate spirits. Among these were two close friends, one whose wife was a Spiritualist. One had some years before moved to Carthage, some fifty miles away; the other still lived in Liberal and the two men corresponded regularly. So they fixed up this plot:

It was known that Mrs. Yale would some day come to the camp meeting. So one day, Mr. Umbrite, who still lived in Liberal received a telegram–a real one–from Mr. Yale, saying: “Mrs. Yale has departed from us. Body will arrive in Liberal tomorrow on 11 A.M. train. Make all arrangements. I will follow on next train.” You may guess what affect that had when announced that night at the camp meeting. The Spirit of Sister Yale was called up and communicated with in various ways. Next morning at the 9 o’clock meeting, good old Sister Green, a materializing medium, reported having seen and talked with the spirit of Sister Yale early that morning in her garden.

At 11 A.M., everyone was at the station except Mr. Umbrite, who received the telegram. As the train pulled in, all rushed to the baggage car where the casket was supposed to be. When lo! Sister Yale stepped off the train in her real flesh and blood! Imagine the consternation that followed and what that crowd might have done to the two men if they had been present. At the camp meeting that afternoon, explanations were in order, chief of which was that: Everyone has a “double” and it was Sister Yale’s double or astral body, which had the power of manifesting itself with which they had communicated instead of her real spirit.

Just one other incident that is worth nothing. A door neighbor of ours was a very ardent Spiritualist. She and my wife became intimate friends. They were reading Ben Hur together, reading in turns. On this evening it was her time to read and at our house.

It was washday and my wife was tired. As Mrs. Wheeler was reading, about 9 P.M., my wife dropped off to sleep. When she awoke, Mrs. W. was gone. Next morning my wife went to her house to apologize. “Oh, no,” said Mr.s W., “You were not asleep. You were under control of Belthasar, the Wise Man from Egypt, about whom I was reading. I saw him and left you with him.”

CHAPTER XXI

AN INCIDENT OF HUMAN INTEREST

It was during our second year at Liberal that a little matter especially of deep human interest to me and my wife occurred. I have already said that we had two children, our little boy then approaching five years of age and a little girl nearly three years younger. The little boy was old enough to run errands uptown, about three blocks, and we often sent him on such. One day, he came home from such an errand just before noon, all heart-broken and crying bitterly. In response to his mother’s question as to what was the matter, he buried his face in her lap and sobbed out his story. He had seen an old blind man up on the street corner with a little cup in his hand singing one of our church hymns–he had heard at church–“Lord, Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole,” etc; and he wanted to know if his mother would let him go back and bring the old man whom with him for dinner, as it was then nearly noon.

Of course, she let him do it, and in due time we saw him up the street, leading the man along the narrow board walk by a big stick that the old man carried, which was as high as his waist. The little boy had the little end and the old man the other. They were coming along quite slowly, as the old man knew the walk was narrow and that only a little child was leading him and might inadvertently lead him off the walk. When they arrived, I knew the old man, as he lived in another small town not far away and often made the rounds of the small towns with his cup and singing. We served him a good dinner and he ate it as the blind usually do; and after an hour’s visit, the little boy led him back to his station on the street.

The significance of this story does not consist in the fact that the circuit rider and his wife fed a poor blind man, but in the deep impression the whole thing made on that little boy under five years of age; how his little heart was touched by his singing one of our familiar church songs, which of course, he did not understand; and by his apparent instinctive realization of the handicap of the man’s blindness, and his desire to help him in some way that sent him home crying to ask permission to do this simple little thing for him–bring him home to dinner; and then the immense satisfaction that he derived out of it when he had performed this service.

We can never forget the beaming countenance and the smile of satisfaction on his face when he brought the old man in the house and presented him to us; the satisfaction he took in the man’s eating, and the privilege of returning him to his post on the street corner. I think he got a thrill out of this experience that he has never forgotten; for he is now a man past fifty, a high officer in the U.S. Navy, whose entire adult life has been associated with men of his profession; and yet, he has the same tender heart that always beats with tender sympathy and deep human interest for all the unfortunate sons of mankind.

* * *

WHERE HASTE MADE WASTE

One Sunday evening, just as the sun was setting, I heard a call at my gate, went out and found a couple in a buggy who wanted to get married. I invited them in, but they said they were in a hurry and wanted to know if I could marry them sitting in the buggy. I called my wife out for a witness, examined the license, pronounced the ceremony, left my wife to entertain them a moment while I went in the house to make out the certificate. When I went out and handed them the certificate, they said good-bye and hurriedly drove off. My wife, who has received all the marriage fees ever paid me, made some remark about being the loser this time, and we went in the house. Ten minutes later, there was another call at the gate. I went out and learned that a half mile up the road, the Bride reminded the Groom that he had not paid the preacher, so they turned around, drove back and handed me a five dollar bill with apologies.

We were now approaching the end of our second years on this circuit and it was quite certain that we would move, because that was the custom at that time. But they were pleasant years in which we made friendships that can never be forgotten, and they were fairly successful years from the standpoint of church affairs.

A few years ago, we had the privilege of visiting there again after an absence of over thirty-five years. Of course, the personnel of the town had greatly changed, an it had more than doubled in size; yet we found many old friends who were among the younger people of the town when we lived there; and I spoke again to my old organization in a new church and to a much changed congregation.

Walser, the founder of the town as a Free-thinker’s paradise was long dead and his cult had passed away. The Spiritualists had greatly disintegrated; their organization disbanded and their chapel sold. But the Methodists, Baptists, and Disciples all had flourishing churches. Such is life.

Thus after two years in the M.E. Church, I did not see very much difference between it and the M.E. Church, South, which I had left. They had exactly the same doctrinal standards and general church policy. And so far as politics are concerned, I saw less of politics in the M.E. Church than I did in the M.E. Church, South. While it is probably true that at that time most of the members of the M.E. Church were Republicans, all the members of the M.E. Church, South, were Democrats. But I heard far less general political discussions among members of the M.E. Church than I did in the South among members of the Southern branch. One marked difference I noted at the Conference at Carthage in March 1893. I have refereed to the rigid custom in the South concerning a minister knowing anything about where he might go, or the church knowing anything about the minister it might get until the appointments were read. At this Conference, any Presiding Elder introduced me to a layman I judged to be about fifty-five, who asked me to take a walk with him. He asked me much about myself and my background, and what I thought of going to his church. Of course, I was appreciative and when the appointments were read, I was sent to his church. This was at Rolla, Mo.

The Spiritual Science Association and the Old Spook Hall – This Strange Town

Posted on December 8, 2010 by jmk

THIS STRANGE TOWN–LIBERAL MISSOURI
A HISTORY OF THE EARLY YEARS
1880 – 1910

BY J. P. MOORE
Return to the Table of Contents

The Spiritual Science Association and the Old Spook Hall

[pages 84-90]

The last of the early public buildings associated with the Freethought-Spiritualist era of Liberal to succumb to the caprice of fate and be destroyed was the old Spiritual Science Hall, commonly dubbed “Spook Hall.”

This old building, until the spring of 1962, stood on its original foundation at the northeast corner of Yale and Paine streets. The one-story frame structure, 24×34 feet, was built early in the year 1890 by the Spiritual Science Association, as a meeting place for that organization.

The Spiritual Science Association was formed and incorporated in 1889 by a group of Liberal citizens interested in the promotion of subjects of a “religious, scientific and spiritual character.” The building site was given by Mr. and Mrs. J. K. Belk, pioneer citizens of Liberal, who were participants in the movement. Funds for purchase of building material was raised by contribution among the members of the association. Labor, for the most part, was donated by local mechanics who were either members of the association or friends of the organizers.

The petition for incorporation was dated March 27, 1889, and was granted by the Barton county circuit court as of that date. The purposes and principles of the organization are set forth in the articles of association on record in the Corporation Department of the Secretary of State at Jefferson City, Missouri.

Following are some excerpts taken from a photostatic copy of the Articles of Association, as of record:

ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION

1. We the undersigned, do form ourselves into a religious, scientific society, which shall be located at Liberal, in the county of Barton and the State of Missouri. Said society shall be known and go by the name of the Spiritual Science Association.

2. The principal objects of this society shall be to erect, own and maintain a building or hall in which to hold public meetings of a religious, scientific and spiritual character, establish and maintain a library, and organize and carry on Sunday instruction schools, both for children and adults, where shall be taught lessons of Truth, Virtue, Temperance and Morality, the philosophy of a future life, individual responsibility, the immutable law of reward for good and punishment for evil doing, that all crime must be atoned for by the criminal. The science and philosophy of life teaches this, as we understand it, and from this inevitable law of nature there is no escape. Individual responsibility and accountability, when properly understood, is the incentive to a just, upright and virtuous life. Such is our religion and such our teachings to all, and especially to the young; with a proper and persistent inculcation of these great moral principles, we believe a society can be greatly improved and crime diminished.

We believe that the individual and personal benefits, and the mental and spiritual satisfaction and joy deriving from living a just and upright life does not end with our earthly existence, but goes with us to our spiritual and eternal home beyond the grave, where we take up the thread of our individual existence just where it was dropped in this life.

3. It shall be the duty of this society, as soon as practicable, to procure suitable grounds and erect thereon a building, or hall, for the use and purposes of this society, as heretofore stated. For these and other purposes, before mentioned, this association may buy, take by gift, bequest or devise any property, real, personal, or mixed, for the purposes set out in the foregoing articles of association, and may dispose of same for reinvestment for like purposes.

4. We do appoint for the purposes of this society, the following officers for the ensuing year, and until their successors are duly elected and qualified–namely:

For President, L. L. Suydam.
For Secretary, Emily Ashman.
For Treasurer, N. A. Suydam.
For Lecturer, Glasgow Thompson.

PETITIONERS

J. H. Ashman
Glasgow Thompson
Silas Andrews
Joseph Owram
A. L. Andrews
Jennie Noble
Jas. Colwley
N. A. Suydam
J. H. Branson
John McRae
Jennie Owram
L. L. Suydam
S. E. Branson
Mary McRae
J. B. Miller
Fannie Miner
Emily Ashman
J. W. Adams
Mrs. J. W. Adams
Charity Belk
Lottie H. Greeley
M. A. Cowley
Minnie A. Owram
Birdie Cowley
Frances E. Cowles
J. K Belk
W. S. Van Law
N. L. Rockwell

The foregoing is the end of the excerpts.

It seems it could be said, without bias, that the moral and ethical standards of the association, as proclaimed in its declaration of principles, are excellent and offer a good pattern for ideal human behavior.

At the meetings of the association there were lectures covering fields of interest to the membership; and for some years there was regularly held the Sunday instruction school. Mrs. Charity Belk was among the teachers, and Glasgow Thompson lectured regularly. Others lectured on occasion; and it is well authenticated that spiritualist activities were indulged in at the old hall, and at more or less regular intervals. There are those yet living, at the time of this writing, who recall that spiritualist “circle nights” were long held there twice weekly. These meetings were not open to the general public; but there were invited guests at nearly every “circle night.” These invited guests were usually limited to persons expressing a sincere interest and desire to investigate spiritualism.

The members endeavored to maintain strict decorum at all times. But there are old stories that occasionally pranksters would get in, who, with great glee, sometimes succeeded in turning the meetings into high jinks with the “spooks.” Because of these extraneous activities the old buildings came to be dubbed “Spook Hall.” The name stuck, even long after the name “Spiritual Science Hall” had been forgotten by all but a very few old-timers.

Records show that the date of the founding and the tenure of the association ran concurrently with the rise and decline of the spiritualist movement in Liberal and the big encampments at old Catalpa Park.

Every person whose name appears in the papers of the association was a well known a prominent citizen of Liberal at the time. Now each one of them has passed from among the living, and there presently remains of them only a memory in the minds of a few persons who were young then but now are old.

How true the words of George D. Prentice in his philosophic essay entitled “Death:”
“Generations of men will appear and disappear as the grass. The multitudes that throng the earth today will disappear as footsteps on the shore.”

After the association seems to have run its course, interest waned and audiences were hard to come by, the organization fell apart and the old hall property was sold back to the Belks for $200. The date of the sale was January 21, 1903. The instrument of transfer, a quit claim deed, was signed by W. S. Jones and J. H. Roberts, trustees. Jones was a wagonmaker, a trade now extinct as far as this region is concerned. Roberts was a merchant. Then on July 24, 1930, the property was bought by the Liberal school district, and used for school purposes until the building was disposed of. In the interim, while owned by the Belks, the old hall was used for public meetings of various kinds, including dances, and sometimes as a private residence.

With respect to activities at the old Spook Hall, the late Fred J. Gray, of Lamar, wrote in the Lamar Daily Democrat, date March 30, 1946, the following:

“Forty-three years ago the writer (Gray) was teaching in the grades of Liberal’s (schools). He attended the funeral services of Mrs. (John) Becker in the Spiritualist Hall, across the street east of the school building.

It was a service such as we have never witnessed elsewhere. It was fittingly adapted to the occasion and to the beliefs of the spiritualists in charge. The service was most impressive and to some extent weird. Bryant’s great poem, Thanatopsis ( a view of death), was read in its proper setting. It took on a new meaning and seemed most fitting for the occasion. It offered all the comfort that nature gives, “When thoughts of the last bitter hour comes like a blight over thy spirit.” Neither the deeply religious man nor the skeptic could find any objectionable sentiment in it.

This reading was followed by a discourse by the Hon. G. H. Walser. His subject was “The Chemical Laboratory of the Soul.” The discourse was esoteric, as the Hindoo would say; that is, no one but the initiated could understand it. In the course of his talk, Mr. Walser told of being present on three occasions when the deceased and he, himself, had communicated with the spirit of her departed son.

Because so much of Liberal’s early and unusual history revolved around the old hall, it was felt by some that it should be preserved as an historical monument, to stand as an interesting and visible link between the more or less turbulent days of Liberal’s formative years and the ever present time. Such movements are a trend of the day at this time, and this could have been a tourist attraction of much value to Liberal, linked as it was with the town’s beginning. With this in mind a few interested citizens did earnestly bring this to the attention of the public; also to the attention of the Board of Education, the City Council and the Chamber of Commerce, but were unable to generate sufficient interest to get anything done.

The school board offered to give the building to any responsible organization, for the purposes suggested, taht would move it from the premises, but there was no taker. So the old building was sold, and the buyer tore it down for the material.

And now old “Spook Hall” is gone, and a splendid opportunity to use it as an historical monument has been lost. Some imaginative future generation may justly and understandably criticize. Even some persons yet living may do so with a touch of nostalgia.

Marriage License of Mary Sparks and Samuel McCormick

Posted on December 7, 2010 by jmk

Francis Partch has located the marriage certificate of Mary Sparks and Samuel McCormick. Their marriage took place at Osage Mission, Neosho County, Kansas on December 31st of 1872. This is interesting as it places the Sparks in Neosho County at the same time that the McKenney family is in Neosho. George Washington McKenney Jr., who later married Belle Sparks, was boarded out to an Osage Mission family in the 1875 census.

Marriage license of Sparks and McCormick

Evermore Genealogy

With special emphasis on the Irish McKenna/McKenney family of Guernsey, Harrison, Monroe Counties of Ohio, most of the known members of the family moving west in the mid 1800s, and the Kearns family of Mobile, Alabama who immigrated from Ireland during one of the great potato famines.

Monthly Archives: December 2010

Nathaniel Atwell and Lydia Hunkins

Nathaniel Sanford Straughan and Mary “Polly” Brewer

Robert Harrington Johnson and Bathsheba/Bersheba Potter

Paris Wood Hackney and Dora Knox

Amos S. Hackney

William France Hackney and Flora Ellen Anderson

Addie McKenney McWhirt

Stories of Liberal, Missouri from George Ashley’s “Reminiscences of a Circuit Rider”

The Spiritual Science Association and the Old Spook Hall – This Strange Town

The Spiritual Science Association and the Old Spook Hall

Marriage License of Mary Sparks and Samuel McCormick