Episode 8

The following is Episode 8 of 8 written in the summer of 1995 (this particular episode has addendums written later in 1995) and shared with our three daughters, to begin sharing with them our ancestors stories. We have shared many stories in the meantime, and regularly keep them up to date on our research.

I am posting each of these stories here in order to demonstrate what can be done, and, to make the information available to interested others. PLEASE NOTE: these have not been edited and updated for new information, so if you read this, take the information WITH THAT IN MIND! Thanks! Enjoy reading this slice of our lives.

Episode 8

Walter Kinnick Siblings

From Episode 5, The Kinnick Gap:

This is where the gap is. Who is the next ancestor back from Walter W., father of Walter Watson, father of Alonzo? Is that person (her) Joseph, a son of Joseph, or someone else entirely? This is the challenge.

When we were in Princeton, we were shown a box of 3 by 5 note cards in the Genealogy Room of the Public Library. They were put there by people doing work on various Surnames. Under Kinnick, we found one card, "Joseph." The card had the name of a lady in Colorado who was seeking information on Joseph KINNICK/Rachel MERCER (this Joseph is a son of Walter W (the older) and a brother of Walter Watson, therefore, an uncle of our Alonzo). I sent her a letter, including some details we had beyond what it appeared from the card that she had. I heard back from her in about a month. Turns out she was actually looking for a KENIKE family, no relation...but...she enclosed a letter and charts, from a lady in Oregon, dated 1978, that contained the names of the siblings of the older Walter W. KINNICK!!! ...as well as the correct (I need to confirm, but looks realistic) spelling of the maiden name of his wife, Susan SCHWYHART (copy attached). Note there are four sisters of Walter listed as Dorcas, Sarah, Mary, and Catherine. No brothers (a clear reason it has been hard to find information under KINNICK!). Even their spouses are named: DALLAS, TRACY, TRIPLETT, and BUFKIN, respectively, along with a number of their children, including their birthdates. Note that the birthdates are only given as years, or year approximations, but exact dates and places of marriage are listed for all five.
Following receipt of this information, we were able to match the Mary KINNICK (sp. James TRIPLETT) with a list Nancy had gotten from the LDS Family History Center (about a block from our house) listing Mary KENNICK (AFN: KJ8X-57) with spouse James TRIPLETT (provided by a lady in CA, descended from another wife of James). We went over and ran the family group and it all matched!!! Their children, place of birth, marriage dates and places, spouses, more children... confirmed from two independent sources (specific details were different, so seems they came from different searches). Made us feel pretty good. Still need earlier info, of course, but makes it even more encouraging to keep looking. By the way, the current LDS file on James TRIPLETT lists a third wife, in between, of whom the lady from CA was apparently not aware. Interesting! I sent her a copy of this information. Haven't heard back to this date.
Some observations on genealogical research at this point using this experience as a point of reference: First, I used "siblings" in the title of this episode for a reason. I believe it is essential to gather sibling information (that is, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles) to give yourself a reasonable chance to locate information on past generations. [Many people only look at their lineage, the direct descendants only, not siblings]. Our "gap" is information on the parents of Walter W. (the older). Now that we know his siblings, in this case his sisters, we can begin looking at their documents (the sisters' information and records) for evidence of the parents' information. Since they were all females and each married, we now know to look under DALLAS, TRACY, TRIPLETT, and BUFKIN and not KINNICK!!!
Second, it is essential to follow all available leads. It would have been very easy here to have ignored that 3x5 card with the name of Joseph KINNICK on it. I already had extensive information on that family and could not reasonably have expected to get anything new. Yet I sent a simple query... and got an extremely pleasant surprise. Follow all leads!
Finally, gathering and maintaining records for cross-checking information is vital. We had no idea, for instance, that the Mary KENNICK listed on the LDS printout (of about 80 names) would be one we were looking for. We ran the list of all similar names to have ready to check-out as time was available. I had checked off those on the list which were already mentioned in the 1953 Kinnick Genealogy book. The "Mary" entry was one that I had marked to check-out when we had time. It moved to the top of the list with the receipt of the other information.
There were other useful bits of information in the new sheets from Oregon (circa 1978, no longer at that address) via Colorado. There is a mother's name (Mary), speculation on the father's name (William?) and information on Ohio locations not previously known. Let's look at the location information first.
We previously only knew that Walter Watson KINNICK was born 11 Oct 1940 in Belmont County, Ohio. Now we see references to Union Township, Belmont County (two marriages of sisters), and to Beaver Township, Guernsey County (actually Beaver Township is in Noble County after 1860). Dorcas (m. 6 Nov 1823) and Sarah (m. 1 Jan 1828) were married in Union Township, Belmont County. Mary was married 10 Jul 1831 in Guernsey County and Catherine was married 1 Mar 1832 in Belmont County. It appears Walter and Susan were married in Belmont County before 1835, but that is not yet documented. Walter and Susan had children Mary E. (b. abt 1835, per census records), Sarah, John, Joseph, Walter Watson and Catherine born in Ohio. Jacob (b. 4 Jan 1846), Margaret, Susan, Evelina, and Mary S. (b. abt 1856) were born in Illinois. It will be interesting to visit the courthouses, libraries and historical/genealogical societies in these Ohio locations someday.
There is apparently an 1830 Belmont County, Ohio, census record listing a Mary, age 50-60, as mother of the siblings, as well as a death record of the same person after 1830, same location. The speculation of a father named William (death 1823-1830, same location) comes from the name on a bond for the marriage of Dorcas KINNICK. It is suggested the name could refer to a brother, but there is no other such reference. This would, again, suggest that Walter might be a son of "the other" William KINNICK from Maryland in the Revolutionary War:

...shows two William Kinnicks living at the same time and confirms my deduction that there were two William Kinnicks in the Revolutionary War. The names of those serving in the Revolutionary War were taken from the Archives of Md. Vol. 189 Muster Rolls and other records of the Maryland Troops, etc. (p. 6, Kinnick Genealogy book, notes of Robert F. Hayes, Professional Genealogist)

There is much work yet to be done, but there are now more tools with which to dig in and do the work.
This is an addendum to Episode 8, Walter Kinnick Siblings

I am leaving the first part of this as I wrote it, to illustrate the thought processes going on over several weeks, as more information became available.

Addendum added 10-21-95 (not sent out ['til now, of course!]):

An alternative on the parents of Walter W KINNICK: Maryland Records for Anne Arundel County - Marriage Licenses, p. 449, lists John KERRICK m. Mary ISSAC, Jan. 12, 1790.
There is a record of birth on LDS IGI for a Mary KINNICK, 13 Aug 1804, Cecil County, Maryland. This is very close to the birth of Mary KINNICK who later married James TRIPLETT, and sister of Walter W. The father is listed as John KINNICK. No mother's name listed.
There is another interesting fact from the KINNICK Book. Probably not related, but who knows. "Percilla, daughter of John and Mary Kinnick, was baptized by the Rev. Rt. Rev. Thomas John Clagget 19 May 1800. She was born Feb. 1, 1800. (From Trinity Parish Register Charles County, Maryland)."
Sarah (1802), Walter (1809), and Catherine (1815) are all shown on census data to have been born in Maryland. Information to date on Dorcas, listed in my source as oldest, only suggests born between 1800-1810, no place shown (she married in 1823).

Narrative on known information on Walter and four sisters, 10-24-95:

Since Sarah was 71 years old when she died on 1 Jan 1872, her birth was probably late in 1801.
Although Dorcas is listed first, we do not know her year of birth yet. The 1840 census puts her at 30-40, presumably, therefore, born 1800-1810. She married, however, 6 Nov 1823, did she marry late or early? She was the first married, and was in Union Township, Belmont County, Ohio, at the time. ***Need to follow Joseph Dallas family for more details.
Catherine is, presumably, the youngest of the five children. Her birth is listed as 1815, but I do not know the source; probably death record, but I don't have it yet. ***She is shown as born in 1815, in Maryland. Dorcas marriage in Ohio was Nov 1823. The family seems to have moved during these eight years. ***Where were they for 1820 census?
Potential answer to 1820 census question: From Maryland census, in 1820 there is a Mary, as head of household in Charles Co. In 1810, there is a (head of household) HOH of John KENNICK. In 1800, there is also a HOH of John KENNICK, one white male 26-45, 2 w/male under 10, 2 w/female under 10 and 2 w/female 26-45. (One of these young boys could be the William who vouched for Dorcas in 1823! There is also a William getting married back in Maryland, in 1833?!) ***Need to see details of 1810 and 1820 census.
This could be the John and Mary noted above, married in 1790. That would suggest four children, 2 boys and 2 girls, by the 1800 census.

Additions on 10-28-95, Maryland 1810 and 1820 and Ohio 1830 census data all seem to fit into a coherent pattern:

It does appear that John and Mary had 2 boys and 2 girls between 1794 and the 1800 census. They could very well be the John and Mary noted being married in 1790. One of the boys is probably the William we find in Ohio in 1823 and then back in Maryland getting married in 1833. The other boy, an older brother of Walter, is unidentified at this time. One of the girls is likely the Percilla noted in the KG book as the daughter of John and Mary Kinnick, born 1 Feb 1800, baptized 19 May 1800 in Trinity Parish Register Charles County, Maryland. The other would be Dorcas, born late in 1800 or early 1801, before the census was taken.
The 1810 census, then, shows Walter, presumably, less than a year old, and, also, two more daughters who would be Sarah and Mary. These all follow through on the 1820 census in Maryland, Charles County. In addition, there are two more girls under 10. One would be Catherine, presumably born in 1815. The other is unknown. Also, before 1820, John has apparently died, as Mary is listed as head of household. A note on age of John and Mary. John appears to have been born between 1765 and 1774 according to the age categories in the 1800 and 1810 census. There is a second woman in the 1800 and 1810 census, either older or a helper. In 1800, both she and Mary are in the 26 to 45 category. They split to one of them over 45 in 1810. By 1820, Mary is over 45. Also, we know by 1823 there was a marriage in Ohio, so, presumably they moved.
By 1830, only Walter, presumably, is still in the household with Mary, in Ohio. The others have moved on, married, etc. This seems to fit with other known facts. This would explain why Walter does not show up on his own. Walter would be just 20 years old in 1830 at census time, which fits. Catherine and the other younger girl are gone, off to school or assisting in another household, a common practice at the time.
So, the parents of Walter W. appear to be a John and a Mary now identified through census data. We are searching, now, for the death record of John KINNICK in Charles County, Maryland, and for Mary KINNICK, in Belmont County, Ohio, though she might have moved to live with one of her daughters in a neighboring county. The search goes on. We also are seeking to follow William KINNICK back in Maryland after 1833, and, to identify the other older brother, probably, now, staying in Maryland.
Note that none of this new information places the family in Pennsylvania. Also, however, it does put them in Maryland at the same time as the principle families in the KG book. It is still possible that John might be a son of Joseph. We also believe that the references to Joseph, Jesper and Jasper, in the KG book, are probably all one person, not three. We seek to confirm or disconfirm this theory and the possible linkages. The search is now in Maryland, primarily. There was also a brother, Richard KINNICK, about which we know little except he was listed as a son of William and Sarah in the estate of William, and that he served in the Revolutionary War, in Maryland, in 1776. We also know there was a second William KINNICK in the Revolutionary War, in Maryland, who may also be the father of "our" John. "Our" John, of course, is distinct from the John, son of William and Sarah, who is the principle character in the KG book. "Their" John sold his land in Maryland and moved his entire family to North Carolina, where the balance of the KG book, about his descendants, plays out.
Looking at the rest of the "unused" KINNICK men mentioned in the KG book, there is an adult, George KINNICK, who is recorded in commercial tobacco transactions in 1780, 1781, and 1784. Also, a George, paid $1.00 in support of the clergy in 1805. These transactions were in Saint Mary's County, adjoining Charles County.
In the Charles County, 1810 census, there is also a Patrick KENNICK (John is also listed as KENNICK in the index; reading the actual census you really can't tell the difference.), age 26-45, with 2 females 26 to 45, and two boys and two girls all under 10. The children's ages would seem to explain the extra adult female, a child care person! This Patrick would be a contemporary of our John, having been born between 1765 and 1784, probably closer to the latter, making him somewhat younger than John. He is not listed in either 1800 or 1820. Probably not a head of household yet in 1800, moved elsewhere by 1820.

Added 10-29-95:

There is a Walter KERRICK, which I believe to be KINNICK, in Feb 1768, age 16 (therefore, b. 1752), on land leased from the Lord of Baltimore, "State of His Lordships Manor of Zachaiah in Charles County," by William Simms, age 60 (and Sarah Simms, age 30).
He is the correct age to be the father of John KINNICK, born 1765-1774. Let us say, for instance, that Walter married at age 18, in 1770, and John was born in 1771. He was married, we believe, in 1790, age would be 19 at that time. We have John KERRICK marrying Mary ISAAC on 12 Jan 1790, you recall. There was also in that record, a Francis KERRICK marring Mary DOVE on 21 Feb 1797. These could both be sons of Walter.


Report as of 11-18-95: Have this week received substantial more information on KINNICKs! Not the least of this is a six page research report from the Bureau Co, IL, Genealogical Society with another, maybe, twenty pages of supporting information. I sent in a membership in August. Membership includes access to a research report at minimal cost done by volunteers in exchange for a donation to the society. She did a great job!
Included, among other things, is the death and burial place of Walter W. (the older) and Susan, along with a son, John, and a daughter, Mary, which add much to our understanding of the middle years of that family. They were in a small town, Wyanet, between Dover, where they arrived from Ohio, and Buda, where Walter Watson (the younger) and his family lived. By way of an 1869 lawsuit, we have documentation of land owned by the older Walter which he left to some of his children, but it states that he never lived on the land! Actually, the land, 160 acres, now lays right along I-80, west of Princeton. She provided plat maps dated 1867 and 1875 that both show KINNICK on the maps! Two married daughters lived on adjoining land, as is so often the case.
Forest Hill (Wyanet) cemetery inscription information shows Walter W. d. 28 Feb 1853 at age 43y, 17d. Susan is actually Susanna on her grave, d. 27 Sep 1884 at age 75y, 4m, 25d. They are in plot 1 and 2. In plot 3 is "John S. KINNICK, son of W.W. & S. KINNICK, d. Jun 5, 1851, 16y, 9m, 22d (marker broken off, leaning against Large Kinnick Marker). This is especially interesting, because, this is the John KINNICK listed in the Kinnick Genealogy Book, per "family tradition," [as we family historians call it (that means, they said it, but don't necessarily believe it; work from it and prove or disprove it!)], as "killed in action in Civil War; unmarried." He was 16 years old and died in 1851, ten years before the war started!
But on real Civil War veterans, she included even more detail than I already had that shows both Walter Watson and his brother Joseph served as volunteers from Illinois; but, the served in the 7th Kansas Cavalry! Mom went down to our library and found them both listed, along with a five page detailed write-up on the whole 1861 to 1863 action they were in. A lot of the action was around Corinth, Miss, including the battle of Tupelo and crossing the Tallahatchie river several times. [I know Annette and Larry have visited this area, we'll have to compare notes.] We have at least three separate accounts of how Walter's wife, Mary, accompanied him to Corinth and nursed the troops. [I'll put this all in a separate episode.]
The other child buried in Wyanet was a Mary A. HARRISON, d. 12 Apr 1880, age 23y, 5m, 21d. This information, along with several other bits and pieces (I won't bore you with those details, now; part of it comes out of the lawsuit over land info), solved a couple mysteries noted above about three different "children, " shown on the 1850 and 1860 census. Turns out, the Mary E., listed as oldest daughter of Walter W. and Susan on 1850 census, had married a HARRISON, had two daughters, Evelina and Mary, and died before 1860 (she was not on the 1860 census). There were two youngest "children" listed on the 1860 census as Evelina (b. 1854) and Mary (b. 1856). What wasn't on the census, of course, was that they were actually grandchildren of Susan and their last name was actually HARRISON! Mary's age at death in 1880 puts her as born late in 1856. Elsewhere, I have confirmed an Eva HARRISON as a grand-daughter of Susan.
From several letters to several states, I have received much detailed information on Walter's (the older) four sisters, as noted above (Dorcas DALLAS, Sarah TRACY, Mary TRIPLETT, and Catherine BUFKIN). For instance, we have have located Mary TRIPLETT, buried in Monmouth, Warren Co, IL, in 1882. The TRIPLETT family is well documented, it turns out. I am corresponding with several people working on the line. Just today, I got a letter from the State of Indiana Library, locating information supporting a second and third marriage for Catherine BUFKIN REDDING ADAMSON, and her burial as Catherine B. ADAMSON! I have received preliminary information on the estate of Dorcas's husband Joseph DALLAS in Ohio. I'm still expecting some document to give support to identity of parents of the girls or Walter.
I am confident the John and Mary KINNICK from the census information in Maryland and Ohio supports those names. I do expect some further confirmation on the rest of the relationships. I've attached the latest Family Record Group for both John and Mary and for Walter and Susan.

Note: As I was running the Walter and Susan Family Group Record, I discovered a new relationship! With the correct age of John S., from his tombstone, he becomes the oldest child, not third! You recall from the 1830 Ohio census, it appears Walter, age 20, is the only one still at home with his mother, Mary. She seems to have died shortly after the census, and, Walter appears to have married Susan in about 1833. They then name their first son John (after his father) and their first daughter Mary (after his mother), very common practice. This would seem to be an additional confirmation the father and mother were indeed John and Mary!

Families are Forever! ;-)

Episode 7

The following is Episode 7 of 8 written in the summer of 1995 and shared with our three daughters, to begin sharing with them our ancestors stories. We have shared many stories in the meantime, and regularly keep them up to date on our research.

I am posting each of these stories here in order to demonstrate what can be done, and, to make the information available to interested others. PLEASE NOTE: these have not been edited and updated for new information, so if you read this, take the information WITH THAT IN MIND! Thanks! Enjoy reading this slice of our lives.

Episode 7

The Prairie City Connection - Part I

The town of Prairie City, in Jasper county, Iowa, just east of Des Moines, was (and is) home to many of our ancestors and relatives (and relatives of relatives). There have been Wilsons, Offills, Adkins, Weavers, Yagers, Stauffers, Elliotts, and others who played a variety of roles in the settlement and development of Prairie City. This episode will look at the early settlement of Prairie City and those of interest who took part.
Mary (Polly) Offill married John S. Elliott on 10 Oct 1818 in Kentucky. Their first son was James Hickland Elliott, born 20 Nov 1819. He was only eleven years old when his father died. In the 1830's he went to Owen Co., IN, where in 1839 he was married to Julianna Emaline Hicks. Nine of their sixteen children reached adulthood (See note 1, p. 7).
"After the 1850 census they left Owen County and moved to Coles Co., IL. In the autumn of 1851 they left their Illinois home, leaving the crop in the field and selling it with his cows for almost nothing. The locality they left was stricken with swamp fever and his neighbors were dying of cholera, so he took his family in a wagon, drawn by two horses, and went to seek a future home. The low swamp lands caused him to look for higher ground.
"They came to Iowa and the family picked their way along the Old Indian Trail between the Des Moines and Skunk Rivers and on to the Raccoon River. On all sides lay the virgin soil lush with tall prairie grass, a habitat for prairie chicken and migratory birds by day and night. James Elliott was intrigued and decided to stake a claim and found a town, calling it Elliott. He went to the nearest timber near Walnut Creek and built a cabin, close to timber so his fuel would be handy. This was only a temporary location, for the spot chosen for the dreamed of town was on the prairie.
"They encountered many hardships in building their real home. Wood had to be hauled from Walnut Creek and there was no road. Mud was deep in the sloughs and all creeks had to be forded and picking one's way across the pathless prairie was an arduous task. The beauty of the springtime was enticement for more settlers as the fragrant blossoms scented the air. Finally when Mr. Elliott applied for a postoffice for Elliott along the stage coach road, he was informed that there was another postoffice in Iowa named Elliott so the name was changed to Prairie City (See Note 1, pp. 7-8)."
John and Mary (Offill) Elliott's other five children also migrated westward. Mary died on 16 March 1854 in the settlement, then known as Elliott. (She was buried in Westview Cemetery, Prairie City, Iowa - along with many, many other relatives!)
L.P. (Levi Parsons) Wilson was the son of Eli and brother of George F.H. (father of Norman) Wilson. He was born 16 Jul 1822 in Oneida County, New York, and moved to Peoria Co., IL, in 1834, with his parents. In about 1855 he moved his family to Jasper County, Iowa.
From a Directory of Jasper County: When he (L.P. Wilson) came here, there were only two buildings in sight. He bought 560 acres of land at $1.25 per acre and has improved his land. (He is noted earlier in the sketch as "farmer and stock raiser.") He first moved into a shanty with a man of the name of Elliott (described above). He stopped there four weeks while Mr. Elliott was East. When Mr. Elliott returned, he had two more families besides his own, making four families in a shanty 18 x 22, and only one story, where twenty-nine or thirty persons lived for four weeks. The first few years after he came here, he could buy buffalo meat for 1 cent per pound, brought here from the Northwest. There were plenty of buffalos within fifty miles and elk, deer, wolves, wild turkey and prairie chickens were plentiful. It was reported that one hunter killed forty-one elk in one day. He has ridden wolves down and killed them with a club. He has been backward and forward five times to Peoria, IL, in what they called a prairie schooner.
In some other comments about L.P. Wilson, referring to the first settlers, the Prairie City News reported: He was one of the first constables in these parts. When he came here, there were two houses, owned by J.H. Elliott and William Means.
James A. Offill (subject of the book in Note 1, our direct ancestor, a first cousin of James Hickland Elliott, above) was born 17 May 1819 in Carter County, KY. On 21 Jan 1841 he married Mary Ann Walters in IN. The couple established their new home on a five hundred acre tract of land five miles from Olive Hill, KY. Nine of their eleven children were born in this Kentucky home.
"The peace and quiet was broken by the Civil War which began in 1861. The Morgan band of rebels went through Kentucky burning houses, taking prisoners, stealing horses, and pillaged the small town of Olive Hill, just five miles from the Offill home. Quickly John Franklin (second child, oldest son) joined the Home Guards to help fight the rebel band in that way. When word was received of the coming of the rebels, the horses were hid in the hills by the Home Guards to aid in the escape of the family since the rebels burned homes in their wake. Mary Ann hid bedding and other articles of value in the fodder shocks and other places where they would not be found in a hurried search.
"The raiders passed the Offill homestead before daylight, about a quarter of a mile away. Forty men of the Home Guards were armed with guns and shot thirty of the raiders, without losing a man. The women spent the night in the hills, Mary Ann holding Rhoda Jane (the youngest) on her lap throughout the night. Fifteen homes were burned within a radius of thirty miles, but no harm to the Offill homestead. Mary Ann could hear the fighting, which deeply aroused her anger. In the morning she returned to her home and had breakfast for twenty-five women whose men were fighting with the Home Guards. At noon she prepared dinner for a yard full of men of the Guards.
"Feeling sure the raiders were gone, the horses were brought back from the hills by the men, and the families disbanded for their own homes. Mary Ann warned them to watch for more raiders, but they all laughed at her warning. Her husband's uncle, returning home, rode up to some of Morgan's raiders before he realized who they were. They took his horse and made him a prisoner. When one of the rebels mounted the horse, it promptly threw him over its head.
"In the spring of 1863, the family left the home place in Kentucky, bound for Iowa, to save their children from the perils of the border state. They gave their household furniture and dishes to an elderly couple whose property had been burned by the raiders. Fifty friends gathered to bid them adieu. Why Iowa? Mary Ann's sister and husband, Rhoda Jane & William Gulliams, had come to Iowa and settled in the late 1850's and encouraged the Offills to come to a spot they had selected.
"They traveled on horseback from their home near Olive Hill, KY, to Portsmouth, Ohio, accompanied by two soldiers to protect them from the rebels. They went by boat down the Ohio to the Mississippi, thence to Keokuk, and took the train to Eddyville. Some have said that they went on to Prairie City by stage, while others state that the Guilliams met them at Eddyville with wagons and escorted them to their new settlement. At any rate, kindly hands soon built a log cabin home, but the mother, older sister and brothers had contracted small pox on the way and there were sad days in the new home.
"There were then only thirteen houses in Prairie City. There were no trees except a few planted at Dan Main's. There was no hotel. Mail was brought in by "horse power" and left at Mr. Bundy's to be called for. There was one store, but only a few things could be purchased there and then only in small quantities. There were no flour sacks, either cloth or paper. Wheat flour was obtained by driving to the mill and exchanging wheat for flour. Sacks for flour or other uses were made of "tow" or course linen, and flax was not raised in Iowa (it was in Kentucky).
"The Offills settled on a farm south and a little west of Prairie City. They watched and helped the town in its growth, and by 1872 it had a population of 350 (See Note 1, pp. 21-22)."
Ezra Adkins was born in Plymouth, Litchfield County, Connecticut, 5 Dec 1824 (he was a brother of Lydia, who married George F.H. Wilson). He was married to Lydia (a popular name in those days!) Ann Vertner 18 Oct 1843 in Schuyler County, Illinois. He "came to Jasper County in 1862, enlisted, fought in the battle of Knoxville where he was wounded in the arm with musketball which caused amputation of his arm. He purchased 160 A. of land in Jasper County, and built a Hotel on part of it (See Note 1, p. 22, caption of a picture of the original hotel and other buildings)."
From the Directory of Jasper County of Ezra Adkins (listed as hotel keeper): Held the offices of Assessor, Township Trustee, Councilman and Justice of the Peace. A member of the Congregational Church and was Sunday School Superintendent for twelve years.
The first schoolhouse was built in Prairie City in 1856, the year in which the name of the town was changed from Elliott to Prairie City. Prior to that, school was held in a small building owned by James Elliott (See Note 1, p. 22).
John Franklin Offill, oldest son of James and Mary Ann Offill, had moved to Iowa with his parents and enlisted in the 3rd Iowa Cavalry. After he returned to Jasper County, he was engaged in farming, then lumbering and for years engaged in grain and livestock business. On 28 April 1882 he bought the grain office and crib at Zachery's Switch and employed G.H. Childs to work there for him. On 27 Nov 1885 he had a new office near the depot and had purchased lots east of the elevator from J.H. Elliott. He was Representative of Jasper County during the 1930-1932 session of the General Assembly of the Iowa Legislature.
After the Civil War, Norman David Wilson came to Iowa from Cambridge, Illinois, to start work on the Prairie City News. It was here he met Mary Ellen Offill (a daughter of James and Mary Ann Offill) to whom he was married at Newton, Iowa, on 16 Nov 1871. They made their home near Prairie City for the first five years of their married life where he continued to work on the News until 1876.
Manchester Offill was born 31 July 1856 in Olive Hill, Carter County, KY, the son of James and Mary Ann Offill. He moved to Iowa with his family when he was six years old and spent the rest of his life as a farmer in Jasper County. Potato production became big business in the area and the Offill family was no exception. For years, potato diggers, like fruit pickers and harvest hands, were a common thing in harvest season. Not only were many acres planted to potatoes, but since the railroad, and later highway, cut through the property, the right of way was leased and planted to potatoes. The yield was good, but the market value was sometimes most discouraging. The Dowden Potato Digger was founded and developed in this area and reduced some of the labor problems (See Note 1, p. 68). Floyd was the fourth child of Manchester and his wife, Melissa.
The balance of this episode consists of excerpts from the Prairie City News between 1880 and 1888, gathered in a booklet called: In Years Gone By. Many provide insight into life of the times as well as show relatives.

23 Jan 1880: Mrs. Mary M. (Eli Pomeroy) Wilson of Farmington, IL, is visiting her daughter, Mrs. W.H. Curley, who has been ill.
20 Feb 1880: On Monday, quite a number took the train for Audubon county. Among those were Mrs. D. W. Hendricks, Mrs. Yager and family, Mrs. Hawkins and family. Mr. Hawkins and Mr. Hendricks went overland with their teams.
6 Jan 1881: Mrs. Geo. Wilson of Cambridge, IL, is visiting here with her brother, Ezra Adkins.
13 Jan 1881: Norman Wilson of Glidden, Iowa, is here visiting his old home.
3 Feb 1882: Mr. Ezra Adkins went to Plymouth, IL, to see his mother.
2 Jun 1882: Miss Julia Wilson of Cambridge, IL, is visiting her sister, Mrs. F.M.Austin.
23 Jun 1882: Jessie and Lila Wickwire (granddaughters of Eli Wilson, also) have gone to Farmington, IL, to spend the summer with their grandpa Wickwire.
3 Nov 1882: Henry Wallace has bid goodbye to Vandalia (a few miles southwest of Prairie City, where the Yagers lived, also) and started with his family to Coon Rapids, where they will make their home.
24 Aug 1882: Mr. L.P. Wilson's mother (Mrs. Eli Wilson) died in Illinois recently. She was 93 years old.
5 Jan 1883: Miss Hattie Wilson, daughter of L.P. Wilson, returned Wednesday, from Oak Hollow, Dakota, where she entered a homestead of 160 acres.
26 Jan 1883: Mr. Ezra Adkins, the genial landlord of the Prairie City House (the hotel), is being visited by his sister, Mrs. Phelps, of Illinois.
8 Nov 1883: Mrs. Eva Brous, daughter of L.P. Wilson has entered a homestead in Dakota.
1 Aug 1884: Chancey Comstock, of Prospect, Dakota, is here. He is a nephew of Mrs. L.P. Wilson.
3 Oct 1884: Ezra Adkins has sold his farm of 160 acres to William Montgomery of Fairmont.
31 Oct 1884: Mrs. G.F.H. Wilson, of Henry County, IL, is here. She is a sister of Ezra Adkins and mother of Mrs. F.M. Austin.
6 Feb 1885: L.P. Wilson 's received word of the death of their grandson, Donnie Brous. The mother is Eva Eilson Brous.
22 Jan 1886: Norm. Wilson, now of Coon Rapids, sent us one of the early numbers of the Gleaners and Herald, published here by Jacob Saunders. It is dated February 3, 1870.
Among several sale notices: There will be offered at public auction on the farm of E.B. Adkins (deceased), three miles east of Prairie City, on February 15, 1887, sale to begin at 10 a.m., the following property to-wit:
14 head of cattle, 2 horses, 65 hogs, 450 bushels of corn, 50 bushels of oats, 2 1/2 tons of hay, scales, corn planter, corn sheller and corn grinder, feed cooker, mower, stalk cutter, hay rack, hay rake, wagon and other articles. M.A. McCord, Auct. Ezra Adkins.
27 May 1887: Mr. and Mrs. James Wickwire, of Farmington, IL, celebrated their golden wedding anniversary, May 17. Two mile east of Farmington, IL, stands a large stone house, the home of Mr. and Mrs. Wickwire. In the rear of this building stands the old log house in which they were married. It was the home of the pioneer, Eli Wilson, father of Mrs. Wickwire. This humble building was a station on the U.G. railroad in slavery days. Mrs. Wickwire is a sister of L. P. Wilson, of Prairie City and of Pomeroy Wilson, of Des Moines. They both attended the anniversary.
27 May 1887: Mr. Henry Wilson, of Delmont, Dakota, arrived here. He is the son of L. P. Wilson. [Note: "Dakota" still was a territory, until 1889.]
4 Nov 1887: L. P. Wilson received a telegram Thursday, that his daughter, Mrs. Hattie Adair, of Delmont, Dakota, was dangerously ill with typhoid fever. Mr. Wilson and daughter, Emma, left on the train.
13 Jul 1888: L. P. Wilson and wife attended the golden wedding anniversary of E.P. Wilson, in Des Moines, last night, July 12th.
6 Apr 1888: George Stauffer will take his family to Kingston, Missouri.
4 May 1888: The men are sinking a shaft and mining operations will begin on the Alva (Son of L.P.) Wilson farm two miles north west of town.
10 Aug 1888: Ezra Adkins, a one arm soldier, is our county Recorder.

This last entry brings another little item to mind. Yesterday, 21 August 1995, we received copies of some of Norman Wilson's diaries. One entry from the Civil War era diary related to receiving mail. On several occasions he had expressed disappointment when the mail came and he didn't get any letters. On Friday, July 22, 1864, he wrote,"mail came in last night and brought me a letter which I was glad to get it was from Uncle Ezra Adkins."

Note 1. From "The James Offill Family Came to Iowa" by Ethel I. Harryman.


Families are Forever! ;-)

Episode 6

The following is Episode 6 of 8 written in the summer of 1995 and shared with our three daughters, to begin sharing with them our ancestors stories. We have shared many stories in the meantime, and regularly keep them up to date on our research.

I am posting each of these stories here in order to demonstrate what can be done, and, to make the information available to interested others. PLEASE NOTE: these have not been edited and updated for new information, so if you read this, take the information WITH THAT IN MIND! Thanks! Enjoy reading this slice of our lives.

Episode 6

The Wilson family in Illinois - Part I

In the introduction to this series, we said:

The Wilson line was a good place to start because a lot of good people before us had done a lot of work in recording and preserving records down through the years: From England to Connecticut shortly after the Mayflower landed at Plymouth, to upstate New York, to Illinois just after the Black Hawk wars, fighting in the Civil War, moving to Prairie City, Iowa and then to the Far View Farm in Carroll County, Iowa, between Coon Rapids and Glidden. The Wilsons, particularly in Illinois, were also active in the Underground Railroad.

The first record we had to work with (in the spring of 1995) was in the form of a letter to Hazel Bolger from a Wilma Fletcher in Des Moines dated June 3, 1965. Actually, what we had was a piece of paper on which I (Bill) had hand copied some of the information from the letter. I had done this sitting at the kitchen table in Glenn and Ruth Bolger's house sometime about 1975. It began like this:

1. Robert Wilson (a kinsman of Thomas Newell) Windsor by 1647
married Elizabeth Stebbing, dau. of Edward,
and had children, probably others:

2. Samuel Wilson (b. about 16-52-1697)
married Mary Griffin of Windsor, Conn.
dau. of John Griffin and had children: Elizabeth, Mary, Abigail,
John, Samuel, Mindwell

3. John Wilson, Deacon (1686-1774) Windsor,
married Mary Marshall, dau. of Thomas Marshall and
Mary Drake (The Drake line is a royal one)
and had children: Mary, John (b. 7 Nov 1711), Hannah, Noah,
Joel, Rachel, Amos, Pheneas

4. John Wilson, Jr., Capt., Deacon, (1711-1799) born Windsor, Conn.
One of the first 5 settlers of Harwinton, Conn.
married Abigail Stevens, dau. of John,
and had children, probably others: 5. Eli (11-30-1740)...

The list continued thru 6. Eli (1765-1824) and 7. Eli (1791-1875) who is the one who eventually moved to Illinois. More on this end of the lineage below.
Nancy began two research tracks that became fruitful at an early stage. One was to check the Ancestral File on the computer at the library and the LDS church family center. It actually had the first four generations, above, on file, but, also had one preceding generation (see copy attached), John Wilson, born about 1600, in England, along with wife, Hannah James, born about 1605 "of Windsor, Hartford, Conn." [In a later episode, we will discuss early Connecticut history, when both the Wilsons and the Adkins were among the very early colonists, shortly after the Mayflower landed.]
The second research track was the census records. We will not attempt here to detail the many records that were found, checked, examined, recorded, rechecked, etc. to confirm and then expand on the information on the Wilson family. Some examples, and a July 1995 status report, will suffice for now. The ten generation Pedigree Chart from John down to Norman, as of 14 July 1995, is attached.
The two most recent generations included in the 1965 letter were (notice the gaps in information, including no spouses, no death dates):

7. Eli Wilson (1791-1875) married Julia Candee - Removed to Camden, New York in 1818 and to Peoria Co, Farmington, Illinois, in 1834.
Had children: Eli Pomeroy 4-20-1814
George 2-18-1816
Julia 9-22-1817
Huldah Jane 1820
Levi Parsons 7-16-1822 -to Iowa in 1855
Sarah
Margaret
Candee

8. George F.H. Wilson - Harwinton, Litchfield Co, Conn.
married Lydia Adkins, Oct 1837, Plymouth, Litchfield Co., Conn.
Children: Julia Asenath May 23 - 1839
Emily Jane Aug 30 - 1841
David Norman Jun 28 - 1844
Hiram Aug 5 - 1846
George Edwin Jun 10 - 1851
Elbert Edkins Dec 6 - 1853
Sarah Ellen Nov 27 - 1855
Harriet Lulu Sep 15 - 1857
Henry

We have since received a copy of the actual letter to Hazel...from Marjorie Meggs, in Edmond, OK, who is writing an Adkins genealogy book (see Lydia, wife of George F.H. Wilson, above). It is expected to be available in December, 1995. Wilma Fletcher, in the cover letter to Hazel, asked these questions, among others:
1. I would like any information as to Eli (7) Wilson's descendants. Do you know who any of the girls married?
2. Where did George (8) and Eli (8) Pomeroy Wilson settle?

Using census records, Nancy was able to, first, locate Eli and family in Peoria Co, Illinois, near the town of Trivoli, just east of Farmington. Farmington is actually in Fulton County, just across the line from Peoria Co (Illinois map attached). In addition, she confirmed George F.H. (still don't know what the initials stand for) and his family moved to Henry County (about 1850) and Eli Pomeroy stayed in the Farmington area as an adult (we have identified his wife and their five children and their spouses), but, later, died in Des Moines. These facts were further confirmed by our visits to Peoria, Trivoli, Farmington, and Cambridge (Henry Co). In Cambridge, for instance, we found (by review of newspaper microfilms) the obituaries of both George F.H. and his wife, Lydia, which gave a good summary of their lives and family relationships (much more on these later). In Peoria, we found an entry in a "Trivoli Directory" which provided details of Eli Pomeroy's life in the community and more details on his father, Eli's, early years.
The following speaks of the father, Eli, from the directory article:

"(Eli) was reared on a farm (Harwinton, Litchfield county, Conn.) and received a liberal education, which well qualified him to teach, which occupation he pursued in the State of New York for a number of years. In May, 1813, he married Miss Candee...and by which union there were four sons and four daughters, all of whom lived to adult age,... In 1818 they immigrated to Camden, Oneida county, N.Y., where he became an active member of the Congregational Church, teaching vocal music and leading the choir for many years. He was somewhat of a politician of the Dewitt Clinton and Gerrett Smith style, though he never sought office. In the spring of 1834 he immigrated with his family to Peoria county, and located in Trivoli township on Sec. 8, where he remained in comfortable circumstances until his death, which occurred Sept. 7, 1875, at the age of eighty-four. His widow is still living at the age of ninety-one (therefore, this written about 1880), retaining all her mental faculties to a remarkable degree. The family came by the lakes and rivers to Peoria, arriving June 3, 1834. Through the kindness and hospitality of the Hon. Charles Ballance a room was obtained for the stay and lodgement of the family of ten for the night, free of charge. The next morning started out for their future home on the west line of the county, and were all day making the trip, twenty-four miles. The land not yet being in market, he purchased a claim of Joel Brown, ten acres broke and a small log cabin on it, partially finished. Thus he located, and soon made his family a new and comfortable home. He was liberal minded and reformatory in his views, both in church and state; was a friend to the poor and friendless of every class and condition. From his boyhood he was opposed to slavery, and his place was known as a leading depot on the underground railroad between Cairo and Galena [more on this in another episode]."
We have visited his grave (with his wife, Julia) in the pioneer section of the Oak Ridge Cemetery in Farmington, IL. Three pictures are in the cemetery picture file.
With respect to the children of Eli and Julia, we have identified them all (see Family Group Records attached for the families of both Eli and George F.H.) with their spouses, except for the youngest, David Candee Wilson. We only recently confirmed his name and birthdate. He had two daughters we know of, now, but have yet to locate the name of his wife. This is one of a set of questions we are building for another trip to Farmington and Cambridge, probably next summer. We wrote earlier of Eli Pomeroy Wilson and George F.H. Wilson, of course. Julia married James Wickwire in Trivoli. They lived in the large brick home (very likely the one built by Eli for his family) next door to the original cabin Eli bought and first lived in with his family. Huldah Jane married Truman Jones and was living in Chicago in 1879. Levi Parsons Wilson married Nancy M. Ortch and was one of the first settlers of Prairie City, Iowa (see episode 7). Sarah Elizabeth married Royce Allen whom she knew from Camden, Oneida county, New York. They also moved to Henry county where we will report more on them later. Notice they were prominent on the LDS records, I suspect someone in his family was the reporter. He was an active politician, farmer, and cattle breeder. Margaret married Dr. John Gregory. We have identified two children.
As for the children of George F.H. and Lydia, Arthur, Henry and Ella died in infancy and are recognized on a common stone in the Munson cemetery (George donated the land for the cemetery, by the way. We have several pictures of it on the top of a hill overlooking the land they and Royce Allen and other relatives owned). Judith married David Kemerling, but, she is buried near her parents. We are still seeking information on him. Emily Jane married Francis Martin Austin and moved to Prairie City. Norman we know about, and more, later. Hiram is a mystery. We cannot locate birth records or a grave site. Edwin George Wilson was unmarried, died in Cambridge in 1921. He owned the forty acres in Carroll County, IA, immediately east of the original Far View farm for several years, but sold it outside the family, not to Norman or his family. Bears more investigation. Elbert died in infancy and is buried in Munson cemetery. Harriett Lulu Wilson married Charles Edgar Remsburg in Trivoli in 1878. In 1884 they moved to Glidden, Iowa, and settled in Lanesboro where some of their descendants still live (friends of Paul, Carolyn, Ruth, etc. - as well as relatives). Their oldest son, however, raised his family in Prairie City!
This has been rather lengthy, but, I believe illustrates well how much a little well directed research time can accomplish. Simple comparison of where we started with the current status is startling...and we have just begun. The stories of their daily lives from newspaper articles and other references are still the most important sources of bringing their way of life "to life," however. The bare statistics are essential elements, but are just really the tools to get at those other details. We will get into more of those details when we delve into each families' activities in future episodes.

Another part of the story to tell is of Illinois during these years as Eli and his family were arriving and settling beginning in 1834. "For a time in 1832 northwestern Illinois was kept in terror by Indian raids and murders..." Later in 1832, Chief Black Hawk was driven into Wisconsin where he and his band were reduced to "abject submission." Abraham Lincoln served as a captain of militia in the campaign. He ran for (state) General Assembly in 1832 and was elected in 1834, 1836, 1838 and 1840. "First an unsuccessful storekeeper in New Salem, he took up the study of law by himself and in 1836 was admitted to the bar." I have attached a map of Illinois with a number of the towns and counties mentioned above marked in red. Chicago was incorporated as a city in 1837. In a Priarie City directory listing for Levi Parsons Wilson it states: "...emigrated from New York to Peoria Co., Ill., in 1834, with his parents before the Indians left that section; Peoria was called Ft. Clark; there were only two frame buildings and 200 inhabitants..."
More details and relationships in later episodes.

Families are Forever! ;-)

Episode 5

The following is Episode 5 of 8 written in the summer of 1995 and shared with our three daughters, to begin sharing with them our ancestors stories. We have shared many stories in the meantime, and regularly keep them up to date on our research.

I am posting each of these stories here in order to demonstrate what can be done, and, to make the information available to interested others. PLEASE NOTE: these have not been edited and updated for new information, so if you read this, take the information WITH THAT IN MIND! Thanks! Enjoy reading this slice of our lives.

Episode 5

The Kinnick Gap

The Kinnick Genealogy book was written in 1953 (including Billy and Jimmy Smith on page 323). We grew up hearing such things as "All Kinnicks are related. Why would you want to do genealogy work on the Kinnicks...it's already been done. We ARE related to Nile Kinnick; of course we are, his dad sent Buzzy a letter about it!"
On May 25, 1995, during our housesitting for Annette and Larry, while they were in Australia and New Zealand for their honeymoon, we visited Franklin, IN, and the home library of Nettie Edna Kinnick Waggener who wrote "The Kinnick Family: A Genealogical History of the Kinnick Family of America. Descendants of John Kinnick and Ann Kinnick of Davie County, North Carolina." We made copies of additional pages of the book to get a better perspective on what the book really said about the family. Previously, we only had copies of the pages listing our own family.
The first thing I noted was the organization of the book (after the real name, of course). The first generation reported was William and Sarah Kinnick and their family, first found in Maryland in 1775, but having originated in Holland, presumably (more on this later). William died in 1785. In 1795, their son, John, sold his land in Maryland and moved to North Carolina. Since the book is written by and about the descendants of John and his wife, Ann, the rest of the book is mostly about them.
There are a few pages about the family of William and Sarah with only passing mention of the brothers and sisters of John. It then goes into great detail about John's children, a full chapter each. John had four brothers and three sisters. The only mention of his brother Joseph is as a next of kin in the estate records of William Kinnick in 1786 (I am attempting to get a copy of those records from the Maryland archives).
John and Ann had seven children. Their stories run from page 8 thru page 321. The youngest child, Polly, married an Etchison. Their descendants are briefly described on pages 317 to 321. At the bottom of page 321 is the following heading (with no other lead or description):

THE PENNSYLVANIA BRANCH
WALTER W. AND SUSAN______ KINNICK, HOLLAND DUTCH

This family settled first in Pennsylvania; moved to Belmont County, Ohio; Buda, Illinois and Iowa.

The next three pages are our family listings (copies attached), later noted as being provided by members of the family. Out in the middle of the family listing is the following statement:

"P.S. -- It is my opinion [referring to the author of the book], after careful research, that this family is descended from Joseph Kinnick, the son of William I. and his wife Sarah, and was a brother of our John Kinnick I; these names appear in the same family as you will see by the record and it is probable that Joseph left Maryland and settled in Pennsylvania, while John migrated to North Carolina from Maryland."

It is true there is a Joseph, a fairly common name, in each of the first two generations reported for "our family." That is, a brother and an uncle of Alonzo (father of Paul Harold Kinnick). There is absolutely no substantiating data to support the above claim!! She reports nothing under the first generation about her Joseph; she doesn't know what happened to him. I believe she "wanted" this to be so, and grasped onto the name similarity for her assertion, and nothing else.
This is where the gap is. Who is the next ancestor back from Walter W., father of Walter Watson, father of Alonzo? Is that person (her) Joseph, a son of Joseph, or someone else entirely? This is the challenge.
Recall her assertion that the first recorded Kinnick in the United States, according to her (over twenty years of) research as of 1953, was her ancestor William in 1775 in Maryland. In just two library visits of fairly casual checking of some new information indexed between 1986 and 1995, I have found one Kinnick and two Kennicks (a name used by her relatives in colonial days, sometimes) who arrived on our shores before 1775; as well as another Wm. Kinnick who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1786. There is much work yet to be done.
1. A William Kennick went from England to Barbados in 1695. Unlikely to be a relative, but needs to be recognized.
2. A Robert Kinnick appears on a list of indentured servants shipped from London to Maryland in 1728 (Robert is the name of one of Paul's brothers).
3. A John Kennick is listed as a Bonded Passenger to America in 1763. The book with the detailed listing is in Iowa City (and probably some other places). I haven't seen it yet. It may or may not have more detailed information. (see detailed listing information in attachment).
There are additional passenger list indexes that I have not yet checked. These early results seem to make checking them worth while!
I have attempted to systematically examine the census indexes for the states where Kinnicks might have been (including Kennick and other near variations). For instance, Pennsylvania for 1790 (the first census), 1800, 1810, 1820 and 1830 list no Kinnicks (or Kennicks). The 1840 Pennsylania census has a John Kennick. The codes for that year indicate a male age 80-90 and a female age 70-80 in the household. This would make him born 1750-60. Doesn't seem useful now, but, as always, we store the information for future reference. Mom found the details for this one on the census tape down at Iola, KS, library. There was also an 1840 notation of a Francis P. Kennik. We have not had a chance to check that tape. The census information itself is on microfilm. Each year has different information. Indexes have been prepared for most tapes, for most states, for most counties. Libraries may have an index, a tape, neither, or both, for what you are looking for at any particular time. Finding and reading any particular tape is a challenge in itself (samples attached).
I have checked the Ohio census records 1790, 1800, and 1810, finding no Kinnicks or Kennicks. Also, nothing in an index to Ohio Tax Lists for 1800-1810. These should show if real estate property taxes were paid. If they did not own land, of course, they would pay no tax.
The K.G. (Kinnick Genealogy) lists the birth of Walter Watson Kinnick as 11 Oct 1840 in Belmont County, Ohio. We can assume this came from family records. I have written to Belmont County for a record of his birth, but they only have birth records from 1867. Many states (and counties) did not start keeping records of birth until the federal requirements about 1875. We have found confirmation in the census records, however, for Bureau County (Town of Dover), Illinois, for 1850 and 1860. The 1850 census shows Walter (the father, age 41, born in Maryland), Susan (age 41, born in Penn), Mary E. (15), Sarah A. (14), John S. (13), Joseph (12), Walter (10 - born 1840!), Catherine (8), Jacob (4), Margaret (3/12). The children were all born in Ohio, it says, except we cannot read whether the birthplace for the last two is Ohio or Illinois. The 1860 census shows only some of the children, living at a Carrington household: Joseph (22 - with a wife, Amelia, 22, it appears), Walter (20, again confirming the 1840 birth date), Jacob (14), Margaret (10), Susan (8), Evelina (6), and Mary S (4). There is no mention of the parents in 1860. We would like to find them. Mary E. is not included (she would have been 25, probably married); note she was not listed in the K.G. at all. Sarah A. would have been 24, probably already married to Thomas Richmond, need to check that. John S. is not there, he would be 23, K.G. says he was killed in action in Civil War, we should be able to find military record on him, eventually (Walter Watson Kinnick's gravestone says he was a "Veteran 61-65" so he also served in the Civil War - more checking to do). Catherine would be 18, is not mentioned, might already be married to William Fletcher, need to check that...lots of things to check! It is interesting to note that Evelina (6) and Mary S.(4) are not included in the K.G.!
We have learned from the above where the older Walter was born, Maryland, and that it was about 1809 (41 in 1850), same year for his wife, Susan, but she was born in Pennsylvania. This information was not available from the K.G.! So much for "careful research" by the K.G. author...she didn't check anything, in my opinion. She just reported what she was given on this family.
There are no Kinnicks listed in the 1830 or 1840 census for Belmont County, Ohio. I have not yet found an 1820 index for Ohio. In 1840, elsewhere in Ohio, there was a Samuel Kennick. Noted.
Some summary comments on the Kinnick information at this date would be in order. While the K.G. is an excellent resource, we want to check as much as possible with original records, in addition to finding new information. There are many discrepancies, of various sizes, already. For instance. Eileen Kinnick's birthdate is listed as 14 Oct 1918 in K.G. - it is actually 14 Dec 1918, of course. Fanny Alice Kinnick is shown in K.G. as d. May 4, 1894. Her gravestone says May 26, 1894. Which would you believe? Another has Nora E. b. Jan 2, 1866 and d. Feb 2, 1866. The gravestone says b. Jan 4, 1866 and d. Feb 10, 1866!! The wife of Walter Watson was Mary Estella Symonds. The K.G. lists her b. Aug 8, 1841 and d. Jan 8, 1909. Her gravestone, beside Walter, in Hopeland Cemetery near Buda, Illinois, says b. Aug 8, 1843 and d. Jan 7, 1909. The other grave we found was John and the information matched!
Note: Buda, IL, is 12 miles west and 2 miles south of Princeton. Princeton is about 25 to 30 miles east of Cambridge where the George F.H. Wilsons lived (about 13 to 18 miles from Buda). I'll send a map with Episode 6 on the Wilson's. Norman lived in Cambridge from about age 6, in 1850, until sometime after he finished his Civil War service in about 1864. He was in Prairie City, Iowa, by 1870.
Walter and Mary Kinnick (at age 23 and 24) were living in Buda, IL, when their first child, Joseph, was born. Between Dec, 1868, when Margaret Ann was born in Buda and Nov, 1870, when Alonzo was born in Stuart, Iowa, they had obviously moved to Iowa. Alonzo's obituary states, "in his infancy, his parents moved to Illinois where Alonzo remained until 17 years of age when he returned to Iowa with his uncle, A.O. Vanaken." Note, however, according to the K.G., that Alonzo's next younger brother was born in Sept, 1972, in Mendon, Missouri, not Illinois. The rest of the children were born in Buda. More mysteries. Wouldn't it be interesting to trace all the descendants of all these two generations listed on page 322. The hunt is on.


Families are Forever! ;-)

Episode 4

The following is Episode 4 of 8 written in the summer of 1995 and shared with our three daughters, to begin sharing with them our ancestors stories. We have shared many stories in the meantime, and regularly keep them up to date on our research.

I am posting each of these stories here in order to demonstrate what can be done, and, to make the information available to interested others. PLEASE NOTE: these have not been edited and updated for new information, so if you read this, take the information WITH THAT IN MIND! Thanks! Enjoy reading this slice of our lives.

Episode 4

Cedar County Probate Records

On a return trip to the Cedar County offices in Tipton, June 1995, we started with the probate records. We found (and made copies, in part):
1. John Dolan Estate records from 1852.
2. James Dolan probate listing all heirs at death, 19 Jan 1891.
3. Will of Amanda E. Dolan, listing family members.
4. Estate records of Harriett Bolger, death on 12 Sep 1912, listing surviving heirs, with ages and addresses.

(1) The Probate records of John Dolan disclosed a number of relationships of interest. First, a legal notification on behalf of his surviving widow, Rebecca, lists his children. At the time, we knew most of the names but had not yet confirmed the relationships:

In the Matter of the Estate of John Dolan;
To Jeremiah Dolan, George W. Dolan, William Dolan, Julianna Dolan, John Dolan, Charles Dolan, Almira Dolan, Amanda Jane Dolan, Melissa McSparren, Phillip McSparren, Harriet Bolger and Michael Bolger. You are hereby notified that there is now on file in the Office of the County Judge of Cedar Co, Iowa, a Petition of Rebecca Dolan, widow of the late John Dolan...
It goes on to provide for her clear claim to five contiguous forty acre land parcels in western Cass Township, a total of 200 acres. Included in the record is a report of survey of that property prepared by Robert Gower on 27 Oct 1852. Signatures on a document acknowledging receipt of the notice are:
Michael Bolger as Guardian for Charles Dolan (census records show he worked as a farm laborer for his brother-in-law, Michael)
Michael Bolger for Harriet Dolan "By M. Bolger, her husband"
Rebecca Dolan as Guardian for Almira Dolan and Amanda Jane Dolan [Note that this Amanda Jane Dolan is younger and a different person than Amanda (E) Dolan noted in the next report.]

(2) George B. Dolan filed the final report on the James Dolan estate on 5 Sep 1891. It listed heirs as (copy of actual attached):
name age address
Amanda Dolan, widow 71 Tipton, Ia
(Real estate left to her: W2NE4, Sec. 15, Twp. 80, Range 3, 80 a.)
G.P. (Pitt) Dolan 37 Washington, Ia
Sally Filson 35 Tipton, Ia
Arabell Boon 30 " "
George B. Dolan 27 " "
Charles Dolan 50 Concordia, Kan.
Melvinia Peacock 47 Mapleton, Iowa
Charlotte Zeifing 45
Jessie Bolger 23 Coon Rapids, Ia
Wallace Dolan 22 " " "
Lenard Dolan 18 " " "
Ollie Dolan 14 Lisbon, Ia
Susan Lucinda Paton 22 Lebam, Wash
Rachel Ann Tamas 19 Willipa City, Wash
Omi Aqum Dolan 11 " " "
(date of last birthday-minor-7 Mar 92)

Lists such as this are extremely useful in discovering or confirming ages, married names, locations of people and land transfers that may not be recorded anywhere else. Since some of these are the direct heirs alive at the time of decedents death, it also suggests or confirms when some of their parents died (that is, when the children of the deceased had died). Such listings also give clues to the existence of grandchildren and their names, not previously identified.
For instance, age 71 for Amanda Dolan would suggest a birth year for her of 1820. We earlier had her (Amanda E. Stratton) marriage record to James Dolan, on June 8, 1851, where she stated her age as 30, suggesting a birthdate of 1821. He stated his age as 39 for the marriage record. This would suggest a birth year of 1812. [Recall the 1850 census listed his age as 43, a birth year of 1807.] His biography in the History of Cedar County stated his birthdate as 12 Oct 1806, which matches the information on his gravestone.
Now, for the children. The first five were the children of Nancy Harris (she died in 1846): Melvinnia, Josiah, Charles, Harley, and Charlotte. Note that Melvinnia has married a Peacock. Josiah has died and is represented by his children, Jessie Bolger, Wallace, Leonard (correct spelling), and Ollie. Charles is living in Kansas. Harley has died, and appears to be represented by his children, the last three listed. Charlotte has married a Zeifing. Amanda's children by James are: G.P. (commonly known as Pitt), Sally (married to a Filson), Arabell (married to Cyrus Boon), and George B. Listing of each of their ages makes interesting comparisons with census data and other sources, of course. Now, knowing the married names of some of the females, they can be identified in census records, often along with the full name of their husband, their children, and, their ages: entirely new information!

(3) The will of Amanda E. Dolan, second wife of James Dolan, made 15 Jun 1897, about a year before her death, leaves whatever she had left to her children and heirs, only. In her six paragraph will, the first paragraph gives her granddaughter Susie Filson the sum of $20.00. The second paragraph lists several grandchildren to whom "I give and bequeath nothing": Amanda Rohads, Mrs Lue Finefield, Mrs Doray Windes, Masid McConnick, Will Slater, Laura Filson, Friddie Filson, Casper Filson, Harry Filson and Rolf Filson (spelling interpretations from hand written documents probably include some errors).
Paragraph 3, 4, and 5, specify that after "payment of all my lawful debts and funeral expenses," one half of the entire estate goes to Arabell Boon, one fourth to G. Pitt Dolan, and one fourth to G.B. Dolan. G. Pitt Dolan is appointed sole executor in paragraph 6.

(4) Harriett Bolger died 12 Sep 1912. [Note her name is spelled with either one or two "t"s in various places at various times.] Her daughter, Mary, Mrs. Milton Vincent, with whom she was living in West Liberty at the time of her death, filed the initial report asking that William T. Negus, a grand son, be named administrator. It listed the surviving children and heirs:
- Fleeta, born in 1851 and died in 1852, was not listed.
1. Mrs. Rosamond Negus (married David Negus, Feb 28, 1878), age 58, West Liberty, Muscatine Co, Iowa.
2. Mrs. Mary Vincent, age 56, West Branch, Cedar Co, Iowa.
- Nina, born in 1858 and died in 1879, was not listed.
3. Thomas Bolger, age 51, Coon Rapids, Carroll Co, Iowa.
- Sarah, married J.J. Larkin about 1888, had died, her children are listed below.
- Catherine (Katie), born 1867 and died 1885, was not listed.
4. Michael Bolger, age 42, Webster City, Iowa.
5. G.A. Larkin, age 23, grand son, Olwein, Iowa.
6. Anabel Larkin, age 20, grand daughter, Olwein, Iowa.
7. John Larkin, age 18, grand son, Olwein, Iowa.
8. Frank Larkin, age 16, grandson, Olwein, Iowa.

A Waiver is signed by Rosamond Negus, Thomas Bolger, Mrs. Mary Vincent, Glenn A. Larkin, Michael Bolger, John Larkin and Frank Larkin.
The assets of the estate, noted in the Final Report filed 20 Dec 1913 by Wm. T. Negus, consisted of a certificate of deposit in West Branch State Bank of $300.00, a checking account balance there of $76.88, and a real estate mortgage due her of $1,500.00. With interest and $34.27 rent collected on real estate, the total assets were $2,048.67. Taxes and funeral expenses were $241.73 while the monument ($100) and other administration fees totaled $222.50. The net estate was to be paid out as follows:
1. To Mary Vincent One Fifth $ 316.89
2. To Rosamund Negus One Fifth 316.89
3. To Michael Bolger One Fifth 316.89
4. To Thomas Bolger One Fifth 316.89
5. To Glenn A. Larkin One Fourth of One Fifth 78.22
6. To Mabel Larkin One Fourth of One Fifth 78.22
7. To John Larkin One Fourth of One Fifth 78.22
8. To Frank Larkin One Fourth of One Fifth 78.22
$1,584.44

The report states then: "He reports that he is ready at any time to make distribution in accordance with the above but he shows that the last two heirs named are minors and they have no guardian to his knowledge."
A Notice follows whereby the Administrator proposes that the $79.22 due each of the minors be deposited with the Clerk of Court until they are "of age." "The expense of service of this notice to be deducted from your respective shares." They apparently did that.
Later, two forms were filed for each. The first was an "Application of J.G. Larkin for order to pay over funds" and then an "Order to pay over funds" that noted the said J.G. Larkin "became of age on April 25, 1915," and is entitled to the $78.17 ($79.22 less cost of service!!) plus $2.60 interest earned or $80.77. Similarly, Frank J. Larkin filed similar papers when he became of age on April 25, 1917, and received $80.87!!!!!!!!!! (I enjoyed that part.)

There remains the question of whether John Dolan and James Dolan were related. It seems almost certain they would be cousins or nephew-uncle, if not brothers. A lady in Cedar Rapids was "going to write a family history on the Dolans" about ten years ago, but she was killed in a car accident, or something. We have written to a couple in Cedar Rapids who is supposed to know more, but have received no reply to date (they are probably dead, too). Ann Beach, who we knew in high school (daughter of Irene Rees, granddaughter of Thomas Bolger), supposedly also has more Dolan information. She lives in Redfield, Iowa. We will be contacting her one of these days.
We visited Webster City to find Michael Bolger, the younger. This report in another episode.


Family is forever! ;-)

Episode 3

The following is Episode 3 of 8 written in the summer of 1995 and shared with our three daughters, to begin sharing with them our ancestors stories. We have shared many stories in the meantime, and regularly keep them up to date on our research.

I am posting each of these stories here in order to demonstrate what can be done, and, to make the information available to interested others. PLEASE NOTE: these have not been edited and updated for new information, so if you read this, take the information WITH THAT IN MIND! Thanks! Enjoy reading this slice of our lives.

Episode 3

Cedar Bluffs: The river, the ferry, the Gower connection

"From the date of the first settlement of the county, in May, 1836, until January, 1877, that part of the Cedar River which flows through Cedar County, remained unobstructed by bridges. And even now there is but one bridge over that stream, and that is at Cedar Bluff. When the first settlers came, Indian canoes were used to convey them from one side of the river to the other. This kind of ferriage continued in use until the settlements so increased as to demand larger and stronger means of crossing, and in 1838, Abner Arrowsmith constructed a rough ferry boat which was operated by a rope, and was of the kind known as a rope or chain ferry."
Thus begins a section of The History of Cedar County (written in 1877, I believe) about the Cedar River bridge and later about Cedar Bluff. The following is based mostly on this source with some from other research. Our Michael Bolger settled a little over a mile west and a little less that a mile south of the west side of the river where the ferry boat operated (and the bridge was eventually build, after his death). The John Dolan family (the father of Harriet) settled just a mile west of Michael.
William Frazeur states that he helped build the first ferry boat used there for Abner Arrowsmith, in 1838. It was then called Washington Ferry. In 1839, James H. Gower and Willard Hammond bought the claims of many "squatters" in Cass Township, and Mr. Gower settled on Section 33, on the east side of the river. Mr. Gower built additions to the house formerly owned by Mr. Arrowsmith, on the site of Cedar Bluff, and opened a store. He also bought the ferry and had a post office at his store. Mr. James H . Gower was a Representative to the State Legislature at an early day. Mr. Gower received his goods chiefly from St. Louis via Muscatine.
Steamers occasionally came up Cedar River. The "Maid of Iowa," belonging to the Mormons of Nauvoo, Illinois, came up, and a large quantity of corn was purchased from Mr. Gower. Mr Gower soon after began pork packing. He paid $1.00 per 100 pounds, in store goods, for dressed pork. After a few years, Mr. Gower discontinued his store and moved to his farm, on the west side of the river.
In the spring of 1841, Robert Gower, from Ohio, settled on Section 33, on the west side of the river, with his family, including his sons - James, Alexander, Sewell and Albert. Mr. Robert Gower purchased the ferry from his brother, Mr. James H. Gower.
Mr. Robert Gower was a surveyor, and laid out the village (of Cedar Bluff) in July, 1851, for Charles W. Gower. The land on which it was located was entered by J.H. Gower, in the name of C.W. Gower, Allen and Willard Hammond. It was transferred to J.H. Gower, then to Robert Gower. A note written at the time of the survey says: Red Cedar River is navigable for steam and other boats at all seasons of the year when free from ice. It possesses at this point superior facilities for damning and bridging, and the settlement in this vicinity requires both.The village is located on the corner of Sections 27, 28, 33 and 34, Tnsp 81, Range 4 west.
Michael Bolger married Harriet Dolan at the home of Robert Gower on the 24th day of February 1851. On November 28, 1856, Robert Gower sold Michael Bolger a parcel of land of approximately 40 acres in Section 5 of Gower Township.
"Mr. Robert Gower, after whom Gower Township received its name, was a public spirited, highly esteemed man, prominent in many county and local actions, and a member of the Second Constitutional Convention. He died in April, 1874." Michael Bolger died in 1875.
Daniel Riegle built the first hotel in Cedar Bluff, although Robert Gower had kept travelers on the west side of the river. The hotel burned down in 1875, but was rebuilt. In 1866 there were ten houses in the village. The first physician was Dr. Davis about 1846. As noted above, the first post office was established June 24, 1841, with James H. Gower, Postmaster. The office was called Cedar River, being the third office in the county. July 3, 1849, the name of the office was changed to "Gower's Ferry." The office was kept successively by Robert Gower and Sewall Gower, on the west side of the river. It was changed to the east side in 1859, with David Baldwin as Postmaster, and the name changed to "Cedar Bluff." After the post office was moved to the east side of the river, another office was secured on the west side called Gower's Ferry, with Robert Gower as Postmaster. This office was again consolidated with the Cedar Bluff office when the bridge was built (1877) at that point.
The nearest school to which the settlers might send their children, in 1842, was located on the Philip Metz farm. "After two or three years, J.H. and Robert Gower hired Mr. Lambert to teach in a log cabin on the west side of the Cedar River, on the Kester place. School continued there every Winter until the school house was built, near the site of the present school house, on the Gunsolus place (recall, the cemetary was called Gunsolus, also). The 1870 census for Cass Township, Cedar County, includes in the home of Robert Gower, age 67 (and his wife, Rosamond*, age 66), an Emma Hammond, age 20, listed as "Teaching school." The new school house was built in 1876, and is a good frame building." There is (written in 1877) no school house in Cedar Bluff, although a good district school has been established one mile east, since about 1856. (* Note that Michael and Harriet Bolger named a daughter Rosamond in December, 1853.)
"In 1877, a large iron bridge was erected over the Cedar River at this point, and being the only one in this county, it has increased the business at Cedar Bluff, and conduced greatly to its prosperity. There are now about one hundred inhabitants in the village. It has an excellent location, and is in the center of an unsurpassed farming district."

The following is a brief account of a lengthy discussion regarding building a bridge:
About the year 1851-2-3, Robert Gower, the first settler at Gower's Ferry, (Cedar Bluff), and others, conceived the idea of erecting a toll bridge at that point, and petitioned the County Judge for license to carry out their proposed enterprise. Proposed tolls, for ten years were to be:
4 horses or oxen and wagon or other vehicle........ 40 cents
2 " mules, oxen and wagon or other vehicle... 25 cents
1 horse or mule and wagon.... 25 cents
1 " and man.... 15 cents
1 footman..... 5 cents
Each head of sheep or swine................................ 2 1/2 cents

The bridge proposed was never built.
At the June 1856 meeting of the (county) Board of Supervisors, Robert Gower, then, as for many years previous, a member of the board, introduced a proposal for a toll bridge across the river, half to be owned by the county, half interest to be solicited by sale of stock to the public. A study reported to the board in September recommended two locations: Gray's Ford and Gower's Ferry. A vote took place in October: for the Ferry, 595; for the Ford, 862; total vote, 1,457. Local support for the Ford location seemed to be lacking. A year later, another vote on a bridge at Gower's Ferry was: for a bridge, 786; against a bridge, 1,808; total vote, 2,594. The following year, another vote was taken: for the bridge, 561, against the bridge, 1,935; total vote, 2,496.
"From October, 1867 to 1870, Mr. Gower permitted the matter to remain in abeyance." In 1876, they voted a $15,000 appropriation to build a bridge. It opened in January, 1877.

Cedar Bluffs now, in 1995, exists on the east side of the river, south of the bridge road, as a couple dozen homes. Many appear to be "vacation type homes" although it seems that most are lived in as you drive by. There is one large building that looks like it might have been a hotel/store and is under a slow renovation. This is up on the ridge above the river. On the peak of the ridge sits an old church building on a corner, with bell tower, but abandoned. Trees and vines are all grown up around it. Seems that they want to preserve it, but no one wants to spend the time or money to do it.

Families are forever! ;-)

Episode 2

The following is Episode 2 of 8 written in the summer of 1995 and shared with our three daughters, to begin sharing with them our ancestors stories. We have shared many stories in the meantime, and regularly keep them up to date on our research.

I am posting each of these stories here in order to demonstrate what can be done, and, to make the information available to interested others. PLEASE NOTE: these have not been edited and updated for new information, so if you read this, take the information WITH THAT IN MIND! Thanks! Enjoy reading this slice of our lives.

Episode 2

Property Records Search, Cedar County, Iowa

Property records of the county are arranged by Grantee and Grantor, each set in alphabetical order by name. We looked under B and found one Bolger, Michael, with several entries. The first was to Michael Bolger from the United States of America, an instrument dated March 10, 1852, a Patent (meaning first sale by the United States Government to a private citizen) for the SW4 SE4 of Sec 32 Twp 81 Range 4, recorded in Book M, page 300. The second entry was to Michael Bolger from Robert Gower, dated Nov 28, 1856, a warranty deed, for NWfr4SEfr4 of Sec 5, Twp 80, Range 4. There were four other entries dated 1855, 1874, and two entries dated 1875.
Good maps are an essential tool in a search of family records. In the library there is a book of maps for each state with the counties clearly shown. Then the state is divided into regions, Iowa is quartered, for instance. There is a detailed map of the region with each county showing the townships noted along with the towns. Further, each county is available with only township and town markings. On these maps there are no roads or rivers or other features. They are very useful when working with census information and general location descriptions. This book is listed under "Township Maps." However, to locate individual pieces of property, as noted in the records of the last paragraph, a plat book of each township is essential. Each township in each county of the United States is described by a north and south coordinate and an east-west coordinate. Cass Township in Cedar County, for instance, lays partly in Township 80 North (or just N) and partly in Township 81 N, while Union Township, Carroll County (which contains Coon Rapids), for instance, is located at Township 82 N. The east-west coordinate is expressed as a Range of the 5th Principle Meridian. Cass Township of Cedar County straddles Range 3 West and Range 4 West (of 5th P.M.), while Union Township of Carroll County is in Range 33 West (of 5th).
Each Township is divided into "one square mile" Sections and the Sections are numbered sequentially in a regular pattern. Deviations are sometimes found where there are natural barriers such as rivers, etc. Townships may, for instance, consist of 36 numbered sections. Within each section, one square mile, consisting of 640 acres, is further subdivided into quarters of 160 acres each and designated SW, SE, NE, NW for the respective quadrants. The smallest designation is (usually) a 40 acre parcel which is a quarter of a quarter section, hence: the SW4 SW4 is the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of the designated Section. The opposite corner of the section would be the NE4NE4, that is the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter. Another designation might be the S2 NW4. This would be the south half of the northwest quarter of the section. It would normally be 80 acres. (Note: we have found that the northern and western tiers of sections in most townships are irregular, that is, not a "square" 160 acres, so as to make up for irregularities of surveys of each township. For instance, an "80 acres" might actually be 90.4 acres in one township or 76.8 acres in another.)
We noted above: "Michael Bolger from the United States of America, an instrument dated March 10, 1852, a Patent (meaning first sale by the United States Government to a private citizen) for the SW4 SE4 of Sec 32 Twp 81 Range 4, recorded in Book M, page 300." This is a 40 acre parcel located as the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of Section 32, Township 81 N, Range 4, which places it in the southwest corner of Cass Township (see maps attached). Section 31 is bordered on the west by (now) Benton County and bordered on the south by Gower Township. Section 32 is immediately to the east of Section 31, and is also bordered to the south by Gower Township. The next section to the east, Section 33, has the Cedar River running through the northeast quarter and the community of Cedar Bluff is also there.
Until 1877, there was no bridge across the Cedar, but there was a ferry. At different times, the ferry, and the communities on either side of the river were known as Gower's Ferry or Cedar Bluff or other names. That is another interesting episode that will be shared at a later time.
The second property entry above was: "Michael Bolger from Robert Gower, dated Nov 28, 1856, a warranty deed, for NWfr4SEfr4 of Sec 5, Twp 80, Range 4." Section 5 is the section in Gower Township (named for Robert Gower) immediately south of Section 32, Cass Township. This parcel designation is read as the northwest fractional quarter of the southeast fractional quarter of Section 5. The "fractional" means it is not a "true" 40 acres. It is located in that northern tier of sections of Gower Township, which may account for the fractionals.
Looking in Book M, page 300, discloses the following entry, in hand script, in part, designated: Patent United States to Michael Bolger, Certificate No. 4210. "Whereas Michael Bolger of Cedar County Iowa has deposited in the General Land Office of the United States a Certificate of the Register of the Land Office at Iowa City Iowa whereby it appears that full payment has been made by the Said Michael Bolger according to the provisions of the Act of Congress of the 24th of April 1820, entitled. An Act making further provisions for the Sale of the Public Land for the South West Quarter of the Southeast Quarter of Section Number Thirty two in Township Number Eighty One, (...several letters...) Range Number Four West in the District of Iowa Subject to Sale at Iowa City, containing Forty acres. According to the official Plat of the Survey of the Said Lands, Attuned (sic) to the General Land Office by the Surveyor General. Which said tract has been purchased by the said Michael Bolger. Now Know ye that the United States of America, in consideration of the premises and in accordance with the several Acts of Congress, is such case made and provided. have given and granted and by these presents do Give and Grant unto the Said Michael Bolger and to his heirs and assigns of acres. In Testimony whereof I, Millard Fillmore, President of the United States of America have caused these Letters to be made Patent and the Seal of the General Land Office to be hereunto affixed. Given under my hand at the City of Washington the Tenth day of March in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty two. and of the independence of the United States the Seventy Sixth. By the President Millard Fillmore By M. R. Fillmore, Secy E.S. Terry, Recorder of the General Land Office."
Under Dolan there are a number of interesting entries in Cass, Gower, and Center Townships. A half mile west of the original Michael Bolger purchase, a John Dolan purchased a 40 acres parcel on June 10, 1851. He also purchased, from the U.S.A., three additional 40 acre parcels immediately to the south in Gower Township on the same date. Just south of that, on May 1, 1848, a George Washington Dolan purchased an 80 acre tract and sold it to Jno Dolan on August 3, 1848. This land lies just to the west of the land Michael Bolger bought from Robert Gower in Section 5. I speculated at the time we found these entries that Harriet might be a part of this family, but we had no evidence to support the speculation.
The Patent Record of the first John Dolan purchase above is especially interesting and insightful into the land purchase process at the time. The preprinted form begins: The United States of America. To all to Whom these Presents shall come, Greetings: KNOW YE, That in pursuance of an Act of Congress, entitled "An Act to raise for a limited time an additional military force, and for other purposes," approved February 11, 1847, (then, filled out by hand) Joseph B. Cowlick late a Sergeant in Captain Weavers Company, Fourth Regiment of Ohio Volunteers (continuing preprinted format) having deposited in the General Land Office a warrant in his favor numbered 62682. (The word "his" and the "62682" were handwritten in the blank.) There is Therefore Granted by the United States unto (again in handwriting) John Dolan assignee of said Joseph B. Cowlick and to his heirs, the north....( it goes on to describe the property.) Military service at certain times earned warrants for the purchase of lands being opened in the west. The warrants could be turned in for land, or, sold as happened here.
James and Josiah Dolan owned land in Center Township. The records we first examined seemed to be incomplete, but, some of the references were there. Their home place was located in Section 15 of the Township.

Families are forever! ;-)

Episode 1

The following is Episode 1 of 8 written in the summer of 1995 and shared with our three daughters, to begin sharing with them our ancestors stories. We have shared many stories in the meantime, and regularly keep them up to date on our research.

I am posting each of these stories here in order to demonstrate what can be done, and, to make the information available to interested others. PLEASE NOTE: these have not been edited and updated for new information, so if you read this, take the information WITH THAT IN MIND! Thanks! Enjoy reading this slice of our lives.

Episode 1

The Search Begins in Cedar County, Iowa

We first went to Cedar County right after ESU Commencement on May 13, 1995. Glenn Bolger's father, Frank Bolger (Nancy's Grandfather), was the son of Thomas Bolger, who had been a farmer in Coon Rapids, and had earlier married a Jessie Dolan, known to be the grand-daughter of a James Dolan (by a son, Josiah). He had presumably immigrated from Belfast, Ireland to Ohio with his family and, in 1844, settled in Cedar County, Iowa. We had a very crude list of names of the James Dolan lineage, but no more. We knew little of the origins of the Bolger family, though we had been told they had come from Ireland.
This search was also to be our first attempt to search old county and library records to dig up previously unknown information and to verify in records information previously provided us by family sources. We knew from our readings on family history and genealogy searches that all information obtained is not necessarily reliable. It is best to go to the original documents for verification, wherever possible. Multiple, reliable sources are even better. This allows a cross-check and confirmation.
Prior to leaving Emporia, Nancy had begun to examine U.S. census tapes for Cedar County for 1850, 1860, and 1870. The indexes for the census tapes had shown a number of Dolans in Center Township, including a James and a Josiah (see below). No Bolgers were noted on the 1850 census but there was a Michael Bolger, a Harriet Bolger and three children listed for 1860 in Cass Township, in western Cedar County. The census further showed Michael as born in Ireland and Harriet born in Ohio. In the 1870 census for Cass Township, the Michael Bolger family included for the first time a son, Thomas, listed as 9 years old. That fit with what we knew of Thomas. (In addition, the 1870 census showed Michael and Harriet aged 58 and 39. It listed other children: Rosamond, 16; Mary, 14; Nina, 12; Sarah, 6; Catherine, 3; and Michael, 3/12.) Our job, then, was to verify and confirm that we had identified the correct family and proceed to expand on that information. (Nancy recognized the Rosamond name, from family discussions, but was totally unaware of either of the Michaels. More on the younger Michael in a later episode.)
The 1850 census for Center Township which includes Tipton, the county seat, in the middle of the county, among the several Dolans, listed a Harriett Dolan, by herself, age 18, born in Ohio. Harriett did not appear anywhere on the Dolan name list. Was she from another family? Could Harriett Dolan, age 18, in Center Township in 1850, possibly be the same person as Harriet Bolger, age 27, in Cass Township in 1860?
Dolans in the the 1850 census included what appeared to be a family unit of James A. Dolan (age 43), Malvinna (16), Josiah (13), Chad (10), Harley (8), and Charlotte (6). The Dolan list we had showed children of James as: 1. John, 2. Charlie, 3. Melvina, 4. Josiah, 5. Charlotte. (This is fairly typical of how various records are at odds with one another and how it is important to note where you find each piece of evidence; later, one can work on questions about the source; most reliable, and/or original source?)
At the Cedar County Courthouse in Tipton, one of our first searches was of marriage records, from the beginning of recorded history there, which was the 1830's. They did have an index, by alpha name, so that helped a lot. Looking down the list we found (they are listed by male and then female along side): "Bulger Nichael Dalan Harriet" at Marriage Record Book D, page 4. The entry at that reference, plainly written in hand script, was, in part: "This is to certify that on the 24th day of February 1851 I did unite in the bonds of Matrimony Michael Bulger Aged 28 Years to Miss Harriet Dolan aged 19 Years in Cedar County Cass township at the House of Robert Gower." It was signed, Asa Haskins, Justice of the peace. [Harriet's roots will be discussed, more, later.]
Nancy did have, from her mother, Ruth, a copy of the Certificate of Marriage of Mr. Thomas Edmond Bolger to Miss Jessie Amanda Dolan, in Johnson County, February 18, 1889.
We also found in the marriage records, under Dolan (male list) the following, which we recorded for future reference: John Dolan, Rebecca Tyler; James Dolan, Amanda E. Stratton; Charles Dolan, Mary Paden; Pitt Dolan, Katie G. Spende. Under Dolan (female list): Arabell Dolan, Cyrus Boon; Rebecca Dolan, Geo Riggle; Sarah Dolan, Robert Filson; Kate Dolan, Hayden Pierce; Milisa Dalan, Phillip McSparen. Under B (female list) we found: Mary Bolger, Milton Vincent; Rosemond Bulger, David Negus. Each of these had a book and page reference where more information was provided, such as date, house where married, by whom, etc. We duly recorded this information, even though we doubted many would be of further interest. (We later were able to identify each - and they were very useful tidbits of information, later!)
We next went to property records, but that is another story .... see episode 2.
Let me share two cemetery visit stories at this point. They really depend a lot on information found in property records and at the library, but we will discuss those details later. The James Dolan family list, mentioned earlier, says he died in 1890 and was buried at Mt. Zion Cemetery in Cedar County. We found out at the library that the Mt. Zion Church and Cemetery were a few miles southwest of Tipton and easily accessible. While at the library, we also found the following article in the Directory of Cedar County, Center Township (I believe it was written about 1877, need to verify the date): "DOLAN, JAMES, farmer, Sec 15; P.O. Tipton; born in Ohio, Oct. 12, 1806; lived there thirty-eight years and came to Cedar County April 20, 1844, located at Gower's Ferry during the Summer and moved to where he now lives Oct. 17, 1844; bought the claim and entered the land from the Government; there were plenty of deer, turkeys and wolves here; only few are here now who were here when he came; owns farm of eighty acres; has held school and road offices. Married Nancy Harris from Ohio; she died in 1846; they had five children. Married Amanda E. Stratton, from Champaign Co., O., in June, 1852; they have four children - Pitt, Sallie, Arabella and George B.; had two sons in the army; they enlisted in the 24th Regt. Iowa Infantry and were in many battles."
We visited Mt. Zion Cemetery and found his marker with others. James Dolan d. 19 Jan 1891 Age 84 yr. 3 mo. 7d.; Amanda, wife of James n.d.; George B. d. Mar 7, 1921; Susie inf daughter of G.B. & S.P., Aug 1896; Blanche, dau./o G.B. & S.P. Oct 22, 1888, age 1 yr. 4 mo. (At the library we found information on Mt. Zion in Stones & Sites of Cedar Co, Ia. 1836-1986, p.375: Located in NW1/4 of SE1/4 Sec 15 (same section as James Dolan farm) Center Twsp. lying east of the church yard and on the north slope of a ridge. Access is by a gravel road on the south with main entrance on east and west ends. The deed contains "and it is hereby agreed that the meeting house there on standing is to be free to the use of other denominations when not occupied by the Mt. Zion Church. It is further agreed that should said church lose its visibility, that the house shall become the property of the State School Fund of the Free Baptist denomination in the State of Iowa." The church was locked, but we did look in the windows and it has pews and an alter and appears to still be used, sometimes, if not regularly. A few hundred feet west of the church (and cemetary) there is an abandoned farmstead (May 14, 1995) that sits on the land on which James Dolan lived. We have no way of knowing, yet, if this might have been where his homestead was located, but, it was fun to speculate this might have been it.
We also found the cemetery in Cass Township on a hill just north of the Michael Bolger property (on the same section, near the northeast corner), right along the nice paved county road (Straight west of Tipton, west of the Cedar River, north of West Branch; now marked with road signs: Solon Road and 210th Street). Just inside the front gate, and to the left, maybe fifty feet, are a large "Bolger" stone and four smaller grave markers: Michael 1808-1875; Fleeta 1851-1852; Nina 1858-1879; Katie 1867-1885; Harriet 1833-1912. (We later found this cemetery - see reference above, p 368 - is known by three names: Evergreen, Gunsolus, Green Hill. The description in the book includes: "This cemetery lies high on a small ridge on the north side of county paved road F28 one mile west of the Cedar River bridge at Cedar Bluff. Specifically the site is on the northern boundary of NE1/4 Sec. 32-81-4 Cass Twsp. where the Tipton & Iowa City Road intersects the Overman's Ferry and Cedar Rapids Road. The main entry gate is in the west fence near the SW corner. In addition there is a seldom used pedestrian gate in the SE corner."
We actually found this cemetery and the markers before we got to Tipton. We had driven north from West Branch and had just turned east toward Tipton. On the left, on a rise, was a small cemetery. We got out, walked past the gate, turned to our left, and there they were. We knew it was going to be a good day.

Family is forever! ;-)