Early Oregon Cousins – Martha (Davis) Alkire

Martha Luella Davis, born 18 Jan 1852 in Mahaska County Iowa, was the daughter of Isaac S and Rebecca (Bond) Davis. Because Rebecca was a sister of Solomon Bond, Martha was a 1^st cousin of Solomon's son, John Howard Bond. So Martha was my 1^st cousin 3 times removed.

Martha was just a few months past her 1^st birthday in 1853 when she left Iowa with her parents and a number of other relatives to cross the plains and go to the Oregon Territory. Her parents settled a 320 acre Donation Land Claim in the Coast Fork Precinct of Lane County. It was about 6 miles west of the current city of Creswell.

She was enumerated in the 1860 census there as an 8 year old. It was near the end of 1860 when her father was declared insane. By the 1870 census her mother and brothers and sisters were living in the Springfield Township of Lane County, next to Isaac's brother Nelson, who was married to Rebecca's sister Elizabeth. Martha, at age 15, had married William Alkire 26 May 1867 in Lane County at the home of her uncle Nelson Davis. She and William with their baby daughter Francis were living next to her mother's family in the 1870 census.

By 1880 Martha and William were in Farmington District, Whitman County, Washington Territory with 4 sons, George Edward, Charles Walter, A.A. and Alpheus. By the 1883 territorial census 2 more daughters were added to the family: Grace and Pearl. When the 1900 census was taken the family was living in Coeur d'Alene, Kootenai County Idaho with Charles, Arthur and Pearl still at home. She was listed as Ella. They were shown at 318 S 11^th, Coeur d'Alene in 1910, with their son Edward and widowed daughter Grace and her two children.

Martha “Ella” became a widow herself when William died 3 Jun 1919 there in Coeur d'Alene. In the 1920 census Grace, now listed as divorced, was living with her mother and there were also 2 granddaughters in the household. The 1930 census showed Martha as owning her home at 318 S. 11^th, valued at $1000, but she didn't own a radio. Her 19 year old granddaughter, Elizabeth Winters, was living with her. Martha was still in the same house on the 1940 census and Elizabeth and her husband Kenneth Ejven were there also.

Martha “Ella” lived a long life, dying 2 months after her 103^rd birthday, 30 Mar 1955. One of her descendants has graciously allowed me to use this photo of her at age 100.