Early Oregon Cousins – James Nelson Davis

It was almost a week ago (4 Nov 2017) when I wrote about Martha (Davis) Alkire who lived to be 103. James Nelson Davis was her older brother, born 15 May 1849 in Mahaska County Iowa to Isaac S and Rebecca (Bond) Davis. So he also was a 1^st cousin of my gt-grandfather, John Howard Bond. That makes him my 1^st cousin 3 times removed.

James was another of my relatives who traveled the Oregon Trail. He would have celebrated his 4^th birthday in 1853 on the way to the Oregon Territory where his parents settled a 320 acre Donation Land Claim in the Coast Fork Precinct of Lane County Oregon. This was about 6 miles west of the current city of Creswell.

His father was declared insane near the end of 1860. By the 1870 census his 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. By this time, James was 21 years old and was still at home. The census showed his occupation as “hires out to work.” As the oldest son, I expect James was a help to his mother.

The Western States Marriage Index showed that James, age 30, married Ellen Lewis, age 16, on 12 Aug 1879 in Nez Perce County Idaho. The 1880 census showed them at Camas Creek Precinct in Nez Perce County with James shown as a farmer. Since most of the 1890 census has been destroyed, the next census is 1900. By then they were living in Pine Creek Precinct in Latah County Idaho and had 8 children: Edith, Adolphus, Oscar, Eugene, Glen, Rosetta, Bennie and Laura. Ellen's name was shown as Ella. She appeared to continue to use that name as she and James were in the 1910 census in Cambridge Precinct in Washington County Idaho with the 4 younger children listed in 1900 plus 2 more: Ford and Joseph. Ella reported that she had had 10 children and all were still living. James was listed as a farmer on his own farm.

They were still listed in Cambridge Precinct on the 1930 census, with James age 80 and Ella 67 and James' occupation continued to be a farmer. From the 1940 census we learn that they were still living in the country in 1935, but had moved into the town of Weiser Idaho by 1940 and were living on 3^rd Street in a house they owned, valued at $1000. It was after the census was taken in April that James, age 90, died on 30 Jul 1940 in Weiser and was buried at Hillcrest Cemetery.

Posted 10 Nov 2017

Early Oregon Cousins - Mary (Davis) Miles

Mary Davis was a 1st cousin 3 times removed, who was born in Lane County Oregon, not far from where I live now. She was nearer the current town of Creswell, while I live in Cottage Grove. Her birth took place on 11 Jun 1858. She was the 5th child of Isaac S. and Rebecca (Bond) Davis. Her parents and the 3 older children had crossed the plains from Iowa to Oregon over the Oregon Trail in 1853. Her parents had settled their Donation Lane Claim of 320 acres in October 1854 west of present day Creswell.

Mary was included in the 1860 census at age 3 with her parents, 4 older siblings and 1 younger sister. It was December of 1860 when her youngest brother was born. It was also when an inventory of her father's property was taken because he had been declared insane and her uncle Nelson Davis, her father's brother, was appointed guardian. According to some family stories, Isaac had been kicked in the head by a horse and this caused his difficulty. The land had to be sold to settle the estate.

Laura, Mary's sister, died in 1867 and another sister Martha was married about 1868, so there were 5 children in Rebecca's household in 1870. They lived in Springfield township, Lane County Oregon, between Rebecca's sister Elizabeth and her husband Nelson Davis with their 10 children and Martha and her husband William Alkire and their baby girl. Mary had many cousins nearby, many of whom were near her age. These were Mary's double cousins, since their mothers were sisters and their fathers were brothers.

But after Mary's Aunt Elizabeth died in 1872, the family moved to Whitman County Washington Territory. In 1880, only 22 year old Mary and her 19 year old younger brother Isaac were still at home living with their mother in the village of Farmington in Whitman County. Her sister Sarah with her husband Thomas Harris and their 2 children lived next door. Mary's brother James had moved to Nez Perce County Idaho Territory by 1880 and it was there that Mary married William L. Miles the next year, 24 Nov 1881.

However, by 1900 Mary and William are back in Whitman County Washington in Farmington District where William was working as a carpenter. By this time they had 4 sons and 1 daughter in their household. Also living with them was Mary's widowed 75 year old mother, Rebecca (Bond) Davis. It is probable that Rebecca died later that year. A number of family researchers list William's death as 1905 in Idaho. It makes sense because Mary was listed as a widow in the 1910 census when she was living in Coeur d'Alene, Kootenai County, Idaho with her son Roy and 2 boarders as she was keeping a boarding house. She is found living alone in Coeur d'Alene in the 1920 and 1930 censuses. Her older sister Martha also lived there.

Some family researchers list her death date as 1955. I haven't yet found documents to support that, but have not found any other date either.