Friday, August 31, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Overview of FamilySearch Family Tree
For those of you not yet following FamilySearch Family Tree, here is a short video with show me how demonstrations about it. Click Here
10 Million and Genealogy
What would you guess I am referring to, 10 million and genealogy? The answer: Last year the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints handled 10 million requests for help from people.
Elisha Cragun, My Great Great Grandfather
I find it curious that Elisha, Patricks son, married a woman whose grandfathers name was Caleb.
Caleb is supposedly Patrick Craguns fathers name. I have searched many places in Ireland for a Caleb tied to many derivites of Cragun (Crehgan ,etc) and do not find a Caleb. No facts here, just peeks my curiosity as I had already begun to doubt the name Caleb as Patricks fathers actual name. Darn.
Now the story of Elisha:
Elisha is believed to have been born at either Russell County, VA or Sullivan County, TN on February 22, 1786, the second child of Patrick and Rose Alley Cragun. While Elisha's birthplace may have been in doubt, his Virginia connection was certain through his wife. In 1811 he married Mary (Polly) Osborn, daughter of James and Mary (Whitaker) Osborn of Castle's Wood, then in Washington County, Virginia (now Castlewood in Russell County, Virginia). The Osborn's are recorded as being wealthy slave and land owners of the area. Polly's father, James Osborn(e), was a member of the second group of settlers to reach the Castlewood area of Russell County Virginia shortly after 1769. It was a part of the Clinch River settlements in extreme southwest Virginia. His father, Caleb, was owner of a plantation of over 579 acres in the area of Cedar and Dutchman's Creek at the Forks of the Yadkin, Rowan County, North Carolina. James' wife, Mary Whittaker, was (probably) the daughter of one of the Whittakers whose land adjoined that of the Osborn's.
James Osborn was listed as a soldier at Moore's Fort in 1777. It was located at Cassell's Woods and until 1775 had been under the command of Daniel Boone who at that time departed the area to make his second entry into Kentucky. The story of Moore's Fort and the names of its' soldiers on June 30, 1777 can be found in the Historical Sketches of Southwest Virginia, Pub#4, 1986, of the Historical Society of Southwest Virginia. James died on Dec 14, 1821 leaving to his widow the dwelling house, 1/3 of that tract of land and two Negroes. The remainder of his farm and eight Negroes were left to his son, Solomon. His other children, including Polly Cragun, Elisha's wife, were each bequeathed a certain undisclosed sum of money.
Polly was born in 1790, the youngest of nine children. Married at age 21, when Elisha was 25, they moved the fifty miles or so to join Patrick and the family in Sullivan County, Tennessee, where Rebecca was born to Mary in 1812 after Elisha had departed for army service.
Polly's older brother, Jonathan, migrated along with members of the Alley family to the area that became Franklin County, IN in 1811, the same year that the land was opened for settlement having been obtained from the Indians in 1809 by the Twelve Mile Purchase treaty. In 1813 he was among the first to draw land. The next year, in 1814, Elisha and Polly left Sullivan County, TN with their daughter, Rebecca, and on September 16th. entered four surveys of land near Jonathan's property and adjoining property of Peter Alley along Pipe Creek, at the junction of Metamora and Butler Townships in Franklin County, IN. Apparently, Elisha's entry into Indiana was delayed by service in the war of 1812 in which his brothers Isaac and John also served. Both John and Elisha are said to have served with the troops of General Andrew Jackson; however, Elisha's service can not be verified through records at the National Archives.
Later, on March 2, 1819, Elisha's younger brother, Caleb, twin of Joshua, entered a survey in the same area in Franklin County as Elisha and married the widowed Sarah (Alley) Jones with two children. By 1828, Joshua Cragun also settled in Franklin County; however, sometime between 1825 and 1827, Elisha and Polly moved on to Noble Township near Richland in Rush County after that land was opened for settlement following the St. Mary's Treaty with the Indians.
One can only be impressed with the way Elisha and his family kept following the frontier. As new lands were opened for settlement, they moved into them and developed farms bringing civilization along with them. They settled land and cultivated it in contrast to speculators of the time who claimed and simply held land against the hope of increased prices thus retarding both settlement and development of the frontier as it moved west.
With the exception of Rebecca, who had married and established her own home with Aaron Beeman in Rush County, in 1835 Elisha, Mary, and their nine other children claimed land in Boone County, cleared it of growth including the black walnut trees which grew in abundance and began to farm near what became known as the Pleasant View Community in Eagle Township between Zionsville and Whitestown. Not much is known about the family during this period. The record indicates that Mary died December 14,1844 at age 54 and daughter Abigail died three days later on December 17 at age 21. They were buried side by side on the farm in an otherwise unmarked grave where a large black walnut tree then stood.
Heiner described the land in 1965 as being lush and green with a stream called Jackson's Run flowing through the Pleasant View Church yard. This is now the location of Hutton Memorial Cemetery East of Whitestown where several family members have been buried. Heiner also reports that Elisha sold all or part of his holding to Washington St. Clair on September 8, 1845. This perhaps marks the breakup of the homestead done in preparation for the next shift to the west, which is explained by Heiner as follows: "During their moves from one county to another, Elisha encountered two Mormon missionaries - Nathan T. Porter, and Wilber Earl. Their doctrine appealed to Elisha and his wife, Mary. A very good friend, Henry Mower, a Methodist minister, had been converted to the Latter-day Church of Jesus Christ and he also influenced their faith and baptized Elisha 15 March 1843 at Jackson's Run."
After the death of his wife and daughter and sale of his property, Elisha made his way to Nauvoo, Illinois, to be near the head of the church there receiving a Patriarchal Blessing on November 10, 1845. Heiner also reports that Elisha was accompanied by several members of his family. With him at Nauvoo were his sister, Elizabeth, and brother, Syren. The record also shows that all of his surviving children except Hiram departed for the west. Two sons, James and Simeon and three daughters: Mary, Tyresha, and Tabitha ultimately completed the treck and settled in Utah. Rebecca Cragun Beeman and her family were reported by her son, Elisha, living in 1909 near Elizaville, Indiana, to have gone as far as Council Bluffs, Iowa, and then turned back for unknown reasons.
Elisha Cragun's fifth child, Enoch, and his wife, Molly (Peters), got as far west as Missouri then went north to Minnesota establishing a branch of the family which still lives in the area of Brainard, Minnesota.
Sara Jane, Elisha's youngest child, is reported to have died in 1847 or 1848. Nothing further is known of her.
Elisha is believed to have departed with a party from Nauvoo headed for Utah and got as far as Council Bluffs, Iowa or Winter Quarters, Nebraska where he died during the winter of 1846-47 at age 61. No record of his grave has been found, but he may be burried in one of the nearly 800 unmarked graves at the cemetery near the encampment at Florence, Nebraska on Rt.#75, north of Omaha, a victim of a cholera epidemic that winter.
Caleb is supposedly Patrick Craguns fathers name. I have searched many places in Ireland for a Caleb tied to many derivites of Cragun (Crehgan ,etc) and do not find a Caleb. No facts here, just peeks my curiosity as I had already begun to doubt the name Caleb as Patricks fathers actual name. Darn.
Now the story of Elisha:
Elisha is believed to have been born at either Russell County, VA or Sullivan County, TN on February 22, 1786, the second child of Patrick and Rose Alley Cragun. While Elisha's birthplace may have been in doubt, his Virginia connection was certain through his wife. In 1811 he married Mary (Polly) Osborn, daughter of James and Mary (Whitaker) Osborn of Castle's Wood, then in Washington County, Virginia (now Castlewood in Russell County, Virginia). The Osborn's are recorded as being wealthy slave and land owners of the area. Polly's father, James Osborn(e), was a member of the second group of settlers to reach the Castlewood area of Russell County Virginia shortly after 1769. It was a part of the Clinch River settlements in extreme southwest Virginia. His father, Caleb, was owner of a plantation of over 579 acres in the area of Cedar and Dutchman's Creek at the Forks of the Yadkin, Rowan County, North Carolina. James' wife, Mary Whittaker, was (probably) the daughter of one of the Whittakers whose land adjoined that of the Osborn's.
James Osborn was listed as a soldier at Moore's Fort in 1777. It was located at Cassell's Woods and until 1775 had been under the command of Daniel Boone who at that time departed the area to make his second entry into Kentucky. The story of Moore's Fort and the names of its' soldiers on June 30, 1777 can be found in the Historical Sketches of Southwest Virginia, Pub#4, 1986, of the Historical Society of Southwest Virginia. James died on Dec 14, 1821 leaving to his widow the dwelling house, 1/3 of that tract of land and two Negroes. The remainder of his farm and eight Negroes were left to his son, Solomon. His other children, including Polly Cragun, Elisha's wife, were each bequeathed a certain undisclosed sum of money.
Polly was born in 1790, the youngest of nine children. Married at age 21, when Elisha was 25, they moved the fifty miles or so to join Patrick and the family in Sullivan County, Tennessee, where Rebecca was born to Mary in 1812 after Elisha had departed for army service.
Polly's older brother, Jonathan, migrated along with members of the Alley family to the area that became Franklin County, IN in 1811, the same year that the land was opened for settlement having been obtained from the Indians in 1809 by the Twelve Mile Purchase treaty. In 1813 he was among the first to draw land. The next year, in 1814, Elisha and Polly left Sullivan County, TN with their daughter, Rebecca, and on September 16th. entered four surveys of land near Jonathan's property and adjoining property of Peter Alley along Pipe Creek, at the junction of Metamora and Butler Townships in Franklin County, IN. Apparently, Elisha's entry into Indiana was delayed by service in the war of 1812 in which his brothers Isaac and John also served. Both John and Elisha are said to have served with the troops of General Andrew Jackson; however, Elisha's service can not be verified through records at the National Archives.
Later, on March 2, 1819, Elisha's younger brother, Caleb, twin of Joshua, entered a survey in the same area in Franklin County as Elisha and married the widowed Sarah (Alley) Jones with two children. By 1828, Joshua Cragun also settled in Franklin County; however, sometime between 1825 and 1827, Elisha and Polly moved on to Noble Township near Richland in Rush County after that land was opened for settlement following the St. Mary's Treaty with the Indians.
One can only be impressed with the way Elisha and his family kept following the frontier. As new lands were opened for settlement, they moved into them and developed farms bringing civilization along with them. They settled land and cultivated it in contrast to speculators of the time who claimed and simply held land against the hope of increased prices thus retarding both settlement and development of the frontier as it moved west.
With the exception of Rebecca, who had married and established her own home with Aaron Beeman in Rush County, in 1835 Elisha, Mary, and their nine other children claimed land in Boone County, cleared it of growth including the black walnut trees which grew in abundance and began to farm near what became known as the Pleasant View Community in Eagle Township between Zionsville and Whitestown. Not much is known about the family during this period. The record indicates that Mary died December 14,1844 at age 54 and daughter Abigail died three days later on December 17 at age 21. They were buried side by side on the farm in an otherwise unmarked grave where a large black walnut tree then stood.
Heiner described the land in 1965 as being lush and green with a stream called Jackson's Run flowing through the Pleasant View Church yard. This is now the location of Hutton Memorial Cemetery East of Whitestown where several family members have been buried. Heiner also reports that Elisha sold all or part of his holding to Washington St. Clair on September 8, 1845. This perhaps marks the breakup of the homestead done in preparation for the next shift to the west, which is explained by Heiner as follows: "During their moves from one county to another, Elisha encountered two Mormon missionaries - Nathan T. Porter, and Wilber Earl. Their doctrine appealed to Elisha and his wife, Mary. A very good friend, Henry Mower, a Methodist minister, had been converted to the Latter-day Church of Jesus Christ and he also influenced their faith and baptized Elisha 15 March 1843 at Jackson's Run."
After the death of his wife and daughter and sale of his property, Elisha made his way to Nauvoo, Illinois, to be near the head of the church there receiving a Patriarchal Blessing on November 10, 1845. Heiner also reports that Elisha was accompanied by several members of his family. With him at Nauvoo were his sister, Elizabeth, and brother, Syren. The record also shows that all of his surviving children except Hiram departed for the west. Two sons, James and Simeon and three daughters: Mary, Tyresha, and Tabitha ultimately completed the treck and settled in Utah. Rebecca Cragun Beeman and her family were reported by her son, Elisha, living in 1909 near Elizaville, Indiana, to have gone as far as Council Bluffs, Iowa, and then turned back for unknown reasons.
Elisha Cragun's fifth child, Enoch, and his wife, Molly (Peters), got as far west as Missouri then went north to Minnesota establishing a branch of the family which still lives in the area of Brainard, Minnesota.
Sara Jane, Elisha's youngest child, is reported to have died in 1847 or 1848. Nothing further is known of her.
Elisha is believed to have departed with a party from Nauvoo headed for Utah and got as far as Council Bluffs, Iowa or Winter Quarters, Nebraska where he died during the winter of 1846-47 at age 61. No record of his grave has been found, but he may be burried in one of the nearly 800 unmarked graves at the cemetery near the encampment at Florence, Nebraska on Rt.#75, north of Omaha, a victim of a cholera epidemic that winter.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Bertha Cragun Death Sourced Birth Commented On
Per my sister Nancy Day: My mothers Birth: Pocatello, Bannock, Idaho, USA In unwed mothers home. I have searched & found no evidence of an unwed mothers home. Perhaps she went to a Relief Society midwife in Pocatello.
Larry Cragun: She was haunted with low self esteem her entire life over this. Her mother died when she was about 14 and she was raised by her grandmother Electa Elizabeth Porter in Porterville, Utah. She was not treated well as a child there, basically being shunned by the community.
Social Security Death Index
U.S. Public Records Index, Volume 1
Web: Obituary Daily Times Index, 1995-2011
Web: Washington, Find A Grave Index, 1853-2011
1916 Name Bertha had no middle name. Used her birth father's name=South & her step father's=Salinas. E.R. Wanted her named Eddra, her mother called her Little Bird.
My mother, Bertha Cragun died of a sudden heart attack. It took place early in morning, I think about 4 AM. My sister Peggy was able to contact me and I arrived at the Hospitol in Bellevue, Wa. about 10:30 AM and she was unconscious. She died a few hours after I arrived.
Larry Cragun: She was haunted with low self esteem her entire life over this. Her mother died when she was about 14 and she was raised by her grandmother Electa Elizabeth Porter in Porterville, Utah. She was not treated well as a child there, basically being shunned by the community.
Social Security Death Index
U.S. Public Records Index, Volume 1
Web: Obituary Daily Times Index, 1995-2011
Web: Washington, Find A Grave Index, 1853-2011
1916 Name Bertha had no middle name. Used her birth father's name=South & her step father's=Salinas. E.R. Wanted her named Eddra, her mother called her Little Bird.
My mother, Bertha Cragun died of a sudden heart attack. It took place early in morning, I think about 4 AM. My sister Peggy was able to contact me and I arrived at the Hospitol in Bellevue, Wa. about 10:30 AM and she was unconscious. She died a few hours after I arrived.
Hey Kids, Stop Stumbling, Have A Research Plan
I plan on writing several articles on this topic. It is so normal to get excited, go on line and start researching. Almost eveyone makes the rookie mistakes mentioned in this article: Click Here Having a research plan corrects rookie human behavior.
So I encourage you, stop stumbling to discovery. Search with a purpose. Take the time to determine what you goal is going to be, then determine what is available for your research, then go get it.
Research plans are not merely a chronological log of your research. (I made this mistaken assumption)
Research plans involve: thoughtful planning, setting goals, working to achieve those goals, and recording your findings.
In implementing a research plan you will choose a project, set a specific goal, decide what questions need to be answered, list what you already know, seek out research guidance, and write down the steps to achieve those goals.
Now this may sound complicated, but what it is is planning. It is saving time in the long run.
TIPS: Keep your goal narrow and specific. Limit the plan to one surname. (One individual or family group works best).
Determine how easy it is going to be to solve the goal. This means you might avoid one of the common rookie mistakes of researching the farthest back where there is the least data. (I did this too)
Ask a whole bunch of questions: Where events were, were there disasters or epidemics, what were the migration patterns, where is my ancestor likley buried, did he have property and leave a will, was he in the service, and think of other important facts you can persue.
It is time saving to seek out research guidance. Two suggestions here: family history librariers, and the FamilySearch Wiki. Ancestry.com has a redbook in hard cover or on line. Family History Centers Library Catalog. Then organize these findings into a document of your own for future research in similar instances.
Going through this planning process is likely to motivate you, it has me. As much as I love discovery in this meningful detective game, I much more love being focused and see goals accomplished. There are so many dead ends and so many bunny trails we can take, this process keeps you from chasing bunnies and leads to successful hunting.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Latest On Family Tree
I wanted to update you on the project status and share a couple of minor enhancements.
Project StatusWe are quickly reaching the point where we will turn on Family Tree for all users. (Until now, users needed to go through an invitation portal to gain access.) This means that all members of the Church who have access to new.familysearch.org, as well as all publicly registered users, will be able to see the Family Tree link and access the product.
We expect this transition to happen within the next month.
To prepare for this significant step, we have been busy working on a number of features. They include: Coming Feature: Merge PersonThis feature compares two people. If you determine that they are in fact the same person, you can select which data to preserve, and then you merge them. If you determine that these two people are NOT the same person, you can indicate that they are "Not-A-Match." This is a powerful new feature. It will prevent improper merging.
Coming Feature: Reserve OrdinancesUsers will be able to start the temple reservation work flow by selecting the Ordinances Ready link.
Coming Feature: Language SupportUsers will be able to use the product in their local language (we support 10 languages) and enter names in their native script (I.e. Chinese, Japanese, Cyrillic, etc.).
Coming Feature: Improved Site IntegrationAs we continue to unify our site, there are a number of improvements you will notice. The first is our authentication. You will be able to sign in and stay signed in for up to 2 weeks. The second improvement is browser navigation. Among other things, the use of the browser back button will now be consistent.
Source Box Availability from the HeaderYou can now access your source box directly from the header! History List and Other Preferences to be ResetUnfortunately, your history list will be reset, as will several other preferences. This is a one-time action that is necessary to unify our user and preferences databases.
Project StatusWe are quickly reaching the point where we will turn on Family Tree for all users. (Until now, users needed to go through an invitation portal to gain access.) This means that all members of the Church who have access to new.familysearch.org, as well as all publicly registered users, will be able to see the Family Tree link and access the product.
We expect this transition to happen within the next month.
To prepare for this significant step, we have been busy working on a number of features. They include: Coming Feature: Merge PersonThis feature compares two people. If you determine that they are in fact the same person, you can select which data to preserve, and then you merge them. If you determine that these two people are NOT the same person, you can indicate that they are "Not-A-Match." This is a powerful new feature. It will prevent improper merging.
Coming Feature: Reserve OrdinancesUsers will be able to start the temple reservation work flow by selecting the Ordinances Ready link.
Coming Feature: Language SupportUsers will be able to use the product in their local language (we support 10 languages) and enter names in their native script (I.e. Chinese, Japanese, Cyrillic, etc.).
Coming Feature: Improved Site IntegrationAs we continue to unify our site, there are a number of improvements you will notice. The first is our authentication. You will be able to sign in and stay signed in for up to 2 weeks. The second improvement is browser navigation. Among other things, the use of the browser back button will now be consistent.
Source Box Availability from the HeaderYou can now access your source box directly from the header! History List and Other Preferences to be ResetUnfortunately, your history list will be reset, as will several other preferences. This is a one-time action that is necessary to unify our user and preferences databases.
The Porters From England, John Porter and Descendants
In doing Porter family history research I conclude that there were many of the Porter family who were of wealth in England. In the 1600's to 1800's there were hundreds of thousands of them that moved to America in the search for a chance to become wealthy.
I have found in my mothers records this biographical genealogy of the descendants of John Porter of Windsor Vermont. Its title says it was given by Marlow Rich Porter to his son Aubrey on his birthday in 1856,
You can read it here on this site or double click the document and go to http://slideshare.net. I have turned the download feature on so you may download it. I am also attaching it to FamilySearch Family Tree to John Porters name for any descendant or site visitor to find.
This biographical genealogy is an interesting study of how names came to pass, especially the Porter name. It has a history of Porters in England. It discusses coats of arms. The history part goes back to arund the year 1066. It discusses the political and religious strife in England, Great Brittain. It identifies Peter Porter as the first American Porter. There is a lot about Peter Porter, including a tragic killing of his wife by the Indians, his attempt at revenge, and his murder.
I at one time, searching around, had found a relationship to Abraham Lincoln. I thought it was the Cragun line where I had found it. (best to keep a research log or journal, that wouldn't happen if so). But it is here in the Porter line we connect to Abe's grandmother and the Porters.
I hope you take the time to read this Porter story, Marlow Rich Porter obviously put a lot of effort into it. It's 29 pages long. It is an interesting read.
PS: Marlow Rich Porter is my grandmother Nancy Athena Porter's oldest sibling/brother.
I have found in my mothers records this biographical genealogy of the descendants of John Porter of Windsor Vermont. Its title says it was given by Marlow Rich Porter to his son Aubrey on his birthday in 1856,
You can read it here on this site or double click the document and go to http://slideshare.net. I have turned the download feature on so you may download it. I am also attaching it to FamilySearch Family Tree to John Porters name for any descendant or site visitor to find.
This biographical genealogy is an interesting study of how names came to pass, especially the Porter name. It has a history of Porters in England. It discusses coats of arms. The history part goes back to arund the year 1066. It discusses the political and religious strife in England, Great Brittain. It identifies Peter Porter as the first American Porter. There is a lot about Peter Porter, including a tragic killing of his wife by the Indians, his attempt at revenge, and his murder.
I at one time, searching around, had found a relationship to Abraham Lincoln. I thought it was the Cragun line where I had found it. (best to keep a research log or journal, that wouldn't happen if so). But it is here in the Porter line we connect to Abe's grandmother and the Porters.
I hope you take the time to read this Porter story, Marlow Rich Porter obviously put a lot of effort into it. It's 29 pages long. It is an interesting read.
PS: Marlow Rich Porter is my grandmother Nancy Athena Porter's oldest sibling/brother.
Monday, August 27, 2012
A Short Example Of A Lifes Lesson Gone Legacy
I received this by email from my Aunt Ruth Wood Cragun. I thought it important that I share this. She has given me permission to post it and to link this to her fathers file in FamilySearch Family Tree for all their posterity to find.
The other wolf is 'good' and has joy, peace, love, hope, serenity,
humility, kindness, empathy, generosity, faith, courage, honor and
integrity.
My grandfather (Edward Sterling WOOD) died many years ago. He and my grandmother had one child (my father (Archibald Arnold Wood...known as Archie his entire life). Grandpa and Grandma (Ruth Esther Reynolds WOOD) also had a daughter who died at birth. Grandpa carried this verse in his wallet right up until the day he died. It was then given to me by his sister and I've saved the original, but have carried THIS in MY wallet ever since I received it.
I had been raised to believe my Wood lineage were Cherokee Indians (and now I realize a LOT of people think they are). All the family pictures I have of the Wood family certainly LOOK Indian! IN ANY CASE, here's the verse he (and now I) have carried with us ... lo these many years. I feel it says a SO MUCH, because it is SO TRUE. Maybe someone you know. might need a 'lift' or a 're-think' concerning his/her life!
I had been raised to believe my Wood lineage were Cherokee Indians (and now I realize a LOT of people think they are). All the family pictures I have of the Wood family certainly LOOK Indian! IN ANY CASE, here's the verse he (and now I) have carried with us ... lo these many years. I feel it says a SO MUCH, because it is SO TRUE. Maybe someone you know. might need a 'lift' or a 're-think' concerning his/her life!
An old Indian grandfather told his grandson, "There is a battle
between two wolves that live within you. One is 'evil' and has anger, envy,
sorrow, regrets, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment,
inferiority, lies, superiortiy and ego.
between two wolves that live within you. One is 'evil' and has anger, envy,
sorrow, regrets, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment,
inferiority, lies, superiortiy and ego.
The other wolf is 'good' and has joy, peace, love, hope, serenity,
humility, kindness, empathy, generosity, faith, courage, honor and
integrity.
The grandson asked his grandfather, "Which one wins"?
The old Indian simply replied, "The one you feed".
The old Indian simply replied, "The one you feed".
Sunday, August 26, 2012
G Grandmother Electa Elizabeth Porter Obituary
I will be linking this to her in FamilySearch Family Tree
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