[or-roots] Genealogy

[Virgene and Dean Travis]

Hi Karla --
    I got up at 6 AM to let the dogs out and sat down at the computer to
wait for them to want back in (so I could go back to bed), and I became
intrigued with your problem.  They have now been back in for at least 2
hours and here I am, still at the computer.
    I thought it might be possible to find a Gray family in Davidson Co.,
Tennessee (where Nashville is located) on the 1850 census who have a 7 year
old son named James.   The index lists 13 Grays in Davidson Co. ... one in
the 6th Civil Dist., one in the 19th Civil Dist, 10 in the 2nd sub-division,
and one in Nashville.   (Note:  I also did a "soundex" search and only came
up with one additional name ... last name spelled Grey, not in Nashville.)
Now I don't know where these Civil Dists. nor (or is it "or" ??? <grin>)
where the Sub-Divs are located, but the Gray in Nashville is named JAMES
GRAY.   Kind of an interesting coincidence.   However, normally when a son
is named after a father, it is the oldest son ... and you mentioned that
family lore says that your James has older brothers.
        The actual census records themselves are shown as Not Available.  I
don't know if that means the census records just aren't yet connected to the
index, or if they don't exist, but the index had to be compiled from
something.    If you can find 1850 TN census records, and search for a
Gray/Grey family with a 7 year-old son named James or "Jack", I'd say that
would be your best bet of finding your James Jackson Gray's parents.
         The 1860 Tennessee index isn't available to me.
         The 1870 index shows 107 Gray/Greys in Nashville ... but this index
includes everyone in the family, not just the head-of-household.  There are
no JAMES GRAYs listed.   There are no women listed who were born in
Illinois.  Of course, the fact that the 1880 census shows that your James
Jackson Gray's mother was b. in IL may or may not be accurate.    (I have
one ancestor whose various children in various census years list at least 5
different states where he was born.)
        Also, if you can find someone in Davidson County, TN who will do
look-ups, you might want to check marriage records (for marriages before
1843) and land records.
     Good luck in your search!
           Virgene

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Karla F Williams" <karfranw at juno.com>
To: <or-roots at sosinet.sos.state.or.us>
Sent: Wednesday, December 24, 2003 12:59 AM
Subject: [or-roots] Genealogy


> Dear List friends,
>
> My name is Karla Williams, and I subscribed to this list two or three
> months ago.  My niece, sister in law, and another
> cousin, have been trying to trace back our family roots.  But, on my
> dad's side, we can only go back as far as my
> great-grandfather, and no further.
> The great-grandfather's name was James Jackson Gray.  He was born in or
> around Nashville Tennessee on March 17, 1843.
> According to the family stories, his father, my great-great grandfather,
> was a teacher by trade and he also owned a farm where
> he raised horses on the side.
> The story also goes, that when the Civil War broke out, James was a 17
> year old boy.  His father and older brothers left him in
> charge of the farm and they went off to war joining the Union or
> Federalist Army.  Well this didn't set to well with James so he decided
> he wanted to go to war also.
> He took, or stole his father's black stallion that the father had paid
> $1,000.00 for and went off to war, joining the Confederate Army
> and he lied about his age when he joined.  The first thing that happened,
> the horse was shot and killed from under him.
> After the war was over, he worked his way west, trying to recoop the
> monies his father had paid for the horse, but he was never able
> to.
> He met and married his wife, Susan Permelia Hurst on November 1, 1876 in
> The Dalles, Oregon.  They moved around a bit, and finally
> bought some land and settled in Juniper Flats, near Wapinitia.  They
> subsequently had 10 children, but only 8 survived.  Their first, a baby
> girl
> died at age 9 months, and they lost a baby boy at birth.  Their surviving
> children, were Louisa, James, John, Jess (my grandfather), Robert,
> Joseph, Minnie and William.
> James died on July 14, 1900, near 8 mile Oregon.
> Now, my niece has gotten copies of his civil war military records.  But
> no where does it state the name of his parents.  I have seen a copy of a
> census, I think it was 1880, and it says his father was born in
> Tenneseee, and his mother in Illinois.
> Not once in his lifetime, here in Oregon did he ever talk about his
> family back in Tennesee.  We don't know anything.  Other than the story
> above.  This is my brick wall.
> I have a cousin, living in wyoming, on my mother's side of the family,
> who is a member and officer in the Daughters of the American
> Revolution.  About three years ago, she went to DC to a convention, and
> she did some research for me back there, and she couldn't find
> anything on him in any archive that she checked, other than his military
> records.
> We have reached a stand still on our family research, at least this
> branch.  Either he was telling the truth, as far as it went, or he was
> the
> biggest liar there is.  I have been thinking the whole story is bogus,
> and maybe he even changed his name to protect himself from the wrath
> of his father.
> I do know that he had a homestead for years at Friend Oregon.  Allegedly
> he owned a homestead in downtown Portland Oregon
> where the present Meier and Frank store is now. And that he lost both
> farms in gambling games of some sort.  More family lore.
> He also was a teamster, and drove wagons in a circus in California for a
> while.  He was mixed up with some Mexican war then also.
> He also, according to family stories, was a chef or a cook up in Seattle
> for awhile.
> I am not sure what to do at this point, for any more research.  Well that
> is the story and it is quite the puzzle.
> Thank you for listening and reading this long story.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Karla Williams
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