RHEA-L Archives
Archiver > RHEA > 2002-09 > 1031776054
From: "Polly Dixon" <>
Subject: [RHEA] Jesse Rhea's sons James, Lewis, and Riley B.
Date: Wed, 11 Sep 2002 15:29:08 -0500
References: <da.1d863937.2aacdc4c@cs.com>
Attn: Anne Greer and Norma Lewis:
Please send your Rhea lineage to RHEA-L, or directly to
me. Although I haven't been very active lately, I think I'm still RHEA-L's
group leader for this line: James Rhea (father) and Jesse Rhea (son), of
Blount and Monroe Cos., TN. James Rhea m. Mary Paul. Their son Jesse Rhea
and his wife Margaret Blair were the parents of James, Lewis, and Riley B.
Rhea.
Anne, I believe you're referring to "the Watauga Association," whose
members settled Watauga County, NC. The first known permanent settlers
arrived in 1769. Ancestors of David Crockett, Sam Houston, John C. Calhoun,
Stonewall Jackson, and Abraham Lincoln were all Wataugans. To date, I
haven't personally made a connection between my (perhaps our!) Jesse Rhea
family and the Wataugans.
For interesting reading about the Wataugans, see A HISTORY OF WATAUGA COUNTY
NORTH CAROLINA by John Preston Arthur; and THE WATAUGANS, by Max Dixon (no
relation to me, as far as I know) Both have been reprinted by The
Overmountain Press, Johnson City, TN, in 1992 and 1976, respectively. There
is only one reference to a Rhea in either book. From page 340 of Arthur's
book: "Dr. James Gray Rivers married Miss Lucretia Jane Rhea, who was born
at Clarksburg, W.Va., near the Ohio River. Her father was R.P. Rhea, also
born in West Virginia, and a graduate of the Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md.
He became a teacher of great note, and had the honor of having taught Gen.
T.J. (Stonewall) Jackson . . ."
I have a good bit of information on the family of my 3-great-grandparents,
Jesse Rhea and Margaret Blair of Monroe Co., TN. Their two youngest sons,
Lewis and Riley B., went to Oregon.
I don't know the story about Lewis and Riley B. Rhea's brother James Rhea
having been a part of the group going to Oregon. However, a document filed
in Monroe Co., TN on 20 September 1866 mentions James and his children.
This is a suit filed by their sister Lavinia, pertaining to the settlement
of their father Jesse Rhea's estate: ". . . James who died in Missouri
leaving children Jesse, Nancy, James, Margaret and Spencer, all of Mo."
Most of the information I have on the families of Lewis and Riley B. Rhea
came from a paperback booklet about Thomas Melvin and Jane (Harrison)
Humphreys, who were the parents-in-law of the brothers Lewis and Riley B.
Rhea. I have information on their Oregon land claims, as well as
a couple of pictures and a will. The booklet and the majority of the other
material were given to me by my dear friend, Marie Ray Davis, of Gresham,
Oregon. Marie died last year at the age of almost 95.
Lewis Rhea, b. 2 May 1830, d. 14 September 1907; m. Mary Eliza Humphreys in
Monroe Co., TN, on 2 Nov 1851. Mary Eliza was the dau of Thomas Melvin
Humphreys and Jane Harrison. Thomas and Jane Humphreys and their family,
including Mary Eliza and Lewis Rhea, all went to Oregon, arriving there in
September 1853. Riley B. Rhea joined his brother in Oregon later, and
married Mary Eliza's sister, Susan W. Humphrey on 26 June 1869.
Lewis and Mary Eliza had 13 children: Margaret "Maggie" Jane; Susan
Elizabeth; Lora Louisa; William Riley "Pone;" Sarah Louise "Kuda"; Jesse
Melvin; "Little Rose;" Roxanna Belle; George Harrison; John Lewis; Mary
Emeline "Emma;" Albert Blair; and Elva Josephine.
Riley B. Rhea, b. about 1825-1829, d. 20 July 1864, and Susan W. Humphreys
had 11 children: Alice Isobel; Viola C.; Belle; John S.; Joseph M.; Thomas
M.; William M.; Mae; Sadie; Benjamin Lewis; and Riley B. Jr.
These Humphreys and Rheas lived and died in Jordan Valley, Linn Co., OR.
If you would like further information, please let me know.
Polly Dixon in Houston
----- Original Message -----
From: <>
To: <>
Sent: Sunday, September 08, 2002 12:01 PM
Subject: Re: [RHEA] James Rhea m. Elizabeth Tipton of TN/Mo
> Thank you everyone that has been kind enough to reply to my querry about
> James Rhea and Elizabeth Tipton. The story that I have heard is that they
> were in a group that was headed for Oregon. But after spending a bad
winter
> in Bourbon Co KS they turned back and went to Benton Co Mo where Elizabeth
> had some family. Their daughter my husbands great great grandmother
Nancy
> Rhea Boring Sturges seemed to have stayed in that area Benton Co or St
Clair
> Co Mo. I have seen reference to James(her father) being in Jasper Co I am
not
> sure if he died there. Nancy died in Benton Co. It is interesting to see
the
> two Rhea's( brother's of James Rhea) that did make it to Linn Co Or. None
of
> my information is documented mostly culled from County Sites on Rootsweb
> sites. I do not have the correct spelling but it seems the Rhea family was
> some what tied into the Waugan (sp?) movement settlement parties out of TN
> and Va. Has anyone else noticed a connection to that history? Thanks
again
> for all the information. Ann
>
>
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>
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