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Archiver > WRIGHT > 1999-10 > 0939082716


From: Frank H Slaven <>
Subject: The James Douglass families in Johnson County MO. 1832 thru 1850
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1999 17:18:36 -0700


Hello Douglass Family Researchers,
For sometime, I have been pondering the best way to present my problem
with my first Douglass ancestor, Jane(Jennie)Douglass, and to seek the
assistance of genealogists who are researching the Douglass line. On
receiving Doug's message this morning, addressed to all of you, my
reaction was, what better forum could I find? I have also added a few
more addresses that seem pertinent.
At this point I am focusing on the events that led to, and the settling,
of what became Johnson County, MO. by my families. Starting with their
arrival in what was then Lafayette County in about 1832 - though the 1850
Johnson County census.
I was prompted to conduct an investigation of that period, because my
ggg grandmother Jane Douglass Wright Culley, is listed with her husband,
John Culley, and they are in the household of William R. Culley their
eldest son in the 1850 census. While in that same record, there were
several Douglass families surrounding her, in the immediate area. I feel
that that happening was more than coincidence, they were related. So, it
became necessary to identify, as nearly as possible, those Douglass
families.
My project included asking some of you, for your FGS, and traditional
family stories, and I am particularly grateful for those who responded,
the information you sent made my project possible. Also, I studied the
history of the settling of the Missouri Territory, in an effort to gain a
small knowledge of the conditions that existed at that time, and what our
ancestors were actually experiencing. The BLM records were searched, to
determine who received patents on the parcels they evidently were
squatting on. And more importantly, to accurately locate their land
within the various sections. This all made it quite easy to establish and
locate each of them on plats of Chilhowee, Post Oak and Jefferson
Townships. That is, after it was determined that the 1850 census, was not
quite as accurate as first believed.
That some of those who were listed in Post Oak, were actually in what we
now know as Chilhowee Township.
The result of my research is: that we have the Douglass families who
were my Jane's neighbors, as well as many others, some of those being
neighbors. who married into my families. We now know for certain, where
they were, when they were there, and best of all, We have their names.
For our purposes, the following are the names of the Douglass families
who were in Johnson County during 1832 and 1850:

James Douglass, and there were two of them.
JAMES DOUGLASS, and the subject of the several messages sent by
Fae, and the one by Doug.
His wife was Ellander (Eleanor), and he was from Kentucky.
Though he, evidently, never received any patents on land, either in
Johnson County, or in Henry County from the Land Office. The 1850
census lists James and his sons; Daniel and William J. as being in
adjacent homes, in Sections 24 and 25 of Jefferson Township of
Johnson County. Section 25 is the extreme south and east corner
of the county.
JAMES DOUGLASS, Was from Tennessee. He received patents on
about 300 acres, in what eventually became Chilhowee Township.
He is mentioned in a few newspaper articles, but only his name is
all that was included, And he and two of his sons were listed in the
1850 census, along with what was probably his daughter and her
husband. Perhap his wife was dead by that time. I did not find his
date of death.
SAMUEL H. DOUGLASS, He was listed in the 1840 census, but not in
the 1850 census. And he received patents on land in Chilhowee
Township. His name appears on at least one legal document held by
the descendants of James and Ellander. Which indicates that there must
have been some ties between the Douglasses in Jefferson and Chilhowee
Townships. He is not listed on the 1850 census, but is reported to
have died in the Chilhowee area.
GEORGE N. DOUGLASS, George received patents on land in sections
3, 5, 7, 21, and 35, some of those were dated in 1840. He is
also
mentioned in newspaper articles, and in those articles seems to have
been mentioned along with Samuel H. Douglass. One article states that
he went to California, and that he died there. He must have left
Missouri after 1840 as he is not listed in the 1850 census.
WILLIAM J. DOUGLASS, This is perhaps the son, William Jefferson
Douglass, of James and Ellander. The BLM records indicate that
a William J. Douglass was one of the first to receive a patent in
Johnson County, and later received several parcels, all in what was
to become Chilhowee Township. While the 1850 census in Jefferson
Township, shows a William J. Douglass living next to James and
Ellander. This provides two options for us, first, this is the same
William J. Douglass who also owned land in Chilhowee. And this bit of
information could be further evidence that the Douglasses in both
township were associated in some manner. The other choice would be that
there were two William J. Douglasses.

WILLIAM D. DOUGLASS, I could only find the BLM record that states
that he received a patent on land in Chilhowee.

Of course, I am particularly interested in learning of the Douglasses
listed, I
am seeking the names of their parents and siblings, with the intent of
discovering the family of my Jane, and by finding her family, I might be
able to find the name of her Wright husband, whose given name we do not
know.
Please understand that I have only included the bare essentials in the
story, should you be interested, and would like to have the rest of the
story. Please send me your mailing address.

Your assistance in this matter will be greatly appreciated.


Frank H Slaven
Mesa, Arizona

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