Valentines Day is approaching, and I'm thinking about the mysterious Jessie Wescott

I have been feverishly making Valentines.  My favorite ancestor couples lately are George Francis Riddell and Jessie Wescott; Ada Coon and David Wescott.  A cousin who is descended from George and Jessie contacted me and I was surprised that I already had Jessie on the family tree as David Wescott's daughter from his first marriage.  George and Jessie's child was adopted by a couple to whom they were distantly related through Ada Coon's first husband: Francis Darling Riddell's father who who was George Riddell's sister Lephe Riddell and her marriage to Ruel Crumb.  

Potter, Coon, Wescott, Knapp, Darling Family Coonnections

 Repost from a post I made  at http://genforum.genealogy.com/potter/messages/6486.html

Ichabod Potter (1753-1845 Manlius, Onondaga Co., New York) +Eleanor
Stokes Potter b. on 16 Dec 1720 in Dartmouth, Bristol, MA. Died in 1808 in Westpport, Bristol, MA)
Zebedee Potter (6 Oct 1753 Tiverton, Rhode Island, d. 08 Dec 1845, Manlius, Onondaga Co. NY) +Phebe Durfee
John Potter (b. btw. 1775-1783 Rhode Island or MA; Died before 1860 in Otisco, Onondaga, NY) + Rosamond Taber (Rev war 1775-1780)
Sarah Potter (b. 21 Jan 1820 in NY, died in Wisconsin+Simon Wescott
Julius Delos Wescott marriage 2 to Ada Coon
(I am descended from Ada Coon’s first marriage to Francis Darling Riddell)

I would like to know about: Please contact me if you have any further information on Darling/Potter/Wescott.

David Potter $460[I have three Potters related by marriage in my genealogy Harriet Potter 1823, Wisconsin; Sarah Potter who married Simon Wescott; and another Sarah Potter married to Andrew Darling, I am unsure how if how David Potter is related to these individuals, another person to research][Arms 92] see footnote 1 below

1. Arms, William Tyler and Masha E. Arms. The History of Leyden Massachusetts 1676-1959. The Enterprise and Journal. Orange, Massachusetts. 1959. p. 93, 96. (Georgina Cole Library, 974.422 H2 ARM.)

I believe there are even more mystery "Potters" in my collateral lines. I will provide info on these when I research further. There may be some in my Gates (New London, Connecticut line - Leyden, Massachusettes- Peter Gates)

Coon/Potter of Jefferson county, Palmyra, Wisconsin
I found three incidences of Coons and Potters:

*1850 Census: Palmyra, Jefferson, Wisconsin
Coon, Leander (son of Ephriam Coon)
married Harriet (?) whose first marriage was to a Potter
Harriet's children from her first marriage are listed in the 1850 census as in the household of Leander Coon:
Francis Potter
Henry Potter
Orilla Potter

* Marana Knapp (18 March 1908 buried in Hillside Cemetery, Palmyra, WI) was married to Ephriam Coon
Is Marana related to the following Knapps in Palmyra?

Orvilla Knapp- did she marry Stacey Potter?
Sylvanus Knapp

*Simon Wescott married to Sarah Potter (genealogy detailed at the beginning of this Email.)
child was Julius Delos Wescott who married Ada Riddell (nee Coon)

This one is just for Potter:

*Sarah Potter married Andrew Darling (b. 1748) in Gloucester, Rhode Island

Hiram Coon Research Report Introduction

Whew!  I have been working on a really long research report on the Coon family. 

Before this branch of my tree landed in Palmyra, Jefferson County, Wisconsin they lived in  Manlius, Onondaga County, New York and they came to Wisconsin with a large group of related persons and family friends to Palmyra, Jefferson County, Wisconsin.  Lura Dow daughter of Oliver Parker Dow (brother to Eliza Dow) was quoted in Dodge/Jefferson County Genealogical Society's publication "Out on a Limb"

                                      “The first that I know anything about were what I would call “our folks”.  There were quite a bunch of them.  They came from Chenango county, NY... some were brothers and sisters-in-laws, cousins, etc., probably. They were Mr. and Mrs. Albertus Knapp, Mr. and Mrs. John Morrison, Mr. and Mrs. Lyman Graves, Mr and Mrs. Elizer Graves."(Out on A Limb)

  

 One of the avenues I intend to investigate further will hopefully answer the question: Who exactly was included in the group of people who migrated from New York to Palmyra, WI?  

 I wrote a draft of the report on Hiram Coon (it is about 26 pages long) and The rest of the report is waiting for peer review (ProGen 8) at the end of this month. What follows are the names and dates for the subject and his family.

The subject under investigation is Hiram Coon born on 13 November 1819 in Manlius, Onondaga, New York and Died 4 October 1875 in Palmyra, Jefferson, Wisconsin and his first wife Achsah Moore (1816-1846). Hiram’s second wife was Anna Eliza Dow born 19 June 1825 and their children:

Elvira C. Coon born 3 August 1848 in Mendon, Monroe County, New York and died in 1916. Elvira married Robert Charley

Susan Coon was born on 21 Sept 1853 and died 22 July 1910 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California.  Susan married James Wrightson Congdon. (see appendix for timeline) child: Mirah Coon

Frank W. Coon was born on 7 May 1854. He married Agnes Swinton

Ada Martina Coon born 12 January 1855 in Palmyra, Jefferson, Wisconsin and died 1 January 1928 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California. Married first, Francis Darling Riddell (1854-1905) on 19 August 1876 and second, married Julius Delos Wescott (Westcott) on 25 March 1893.

Anna Eliza Coon was born in 27 February 1844 and died on 7 June 1920, Anna married Frank Edward Donaldson

Marana Coon (b. 1840) married [?] Knapp (Socolich)

(note from gs: Please note that the bolded individuals are my direct line.)

1. Out on A Limb, page 10] [Dodge/Jefferson Counties Genealogical Society, Inc. Genealogy Newsletter, Out on a Limb. Volume 20 No. 1. February 2005. From the Jefferson County Union, Wilbur, S.D. 1924.)

2.  Socolich, Gwynn. Research Report on Hiram Coon, Introduction to Subject.

Researching Hiram Coon Family of Palmyra, Jefferson County, Wisconsin

I am working on a project for the Coon family (1840 - 1950) as one of my assignments for the Pro Gen study group and plan to post it as soon as I have feedback from my group and have omitted living people. One of my online contacts is a cousin who has the original Coon Bible, family letters and photographs. She was gracious to send me copies of these and photos of the Bible.

I have a few letters written by Thomas Riddell Sankey (my grandfather) to various relatives that gave me clues to family relationships and helped me get started several years ago on the Coon family. The Dow family was also prominent in this area of Wisconsin. There are two items that won't be included in my analysis of sources: I have family photos which include other Palmyra, Jefferson, Wisconsin notables such as Washburn. I also have two letters written by Mirah Congdon to Thomas Riddell Sankey from 1949. In this letter she mentions George Riddell of Jacumba California (my great grandmother's brother who is buried in Fort Roscrans National Cemetery, San Diego County, San Diego) and Ada Charley (Palmyra) who lived at Route 1, Eagle, Wisconsin. Ada Charley was probably the daughter of Ada Coon's sister. (Ada Coon was the mother of Harriet (nee Riddell) Sankey and Ada was Hiram Coon's daughter.) Mirah (Congdon)wrote about family friends who she says are all of her generation in Palmyra Ethel Gates Bannerman, Alice Carlin, Emma Fairbrother Carlin. A letter from Nina Fisher whose grandmother was Susan Coon (sister of Ada Coon) in which Nina writes that she joined the DAR (so there should be an application on file...) and she tells of the Dow genealogy.(Ada Coon's mother's direct line)

The Dows came from Hollis and Hudson, New Hampshire and the Coons came from Manlius, Onondaga, New York to Palmyra, Jefferson, Wisconsin.

Jefferson County Wisconsin
(1850-1924) Other surnames from this time period in Jefferson County, Palmyra, Wisconsin:
Direct lines: Riddell, Bunker, Westcott, Dow, Thayer
Collateral Lines: Charley, Donaldson, Reisen, Wrightson,Congdon, Knapp, Woodruff, Knapp, Moore, Pattee, Brisbin, Avery, Boss, Pattee, Swinton, Bishop, McShane, Malcolmson, Brockway, Potter, Schultz, Phillips
I have quite a bit of info on Carlin family but not sure how they are related or if they were just family friends of the Dows.

2009 Genealogy Recap

Note: I would like to credit Randy Seavers of Genea-musings for the topic headings in his post "Grading on my Progress on 2009 Goals and Objectives" I did not use a grade but did a recap instead.

My Genealogy Research
oPosted to gs Genealogy blog Research Blog on Blogger
oGates research on the internet and in the Carlsbad Georgina Cole Library.
oResearched step family: Bartnicki and identified step father’s siblings in photograph.
oMore research on the DeWitt Clinton Graham family of Washington County, PA on World Vital Records website. Discovered that there were two possibilities of Graham families at this location at this time. George Graham, Peter Graham or (the most promising one…Aneas Graham) according to an email contact.
oDiscovered that a fellow Lost Treasures committee member and I were related by a second Wescott marriage (she was a descendant from Wescott and I am descended from Coon)
oWashington County, PA research for Coon
oResearch in Jefferson County, Palmyra for Coon, Congdon, Charley, Dow, Graves.
oConducted land Research for Leander and Milton Coon in Palmyra, Jefferson County, Wisconsin

Obtained a external hard drive for back up.
Sorted step dad’s family photos emailed some to his relatives.
Interviewed step dad’s family.

Genealogy Education:
Joined NSDGS in October 2009: attended program meetings, learned about Google Earth and its applications for Genealogy mapping, attend COG Computer User’s Group: learned about Ancestry new and old searches..Thanks to Randy Seavers of CVGS and his blog: Genea-musings. Learned to search Genealogy websites more effectively. Purchased “More Evidence” by Elizabeth Shown Mills and I am currently reading it.

I took a Photo Shop Elements online class to learn to repair damaged family history photos.

Genealogy Society:
member and chair of the SDGS Lost Treasures Committee: inventoried society collection of items to place with descendants, placed 150 photos which contained five branches of one family with a University Archives, Wisconsin diary, family bible, Rachel Wedgeforth will copies with San Diego Zoo/Wild Animal Park Archives, placed military documents with Sacramento Military museum library. Placed ten items total 2008-2009 average per placement was three months.
Obtained estimated auction value for Brooklyn Bridegooms photos, wrote project volunteer guidelines, conducted orientation for three project volunteers, contacted Ken Kramer (NBC) regarding media coverage of Lost Treasures.
New Chair of Lost Treasures given orientation in August.
Provided internet resources and printed resources to help project researchers get started in finding living descendants.

Monthly volunteer in SDGS library: gave tours, assisted patrons with research, wrote volunteer guidelines for Raw Notes project. Created and maintained website for Lost Treasures. Created Lost Treasures blog regarding item placements.

Genealogy Writing:
Briefly attended Genealogy Writers group at SDGS. Wrote draft regarding my Dutch ancestors. I took an online adult ed class on Biography writing and read three books on the subject. Read four books about writing a family genealogy book.

note: I am not affiliated with Ancestry, although I am a subscriber, I am not affiliated with World Vital Records, although I am a subscriber. I am not an employee of NBC.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun on Monday....

I really liked Randy Seavers' Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Ahnentafel Roulette on his Genea-Musings blog dated September 19, 2009 here is my reply.

My father is 72 and after I divided that by 4, I came up with #18.

#18 Ada Martina Coon

Facts about her:

o She had a heart for children and worked in an orphanage.
o She was one of the first of my ancestors to move to California, where she resided in Long Beach.
o I do not know what happened to her first husband but Ada remarried Julius Delos Wescott, son of Sarah Potter and Simon Wescott on 25 March 1893.
o I several pictures of Ada, some are cabinet cards and two tintypes.

A curious coincidence: I was working with the Lost Treasures committee at the San Diego Genealogical society with another society member and discovered we were distantly related through the marriage of Ada and Juluis. She was related to Sarah Potter and I was related to Ada (nee Coon). We were able to trade information and fill in holes in our research.