This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: w7cjd Surnames: Dodson Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.dodson/1689.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.3/mb.ashx Message Board Post: My Dodson family story is that we are Old Caledonian from Scotland, that we are by occupation orchardmen (tree dressers), civil engineers and educators. However, we do not define ourselves in terms of employment. We are Old Caledonian. We are first people. As the family story goes, we we asked to give names and did. Later, we were asked to attend the installation of the first king of Scotland and did, insisting no man should have a king and we would attend on the condition all of us leave at the first opportunity which was presented when a cousin of Sir Walter Raleigh promoted immigration to Sir Walter Raliegh and brought suitable people to North America to live there (as opposed to looking for quick profit, like gold or other precious commodities). However, there are other precious commodities returned to England. The tomato and the potato were important, as were other less obvious items. The family story doesn't mention commodities. It mentioned that this idea was supported. And so, we arrived on these shores. We lived near present-day Charleston. I read about it in college in a course called Intellectual History of the United States, supporting the family story. The first Town Meeting was there, guns left outside. Our branch of the Dodson family had their guns seized and houses burned because of our position on the Portuguese having brought slaves to open up a new market in North America. My branch of the Dodson family, according to the family story, said: it is time to make a coin because we were chattels in Scotland. Dodsons were regarded as property of a clan after the clan system came into existence. The idea was to give a coin to the laborer. The other branch of the family said: we came here to be rich landowners. My branch of the Dodson family walked until there was no further to walk, settling eventually in Willamette Valley, OR and became rich land owners anyway. It was clear to me our family wanted freedom more. Our branch of the Dodson family retains all their skills as orchardmen (tree dressers), civil engineers and educators. However, no one would say Ersal Dodson, head of Department of Highways Western Region builder of transcontinental highway 2 and 10, Hood Loop, Rainier Loop and Going-to-the-Sun Highway Glacier National Park, MT or my uncle James Dodson, Grant County County Engineer chief engineer Grand Coulee Dam and Dodson Dam, Dodson, MT or grand uncle Head of State Board of Education, Oregon are laborers. As land owners in Willamette Valley, OR they sold their produce to the hotel trade. In Ephrata, WA more recently, no one would say the Dodson's are are farmers. However, my uncle has considerable land used for farming practices. I am having a terrific struggle, this generation, because my grandmothers may be indians. There is no need to say they are a princess. They Ft. Benton Census and more recent historic Census, and a John Wesley Bible family names upholds my maternal family story my grandmother's grandmother was head of the Gathered Women Clan. My paternal grandmother's name Mary Dunbar and John Dunbar appearing on the 1913 Indian Allotment Map could be because they were adopted. I lived with both grandmothers, first my paternal grandmother and, at thirteen years old, with my maternal grandmother. They certainly look like scots. I have learned that native americans are all colors. Native americans are not a homogenous group. I have considered that DNA may be interesting. What I wanted to contribute to this thread is that our Dodson family name is Old Caledonian, not English. It is one thing to say, we are England. However, we are not all having the identical ethnicity in England. As for Pocohontas, she may or may not have been a princess; she certainly was an exceptional woman. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.