yeah, i know, but have you seen any documentation on Josephs parents, i know people who have been looking for it for years. you may be right, but would like to see it verified in some way. joe >Joe, >I am talking about the Joseph Downing, b. 1748 and m. to Jemima Woodward, >dau of Francis Woodward and Winifred Martin. I have Joseph's parents >listed as William Downing b. about 1720 and died Ohio, m. to Letitia Huff. >They lived in Hanover Co., Pa. and Madison Co., Ohio. That would make >Letitia Huff Letitia Downing Moore's G- grandmother.(right)? (Letitia >Downing Moore b. 1805 was daughter of William Downing (1772-VA-1810) and >Susannah. >According to Ann Gregeath's book, (contributed by Scott M. Downing), >WILLIAM DOWNING(1772 VA-1810, son of Joseph, b. 1748) m. Susannah, b. 1770, >MD. Ch: MESHECK ( 1792-1873), m. Ruth Butler,(ancestor of Casey, Iowa >Downings, results from my searching census, newspapers, talking to their >descendants, etc). >JOHN M. b. 1795, Va, d. 11-9-1870, buried Adams Co., Ohio, m. Elizabeth >Gordon 11-14-1816. >RUTH, b. 1796, d. 2-28-1867, buried Adams Co., Ohio, m. Henry Herdman >2-22-1816. >JEMIMA, bc 1799. dp 1880, buried Adams Co., Ohio, m. Michael Herdman >8-14-1817. >ELIZABETH, b. 1800, O. d. 4-15-1889 O. m. Seth VanMeter 2-20-1817. >ANNA, b. 4-11-1802, d. 1-1866, m. John Herdman 4-11-1822. >REBECCA, m. William Newman 9-22-1825. 2nd m. John Williams. >WILLIAM , m. Susannah Newman 4-26-1827. >LETITIA, b. 4-4-1805, d. 9-28-1858, m. Jesse Moore 1-11-1827 (Letitia and >Jesse were living in Henry Co., Ind. on a farm next to my William Downing >in 1832. I have a twp. map showing both of these families plus other >Moore's and Downings. This map states that the Moore's came from Preble >Co., Ohio). >SARAH, b. 1808, 10-25-1888, buried Adams Co., Ohio, m. Joseph Hoop >7-14-1825. >Ruby Waugh, Iowa > > >---------- >> From: Downing, Joe <jdown@nettally.com> >> To: DOWNING-L@rootsweb.com >> Subject: Re: [DOWNING-L] Letitia Downing >> Date: Saturday, January 09, 1999 9:26 AM >> >> any proof of her grandmother being Letitia Huff??? there were many Lewis >> families in that part of Ohio, joe >> >> >> > >> >I found it interesting that Letitia G. Downing m. to Dr. John T. Lewis >was >> >b. Lexington KY. 1806. >> >Another Letitia Downing was born Adams Co., Ohio in 1805. Her >grand-mother >> >was Letitia Huff of Hanover Co., Pa. and Madison Co., Ohio. Letitia, b. >> >1805 m. Jesse Moore from Preble Co., Ohio , Henry Co. Ind., Warren Co., >> >Ind. and Ill. >> >Could we POSSIBLY have a connection here. >> >Could Dr. John T. Lewis possibly be connected to Catherine Lewis that M. >> >Joseph Miller. They gave all their sons middle names of Lewis. >> >Ruby Waugh >> > >> > >> >==== DOWNING Mailing List ==== >> > >> > >> > >> >> >> ==== DOWNING Mailing List ==== > > >==== DOWNING Mailing List ==== > > >

Joe, I am talking about the Joseph Downing, b. 1748 and m. to Jemima Woodward, dau of Francis Woodward and Winifred Martin. I have Joseph's parents listed as William Downing b. about 1720 and died Ohio, m. to Letitia Huff. They lived in Hanover Co., Pa. and Madison Co., Ohio. That would make Letitia Huff Letitia Downing Moore's G- grandmother.(right)? (Letitia Downing Moore b. 1805 was daughter of William Downing (1772-VA-1810) and Susannah. According to Ann Gregeath's book, (contributed by Scott M. Downing), WILLIAM DOWNING(1772 VA-1810, son of Joseph, b. 1748) m. Susannah, b. 1770, MD. Ch: MESHECK ( 1792-1873), m. Ruth Butler,(ancestor of Casey, Iowa Downings, results from my searching census, newspapers, talking to their descendants, etc). JOHN M. b. 1795, Va, d. 11-9-1870, buried Adams Co., Ohio, m. Elizabeth Gordon 11-14-1816. RUTH, b. 1796, d. 2-28-1867, buried Adams Co., Ohio, m. Henry Herdman 2-22-1816. JEMIMA, bc 1799. dp 1880, buried Adams Co., Ohio, m. Michael Herdman 8-14-1817. ELIZABETH, b. 1800, O. d. 4-15-1889 O. m. Seth VanMeter 2-20-1817. ANNA, b. 4-11-1802, d. 1-1866, m. John Herdman 4-11-1822. REBECCA, m. William Newman 9-22-1825. 2nd m. John Williams. WILLIAM , m. Susannah Newman 4-26-1827. LETITIA, b. 4-4-1805, d. 9-28-1858, m. Jesse Moore 1-11-1827 (Letitia and Jesse were living in Henry Co., Ind. on a farm next to my William Downing in 1832. I have a twp. map showing both of these families plus other Moore's and Downings. This map states that the Moore's came from Preble Co., Ohio). SARAH, b. 1808, 10-25-1888, buried Adams Co., Ohio, m. Joseph Hoop 7-14-1825. Ruby Waugh, Iowa ---------- > From: Downing, Joe <jdown@nettally.com> > To: DOWNING-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [DOWNING-L] Letitia Downing > Date: Saturday, January 09, 1999 9:26 AM > > any proof of her grandmother being Letitia Huff??? there were many Lewis > families in that part of Ohio, joe > > > > > >I found it interesting that Letitia G. Downing m. to Dr. John T. Lewis was > >b. Lexington KY. 1806. > >Another Letitia Downing was born Adams Co., Ohio in 1805. Her grand-mother > >was Letitia Huff of Hanover Co., Pa. and Madison Co., Ohio. Letitia, b. > >1805 m. Jesse Moore from Preble Co., Ohio , Henry Co. Ind., Warren Co., > >Ind. and Ill. > >Could we POSSIBLY have a connection here. > >Could Dr. John T. Lewis possibly be connected to Catherine Lewis that M. > >Joseph Miller. They gave all their sons middle names of Lewis. > >Ruby Waugh > > > > > >==== DOWNING Mailing List ==== > > > > > > > > > ==== DOWNING Mailing List ====

any proof of her grandmother being Letitia Huff??? there were many Lewis families in that part of Ohio, joe > >I found it interesting that Letitia G. Downing m. to Dr. John T. Lewis was >b. Lexington KY. 1806. >Another Letitia Downing was born Adams Co., Ohio in 1805. Her grand-mother >was Letitia Huff of Hanover Co., Pa. and Madison Co., Ohio. Letitia, b. >1805 m. Jesse Moore from Preble Co., Ohio , Henry Co. Ind., Warren Co., >Ind. and Ill. >Could we POSSIBLY have a connection here. >Could Dr. John T. Lewis possibly be connected to Catherine Lewis that M. >Joseph Miller. They gave all their sons middle names of Lewis. >Ruby Waugh > > >==== DOWNING Mailing List ==== > > >

Just out of curiosity, does anyone on this list have (or have access to) "Genealogy of the Palmer-Trimble Families" (which is loaded with PA Downing connections) or "History of Chester county, PA" by Futhey and Cope? Ray Downing in Las Vegas

Apologies to all of you for re-posting whole messages and other faux paus--I'm a novice who enjoys all the postings. I'll try to be quiet and learn in the future. Lana Downing

Keep the stories coming! This is what makes it all real for me. Lana Downing ---------- > From: James A Downing <james.a.downing@gte.net> > To: DOWNING-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: [DOWNING-L] Part 2 of Francis Downing's Adventures > Date: Saturday, January 09, 1999 12:07 AM > > Part 2 of "Adventures of Francis Downing" posted by Jim Downing > > In reference to the first post where Downing takes off in flight from the > Indians: My father often told me "It's a bad set of legs that will let your > "a**" take a beating !" :-) > > I hope no one finds offense at the length of these posts, but one of the > things I like about genealogy is the wonderful stories that take us back in > time. I only wish that this Downing was one of my line and I wanted to share > it with others in hope that he is in their line. If this story is popular > knowledge among Downing researchers, than I apologize for its length. > Continuing the story...... > > Mr. Downing's name is mentioned in the life of Daniel Boone. He was in every > Indian campaign in which he had a chance to go; was one of the party from > Lexington, or McConnell's Station, which forced their way through Simon > Girty's forces in ambush and safely reached Bryan's Station. He was also in > one of the divisions pursuing Girty after his retreat, which did not come up > until after the "Battle of the Blue Licks." > > When quite a boy he was sent to Lexington by his father on particular > business, when guns were as common an appendage to a man as are pocketknives > in our day. He chanced to be passing where Gen. Charles Scott's forces were > drilling near to Ashland, the subsequent residence of the late Henry Clay, > and without parley or delay he fell into ranks. A friend urged him to go to > Lexington, attend to his business and return home, but he refused to do so. > > Arriving at Louisville (the falls) the friend determined to appeal to Gen. > Scott. He did so, telling the old General that he ought to send Downing back > to his family. Scott had him brought into his presence and thus accosted > him: "Well, my little man, have you a gun?" "Yes, sir." "Have you a horse?" > "Yes, sir." "Have you any money?" "Yes, sir." "Then, d--n it," said Scott, > "let the little fellow go." He did go, and in his eagerness to shoot a "red > skin" in one of his conflicts he came very near being shot in the head. His > guardian friend was warning him not to thus expose himself when a ball aimed > at his head struck the bark of the tree and forced the flying pieces against > his head and in his eyes, giving severe pain. His friend ran to him and > asked, "Are you hurt much?" "I reckon I am," said he, feeling deliberately > the back of his head. "Look for the bullet hole, will you?" > > Mr. Downing lost an eye in early life by the accidental cut of a sword, > while playfully fencing with a friend, which gave character to all his > diseases in after life. He died of apoplexy in Lexington, Ky., in 1831, aged > about sixty. He was beloved and esteemed by all who knew him, and was among > the most amiable of men. > > If you enjoy these stories or think they are a waste of bandwidth, e-mail me > at james.a.downing@gte.net > and I will continue or cease their posting. > > Jim Downing > Sarasota, FL > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ==== DOWNING Mailing List ==== >

Jim, Thank you for posting Part 2; I know I have read it before, but it does seem more humorous now. This Francis Downing is in my Downing line; son to Francis Downing who was born 1736 in Yorkshire. I enjoyed re-reading these. Thanks again, Sue Hodnett

Ruby, You do have an interesting point about the two Letitia's. The one who married John is in my line. Maybe we should look at this angle a little more closely. Sue Hodnett

Part 2 of "Adventures of Francis Downing" posted by Jim Downing In reference to the first post where Downing takes off in flight from the Indians: My father often told me "It's a bad set of legs that will let your "a**" take a beating !" :-) I hope no one finds offense at the length of these posts, but one of the things I like about genealogy is the wonderful stories that take us back in time. I only wish that this Downing was one of my line and I wanted to share it with others in hope that he is in their line. If this story is popular knowledge among Downing researchers, than I apologize for its length. Continuing the story...... Mr. Downing's name is mentioned in the life of Daniel Boone. He was in every Indian campaign in which he had a chance to go; was one of the party from Lexington, or McConnell's Station, which forced their way through Simon Girty's forces in ambush and safely reached Bryan's Station. He was also in one of the divisions pursuing Girty after his retreat, which did not come up until after the "Battle of the Blue Licks." When quite a boy he was sent to Lexington by his father on particular business, when guns were as common an appendage to a man as are pocketknives in our day. He chanced to be passing where Gen. Charles Scott's forces were drilling near to Ashland, the subsequent residence of the late Henry Clay, and without parley or delay he fell into ranks. A friend urged him to go to Lexington, attend to his business and return home, but he refused to do so. Arriving at Louisville (the falls) the friend determined to appeal to Gen. Scott. He did so, telling the old General that he ought to send Downing back to his family. Scott had him brought into his presence and thus accosted him: "Well, my little man, have you a gun?" "Yes, sir." "Have you a horse?" "Yes, sir." "Have you any money?" "Yes, sir." "Then, d--n it," said Scott, "let the little fellow go." He did go, and in his eagerness to shoot a "red skin" in one of his conflicts he came very near being shot in the head. His guardian friend was warning him not to thus expose himself when a ball aimed at his head struck the bark of the tree and forced the flying pieces against his head and in his eyes, giving severe pain. His friend ran to him and asked, "Are you hurt much?" "I reckon I am," said he, feeling deliberately the back of his head. "Look for the bullet hole, will you?" Mr. Downing lost an eye in early life by the accidental cut of a sword, while playfully fencing with a friend, which gave character to all his diseases in after life. He died of apoplexy in Lexington, Ky., in 1831, aged about sixty. He was beloved and esteemed by all who knew him, and was among the most amiable of men. If you enjoy these stories or think they are a waste of bandwidth, e-mail me at james.a.downing@gte.net and I will continue or cease their posting. Jim Downing Sarasota, FL

I found it interesting that Letitia G. Downing m. to Dr. John T. Lewis was b. Lexington KY. 1806. Another Letitia Downing was born Adams Co., Ohio in 1805. Her grand-mother was Letitia Huff of Hanover Co., Pa. and Madison Co., Ohio. Letitia, b. 1805 m. Jesse Moore from Preble Co., Ohio , Henry Co. Ind., Warren Co., Ind. and Ill. Could we POSSIBLY have a connection here. Could Dr. John T. Lewis possibly be connected to Catherine Lewis that M. Joseph Miller. They gave all their sons middle names of Lewis. Ruby Waugh

>From today's Ancestry.com Ancestry Daily News: ======================================================= GEORGE G. MORGAN: "ALONG THOSE LINES . . ." "Using Other People's Research" <<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>> ======================================================= It's always exciting to make contact with someone else who has researched the same line that you have and who claims to have had some success. When the conclusions that another person has reached agree with what you have surmised, it's very tempting to accept their work as fact. "Aha!" we say. "All the pieces fit together!" But do they? In "Along Those Lines . . ." this week, let's discuss some of the places where you're likely to find other people's research and what steps you can take to determine the veracity of the information they might provide. ~ Genealogical Gold Mines or Salt Pits? There are many places to obtain copies of other people's research. If you're like me, you'll go to untold lengths to locate new shreds of evidence to support my theories or corroborate evidence I've previously uncovered. Here are some of the places I look for genealogical information on a regular basis: ~ Libraries and Archives The library is still a favorite place to search for family historical information. I seek books about the surnames I am researching, as well as collateral and allied lines. I read books about state and local history. In addition, though, I spend time searching through the vertical files. Vertical files are those collections of papers, manuscripts and other unbound materials housed in libraries and archives, typically stored in file cabinets or other non-shelf containers. A responsible library will have done its best to catalog the materials so that the researcher can determine what is in the files. However, some libraries lack the funding and/or personnel resources to tackle the cataloging and indexing. Whenever I visit a library or archives in an area where I believe my ancestors may have lived, I always ask the reference librarian or archivist if all the materials in the vertical files has been included in the catalog. If the answer is "no" or "not all of it," try to determine if the materials are organized in some manner so that you might be able to review the files. In one such collection, I located a series of letters exchanged between the author of a local history and my great-aunt during the years 1942 and 1965. My great-aunt described my great-grandfather's mercantile store in the town, her work as the accountant for the store and as a clerk at the county courthouse, her sister's work as a teacher for the deaf and blind, and a discussion about the evils of municipal fluoridation. If I hadn't asked, I never would have located these extraordinary documents. ~ Genealogical and Historical Societies Members of genealogical and historical societies sponsor and promote activities associated with collecting, cataloging, filing, preserving, publishing and promoting information of value to researchers. Their efforts are dependent on their members' interests, funding and a number of other influences. You'll find that the information these organizations amass is prolific indeed. Works in progress, such as cemetery transcriptions, for instance, may take a long time, and may not be published for years. Personal research compiled by members or by other contributors may never be published, but may remain in the files for access by those who ask. ~ Mailing Lists If you're using E-mail and the Internet, you're probably well aware of mailing lists. Mailing lists allow you to subscribe to a group of people who share an interest in a common subject, and who exchange E-mail about it. There are literally hundreds of mailing lists on the Internet that you may join. Some discuss specific surnames, and people share information they have. Others discuss specific geographical areas, such as the hundreds of mailing lists for countries, states, provinces, counties, parishes and other areas. Still others discuss such topics as basic "how-to" information for newbies, ships' passenger lists, immigration and naturalization, how to use the Internet, and a variety of other, more obscure specialty topics. ~ Internet GEDCOM File Repositories People are using the Internet as a place to share their personal genealogical database files. GEDCOM files, as they are known, provide a standardized format for the exchange of genealogical records from computer to computer. As the Internet has grown, so have the sheer numbers of GEDCOM files. There are many repositories for these files. Among the very best are: ~ The Ancestry.com Web site at http://www.ancestry.com provides a place where people can submit their GEDCOM files and where you can use powerful search facilities to locate records on specific individual ancestors. You can then move up or down through the family lineage to locate vital dates. The E-mail address of the submitter is included in the event you wish to contact the person for more information. Access to this extensive database is free. ~ The Family Tree Maker Web site at http://www.familytreemaker.com/ provides a similar free repository to that of Ancestry.com. ~ The Genealogy Forum on America Online maintains an extensive File Libraries Center which includes thousands of GEDCOM files, surname files, Ahnentafel files, and a vast array of other historical information files. You must be a subscriber to AOL in order to access the Genealogy Forum but once there, the File Libraries Center is only one of many resources available to you. ~ Personal Web Pages Also as the Internet has grown, many people have taken to publishing their own Web pages. Learning how to create a Web page is a relatively easy task, and newer word processors such as Microsoft Word and WordPerfect make the job simple indeed. Many people are extracting data and reports from their genealogical databases and adding them to a Web page. There are many thousands of such Web pages, and you can access them using any of the search engines on the Web. Simply open a search engine, execute a search for a specific surname, and then review the search results list and connect to specific Web pages. ~ CD-ROMs There are hundreds of CD-ROM products for genealogists. They include census records, marriage abstracts, the Social Security death Index (SSDI), and a wide array of other reference materials. There are also collections of family trees contributed by individuals and published on CD-ROM for purchase by others. The most notable entry in this category is the series of World Family Tree (TM) CD's published by Broderbund. The bundled collections contain many thousands of family trees that may provide you with links to your own lines. ~ Chats and IRCs The online services and the Internet provide another method of exchanging information with other people - chats. A chat provides a way, while you are connected, for you to type information back on your computer and transmit it into a common area (or chat room) where other people can see it and respond. Chat rooms have received a negative reputation as a place where illicit activities take place. However, they are more frequently used as a forum where people can convene online to learn and to share information with one another. There are two distinct types of chat facilities: - The online services provide a venue for genealogy chats. The most prolific is the Genealogy Forum on America Online, which has over 140 scheduled chats each week. Many of these are hosted chats, where a member of the forum's staff acts as a moderator and facilitates the interaction between visitors, directs them to other resources of the forum, or who may present a talk or lecture on the topic at hand. Other chats are not hosted, where visitors simply drop in and discuss the scheduled topic. CompuServe likewise has a good schedule of chats and a well-informed staff of hosts. - Internet Relay Chats (IRC) are similar to the non-hosted chats in the Genealogy Forum on AOL. Using a connection through your Internet Service Provider (including AOL, CompuServe, Prodigy and others) and special IRC software such as MIRC or others, you can connect with chat rooms on the Internet to discuss a wide range of genealogy topics. ~ Message Boards The online services and some Internet Web sites provide message boards where you may post information about a surname or a particular individual you are researching. Other people read your posting and respond, on the message board itself, via E-mail or by both methods. It really is not uncommon to make connections with others researching the same person or surname you are. In fact, "cuzzie connections" are often made where you might meet descendants of parallel line. I have met several distant cousins on the message boards in the Genealogy Forum on AOL and we have exchanged a great deal of information. ~ What Do I Do With The Information I Find At These Places? What is the first rule of genealogy? Maintain a healthy skepticism! Even if the information you located in one of these methods above seems like the perfect match and the answer to your genealogist's research prayer, don't take anything for granted. It is essential that you retrace every other person's research steps to verify and corroborate every detail for yourself. Let's face it - I wouldn't trust my own family's research! Why? They make mistakes. Here are some recommendations concerning the record types I've discussed above: 1. Don't trust everything you see in print. Authors of genealogy books make mistakes, and people who transcribe and abstract courthouse records make assumptions that you might not make. Always double check the information in books with the primary source any time you can. In the absence of the primary source, look for corroboration or a preponderance of evidence that points to the correct fact. 2. Carefully review information you find in a vertical file. Letters written by a person who claims to have done extensive and exhaustive research, pedigree charts and other materials should all be researched and corroborated. Take nothing for granted. Be wary of materials that may contain some bias or which may express a view or hypothesis that affects the genealogical facts. Watch for contradictory information. 3. Make no assumptions about the quality of research done by someone else. Anyone can make mistakes, including even the most highly certified professional genealogist and the most august of institutions. They, too, will tell you to recheck every fact. I have reviewed copies of applications for membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution in which I have found certain errors. 4. Mailing lists can provide essential leads to point you in the right direction for important primary records. Remember, however, that you don't know the other people on the mailing list or how good or bad they are at performing quality research. If you exchange information via a mailing list, contact the originator and request citations for their sources. With those in hand, you can verify their research yourself. 5. GEDCOM files are wonderful pointers too, but they should never be accepted at face value. The information you find in them may confirm your research, but that doesn't mean that you BOTH didn't make the same error. If you locate a GEDCOM file at Ancestry, Family Tree Maker or in the Genealogy Forum that looks like a match, do your best to make contact with the submitter. (Look for their E-mail address and communicate electronically if you can.) Request copies of their source citations so you can retrace their research steps. Offer to reimburse them for photocopies of materials they might have that substantiate or corroborate facts. 6. Anyone can publish a Web page, and the genealogical information you find on personal Web page should be viewed with skepticism. Make contact and ask for source citations so you can verify the author's research. 7. CD-ROMs are as suspect as other GEDCOM files. 8. Chats can be a wonderful resource for education and for getting questions about a specific area or record type answered. Remember, however, that chats are an impersonal way of interacting with other people, and that the information someone may give you in a chat may be provided "off the top of their head," with little or no research performed. That doesn't mean that some wonderful people aren't out there who, when you ask your question, will pull a reference book off the shelf and look up information for you. However, don't hesitate to ask the follow-on question, "Can you give me your source for that information?" 9. Message boards are a wonderful place to post notices about what and who you are researching. As you're reading other people's messages, don't hesitate to send them a private E-mail asking them for their sources. 10. Make friends with other genealogists familiar with these types of research resources. That may be one or several people. Ask for their advice if you have questions. Also, make friends with the reference librarian at your library. He or she may be able to help point you to alternate, corroborating materials to help you confirm the information you find through these other sources. If there are some resources above that you're not using, perhaps now is the time for a late New Year's resolution. Learn how to do research on the Internet with mailing lists or IRC, or join an online service such as the impressive America Online and access the extensive resources of the Genealogy Forum. While none of these online resources will provide you with primary resources, there is a wealth of pointers to take you down some new research paths. Happy hunting! George <<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>> Copyright 1998 George G. Morgan. All Rights reserved. "Along Those Lines . . ." is a weekly feature of the Genealogy Forum on America Online (Keyword: ROOTS).

This is my line of Downings! At least, it is my husband's! Thank you, thank you. Lana Downing ---------- > From: James A Downing <james.a.downing@gte.net> > To: DOWNING-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: [DOWNING-L] The Adventures of Francis Downing - part 1 > Date: Friday, January 08, 1999 1:19 PM > > >From Jim Downing, > > Sorry the following is so long (two pages), but to shorten it would > sacrifice it's humor! > > Extracted from "McClung's Sketches of Western Adventure" > > In 1826 Dr. John T. Lewis married Letitia G. Downing, who was born in > Lexington, KY (1806) and died in the same place (1844). She was a daughter > of Francis Downing of Lexington, KY. > > The following adventure of Francis Downing, Sr., is but one of the many in > which he was engaged. Most of them were published in the Kentucky Gazette by > John Bradford, the first editor of the first paper published west of the > mountains, under the caption of Bradford's Notes on KY. > > In the month of August, 1786, Mr. Francis Downing, Sr., then a mere lad, was > living in a fort where, subsequently, some iron works were erected by Mr. > Jacob Myers, which are now known by the name of Slate Creek Works, and are > the property of Colonel Thomas Dye Owings. About the 16th, a young man > belonging to the fort called upon Downing and requested his assistance in > hunting for a horse which had strayed away on the preceding evening. Downing > readily complied, and the two friends traversed the woods in every direction > until at length, toward evening, they found themselves in a wild valley at > the distance of six or seven miles from the fort. > > Here Downing became alarmed and repeatedly assured his elder companion > (whose name was Yates) that he heard sticks cracking behind them and was > confident that indians were dogging them. Yates, being an experienced > hunter, and from habit grown indifferent to the dangers of the woods, > diverted himself freely at the expense of his young companion, often > inquiring at what price he rated his scalp, and offering to insure it for a > sixpence. Downing, however, was not so easily satisfied. He observed that in > whatever direction they turned the same ominous sounds continued to haunt > them, and as Yates still treated his fears with the most perfect > indifference Downing determined to take his measures upon his own > responsibility. > > Gradually slackening his pace, he permitted Yates to advance twenty or > thirty steps in front of him, and immediately after descending a gentle hill > he suddenly sprung aside and hid himself in a thick cluster of whortleberry > bushes. Yates, who at that time was performing some woodland ditty to the > full extent of his lungs, was too much pleased with his own voice to attend > either to Downing or the Indians and was quickly out of sight. Scarcely had > Yates disappeared when, to > his unspeakable terror, Downing beheld two savages who put aside the stalks > of a canebrake and looked out cautiously in the direction which Yates had > taken.Fearful that they had seen him step aside he determined to fire upon > them and trust to his heels for safety, but so unsteady was his hand that in > raising his gun to his shoulder it went off before he had taken aim. > > He lost no time in following its example, and after having run fifty yards > he met Yates, who, alarmed at the report, was hastily retracing his steps. > It was not necessary to inquire what was the matter. The enemy were in full > view, pressing forward with great rapidity, and "devil take the hindmost" > was the order of the day. Yates would not outstrip Downing, but ran by his > side, although in so doing he risked both of their lives. The Indians were > well acquainted with the country, and soon took a path that diverged from > the one which the whites followed at one point and rejoined it at another, > bearing the same relation to it that the string does to the bow. > > The two paths were, at no point, distant from each other more than one > hundred yards, so that Yates and Downing could easily see the enemy gaining > rapidly upon them. They reached the point of reunion first, however, and > quickly came to a deep gully which it was necessary to cross or retrace > their steps. Yates cleared it without difficulty, but Downing, being much > exhausted, fell short, and falling with his breast against the opposite > brink rebounded with violence and fell at full length on the bottom. > > The Indians crossed the ditch a few yards below him and, eager for the > capture of Yates, continued the pursuit without appearing to notice Downing. > The latter, who at first had given himself up for lost, quickly recovered > his strength and began to walk slowly along the ditch, fearing to leave it > lest the enemy should see him. As he advanced, however, the ditch became > more shallow until at length it ceased to protect him at all. Looking around > cautiously he saw one of the Indians returning apparently in quest of him. > > Unfortunately, he had neglected to reload his gun while in the ditch, and as > the Indian instantly advanced upon him he had no resource but flight. > Throwing away his gun, which was now useless, he plied his legs manfully in > ascending a long ridge which stretched before him, but the Indian gained > upon him so rapidly that he lost all hope of escape. Coming, at length to a > large poplar which had been blown up by the roots, he ran along the body of > the tree upon one side while the Indian followed it upon the other, > doubtless expecting to intercept him at the root. But here the supreme > dominion of fortune was manifested. > > It happened that a large she-bear was suckling her cubs in a bed which she > had made at the root of the tree, and as the Indian reached that point first > she instantly sprang upon him, and a prodigious uproar took place. The > Indian yelled and stabbed with his knife; the bear growled and saluted him > with one of her most endearing "hugs," while Downing, fervently wishing her > success, ran off through the woods without waiting to see the end of the > struggle. > > He reached the fort in safety and found Yates reposing, after a hot chase, > having eluded his pursuers and gained the fort two hours before him. On the > next morning they collected a party and returned to the poplar tree, but no > traces either of the Indian or bear were to be found. They both probably > escaped with their lives, although not without injury. > > For more on Francis Downing's Adventures see Part 2 ! > > > > ==== DOWNING Mailing List ==== > What Downing resources do you own? Tell us.

>From Jim Downing, Sorry the following is so long (two pages), but to shorten it would sacrifice it's humor! Extracted from "McClung's Sketches of Western Adventure" In 1826 Dr. John T. Lewis married Letitia G. Downing, who was born in Lexington, KY (1806) and died in the same place (1844). She was a daughter of Francis Downing of Lexington, KY. The following adventure of Francis Downing, Sr., is but one of the many in which he was engaged. Most of them were published in the Kentucky Gazette by John Bradford, the first editor of the first paper published west of the mountains, under the caption of Bradford's Notes on KY. In the month of August, 1786, Mr. Francis Downing, Sr., then a mere lad, was living in a fort where, subsequently, some iron works were erected by Mr. Jacob Myers, which are now known by the name of Slate Creek Works, and are the property of Colonel Thomas Dye Owings. About the 16th, a young man belonging to the fort called upon Downing and requested his assistance in hunting for a horse which had strayed away on the preceding evening. Downing readily complied, and the two friends traversed the woods in every direction until at length, toward evening, they found themselves in a wild valley at the distance of six or seven miles from the fort. Here Downing became alarmed and repeatedly assured his elder companion (whose name was Yates) that he heard sticks cracking behind them and was confident that indians were dogging them. Yates, being an experienced hunter, and from habit grown indifferent to the dangers of the woods, diverted himself freely at the expense of his young companion, often inquiring at what price he rated his scalp, and offering to insure it for a sixpence. Downing, however, was not so easily satisfied. He observed that in whatever direction they turned the same ominous sounds continued to haunt them, and as Yates still treated his fears with the most perfect indifference Downing determined to take his measures upon his own responsibility. Gradually slackening his pace, he permitted Yates to advance twenty or thirty steps in front of him, and immediately after descending a gentle hill he suddenly sprung aside and hid himself in a thick cluster of whortleberry bushes. Yates, who at that time was performing some woodland ditty to the full extent of his lungs, was too much pleased with his own voice to attend either to Downing or the Indians and was quickly out of sight. Scarcely had Yates disappeared when, to his unspeakable terror, Downing beheld two savages who put aside the stalks of a canebrake and looked out cautiously in the direction which Yates had taken.Fearful that they had seen him step aside he determined to fire upon them and trust to his heels for safety, but so unsteady was his hand that in raising his gun to his shoulder it went off before he had taken aim. He lost no time in following its example, and after having run fifty yards he met Yates, who, alarmed at the report, was hastily retracing his steps. It was not necessary to inquire what was the matter. The enemy were in full view, pressing forward with great rapidity, and "devil take the hindmost" was the order of the day. Yates would not outstrip Downing, but ran by his side, although in so doing he risked both of their lives. The Indians were well acquainted with the country, and soon took a path that diverged from the one which the whites followed at one point and rejoined it at another, bearing the same relation to it that the string does to the bow. The two paths were, at no point, distant from each other more than one hundred yards, so that Yates and Downing could easily see the enemy gaining rapidly upon them. They reached the point of reunion first, however, and quickly came to a deep gully which it was necessary to cross or retrace their steps. Yates cleared it without difficulty, but Downing, being much exhausted, fell short, and falling with his breast against the opposite brink rebounded with violence and fell at full length on the bottom. The Indians crossed the ditch a few yards below him and, eager for the capture of Yates, continued the pursuit without appearing to notice Downing. The latter, who at first had given himself up for lost, quickly recovered his strength and began to walk slowly along the ditch, fearing to leave it lest the enemy should see him. As he advanced, however, the ditch became more shallow until at length it ceased to protect him at all. Looking around cautiously he saw one of the Indians returning apparently in quest of him. Unfortunately, he had neglected to reload his gun while in the ditch, and as the Indian instantly advanced upon him he had no resource but flight. Throwing away his gun, which was now useless, he plied his legs manfully in ascending a long ridge which stretched before him, but the Indian gained upon him so rapidly that he lost all hope of escape. Coming, at length to a large poplar which had been blown up by the roots, he ran along the body of the tree upon one side while the Indian followed it upon the other, doubtless expecting to intercept him at the root. But here the supreme dominion of fortune was manifested. It happened that a large she-bear was suckling her cubs in a bed which she had made at the root of the tree, and as the Indian reached that point first she instantly sprang upon him, and a prodigious uproar took place. The Indian yelled and stabbed with his knife; the bear growled and saluted him with one of her most endearing "hugs," while Downing, fervently wishing her success, ran off through the woods without waiting to see the end of the struggle. He reached the fort in safety and found Yates reposing, after a hot chase, having eluded his pursuers and gained the fort two hours before him. On the next morning they collected a party and returned to the poplar tree, but no traces either of the Indian or bear were to be found. They both probably escaped with their lives, although not without injury. For more on Francis Downing's Adventures see Part 2 !

No one is posting queries to the Downing query board on GenConnect because we all have all the information we need, right? It's a use it or lose it web site folks. If the Downings don't need it there are other surnames just waiting for the space. http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/FamilyAssoc/Downing Cheryl Rothwell clrothwell@mindspring.com Logan County, ILGenWeb, coordinator http://www.rootsweb.com/~illogan/loindex.htm Logan County mailing list> LOGAN-L-request@rootsweb.com Downing mailing list> DOWNING-L-request@rootsweb.com Downing query board> http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/FamilyAssoc/Downing Lucas query board> http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/FamilyAssoc/Lucas

Ok folks, try this: MAYGER DOWNING CEMETERY : cemetery : Columbia : 460929N 1230533W : Coal Creek (WA) To find things like this go to: http://www.peabody.yale.edu/other/gnis/ Cheryl Rothwell clrothwell@mindspring.com Logan County, ILGenWeb, coordinator http://www.rootsweb.com/~illogan/loindex.htm Logan County mailing list> LOGAN-L-request@rootsweb.com Downing mailing list> DOWNING-L-request@rootsweb.com Downing query board> http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/FamilyAssoc/Downing Lucas query board> http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/FamilyAssoc/Lucas

Jim, Wow! I would like to say dead relatives couldn't give you a hard time, but somehow, I don't think that would be accurate, considering that some of them have made themselves very hard to find. Sue Hodnett in Idaho

I am in Idaho, next door to Oregon, but I don't know this town you are speaking about. If you find ot what and where it is, please let me know. Sue Hodnett

Roger that, Ray! Sue Hodnett

Oh come on! One of you MUST remember where the town that the DOWNING and related families is in Oregon! PLEASE! I told my hubby about it...and he wants to go explore it...and...he is not a patient Downing! :ox Linda Downing~

-----Original Message----- From: clrothwell@mindspring.com <clrothwell@mindspring.com> To: DOWNING-L@rootsweb.com <DOWNING-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Wednesday, January 06, 1999 6:25 PM Subject: Re: [DOWNING-L] Database >Find that UFO! I've got some relatives I'd like to send on it! <g> Cheryl, At the risk of sounding anti-social, I have a bro-in-law who resisted getting into genealogy because he once went to a reunion of his family and didn't like any of them. Now, he loves genealogy and says "Dead relatives are the best kind"! ;-) Jim Downing Sarasota, FL