Is anyone tied into this family? THOMAS FAMILY #3 Most of the initial information on this family came from family records assembled by Gordon Clemens. According to Joan Needham as a child she was told that the Thomas family was supposedly somehow related to the family of President William Henry and Benjamin Harrison. Harrison is also used as a middle name for George Thomas. Since the names George Washington and James Madison are used for children's names, it might just be patriotic fervor. At the time of George Harrison Thomas' birth William Henry Harrison had been dead for 15 years and Benjamin Harrison was 33 years from occupying the White House. I can't see any connection in the books on Presidential descent. #240 TRAVIS H. THOMAS He was born in Bladen Co., North Carolina in 1796 or 1797. He lived in Washington Co., North Carolina. He was 5'7" tall with a fair complexion, gray eyes, and brown hair. He had eight children. In 1829 160 acres were granted to him as having been a private in Thomas Ramsey's Company of the First Rifle Regiment. They served in 1815 near Buffalo, New York. He is listed in the 1830 census in Monongalia Co., Virginia. An 1833 deed in Monroe Co., Tennessee lists the lawful heirs of Travis H. Thomas as William, Jonathan Jr., James and George W. Thomas (all children of Jonathan Thomas Sr.) to Jonathan Thomas Sr., all of Monroe Co.; land in the Territory of Arkansas in the tract appropriated by the act of Congress and signed in 1812. Of course Jonathan could be a brother, father, nephew or cousin of Travis, rather than a son. #120 JONATHAN THOMAS Travis' probable son Jonathan was between 1760 and 1770 in North Carolina. According to family tradition he was a Welsh sea captain who married an Irish woman named Ann, who was about his age. They moved to Monroe Co., Tennessee. He appears in the 1830 census. He witnessed a Monroe land transaction in 1835. In 1841 he deeded 320 acres in Monroe to his son George. He died after 1846 when he sold 115 acres of land to W.B. Milligan. Another source says that her name was Anna, he was from North Carolina and died in Monroe in 1857. Jonathan and Ann's children: 1. William. 2. Jonathan Jr. 3. James. 4. George, see below. There is also another unrelated Jonathan Thomas in the 1830 Mc Minn Co., (adjacent county) census who came from Washington Co. Tennessee and was the first person buried in the Jonathan Thomas cemetery in 1864. He was also born in 1800. His father was a Virginian. His wife's name was Jane and she died in 1883 at age 86. #60 GEORGE WASHINGTON THOMAS Jonathan and Ann's son George was born on September 15, 1819, in Madisonville, Monroe Co., Tennessee (another source says Blount Co.). He married in Monroe on February 14, 1840, Sarah Ann Smallin (see Smallin family). They had ten children. In 1854 they sold their land in Monroe Co., Tennessee to Jackson Wiley. They then moved to the Grand Prairie area in Greene Co., Missouri where they lived for two years until he bought 320 acres on Whittenburg Prairie near Willard, (Stations 7 & 8, Township 31) northwest of Springfield in Cass Township, Greene Co. During the Civil War he served in the enrolled militia for ten months and was at the Battle of Springfield. Their son Jonathan also fought on the Union side. This is interesting as with their Tennessee and Southern Missouri roots, you'd think they would have had southern sympathies. However they lived in the hill country in both states, and may not have had much empathy for the slave holding class. He was a successful farmer. George was a Democrat until the war, when he switched to the Republican party. In 1850 he was listed as worth $500. By 1870 he was listed as worth $5500. She served as a school teacher in Willard. They were members of the Baptist Church. He was a Republican. She died there on February 17, 1881, at the age of 61. On August 6, 1882, he married Lucinda Whitlock. He died there on August 29, 1891, at the age of 71. George and Sarah are both buried at the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Greene Co. At the time of his death he also owned land in Carroll Co., Arkansas. George was remembered by his Granddaughter Myrtle Thomas Hughes as being jolly and good natured, but that Sarah was kind of "uppity" with him. George had many skin cancers on his face and was tough to shave. She may have been the Great Grandmother that Phyllis Foley's father mentioned that carried a black knit drawstring purse, gambled and smoked. Another reference was made to a snobbish grandmother who felt that her granddaughter had married below her station, and that her mother was full blooded French. This would make either Lucretia Adams Williams or Ann Smallin full blooded French. George H. Thomas' death certificate shows that his mother Sarah Ann Smallin Thomas was born in Nova Scotia, which certainly doesn't tie into other information on the Smallin's. There were French Acadians that lived in Nova Scotia. I believe the confusion maybe with Hugh McClellan's (below) Nova Scotian ancestry. George and Sarah's children: 1. James Madison "Jim" was born February 3, 1841, he married February 21, 1861, Matilda Jane "Martha" Wilson, he served in Company E, 14th Missouri Cavalry, and Company M, 8th Missouri Cavalry of the Union Army for three years during the Civil War, he was wounded in the Battle of Neosho, they lived at Pearl, Greene Co., Missouri, he married second Bashie Gilmore, he died February 19, 1923, had issue with Martha- Jim, Nate, Cass, John, Clare, Mary, Howard, had issue with Bashie- Irvin, Elsie md. Mr. Stewart. 2. Lavina was born May 15, 1842, she married December 27, 1865, Robert Turner Mason, they lived at Long Lane, Dallas Co., Missouri, where they farmed she died July 2, 1919, and is buried at the Hazelwood Cemetery in Springfield, Mo, had issue- Caswell J. d young, Sarah A. d. young, George Marion md. Loumina, Daniel C. d. young, Lillie M., Martha T. md. John Christian, Mary Lucretia md. Elonzo Washington Wheelis, James Henry md. Susie Alexander. 3. Jonathan Caswell "Cas" was born May 30, 1844, he enlisted in Company E. 8th Missouri, Union Army, he was killed August 7, 1864, in Mc Donald Co., Missouri, while pursuing a band of 300 rebel bushwhackers. 4. Lucretia W. "Creesy" was born October 17, 1846, she lived at Pearl also, she died unmarried on September 11, 1929. 5. Henry C. was born December 9, 1848, he married on December 23, 1869, Almeda M. Surber, they lived on the White River, 20 miles south of Galena at Radical, Stone Co., Missouri where he was a miller, had issue- Florence E. md. T.J. Jennings, Henry W. d. young, Nora A., James W., William O., Ida E., Sally, Eppie. 6. William Wadsworth "Will" was born May 16, 1850, he married June 16, 1872, Virginia C. "Jennie" Barnes, they lived at Willard, Greene Co., where he farmed, he died in 1946, had issue- Henry Clinton, Myrtle May md. George Hughes, Gay d. young, Laura Alice md. Mr. Allen, Cordia md. Virgil Gorman, Molly Amy md. Mr. Walker, Erma Kerr md. Mr. Bray, Etta d. young. 7. Tryphena T. "Phinny" was born October 12, 1852, she married January 15, 1873, Simeon Parks Dodd, a Confederate veteran, they lived at Pearl also, she died October 21, 1913, he died August 24, 1915, had issue- Virginia md. John Tuck, John Marmaduke md. Alma Elam, Isa Dora md. Albert Killingsworth, Simeon Gordon md. Alice Edmonson, Sarah Louisa md. John Elgin Hughes, Marshall Hill md. Pearl Combs, Ethel md. James Boozer, Lutitia Mintora md. Earl Young, Emma May md. Ray Smith, Thomas Lester md. Catherine Bates. 8. Elizabeth J. "Betty" was born June 9, 1854, she married January 1, 1871, Hiram E. Hardman, they lived at Willard also, had issue- Albert, Anna, Herman, Eva, Arthur, Bess, Harrison, Ruth, Sarah Lillian d. young. 9. George Harrison, see below. 10. Lorenzo S. "Ren" was born January 23, 1859, he married Alice Edwards, they lived at Herald, Greene Co., Missouri, had issue- Grace. Most of the Thomas and their descendants lived along Clear Creek from above the Mt. Pleasant Church to almost Pearl. You could just follow the creek and visit them all. #30 GEORGE HARRISON THOMAS George and Sarah's son George "Harry, Harris and Harrison" was born on Christmas Day 1856 in Greene Co., Missouri. He was named after his father. He married in Buffalo, Dallas Co., Missouri on August 28, 1883, Louisa Miller (see Miller family #2). They had eight children, seven girls and one boy being the youngest. It appears they lived at different times in Greene and Dallas Counties. Between 1900 and 1903 he listed his occupation as merchant as he owned a lumber yard. In 1904 they took a trip to a lumber convention to Kansas City. They lived in Morrisville, Missouri for a year. After that he took a trip or two to California to see if he wanted to move his family out west. In 1908 they moved to California living briefly at Fullerton in a rented home that was furnished, then to San Bernardino. As of 1910 they were living on Orange St., at the corner of B St. near Arrowhead in San Bernardino, California. They owned their home free and clear. He owned a grocery store on 5th and I St. in San Bernardino. He bought his first car around this time, he drove the car to Caruther, near Selma, California while the family moved by train in 1912. He then sold the car. They farmed 40 acres of alfalfa as well as having a grain and peanut garden. The house had a big room at one end that had hay at one end where the girls would curl up and read. The whole family enjoyed reading. In the summer of 1916 they moved to Ontario in San Bernardino Co., California, where they purchased a Queen Anne style home built in 1894, and still stands at 403 West G Street at the corner of Fern, in Ontario. He worked on the Palm Springs levee project that was managed by the Eli Needham (see Needham family) as a cook. This was how his daughter Vivian and Otto Needham renewed their high school acquaintance. George was always interested in Alaska. He always liked to trade things and liked living and visiting different places. George died of cancer of the lower jaw (he always smoked a pipe) in Ontario on November 3, 1921, at the age of 64. His granddaughter Phyllis remembers seeing in his coffin, his face filled with wax where the cancer had eaten it away. In 1923 Louisa sold the two back lots. Louisa took in many boarders to support herself and also did laundry. She died there of coronary thrombosis on December 6, 1931, at the age of 68. They are both buried in the Mountain View Cemetery in San Bernardino. The home stayed in the family until around 1965. It has since been restored and has served as an antique store, a realty office and is now used as a law office, and residence. It is listed as a historic home of the Model Colony of Ontario as it is one of the few Queen Anne houses, which has retained its architectural integrity over the years. George and Louisa's children: 1. Lorena "Nig" was born April 13, 1885, in Willard, she married August 30, 1905, William Robert Barnes, she taught school for a while, he was a lawyer and home builder, he built homes in Boyle Heights and Beverly Terrace, they lived in Glendale, California, he died July 7, 1949, she died January 3, 1964, had issue- Helen md. Vince Keppler & Steven Slote, Marion Chester md. Margarita Martinez, James Harrison md. Phyllis Smith, Billy Thomas md. Toby Prestley, Virginia Jane was mentally retarded and never md. 2. Launa was born March 12, 1887, in Buffalo, she attended Methodist College at Claremont, she married July 5, 1913, Omer Mc Kown, they lived in St. Louis, Missouri, she died July 18, 1929, had issue- Robert Thomas. 3. Leona was born May 9, 1889, in Pearl, she taught piano lessons and worked in a grocery store, she married August 27, 1912, Fred Ancel Houser, they lived in Duarte, California where they worked in various retail enterprises, he died May 28, 1948, she died April 1, 1962, had issue- Phyllis Lucille md. Kirby Fuller & Paul Foley, Anita Zoe md. Vern Pate & John Blair. 4. Evelyn or Eva "Eke" was born August 19, 1894, in Willard, she married April 2, 1942, Alvin Carlisle, they lived in Ontario, California, she was a school teacher, she was known for riding her Harley Davidson to work in L.A., she visited Alaska and Europe, she died January 27, 1958, no issue. 5. Fieta was born August 27, 1891, in Willard, she was killed August 7, 1894, just short of her third birthday from a horse kick. 6. Anna Adaline "Viviette" was born August 29, 1897, in Willard, she married December 25, 1917, Hugh Lewis Mc Clellan, they lived in Upland, California, where he owned McClellan's Automotive Service, she died December 4, 1974, had issue- Thomas Edward md. Joyce Snyder, Lavonne md. Fred Bullis, Carroll Viviette md. Edward Stayton, Marion Louise md Gordon Clemens (a source for some of this information). 7. Esther Vivian, see below. 8. Chauncey Miller "Tom" was born June 22, 1903, he married Pearl Horn, he married second, Eloise Christian Broom, they lived in Pacific Grove, California, he died July 8, 1965, had issue Marilyn Francis md. Thomas McClelland, Patricia Louise md. Eugene Anderson, Sharon Lorraine md. Darrel Basham. #15 ESTHER VIVIAN THOMAS George and Louisa's daughter Vivian was born in Pearl, Murray Township, Greene Co., Missouri on June 3, 1900. She told stories of being a young girl in Salinas and using a bullwhip from a horse's back to kill rattlesnakes. They had to strip off the rattles and put them in a powder can. She remembered her dad carrying her to school and other kids walking in his footprints. She had her 8th birthday on the train in 1908 while traveling to California. She remembers as a kid hiding in her dad's wardrobe and reading his books on Alaska. She worked 2 years at the cannery in Selma and the G.E. Iron plant in Ontario as a secretary in payroll. She was married in a double wedding with her sister Viviette, at her parents home in Ontario, to Otto Needham (see Needham family). An attendant at the wedding remembers them coming down the hand-built wooden staircase.