Hezekiah Davidson was born into the farming family of Hezekiah and Melissa Ann (Page) Davidson while the family was residing in Greene County, Illinois. He was their fifth child, born 23rd of August 1830 on the family's homestead in Greene County. His parents lived close to his paternal grandparents, John Davidson and Rachel Ellis, who had a large homestead known as "Green Hill". In 1845, an uncle, Albert Franklin Davidson, made an exploratory journey to the Oregon Territory and returned in 1846 with glowing reports; he made a number of speeches in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri which had such a positive effect upon those who attended, it resulted in quite a large emigration from the mid West the next few years*. Hezekiah's parents were among those who decided to go Westward one last time and his parents and siblings left in February 1847, taking the Southern Route of the Oregon Trail, arriving in the Oregon Territory in September of that year, a seven month journey of over 2,000 miles. Young Hezekiah was just 16 years old when he made the journey with his family, who went with at least 20 extended family members to the Oregon Territory. Davidsons settled in the Ashland, Oregon area, as well as Independence and Buena Vista in Polk County, Oregon. Young Hezekiah settled with his parents in the Buena Vista area of Polk County, marrying Ellen S. Haslet, who bore him at least four children:
John O Davidson, b. Mar 1856 d.Jul 30, 1928
Hezekiah Burkhart Davidson, b.Dec 30 1856 d.May 10, 1906
Ella Vista Davidson, b.June 1861 d.Feb 4, 1885. Married to Draper Butler, 2 children.
Joseph James (or Joseph H.) Davidson, b.July 1868 d.? [alive in 1910]
All of the children were born in Buena Vista, Polk Co., Oregon except for Hezekiah, who was born in Benton Co., Oregon, per a Find a Grave member. He also married twice and had an infant who died within six months of birth.
Ella Vista also married as noted before, but she and both children died in 1885.
John O. didn't marry until very late in life, to Florence W. who brought with her two children from prior marriages.
Joseph James (or H.) was alive when the 1910 census was taken; he was a bookkeeper who never married.
Some time between 1880 and 1900 (1890 Census records were destroyed in a fire) Hezekiah and Ellen moved to Pomeroy, Washington. Their sons either went with them or followed them, as all three sons are listed in the 1900 Census.
As of June 1900, Hezekiah and Ellen were retired; daughter Buena Vista had died in 1885; sons ~ Hezekiah Burkhart Davidson was a police officer for the town of Pomeroy, Washington, Joseph was a bookkeeper and John was a harness maker. On May 10th, 1906, Hezekiah Burkhart Davidson died and was buried at Pomeroy City Cemetery. On May 28th, 1910, Ellen S. Haslet Davidson died and Hezekiah Davidson Jr. followed his wife, dying August 3rd, 1910. John O. Davidson died July 30th, 1928 in Spokane, Washington, the husband of Florence (Davis) Gilmour. Joseph Davidson was included in the 1910 Census but not after that. I've not been able to locate the final resting places for either John O. Davidson or Joseph Davidson. Any information regarding these two gentlemen would be greatly appreciated.
Hezekiah Davidson Jr. was my great grand uncle as he was a son of my 3x great grandparents, Hezekiah Davidson and Melissa Ann Page.
Respectfully submitted Aug 17 2020
Kathie L. Webb Blair
*"The Willamette Valley: Migration and Settlement on the Oregon Frontier" by William A. Bowen, 1941, 1978 p.23
Death Date or Funeral
From Sexton Records
John O Davidson, b. Mar 1856 d.Jul 30, 1928
Hezekiah Burkhart Davidson, b.Dec 30 1856 d.May 10, 1906
Ella Vista Davidson, b.June 1861 d.Feb 4, 1885. Married to Draper Butler, 2 children.
Joseph James (or Joseph H.) Davidson, b.July 1868 d.? [alive in 1910]
All of the children were born in Buena Vista, Polk Co., Oregon except for Hezekiah, who was born in Benton Co., Oregon, per a Find a Grave member. He also married twice and had an infant who died within six months of birth.
Ella Vista also married as noted before, but she and both children died in 1885.
John O. didn't marry until very late in life, to Florence W. who brought with her two children from prior marriages.
Joseph James (or H.) was alive when the 1910 census was taken; he was a bookkeeper who never married.
Some time between 1880 and 1900 (1890 Census records were destroyed in a fire) Hezekiah and Ellen moved to Pomeroy, Washington. Their sons either went with them or followed them, as all three sons are listed in the 1900 Census.
As of June 1900, Hezekiah and Ellen were retired; daughter Buena Vista had died in 1885; sons ~ Hezekiah Burkhart Davidson was a police officer for the town of Pomeroy, Washington, Joseph was a bookkeeper and John was a harness maker. On May 10th, 1906, Hezekiah Burkhart Davidson died and was buried at Pomeroy City Cemetery. On May 28th, 1910, Ellen S. Haslet Davidson died and Hezekiah Davidson Jr. followed his wife, dying August 3rd, 1910. John O. Davidson died July 30th, 1928 in Spokane, Washington, the husband of Florence (Davis) Gilmour. Joseph Davidson was included in the 1910 Census but not after that. I've not been able to locate the final resting places for either John O. Davidson or Joseph Davidson. Any information regarding these two gentlemen would be greatly appreciated.
Hezekiah Davidson Jr. was my great grand uncle as he was a son of my 3x great grandparents, Hezekiah Davidson and Melissa Ann Page.
Respectfully submitted Aug 17 2020
Kathie L. Webb Blair
*"The Willamette Valley: Migration and Settlement on the Oregon Frontier" by William A. Bowen, 1941, 1978 p.23
Death Date or Funeral
From Sexton Records
Hezekiah Davidson was born into the farming family of Hezekiah and Melissa Ann (Page) Davidson while the family was residing in Greene County, Illinois. He was their fifth child, born 23rd of August 1830 on the family's homestead in Greene County. His parents lived close to his paternal grandparents, John Davidson and Rachel Ellis, who had a large homestead known as "Green Hill". In 1845, an uncle, Albert Franklin Davidson, made an exploratory journey to the Oregon Territory and returned in 1846 with glowing reports; he made a number of speeches in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri which had such a positive effect upon those who attended, it resulted in quite a large emigration from the mid West the next few years*. Hezekiah's parents were among those who decided to go Westward one last time and his parents and siblings left in February 1847, taking the Southern Route of the Oregon Trail, arriving in the Oregon Territory in September of that year, a seven month journey of over 2,000 miles. Young Hezekiah was just 16 years old when he made the journey with his family, who went with at least 20 extended family members to the Oregon Territory. Davidsons settled in the Ashland, Oregon area, as well as Independence and Buena Vista in Polk County, Oregon. Young Hezekiah settled with his parents in the Buena Vista area of Polk County, marrying Ellen S. Haslet, who bore him at least four children:
John O Davidson, b. Mar 1856 d.Jul 30, 1928
Hezekiah Burkhart Davidson, b.Dec 30 1856 d.May 10, 1906
Ella Vista Davidson, b.June 1861 d.Feb 4, 1885. Married to Draper Butler, 2 children.
Joseph James (or Joseph H.) Davidson, b.July 1868 d.? [alive in 1910]
All of the children were born in Buena Vista, Polk Co., Oregon except for Hezekiah, who was born in Benton Co., Oregon, per a Find a Grave member. He also married twice and had an infant who died within six months of birth.
Ella Vista also married as noted before, but she and both children died in 1885.
John O. didn't marry until very late in life, to Florence W. who brought with her two children from prior marriages.
Joseph James (or H.) was alive when the 1910 census was taken; he was a bookkeeper who never married.
Some time between 1880 and 1900 (1890 Census records were destroyed in a fire) Hezekiah and Ellen moved to Pomeroy, Washington. Their sons either went with them or followed them, as all three sons are listed in the 1900 Census.
As of June 1900, Hezekiah and Ellen were retired; daughter Buena Vista had died in 1885; sons ~ Hezekiah Burkhart Davidson was a police officer for the town of Pomeroy, Washington, Joseph was a bookkeeper and John was a harness maker. On May 10th, 1906, Hezekiah Burkhart Davidson died and was buried at Pomeroy City Cemetery. On May 28th, 1910, Ellen S. Haslet Davidson died and Hezekiah Davidson Jr. followed his wife, dying August 3rd, 1910. John O. Davidson died July 30th, 1928 in Spokane, Washington, the husband of Florence (Davis) Gilmour. Joseph Davidson was included in the 1910 Census but not after that. I've not been able to locate the final resting places for either John O. Davidson or Joseph Davidson. Any information regarding these two gentlemen would be greatly appreciated.
Hezekiah Davidson Jr. was my great grand uncle as he was a son of my 3x great grandparents, Hezekiah Davidson and Melissa Ann Page.
Respectfully submitted Aug 17 2020
Kathie L. Webb Blair
*"The Willamette Valley: Migration and Settlement on the Oregon Frontier" by William A. Bowen, 1941, 1978 p.23
Death Date or Funeral
From Sexton Records
John O Davidson, b. Mar 1856 d.Jul 30, 1928
Hezekiah Burkhart Davidson, b.Dec 30 1856 d.May 10, 1906
Ella Vista Davidson, b.June 1861 d.Feb 4, 1885. Married to Draper Butler, 2 children.
Joseph James (or Joseph H.) Davidson, b.July 1868 d.? [alive in 1910]
All of the children were born in Buena Vista, Polk Co., Oregon except for Hezekiah, who was born in Benton Co., Oregon, per a Find a Grave member. He also married twice and had an infant who died within six months of birth.
Ella Vista also married as noted before, but she and both children died in 1885.
John O. didn't marry until very late in life, to Florence W. who brought with her two children from prior marriages.
Joseph James (or H.) was alive when the 1910 census was taken; he was a bookkeeper who never married.
Some time between 1880 and 1900 (1890 Census records were destroyed in a fire) Hezekiah and Ellen moved to Pomeroy, Washington. Their sons either went with them or followed them, as all three sons are listed in the 1900 Census.
As of June 1900, Hezekiah and Ellen were retired; daughter Buena Vista had died in 1885; sons ~ Hezekiah Burkhart Davidson was a police officer for the town of Pomeroy, Washington, Joseph was a bookkeeper and John was a harness maker. On May 10th, 1906, Hezekiah Burkhart Davidson died and was buried at Pomeroy City Cemetery. On May 28th, 1910, Ellen S. Haslet Davidson died and Hezekiah Davidson Jr. followed his wife, dying August 3rd, 1910. John O. Davidson died July 30th, 1928 in Spokane, Washington, the husband of Florence (Davis) Gilmour. Joseph Davidson was included in the 1910 Census but not after that. I've not been able to locate the final resting places for either John O. Davidson or Joseph Davidson. Any information regarding these two gentlemen would be greatly appreciated.
Hezekiah Davidson Jr. was my great grand uncle as he was a son of my 3x great grandparents, Hezekiah Davidson and Melissa Ann Page.
Respectfully submitted Aug 17 2020
Kathie L. Webb Blair
*"The Willamette Valley: Migration and Settlement on the Oregon Frontier" by William A. Bowen, 1941, 1978 p.23
Death Date or Funeral
From Sexton Records
Family Members
Siblings
