Oregon Pioneer*
Lauretta Jane Davidson was one of eight children borne of the union of Hezekiah Davidson (1789-1876) and Melissa Ann "Lucy" (Page) Davidson (1804-1877) [Melissa was a daughter of Rev. Carter Tarrant Page]. Lauretta was born on Mar 22, 1822. She was stated as having been born in Illinois, but her family lived in Kentucky until after the birth of her younger brother, James Orville (b.1825) and sister, Elizabeth (b.1827), both born in Kentucky. The family was in Illinois when brother, Hezekiah Jr., was born in 1830. Marriage records show she married Wiley Webb in Scott Co., Illinois on Aug 20, 1839. There is also some confusion as to when she arrived in Oregon. She arrived after 1847, which is when her parents, siblings and extended family came, guided by Albert Davidson and taking the Southern Route, also known as the Applegate Trail.
She was living in the Manchester, Scott Co., Illinois when the 1850 census was taken on October 28th, 1850, with three daughters, Sarah Webb, age 10, Cordelia Webb, age 6, and Octavia Webb, age 4. Lauretta's last name was also Webb at the time, and she lived adjacent to Jonathan and Mary Davidson and their four children. When she and her daughters did arrive in the Oregon Territory, it was prior to her daughter Cordelia's death (1853) in Oregon. Nonetheless, she met David Johnston (b.1815, North Carolina), a widower who had lost his wife, Armintha Thorp Johnston, in 1849. He had come to Oregon in 1847, in the same wagon train with her family. David and Lauretta married in 1854, a year after Cordelia died and was laid to rest at the Buena Vista Cemetery. Her daughter, Octavia, died in 1859 and was also laid to rest at Buena Vista cemetery. In 1860, Lauretta and her family lived by her brother, James Orville Davidson and his family. David and Lauretta, called "Jane" in the census (taken July 27), had a farm valued at $5,000 and cash assets of $670. They had a daughter, Ann, age 14 yrs. They also had a son, Johnny, who was born Nov 28, 1859 and died Jan 12th, 1870, at the age of 11 yrs., 1 month and 11 days. I have reread a letter written by Mary J. Waller, daughter of Mary Elizabeth Davidson Waller, which talks about his death and how upset his parents were. Page 1 of the letter is in Fannie Burkhart's memorial. I've not been able to locate any census record for Lauretta for 1880.
Lauretta died March 5th, 1900, and was buried at Buena Vista Cemetery, Buena Vista, Polk Co., Oregon. David was alive when the census was taken at Independence, Polk County, on June 1st, 1900. He stated he was 84 yrs. of age, had two children, both living, and rented out his farm for income. There is no record of when he died; it is not written on his headstone [nor is his precise age, only that he was born in 1815] at Buena Vista Cemetery, Buena Vista, Oregon, where he is buried, close by both wives and at least one child, his son, whom he had out lived.
My unanswered questions are: When did David die?
What happened to daughter, Ann? and Who was the other child? Was it Sarah Webb, Lauretta's last surviving daughter from her 1st husband, Wiley Webb? What happened to Sarah? I can only guess what took the lives of Cordelia and Octavia.
May they All Rest in Peace.
Lauretta's parents, Hezekiah and Melissa Ann (Page) Davidson, are my 3x great grandparents. I believe Lauretta is my 2nd great grand aunt.
Thank you to David Bollman for the transfer!
Oregon Pioneer*
Lauretta Jane Davidson was one of eight children borne of the union of Hezekiah Davidson (1789-1876) and Melissa Ann "Lucy" (Page) Davidson (1804-1877) [Melissa was a daughter of Rev. Carter Tarrant Page]. Lauretta was born on Mar 22, 1822. She was stated as having been born in Illinois, but her family lived in Kentucky until after the birth of her younger brother, James Orville (b.1825) and sister, Elizabeth (b.1827), both born in Kentucky. The family was in Illinois when brother, Hezekiah Jr., was born in 1830. Marriage records show she married Wiley Webb in Scott Co., Illinois on Aug 20, 1839. There is also some confusion as to when she arrived in Oregon. She arrived after 1847, which is when her parents, siblings and extended family came, guided by Albert Davidson and taking the Southern Route, also known as the Applegate Trail.
She was living in the Manchester, Scott Co., Illinois when the 1850 census was taken on October 28th, 1850, with three daughters, Sarah Webb, age 10, Cordelia Webb, age 6, and Octavia Webb, age 4. Lauretta's last name was also Webb at the time, and she lived adjacent to Jonathan and Mary Davidson and their four children. When she and her daughters did arrive in the Oregon Territory, it was prior to her daughter Cordelia's death (1853) in Oregon. Nonetheless, she met David Johnston (b.1815, North Carolina), a widower who had lost his wife, Armintha Thorp Johnston, in 1849. He had come to Oregon in 1847, in the same wagon train with her family. David and Lauretta married in 1854, a year after Cordelia died and was laid to rest at the Buena Vista Cemetery. Her daughter, Octavia, died in 1859 and was also laid to rest at Buena Vista cemetery. In 1860, Lauretta and her family lived by her brother, James Orville Davidson and his family. David and Lauretta, called "Jane" in the census (taken July 27), had a farm valued at $5,000 and cash assets of $670. They had a daughter, Ann, age 14 yrs. They also had a son, Johnny, who was born Nov 28, 1859 and died Jan 12th, 1870, at the age of 11 yrs., 1 month and 11 days. I have reread a letter written by Mary J. Waller, daughter of Mary Elizabeth Davidson Waller, which talks about his death and how upset his parents were. Page 1 of the letter is in Fannie Burkhart's memorial. I've not been able to locate any census record for Lauretta for 1880.
Lauretta died March 5th, 1900, and was buried at Buena Vista Cemetery, Buena Vista, Polk Co., Oregon. David was alive when the census was taken at Independence, Polk County, on June 1st, 1900. He stated he was 84 yrs. of age, had two children, both living, and rented out his farm for income. There is no record of when he died; it is not written on his headstone [nor is his precise age, only that he was born in 1815] at Buena Vista Cemetery, Buena Vista, Oregon, where he is buried, close by both wives and at least one child, his son, whom he had out lived.
My unanswered questions are: When did David die?
What happened to daughter, Ann? and Who was the other child? Was it Sarah Webb, Lauretta's last surviving daughter from her 1st husband, Wiley Webb? What happened to Sarah? I can only guess what took the lives of Cordelia and Octavia.
May they All Rest in Peace.
Lauretta's parents, Hezekiah and Melissa Ann (Page) Davidson, are my 3x great grandparents. I believe Lauretta is my 2nd great grand aunt.
Thank you to David Bollman for the transfer!
Inscription
Wife of D. Johnston
