Research by Ronald Eggleston, Lansing MI
John Mitchell Eggleston is my great-great grandfather
April 2016

John Mitchell Eggleston was the ninth child of Asa Jr. and Content Hadsell Eggleston. He was b. 7 Aug, 1806 in Hebron, Washington, NY. He died 20 Aug, 1880 in Antwerp, Jefferson, NY.

On 2 Apr 1829, he married Ann Keene, b. 10 Jul 1812 at Empeyville, Oneida, NY with whom he had seven children. She died 20 Dec, 1848. His second marriage on 13 Nov 1851 in Antwerp was to a widow, Luana Seaver Clark, b. 17 Dec 1826, d. 26 Nov 1912. Her parents were Watson F. Seaver and Alviera White Seaver, of Elmira, NY. Luana had a daughter, Jane Clark, from her first marriage to Scott Clarke. John and Luana had one son. John, Ann and Luana are all buried in Antwerp Old Kinne Cemetery, Jefferson, NY.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(photos courtesy of Jerry Eggleston)

Children of John Mitchell and Ann Keene Eggleston:

Diana Eggleston, b. 3 Apr 1830, in Antwerp, Jefferson, NY; d. 24 Jan 1906, in Gouverneur, St. Lawrence, NY. She married Hezekiah Randall

Laura Ann Eggleston, b. 6 Aug 1831 in Antwerp, Jefferson, NY. On 14 Jan 1855, in Antwerp, she married George Wheeler , b. 1827 in Gouverneur, St. Lawrence, NY. The Wheelers operated a Hotel in Gouverneur, then bought and managed a hotel in Oxbow, NY, known as the Wheeler House. They later moved to Massena Springs, NY to operate a boarding house. He died there.

Joel Eggleston, b. 8 Mar 1833 in Antwerp, Jefferson, NY

Maria Sarah Eggleston, b. 13 Jul 1835, in Antwerp, Jefferson, NY; d. 30 Sep 1905; on 12 May 1858, at LeRaysville, NY, she married Edward McOmber, b. 20 Feb 1825, d. ? Both buried at Black River, NY

Guilford John Eggleston, b. 22 Jul 1837 in Antwerp, Jefferson, NY; d. 8 Sep 1922 at Pontiac, IL; on 25 Aug 1860 at Rutland, NY, he married Anna Maria Lawton, b. 31 Jul 1844, d. 30 Jul 1932 at Pontiac, Livingston, IL.

Cordelia A. Eggleston, b. 1840 in Antwerp, Jefferson, NY, d. 1922; In 1866, in Antwerp, she m. Norris Matthews, of Adams Center, with whom she had 4 children, all daughters.

Mary Elizabeth Eggleston, b. 23 Jun 1842 in Antwerp, Jefferson, NY; d. 22 Oct 1926. On 26 Jan 1877, she married Frank Marsh, b. 27 Apr 1844 in Antwerp; d. 23 Sep 1913. They had three children.

Child of John Mitchell and Luana Seaver Clark Eggleston:

Richmond Howland Eggleston, b. 27 Oct 1852 in Antwerp, Jefferson, NY; d. 23 Feb 1929 at Verona, Oneida, NY. On 22 Feb 1877, he married Mary Ann FritzGerald, b. 21 Jan 1857, in Canada, d. 9 May, 1926 at Antwerp, Jefferson, NY. Both buried at Old Kinne Cemetery, Antwerp. They had eight children.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(photos courtesy of Jerry Eggleston)

The US Census of 1850 for the Town of Antwerp, Jefferson County, NY, lists John “Egglestone” as age 44, a farmer who could not read or write; his real estate was worth $4000. In the home are daughters Laura, age 18, Maria, 15, Cordelia, 10, and Sarah M. (this must be Mary Elizabeth), 8; sons Joel, 17, and John G. Eggleston, who must be Guilford John, 12. Nearby, his brothers Perry and David are recorded as farmers, each with a wife and two children. By 1870, the Census shows that John M. was working a farm of only six acres, with a value of $1000, with 26 milk cows, 2 horses and 4 sheep.

In the 1880 US Census, the household consists of John M. and wife Loena [sic], with their son Richmond and his wife Mary and their two children John and Richmond, ages 2 and 1, respectively. Also in the home were John’s grandchildren, Carrie Eggleston, age 16 and Charles Eggleston, age 21; their father Joel had died three years before

Joel M. Eggleston was born 8 Mar 1833 in Antwerp, Jefferson, NY. On 18 Feb 1856, he married Sophia Wicks Marsh, born 23 Jul 1839 in Antwerp Township, Jefferson, NY and died 3 May, 1936, in Somerville, St. Lawrence, NY. Joel was a farmer and Civil War veteran. He enlisted at Clayton NY on 30 Aug 1864. On 7 Sept. 1864 he was mustered into Company D, New York 186th Infantry Regiment as a Private. He mustered out as a Private near Alexandria, VA on 2 Jun 1865. He contracted TB during his Civil War service and eventually died of it on 10 Nov 1877, at Natural Dam, St. Lawrence, NY. Joel is buried at Antwerp Old Kinne Cemetery, Jefferson, NY.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sophia Wicks Marsh was born in a house near Pulpit Rock on the Oxbow-Theresa Road in Antwerp Township, Jefferson, NY. Her parents were Hosea and Elvira Wicks Marsh. When she was a small girl, her mother died and she was sent to live with George and Laura Ann Eggleston Wheeler in Watertown, Jefferson, NY. When she was 13 or 14, the Wheelers moved to Oxbow, Jefferson, NY, where they ran what became known as the Wheeler Hotel. At almost age 18, she married Joel, who was the brother of Laura Wheeler. They lived on a farm on the Oxbow-Theresa Road for fourteen years, where 6 of their 7 children were born. Property maps from the late 1800’s show two Wicks families living near the Eggleston property. Later, they moved to a farm at Bolton’s Corners two miles from Natural Dam, St. Lawrence, NY. This is where Frederick was born and Joel died four months later.

Sophia (pronounced so-fy-a, called Sofie) outlived her husband by many years, drawing on his war pension. There is some family lore, repeated by my father to my sister Susie, that Sophia had a live-in “gentleman friend” for several years. Supposedly, she did not marry since she would lose her war pension. While it is possible to document her residences after her husband’s death, there is no evidence of this gentleman. Sophia sold the farm and moved first to Oxbow, and a few years later, to Antwerp, where she lived with sons Frank and Frederick. In 1907, she bought a small house and moved to Somerville, St. Lawrence, NY, next door to her daughter Carrie, and lived with her sons Charles and Frederick. Charles was listed in the 1910 US Census as a farm laborer, and Frederick as a carpenter. Frederick married in 1911 and Charles died in 1913; before long, Sophia moved in with Carrie (she was there by the time of the 1920 US Census), where she stayed, becoming blind, until her death. Sophia was reportedly buried in the Dickson Cemetery on the Somerville Road, St. Lawrence, NY, but this information was incorrect, or she was later moved, since her grave is now in the Old Kinne Cemetery in Antwerp.
Dad’s sister Muriel told me that Sophie always was well-dressed and very proper, “a real lady.” She wore high collared blouses with pins. She apparently had some financial resources, and loaned money to her son in an effort to keep his general store afloat. Dad had very fond memories of Sophia, who was very kind to him; he visited her often and stayed overnight and ran errands for her on several occasions.

Children of Joel and Sophie Wicks Eggleston:

Charles W. Eggleston, b 1859 in Antwerp, Jefferson, NY, d. 1913, probably in Somerville, Rossie, St. Lawrence, NY; buried in Old Kinne Cemetery, Antwerp, NY; never married

Dora Eggleston, b 13 Jan 1861 in Antwerp, Jefferson, NY; married Herbert Ames in Hermon, St. Lawrence, NY in 1884; he was b. 1855 in Hermon, St. Lawrence, NY and d. 5 Feb 1934

Carrie Eggleston, b. 7 Feb 1866 in Antwerp, Jefferson, NY, d. 13 Mar 1953 in Somerville, Rossie, St. Lawrence, NY; on 25 Nov 1883, she married Charles Barker, b. 25 Nov 1862, d. 25 Jun 1940. They lived on a farm in his home town of Somerville, St. Lawrence, NY; they had three children, Claude and Carl Barker (twins), b. 19 Aug 1890, and Donald Barker, b. 24 Apr 1902. (Carrie was not the mother of Ben Barker, one of Dad’s best friends. In a town as small as Somerville, it was odd that there were two unrelated Barker families). Carrie was a member of the Grange and the Somerville Methodist Church. Her husband served as an official in Rossie Township, St. Lawrence, NY for many years.

Della Eggleston, b. 26 Jul 1867 in Antwerp, Jefferson, NY, d. 1891 in Antwerp; never married; buried in Old Kinne Cemetery, Antwerp, NY.

Frank Eggleston, b. 20 Jun 1872 in Antwerp, Jefferson, NY, d. 1958; on 21 Apr 1907 he married Bertha Teall of Antwerp, Jefferson, NY (b. 16 Feb 1885, d. 1965). They had seven children: Lyle (1909-1922), Esther, b. 1910, Dora, b. 1912, Leta, b. circa 1913, Frances, b. circa 1915, Lyman, b. 1917, Charles Teall (1918-1978). Frank, Bertha, Lyle, Lyman and Charles are all buried at Old Kinne Cemetery, Antwerp.

Mary Eggleston, b. 24 May 1873 in Antwerp, Jefferson, NY; d.1878 in Antwerp; buried in Old Kinne Cemetery.

Frederick, b. 13 Jul 1877, d. 31 Dec 1953 (buried in New Haven, Oswego, NY cemetery). This is my grandfather.

John Mitchell Eggleston, Joel and Sophia Wicks Marsh Eggleston Sources

1840 US Census for Antwerp, Jefferson, NY records household of John Eggleston with 1 male under 5, 1 male age 5-9, 1 male age 30-39, 1 female under 5, 2 females age 5-9, 1 female age 10-14 and 1 female age 20-29. Census data accessed online at ancestry.com.

1850 US Census for town of Antwerp, Jefferson, NY, enumerated 23 September 1850 lines 37-42, records household of John “Egglestone”, a farmer age 44, with real estate valued at $4000, who could not read or write and his children Joel, 17, John G., 12, Laura, 18, Maria, 15, Cordelia, 10, and on next page, line 1, Sarah M., 8. Nearby are Perry “Egglestone,” a farmer age 58 with a wife and two children and David Eggleston, a farmer age 42, with a wife and two children. Accessed online at ancestry.com.

1860 US Census for Antwerp, Jefferson, NY lists Joel Eggleston and no other members of household. Accessed online.

US Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918, Map of Town of Antwerp shows Joel M. Eggleston landholding just SE of Oxbow; to the SW of this holding are names of landholders C. Wicks and B. Wicks. Maps accessed online at ancestry.com.

30 August 1864: Joel Eggleston enlists for military service. On 7 September 1864 he is assigned to Company D, New York 186th Infantry Regiment; he mustered out on 2 June 1865 at Alexandria Virginia. Data from US Civil War Soldiers Records and Profiles, 1861-1865, accessed online.

1870 US Census for Antwerp, Jefferson, NY, enumerated 16 August 1870, shows household of Joel M. Eggleston, 37, a farmer with private property valued at $3000, but no value given for real estate; wife Sophia, 31, son Charles, 11, and daughters Dora, 9, Annadel, 3 and Mary, 1 mo. Accessed online.

1870 “Selected US Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880” for Antwerp, Jefferson, NY, records John M. Eggleston owning a farm valued at $1000 with 6 acres of improved land, $50 worth of implements and machinery, 2 horses, 26 milch cows, 1 other cattle, 4 sheep (all livestock valued at $440). Information accessed online at ancestry.com.

1875 New York, State Census for Antwerp, Jefferson, NY, records household of John M. Eggleston, wife Luana and son Richmond. Accessed online.

1880 US Census for Antwerp, Jefferson, NY records household of John M. Eggleston, b. 1807, whose father and mother were born in R.I. [sic]. In the household are wife Loena [sic], b. 1825, son Richmond Eggleston, a farmer age 26, his wife Mary, age 24 and their children John, age 2 and Richmond, age 1, as well as John Mitchell’s grandchildren [by Joel] Carrie Eggleston, age 16 and Charles Eggleston, age 21. Accessed online.

1910 US Census for Rossie, Supervisor District #10, Enumeration District #176, Sheet 9B [Somerville], St. Lawrence, NY, shows Sophia, 70, living with sons Charles Eggleston, 51, a farm laborer, and Fred, 32, a carpenter. Next door was Charles A. Barker, 47, a farmer, his wife Carrie M. [Eggleston] Barker, 44 and son Donald Barker, 8. Next house was Claude W. Barker, 21, a farmer, and wife Mabel Barker.
Also living in Rossie in 1910 are “Kenne” A. Rogers and his wife Mary E. Rogers.
1920 US Census for Rossie, Supervisor’s District #12, Enumeration District 182, Sheet #7B [Somerville], St. Lawrence, NY lists head of household Charles A. Barker, 57, his wife Carrie M. Barker, 54, Mary E Barker, 83, a widow and Charles’ mother, and Sophia, 82, a widow and Charles’ mother-in-law. Next door to the Charles Barker family is “Claud” Barker, 30, Mable Barker, 28, daughter Helen Barker and son Harold Barker, 4; also living there is Carman Mason, 25, a laborer. Also in Rossie is the household of “K. A.” Rogers, b. 1863 and wife Mary Rogers, b. 1862; living with them are Fred and Mildred “Eggelston” and their children Douglas, Doris, Muriel, Thelma and Robert.

1930 US Census for Rossie, Enumeration District 45-85, Supervisor District 1, Sheet 6B, compiled 5 Mary 1930, lists household of Charles Barker, 67, Carrie Barker, 65 and Sophia Eggleston, 89. Living next door are Fred Eggleston, 53, a carpenter who does house construction, wife Mildred Eggleston, 46 and children Douglas, 18, Doris, 16, Muriel, 14, Thelma, 12 and Robert 10.

July 1934; Governeur NY Tribune Press of July 25, 1934, p. 4 under “Somerville,” reports that Mrs. Sophia Marsh Eggleston observed her 95th birthday Sunday at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Charles Barker, when relatives gathered for dinner in her honor. She posed for a picture with all her [living] children.” (Note: I have a copy of this photo)

3 May 1936, Sophia Marsh Eggleston dies. Obituary in Gouverneur, NY, Tribune Press, 6 May 1936, p.1 states that Sophia had lived with her daughter in Somerville for 29 years. She was born 23 July 1839 in a house near Pulpit Rock on the Oxbow-Theresa Road, Town of Antwerp, the daughter of Hosea and Elvira Wicks Marsh. When she was a small girl, her mother died and she went to live with Mr. and Mrs. George Wheeler in Watertown, NY. When she was 13 or 14 the Wheelers moved to Oxbow, where they ran a hotel that became known as the Wheeler Hotel. There, Sophia met Mrs. Wheeler’s brother, Joel Eggleston. Joel and Sophia were married in 1856 and lived on a farm on the Oxbow-Antwerp Road for 14 years, before moving to a farm at Bolton’s Corners, two miles from Natural Dam. Six of her seven children were born at the first farm. After her husband’s death [in 1876], she sold the Bolton’s Corners farm and moved to Oxbow. A few years later, she moved to Antwerp to live with her sons Frank and Fred, until she came to live in Somerville in 1907. She bought a small house in Somerville and lived there with another son {Charles] until his death some years later [1913]. She is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Charles [Carrie Eggleston] Barker and Mrs. Dora [Eggleston] Ames of Edwards, and two sons, Frank of Antwerp and Fred of Mexico. She was buried in Dickson Cemetery on Somerville Road. [Note: Either the burial information is wrong, or she was moved; she is buried in Old Kinne Cemetery, Antwerp, Jefferson, NY].