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My family has always maintained that Dora Moses Cornelius Skinner Smith,
my
> great grandfather (born June 7, 1876 in Jay County Indiana), was
one-quarter
> Blackfoot Indian. That side of the family definitely has some native
> American facial features like (high cheek bones, hatchet noses, dark hair
> and eyes).
>
> I cannot trace the parents of Dora’s father, Joseph Oscar Smith born
around
> 1850 supposedly in Muncie, Indiana. Could you give me any clues in
locating
> his birth?
>
> I did find a Soo-guh Ti su ha Flee Smith (born about 1819) with a son, Joe
> Smith, born about 1845 into a Cherokee tribe in Indian Territory.
>
> This is probably another stab in the dark, but maybe some day I will find
> Joe.
Sue,
I was looking for something today and saw this web site: http://www.mitsawoket.com/Indiana%20Ties.htm
It talks of Blackfoot Indians who came to Indiana from Delaware.
Techteach
Hi, Sue, Welcome,
The 1880 Jay Co., Ind census, ED 151 Jefferson Twp., 12 June; pg.13, at visit 116, shows:
SMITH, Joseph; 29, Farming, (born) Ind; father & mother b. Ohio.
………., Barbary; 25, wife; b. Ind; father b. Pa; mother b. Ohio.
………., DORA; 4, son, b. Ind. *******
………., David; 2, son, b. Ind.
Dora M. C. Smith married Bessie GATES on 5 Dec 1898 in Delaware Co., Ind; County marriage Book C-12; pg.O.S. 386.
Muncie is in Delaware County.
1900 Delaware Co., Ind Census; ED46 Liberty Twp, Visit 206:
SMITH, Dora; Farm Laborer; (born) July 1876, 23; In, In, In.
………., Bessie; Wife; May 1882, 18; In, In, In.
………., Walter(?) W.(?); son, July 1899, 10 months; In, In, In.
additionally, they are shown as married for 2 yrs and Bessie has had 1 child.
Also on the 1900 Delaware Co., Ind census, ED30 Center Twp; 30 June; pg. 41B, visit 839:
SMITH, Joseph O.; Well Driller; Aug 1848, 51, m’d 25 yrs; Ind.
………., Barbara J.; wife; Oct 1855, 46; m’d 25 yrs, Ind.
………., William; son; Oct 1879, 20, Ind.
………., Thomas; son; Dec 1886, 13; Ind.
………., Mary; dau; May 1891, 9; Ind.
(Barbara is listed as having had 8 children with 6 still living.)
I’ll see if I can find Joseph’s parents.
Bill
Hello Bill,
You are very kind. Thank you for the wealth of information. I am keenly interested to learn of Joseph’s parentage. Perhaps your search will be more fruitful than my many attempts.
Suzanne
Suzanne,
We may have a problem determening Joseph’s parents.
The following census information, and, that he isn’t found on the 1850 census, may indicate that he was orphaned at an early age or that something else applies. A visit to the Jay County courthouse will have to be made to determine who his parents were. I’ll see what I can do about that since it’s just “up the road”.
1860 Jay Co., Ind Census; Bearscreek Twp; 9 July; pg. 96; P.O.: Westchester; visit 682:
William R. SIBURY, 29, male, farmer, $0 (R.E.), $230, (born) Ohio
Lydia………………., 24, female, Ohio.
Nathan……………., 3, male, Ind.
Mary J………………, 1, female, Ind.
Oscar SMITH, 11, male, Ind.*******
John HILYARD, 26, male, Farmer, $2000, $100, Ohio.
William R. “Sibery” married Lydia Fifer on 17 June 1855, in Jay Co., Indiana per Jay County Marriage records. Lydia’s parents appear to have both been born in Ireland – found them on the 1850 Jay Co. census.
Joseph Oscar Smith was not living in the William Sibery/Sibury household in Jay County when the 1870 census was taken and I’ve not been able to ‘find’ him on that census altho I do have a ‘candidate’ .
Bill
William R. Sibery/Sibury and Lydia Fifer may be the “parents” (forster parents?) who were “born in Ohio” that Joseph or his wife was referring to when asked on later census where Joseph’s parents were born. It’s possible that Lydia is his mother but it’s equally possible that he was an orphan taken in by the Sibury’s.
I’ll see what I can do.
Bill
Hello Bill,
You are AMAZING!
Now that you tell me these possibilities it reminds me that a cousin of mine said she thought either Joseph or Dora moses had changed his name. Maybe…
Thank you, thank you,
Suzanne
Hello Bill,
Here is something else to throw into the mix. In the 1880 U.S. census there is a Smith household in La Fayette, Tippecanoe, Indiana. The members are Uriah-head, Mary-wife with sons: Dora-born 1867, David born 1873 and daughters: Cora- born 1869 and Annie-born1877.
The names of these children are remarkably similar to Joseph Oscar Smith’s children: Sons: Dora born 1876, David born 1878, William born 1879, Thomas born 1886 and Oscar born 1887 and daughters Cora 1892 and Mary 1891(?).
Do you think there might be a connection between these two families?
Puzzles are sometimes very challenging.
Sue
I’m puzzled that there are so many males named Dora Smith.
Including yours, there are 6 on the 1900 Indiana Census.
Do you recognize these children of a Dora M. and Bessie M. Smith family from the 1920 Madison Co., Ind census?
Inez, 17, Ind.
Edna, 11, Ind.
Earl Edgar, 7, Ohio.
Dorothy & Doris, 4 yr old twins, Ind.
Please let me know if these are familiar.
From the 1920 Delaware Co, Ind Census; ED35 Center Twp, Muncie, Ward 5; 19-20 January; Sheet 19B;
1547 Fifthteenth St;
Visit 411:
COCHRAN, Oscar; Laborer-Motor Co; 32, Ind, Ind, Ind.
……………, MARY E.; wife, 28, Ind, Ind, Ind.*******
BROWN, Everett L.; step-son, 7, Ind.
…………, Oscar L.; step-son, 6, Ind.
SMITH, Joseph O.; Father-in-law; 69, widowed, Ind, Ind, Ind.
This would be Dora’s sister Mary with her father living with her.
From Indiana Marriage Collection, ancestry.com:
Mary E. Brown m’d O.E. Cochran on 11 Jul 1917 in Madison Co., Ind.
I did not find a record of the BROWN that Mary previously marr’d.
There is a Birth record for an “E.L.” Brown born in Madison Co whose mother was an “Edna” Smith.
I think I have found Joseph O. Smith’s wife Barbara J.’s family.
On the 1870 Jay Co., Ind census Index, there is only one Barbara J. who would have been born in 1855 (as she is listed on the 1900 census):
Jackson Twp; P.O.: Mill’s Corners; p.13, visit 94:
BROWER, Elizabeth, 50, R.E. $1000; Pers.Prop.$300, Ohio.
…………., Nancy, 22, Ind.
…………., BARBARA J.; 15, Ind.*******
…………., Moses J.; 12, Ind.
…………., Abraham L.; 10, Ind.
visit 95 is vacant.
Visit 96:
BECTELL, Jacob N.; 49, farmer, $3000, $800, Ind.
…………., Mary, 43, Ind.
plus 7 children.
On the 1860 Henry Co., Ind census for Stoney Creek Twp; P.O: Blountsville, Ind., pg. 44, Elizabeth Brower and her children are in the household of Benjamin Brower, 43, Ohio.
(next door to them is Aaron Brower, 22, Ind, who is probably their oldest child.)
Benjamin Brower m’d Elizabeth Bectell on 5 Mar 1837 in Wayne Co., Ind (county seat Richmond), per the Indiana State Library Genealogical Database of Marriages Through 1850.
Bill
Hi Bill,
That’s surprising there are so many male Dora’s.
You’ve been busy. Yes, the children of Dora M. C. S. Smith and Bessie Mae Gates Smith were:
Walter B. Jul. 1899
Inez Louise Dec. 2 1902
Edna M. Jan. 7 1908
Earl Edgar May 27, 1908
Dora-Dorothy Mar. 8, 1915
Cora Doris Mar. 8, 1915
Bessie May 3, 1917
Dora May 3, 1917
And, yes, Joseph’s daughter, Mary, was married to Oscar Cochran.
Joseph O. and Barbara J. Bechtel Smith had the following children I believe:
Dora Moses Cornelius Skinner Smith June 7, 1876
David abt. 1878
William Oct. 1879
Thomas Dec. 1886
Oscar T. (I think)-Abt. 1887
Mary E. May 1872/1891
Cora (I think)-1892
You’ve nailed Joseph and descendants.
Sue
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