After 18 Years Hiram Dunbar's Father has been Found - Eureka!

I am jumping for joy!!!!!!  I’m dancing the dance!  For 18 years, I looked for the parents and siblings of my 3^nd gr-grandfather Hiram R Dunbar (1804 Paris, Bourbon, KY-1880 Piper, Wyandotte, KS). Hiram’s life mirrors so much of the U.S. history.  In 1850, he went to the California gold rush and a year later returned rich. He homesteaded in Kansas. Four of his sons served in the Civil War, while he and his wife, Jemima Wolf were actively involved in the underground railroad.  In 1826, he and his wife, Jamima Wolf married in Knox County, Ohio and in about 1835 moved to Illinois, living in Henry, Bureau, Putnam and LaSalle Counties. She bore 10 children; one son had rather unusual name, Rice Dunbar (1848 IL- ca 1875 IL).  There is another Rice Dunbar (1802 OH-1870 Marion, OR) Were Hiram and Rice related? 

If you have looked for someone in this time period, you know how difficult it can be.  Even if you can find them in 1800 census, there are only head of household names.  Is there a will, land record, a Bible?  Some tiny piece of evidence.  Like a needle in a haystack. Two years ago, I found our only photo of Hiram, from a non-family member who lives 20 miles from Paris, Kentucky.  Was family still there?  I hired a genealogist.  He was excellent, thorough. He found as much as he could, but not the link we needed.

Along the way, I’ve connected with others, looking for the same information.  (After all, genealogy is a team sport.)  Amongst our group, several at one time or another hired a genealogist to help.  One member convinced a male Dunbar that he barely knew to take a DNA test.  This same team member also drove from Michigan to Kansas and Nebraska to look for clues. But for 18 years, the clue that could help us was elusive. I am thankful that the team has done much to find the family. 

Last week, 10:00 at night, I checked my email and saw the most amazing news.  One of the “team mates” was sent an 1822 newspaper article, wondering if this might helpful!  He had blind emailed several people he found at genforum and one returned his email with this newspaper article. (Thank you!) Since then, I’ve spent every spare minute checking out the details of this family and I believe we struck gold!!!!  Here is the newspaper article found on genealogybank.com[i]:

Could this be MY Hiram?  My Hiram married Jamima Wolf in Knox County, Ohio in 1826.   They have children named, Rice, Elizabeth and John.  Similar names.  His possible brother Rice (1802) has a son named William…so far so good. 

Next at familysearch.org I located the probate records of William Dunbar, blacksmith, who died in 1804, Ross County, Ohio.  Included are papers naming Duncan McArthur guardian of Elizabeth and Nancy Dunbar, daughters of William Dunbar (deceased).   (Yes, Duncan McArthur, later Governor of Ohio.[ii]) So my guess is that if Elizabeth and Nancy are heirs of William, and also daughters of William, then the other heirs listed in the newspaper are sons of William.  Also at familysearch.org, I find that Nancy married Jonathan Heath in 1813 and Elizabeth married Elijah Bridlove in 1817 both in Ross County, OH.

Dig, dig, dig…every spare moment…here is what I found:

Nancy Dunbar Heath (1791 Hamilton, OH-1880 Pike, IL) She is the first white baby born in Cincinnati.  Her husband, Dr. Jonathan Heath was a surgeon serving in the War of 1812.  He received a land grant for this service and in about 1820, moved to Morgan County, Illinois with wife and 6 children.  He died in 1825 but she stayed in Illinois until her death, Pike County, IL.  This the first of several Dunbars who migrated to Illinois.  She left a biography[iii] stating her parents died young and she was raised by Duncan McArthur, who was a governor of Ohio.

 

Rice Dunbar (1802) named his son William Rice. In 1830, he married Jane Miller Brisbin in Morgan County, IL and also lived in Schuyler County, IL.   He is rather famous for being a wagon train captain of about 100 people who travelled the Oregon Trail in 1848, settling in the area of Salem, Marion, Oregon. A simple obit is at findagrave.com.

Hamilton W. Dunbar (1800 Kentucky) start purchasing land in Mason County, Illinois in the late 1840s.  He married Mary Gurnsey, May 19, 1842 in Schuyler County, IL.  His oldest son is named William. He later removed to Missouri, and last find him in the 1870 census Macon, Missouri.  I’m looking for more information on his family.

As you can see from the map below, Schuyler, Mason, Henry, LaSalle, Morgan counties are rather near each other, even today.

 

I’ve not been able to locate John or Jeremiah.  I suspect that Jeremiah died before 1850.  There are just too many Johns.

Elizabeth!!!!!!!  This is my really truly thrilling moment, (next to getting the newspaper article).  She married Elijah Breedlove and died before 1822.  I see that Mr. Breedlove remarried in 1823.  His first son, in all of the trees is a WILLIAM born 1818, mother unknown (or is wrongly listed as his second wife).  With the newspaper article we know it’s Elizabeth. 

The index of early marriages in Ohio lists Elizabeth Dunbar married to Elijah Bridlove or even Gridlove in 1817.  That’s the reason why no one knows her name, and thus William’s mother’s name.  (Are you following all this?)

So William, Elizabeth Dunbar’s only son marries and has several children.  I have my DNA online at ancestry.com. My DNA matches a descendent of Thomas Breedlove.  Dig, dig, dig… Thomas is the son of William, grandson of Elizabeth!!!!!!!!!!!

So I think we have the right family!!!  I am writing this on MLK’s birthday.  I have today off work, and plenty of snacks.  I will be doing more research and enjoying every minute!

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[i] Sciota Gazette, Chillicothe, Ohio, August 14, 1822, Volume 11, Issue 24, p. 2. (Found at genealogynewsbank.com)

[ii] Duncan McArthur and Nathaniel Massie listed in the newspaper were close friends for many years.

[iii] Jess M. Thompson Pike County History, Pike County (Illinois) Historical Society,1968, p. 258. (Privately published book found at several websites.)