_____________________________________
|
_Isaac DAVIS ________|
| |
| |_____________________________________
|
_Joseph DAVIS _______|
| |
| | _Isaac Michael VAN BIBBER Jr., Capt._+
| | | (1771 - 1840) m 1797
| |_Elvira VAN BIBBER __|
| |
| |_Elizabeth HAYS _____________________+
| (1776 - 1828) m 1797
|
|--George Lee DAVIS
| (.... - 1948)
| _____________________________________
| |
| _____________________|
| | |
| | |_____________________________________
| |
|_Elizabeth HARDEN ___|
|
| _____________________________________
| |
|_____________________|
|
|_____________________________________
__
|
__|
| |
| |__
|
_Jonathan DAVIS _____|
| |
| | __
| | |
| |__|
| |
| |__
|
|
|--James DAVIS
|
| __
| |
| __|
| | |
| | |__
| |
|_____________________|
|
| __
| |
|__|
|
|__
[84]
Jonathan Davis, brother of James and John, came to MO in 1820 and married MAHALA HAYS, a sister of his brother James' wife. They had thirteen children, only four of whom are living (1875).
ref. : "Pioneer Families of Missouri"
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----------
Susannah - The Forgotten Boone
1998 November/December Issue of the Boone Duden Newsletter.
This article was prepared by Ida "Kruger" Gerdiman, society member and
author of several articles about people and places in the Boone Duden
Area. This article appeared in the 1998 November/December Issue of the
Boone Duden Newsletter.
The Femme Osage creek flows endlessly on, and the majestic hills stand
tall embracing the valley much as they did in Daniel Boone's day. The
Femme Osage valley in the southwest part of St. Charles county still is
a place, where for the most part, development has not touched.
Daniel Boone's history along with his family, Susannah Hays, Jemima
Callaway, Daniel Morgan, and Nathan have all left their legacy in the
Femme Osage valley. Jemima moved near the present town of Marthasville,
Daniel Morgan to Jackson County, MO, and Nathan to Ash Grove, MO,
leaving the Femme Osage valley with its serenity behind. What happened
to Susannah?
Susannah, the oldest of Daniel and Rebecca's four daughters, married
Capt. Wm. Hays in 1775, at Ft. Blackmore on the Clinch River in
Virginia. Capt. Hays was thought to be better educated than most men of
his day. He was a weaver by trade, and taught Daniel Boone, "some in
writing and improved hand", and also kept his accounts. Some thought
Capt. Hays was of Scottish ancestry, others thought he was Irish.
Capt. Hays was with Daniel Boone on his expedition to cut the Wilderness
Road into Kentucky. There they built a few cabins which later became
Fort Boonesborough. In 1776, Susannah and Capt. Hays' first child was
born. It is believed this was the first white child born in Kentucky.
With the help of Capt. Hays, Fort Boonesborough was successfully
defended against the Indians. In a daring attempt, Capt. Hays and twelve
other men saved Fort Bryan. Although wounded in the neck, he was able to
hold on to his horse and reach Fort Bryan. He was in charge of building
canoes and gathering provisions for General George Rogers Clark's army
in 1781.
In 1785, Capt. Hays and Susannah lived on Daniel Boone's Marble Creek
Farm. They lived there till in 1799, when they joined Daniel Boone and
his family and came to the Femme Osage valley in Missouri.
They received Spainish Land Grant number 1670, containing 510 acres,
located near where the Femme Osage creek flows into the Missouri river.
There they built their home and raised their family of nine children. It
is believed there may have been another son, Richard. No other
information is available. Nine children grew to adults and of the nine
adult children, eight married.
Susannah lived only a year after she came to Missouri. She died in 1800
and was buried on their farm. It is said that the river washed the
little family cemetery away with its many floods.
Capt. Hays was killed by his son-in-law, James Davis in 1804. Young
Davis and Capt. Hays quarreled over some land. Guns were drawn and Capt.
Hays was shot. This was the first murder in Daniel Boone's jurisdiction.
One can imagine how Daniel Boone must have felt. He chose a grand jury
of twelve men, eleven of which could not write their names. This was the
first grand jury assembled north of the Missouri river after the cession
of the territory to the United States. James Davis was acquitted and the
verdict was suicide. Capt. Hays was buried beside Susannah in the family
cemetery.
We close the chapter on the lives of Capt. Hays and Susannah, but we
open a new chapter, the life of their son, Daniel. Daniel, is believed
to have been a favorite grandson of Daniel Boone. He came with Daniel
Boone to Missouri when he was about ten years old. He was a fearless
Indian fighter, dangerous enemy with a rifle, captain in the War of
1812, and took part in many bloody encounters with the Indians. He was
wounded twice, once in the neck and once in the knee. The ball that
lodged in his neck could not be extracted and he took it to his grave.
The other, a ball to the knee was very painful. Thereafter, he walked
with a limp, and this may be why he did not move on as did so many of
the other members of the Boone family. He chose to stay in the Femme
Osage valley and raise his family here.
He married Mary "Polly" Bryan, daughter of David Bryan and Mary Poor and
Granddaughter of James Bryan, uncle of Rebecca Boone. They were married
in 1813 in St. Charles County. Daniel purchased 448 acres between where
his uncles, Daniel Morgan and Nathan, lived. First they lived in a log
cabin and later built a beautiful stone house in 1835 or 1838. It has
always been said the stone house was haunted. Those growing up and
living all their life in the neighborhood believed so. One said, "You
cannot keep bedsheets on the bed and that is the gospel truth." Are the
spirits still in the old house, now used for vacations and weekends, or
have they all been put to rest?
Capt. Daniel and Mary "Polly" had twelve children, six died as young
children, one son, William was killed. Capt. Daniel was a constable for
the Femme Osage District and also served as Justice of the Peace, having
performed some of the early marriages.
During this time period there is a change in the Femme Osage valley.
Gottfried Duden has sent his reports about the area back to Germany. The
reports certainly encouraged the Germans to come directly to this area.
They bring with them a change in culture, a different way of life. Large
parcels of ground, 500 to 600 acres, are now being sold into smaller
parcels, 100 to 200 acres on average. More and more land was cleared for
farming. However, this does not mean an exodus of the people who were
living here. There were marriages, combining cultures, and different
ways of life. No doubt slowly, but an intermingling of the English and
German cultures occurred.
So little history is written about the women of those early days, but
one can imagine the recipes being exchanged, ideas on child rearing,
household tasks, and gardening. The Germans are accepted and life goes
on in the valley.
Capt. Daniel and Mary were laid to rest in the Hays family cemetery
beside their seven children. We close another chapter of our history
book, but open a new chapter with the life of John Boone, son of Daniel
and Mary.
John Boone or John B. as he was known, inherits the 448 acres. John B.
married Julia Alice Howell, daughter of Pizarro Howell and Maria
Hoffman. John B. and Julia live in the old stone house and raised three
children.
My great-grandfather, Charles Henry Kruger came to the valley and first
worked for Willis Hays, brother to John B., in 1860. Charles and John B.
became best friends and remained so till his death. They fought side by
side in the Civil War. In 1880 Charles purchased 82 acres from John B.,
62 acres remain in our family today, and is known as Kruger Century
Farm. John B. was a partner in the Kruger Machine Co. until Charles'
death. After Charles' death, John B. continued to be a dear friend and a
wonderful neighbor. John B. passed away in 1913 and is buried beside
Julia in the Hays Cemetery. Charles and his wife, Tabitha nee Cork, are
also buried in the Hays Cemetery and best friends rest together forever.
We close another chapter in our history book, but this is not the end,
life continues in the valley. Susannah lived one year after she came to
Missouri, but she left us her family. They stayed here in the valley,
they did not move away. They were our neighbors and friends. They help
make the Femme Osage valley what it is today. History may have forgotten
Susannah, but she is not forgotten to those of us who have lived all of
our lives in the valley.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
References:
Some Boone Descendants and Kindred of the St. Chas. Dist., Lilian Hays Oliver
Report on a Journey to the Western States of North America, Gottfried Duden
Mo. Historical Review - Oct. 1998
Federal Census, St. Chas. Co. 1860
Webster's American Biographies, and Family Members
Lilian Hays Oliver a graduate of the University of Missouri and a teacher in Missouri high schools for twenty-five years. She is writer of "Some Boone Descendants and Kindred of the St. Charles District", Originally Published; Burlington, Vermont 1964, and reprinted in 1984 by Mary Dean Alsworth.
_____________________
|
_Jonathan DAVIS _____|
| |
| |_____________________
|
_James DAVIS ________|
| |
| | _____________________
| | |
| |_____________________|
| |
| |_____________________
|
|
|--Jesse DAVIS
|
| _____________________
| |
| _William HAYS _______|
| | (1754 - 1804) m 1775|
| | |_____________________
| |
|_Jemima HAYS ________|
(1778 - 1843) |
| _Daniel BOONE , Col._+
| | (1734 - 1820) m 1756
|_Susannah BOONE _____|
(1760 - 1800) m 1775|
|_Rebecca Ann BRYAN __+
(1739 - 1813) m 1756
_____________________
|
_Jonathan DAVIS _____|
| |
| |_____________________
|
_James DAVIS ________|
| |
| | _____________________
| | |
| |_____________________|
| |
| |_____________________
|
|
|--John DAVIS
|
| _____________________
| |
| _William HAYS _______|
| | (1754 - 1804) m 1775|
| | |_____________________
| |
|_Jemima HAYS ________|
(1778 - 1843) |
| _Daniel BOONE , Col._+
| | (1734 - 1820) m 1756
|_Susannah BOONE _____|
(1760 - 1800) m 1775|
|_Rebecca Ann BRYAN __+
(1739 - 1813) m 1756
__
|
__|
| |
| |__
|
_Jonathan DAVIS _____|
| |
| | __
| | |
| |__|
| |
| |__
|
|
|--John DAVIS
|
| __
| |
| __|
| | |
| | |__
| |
|_____________________|
|
| __
| |
|__|
|
|__
[1283]
Jonathan Davis, brother of James and John, came to MO in 1820 and married MAHALA HAYS, a sister of his brother James' wife. They had thirteen children, only four of whom are living (1875).
ref. : "Pioneer Families of Missouri"
http://cotton.homeip.net/home
__
|
__|
| |
| |__
|
_Jonathan DAVIS _____|
| |
| | __
| | |
| |__|
| |
| |__
|
|
|--Jonathan DAVIS
|
| __
| |
| __|
| | |
| | |__
| |
|_____________________|
|
| __
| |
|__|
|
|__
[1193]
Jonathan Davis, brother of James and John, came to MO in 1820 and married MAHALA HAYS, a sister of his brother James' wife. They had thirteen children, only four of whom are living (1875).
ref. : "Pioneer Families of Missouri"
John and Mahala had no children
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