| Solomon
Wait (also spelled Waite), was born on 08 Oct
1817 in Saratoga Co., New York and was the son of
Solomon and Rachel (Harris). On 10 Jun 1842, he
married Eliza Smith, who was also born in that
county on 18 Dec 1815 and was the daughter of
Richard P. Smith and “Sally” (Peck).  Solomon and Eliza
were the parents of eight children, including two
sets of twins. By 1850 the family was living in
Wilson Township in Niagara Co., NY. In that
census the family was enumerated one door down
from the John Pettit’s family which included
four year-old George A., who is likely the same
that married Solomon and Eliza‘s oldest
daughter, Ruie Mavis who was born in 1845. The
Solomon Wait household consisted of Solomon,
Eliza, George, Ruie, Alva and one year-old twin
sons William Horton and John Horace who had been
born on 05 Jun 1849.
The
family traveled to Knox Co., Illinois where the
second set of twins (Ellen & Elmore) were
born in 1859. They later moved to St. Clair
County, Missouri. It was there that Eliza passed
away on 22 Sep 1888 in Oyer, Pleasant Springs
Twp., and was buried in Pleasant Springs Cemetery
in Oyer.
Widowed,
Solomon traveled south from Missouri in covered
wagons with his daughter Amorett and her family,
along with some neighbors to work in the cotton
fields. There were about 8 wagons all together
drawn by oxen and horses. They took chickens in
crates and cows with them to make sure they had
food for their families and the men took turns
watching out for Indians.
They
settled not far from the Brazos River which was
infested with mosquitos and in 1898 Solomon and
his daughter Amorett contacted malaria and died.
Both were buried in or near Rosenburg, Texas.
Amorett's husband, Ruben Breeden, and the rest of
their family returned to Missouri.
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