The George Harmon Family

The Next Generation cont.'

8) James B. Kelsey, son of William and Barthena (Harmon) Kelsay, was born November 11, 1830 in Wayne County, Kentucky. In 1851 he accompanied his parents and family overland to St. Louis, Missouri, and from this point went by the route of the Missouri River to Ray County in the western part of that state.

In 1853, in company with his younger sister Elizabeth and her husband James Allen, James journeyed to New Orleans, Louisiana, probably making this trip by sailing down the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. They sailed from New Orleans to the east coast of Panama and crossed the Isthmus by burro. This area consisted mostly of swamp and jungle, and was infested with malaria. Elizabeth became so ill she could not carry her baby, and James took on the task of carrying the infant while Allen held his wife on the burro. James also became ill with malaria and later remarked that he was so ill that he thought he never would make it across the Isthmus and was looking for a place to put the baby down so he could sit down to die.  Fortunatly they all finally reached the Pacific Ocean, and took a ship to San Francisco, California.

After his arrival here his movements are not known until he settled in Kelseyville, Lake County.  (His sister and family first settled in Yolo County, went north to Oregon to where their brother Burton was living, and then to Kelseyville...perhaps James followed that route.) By 1861 many of the Kelsays, including James' parents who made a very eventfull trip by covered wagon to California from Missouri that year) were living in Lake County, and James opened up and operated the first butcher shop in that town. He was also a lover of animals and took great pride in his beautiful stallion that he owned.

On May 10, 1871 James married in Lake County to Florence Loretta Barker, known as "Retta", daughter of Chesley and Susan Barker, born August 31, 1852 in the state of New York. James died in Kelseyville on April 21, 1878 and is buried there in the Pioneer Cemetery. Loretta married (2) on October 1, 1882 to James Rolly Allison. His wife passed away there on May 30, 1936. Inscribed on James' tombstone is this statement: "I am all right," were his dying words.  Our Savior whom he dearly loved, will with those happy spirits dwell. Blessed are they that die in the Lord."

9) William Wesley Kelsay, born June 11, 1831 (family records, Land Claims record and Census reports) or June 11, 1834 (Date on his tombstone) in Wayne County, Kentucky (Land Claim record) or Clinton or Harlan County, Kentucky (various family records) -- Wayne County seems the more likely place. The date of birth would seem more likely 1834 only because the 1831 date would be only seven months after the birth of James. But it was the 1831 date he gave himself for the land claim, so....In 1851 William went with his parents to Ray County, Missouri.

Commonly known as Billie, and as "Pappy" to his children and grandchildren, he left Missouri in 1853 and crossed the plains by ox team to Oregon. He took out a land claim in Lane County, Oregon on October 17, 1853, and settled his claim on March 3, 1855. He married at Creswell, Lane County, Oregon on November 1, 1858 to Lucy Margaret Saylor, daughter of Sydney and Levisa (Ragsdale) Saylor, born September 9, 1843 in Iowa.  She had come to Oregon in the same ox team that William had.

According to various reports, William moved after 1860 to the Oregon seacoast and resided at the town of Cloverdale and later moved to Wasco County, Oregon, back to Creswell, and finally settled near Shaniko, Wasco County. Here he built a large home, ran sheep and pursued his craft of a gunsmith that he had learned from his father. The present day location of his ranch is located about six miles north of Shaniko and is called Kelsay Springs.

It is also said that William and Lucy made several trips to visit his parents in Kelseyville, Lake County, California. In his later years William became blind, due to pieces of steel that got into his eyes from gunsmithing.  Lucy died from pneumonia in Wasco County on November 19, 1905;  William died there from an infection in his eyes on January 10, 1909. They are buried in the Kelsay Family Plot near his brother Alexander in the Woodmen of the World Cemetery at Antelope, Wasco County, Oregon.

10) Burton Sylvester Kelsay was born September 15, 1833 in Wayne County, Kentucky. When he was young, Burt had a fall and when he hit the ground his teeth made a direct contact with his tongue, biting a piece completely off.  His mother put the severed piece of tongue back in place and tied it securely together and it completely healed. This is a story that Burt's sister, Susan, told her children and grandchildren.

Burt accompanied his parents overland to St. Louis, Missouri in 1851 and then sailed with them up the Missouri River to their new home in Ray County, Missouri. In 1853, probably in company with his brother William, Burt crossed the plains by wagon and ox teams and after a six month journey he settled near Creswell, Lane County, Oregon.  Burt took up a donation land claim of 320 acres in this vicinity.

On January 11, 1855 on the Long Tom River near Eugene, Oregon, Burt married Euphrasia Ann Gillis, known as "Frazie", daughter of George and Frances (Eaton) Gillis, born November 19, 1839 in Warren County, Missouri. Burt sold his 320 acres in about 1863 to his mother-in-law and they moved to Kelseyville, Lake County, California, where his parents had moved two years earlier. Here he engaged in general farming and owned a livery stable, where the town of Finley now stands.  On August 15, 1874, Burton sold his Lake County land and returned to Lane County, Oregon, where he farmed until 1878. At this time they moved to Umatilla County, Oregon, where he engaged in the sheep business with great success.

There is a story that Burton and his three brothers (Nathaniel, Alexander and William), all in the sheep business, were involved in a cattleman-sheepman war and that many of their sheep were murdered. As the family story goes, a large group of cattlemen were meeting under a large oak tree to make their final raid to run the Kelsay's off the land, but as they gathered a fierce storm arose and the great tree under which they were meeting was struck by a bolt of lightning. The men scattered and postponed the raid and this ended the war and that the Kelsay's prospered in their business.

The story tells that their sheep grazed as far away as the foot of Mt. Hood. About 1890, Burt and Frazie retired to Fossil, Wheeler County, Oregon, and remained there the rest of their days. The courthouse in Fossil sits on land that was donated by Burton for that purpose. On January 11, 1905, a large golden wedding anniversary was held in their honor in Fossil. Burton passed away there in August of 1916; Euphrasia died there January 11, 1935. They are both buried in the IOOF Cemetery in Fossil, Oregon. It is written that Burton and Euphrasia had thirteen children, but that only eight grew to adulthood.  Only the names of ten are known, the other three probably dying as infants.

11) Lucinda Hubbard Kelsay, born May 24, 1835 in Wayne County, Oregon. As a teenager, "Cindy", as she was called, moved with her parents to Ray County, Missouri. She married in this county on June 28, 1855 to Samuel Finley Sylar, son of George and Adaline (Finley) Sylar, born September 29, 1832 in Knox County, Tennessee. They resided many years at Taitsville, Ray County, Missouri. During the Civil War Samuel served in the Union Army with the Missouri Militia from 1862 to 1864.

There is a family story that Samuel and Lucinda were acquaintances of the mother of Jesse James and that after his murder they made a visit to her to offer their condolences. In 1889, Samuel rented a railway coach, packed all their children and belongings into it, and moved west to California. Here, they took up land near Highland Springs in Lake County, and later moved to nearby Kelseyville where he became constable, a position he held until an injury and old age forced him to retire. The farm community of Finley in Lake County was named in his honor.

In her later years, Cindy and her sister Betsy made a trip back to their birthplace in Wayne County, Kentucky, and had an enjoyable reunion there with their sister Susan. Samuel died in Lake County, California on May 18, 1916; Lucinda died there April 10, 1920. They are buried in the IOOF Cemetery in Kelseyville.

12) Elizabeth Ann Kelsay, known as Betsey, born February 24, 1837 in Wayne County, Kentucky. Soon after she moved to Ray County, Missouri with he parents, Betsy married there on June 26, 1851 (at the age of fourteen) to James Ethan Allen, known as "Horse" Allen and "Old Man" Allen, said to be related to Revolutionary War hero James Ethan Allen, born September 21, 1799 in Knox or Hawkins County, Tennessee. As a young man, James had moved to Kentucky where he became a wealthy slave owner. He was an adventurous man and before the Gold Rush of 1849 he had gone west to California, settling near Sacramento.

In 1850, a war began between the citizens of Sacramento and a group of squatters. James became involved, siding with the squatters. After riots and some violence in the city, Sheriff McKinney led a posse to arrest a group of squatters who were meeting at James' inn outside of town.  Contrary to a plan to arrest the people peacefully, the sheriff made a raid and rushed the house.

After the ensuing fight, three squatters were dead, several deputies wounded and McKinney lied dead on the floor having been shot by James.  Also victims of the fight were James' first wife, who had been ill from a fever, but whose death was hurried by the excitement of the attack.  Also his young son was killed. James, who was wounded, escaped to a riverbed and made his way to Placerville, a town about forty miles from Sacramento in the foothills of the Sierra Mountains. Here it was rumored that James had gathered together a band of irate miners to invade Sacramento, and the city was forced to build defense for a feared war that never came. After his recovery, James made his way east to Missouri, where he met and married Betsy Kelsay.

Two years later, in 1853, James, Betsy, their small daughter and her brother James Kelsay, traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana, where Betsy had her first glimpse of a railroad train. From there sailed to Cuba on the steamer Grand Prairie, and from there they sailed to Panama on the Falcon. They traveled by burro across the swamps and jungles of the Isthmus of Panama, finally reaching the Pacific Ocean.

This crossing had been very dificult. Suffering from malaria, Betsy had to be held on her burro by her husband. Their small child came close to dying, saved only by Betsy having an old empty sugar bag from which she was able to gather a small amount of sugar from the inside corners, and mixing it with water she gave the baby sweetwater, which revived her.

After reaching the seacoast they sailed to San Francisco, California on the steamer John L. Stephens. The entire trip took over sixty days. From here they journeyed to Lane County, Oregon, where James took out a donation land claim in November of 1853. They later lost this claim as they moved near Sacramento, California.

In 1856 they moved to a ranch near Winters where they live until 1859. A story in the family states their land in Yolo County stretched across the border of the neighboring county of Solano and that both counties levied a tax on their farm. He refused to pay both and thus lost his land.

About 1860, the State of California stated that Allen's shooting of the sheriff ten years earlier was considered to be justifiable homicide and all charges were dropped. They moved to Kelseyville, Lake County, California, where James purchased a large farm. James, who weighed about 300 pounds --thus the nickname of Horse -- suffered a stroke and he was confined to a wheelchair for the remainder of his days.

There are two stories of James as told me by his descendents. One was that when he moved to Lake County he had a large chest of gold (or money) that he buried on his land. Whenever he need additional cash he we go to his chest and take some out. One day a hired hand, John Lamb, saw where the money was buried. A story his sister-in-law, Susan Kelsay, told was that James had told her back in Missouri that if she could lift his saddlebags of gold that he would give her a Negro woman, but that Susan was unable to lift it.

The second story, possibly more imaginative than real but it is an example of the determined character of James, was that after his stroke he went to town in a wagon, and upon reaching Kelseyville he had his wheelchair taken off the wagon, sat in it, covered his lap with a blanket --which also concealed his revolver he held in one hand -- and went about following a gunfighter who had drifted into town, calling him names and challenging him to a fight. The man ignored him and moved on to another part of town. James then approached him again, still provoking the man to fight, and thus this procedure continued for a time, place to place, until the man tired of the torment and left town.

James died at Kelseyville on August 21, 1870 and is buried there in the IOOF Cemetery. Betsy married (2) in Lake County about 1872 to John Lamb, her aforementioned hired hand. He had been born in 1842 and came west from Missouri in the same 1861 wagon train as Betsy's father and had to walk the final 600 miles from Idaho to California after that Indian attack.  It is said by descendents that this marriage was not out of love, but because it was not safe for a woman to live alone in those days. John Lamb was also that same hired hand that was reported to have seen the burial place of James Allen's chest of gold. Sometime after this marriage, both Lamb and the treasure chest disappeared, never to return again. He died December 20, 1924 in Ontario, San Bernadino County, California.

There is a story that Betsy received a telegram that her husband had just died a wealthy man and asked what she desired to be done with his body. As this was the first word she had heard of him since he ran off years before, she sent a reply that simply stated, "Bury him." Betsy has been described as a very warm, friendly person who enjoyed working in her gardens. She also had a stubborn streak and when she made up her mind to do -- or not to do -- something, nothing could change her. She seldom spoke of the past, feeling that the present was the important time. A philosophy that she had in her home at mealtime was "if you don't want what is on the table, you don't eat," but it is said her food was always delicious. Betsy died April 4, 1931 in Kelseyville and is buried in Hartley Cemetery in Lakeport, California.

13) Sarah Kelsay, born December 25, 1841 in Wayne County, Kentucky. When Sarah was nine years old she moved with her parents to Ray County, Missouri, and ten years later journeyed with them to California.  It has been written that during the ordeal of walking the last 600 miles after the Indian attack that it was because of Sarah's sense of humor that she lightened the almost overwhelming burden that was placed upon the party of travelers as they walked across the deserts of Utah and Nevada.

Sarah married in Lake County, California on September 22, 1862 to James Tryon, born January 25, 1830 in Madison County, New York.  About 1880 they moved north to Fairfield, Spokane County, Washington Territory. James died there February 28, 1906. Sarah later moved to Pendleton, Umatilla County, Oregon and died there October 3, 1928.

14) Mary Kelsay, a daughter that died very young. It is not known in what order of the children she would belong.

Our story is finished here, but our family continues to grow!

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