Give To My Son Newman Acker

The Will of Silas Acker was posted on the Livingston County NY GenWeb, Abstracted Wills & Probate Records.

"6th I give to my son Newman Acker the amount that I have already let him have being about three hundred dollars which amount is also considered paid & satisfied"

Bloomfield Cemetery, Walworth County, Wisconsin

A biography of Newman Acker's son (and Silas Acker's grandson), Marvin W. Acker:

Source

Also mentioned in Marvin's biography were Elijah Richmond and his wife, Elizabeth Fowler.  They were my 4th great-grandparents.

A Mormon Community In Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Historical Society featured a newspaper article entitled, "Voree....".  It told the story of James Jesse Strang, a Latter Day Saint ..... .

My interest started with Lorenzo Dow Hickey, who was the last surviving Strangite apostle.  One of L. D. Hickey's descendants had a collateral relative who married one of my collateral relatives.  In addition, L. D. lived in Lapeer County, Michigan, in 1850; Lapeer is an area where I  research.  Walworth County, Wisconsin, the site of Voree (and also the venue a Strangite-related lawsuit), was also the home of my Richmond ancestors.

James Jesse Strang was in contention to lead the Latter Day Saints (Mormons) after Joseph Smith was killed; that post went to Brigham Young instead.  Strang's followers broke away and formed their own sect.

 From Voree: A Mormon community founded in Spring Prarie over sixty years ago, an article dated January 4, 1906:

"The Herald Building - In which 'The Gospel Herald' was printed for four years, and where Strang was nursed by his four wives until two days before his death.  Arthur Smith, who owned and occupied the house twenty years, is seen standing by the large shade tree in front."

Harley F. Smith of Walworth Co., Wisconsin

Walworth County, Wisconsin, Probate:

#2259:  Harley F. Smith, of Elkhorn

Died: 24 June 1890

Daughter Nettie, petitioner, full age and only heir

Nephew James Albert Smith of Osage, Iowa

Extracted from records held at the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater archives.

United States Census, 1880
Name:     Harley F. Smith
Residence:     Elkhorn, Walworth, Wisconsin
Birthdate:     1809
Birthplace:     Vermont, United States
Spouse's Birthplace:     Vermont, United States
Father's Birthplace:     Vermont, United States
Mother's Birthplace:     Vermont, United States
Occupation:     Lawyer
     Household    Gender    Age
      Harley F. Smith     M     71
Spouse     Lydia A. Smith     F     70
Child     Antoinette Smith     F     44

Wisconsin Deaths and Burials, 1835-1968
Name:     Harley F. Smith
Burial Place:     Elkhorn, Wal. Co., Wis.
Death Date:     24 Jun 1890
Death Place:     Elkhorn, Wal. Co., Wis.
Birth Date:     28 Sep 1808
Birthplace:     Vermont
Occupation:     Lawyer
Marital Status:     Married
Spouse's Name:     Lydia A. Smith
Father's Name:     Richard Smith
Mother's Name:     Sarah Smith

Harley Smith's nephew, James Albert Smith, of Osage, Mitchell Co., Iowa:

Iowa Marriages, 1809-1992
Groom's Name:     James Albert Smith
Bride's Name:     Mary Alice Crego
Bride's Birth Date:     1856
Bride's Age:     18
Marriage Date:     12 Aug 1874
Marriage Place:     Osage, Mitchell, Iowa

United States Census, 1900
Name:     James H Smith
Residence:     Osage city, Mitchell, Iowa
Birth Date:     Feb 1857
Birthplace:     New York
Relationship to Head-of-Household:     Self
Spouse Name:     Mary A Smith
Spouse Birth Place:     Michigan
Father Birthplace:     Vermont
Mother Birthplace:     Connecticut
Estimated Marriage Year:     1875
Household    Gender    Age
      James H Smith     M   
Spouse     Mary A Smith     F   
Child     Fred C Smith     M   
Child     Leland A Smith     M   
Child     Stanley R Smith     M   
Child     Jessie Smith     F   
Child     Lloyd G Smith     M   
Child     Richard Smith     M   
Child     Merrill Smith     M   
    Charlotte H Crego     F   
    Emma Johnston     F

Note:  I am not related to this family; there was a Harley Smith in my husband's family, but he was much younger and born in Ohio.

Powers Family of Walworth Co., Wisconsin

From my notes taken in 2001 in Walworth County, Wisconsin:

Walworth Co., WI, Probate File #2260 - Michael Powers (no relation), Town of Lafayette

Michael Powers, died 2 November 1886
Ellen (AKA Helen), widow
John Maloney
J. Patrick Powers

Children (Powers) all minors:
George
Ellen
Charles
Lucius
Susan
Matthew
Joseph
Kate

1880 WI Walworth, Lafayette
Michael POWERS Self M W 41 IRE Farmer IRE IRE
Ellen POWERS Wife M W 30 CAN IRE IRE
George POWERS Son S W 6 WI --- ---
Nellie POWERS Dau S W 5 WI --- ---
Charles POWERS Son S W 3 WI --- ---
Frances POWERS Son S W 2 WI --- ---
Susan A. POWERS Dau S W 3M WI --- ---

The Herald - Geneva, WI - 1885
Elkhorn - Mr. Michael Powers, a well-known Lafayette farmer, got the thumb of his left hand caught in the pulley of a hay carrier last Tuesday, and now carries his hand in a sling.

1900 WI Walworth
Powers, Ellen, b. Nov 1850, widowed, 8children/8living CAN IRE IRE - To U.S. 1870
", Frank, Jul 1878, b. WI Ire Can, Farm labor
", Susie, Mar 1880, b. WI
", Matthew, July 1881, b. WI
", Joseph, May 1884, b. WI
", Catherine, Jan 1886, b. WI

1905 WI Walworth
Powers, Ellen
", Frank
", Matthew
", Katherine

Platt S. Beach's Letter - Walworth Co., WI

Letter from Platt Beach in Troy, Walworth County, Wisconsin, to his sister in Ohio describing the farming, land, weather and Indians in the area in 1846. Excerpts from a Platt Beach letter can be found here (if link doesn't work, Google "Platt S. Beach" in the "book" category).

My Richmonds (Elijah & Elizabeth) lived and died in Walworth County, Wisconsin, arriving there from Conesus, Livingston Co., New York, in the early 1850's.

A family tree in which Platt Beach is included can be found here. A description of a house in Farmington, Connecticut, built by either the father (Coral Case) or the grandfather (John Case) of Betsey (Case) Beach, wife of Platt Beach, and sold by the said Betsey..."a minor and wife of Platt Beach" can be found here.