Homer F. McAllister

• Residence: 1850 - Stillwater, Washington, Minnesota Territory
• Residence: 1860 - Trimbelle, Pierce, Wisconsin, United States
• Residence: 1875 - Burns, Anoka, Minnesota
  • Reference: FamilySearch Family Tree - SmartCopy: Jan 8 2021, 22:09:58 UTC

Sometimes persistent research leads to pure genealogical luck.

Homer F. McAllister, the apparent 4th child and 3rd s. of Andrew McAllister Jr. and Abigail Rogers, b. Feb. 11, 1806 (g.s.) at Lemington, VT. He d. Aug. 22, 1885 at Hartselle Twp, Morgan County, in north central Alabama (g.s.). The trail he took between birth and death defies common reasoning and migration patterns.

As an adolescent, by 1817 Homer relocated with his parents from Vermont to Morgan County in southeast OH. There in the August 7, 1820 census of his parent's family he was the youngest son enumerated between age 10 and 15 years of age (William, the next s. of the McAllister family, would not be b. until 1823.) On Sept. 18, 1835 at Morgan County, OH (by James McGregor, JP), Homer m. Elizabeth Kirkpatrick, who subsequent census say she was b. at Maine circa 1812.

After the birth of their eldest child at Ohio circa 1836, by June 1840 Homer and Elizabeth were residing at Lee County, in the Iowa Territory, the southeastern-most county in present-day Iowa along the Mississippi River. This census indicates Homer was involved in some manufacture and trade versus being a farmer. There dau. Harriet K. McAllister was b. Sept. 8, 1840 (g.s.)

In 1848 the Wisconsin Territory east of the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers became the State of Wisconsin. By 1846 the family was residing west of the St. Croix River in the Minnesota Territory and appear in the 1850 census of the Stillwater District of Washington County. This county is one of the original seven counties of Minnesota extending north from the confluence of the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers, now part of the southeastern suburbs of St. Paul, Minnesota.

In 1856 and again in 1857 Homer was issued U.S. Public Land patent deeds at Pierce County, Wisconsin for two non-contiguous tracts totaling 120 acres on the northwest outskirts of Ellsworth, Wisconsin. Pierce County is opposite from Washington County, Minnesota and lies along the north side of the Mississippi River. The deeds were based on the patentee establishing a homestead claim, clearing part of the land for farming and paying $1.25 in cash per acre. The family continued to reside there through the 1870 census. In the latter census only Homer and dau. Eliza appear, wife Elizabeth apparently having died. Multiple internet claims that Elizabeth is buried at an unmarked grave at Bearhead Cemetery in Todd County, Minnesota, upwards of 100 miles northwest of Minneapolis would appear to be well off the mark.

By 1861 Homer's dau. Harriet, b. in 1840 at Iowa, m. John Albert Muzzey (q.v. (Muzzy). In 1874 Homer and son-in-law Muzzey were issued sequential and adjoining public land patents at Burns Twp, Anoka County, the north adjoining county to Hennepin (Minneapolis.) There in the 1875 state census son-in-law John Muzzey and his wife Harriet are enumerated followed by Homer, age 69, together Homer's 2nd wife Eleanor (French) Wixon, age 58, and Eleanor's dau. Ida Wickson, age 15. In the June 1880 census Homer was enumerated at Anoka County, Minn. with 2nd wife Eleanor and her dau. Lydia "Wixson," age 19 b. at Illinois, who the census errantly calls Homer's granddaughter. Ida (or Lydia) Wixon was Homer's step-daughter.

In the meantime, between 1877 and June 1880 son-in-law John Muzzey moved his family to Morgan County, Alabama where he appears in the June 1880 census of that place and where the last of his known children, namesake s. John Albert Muzzey, Jr., was b. Nov. 3, 1880. What prompted the Muzzey family to relocate from Minnesota to Alabama, contrary to typical family migration patterns, is unknown to the writer. Whereas Homer F. McAllister's youngest dau. Eliza married in 1871, had three children b. at Wisconsin and four younger children at North Dakota, Homer followed son-in-law John Muzzey to Morgan County, AL where he d. Aug. 22, 1885 (g.s.)

During all of the established records regarding Homer, no document provides the meaning of his middle initial "F." Dau. Eliza had a s. named Franklin Homer Carley, but as the given and middle names of this son are the first names of Eliza's husband Franklin and father Homer, the writer is reluctant to assume that Homer F. McAllister's full name was Homer Franklin McAllister.

The known children of Homer F. McAllister and Elizabeth Kirkpatrick are:

• i. Wilson M. McAllister, b. circa 1836 at Ohio (presumably Morgan County.) In family censuses he appears in the 1840 census at Iowa; as age 14 in the 1850 census at the Minnesota Territory; and age 24 and unmarried in the 1860 census at Wisconsin. On Apr. 19, 1861 at Trimbelle Twp, Pierce Co., Wisconsin, Wilson enlisted as a Private in Co. G of the 4th Cavalry Regiment of Wisconsin (Union Army). He d. Oct. 22, 1862 of disease while stationed at Carrollton, now part of the oldtown section of the City of New Orleans, LA.

• ii. Harriette K(irkpatrick?) McAllister, b. Sept. 8, 1840 at Lee County, IA, d. Mar. 26, 1920 at Hartselle, Morgan County, AL (g.s.); m. circa 1862 either at Minnesota or Wisconsin, John Albert Muzzey, b. at NY Mar. 31, 1836. He d. June 18, 1915 at Hartselle, Morgan County, AL (g.s.) Seven children of the family, the six eldest b. at Minnesota.

• iii. Thomas McAllister, b. circa 1846 at the Minnesota Terr.; he appears at age 4 in the 1850 census of the family but not in the family's 1860 census and is presumed to have d. young.

• iv. Alice McAllister, b. circa Feb. 1850 in the Minnesota Terr.; she appears at age 3 months in the 1850 census of the family and at age 10 in the 1860 census of the family, but not in the 1870 census with her father and younger sister Eliza. It is possible she may have married prior to 1870 but no trace of her can be found after 1860.

• v. Eliza A. McAllister, b. Nov. 12, 1853 at or near Trimbelle Twp, Pierce County, Wisc., d. Apr. 18, 1934 at Medford, OR (g.s.); she appears with her father in the 1870 census and m. June 15, 1871 at Pierce County, Wisc., Franklin Alva Carley, b. Jan. 31, 1849 alternately at NY or VT. He d. Aug. 23, 1924 at Jackson County, OR (g.s.) Seven identified children of the family, but there may have been others.

Revised 3/1/2016* Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Jan 8 2021, 22:30:02 UTC

Sometimes persistent research leads to pure genealogical luck.

Homer F. McAllister, the apparent 4th child and 3rd s. of Andrew McAllister Jr. and Abigail Rogers, b. Feb. 11, 1806 (g.s.) at Lemington, VT. He d. Aug. 22, 1885 at Hartselle Twp, Morgan County, in north central Alabama (g.s.). The trail he took between birth and death defies common reasoning and migration patterns.

As an adolescent, by 1817 Homer relocated with his parents from Vermont to Morgan County in southeast OH. There in the August 7, 1820 census of his parent's family he was the youngest son enumerated between age 10 and 15 years of age (William, the next s. of the McAllister family, would not be b. until 1823.) On Sept. 18, 1835 at Morgan County, OH (by James McGregor, JP), Homer m. Elizabeth Kirkpatrick, who subsequent census say she was b. at Maine circa 1812.

After the birth of their eldest child at Ohio circa 1836, by June 1840 Homer and Elizabeth were residing at Lee County, in the Iowa Territory, the southeastern-most county in present-day Iowa along the Mississippi River. This census indicates Homer was involved in some manufacture and trade versus being a farmer. There dau. Harriet K. McAllister was b. Sept. 8, 1840 (g.s.)

In 1848 the Wisconsin Territory east of the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers became the State of Wisconsin. By 1846 the family was residing west of the St. Croix River in the Minnesota Territory and appear in the 1850 census of the Stillwater District of Washington County. This county is one of the original seven counties of Minnesota extending north from the confluence of the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers, now part of the southeastern suburbs of St. Paul, Minnesota.

In 1856 and again in 1857 Homer was issued U.S. Public Land patent deeds at Pierce County, Wisconsin for two non-contiguous tracts totaling 120 acres on the northwest outskirts of Ellsworth, Wisconsin. Pierce County is opposite from Washington County, Minnesota and lies along the north side of the Mississippi River. The deeds were based on the patentee establishing a homestead claim, clearing part of the land for farming and paying $1.25 in cash per acre. The family continued to reside there through the 1870 census. In the latter census only Homer and dau. Eliza appear, wife Elizabeth apparently having died. Multiple internet claims that Elizabeth is buried at an unmarked grave at Bearhead Cemetery in Todd County, Minnesota, upwards of 100 miles northwest of Minneapolis would appear to be well off the mark.

By 1861 Homer's dau. Harriet, b. in 1840 at Iowa, m. John Albert Muzzey (q.v. (Muzzy). In 1874 Homer and son-in-law Muzzey were issued sequential and adjoining public land patents at Burns Twp, Anoka County, the north adjoining county to Hennepin (Minneapolis.) There in the 1875 state census son-in-law John Muzzey and his wife Harriet are enumerated followed by Homer, age 69, together Homer's 2nd wife Eleanor (French) Wixon, age 58, and Eleanor's dau. Ida Wickson, age 15. In the June 1880 census Homer was enumerated at Anoka County, Minn. with 2nd wife Eleanor and her dau. Lydia "Wixson," age 19 b. at Illinois, who the census errantly calls Homer's granddaughter. Ida (or Lydia) Wixon was Homer's step-daughter.

In the meantime, between 1877 and June 1880 son-in-law John Muzzey moved his family to Morgan County, Alabama where he appears in the June 1880 census of that place and where the last of his known children, namesake s. John Albert Muzzey, Jr., was b. Nov. 3, 1880. What prompted the Muzzey family to relocate from Minnesota to Alabama, contrary to typical family migration patterns, is unknown to the writer. Whereas Homer F. McAllister's youngest dau. Eliza married in 1871, had three children b. at Wisconsin and four younger children at North Dakota, Homer followed son-in-law John Muzzey to Morgan County, AL where he d. Aug. 22, 1885 (g.s.)

During all of the established records regarding Homer, no document provides the meaning of his middle initial "F." Dau. Eliza had a s. named Franklin Homer Carley, but as the given and middle names of this son are the first names of Eliza's husband Franklin and father Homer, the writer is reluctant to assume that Homer F. McAllister's full name was Homer Franklin McAllister.

The known children of Homer F. McAllister and Elizabeth Kirkpatrick are:

• i. Wilson M. McAllister, b. circa 1836 at Ohio (presumably Morgan County.) In family censuses he appears in the 1840 census at Iowa; as age 14 in the 1850 census at the Minnesota Territory; and age 24 and unmarried in the 1860 census at Wisconsin. On Apr. 19, 1861 at Trimbelle Twp, Pierce Co., Wisconsin, Wilson enlisted as a Private in Co. G of the 4th Cavalry Regiment of Wisconsin (Union Army). He d. Oct. 22, 1862 of disease while stationed at Carrollton, now part of the oldtown section of the City of New Orleans, LA.

• ii. Harriette K(irkpatrick?) McAllister, b. Sept. 8, 1840 at Lee County, IA, d. Mar. 26, 1920 at Hartselle, Morgan County, AL (g.s.); m. circa 1862 either at Minnesota or Wisconsin, John Albert Muzzey, b. at NY Mar. 31, 1836. He d. June 18, 1915 at Hartselle, Morgan County, AL (g.s.) Seven children of the family, the six eldest b. at Minnesota.

• iii. Thomas McAllister, b. circa 1846 at the Minnesota Terr.; he appears at age 4 in the 1850 census of the family but not in the family's 1860 census and is presumed to have d. young.

• iv. Alice McAllister, b. circa Feb. 1850 in the Minnesota Terr.; she appears at age 3 months in the 1850 census of the family and at age 10 in the 1860 census of the family, but not in the 1870 census with her father and younger sister Eliza. It is possible she may have married prior to 1870 but no trace of her can be found after 1860.

• v. Eliza A. McAllister, b. Nov. 12, 1853 at or near Trimbelle Twp, Pierce County, Wisc., d. Apr. 18, 1934 at Medford, OR (g.s.); she appears with her father in the 1870 census and m. June 15, 1871 at Pierce County, Wisc., Franklin Alva Carley, b. Jan. 31, 1849 alternately at NY or VT. He d. Aug. 23, 1924 at Jackson County, OR (g.s.) Seven identified children of the family, but there may have been others.

Revised 3/1/2016* Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Aug 17 2021, 18:30:18 UTC