John Barton Pennington

"John Barton Pennington, a well known and highly respected citizen of Fresno County, and a pioneer of western civilization, was born at Blue Springs, Roane County, near Knoxville, Tennessee, on April 25, 1812, and departed this life at the home of his son-in-law, G. W. Hensley, 3250 Madison Street, Fresno, California, on Tuesday evening, October 4, 1910. Mr. Pennington had reached the great age of 98 years, 5 months, and 9 days, and at the time of his death was the oldest registered voter in Fresno County. "Uncle John" lacked a few months of his majority when Andrew Jackson ran for president on the Democratic ticket in 1832, and therefore was not permitted to cast his ballot for "Old Hickory" in that memorable campaign. He crossed the Rockies and came over the plains with the Whitman party in the first wagon train that ever entered Oregon, reaching the Columbia River in September of 1843. The subject of this sketch was a pioneer of the pioneers. For years before the discovery of gold, he took his place as a stalwart on the "firing line" with that fearless and intrepid body of men who set their faces as a flint in the march of empire westward and pressed on through burning sands, wild beasts, and prowling savages, until they reached the shores of the Golden West, where they built their homes and were already comfortably established when the "49ers" appeared on the scene almost a decade later. Mr. Pennington was active in promoting American interest in those days in Oregon, and with others was instrumental in saving that territory from British rule, and unfurling the stars and stripes from the masthead of that grand old ship of state." (Obituary received from Charline P. Shockley, Santa Cruz, CA., via, Roberta Isley. Pennington family information received from Mrs. Isley, Dallas, Texas, 1988.

Donation Land Claim, Section 33, page 11, Metsker's Index in name of John B. Pennington. Deed to John B. Pennington and the "heirs of his late wife, Sarah E. Pennington" - Notification No. 7528 - Claim 65 on record in Yamhill County - certificate Number 117 of Receiver at Oregon City, for U.S. Government. Yamhill County Deeds, Book H, page 62, John B. Pennington and Elizabeth J. Pennington, his wife, sell part of the original claim to Charles S. and Mary J. Tustin, deed recorded October 27, 1865.

Marriages, Yamhill County: Vol AB, page 34, General Francis Marion Tustin and Martha Matilda Pennington, married, August 19, 1858. Vol AB page 134, Madison Isley and Malvina Pennington married October 16, 1865. John B. Pennington was a witness at both weddings.

Oregon Historical Quarterly, Vol 6, page 357 mentions John B. Pennington "whose donation land claim lies two miles southwest of Carlton - - his daughter Mary J. Crimmins was born at Ash Hollow enroute to Oregon on July 6, 1843."

Pennington Family History, pp. 145-158, privately published.

1830 Federal Census, Morgan County, Tennessee. 92., p. 263, Federal Archives number M19, roll 180. Benajah Pennington males 1 age under 5 females 1 age 30-40 *3 age 5-10 1or 2 age 10-15? 1 age 15-20 1 age 50-60

1840 Federal Census, Jackson County, Alabama, p. 60, Federal Archives number M704, roll 7. Benajah Pennington, males 1 age 60-70 females 1 40-50 *2 age 15-20 1 age 10-15

1850 Federal Census, Yamhill County, Oregon, House 116, Immigrant, 1843. John Pennington, age 30 born TN; Sarah, 38 TN; Martha M. 8 MO; Margaret J. 7 Rocky Mts.; Minerva 5 Oregon Territory; Catherine 3 " ; Melvina 2 "

1860 Federal Census Yamhill County, Oregon, 437, # 4071-3466, Federal Archives number M653, roll 1056.

Oregon Historical Quarterly, Vol 6, "The mining of the Oregon Country", W.D. Fenton, June 2, 1897. "Immigration of 1843 - May 20, 1843, the train left Independence, Missouri. In the party was John B. Pennington, whose donation land claim lies about two miles southwest of Carlton, whose daughter, Mary J. Crimmins, still living on part of the claim, was born en route, at Ash Hollow on North Platte, July 6."

I.G.I., 1993, batch F6000503, sheet 50. Batch # 6000503-50, Source # 1553476. Source Film # 451002, Pre-1970 submissions. Place of birth, of Marion County, TN.

Ancestal File Ver 4.13, gives date of birth estimates date of marriage, and date and place of death. A second entry gives different children: Lorinda, born abt 1835, Sarah, b. Oct 1859, Yamhill, Oregon, Male born abt 1861, Yamhill, Oregon. AFN LQ5P-LM

From an address given at the 26th Annual Reunion of the Oregon Pioneer Assn. on 2 June 1897, at Dayton, Oregon, by Hon. W. D. Fenton. "John B. Pennington, whose donation lies about two miles southwest of Carlton, whose daughter, Mary J. Crimmins, still living on part of the claim, was born enroute, at Ash Hollow, on North Platte, July 6th.

Source: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LTFV-19C?1=1&spous...
Per death certificate#386 he was buried here.* Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Nov 16 2023, 18:36:32 UTC