Lost & Found: Our Family History Mysteries
Searching for the Ancestors of Joseph Myers and his sister, Sarah from North Carolina
We have found quite a bit of information on the descendants of Joseph Myers and his sister Sarah, but virtually nothing on their ancestors -- legend has it they were of German descent and travelled with their family and others westward from North Carolina.
Click here for a link to our Myers family descendant book reports. Maybe one of their descendants knows the secret of their ancestry and can clue us in someday!!
The Spalding Memorial lists as our Spalding line: Edward Spalding - Benjamin - Edward - Ephraim - Ezekiel - Miner - Ephraim.
Ephraim Spalding was born in Griswold, Connecticut and left his home and family to migrate westward. According to the Spalding Memorial, Ephraim married a woman named Sarah “Lowtrip.” They admit “[v]ery little is known of Ephraim. He emigrated to Indiana, and there married.”
I have discovered Sarah's maiden name in numerous places and contexts. She has been referred variously to as Sarah "Lowtrip" Spalding, Sarah "Lathrop" Spalding, Sarah "Myers" Spalding, Sarah "Lathrop-Myers" Spalding, and Sarah "Lowtry" Spalding.
Ephraim's life is very well documented. However, very little is known of Sarah. A search for Sarah's alleged Lowtrip ancestry has turned up virtually no traces of her origins. However, a compelling clue as to Sarah's real identity is found in an article written by Charles A. Scott in November of 1956 for the Westmoreland, Kansas Recorder:
The Spalding geneology, [sic] second series, 1897, asserts that Edward Spalding arrived in Virginia from England in 1619. The male line of succession from that date is: 1. Edward, 2. Benjamin, 3. Edward, 4. Ephraim, 5. Ezekiel, 6. Miner, 7. Ephraim, 8. Elisha-Lathrop, 9. Luther Greathouse.
The Spaldings appear to have increased rapidly in numbers, and to have scattered to the four winds. Ephraim, No. 7 in the list, was born at Preston, Connecticut, now known as Griswold, July 29, 1797. As a youth he came overland to Orange County, Indiana, where he fell in with a settlement of Germans who also had come overland from North Carolina, and married one of the German girls, Sarah Myers. They continued to live in Orange County some 10 or 15 years.
Ephraim and his family then moved to Knox County, Illinois. In fighting a forest fire in the new country, Ephraim lost his life. His family then consisted of four sons, two daughters had died young. Elisha Lathrop, Daniel, David, and William B. The family record does not mention the dates the brothers moved to Kansas, or whether they came singly or in a group. As nearly as I can determine, Elisha Lathrop, his second wife, children and mother came to Kansas in a covered wagon loaded with corn and household effects, with a cow following behind. One bit of information that I have gotten says Julia Ann Spalding came to Kansas when she was 12 years of age. She was born in 1848. Add 12 to that date and it gives us 1860.
Sarah Myers Spalding . . . had a brother, Joe Myers, who came to Kansas at an early date. The '55 Territorial Census lists a Myers living in the community known as “Myers Valley” since before my time. It is possible that Uncle Joe Myers was the first one of the family to locate “north of St. George.”
According to this narrative, it appears that Ephraim met Sarah and her family while emigrating from North Carolina to Orange County, Indiana. Eventually Sarah immigrated to Kansas with her son, Elisha Lathrop. Her brother Joe Myers also immigrated to Kansas.
The 1880 Pottawatomie County, Kansas census reveals that a Joseph Myers, age 74, born in North Carolina, was living there with his wife and their four sons. Living next door were his sister Sarah's son, Daniel Spalding, his wife and their children.
Sarah's brother Joseph's obituary can be found at the Kansas GenWeb Project:
MYERS, Joseph The Oldest Inhabitant Gone. Joseph Myers, the oldest person in this part of the county, died Tuesday, May 22, 1894, at 2 P.M. The deceased was born in North Carolina, April 21, 1806, and therefore died in his 89th year. When quite young, he moved to Indiana and a little later to Illinois. He married Elanor Mann, January 11, 1825. His wife died in 1846. June 5, 1853, he married Sarah A. Ware, who still survives him. The deceased was an old soldier. He enlisted in Company D, 25th Iowa volunteers. He was discharged in less than a year on account of disability resulting from varicose viens. [sic] Mr. Myers moved to Kansas in 1866, settling in Cherokee County and in 1871 moved to Pottawatomie County and took a claim near Westmoreland. He was by trade a painter and carpenter. He had been for about fifty years a member of the Christian Church and was a member of the Westmoreland post G. A. R. He was the father of seventeen ceildren, (sic).
The funeral services will be held to-morrow at 2 P.M. under the auspices of the post. H. D. Fisher D. D. will preach the sermon.
The breaved [sic] wife who is thus left alone has the sincere sympathy of all.
Source: Unknown [All spelling from the original]
The Myers and Spalding families appear to have traveled together throughout their lives, first to Indiana, then to Illinois, and finally to
The answer to Sarah Myers Spalding's correct maiden name could be answered if only we could find more documentation concerning her life and death. However, she is elusive and the place of her death is unknown. Here is a timeline showing what we have discovered thus far concerning her family's travels.
The Timeline:
July 29, 1797: Ephraim born in Griswold, Connecticut
Approx. 1794: Sarah Myers born in North Carolina?
April 21, 1806: Joseph Myers born in North Carolina (Per Joseph's obituary)
Approx. 1815: Joseph Myers traveled when "quite young" Ephraim Spalding traveled when "a youth" (18 years old?) Sarah Myers was unknown age - possibly 16-18??
ALL TRAVEL TOGETHER TO ORANGE COUNTY, INDIANA with Joseph & Sarah's parents. Sarah & Ephraim marry & live in Indiana 10-15 years (Per Westmoreland Recorder)
1825: Joseph Myers marries Elanor Mann (per Joseph's obituary) Approx.
1825-1830: Sarah & Ephraim move to Knox County, Ill. Ephraim dies fighting a fire (Per Westmoreland Recorder) Sarah's son Elisha marries Lucinda Brown, has children Julia, Mary, and Luther Greathouse. Lucinda dies. Sarah's son Elisha marries Lucinda Brown, has children Julia, Mary, and Luther Greathouse. Lucinda dies.
1850 Galesburg, IL census: Henderson TWP, Knox county.
- BROWN, wilson husband , age 48 pob KY. Sarah, wife, age 47 pob NC Mary, daughter age 18 pob IL. Elizabeth, daughter, age,16 pob IL. James, son, age 12 pob IL. Charles, son, age 7 pob IL.
1860 Sarah’s son Elisha moves to Kansas with his family & second wife Margaret & mother SARAH MYERS SPALDING, and one cow. His daughter Julia is 12 -- (Per Westmoreland Recorder)
1860 Census shows Elisha's brother Daniel & wife Demmie are living in Rockingham Township, ? County, Kansas. Living with them are Elisha's children: Mary age 3 and Julia:12 Where are Elisha & Margaret & their daughter Sarah?
1861 Census, Sec. 24 Henderson TWP -
- Wilson Brown; D. Roundtree; J.H.R.; R. Osborn; M. Skinner; T.C. Duval.
May 11, 1861 Elisha sells livestock: cows, steers, heifers, bulls, and cattle to Daniel. (I thought he had "one cow?") (Per Bills of Sale obtained by Elisha's 2xgreat-grandnephew [Daniel’s 2xgreat-grandson], John Deward Pruitt)
Sept. 2, 1862 Civil War
Elisha enlists! (Per KS GenWeb, 11thRegiment KS Volunteers, Company K) Click Here to learn more about Elisha's civil war experiences.
April 22, 1864 Elisha's wife Margaret buys land in Township #7 in Pottawatomie County. (Per Bill of Sale)
April 25, 1864 Daniel & Demmie sell land to Elisha in Township #7 in Pottawatomie County (Bills of Sale) As documented in the 1870 Galesburg Township census below, they are apparently moving to Indiana.
Sept. 13, 1865 Elisha "mustered out" with Company K (Per KS GenWeb)
Date unknown: Elisha's 2nd wife Margaret dies . (Per Westmoreland Recorder)
Date unknown: Elisha marries 3rd wife -- Margaret#2
(Per Westmoreland Recorder) 1866 Joseph Myers moves to Cherokee County, Kansas (per Joseph's obituary) However, "Uncle Joe" Myers may have been in the "Myers Valley" area prior to this (per Westmoreland Recorder) (or maybe another member of the Myers family?)
1870 1870 Pottawatomie County, Kansas, census (ShermanTownship?) Elisha & Margaret #2 & kids
1870 Census for TWP. Galesburg, IL
- Brown, Sarah, age 67 pob NC. Farmer Spaulding, Daniel, age 42 pob Ind. farmhand Diadema, age 36 pob IL. Sarah, age 16 pob IL. Alta , age 17 pob IL. Luther, age 3 pob IL. Luther, (2nd) age 12 pob IL.
- 1871 Sec. 24 Henderson TWP - Wilson Brown Est.; L.A. Howe, H. Dunbar; D. L. Goff; T.C. Duval; W. Rhodes.
1871 Joseph Myers moves to Pottawatomie County, Kansas (per his obituary)
1876 Elisha moves from "St. George" to Lucas, Russell County, Kansas with wife (Elisha & Margaret#2 are buried here)(per Westmoreland Recorder)
1880 Pottawatomie County census Joseph Myers is living next door to Daniel & Demmie Spalding who have apparently moved back to Pottawatomie County. They are living next door to Sarah’s brother. Did Sarah die in Indiana? Or did she move back to live next door to Joseph with them?
We have no clue what happened to Sarah the census in Indiana.