Wayne County was one of the counties in Ohio which
contributed to many companies of persons organized to go to
California after the Discovery of Gold in 1849. Some went by
boat to Panama or around the Horn, while others went overland.
One of the main gathering points for the overland trip was St.
Joseph Missouri.
The group was headed by Luther M. Dennison who was
locally known as the "Dennison Company" Below is a list of
persons associated with this company which is preserved in an old
book titled: "Trip Across the Plains, and Life in California" by
George Keller, published in 1851 by White's Press. It consists
of 51 pages.
The Wayne County Company left Wooster, Wayne Co., Ohio
on March 11, 1850 and did not reach California until several months
later.
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Wayne County, Ohio: |
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Luther M. Dennison |
Wooster |
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Peter Wolf |
Wayne Twp. |
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Daniel C. Loyd |
" |
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S. Coe |
Baughman Twp. |
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Frederick Kouk |
" |
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Ashland County: |
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John Keffer |
" |
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J. W. Everstine |
Loudonville |
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Samuel Hanson |
" |
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Cornelius Dill |
" |
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Henry Ammerman |
" |
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Peter Lumbert |
" |
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Jared Campbell |
" |
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J. Miller |
" |
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Joseph Jackson |
" |
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Lemuel Miller |
" |
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Lewis Gibson |
" |
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Jacob Likes |
" |
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Wesley P. Yordy |
" |
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Abram Likes |
" |
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John Huffstodt1 |
" |
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Jacob Emiric |
" |
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Thos. Smith2 |
" |
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John Coble |
Lake Twp. |
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Chas Miller2 |
" |
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Elijah Runyan |
" |
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Matthew McClure2 |
" |
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Wm. Doolittle |
" |
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Jonathan McClure2 |
" |
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John Stover |
" |
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David Peffer1 |
" |
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Simon Stewart |
" |
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John Mahaffee1 |
" |
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Mich'l. Stewart |
" |
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John France |
" |
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Samuel Charlton |
-?- |
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George Fleck |
" |
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John Springer |
-?- |
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Jas. M. Vaughn |
" |
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Geo. Miller |
-?- |
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Jos. Weirick |
" |
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John Leish |
Haysville |
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Dr. D. Weaver2 |
" |
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Licking County: |
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Quimby Jones2 |
" |
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David Kimberlin1 |
Green |
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Jops. R. Jones2 |
" |
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Mrs. D. Kimberlin |
" |
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John Kinnard |
" |
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John Long |
" |
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William Duck |
Dalton |
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Hugh McDavitt |
" |
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Henry Duck |
" |
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H. Drabenstadt |
" |
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John Morrow |
" |
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Tuscarawas County: |
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Jesse Weirick |
" |
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Gabriel Messersmith |
Canal Dover |
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Alex Clark |
" |
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Stark County: |
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Samuel Thomas |
" |
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Wm. McConnell |
Massillon |
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Franklin Thomas |
" |
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Samuel Marsh |
" |
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John Bell1 |
" |
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Adam Ruff2 |
Fulton |
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Chas. N. Lamison |
" |
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Jacob Weysogle2 |
" |
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Isaac Bailey |
" |
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Thomas Thorpe2 |
" |
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James Elder |
" |
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John Alban2 |
Canal Fulton |
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Henry Wertz |
" |
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A. Wolfbarger2 |
" |
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Franklin Myer |
" |
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Geo. Rudy2 |
Greenville |
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Mark Elder |
" |
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S. Rudy2 |
" |
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Joseph Sturgiss3 |
" |
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Sam'l. Clendenny2 |
" |
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Jacob Jpdegraff |
" |
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Wm. McCurdy1 |
Canton |
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Isreal Homan |
" |
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L. Barral1 |
" |
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Martin Hoover |
" |
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J. Dunbar |
" |
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Daniel Hoover |
" |
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Geo. Rhedben |
" |
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Joseph Hoover |
" |
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Jeremiah Gilford |
" |
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Thos. Marshall |
" |
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Geo. J. Bettinger |
" |
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Edward Briggs |
" |
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S. D. Kauffman1 |
" |
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Levi Scott |
" |
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E. M. Meffert1 |
" |
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John Keller |
" |
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Henry Kauffman1 |
" |
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Joseph Harper |
" |
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George Stuck1 |
" |
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Elijah McDowell |
" |
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David Rhodes2 |
-?- |
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John Cully |
" |
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John Miller2 |
-?- |
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Peter Cully |
" |
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Richland County: |
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Henry Oberlin |
" |
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Wm. H. Paramour1 |
Mansfield |
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Samuel McClelland |
" |
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Geo. L. Jacobs |
" |
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W. F. E. Clark |
" |
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Jacob Miller |
" |
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Boyd Clark |
" |
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Samuel Dillon |
" |
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Wm. H. Smith |
" |
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Daniel Dice |
" |
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David Gearhart |
" |
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Jas. McQuade, Jr. |
" |
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Dr. Geo. Keller |
" |
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Thos. Paramour |
" |
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Benj. Wilcox |
" |
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Thos. Barnd |
" |
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John Pearson |
" |
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N. M. D. McMillen |
" |
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Andrew Murray |
" |
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John Dennison |
" |
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R. R. Gailey |
" |
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Wm. R. Hendricks |
" |
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J. Gailey |
" |
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Summit County: |
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Issaiah Bates |
" |
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John Wagoner2 |
-?- |
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Wm. Lessig |
" |
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Jos. Callback2 |
" |
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D. Fletcher |
" |
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Peter Marsh2 |
" |
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M. Barclay1 |
" |
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Franklin Babb2 |
" |
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J. Fletcher |
" |
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D. L. Harris2 |
" |
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John McClelland4 |
" |
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Samuel Stover2 |
" |
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John Kimmell |
Canaan |
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Columbiana County: |
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Lewis Barritt |
" |
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E. H. Webb |
Salem |
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Baltzer Houck |
" |
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S. R. Middleton |
" |
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David Karnes |
" |
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A. Shroder |
New Lisbon |
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Albert Hosington |
" |
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Charles Niminger |
" |
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John Robinson |
" |
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Holmes County: |
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Martin Mathis |
" |
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Frank Lauderdale |
-?- |
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Joseph Karnes |
" |
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Geo. Lauderdale |
" |
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Abram Smith |
" |
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Samuel Shire |
" |
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Phillip Swartz |
" |
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George L. |
" |
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Cyrus Youcum |
Plain Twp. |
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Reuben Spangler |
" |
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Benj. Eason |
" |
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Slemon Lisle |
" |
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David Soliday |
" |
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P. C. Cheerown |
" |
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Henry Soliday |
" |
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J. Marvin |
" |
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Alexander Eason1 |
" |
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M. Troyer |
" |
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Joshua Eberhart |
" |
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Isaac Moon |
" |
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Eli Jones |
" |
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James Stewart |
Washington Twp. |
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Wm. Allenbough |
" |
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Thos. Peterson |
Morrow Twp. |
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B. Mutersbaugh |
" |
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Hancock County: |
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S'L. Allenbaugh |
" |
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R. F. Cahill |
Findlay |
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Henry Mowry |
E. Union |
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Medina County: |
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Nathaniel Ames |
" |
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Edwin H. Miles |
Guilford |
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David Gochenour |
" |
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Wm. Rice |
-?- |
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A. Thornton Milton2 |
Milton |
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Meigs County: |
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James Jackson2 |
" |
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David Bower |
Chester |
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Jesse Beighley |
" |
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Warren County: |
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Thos. McClelland1 |
Sugar Creek |
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G. R. McIntire |
Franklin |
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Thos. Latimer |
" |
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Christian Fuck2 (as
spelled in book) |
" |
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James Hoy |
" |
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Peter Garlock |
Edinburg |
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Samuel Motter |
" |
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James Brown |
" |
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Edwin E. Gorgas |
" |
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John Elder |
" |
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John Reasor |
" |
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James Atkinson |
" |
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R. K. Deverny |
" |
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Jacob Stiver2 |
Wayne Twp |
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Jacob Paulis2 |
" |
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Nicholas Paulis2 |
" |
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Benj. Lehman2 |
" |
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Geo. Sonedecker |
" |
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A. Sonedecker |
"" |
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Philip Proutman |
" |
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Wm. Yost |
" |
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Jacob Oswald |
" |
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Simon Ihrig |
" |
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George Wolf |
" |
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P. W. Reader2 |
- ? - |
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Thos. Gorsuch |
- ? - |
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L. Whiteside |
- ? - |
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Stutley Whitford |
- ? - |
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FROM OTHER PLACES: |
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Iowa: |
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Wm. Griffith |
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J. Mendenhall |
Lakeport |
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Joseph Aurentz5 |
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Armstrong Co., Penn2 |
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Washington Co., Penn2 |
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J. P. Murphy |
Freeport |
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J. Bradley |
Florence |
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Geo. Brown |
" |
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R. B. Murser |
" |
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R. M. Porter |
" |
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J. S. Lamb |
Burgettstown |
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Robt. Cooper |
" |
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R. Biddle |
" |
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S. L. Combs |
Kittaning |
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R. Kennedy |
" |
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T. F. Fowle |
-?- |
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A. Wilson |
" |
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Jacob Milliron |
" |
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S. Hamlin |
Harman's Cr. |
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Wm. Guthrie |
" |
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Westmoreland Co., Penn2 |
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S. B. Fowle |
" |
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Josiah Boucher |
Ligothier |
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H. Miller |
" |
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Isaac F. Boucher |
" |
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C. F. Fowle |
" |
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David Boucher |
" |
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B. Rogers |
" |
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John George |
" |
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Pittsburgh, Penn2 |
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S. Naugle |
Laghlintown |
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Thos. Farrow |
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Indiana Co., Penn: |
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John Gumbert |
|
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Geo. Aurentz |
Blairsville |
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Wm. Henry |
|
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Peter Uurentz |
" |
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Henry Gumbert |
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Sam'l. C. Moorhead |
" |
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Geo. Gumbert |
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Somerset Co., Penn2 |
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B. Rook |
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Jesse Griffith |
-?- |
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Samuel Fleming |
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David Griffith |
" |
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Wm. Smith |
|
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Christian Stauff |
" |
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Robt. Gregg |
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Mich'l. Lipe |
" |
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Robt. Orton |
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Peter Lipe |
" |
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Hector Orton |
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Geo. Couster,
Stroystown |
" |
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Frank Robinson |
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Jon Smith |
" |
1 - "Dead." It is not known if these died
before the company left St. Joseph, Mo., or enroute to California.
2 - These went with another company from St. Joseph,
Mo. to California.
3 - He was left sick at St. Laramie, "from thence
returned to the States."
4 - Joined the Company at St. Joseph.
5 - He went with the Wayne Co. company
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