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The Family Origin of
Zedekiah Street of Modoc co. CA
The identification of the parents and siblings of Zedekiah
Street, an early settler of Modoc co. CA, has been a genealogical project of
some complication. A long series of circumstantial evidence has convinced this
writer that Zedekiah was the son of Joseph and Margaret (Carmichael) Street.
The purpose of this paper is to outline the evidence which has led to this
conclusion.
I. FAMILY KNOWLEDGE. At the time this study began, two of
the grandchildren of Zedekiah Street were living—Olin Street Johnson and Elma
Caroline (Johnson) Craig. Olin was
old enough to remember his grandfather well, having been about 12 when Zedekiah
died; furthermore, the Johnson family lived next door to the Streets during Olin’s
childhood. Elma did not have many
first-hand memories, since she was several years younger; but she did live
closer to her parents in their later years, and so had considerable information
based on conversations with them.
In talking with Olin and Elma, the following basic information emerged
[based on notes taken by the writer from conversations with each of them]:
A. Zedekiah Street came from “the South”
(Olin thought it was Kentucky, but was not certain) to Camptonville, Yuba
co. CA, about 1860.
B. He was married en route, in Denver, CO,
to Caroline Hash of Arkansas.
C. After a few years in Camptonville, they
moved to Surprise Valley in what is now Modoc co. CA (it was at that time
Siskiyou co.).
D. At some point in their early days there,
they were joined by Zedekiah’s older brother, John Street. John died before
either of these grandchildren were born, but they remembered his widow, “Aunt
Martha Street.” They believed that her maiden name was Robinson, or something
similar.
II. INFORMATION FROM CENSUS AND CEMETERY
RECORDS. Both Zedekiah and John
Street are buried in the Cedarville Cemetery, Modoc co. CA; both appear in
early census records from Modoc co.; and both also appear on the Great Register
(of voters) for that county. These records add the following information:
A. According to his tombstone, Zedekiah
Street was born 11 Dec. 1826. (Note that the name on the tombstone is spelled
“Zedikiah”; the spelling varies in different records, but it appears that
“Zedekiah” is generally used in records such as voter registrations where he
himself gave the information.) An obituary in the Surprise Valley Record gives his birth date as 11 Dec. 1828. Normally one would give preference to
the tombstone record; in this case, however, neither existing census records
nor his Great Register listing support a birth year as early as 1826, and most
suggest 1828/29. All these sources
also list his birthplace as Tennessee. [Sources: (1) Tombstone in Cedarville
Cemetery, Cedarville, Modoc co. CA; a photograph of the tombstone is posted
online at http://www.findagrave.com/;
(2) 1870 census of Surprise Valley, Siskiyou co. CA, p. 14, line 16, where his
age is give as 41; (3) 1880 census of Cedarville, Modoc co. CA, E.D. 67, p. 6,
line 25, where is age is given as 52; (4) U. S. Census Year: 1900; Census Place: Cedarville, Modoc, California; Roll: 94;
Page 5A; Enumeration
District: 84, line 21; FHL
microfilm: 1240094; (5) Great
Register of Yuba co. CA, indicating he registered to vote 26 Feb 1867, giving
his age as 38 (California State Library, California History Section; Great Registers, 1866-1898; Collection
Number: 4 - 2A; CSL Roll
Number: 140; FHL Roll
Number: 978599, p. 96); (6)
Great Register of Modoc co. CA, indicating he registered to vote 13 Sep. 1892,
giving his age as 64 (California State Library, California History
Section; Great Registers, 1866-1898; Collection
Number: 4 - 2A; CSL Roll
Number: 27; FHL Roll
Number: 976938, image 142); (7)
Great Register of Modoc co. CA, indicating he registered to vote 24 Apr 1875,
giving his age as 44 (California State Library, California History
Section; Great Registers, 1866-1898; Collection
Number: 4 - 2A; CSL Roll
Number: 27; FHL Roll
Number: 976938. Image 15); (8) Obituary
in the Surprise Valley Record, 25 Apr
1906.]
B. John Street was born 12 Jan. 1816,
according to his tombstone; and the date is supported by the 1880 census and
Great Register records. John died in 1884, and thus only appears in Modoc co.
in the 1880 census. Both census and Great Register list his birthplace as North
Carolina. [Sources: (1) Tombstone in Cedarville Cemetery, Modoc co. CA; (2) U.
S. Census (Year: 1880; Census
Place: Cedarville, Modoc, California; Roll: 69; Family History Film: 1254069; Page: 4C; Enumeration District: 067; Image: 0009); (3) Great Register of Modoc co.
CA, indicating he registerd to vote 5 May 1874, giving his age as 60
(California State Library, California History Section; Great Registers, 1866-1898; Collection
Number: 4 - 2A; CSL Roll
Number: 27; FHL Roll
Number: 976938, image 7).]
C. The 1880 census records for both
brothers, and the 1900 census for
Zedekiah, agree that their father was born in Virginia, and their mother
in North Carolina.
D. John Street’s wife, Martha Ann, is
buried next to him, and her tombstone indicates her birth date was 14 Nov.
1831. A biographical sketch of
their son John in An Illustrated History
of Central Oregon (Western Publishing Co., 1905) states that her maiden
name was “Roberson,” and indicates that the John Street family lived in Putnam
co. TN for many years prior to their migration to California about 1870; an
obituary of one of John and Martha’s daughters, Margaret (Street) Wilder,
confirms the connection to Putnam co. TN.
E. A newspaper notice of the marriage of
Zedekiah Street and Caroline Hash 17 June 1860 appeared in the Rocky Mountain News (Denver, 20 June
1860) and indicated that Zedekiah was from Madison co. AR. (Source: image of Rocky Mountain News, 17 June 1860, p. 3 on
www.genealogybank.com, accessed 22
July 2012.)
F. The 1900 census for Zedekiah shows that there was living in
his household a man named Richard L. Street, born in Arkansas in July 1851,
identified as Zedekiah’s
nephew. Also in the household was
this Richard’s wife Mary and several children:
Richard L.
Street, b. July
1851 AR, father b.
TN, mother
b. ?
Mary (wife), b. March
1862 CA, father b.
TX, mother
b. TX
May (dau.), b. May
1879 CA, father
b. AR, mother
b. CA
Susie (dau.), b. March
1884 NV, father b.
AR, mother
b. CA
Maggie (dau.), b. March
1887 CA, father b.
AR, mother
b. CA
Artie (son), b. Jan.
1889 MT, father b.
AR, mother
b. CA
Gussie (dau.), b. Jan.
1891 CA, father
b. AR, mother b. CA
Hugh (son), b. Nov.
1892 CA, father
b. AR, mother
b. CA
Thomas (son), b. Feb.
1882 NV, father b.
AR, mother
b. CA
(Source: Year: 1900; Census Place: Cedarville, Modoc, California; Roll:
94; Page: 5A; Enumeration
District: 84, lines 27-36); FHL
microfilm: 1240094.)
ANALYSIS: It seems probable, based on the census records, that the
father of Zedekiah and John Street
was a Virginian who migrated to North Carolina, met and married his wife there
and began his family. At some point between the births of John and Zedekiah, they apparently moved to
Tennessee. Zedekiah, at least, seems to have moved to Madison co. AR; probably,
since this nephew was born in AR, at least one brother of Zedekiah Street was living in AR as
well. (The children of John Street are fully known, and it is apparent that
this Richard L. Street was not among them. There is no evidence, in fact, that
John Street ever lived in AR; all his children were born in TN.)
III. STREET FAMILIES IN TULARE CO., CA AND
VICINITY: A Street family which
settled in Tulare county, CA, has been shown to be connected to the Modoc co.
families. The chain of evidence is complicated, but can be outlined as follows:
A. In Tulare co. a deed is recorded, dated
25 Dec. 1863, by which one Joseph Street transferred land to Patience Street,
and to Joseph, Margaret, Lafayette, James, Rebeca, Catharine, and Thomas
Street, “minor children of said Patience by her late husband Richard Street”
and the “widow and children of his deceased brother.”
B. J. M. Guinn’s History of the State of California and Biographical Record of the San
Joaquin Valley, California (1902) contains a biographical sketch of one
Joseph J. Street, about whom the following information is given:
1. Joseph J. Street was the son of Richard
and Patience (Randolph) Street, and was born in White co. TN 6 Dec. 1846. His family moved to AR when he was
three years old.
2. Joseph’s father, Richard, moved his
family to California in 1860, settling finally near Visalia, Tulare co.; he
died about 1863.
3. Richard and Patience (Randolph) Street
had three daughters and five sons “who attained mature years.”
Clearly this Joseph is the son of the
Richard Street referred to in the 1863 deed, since the death date and place is
the same, and the name of Richard’s wife is the same.
C. Marriage records in Tulare co. indicate
that Richard’s widow, Mrs. Patience Street, married A. J. Worthley 22 May 1864.
Census records show that they had two children, Alfred L. and Marshall
Worthley. Furthermore, Mary Catherine Street, daughter of Richard and Patience,
married her stepbrother, Thomas W. Worthley (son of A. J. Worthley by his first
wife).
D. A series of records leads to the
conclusion that Richard and Patience’s son referred to as Lafayette in the deed
was the same person listed in the 1900 census as Zedekiah’s nephew “Richard L.
Street”:
1. As noted above, the 1900 census for
Richard L. Street in the Modoc co. household of his uncle Zedekiah includes
children Thomas, Maggie (Margaret?), Susie, and Gussie (and others); it lists
Richard’s wife as Mary and says he was born in AR in July 1851.
2. Richard Lafayette Street was registered
to vote in Tulare co. CA in 1898, age 46, b. Arkansas.
2. A Richard Lafayette Street died in
Sebastopol, CA 6 Aug. 1939. His death certificate gives his birth date as 11
July 1851, indicates he was a native of AR, son of Richard and Patience
(Randolph) Street, and it names his widow as Reina Street. An obituary of this
man also names daughters Mrs. Maggie Cornett, Mrs. Susie Hoffman, and Mrs.
Gussie Abbot, and a son C. J. Street. Based on the correspondence of names of
his children, and the date and place of birth, it seems evident that this is
the same Richard L. Street who appears in Modoc co. in 1900; and that his wife
Mary had died (or they divorced) and he had remarried a woman named Reina. Reina’s own death certificate (she died
in Sebastopol in 1951) indicates that her maiden name was Talsma; the death
certificate of C. J. Street (who died in Sebastopol in 1976) records his
parents’ names as Cornelius Hornstra and Reina Talsma.
3. A 1910 census listing for a Lafayett R.
Street in Tulare co. in 1910 shows him as a single man, age 59 (i.e. b. ca.
1851), born in AR, living in the household of a widow, Reina Hornstra.
Certainly this man is identical with the Richard L. Street discussed above; on
the surface it would appear that his wife Mary died (or they had divorced)
1900/1910 and he married Reina, in whose home he was boarding in 1910; however,
since we know that Mary didn’t die until 1953, there must have been a divorce
here. Immediately adjacent to this household in 1910 was that of Thomas W.
Worthley, the recently widowed husband of Mary Catherine (Street) Worthley, who
(according to her death certificate) was the daughter of Richard and Patience
(Randolph) Street and thus the sister of Richard Lafayette Street.
4. A 1907 Tulare co. marriage record for
one Ora Hamilton to Thomas Alford Street (b. NV ca. 1882, which corresponds to
the Thomas listed as a son of Richard L. Street in the 1900 census) indicates
his father was L. Street and his mother Mary Bryant. No doubt “L. Street” is
“Lafayette,” the name by which Richard apparently was primarily known.
5. Brief correspondence with the widow of
C. J. Street of Sebastopol indicated that he was the adopted son of Richard L.
Street. Mrs. Alice Street said
that she had no further information on the Street family, but she enclosed
(without explanation) two sheets of paper, seemingly rather old, on which were
written in pencil a number of names and address, apparently of her husband’s
relatives. They included: Susie
Hoffman, Artie Street, Margie Cornett, (Dot) Gussie Abbott, Grandpa
Bryant. The recurrence of names
(especially the reference to the surname Bryant) supports the inference that
the Richard who died in Sebastopol was the same man who was first married Mary
Bryant.
6. An obituary in the Oakland Tribune for Mrs. Susie Hoffman, clearly
the same woman named in the Sebastopol Richard L. Street’s obituary as his
daughter, indicates that her middle name was Patience—no doubt for her
grandmother.
ANALYSIS: It is clear from the above facts that the Richard L. Street
who was a nephew of Zedekiah
Street is the same Richard L. Street who died in Sebastopol, CA in 1939, and
that he was the same man who is referred to as Lafayette Street in the 1863
deed, Richard Lafayette Street in the Tulare co. Great Register in 1898, and as
Lafayett R. Street in the 1910 census of Tulare co. This establishes the fact
that Zedekiah Street and Richard Street (father of Richard Lafayette Street)
were brothers. This is confirmed
by additional evidence:
E. Census and other records pertaining to
Joseph J. Street, known from the biographical sketch to be the son of Richard
and Patience Street, indicate that he was married at least three times, and
that he had at least one daughter who lived to maturity, Dora Street. An
autograph book which belonged to Martha Ann Street, daughter of Zedekiah Street, contains several
autographs from persons in Pixley, Tulare co.; one of these is signed “your
cousin, Dora Street” (dated Nov. 30. 1890).
F. Two other autographs from this book
(also dated in late 1890, when Martha is known to have taken an extended trip
throughout California) are “your cousin M. R. Worthley” and “your cousin Maggie
Worthley”; also “your friend A. L. W.”
It has already been noted that Richard Street’s widow, Patience, married
A. J. Worthley and had two sons, Alfred L. and Marshall. One of Richard and
Patience’s daughters, Mary Catherine, married her step-brother, Thomas Woodson
Worthley, and had a daughter Margaret, b. 1879, who is likely this “Maggie
Worthley.”
G. It has previously been noted that
Richard Street’s widow Patience, together with her children, were deeded land
by Joseph Street, described as Richard’s brother. The June, 1965 issue of Los
Tulares (bulletin of the Tulare County Historical Society) has an article
on the Yokohl Valley, in which two early settlers, Joe and Jim Street, are
mentioned. “Neither ever married,” it states, “and they raised sheep, cattle
and hogs together for several years. After some difference of opinion, Joe
moved to a ranch at Milo where he died many years ago.” In a letter to this
writer, the author of that article, Annie R. Mitchell, stated that she had
interviewed Rev. E. R. Connelly, who had performed the funeral service for Jim
Street; according to him, Jim and Joe were brothers who had a “falling out”
many years before. The death certificates for both brothers have been
inspected; no information about their parentage is given, but it might be noted
that the informant on James Street’s certificate was one T. W. Street—very
likely Thomas Wright Street, a son of Richard and Patience Street, and thus
presumed to be James Street’s nephew. The death certificates also give no
information as to birthplace or date of birth. Joseph, who died in 1910, is
said to have been “76 years and 10 months” of age; James, who died in 1919, is
said to have been born in 1841. Both these men were listed on the Great Register
for Tulare co. in 1867, and there it indicates that Joseph Street, age 34, was
born in TN, and James Monroe Street, age 27, was born in TN. Both also appear
in the 1900 census, where Joseph is said to have been born in May 1833, and
James in Sept. 1842 (though various other records suggest a slightly earlier
birth date for him; probably the Great Register which suggests a birth date of
1839/40 is most trustworthy, since he himself would have given that information
when he registered). In both cases, the census indicates their father was born
in Virginia, their mother in North Carolina—consistent with the pattern shown
in the census for both Zedekiah
and John Street.
ANALYSIS: This rather complicated argument can be summarized as
follows: (1) The various records pertaining to Richard Lafayette Street and his
family demonstrate that Zedekiah Street was a brother of the Richard Street who
died in Tulare co. in 1863. (2)
The Tulare co. deed proves that Joseph Street was a brother of Richard
Street. (3) The Tulare co. historical information indicates that James Monroe
Street was a brother of Joseph Street, and this is confirmed by the fact that
the informant on James’ death certificate was apparently a son of Joseph’s
Street’s brother Richard. When this information is collated, it suggests a
Street family with at least the following members:
i. Richard Street, b. NC (?) ca. 1814/15,
mar. Patience Randolph.
ii. John Street, b. NC 12 Jan. 1816, mar.
Martha Ann Robinson/Roberson.
iii. Zedekiah Street, b. TN 11 Dec.
1828, mar. Caroline Hash.
iv. Joseph Street, b. ca. May 1833, never
married.
v. James Monroe Street, b. TN ca. Sept.
1839, never married.
Furthermore, census
records for four of these brothers (excluding Richard, who died too early for
the censuses which asked for this information) indicate that their father was
born in Virginia, their mother in North Carolina; and the birthplaces of the
sons would suggest that a migration from North Carolina to Tennessee took place
some time between 1816 and 1828. Both Richard and Zedekiah have been connected to Arkansas, the latter
specifically to Madison co.
IV. MADISON COUNTY, ARKANSAS. Records in
early Madison co. AR are sparse, but they prove the presence of this Street
family in the 1850’s. Richard Street supposedly moved to AR when his son Joseph
was three (he was b. Dec. 1846), but he does not appear there in the 1850
census of that state, so apparently had not yet arrived in time for the census
taker. Both Richard and Zedekiah
left AR about 1860, and thus do not appear there in the census of that year
(neither have they been found in California; the census seems to have missed
them, perhaps because they were en route at the time it was taken).Yet there
are relevent Madison co. records:
A. Tax records exist for Madison co., and
they show the following Street entries: Richard appears first in 1852; and
Richard, Jo[seph] and Tom in 1853. According to a Madison county researcher,
the listing for a particular year would indicate that the individual incurred
tax liability in the county the previous fall. In the 1853 listing, the three
are consecutive, which usually indicates that they went to the courthouse
together to be assessed. In 1853, Joseph is not assessed a poll tax; this
indicates that was 55 years of age or older, and thus exempt (so he obviously
could not be the Joseph who appears in Tulare co., whom we have demonstrated is
the brother of Zedekiah, Richard, James
and John). The same three
names appear in 1854; in 1855 and 1856, Richard does not appear, but the others
do, as does William Street. Subsequent years are not available on microfilm and
have not been inspected.
B. Madison
County Musings, the publication of the Madison County Genealogical Society,
published a list of cemetery inscriptions from the Lower Camp Ground Cemetery
in Madison county (VI:2, p. 81). Included in this listing are two Street
graves, Margaret Street (b. 15 Oct. 1792, d. 11 Nov. 1854) and Thomas Street
(b. 25 July 1827, d. 19 Feb. 1859).
C. Goodspeed’s history of Madison co.
lists early landowners, including Joseph Street in 1852, Township 17 Range 24
(SE SE Section 30). I have not tried to find the original document.
D. A federal land patent for Joseph Street
Junior was registered in Madison co. for 40 acres in Section 29, Township 17N,
Range 24W, dated Feb. 1, 1860. This is a bit puzzling, since Joseph has not
been located in the 1860 census; but perhaps the land was quickly sold and
Joseph left the county (or perhaps the census taker missed him; or perhaps he
is in the 1860 census, but I’ve not found him!).
ANALYSIS: The connection of the California Street families to Madison
co. AR is based on the newspaper notice of Zedekiah’s marriage, which states he was “from Madison co.
AR.” This is supported by the
appearance in Madison co. tax records of Richard Street, just at the time when
the Tulare co. Richard Street is said to have located in Arkansas. If we assume
as our hypothesis that these Street listings in AR are in fact the California
family, the following observations can be made: Joseph Street was significantly older than Richard Street
(b. 1797 or earlier, compared to Richard’s 1814 birth date), and is quite
possibly the father of the five known Street brothers. The Margaret Street
buried in Madison co. is of the correct age to be the mother of these boys; and
the Thomas Street buried there is the correct age to be a brother, who would
fit nicely between Zedekiah and
Joseph. William Street appears first on the tax list in 1855; often this suggests
that a man has turned 21. If that is the case here, William would be born ca.
1833/34 and could be another brother between Joseph and James.
V. TENNESSEE RECORDS. While all the evidence has pointed to
the Street family coming from Tennessee (via AR), the only tie to a specific
place in TN has so far been statements in records of the children of John
Street that they were born in Putnam co. TN. Putnam co. was formed in 1854 from portions of White, Jackson,
Overton and Dekalb counties, all located in central TN. A search of records in those counties
reveals the following:
A. Richard Street married Patience
Randolph in White co. TN 25 Feb. 1846.
Certainly this is the Richard who later moved to Tulare co. CA. In the same county is the marriage record
of John Street and Martha Robison 15 Apr. 1852, undoubtedly the John who
settled in Modoc co. CA. The fact
that these two brothers married in White co. suggests very strongly that this
is the county in which their parents were living around 1850.
B. The 1850 census of White co. shows the
following listing:
Richard Street, 34, b. NC
Patience, 25, b. TN
Joseph, 4, b. TN
Chisum, 3, b. TN
Margarett, 10/12, b.
TN
(It might be noted that adjacent to this
family is the household of John Robinson, including a daughter Martha Ann
Robinson, 18 years old—just the right age to be the Martha Ann
Robinson/Roberson who married John Street of Modoc co.)
C. Some distance away, but still in White
co., in 1850, we find the following family:
Joseph Street, 68, b. VA
Margaret, 55, b. NC
John, 33, b. NC
Hannah, 24, b. TN
Zachariah, 21, b. TN
Thomas, 20, b. TN
Joseph, 19. b. TN
William, 15, b. TN
James M., 12, b. TN
D. Joseph Street, with a consistent family
configuration, is also found in the 1840 census of White co. and the 1830
census of adjacent Warren co. TN. These earlier records suggest an older
daughter b. ca. 1815/20. White co. marriage records show a Frances Street who
married Jonas Deitz in 1840; she is likely this daughter, since there doesn’t
appear to be any other Street family in White co. at this time.
ANALYSIS: We had previously concluded that Richard, John, Zedekiah,
Joseph and James M. Street were all brothers, who had lived in TN, possibly the
area that later became Putnam co. (which would have included White co. in
1850). The Madison co. AR records suggested possible additional brothers
William and Thomas, and our hypothesis was that the Joseph Street there may
have been their father, the Margaret Street their mother. Here, in this 1850
census record, we have a listing that includes all these names except Richard
(but there is a corresponding Richard Street nearby, married and in his own
household) and Zedekiah (but Zachariah could easily be a census taker’s error).
This census record strongly supports our hypothesis. The Margaret Street here
was born ca. 1794/95—close enough to the 1792 date shown in the Madison co.
cemetery, given the margin of error on census records; the Thomas Street here
was born ca. 1829/30, again quite close to the Madison county cemetery
Thomas. The brother William here
is shown as b. 1834/35, exactly what we suggested for the William who
apparently turns 21 in 1855 in Madison co. The dates for John and Zachariah/Zedekiah
also match closely the known dates for those brothers. While this evidence is
circumstantial, it must be regarded as convincing that this is, in fact, the
same family that appears both in Madison co. AR and in California.
VI. OTHER STREET SIBLINGS. Given the list of children of Joseph
and Margaret (Carmichael) Street in the 1850 census (as well as the listing,
though without names, in the 1840 census), can we identify some of these
additional siblings?
A. We previously noted that there was a
Frances Street who married Jonas Deitz in White co. NC in 1840, and speculated
that she might be the older daughter who appears in 1830 census record of
Joseph and Margaret Street. Attempting to follow this family leads to some interesting other
information. Jones Deats appears in the 1860 census of Collin co.
TX, with wife Frances and four daughters, the oldest of whom is Margaret.
[Precinct 1, page 33] Frances was born in NC, the older two daughters
(Margaret, 16, and Ann, 12) in Tenn., and the younger two (Mary E., 8, and
Rebecca M., 4) in Arkansas. This suggests that this couple was married in
Tennessee, migrated to Arkansas in the early 1850s, and to Texas after 1856.
The migration pattern from Tennessee to Arkansas matches that of the Streets.
In the same 1860 census, in Lamar co. TX, is one Logan Dietz, age 19, wife Mary
C., age 17. Dietz family genealogists say that this is the oldest son of Jonas
and Frances (Street) Dietz, whose full name was Richard Logan Dietz. He had
apparently recently married and moved to Lamar co.
ANALYSIS: Again this
is circumstantial evidence, but it appears very likely that Frances Dietz is
the daughter of Joseph and Margaret Street, and thus the sister of Zedekiah
Street and the other Street brothers who migrated to California.
B. William Street presents some
interesting problems. In Lamar co. TX in 1860, adjacent to Logan Dietz, is one
William Street, age 27, born in Tennessee, with wife Sarah J., 24, also born in
Tennessee, and an infant (one month old) Mary E., born in Texas. This same
William and Sarah are recorded in Polk twp., Dade co. MO in 1870, with daughter
Mary and two more daughters, Margaret, 8, and Amanda J., 4. One might think
that this is the William who appears in the household of Joseph and Margaret in
1850. This couple is apparently the William M. Street (1832-1895) and Sarah
Jane (Gray) Street (1834-1891) who are buried in Viney Creek Cemetery, Barry
co. MO. It seems very likely that this William is the son of Joseph and
Margaret (Carmichael) Street, another sibling in this family.
C. We must note that there is, however,
another William Street who appears in Fresno co. CA in 1860, as follows:
Fresno co. Second Twp. 1860 PO Millerton
1044/1052
William Street, 39, m, Trader, b. Ark
Jean, 36, f , HK, b. Ark
Richard, 14, m, b. Ark.
Chistholm, 13, m, b. Ark.
Margaret, 12, f, b. Ark.
Lafayette, 10, m, b. Ark.
Kate, 6, f, b. Ark.
Emma, 4, f, b. Ark.
Elizabeth, 3, f , b. Ark.
Thomas, 2, m , b. Ark.
The children in this household very
closely mirror the children of Richard and Patience (Randolph) Street. Richard
and Patience have not been located in the 1860 census, which might suggest that
they were “en route” to California at that time and were missed by the census
taker. But it is hard to believe that the children in this Fresno co. household
are not theirs. Compare the families:
1850 Richard & Patience 1860
William & Jean [1870
census]
White co. TN Fresno
co. CA
Richard
b. ca. 1846
Joseph b. ca. 1846 Joseph
b. ca. 1847
Chisam b. ca. 1847 Chistholm
b. ca. 1847
Margarett b. ca. 1849 Margaret
b. ca. 1848 Margaret
b. ca. 1848
Lafayette
b. ca. 1850 Lafayette
b. ca. 1850
Kate
b. ca. 1854 Catherine
b. 1856
Emma
b. ca. 1856
Elizabeth
b. ca. 1857
Thomas
b. ca. 1858 Thomas
b. ca. 1860
ANALYSIS: This Fresno county William’s age is considerably
off what we would expect if he were the son of Joseph and Margaret; the Madison
co. tax lists suggested a birth date of ca. 1833/34, while the 1850 census
suggested ca. 1834/35; but this census record indicates a birth date of ca.
1821. Yet five of the children in
this 1860 household correspond in name and date with the known children of
Richard and Patience Street—and two of those names are quite unusual, Chisholm
and Lafayette. It seems almost inconceivable that this is just a strange
coincidence. But it raises all kinds of questions and problems. First, why are
these children not with their parents? And who is this couple they are with?
Furthermore, if these are Richard and Patience’s children, where are the rest
of them? Joseph was old enough perhaps to be on his
own, or perhaps the “Richard” here is in fact Joseph, a census-taker’s error?
And who are these two girls, Emma and Elizabeth—perhaps children of William and
Jean? Or is it possible that the census taker somehow screwed up the parents’
names? I have not found any evidence of this William Street or his family after
the 1860 census; nor have I found evidence of the Lamar co. TX/Dade co. MO
William after the 1870 census.
VI. NORTH CAROLINA RECORDS. We have ascertained that the two oldest
sons of this family, Richard and John, were born in North Carolina, so we would
expect to find a Joseph Street with this family configuration in that state in
the census of 1820 (and perhaps that of 1810). A search reveals:
A. The only Joseph Street listed as head
of a household in the 1820 census of North Carolina is found in Orange co.; he
is not listed there in 1830. The 1820 listing shows Joseph and his wife both
aged 26-45 (i.e., born 1775-94) with two sons and a daughter under five years
of age. This is exactly consistent with the family of the White co. Joseph and
Margaret Street.
B. Orange co. NC marriage records reveal
the marriage of Joseph Street and Peggy Carmichael on 26 Sept. 1813. “Peggy,”
of course, is a common nickname for Margaret. Since the eldest son of our Joseph and Margaret Street was
born ca. 1814/15, this 1813 marriage is just what we would expect for them.
C. An Orange co. NC will, written in 1816
and proved in 1819, for Thomas Carmichael names his wife Mary, sons Archibald
and John Henry Carmichael, and daughters Margaret Street, Jane Isely, and Nancy
Smith.
D. The 1820 census noted above lists, on
the same page as Joseph Street, one John H. Comical. The 1840 census for White
co. TN lists, on the same page as Joseph Street, John H. Commichel. Obviously
the family of this Joseph Street has a continuing close geographical connection
with this John Carmichael (in various spellings), supporting the idea that
Joseph’s wife was the sister of John H. Carmichael.
E. Correspondence with a Carmichael
genealogist, the late Dr. Louis Johnson Jr., indicates that John H. Carmichael
later moved to California, settling and later dying in Sonoma co. CA. It is
known that John Street, when he came to California in 1870, settled briefly in
Sonoma co. before moving on to Modoc co. (he appears on the Great Register
there in Sept. 1871). One of John H. Carmichael’s daughters, Mary Ann, married
a William C. Johnson and settled in Tulare co. CA, the same county as several
of the Street family.
F. The 1810 census of Orange co. NC is
difficult to read; no Joseph Street was found, but there is a John Street, Esq.
and an R. Street (who apparently has at least two other adult males living in
his household, possibly brothers).
ANALYSIS: It seems likely that Joseph and Margaret “Peggy”
(Carmichael) Street of Orange co. NC are the same Joseph and Margaret Street
that later appear in White co. TN and Madison co. AR. The strongest piece of
evidence here is the continued association with the Carmichael family in NC,
TN, and possibly in CA. This is supported by consistent family configurations
shown through the various censuses.
VII. THE
STREET GENEALOGY. While a
secondary source must always be treated with great caution, it is important to
note some information in The Street
Genealogy by Mrs. Mary A. Street (1895). This book includes a section on a
Street family of New Kent and Hanover cos. VA, descendants of John and Hannah
(Waddy) Street. According to this book, this John Street had a son Joseph, b.
17 Dec. 1737, who after the Revolution “went to North Carolina and m. SALLIE
TATE; afterward removed to Tennessee. He was living when Gen. Jackson was
elected president. . . Mr. Street lived to be 98 years old, and his wife to be
96. Both d. in Tennessee.” This genealogy goes on to list their
children as follows:
1.
John Tate Street.
2.
Richard Street (“m.; no issue”).
3.
Joseph Montfort Street (“m., and in his old age emigrated to Oregon”).
4.
William Street (“m. and moved to Williamson co., Tenn., then to
Robertson co., Tenn., and d. there”).
5.
Frances, m. Alexander Vincent (“moved to Williamson co., Tenn., and d.
there”).
6.
Sarah, m. Charley Shanks (“moved to Williamson co., Tenn., thence to
Bedford co., d. and left a family”).
7.
Mary, m. Mr Brackin (“never left North Carolina”)
8.
Hannah, m. (1) Mr. Tate; (2) Mr. Waggoner (“moved to Williamson co.,
Tenn; had two children”).
This information is cited because much of it can be confirmed by
census records showing a very similar migration pattern as that of our Joseph
Street; this leads to the suggestion that our Joseph who married Margaret
Carmichael may well be the son of Joseph and Sarah (Tate) Street described in
this book. For example, the 1820 census of Orange co. NC in which we found a
Joseph Street believed to be “our” Joseph also includes Alexander Vincent, an
Isaac Brackin, and Volluntine [Valentine] Waggoner. Orange county marriage
records, in addition to the one for Joseph Street and Peggy Carmichael, include
Isaac Brackin and Susannah Street (bondsman Charlie Shanks), Richard Street and
Elizabeth Liner, William Street and Nelly Shaw, Uriah Tate and Hannah Street
(bondsman Joseph Street), Zephaniah Tate and Hannah Tate (bondsman William
Street), and Valentine Waggoner and Hannah Tate. These families all turn up
later in the various central Tennessee counties named in the Street genealogy:
John Tate Street in Bedford co. in 1830; Richard Street in Bedford co. in 1830
(with a man and woman in his household in their 90’s and 80’s respectively,
probably his elderly parents Joseph and Sarah) and in Marshall co. in 1840;
William Street in Williamson co. in 1830, then in Robertson co. in 1840-60;
Frances and Alexander Vincent in Bedford co. in 1830, then Williamson co. in
1840-50; Charles and Sarah Shanks in Bedford co. in 1830; Hannah and Valentine
Waggoner in Williamson co. 1830-60 (and buried in a family cemetery in
Nolensville, TN). It might also be noted that in the Tate family of which Sarah
(Tate) Street was a part, the name “Zedekiah” appears a number of times; and
the William Street who appears in Williamson co. TN had a son named Zedekiah.
While not conclusive, this certainly points to our Joseph Street who married
Margaret Carmichael and had a son Zedekiah being part of this family as well.
ANALYSIS: While positive proof is lacking, it seems a good working
hypothesis to assume that our Joseph Street was the son of Joseph and
Sarah/Sallie (Tate) Street. Mrs. Street’s reference to this Joseph as “Joseph
Montfort Street,” however, must be treated with skepticism. There was a man
name Joseph Montfort Street who was a frontier military man of some prominence,
and seems to have been a cousin of this line of Streets; it seems more likely
that Mrs. Street has confused the two. The genuine Joseph Montfort Street was
descended from the Montfort family of Virginia (hence the name), but our
Joseph’s line was not; and Joseph Montfort Street the military man was a
contemporary of this Joseph, so it is not likely that the one was named for the
other. It should also be noted that Mrs. Street has this Joseph going to Oregon
“in his old age.” This is possible, though no record of him has been found
there. He is last known with certainty to be in Madison co. AR in early 1860. Since most of his children migrated
west about that time, the possibility of his doing so cannot be dismissed.
Richard O. Johnson
e-mail: roj@nccn.net
Revised 4 July 2013
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