To Nebraska (newspaper account, a clipping)
In the spring of 1868 he sold (Elder John Forney) his holdings in Illinois and taking William, Christian, Samuel, Jacob, Michael and Jeremia with him together with Joseph Johnson, Abraham Horner and John Horner, went overland to Falls City, Neb., where they bought more than a thousand acres of land down the Muddy Creek Valley, from the late Stephen B. Miles. These were all married, except Michael and the Horner boys, William Forney, being an expert carpenter and buildre, was left in charge of the rest of the above named men to build houses on the lands purchased as well as a school house on the northeast corner of the Christian Forney land, north of Falls City.
Elder John Forney then returned to Lanark by was of Highland and Iowa
Point, Kansas in Doniphan County, Kansas, where a small ferry was being
installed and with whom he arranged for the crossing which he was making up to bring the families and house holding material out.
He then went home, got the caravan organized, the largest covered wagon
train ever to cross the Missisouri river between Kansas City and Omaha. This
caravan was more than a mile and a half long.
Those composing the caravan were nearly all related by marriage. William
Forney was married to Maggie Wicks, whose father and mother, Jacob Wicks and
wife, wre in the caravan; Christian Forney was married to Sabina Meyers,
daughter of Philip Meyers and wife, Betsy, who with two single daughters, Anna and Sue, and three sons, David, JOhn and Solomon also made the trip. Another Daughter, wife of Joseph Johnson, above mentioned, were members of the train. Samuel Forney was married to Sabina Teeter, whose sisters Anna Teeter, and Mrs. Quince Birdsley and her husband, were in the caravan. Anna Teeter afterwards became Mrs. Jonathan Stump, and now lives in Stella, Neb. Joseph Meyers and wife, who later emigrated to the Holy Land and died in Jerusalem, were parties, Catharine Horner, whose son, Abraham, is mentioned, together with her daughter, Susan, and husband Francis Shafer, Elias Meyers and wife, and Jacob Forney mentioned above who was married to ---From information by Donald Teeter upon visit 21 Aug 2000 in Chubbuck, ID. Living at Medical Lake, WA. Notes were made from various sources, letters or articles concerning the Forney family.
Notes said that there were 14 children. Also that John was a physician and minister of the Brethern Church.
John and Susan had 11 children, John Elder was the 6th. The information
from Birdley book, and newspaper clipping on The Great Wagon Train dated 6 Feb 1945. Richardson Co., Newspaper. By John H. Judy
To state we must go back to about 1717 and 1720, when 5 brothers and 2
sisters arrived in Philadelphia, Penn. from Switzerland. One of the brothers, John Forney, and his wife Eleanor, her maiden name not known, settled in Burkes Co., Penn. This family had children Barbara, Jacob, Catherine and Peter....Etc.
Christian, Benjamin, Isaac, and Samuel all became minsiters.
Sent by Beverly Clark. He may have been married in Ky. as many of these
families, as well as my own John Hiatt and Susannah came to KY by 1782.
Probably named Mary Ann, nicknamed Polly, as was the common name and
practice. No further information at this time, 5 Mar 1990.
Sent by Beverly Clark. He may have been married in Ky. as many of these
families, as well as my own John Hiatt and Susannah came to KY by 1782.
Marriage record can be found in the Quaker History. Joseph's family bible record is on file in the Library of Congress with his application for a pension. He served in the Rev. War in 1781. DAR has many records on this family. I received a copy of the full miliatary packet in Dec. of 2003, including copies of the bible pages from his family bible. The transcripts of his parent's bible has his birth date as March 17th but the bible pages from his military pension papers has May 18.
Information on this family received from Barbara J. Harrison of Florida. She is a descendant of son William.
Resided in Beford Co. VA and Surry Co. NC
Joseph enlisted at "Surry Court House" NC, abt March 1, 1781, in Col. John Armstrong's NC Reg. He was detached by said colonel to assist Quartermaster George Elliott and was discharged March 6, 1782. He was allowed pension on his application executed May 9, 1836, while resident of Surry Co. NC, where he stated he had lived for 40 yrs. He provided his bible record. Pension claim R 4676. From Exec. Ass't to the Admr letter dated, Aug 29, 1935 to Mr. Marion Gooding, 614 Nat'l Bk Bldg. Jacksonville FL.
In an affidavit for the pension he had a letter from James Harrison in Ohio, who said that Joseph had served in the war as a substitute for William Harrison. In another affidavit from Ann ?, of Ohio it says the same thing. It also states that William Harrison is his father. (Beford, VA is down from the Shenandoah Valley, from Old Augusta Co.) from Harrison research notes of Charles W. Johnson found in google search.
The 1820 Surry co. NC census has a Joseph Harrison with family and a William Harrison.
The 1830 Surry co. NC census page 107 has Joseph Harrison and Susannah Harrison as heads of household, both with families next to each other on the same page.
Came to N.Y. near Phil in 1738 Had nine sons. This linkage has not been
proven at this point, but the lineage forward is accurate and is not meant to
be taken as absolute. It is contained herein for the purpose of tying in
families which will again cross link with later generations. There is
substatial circumstantial ties to our other families which make this
believable, perhaps it may one day be proven and developed fully.
The dates of birth and death seem to removed to be practical without further proof.
References:
(1) Information supplied by Mr. David K. Linscott II, of Access Road Box 38,
Williamstown, West Virginia.