McMinn Dodson (1823 - 1892)

Born 21 Oct 1823 in Cumberland Gap, Claiborne, TN

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah Drusilla (Cunningham) Dodson — married 9 Mar 1847 in McMinn Co. TN

Descendants

Died 12 Jul 1892 at age 68 in Salt Creek, Polk, OR

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Berwyn Dodson [send private message]

Biography

McMinn was born in 1823 ^[1] in Claiborne Co. TN USA^[2] near Cumberland Gap^[3]. His father was Oliver and his mother, Elizabeth (Ely) Dodson. He married Sarah Cunningham in 1847 at Athen, TN, USA ^[4]. Sarah was seventeen and Mack was twenty four when they married^[5]. The first son came in 1849 and the second, David, came in 1851. McMinn and Sarah sold out in Athen TN USA^[6] and left for Oregon in 1852. They wintered in Missouri ^[7] and headed west in the mid spring with a large wagon train. They arrived in the fall of 1953 at his relatives place at Oak Grove (Rickreall) where they stayed until spring when he filed for a land grant^[8] . McMinn & Sarah and her brother, Pleasant T. Cunningham and wife and mother, Evelina Smith Cunningham all travelled to Oregon together and when they arrived Pleasant and McMinn selected adjoining properties at Salt Creek^[9]. McMinn worked hard to settle in and becoming a part of the new community. He was a solid citizen and a good neighbor. "He possesses all the devotion to right, truth and justice, which has so eminently characterized the nobel Union men of East Tennessee, and is as firm as a rock in maintaining his principles.^[10]" He ran for county judge on the Independent ticket in May/June 1878 but the outcome is unknown ^[11]. He became a member of the Grange, he helped establish a Methodist Church in Dallas, he was a trustee for the La Ceole Acadamy in Dallas, He gave land for the development of the Salt Creek cemetery, he sold real-estate, he farmed, he raised a large family, he was in the state legislature^[12] An 1866 newspaper clipping gave results of his early run for representative ^[13], which resulted in a very close election. A search of the Dallas, OR newspaper Polk County Itemizer 1879-1927 has revealed many reverences to community oriented activities he supported with his wisdom and mature judgement. ^[14]

He passed away in JULY 12, 1892.^[15]

There is a Martha Dodson in the Salt Creek Cemetery in Polk County that is an infant death belonging to McMinn and Sarah.

1880 census ^[16]

Sources

1. ↑ Birth & Death: Find a Grave.com, McMinn Dodson, #51732125, Salt Creek Cemetery, Dallas, Polk, OR USA, b 1824 d July 12, 1892.
2. ↑ written in his grandson's autobiographical account
3. ↑ Personal effects: letters, documents, and family record on plain paper in my possession [Dodson-3592].
4. ↑ Personal effects: letters, documents, and family record on plain paper in my possession [Dodson-3592].
5. ↑ Williams, Mrs. Sherman, Compiler & Editor, The Dodson (Dotson) Family of North Farnham Parish, Richmond County, Virginia: A History and Genealogy of Their Descendants. Two Volumes with index in Volume Two. Volume Two contains abstracts & transcripts of documents. (Easley, SC: Rev. Silas Emmett Lucas Jr.; Southern Historical Press, Inc., 1988) Pages: 1586 c1988
6. ↑ Friedman, Ralph THIS SIDE OF OREGON The Caxton Printers, Ltd. Caldwell, Idaho, 1985 “Part II The Heroic Women” p 268 Most Oregon Libraries should have a copy.
7. ↑ Hines, H.K.: An Illustrated History of Oregon, Published by Lewis Pub. Co. Chicago, 1893 see biography of “O.M. Dodson” This book is also available as a free download from the American Libraries Collection of the Internet Archive. p755
8. ↑ Historically Speaking, bound periodic publications of the Polk County HIstorical Society Vol.. VII p35 Dodson-3592
9. ↑ Oregon Donation Land Claim record, available online [> National BLM OR/WA > Online Services > Genealogy Vol. II p112, #4749] or at many genealogical libraries.
10. ↑ Statesman Journal, May 7, 1866 Salem, Oregon
11. ↑ Printed in Dallas Itemizer May/June 1878 though an article was written many years later in the Dallas Itemizer when the older historic copies of the old paper were discover on the walls when the old house was demolished at Richreall, OR. Second paper's date unknown.
12. ↑ The Salem Statesman Journal "Union Ticket" May 7, provided by a respected Dodson Family searcher: Donna Anissi. Dodson-3592
13. ↑ provided by a respected Dodson Family researcher: Donna Anissi. Dodson-3592
14. ↑ oregonnews.uoregon.edu; Polk County Itemizer 1879-1927 [dates: 24 Apr 1913 image 1, 4 Aug 1883 image 3, Polk County Observer 1888-1927,12 Nov 1915 image 2, Willamette Farmer, Salem OR 16 Apr 1886 image 2,The West Shore, Portland, OR 1875-1891 1 Nov 1875]
15. ↑ THE COUNTY COURT OF THE STATE OF OREGON FOR POLK COUNTY,Petition of Probate of will of Sarah D Dodson pg 1. Dodson-3592
16. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNCP-Q3S : 16 July 2017), Mcminn Dodson, Dallas, Polk, Oregon, United States; citing enumeration district ED 105, sheet 467C, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 1083; FHL microfilm 1,255,083.

Oregon State Archive, Salem, Marion, OR. Court file: PETITION to sell Estate of Sarah Drucilla Dodson May 31, 1917 Children: Zachery = Cleveland, Klickitat Co., WA Oliver = Rose Lodge, Lincoln, OR Theodore = Dallas, Polk, OR Florence = McMinnville, Ellen = Salem, Marion, OR Schuyler = Clem, Grant, OR David = Deceased 04-19-1913 Henry = deceased 2-28-1898

Julia (Wells) Dodson's family record hand written by her on lined and numbered sheets of paper and kept loose in her diary or in her husband's, Oliver McMinn Dodson, 1908 Bible. (Dodson-3592].

Salt Creek Cemetery record [1] Polk County, OR

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/51732125/mcminn-dodson : accessed 14 October 2021)