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Levi Ferguson (1826 - 1878)

Levi Ferguson
Born in Rhea, Tennessee, United Statesmap
Ancestors ancestors
Son of [uncertain] and [uncertain]
Husband of — married 25 Jan 1848 in Rhea, Tennessee, USAmap
Husband of — married 1861 in Douglas, Kansas, USAmap
Descendants descendants
Died at about age 52 in Douglas, Kansas, United Statesmap
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Profile last modified | Created 15 Sep 2016
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Biography

Levi Ferguson. [1][2][3][4][5][6] [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]

Born There is no direct evidence of Levi's parentage but I believe they are Robert Ferguson and Rachel Falls (see below). 1826 Rhea County, Tennessee, USA. [16][17][18][19][20][21].

Residence

1857 Lecompton, Douglas, Kansas, USA. [22]
1870 Wakarusa, Douglas, Kansas, United States. [23] Age 23; Occupation: farmer; Birthplace: Tennessee; can read; lives with Rachel, 20, Columbus, 3, and Margaret, 1, Ferguson.
18 SEP 1850. Barry County, Missouri, USA. [24] Marital Status: Married.
31 MAY 1865. Wakarusa, Douglas, Kansas. [25]
01 MAR 1875. Wakarusa, Douglas, Kansas. [26] Age: 34; Occupation: farmer; Real Estate: 1500; Personal Estate: 500; Birthplace: Tennessee; lives with C Ferguson, 12, probably Columbus. Given the move to Kansas, the disappearance of Rachel, and his children at other homes, Rachel probably died bef 1857.
1860 Wakarusa, Douglas, Kansas Territory, USA. [27] First, Kansas Territory. [28]
1873 Grant; Wakarusa, Douglas, Kansas. [29] Kansas Territory. [30]
1855 Kansas Territory. [31]

Buried Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas, USA. [32]

Military Service: Private; Company H, Captain Gillespie's 1 Regiment Mounted Volunteers,; Mexican War; 13 Jun to 31 Oct 1846; Honourably discharged on surgeon's certificate at Placedo near Lavaca, Texas; Rest of Company musters out 31, 1847;. 14 JUN 1846. Washington County, Tennessee, USA. [33]

Marriage Husband Levi Ferguson. Wife Rachel E Collins. Child: Samantha Ferguson. Child: Margaret Edith Ferguson. Child: Robert Henry Ferguson. Child: Columbus C Ferguson. Marriage licence granted to Levi Ferguson and Rachel Collins on 15 Oct 1847. Marriage solemnized on 25 Jan 1848 by Samuel Frazier. 25 JAN 1848. Rhea, Tennessee, USA. [34][35][36][37]

Death Notice (published in The Spirit of Kansas, 05 Jun 1876, Page 5)

DIED, June 1st, Levi Ferguson, at his residence three miles west of Lawrence, of consumption, age fifty-four years. The funeral services took place at the house of the deceased, the pastor of the Lawrence Methodist Church officiating. The deceased was among the earliest settlers in Kansas, locating near the city limits on the west, and was well known to a large circle of acquaintances who will deeply sympathize with the bereaved family in this their hour of trouble and sadness.

Research Notes

Many trees have Aaron Ferguson and Catherine Beck as Levi's parents. The earliest assertion of this parentage I can find is in a 1998 Rootsweb post.

There is some reason to believe there is a close relationship between Levi and Aaron on the 1865 census, which shows Aaron, Catherine and a horde of their children and grandchildren temporarily relocating from Johnson County, Missouri to Douglas County, Kansas, where Levi lived. However, there are too many inconsistencies for that relationship to be parent-child.

1) Aaron Ferguson and Catherine Beck moved from Rhea County to Missouri before 1830, meaning a 3 or 4-year-old Levi would have relocated there as well. Yet there is evidence that Levi continues to live in Rhea County: a marriage to Rachel Collins and service in the 1st Tennessee Mounted Infantry. Also, on the 1850 census and afterward, Levi's 2 eldest children are noted as being born in Tennessee in 1848 and 1849.

It is possible that Levi could have returned to Rhea County as a young man and done these things but it makes more sense that he lived there all along.

Meanwhile, Aaron's 1st cousin, Robert Ferguson, and Rachel Falls remained in Rhea County. If Levi was their son, it would make perfect sense for him to marry and have children there.

2) The 1830 census of Aaron Ferguson and Catherine Beck state only 1 male under 5. Yet we know for certain that Samuel Huston Ferguson was born to Aaron and Catherine in 1829. Where is Levi's mark on this census? It could have been a mistake but at the very least this fails to provide evidence that Levi was their son.

Robert Ferguson and Rachel Falls also have a single mark for a male under 5 years of age. However, we have no evidence that they had any other son in that time period so it could have certainly been Levi.

3) When Rachel Collins died, Levi's daughter, Maggie, went to live with Brinkley Hornsby in Johnson County, Missouri. Levi's son, Robert, went to live with a Jas Ferguson, who lived near the Hornsbys. Why note Aaron and Catherine? And what is the relationship with Brinkley anyway? And who is Jas? He's not known as a son of Aaron.

Brinkly was the widower of Esther Ann Falls, born about 1800. There was more than one Falls who married a Ferguson but Rachel Falls would be about the right age to be a sister to Esther.

Meanwhile, Jas Ferguson is probably James Ferguson, the oldest son of Robert Ferguson and Rachel. Falls. If Levi were their son, it would make perfect sense for Levi to leave his children with his uncle and brother. However, if Aaron and Catherine were the parents of Levi then it makes less sense.

4) Aaron and Catherine and family went to Douglas County after the Civil War, true. However, so did James and his family. If Aaron and Catherine relocating is evidence of a relationship so is James relocating there. As far as evidence goes, this is a wash.

Aaron was the cousin to Robert and the two men appear to have been close. On Robert and Rachel's marriage bond, Aaron was the bondsman, which meant that he was willing to put up his property as security on behalf of his cousin. Also, James did live in Johnson County as did Levi's children for many years, so it makes sense that Aaron and Levi were close enough that Aaron would find shelter in Douglas County after Order 11.

None of this yet is unarguable proof that Robert Ferguson and Rachel Falls were Levi's parents but the case for them is reasonably sound.

Additionally, I have autosomal matches with 2 other Ancestry.com members who have John Falls and Rebecca Shields (the parents of Rachel Falls) in their family tree. This would seem to indicate a relationship with the Falls, however, this requires more testing to prove.

Sources

  1. Source: #S164
  2. Source: #S329
  3. Source: #S425
  4. Source: #S393 Kansas State Historical Society; Topeka, Kansas; 1856, 1857, and 1858 Kansas Territory Censuses; Roll: ks1856_1; Line: 28
  5. Source: #S54 Year: 1870; Census Place: Wakarusa, Douglas, Kansas; Roll: M593_433; Page: 472B; Image: 498; Family History Library Film: 545932
  6. Source: #S164
  7. Source: #S1 Ancestry Family Tree http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=58126951&pid=1062
  8. Source: #S425
  9. Source: #S68 Year: 1850; Census Place: District 5, Barry, Missouri; Roll: M432_391; Image: 421
  10. Source: #S343 Year: 1860; Census Place: Wakarusa, Douglas, Kansas Territory; Roll: M653_349; Page: 75; Image: 75; Family History Library Film: 803349
  11. Source: #S578
  12. Source: #S577 Collection Number: G&M_108; Roll Number: 108
  13. Source: #S583
  14. Source: #S582
  15. Source: #S597
  16. Source: #S164
  17. Source: #S54 Year: 1870; Census Place: Wakarusa, Douglas, Kansas; Roll: M593_433; Page: 472B; Image: 498; Family History Library Film: 545932
  18. Source: #S164
  19. Source: #S68 Year: 1850; Census Place: District 5, Barry, Missouri; Roll: M432_391; Image: 421
  20. Source: #S343 Year: 1860; Census Place: Wakarusa, Douglas, Kansas Territory; Roll: M653_349; Page: 75; Image: 75; Family History Library Film: 803349
  21. Source: #S597
  22. Source: #S393 Kansas State Historical Society; Topeka, Kansas; 1856, 1857, and 1858 Kansas Territory Censuses; Roll: ks1856_1; Line: 28
  23. Source: #S54 Year: 1870; Census Place: Wakarusa, Douglas, Kansas; Roll: M593_433; Page: 472B; Image: 498; Family History Library Film: 545932
  24. Source: #S68 Year: 1850; Census Place: District 5, Barry, Missouri; Roll: M432_391; Image: 421
  25. Source: #S164
  26. Source: #S164
  27. Source: #S343 Year: 1860; Census Place: Wakarusa, Douglas, Kansas Territory; Roll: M653_349; Page: 75; Image: 75; Family History Library Film: 803349
  28. Source: #S578
  29. Source: #S577 Collection Number: G&M_108; Roll Number: 108
  30. Source: #S582
  31. Source: #S597
  32. Source: #S329
  33. Source: #S583
  34. Source: #S425
  35. Source: #S425
  36. Source: #S425
  37. Source: #S425
  • Source: S1 Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.; Repository: #R1 NOTE<line></line>
  • Repository: R1 Ancestry.com
  • Source: S164 Ancestry.com. Kansas State Census Collection, 1855-1925 Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Repository: #R1
  • Source: S329 Ancestry.com U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2012; Repository: #R1
  • Source: S343 Ancestry.com 1860 United States Federal Census Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2009; Repository: #R1
  • Source: S393 Ancestry.com. Kansas State Census Collection, 1855-1925 Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2009; Repository: #R1
  • Source: S425 Ancestry.com Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002 Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2008; Repository: #R1
  • Source: S54 Ancestry.com 1870 United States Federal Census Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Repository: #R1
  • Source: S577 Ancestry.com U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918 Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2010; Repository: #R1
  • Source: S578 Graden, Debra, ed Kansas Election List, 1854 Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 1999; Repository: #R1
  • Source: S582 Graden, Debra, ed Kansas Voter Registration Lists, 1854-1856 Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 1999; Repository: #R1
  • Source: S583 Ancestry.com U.S., Compiled Military Service Records for American Volunteer Soldiers, Mexican War, 1845-1848 Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2013; Repository: #R1
  • Source: S597 11 Apr 1892, Page 3 - at Newspapers.com Repository: #R5
  • Repository: R5 www.newspapers.com
  • Source: S68 Ancestry.com 1850 United States Federal Census Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Repository: #R1




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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Levi by comparing test results with other carriers of his Y-chromosome or his mother's mitochondrial DNA. Y-chromosome DNA test-takers in his direct paternal line on WikiTree: It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Levi:

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