John Richmond Howland (1806 - 1860)

Born 30 Oct 1806 in Killingly, Windham, Connecticut, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 23 Apr 1860 at age 53 in Oakland, Michigan, USA

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This profile is part of the Howland Name Study.

Biography

Birth & Origin

John Richmond Howland was born October 30, 1806, in Killingly, Windham, Connecticut, United States

Parents

John's Father was Hozial Howland (1779-1865) and Mother Wealthy (Warren) Howland (1780-1850)

In the 1830 census John Richmond Howland was in Killingly, Windham, Connecticut.^[1]

His younger sister Wealthy "Waty" Howland Horner moved with her husband Benjamin Horner to Michigan to be near her brother John.

John was named after a Grandfather whose surname was Richmond.

John Richmond Howland was also a descendant of Thomas Rodgers who did sail on the Ship the Mayflower.

John Richmond Howland was a great man, and as usual, he would give to anyone that was in need of anything, be it food or farming, or checking in on neighbors with a burden.

That was how such a Great man met his demise during his time of putting others before his own, and his Family's needs.

Marriage

John married Elizabeth Rhodes from Rutland, Pennsylvania in 1835, and purchased land from the United States Government.

In the 1840 census John Richmond Howland and his wife Elizabeth Rhoades Howland were in White Lake, Oakland, Michigan.^[2]

Children

• Victor Howland (1829-1909)^[3][4]
• Warren Howland (1832-)
• Emaline Ella (Howland) Mathews (1837-1931)^[5][6]
• Ephraim Howland (1841-1926)^[7][8]
• Julia (Howland) Hitchcock (1844-1926)^[9]

Sometime later they moved to White Lake Township, Oakland, Michigan, and bought the property that consisted of forty acres on Section 14 and was purchased for fifty dollars.

John was employed on 26 November 1847 in East White Lake, Oakland, Michigan.^[10]

On October 3rd, 1850 census, John Richmond Howland was 43 years old, he was a Farmer in White Lake, Oakland, Michigan, United States.^[11]

Name	Sex	Age	Occupation	Birth Place
J R Howland	M	43	Farmer	Connecticut
Elizabeth Howland	F	41		New York
Victor Howland	M	21		Pennsylvania
Warren Howland	M	18		Pennsylvania
Evelina Howland	F	13		Michigan
Ephraim Howland	M	9		Michigan
Julia Howland	F	6		Michigan

He built a log cabin twelve feet by sixteen feet inside, with an overlap of round poles straightened on the upper side to lay the floorboards, and this created a loft that was able to be entered by using a ladder.

The cabin had one door, and one window, and the cabin was built with a stone fireplace, topped by clay, and was used for both cooking and heating.

The roof was covered with shakes or split staves about three feet long, and although these shingles kept out most of the elements, sometimes snow would find its way through the roof making most winters difficult.

The cabin was in a forest with wild animals and Native American Indians passing through from time to time.

There were no pasture fields for cattle, but he let the cattle be turned loose in the unfenced land.

Bells were fastened to each cow's neck to enable the Family to find each cow while they were browsing around herbs and greens.

Small clearings surrounded the homestead, which was used for growing vegetables like corn, wheat, and Potatoes.

Life was hard sometimes but for the most part amazing.

The trouble started one day when John had a friend who was very ill, which they thought was food poisoning.

His condition continued to worsen, so John went to his friend, and neighbor's house to see if he could help out.

John stayed and help care for the man until the neighbor died.

When the Physician arrived, he told John that the man just died of Smallpox, and more than likely transmitted the high-infection disease.

On April 1, 1860, John's son Ephraim Howland describes his father's ordeal as follows " You will think no doubt that what I am going to tell you is an exaggeration, but everything I tell you is the truth of what my father went through from this sad Virus" "When I tell you that this poison virus ate the entire skin from my father's body, the bottom of his feet, and the inside of his hands was no exception." "His eyelids disappeared, and he was covered with a crust of raw and putrid flesh. Blood dried and hardened by a raging fever which would cause long fisher bleeding cracks. The bed clothing on which he laid, became glued to his body, and when we tried to get them to lose, his screams, and moans would chill our hearts to no end, causing us to shrink from the task at hand.

My Father kept up this awful fight for nearly a month and gave up the ghost on April 23, 1860.

John was in a record on June 1, 1860. John was 54 years old and married to his wife Elizabeth^[12]

"No one was allowed to travel the road on either side of the farm because of how contagious this virus was". "After my father died, he had to be buried, and happening to know another man about three miles away, I had to go see if he would help me". "I ran out into the dark of night to get him to assist me, and we wound him in the sheets upon which he died because we could not separate them from his body". "We put his remains in a pine box, and I hitched a team to the wagon on which we placed the box". "Then opening the fence I drove to the burial ground (Granger Cemetery) in the darkness, where we performed the solemn obligations of burial."

I do know that John's sister Wealthy Howland Horner was inconsolable when the news arrived her way since she loved her older brother so very deeply.

Death & Burial

John Richmond Howland died on April 23, 1860, at the age of 53, in Oakland County, Michigan, USA. Burial was at Granger Cemetery, in White Lake, Oakland County, Michigan, United States, Plot Row 2, MEMORIAL ID 8594679, ^[13]

Sources

1. ↑ 1830 Census: "1830 United States Federal Census"
   Year: 1830; Census Place: Killingly, Windham, Connecticut; Series: M19; Roll: 11; Page: 127; Family History Library Film: 0002804
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 8058 #103657 (accessed 4 June 2023)
   John Howland in Killingly, Windham, Connecticut.
2. ↑ 1840 Census: "1840 United States Federal Census"
   Year: 1840; Census Place: White Lake, Oakland, Michigan; Roll: 209; Page: 41; Family History Library Film: 0014797
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 8057 #2237758 (accessed 4 June 2023)
   John R Harland in White Lake, Oakland, Michigan.
3. ↑ Marriage of son Victor Howland: "Michigan Marriages, 1868-1925"
   citing Marriage, Lapeer, Lapeer, Michigan, , Citing Secretary of State, Department of Vital Records, Lansing; FHL microfilm 4208668.
   FamilySearch Record: N3DZ-Q4Y (accessed 4 June 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: S3HY-63J9-9D4 Image number 418
   John R Howland's son Victor Howland marriage to Minnie Yerkie on 4 Feb 1903 in Lapeer, Lapeer, Michigan.
4. ↑ Death of son Victor Howland: "Michigan Deaths and Burials, 1800-1995"
   citing FHL microfilm: 974256; Record number: 270;
   FamilySearch Record: FH85-H4G (accessed 4 June 2023)
   John Howland in death record for son Victor Howland, 6 Dec 1909 in Lapeer, Lapeer, Michigan, United States.
5. ↑ Death of daughter Emeline E Mathews: "Michigan Deaths and Burials, 1800-1995"
   citing FHL microfilm: 966506; Record number: 206;
   FamilySearch Record: FHSX-34R (accessed 4 June 2023)
   John Howland in death record for daughter Emeline E Mathews, 18 Feb 1931 in Emmet, Michigan, United States.
6. ↑ Death of daughter Emilene E Mathews: "Michigan Death Certificates, 1921-1952"
   citing Bliss, Emmet, Michigan, United States, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics, Lansing; FHL microfilm 1,973,233.
   FamilySearch Record: KFHF-Q4Q (accessed 4 June 2023)
   John Howland in death record for daughter Emilene E Mathews, 18 Mar 1931 in Bliss, Emmet, Michigan, United States.
7. ↑ Marriage of son Ephraim Howland: "Michigan Marriages, 1868-1925"
   citing Marriage, Pontiac, Oakland, Michigan, , Citing Secretary of State, Department of Vital Records, Lansing; FHL microfilm 4209293.
   FamilySearch Record: N3PH-8HR (accessed 4 June 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: S3HT-6QJ9-FLV Image number 606
   John R's son Ephraim Howland marriage to Glendora F. Fenwick on 2 Jun 1915 in Pontiac, Oakland, Michigan.
8. ↑ Death of son Ephram Howland: "Florida Deaths, 1877-1939"
   citing FHL microfilm: 2116643; Record number: 49;
   FamilySearch Record: FPZC-KZZ (accessed 4 June 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: S3HT-DC4Q-1GP Image number 993
   John Howland in death record for son Ephram Howland, 2 Mar 1926 in Hollywood, Broward, Florida, United States.
9. ↑ Death of daughter Julia Hitchcock: "Michigan Death Certificates, 1921-1952"
   citing Jasper, Midland, Michigan, United States, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics, Lansing; FHL microfilm 1,973,021.
   FamilySearch Record: KFQX-C4M (accessed 4 June 2023)
   John Holland in death record for daughter Julia Hitchcock, 22 Oct 1926 in Jasper, Midland, Michigan, United States.
10. ↑ Employment: "U.S., Appointments of U. S. Postmasters, 1832-1971"
    The National Archives in Washington, DC; Washington, DC; Record of Appointment of Postmasters, 1832-Sept. 30, 1971; Record Group: Records of the Post Office Department; Record Group Number: 28; Series: M841; Roll Number: 61; Volume Number: 15
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 1932 #431124 (accessed 4 June 2023)
    Name: John R Howland; Post Office Location: East White Lake, Oakland, Michigan; Appointment Date: 26 Nov 1847; Volume Year Range: 1843-1857.
11. ↑ 1850 Census: "1850 United States Federal Census"
    The National Archives in Washington D.C.; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29; Series Number: M432; Residence Date: 1850; Home in 1850: White Lake, Oakland, Michigan; Roll: 359; Page: 162a; Line Number: 11
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 8054 #3200623 (accessed 4 June 2023)
    J R Howland (43), Farmer, in White Lake, Oakland, Michigan, USA. Born in Connecticut.
12. ↑ 1860 Census: "U.S., Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885"
    National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington, D.C.; Non-population Census Schedules for Michigan, 1850-1880; Archive Collection: T1164; Archive Roll Number: 15; Census Year: 1860; Census Place: White Lake, Oakland, Michigan; Line: 8
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 8756 #193585 (accessed 4 June 2023)
    Born in Connecticut, USA.
13. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8594679/john-richmond-howland

• Life of John Richmond Howland[1]

• Death, and Burial of John Richmond Howland[2]

• "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MF8L-7Y3 : 12 April 2016), J R Hewland, White Lake, Oakland, Michigan, United States; citing family 2196, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

• John Richmond Howland, Mentioned in the Death Record of Ephram Howland (John Howland's Son), Death • Florida Deaths, 1877-1939, Name, Ephram Howland, Sex, Male, Age, 75, Burial Date, 4 Mar 1926, Burial Place, Detroit, Mich., Death Date, 2 Mar 1926, Death Place, Hollywood, Broward, Florida, United States., Birth Date,1 Aug 1841, Birthplace, White Lake, Mich. Marital Status, Married, Race, White, Father's Name, John Howland, Father's Birthplace, Conn. Mother's Name, Elizabeth Rhodes, Mother's Birthplace, Conn. Event Type, Death, "Florida Deaths, 1877-1939", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FPZC-KZZ : 23 February 2021), John Howland in entry for Ephram Howland, 1926.