John Kerst Boyer (1790 - abt. 1843)

Born 8 Nov 1790 in Douglassville, Berks, Pennsylvania

Husband of Maria Elisabetha (Aurand) Boyer — married 1813 in Berks, Pennsylvania, United States

Descendants

Died about 12 Mar 1843 at about age 52 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States

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Biography

John Kerst Boyer Birth: 8 November 1790 Douglassville, Berks, Pennsylvania ^[1] He was widely known in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Illinois as a public works contractor. He settled in Chicago in 1833.^[2] John Kerst Boyer's journey from Pennyslvania to Illinois was described in the obituary of his daughter, Marie E. Boyer (Hilliard):

"Having come here from Reading, PA. about 1835. At that time, she was 17 years old. The journey was made with her father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. Boyer, who acting under the impulse of the prevailing fever to go West, started for Fort Dearborn. The trip was made in the face of many difficulties but reaching their destination at last they settled at the fort and in time became prominently identified with its interests. For a while they lived at the corner of Franklin and Lake streets and Miss Boyer reigned as a social favorite. ^[3]

He died March 12,1843 in Chicago, Cook County, IL. ^[4][5]

Notes

The date of John K. Boyer's immigration to Illinois of about 1835 is incorrect, it was 1833, and at the time his daughter Marie was only 13. She married John Kerst Boyer's business partner, Madore Beaubien in 1834, in Chicago, IL.

His son's obit says they came to Chicago in 1833. His daughter's obit says the family came to Chicago in 1835, traveling by boat from Buffalo to Detroit and by wagon from Detroit to Chicago.

John made land purchases in 1839 in Cook County at the Chicago land office. The 1839 Chicago city directory lists his occupation as Coroner and his son's as physician and both are living on South Water Street near Clark.

In 1842 he filed for bankruptcy in Cook County per legal notices in the Sangamo Journal / Illinois State Journal. John's death on 12 Mar 1843 was noted in the 1843 Chicago Directory. On 4 Mar 1847 the Sangamo Journal / Illinois State Journal, noted under State of Illinois Senate action: "Bill for the relief of the heirs of John K. Boyer, deceased; passed."

American Boyers, by Boyer & Boyer, 1940, states that John K Boyer and his wife were both buried in Chicago. https://archive.org/details/americanboyersby00boye/page/23/mode/1up?view=theater

Children

1. Valentine Aurand Boyer 1814–1890
2. Peter Boyer 1815–1820
3. Nathaniel Boyer 1817–1827
4. Marie Elizabeth Boyer 1820–1894
5. James A. Boyer 1825–1866

Sources

1. ↑ * American Boyers, 7th edition, volume 1, page 460
2. ↑ Title: The Biographical Dictionary and Portrait Gallery of Representative Men of Chicago, Milwaukee and the World's Columbian Exposition published 1892, Biography of Laurin P. Hilliard https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/wch/id/45014
3. ↑ The Inter Ocean Chicago, Illinois • Sat, Jul 21, 1894 Page 4
4. ↑ Bill for the relief of the heirs of John K. Boyer, deceased; passed. -Sangamo Journal / Illinois State Journal, 4 March 1847. In Jul 1842 legal notices ran in the same newspaper for John K. Boyer's bankruptcy case in Cook County,Illinois.
5. ↑ Find a Grave Memorial ID: 256558120 - American Boyers, by Charles C. Boyer. Revised by Melville James Boyer, published in 1940 states that John K Boyer and his wife both buried in Chicago. There was no rail service at that point, thus extremely unlikely his remains would have been taken to Pennsylvania for burial, particularly when he and his wife and children had moved to Chicago.

John K Boyer in the U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995 John K Boyer

Residence Year 1839

Residence Place Chicago, Cook, Illinois, USA

Occupation Coroner

Publication Title Chicago, Illinois, City Directory, 1839

https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/5232947?mark=7b22746f6b656e223a227330584c3543326d4174727a574975413359594c62536242474e41645a3556434f644e5a67386e595467673d222c22746f6b656e5f76657273696f6e223a225632227d

U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995 for Boyer Illinois,Chicago, 1843 Chicago, Illinois, City Directory, 1843 Lists widow of John Kerst Boyer, Elizabeth Aurand Boyer, boarding house and her death date. https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/5233006?mark=7b22746f6b656e223a226b76745a2b6765546b67594d6c766a44797875434649626d44484e5733484d4750694e344b74564f4d38773d222c22746f6b656e5f76657273696f6e223a225632227d

John K Boyer in the U.S., General Land Office Records, 1776-2015 ohn K Boyer

Issue Date 28 Jan 1839

Place Cook, Illinois, USA

Land Office Chicago

Meridian 3rd PM

Township 38-N

Range 14-E

Section 14

Accession Number IL0710__.169

Document Number 174

Original URL http://glorecords.blm.gov/details/patent/default.aspx?accession=IL0710__.169&docClass=STA&sid=2lybeqet.puw

https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/5233096?mark=7b22746f6b656e223a224274322b67456a586831674242714a56307a33776b70657330747558794d534a746d453048747238442b453d222c22746f6b656e5f76657273696f6e223a225632227d

John K Boyer in the U.S., General Land Office Records, 1776-2015

Issue Date 1 Oct 1839

Place Cook, Illinois, USA

Land Office Chicago

Meridian 3rd PM

Township 40-N

Range 14-E

Section 20

Accession Number IL0710__.168

Document Number 173

Original URL http://glorecords.blm.gov/details/patent/default.aspx?accession=IL0710__.168&docClass=STA&sid=2lybeqet.puw

https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/5233182?mark=7b22746f6b656e223a2231646e313666367759617541752f50474f6949456e514445583776764257526739585157592f646362666b3d222c22746f6b656e5f76657273696f6e223a225632227d

Find a Grave: Created by: Steph McGrath Added: 11 Jul 2023 Find a Grave Memorial ID: 256558120 Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/256558120/john-kerst-boyer: accessed 18 August 2023), memorial page for John Kerst Boyer (1790–12 Mar 1843), Find a Grave Memorial ID 256558120; Burial Details Unknown, buried in Chicago; Maintained by Steph McGrath (contributor 47790079).

"United States Census, 1820", database with images, FamilySearch (ark:/61903/1:1:XHLF-63Z : Fri Mar 10 00:56:16 UTC 2023), Entry for John K Boyer, 1820. https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/5237563?mark=7b22746f6b656e223a2244395274624d38686e78484254374e7a6c2f6b63346641696949597237724f6a4758697167375244757a413d222c22746f6b656e5f76657273696f6e223a225632227d

Republican Farmer, and Democratic Journal Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania · Wednesday, October 24, 1832 Lawsuit brought by Peter Aurand against John K. Boyer