William Dana (1789 - 1879)

Born 28 Aug 1789 in Watertown, Middlesex, MA

Ancestors

Husband of Caroline (Platts) Dana — married 4 Apr 1833 in Rindge, Cheshire, NH

Husband of Ann Eliza (Watson) Dana — married about 1851 in Michigan [uncertain]

Descendants

Died 8 Feb 1879 at age 89 in Ward's Corner (now Lamont), Madison, Buchanan Co, IA

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Dennis Field [send private message] and Bob Fields [send private message]

Biography

Many conflicting records show birth date as 1801 in Vermont, not 1789 in MA, including his obituary and census records after 1850. This is definitely the same 1789 William Dana - the children's names (Thesta, Lucy, Josiah Leverett, Caroline, Charles) match other names in the family of 1789 William Dana.

His parents moved from Cambridge MA to Watertown MA in 1790, then to Chester VT in 1794. It is likely that he did not know or remember anything before living in Vermont. Perhaps he wanted to shave some years off his age when he married his much younger third wife Elizabeth. it appears that his wife Ann Eliza and his daughter in law Elizabeth Watson Dana were sisters, the daughter of Allen Watson whose ancestors lived in Elgin county Ontario Canada where both women were born at a place called Watsons Corner.

Fields family (written/oral) history, and his obituary, shows birth date October 12, 1800 in Rutland or Battle Creek, Wyndom Co. VT. There is no Battle Creek VT. I have kept the oral history location here since it comes from the children and is more likely correct, and matches up with one of the three ancestry.com genealogies. Either date fits in with the sibling birth dates and mother's age.^[1]

Other family histories on rootsweb and ancestry.com show the birth date as 12 May 1801, in Middlesex, MA (where his parents were from, likely a guess rather than anything with supporting evidence) or Rutland VT. Those references do not list a wife or any children for William. The parents appear to have moved from Newton MA to Rutland VT around 1793. He was the last of 8 children.

Records located in Buchanan Co. Iowa genealogical site show that Wm Dana was born in 1789 in MA, not 1801 in VT (the census records in Iowa must have the wrong birth year). He had 2 wives; number 2 was the mother of wm adams dana born 1833, Caroline Platts. Both died young and one child came from the two marriages.

The Dana surname in the US originated in Cambridge MA. Richard Dana from Manchester England was the forefather. The name 'William Dana' was highly regarded in the family because second cousin Captain William Dana (29 Sep 1745 - 30 Oct 1809) commanded a Company of Artillery at Bunker Hill and fought with Washington throughout the New York campaign in the Revolution. The name 'Dana' also must have been well admired because it appears as a given and middle name throughout subsequent generations for the next 100 years. It was pronounced with a midwestern twang, i.e. 'Daney'.

William married Hannah Whipple on 30 August 1827 in Chester, Vermont, United States.^[2][3]. Hannah died in 1830.

William then married Caroline Platts on 4 April 1833 in Rindge, Cheshire, New Hampshire, United States.^[4] They had only one son together. Platts Family Genealogy Book and Dana Family in America book says after wedding in 1833 they moved to NY state, then moved to Vermont for sons birth a few months later.

Marriage 3 Ann Elizabeth (Eliza) Watson. This marriage produced most of his children, despite his advanced age (between 53 and 80).

1840 Census, Richland Twp, Kalamazoo MI shows Wm Dana, daughter Thesta born in Michigan. On birth register they stayed there until 1853.

1850 Census, Salisbury, Essex, MA William age 50 born NH, occupation 'Spinner', with (third) wife Eliza 1806 born MA, son William Adam 15 born MA.

1860 Iowa Census shows Wm Dana born abt 1800 in Vermont, living Madison, Buchanan, Iowa, Post Office: Buffalo Grove and Erie. With son Wm A Dana 25 and his wife Elisabeth 21^[5].

1870 Iowa Census shows William Davy (Dana) age 69 born Vermont living in Madison, Buchanan, Iowa. Son William was not listed, but his wife Ann age 38 and children are listed.^[6]

1870 Iowa Census shows William Dona (Dana) age 37 born MA living in Madison, Buchanan, Iowa. Post Office Quasqueton. Different children than 1860? William 1860, Lillie 1864, Charles 1866, Andrew 1868.^[7]

1850 Census, Salisbury, Essex, MA, shows William Dana (1800 NH) occuaption 'Spinner', wife Eliza (1806 MA) son William (1835 MA).^[8]

Buchanan County Burial Records: William Dana born 1801 dies 8 Feb 1879, age 78. Madison Cemetery, Add 1, lot 118, page 104.^[9]

William is buried alonside his wife Ann at Madison Cemetery, Aurora, Buchanan County, Iowa, United States with a death date of 8 February 1879.^[10]

AGBI Index shows William Dana born 1800 Vermont.^[11]

Obituary - 12 Feb 1879 BCB, Ward's Corners: Last Saturday morning Mr Wm Dana, one of the oldest settlers of Madison township, passed from earth to the spirit worls, after a sickness of only six or eight days. There are many others in the vicinity sick with the same disease.

Obituary - 12 Feb 1879 Con: Wm. Dana, one of the oldest settlers of Buffalo Township, died at his residence on Saturday last, at the age of 78 years, after an illness of only a week. Mr. D, was well and favorably known as a man of good character, and one who had many friends. He was a native of Vermont, but made this country his abiding place for the past 25 years. He died of pneumonia. And thus another of our first settlers has crossed the river. (Obituary notes indicate William Adams Dana, born 2 Oct 1800, d. 8 Feb 1879, buried Madison Cemetery - Aurora, lot 118. Married Elizabeth Watson.

Research Notes

There was a source listed that now is a broken link: [ebooksread.com/authors-eng/almon-d-almon-danforth-hodges/genealogical-record-of-the-hodges-family-of-new-england-ending-december-31-189-gdo/page-25-genealogical-record-of-the-hodges-family-of-new-england-ending-december-31-189-gdo.shtml genealogical-record-of-the-hodges-family] It would seem this was referring to :

Hodges, Almon. Genealogical Record of the Hodges Family of New England (Frank H. Hodges, Boston, 1896)

However, I can find no references to William Dana in that source (Danforth-870; 6/22/2023)

Sources

1. ↑ Entered by Bob Fields, Jan 21, 2012
2. ↑ Marriage: "Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954", database with images, citing FHL microfilm: 27726; Record number: 3179, FamilySearch Record: V89Z-JW2 (accessed 22 June 2023) FamilySearch Image: 939K-Y6SS-DX,
3. ↑ Whipple Family Genealogy Book and Vermont Marriage Records
4. ↑ Marriage: "New Hampshire, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1636-1947", database with images, citing Marriage, Rindge, Cheshire, New Hampshire, United States, New Hampshire Bureau of Vital Records and Statistics, Concord; FHL microfilm 005468817, FamilySearch Record: QPMX-FV3Y (accessed 22 June 2023) FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-899S-XF8S Image number 00176,
5. ↑ 1860; Census Place: Madison, Buchanan, Iowa; Roll: M653_313; Page: 156; Image: 158; Family History Library Film: 803313
6. ↑ 1870; Census Place: Madison, Buchanan, Iowa; Roll: M593_379; Page: 508B; Image: 303; Family History Library Film: 545878.
7. ↑ 1870; Census Place: Madison, Buchanan, Iowa; Roll: M593_379; Page: 508B; Image: 303; Family History Library Film: 545878.
8. ↑ 1850; Census Place: Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts; Roll: M432_313; Page: 17A; Image: 374. Family# 261
9. ↑ Iowa, Cemetery Records, 1662-1999. Works Project Administration. Graves Registration Project. Washington, D.C.: n.p., n.d. These cemetery records represent seventy-six counties in Iowa which were transcribed by the Works Project Administration.
10. ↑ Memorial: "Find a Grave", database with images, Find A Grave: Memorial #115537428 (accessed 22 June 2023), Memorial page for William Dana (28 Aug 1789-8 Feb 1879), citing Madison Cemetery, Aurora, Buchanan County, Iowa, USA; Maintained by 47117651 (contributor 47117651).
11. ↑ Godfrey Memorial Library, comp.. American Genealogical-Biographical Index (AGBI) Volume 39 Page 386: Gen. Column of the " Boston Transcript". 1906-1941. The greatest single source of material for gen. Data for the N.E. area and for the period 1600-1800. Completely indexed in the Index: 13 Apr 1933, 5941

• FamilySearch Person: GS6C-TTT

• https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.2.1/MWYH-YRM

• Bob Fields, from oral/written Fields/Field family history.
• http://trees.ancestrylibrary.com/tree/51643120/person/13232105943
• http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=115537428 buried alongside his wife.

• 1870 Census Iowa, Buchanan, Madison, 14: Listed as William Davy, living with daughter Ann and grandchildren.

• http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=mclalwojcorb&id=P4090
• http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=buchroeder&id=I529127492
• http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=flakey&id=I529127492
• http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=12390410&pid=2033