Elijah Dodson (abt. 1790 - 1860)

Born about 1790 in Hawkins, Tennessee, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Midlock) Dodson — married 12 Mar 1807 in Claiborne County, TN USA

Descendants

Died 9 Jan 1860 at about age 70 in Yamhill, Oregon, United States

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

Biography

Born ca 1791 in Hawkins County, TN USA,^[1]. He arrived in Oregon Territory on Oct. 16, 1847 and filed his Donation Land Claim no. 4211 on Feb. 14, 1848 in Yamhill County. He died there Jan. 9, 1860 of heart disease at the age of 70 and is buried in Pike cemetery.^[2] He was appointed judge of the probate court for Yamhill County on Aug. 14, 1849. In 1850 the territorial government of Oregon was in full operation. Elijah was appointed commissioner by Governor Joseph Lane on the first board of county officers. In June 1850 he was elected commissioner, and in 1852 he was again elected to serve another term. ^[3] Dodson-3592

Elijah Dodson appears in the 1850 Federal census in Yamhill Co., Oregon Territory, with the following individuals in his household: wife, Eliz age 44; Mary age 14; James age 10; Eliz age 5; and Laoni age 1.

Elijah Dodson made his last will and testament in Yamhill Co., Oregon. Elijah's will is undated as to the day, month and exact year. Elijah's will named his daughter Leona Ruth Dodson as the sole beneficiary of his estate. Elijah's older children contested the will and petitioned the court in Yamhill county to treat Elijah's estate as an intestate estate, as if the will had never been written. As part of the evidence gathered, two of the men who witnessed the signing of the will gave sworn testimony in court that they were present when Elijah signed the will and they signed as witnesses to the will, and that the will was signed in 1858. The county court in Yamhill County decided in favor of the Estate that the will was valid. The older children appealed the decision of the county court to the Circuit Court. The Circuit Court affirmed the decision of the lower county court, and Elijah's will stood. The original estate records are available on microfilm, and there are 133 images. The on-line database holding the will, suit and estate records can be found at: "Oregon, Wills and Probate Records, 1833-1963", Ancestry.com.

The following is an exact transcript of Elijah Dodson's Last Will & Testament as transcribed from the microfilm: "In the Name of God Amen. I Elijah Dodson of the county of Yamhill, Territory of Oregon being in sound mind but verging closely upon "three years and ten" do make and publish this my last will & testament, hereby revoking all former wills testaments and arrangements of property in all respect. Whereas, I now owe no debts, and am at present the owner of 320 acres of good land & improvements, and have about fifteen hundred dollars worth of personal property; I therefore by this will do desire to dispose of the same as follows hereafter; & if I shall make any changes in the same not parting with ownership, such changes unless excepted out of this will shall not alter the terms or bequest herein made. First I give and bequeath unto Leona Ruth Dodson my Daughter now in her ninth year of age all my Estate Real & personal above specified and all the Estate real & personal of which I may die sized in any manner charging said Estate only with my debts & Funeral Expenses. Second As to my children William Dodson Jesse Dodson Mary Harris wife of John Harris Rachel Dawson wife of John Dawson Jane Roberts wife of Jesse Roberts & Margaret Wilson wife of Thomas Wilson I have given to them all the property that feel it my duty to give as they are all well off in the world & my little Daughter is to raise & educate. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand seal this ____ day of ____ AD 185___ [signed] Elijah Dodson [Seal] Signed sealed and delivered in the presence of the Testator & witnesses by his request J.G. Baker Sam Kinney L. W. Lawson".

Burial in Pike Cemetery, Yamhill, Yamhill County, Oregon, United States.

Sources

• Date of birth, death, and place of burial: Find A Grave: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=129962223

• 1850 Federal census Yamhill Co., Oregon Territory. National Archives and Records Administration microfilm M432 Roll 742, page 165B.

• Will and Estate records, Yamhill Co., Oregon. On-line database at Oregon, Wills and Probate Records, 1833-1963, Ancestry.com, microfilm images 975 through 1108.

• WikiTree profile Dodson-815 created through the import of Dodsons Only.GED on Nov 22, 2011 by Betty Dotson. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Betty and others.

1. ↑ 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 p127
2. ↑ 1860 Oregon Mortality Census. Provided by Dodson researcher Joy Deal Lehmann.
3. ↑ copied from Elijah Dodson family history compiled and copyright in 1993 by Dodson researcher Joy Deal Lehmann