Posted by Pat Carlson
on February 2, 2009, 12:20 am
67.60.57.162
I've read all the posts & don't find anything about my (supposed) ancestors. William A. Harmon b: 1828 VA d: after 1910 census -- m Susan Fuller b: 1831 NC. Children: John A b 1855, Abram M b 1857, James B b 1859, Margaret J b 1861, William R b 1863, Lizzie C b 1866, Sarah N b 1868, Joshua b 1871, Thomas K b 1875.
My mystery is William R. Harmon, who I believe to be my great-grandfather. He moved his family to Washington Territory after committing some crime, I was told in Kansas. He changed his name to John W. Smith and he appears in the last Washington Territorial Census in 1892 as John Smith, wife C Smith, children William Andrew & Susan Sarah and "Infant" b. 1891.
William R. Harmon married Christiana Helman in Winfield, Kansas on April 12, 1885, according to family Bible AND marriage certificate I obtained in Winfield last fall. Prior to 1890, they owned property near Arkansas City, Cowley County, Kansas but lost it in a foreclosure (as did William A Harmon and Andrew Helman, Christiana's father).
I found William A. & Susan Harmon AND Andrew & Sarah Helman in the 1890 Oklahoma Territorial Census. Christiana (shown as Christena) is living with the Helmans, her parents, and her two children, Andrew and Susie are shown as children of Christiana's parents.
William R. Harmon is nowhere to be found. Was he in jail? Did he evade the law & go to Washington? My great-uncle found the information back in the 1960s but destroyed it due to the shame to the family. All he told anyone was that the original family name was "Harmon". I have learned all the rest of the above information on my own by starting with Christiana Helman.
I'm hoping that there may be descendents of William R. Harmon's siblings that may know the truth.
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