Taylor, Hauskins, Thomas Families

The Hauskins and Taylor families under the guidance of William Humphrey Taylor headed west in 1847.  Their trip was longer than normal lasting nearly 2 years¹ .   The family settled in the Cosumnes River Valley near Sloughhouse in 1849.  In 1880 the Hauskin's and Thomas families were enumerated in Lee Township, Sacramento County, California. Most of the family members mentioned in this biography are buried at the Sloughhouse Pioneer Cemetery.   California, in 1863 had a smallpox epidemic, though it is not mentioned this is likely the disease that took the lives of several of the Taylor & Hauskins children and other children in the settlements.

William Humphrey Taylor, Sr. was born in Pennsylvania September 3 1796.  He married Mary Griste, daughter of George Griste, on May 2, 1814.   They had 3 children who accompanied them to California, Eliza Clementine, James and Silas.   James, born June 2, 1844,   married Jennie (last name unknown).  James died in 1910 and Jennie in 1935.   Silas Matthew Taylor married Lucretia Johnson on July 6, 1839.  Silas and Lucretia's 2 children Jesie and Daniel both died at a young age.  Jesie B.M. Taylor was 1 year old and died October 17, 1863, most likely of smallpox. Another child, Daniel W.G. Taylor died in 1864 at the age of 9.  Silas was born in Warrick County, Indiana and died July 19, 1867.  After Silas' death, Lucretia returned to Indiana.

Eliza Clementine Taylor married Clayton Tiffin Hauskins, Sr.  Eliza was born March 7, 1817 in New York² and died August 4, 1883.  They had children, Clayton Tiffin, Jr., Eliza G., Franklin, John W., Mary Eugenia and Richard.   Eliza G. Hauskins died at 13 years of age October 6, 1863¹; her brother John, 8 years old, died 5 days later. Franklin died in 1895, of complications, due to an accidental self-inflicted gunshot a few years earlier.  There is no record of Franklin ever marrying.  Clayton, Jr. married Mary Jane Taylor. Mary Eugenia Hauskins married Richard Flagg Thomas.

1880 Census
Sacramento County
Census Place:    Lee, Sacramento, California
    Source:    FHL Film 1254071 National Archives Film T9-0071 Page 296C

Mary Eugenia Hauskins married Richard Flagg Thomas. Richard's Thomas family began roots in Rhode Island. There were about six Thomas brothers all of whom moved, sometime before 1790, from Portsmouth, Rhode Island to Cambridge, Washington County, New York. The family moved within New York where several went to Cayuga County and then on to Yates County, where Richard Thomas was born. The Thomas brothers and their wives were originally Quakers; they moved together with a number of other Quakers from Rhode Island and coastal Massachusetts to New York State.

Richard took a ship, probably from NY, to the Isthmus of Panama, then eventually to California, to mine gold. Richard's adventures took him to do some horse trading and gambling but not so much gold digging. He met Mary Hauskins and they were married in 1859 at Sutter's Fort. The couple left soon after for Richard's home in upstate New York. Richard had a large extended family there, and wanted to return. About 1880 Richard and Mary took a train from NY to CA, and settled into life in the Sacramento Valley. Richard farmed wheat in the Valley; they also had cattle and chickens. 1  The Thomas homestead, located on Sloughhouse Road, is still standing.

Richard & Mary had several children including 5 sons, Charles Orlando, Herb, Edwin, William and Frank.  They had 4 daughters, Lizzie, Stella, Flora and Carrie Ednie. Carrie Ednie died in California. Mary Eugenia passed away in 1909 at the age of 69;  she reportedly had suffered a stroke and was paralyzed for sometime before her death.1   After Mary's passing the family story so goes that Richard lost his wife's recipe for brown bread and that sent home notes with different schoolchildren to their mothers asking for their recipes.1  Their son, Charles, married Bertha Davis.

Charles Orlando Thomas married Bertha Davis sometime before 1899.  A son, Roy, was born in 1899 in Portland, Oregon.  By 1900 they were back in the Valley where they are found on the census living with Richard & Mary Thomas, Charles' parents. 

* The information above was submitted to Sloughhouse Area Genealogical Society by R. Thomas and is presented here with permission of the Thomas family. The data is supplemented through local history documents (see footnotes). This is for informational use only and for historical interest. No pictures may be copied without consent of the submitter.  For information, please contact Sloughhouse AGS.

Footnotes:

1.  Historic Cosumnes and the Slough House Pioneer Cemetery. Pamphlet. Norma Baldwin Ricketts. National Society Daughters of Utah Pioneers. 1978.

2. 1880 Census.

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