Thomas McCartney
b. abt 1809 in Ohio
d. abt 1861 (consumption) Sacramento, CA
Thomas McCartney
Thomas McCartney was born about 1809 in Ohio, probably in
Springfield, Clark County. He was one of 12 children of judge, farmer, miller and land
speculator William C. McCartney and his wife Margery.
On 2 Apr 1811, William McCartney, Sr., a miller, is elected as an Overseer of the Poor for
the Springfield, Ohio, area. And in 1814, William was the largest donor toward the
building of a 40x30' meeting house for the Methodist Episcopal Church in Springfield,
Clark, Ohio.
In the 1830 census, the William C. McCartney family lives in Union, Logan, Ohio, near West
Liberty, where William McCartney is again a miller.
On 23 May 1830, Thomas McCartney married Christena Newell in Logan Co., Ohio. They were
married by Jeremiah Fuson. Christena, born about 1811 in Ohio, was likely the
daughter of William and Elizabeth (Shields) Newell of Logan Co., Ohio.
Shortly after his marriage, Thomas moved with his parents and most of his siblings to the
South Bend, St. Joseph, IN, area where all of his known children were born.
Thomas’ son William W. McCartney was born in Indiana about 1831. His daughter Amanda
M. McCartney was born there about 1835 and his daughter Josephine A. McCartney was born
there about 1838. In 1840, Thomas McCartney, with his wife and three children, lived in
LaPorte County, IN. The family owned land in LaPorte, Elkhart and St. Joseph counties.
On 13 Jan 1845, Thomas McCartney, his father William C. McCartney and his brother in law
Elisha Egbert were among the incorporators of the Philadelphia Industrial Association in
South Bend. This was a socialist collective, inspired by Francois Marie Charles Fourier,
which sought to improve society through education and collective labor. The association,
which was based on William C. McCartney’s land, failed.
[Note that William C. McCartney, had both a brother and a son named Thomas. The
brother Thomas was a resident of St. Joseph Co., IN, on 4 Apr 1835, but by 19 Apr 1839, he
is recorded as a resident of Berrien Co., MI. Thus, it appears likely that William’s
son Thomas was the co-founder of the Philadelphia Industrial Association.]
In late February or early March of 1849, it appears that Thomas left South Bend for the
California gold fields with his brothers James and Benjamin. Indications are that James
returned to South Bend fairly quickly and resumed farming. Benjamin seems to have done
well in California and apparently returned to South Bend, via Panama, in late 1852 or
early 1853, after the death of their father on 30 Jul 1852.
On the census of 10 Sep 1850, Thomas’ wife and three children live in German
township, St. Joseph, IN, just north of South Bend. While it was reported by the census
that Thomas was in the household. It seems likely he was actually in California. Also
listed in his household were Lewis Barr, age 19, born in Pennsylvania and Wm. H. Ward ,
age 22, born in Ohio. These men are both listed as farmers and are likely farm hands left
to fill in for Thomas.
On 18 Nov 1850, Thomas appears on the census in Placerville and Vicinity, El Dorado, CA,
listed as a miner for gold with a reported real estate holding of $8,000.
In his will, signed on 9 Feb 1851, Thomas’ father William C McCartney left Thomas
$1,500 as a credit against Thomas’ debt to his father of $2,000. Thomas’ note to
his father was due & payable on 1 Mar 1854.
On 12 May 1852, Thomas was living near Sacramento, CA, when he gave a Power of Attorney to
William Miller of St. Joseph Co., IN. This could be the result of the death of his wife
Christena, as there would have been no one in Indiana to direct his financial affairs.
On 20 Jul 1860, Thomas is living in household 1027 as a farmer in Michigan Bar, Cosumnes,
Sacramento, CA. Michigan Bar was a gold rush town about 25 miles east-southeast of
Sacramento along the Cosumnes River. The Michigan Bar post office was established in 1855
and discontinued in 1935. As a town, it no longer exists; however a historical marker is
located there. Living with him are his son William McCartney and a farm
laborer, Louis Barr, 28. Louis seems likely to be the same farm hand that worked for the
family in South Bend in 1850, though his reported place of birth has changed from
Pennsylvania to Ohio.
Based on marriage records from Sacramento, it appears that Thomas’ daughter Josephine
McCartney also moved west and married a Frank Bailey, who was born about 1830 in Maryland.
The couple lives near to Thomas in household 777, Michigan Bar, Cosumnes, Sacramento, CA,
and has a daughter named Emma Bailey, born 1859 in California. The couple was married on
19 May 1859 at the Sebastopol mining camp, Sacramento Co., CA. Living with
Frank and Josephine Bailey is B.F. [Benjamin Franklin] McCartney, the son of Thomas’
brother Nathaniel McCartney and his wife Abigail M (Parker) McCartney. Nathaniel, also a
miller, had died of consumption/TB on 7 Jun 1856 in Scio, Linn, Ore., and his widow had
moved to Chico Twp, Butte, CA, perhaps to be near Thomas.
On 18 Jun 1860, Nathaniel’s widow Abigail is living in household 189, Chico, Butte,
CA. Benjamin is also listed as living in her household along with his siblings, a double
count. It appears that Thomas McCartney died near Sacramento, CA, of
consumption/TB about 1861.
On 10 Aug 1864, his son William McCartney of Sacramento Co., CA, sold Thomas’ ranch
to William Dugan of El Dorado Co., CA, for $1,250. It is described as a parcel of land of
one hundred and sixty acres and buildings in Sacramento Co. It was composed of “the
undivided half of the Eastern or upper half & the entire tract bounded on the
north by the Consumes River; on the east by the ranch known as Sheldon’s Ranch; on
the south by the high-lands or hills; and on the west by Wilson’s Ranch.
On 17 Mar 1867, William McCartney appeared before E.D. Shirland, the Sacramento County
Clerk, to record the deed, above, at the request of William Dugan.
There is no further record of Thomas’ son William W. McCartney, or his
daughters Amanda M. McCartney and Josephine (McCartney) Bailey. No solid record has been
found of his granddaughter Emma Bailey. Benjamin Franklin McCartney is last
mentioned in his mother’s probate notice, which was filed on 31 Mar 1864.
The answer to what happened to some of them may be in the probate archives of St. Joseph
Co., IN, as it would have been necessary for the county to arrange for the proper disposal
of Thomas McCartney’s assets, which were located there.
By John E. McCartney, Seattle. Rev: 8 Dec 2008
Supporting notes for this biography can be found here:
http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=johnmcx&id=I1025
* The information above was submitted to Sloughhouse Area Genealogical Society by descendents of Thomas McCartney and is presented here with permission of the McCartney family. This is for informational use only and for historical interest. No portion of this letter may be copied without consent of the submitter. For information, please contact Sloughhouse AGS.
