Elisha Tompkins Couch, 1820-1896, parents and siblings

Elisha Thompkins Couch 1820-1896

My second great-grandfather, Elisha Tompkins Couch, was born in Green's Corner, Oneida County, New York on 14 April 1820 according to Find a Grave. E.T. was married to Jane Angeline Dunham on 24 December 1846 in Oneida County, New York, according to family notes. At this time, May 2020, I am unable to verify this with county records. E. T. died 6 December 1896 in Seneca, LaSalle County, Illinois. He is buried in Mt Hope Cemetery, Seneca, Illinois.








Since the early 1990s, I have been searching for his parents and siblings. Thank you to DNA, I have connected with several descendants of his siblings. In February while researching and expressing my frustration at my family searches at the Family History Library, Lawrenceville, Georgia, Oria Kelly asked for family information. Within a very short time, Oria Kelly found a newspaper interview with Julia Couch Fraser. The full interview is in the Rome Daily Sentinel newspaper found on The Old Fulton New York Post Cards site.  Below is a small part of the full article.

Using this newspaper article, I have attempted to reconstruct my direct line ancestor to his parents and siblings. For the full details, see my tree Roots Digger (Under Construction) on Ancestry and Roots Digger2020 on MyHeritage.

E T Couch parents: Elisha Couch, about 1776 - 1854 and Lucy Loveland 1778 - 1853, dates need verification.

E T Couch siblings:

Sophia, 1802-1879

Nancy Ann 1804-1840

Solomon 1805-

Elisha 1808-1808

Joab 1809-

Jemima 1811-1900

Lucy 1812-

Joel 1813-

Julia A 1816-1911

Sarah 1818-1910

Adelia 1822-1910

More information and my sources are on my trees. This is only my research, please share your thoughts.  PLEASE, I would like to share with any family member that has photos or documents or stories on these family members. Thank you!!! Happy tree climbing and roots digging, Selma

"Wedding of the Waters" by Peter L Bernstein

Wedding of the Waters by Peter L. Bernstein reveals the day to day economic, political, and historical account of the Erie Canal from the Hudson River at Albany to Lake Erie at Buffalo, New York. As an economic consultant, author and publisher of "Economics and Portfolio Strategy," Peter Bernstein writes from a global economic view. According to the author, George Washington was aware of the need to extend the country beyond the Appalachian Mountains. On page 22, Mr. Bernstein wrote that without a connection "the pioneers moving west would have little allegiance to the lands they left behind."

Dividing the book into five parts, the author covers:

• The Visionaries — This section includes the history of canals, locks, aqueducts and the men behind the plans.
• The Action Begins — This section details the economic advantages such as on page 116, "one man, one boy, and one horse..." Would move one ton one hundred miles for one dollar. "The cost by road ...would be ten dollars a ton." Also included is a descriptive steamboat ride up the Hudson river in 1810. My ancestors migrated to Oneida County, New York about this time. Did they take the river route north?
• The Creation — This section describes the physical building of the canal. Building the Erie Canal presented many unknown challenges such as terrain, size, and methods of construction. As stated on page 204, "There was no precedent for such an undertaking." At this time, there was no stagecoach line west of Rome.
• The Stupendous Path — This section details decisions for the west end. The construction challenges of the terrain in the Niagara Falls area. Also included are the details of the "wedding" or joining of the canal from Lake Erie to New York City. In chapter 17, the author reminds the reader that the extensive festivities provided a celebration lasting over 12 days. "In a space of just eight years, with no financial or any other kind of assistance from the national government or any sister state," New York's dream came true, page 309. This completed the dream and planning of De Witt Clinton. Gov. De Witt Clinton presided over the first complete voyage starting October 26, 1835 The voyage traveled the full length of the Erie Canal from the shores of Lake Erie to the Hudson River to New York City.
• After The Wedding — This section. on page 325, reminds the reader of the canal's success such as in 1826 about 7,000 boats were operating on the canal. In 1837 the entire debt was repaid page 325. The legacy of the Erie Canal included decrease travel time, increased work load, growth and riches for New York plus the drawing together of our country with travel to and products from west of the Appalachian Mountains.

My motivation for reading the book was personal history on the development of the area. The author met my expectations with descriptions of the towns and living conditions. Elisha Couch, along with other men, purchased Greenway cemetery, Rome, New York, in 1823. The Couch family is listed in Verona in the1850 federal census. According to the federal census records, the Couch name has been in Oneida County since 1800. The Dunham name appears in the 1810 federal census for Rome. In the mid 1850s, my families migrated to Wisconsin and Illinois.

Comments or questions, please email Selma Blackmon.

DUNHAM research in Oneida County, New York - early census

According to family records, Jane Angeline Dunham was born 6 November 1823 in Rome, New York. The 1855 New York state census collaborates this information. Land records place the family in Rome and Verona in the 1850s. Who is Jane's father? My census research offers several possibilities. But, my family photographs offer another possibility. Which will be correct or is there another possibility?

Before explaining the census research, the photographs keep haunting me. The photographs of "Aunt Sarah Dunham" and "gr grandpa & gr grandma Dunaham [Dunham]" beg for a say so in my debate. In Jane's 1906 obituary, she is identified as Mrs. Jane A. Couch survived by two living sisters (unable to locate county death records). Who? Aunt Sarah's face matches other Oneida County, New York Dunham's. So, she is probably a Dunham by birth not marriage. Sarah Dunham Hickok died in 1911. Sarah had a sister, Louisa Dunham Boyden who died in 1913. Documents verify their parents as William F. Dunham and Sarah Metcalf. Jane's son Eugene was married in 1874 in Streator, Illinois. William F. and Sarah were alive until after 1880. Maybe they attended the wedding and stopped in Kankakee for a photograph.

 BUT census records do not substantiate this hypothesis. Census records point to Joseph Dunham of Rome, New York and born in Newport, Rhode Island. Find A Grave provides information that a Joseph Dunham was buried in Stanwix Cemetery, Rome, New York in 1854.If this is the same Joseph then the photograph is wrong.

Findings from the Oneida County, New York census research:

1840 - 12 given names with 3 possibilities: Alpheus (b1810) lived in Westmoreland, Joseph (b1787)lived in Rome, William F.(b 1799) lived in Whitestown.

1830 - 9 given names with 3 possibilities: Alpheus (b1810) lived in Whitestown, Joseph (b1787) lived in Rome, William (?) lived in Utica. If this is William F. children should show up, none listed.

Following these families:

Alpheus (b1810) does have a daughter named Jane Ann. Jane married James Nobel. A future article will parallel these two ladies.

Joseph (1787) does have a female in the household and the correct age. So far, unable to verify other members of the household.

William F. (1799) does have multiple members in the household. If he would be Jane's father, some of his other children would have to be shifted to different age categories.

William F. Dunham (1799-?) and Sarah Metcalf (1799-?) family documented with the help of "cousins" and documents:

Lindsey William Dunham (1820)

Sarah Dunham Hickok (1821)

Augusta Dunham Boyden (1825)

Louisa Dunham  Hempton (1834)

Who is Joseph? What happened to his family? Joseph may be the same as buried in the Rome Cemetery in 1854.

The 1850 federal census for Phoenix, Oswego, New York:

Joseph (1787) born in Rhode Island

Elisabeth

index Benyer (1824) digital looks like Benajer?

The 1870 federal census for Rome Ward 2, Oneida, New York:

J. B. Dunham and Elisabeth without a Joseph.

The 1850 and 1870 census match ages, these may be the same people. Could the J.B. be Benajer? No relationships are given.

Adding "my Jane" to the mix, the ages match the 1830 and 1840 marks for Joseph in Rome. "My Jane" was married in 1846 in New York.

From the census research, Joseph presents the best case for her father. How do I explain the obituary with two living sisters? More articles as I find records.