Saturday Night Genealogy Fun

Calling all Genea-Musings Fans: 

 It’s Saturday Night again – 

Time for some more Genealogy Fun!!

Your mission, should you decide to accept it (cue the Mission Impossible! music) is to:

1)  Pick one of your ancestors that you want to know more about.  Based on your knowledge of their life, what story lines do you want to explore?

I would love to know more about my third great grandfather, Hiram M. Currey. While I have compiled quite a list of facts about Hiram between 1817 and 1849, there’s a lot that I don’t know. Thus, my questions.

• Was your father the treasurer for the state of Ohio? It so, how did the scandal involving the Ohio State Treasurer impact the family?
• How did your father’s political activities impact the family prior to him becoming the state treasurer?
• Was your mother Sarah Reagan? If so, how old were you when she died?
• Did your father remarry? If not, did he have someone to help take care of his young children after his wife’s death?
• Do you have any brothers? If so, whomWhen and where did your father die? Did you attend the funeral?
• How were you trained to be a lawyer? Did you apprentice under another lawyer? If so, who?
• How did you meet your wife, Rachel Harris Whittaker?
• Why did you move to Peoria?
• Were you ever in the same courtroom as Abraham Lincoln? If so, what was that experience like?
• When did Rachel die?
• What was your relationship with Rachel’s son, Harris Whitaker like?
• Why was your son, Hiram living with his aunt in 1850?
• Where were your sisters Julia, Mary and Carline living in 1850?
• Did your sister, Julia, have any children? If so, who?
• What happened to your sister Mary’s children?
• Did you actually go to the gold fields? If so, did you make it to California or did you die along the trail?
• Can you explain how your various military ranks: private in Capt. Pike’s Company of Rock River Rangers; Major of Peoria batallion; 2 Sergeant in Capt. Eads company of Mounted Rangers; lietenant colonel of the 1st regiment
• Who appointed you “Commissioner on the Conduct of the Pottawatomi” and why?
• Where did you die? Where are you buried?

Timeline for Hiram M. Currey

30	23 May 1817	Witness: on a mortage deed between Hiram M. Currey and Gustavus Swan; Franklin, Ohio, United States
35	4 Apr 1822	Occupation: admitted into the practice of law, the 1st attorney of Rush County and was at once made prosecutor; Rush, Indiana, United States
35	26 Sep 1822	Occupation: admitted to practice law; Indianapolis, Marion, Indiana, United States
35	10 Oct 1822	Occupation: appointed the first prosecuting attorney; Shelby County, Indiana
36	Apr 1823	Occupation: resigned as prosecuting attorney; Rush, Indiana, United States
37	28 Sep 1824	Marriage: Rachel Harris-1278; John W. McReynolds, a licensed minister of the gospel of the Methodist Episcopal Church; Edgar, Edgar, Illinois, United States
38	Abt 1825	Residence: Medina Township, Peoria, Illinois, United States
38	1825	Tax: assessed $225; Ten Mile Creek, Peoria, Illinois, United States
38	Abt Jul 1825	Office-Pol: appointed Constable; Peoria, Peoria, Illinois, United States
39	10 Jul 1826	Land-Purch: purchased lot 9 in Block No. 2 at $51.00 during the first public sale of lands; Peoria, Peoria, Illinois, United States
39	Aug 1826	Office-Pol: ran for county commissioner; Peoria, Illinois, United States
39	26 Dec 1826	Office-Pol: nomination for justice of peace for Peoria County was approved by Illinois House of Representatives; Peoria, Peoria, Illinois, United States
39	27 Dec 1826	Office-Pol: confirmation by the Senate for his nomination by the Illinois House of Representatives for justice of peace representing Peoria County was announced; Peoria, Peoria, Illinois, United States
40	5 Jan 1827	Office-Pol: commissioned justice of peace; Peoria, Peoria, Illinois, United States
41	14 Aug 1828	Office-Pol: a candidate for county commissioner; Peoria, Peoria, Illinois, United States
41	18 Oct 1828	Office-Pol: a candidate for justice of peace; La Salle District, Peoria County, Illinois
42	1829	Residence: an early settler; Spring Bay Township, Tazewell County, Illinois
42	29 Aug 1829	Office-Pol: received 28 votes for justice of the peace and was elected to the office; LaSalle Precinct, Peoria County, Illinois
42	9 Nov 1829	Occupation: Justice of Peace; Peoria, Peoria, Illinois, United States
43	1830	Residence: was listed with 1 male age 10-15, 2 males age 30-40, 1 female under 5, 1 female age 20-30 on the 1830 census; Peoria, Peoria, Illinois, United States
43	1830	Occupation: to have performed a marriage ceremony in the home of John Hammett but did not arrive until late; Mossville, Peoria, Illinois, United States
43	4 Mar 1830	Military: commissioned major of Peoria battalion; Illinois, United States
43	15 Jul 1830	Occupation: justice of the peace ; Peoria, Illinois, United States
44	Bet 16 Jun 1831 and 26 Jun 1831	Military: served in Capt. Pike’s Company of the Rock River Rangers as a private in the IL Volunteer Militia in the Sac & Fox War. Hiram M. Currey enrolled at Fort Armstrong; Illinois, United States
45	1832	Residence: was appointed along with Charles Ballance as commissioners to a road towards Knoxville that passes on north line of; Peoria, Peoria, Illinois, United States
45	Abt 1832	Occupation: performed the first marriage solemnized between white people in this region between Harris W. Miner and Miss Nancy Gross; Stark, Stark, Illinois, United States
45	23 Apr 1832	Military: as 2 Sergeantt in Capt. Eads’ Company of Mounted Rangers in Stillman’s Battalion, Illinois Mounted Volunteers; Illinois, United States
45	1832	Military: on the muster roll of Captain Abner Eads Company of Mounted Ranging Volunteers enrolled on an Order from Commander in Chief of the Militia of the State of Illinois to Brigadier General Isaiah Stillman for the service of the United States and served as Orderly Sergt. from May 17th to the 21st of May; Peoria, Peoria, Illinois, United States
45	28 Jun 1832	Military: having served as 2 Sergeant in Captain Ead’s Company Mounted Rangers in Stillman’s Battallion, Illinois Mounted Volunteers; Illinois, United States
45	6 Nov 1832	Military: sent a letter and petition to General Atkinson regarding burning of land and bridge by Winnebago Indians. The letter is signed Hiram M. Curry, major Peoria Add Battn of Ill Militia; Peoria, Peoria, Illinois, United States
45	16 Nov 1832	Residence: identified at the bottom of a letter from Henry Atkinson, Jefferson Barracks dated; Peoria, Peoria, Illinois, United States
45	Dec 1832	Office-Pol: Commissioner on the conduct of the Pottawatomi; Illinois, United States
47	1834	Land Entry: applied to enter land (SW 1/4 S5 T10N R9E of 4th Principle Meridian) by preemption agreeably to Act of Congress of 19 June 1834; Peoria, Peoria, Illinois, United States
47	17 Oct 1834	Land-Purch: the SW1/4 Section 9 Township 9N Range 8E of the 4th Principal Meridian from Lewis Hallock and Sophia his wife of Peoria Co., IL; Peoria, Peoria, Illinois, United States
47	18 Oct 1834	Land-Sold: the SW1/4 Section 9 Township 9N Range 8E in the Military Bounty Tract of Illinois to Blewford Stringer for $200.00; Illinois, United States
48	1835	Residence: mentioned in tax list; Peoria, Peoria, Illinois, United States
49	Bet 1836 and 1840	Court: involved in a land dispute with Isaac Underhill regarding whether Hiram M. Curry was actually residing on the land he had claimed by preemption being the SW fractional quarter Section 5 Township 10 North Range 9 East of the 4th principal meridian; Peoria, Peoria, Illinois, United States
49	1836	Occupation: taught school in a cabin near where the residence of Moses Neal now stands; Peoria, Peoria, Illinois, United States
49	19 Mar 1836	Land Entry: claiming he occupied and raised a crop on the SW fraction quarter of Section 5 Township 19 N Range 9 East of 4th principal Meridian in year 1833; Peoria, Peoria, Illinois, United States
49	30 May 1836	Land Entry: paying $44.20 for the SW fractional quarter of Section 5 Township 10 N Range 9 E of the 4th principal meridian containing 35 acres; Peoria, Peoria, Illinois, United States
49	9 Jul 1836	Land-Purch: the E 1/2 of the NW 1/4 Section 30 Township 11N Range 9E of the 4th Principal Meridian being 78 and 99/100 acres for $150 from Linus Scoville and his wife Elizabeth Scoville; Peoria, Peoria, Illinois, United States
49	9 Jul 1836	Land-Sold: 78 and 99/100 acres in the E 1/2 NW 1/4 S30T11NR9E of 4th principal meridian for $800.00 to Thomas M. Currey; Peoria, Peoria, Illinois, United States
51	3 Oct 1838	Land Entry: His certificate #8250 for SW1/4 S5T10NR9E was cancelled; Peoria, Peoria, Illinois, United States
53	1840	Office-Pol: candidate for representative; Peoria, Peoria, Illinois, United States
53	1840	Residence: was listed on the 1840 census with 1 male under 5, 1 male 30-40, 1 female under 5, 1 female 30-40; Peoria, Peoria, Illinois, United States
53	23 Nov 1840	Land-Purch: being the  E1/2 of the NW1/4 Section 30 Township 11N Range 9E of 4th principle meridian; Peoria, Peoria, Illinois, United States
55	28 Mar 1842	Land-Sold: by quit claim to Isaac Underhill the S 1/2 of Section 5 Township 10N Range 9E of 4th principal meridian acquired by virtue of preemption for the sum of $150.00; Illinois, United States
55	31 Dec 1842	Military: commissioned lieutenant colonel of 1st regiment; Illinois, United States
57	27 Nov 1844	Residence: member of school trustees; Woodford, Woodford, Illinois, United States
62	Abt 1849	Migrated: to the gold fields