People

Lisette Wallawalla (Tawasaqklie) ca. 1817–?

Narcisse Lavadour’s mother

Her birth name, the creator writes, was Tawasaqklie, “one who gets her work done early” in Walla Walla Sahaptin. Whether she was a daughter of Peopeomoxmox is a family tradition the creator records as undocumented and undisproved.

Read at: Zybach 2015, Douglas County Pioneer, September 2015, pp. 55–56; the creator’s section index, Appendix C.

Not named on any page the Library reproduces; the citation above is to a work the Library links but does not copy.

Solomon Bigham

Mary Alice Bigham’s father

The creator writes that it is possible Martha and Solomon were married at some point, and asks openly who knows anything about him between 1864 and 1868.

Read at: Zybach 2015, Umpqua Trapper II, pp. 8 and 20.

Named on 11pages of the reproduced text — The Search for Letitia Carson, I p.3 , The Search for Letitia Carson, I p.8 , The Search for Letitia Carson, I p.12 , The Search for Letitia Carson, I p.17 , The Search for Letitia Carson, II p.3 , The Search for Letitia Carson, II p.7 , The Search for Letitia Carson, II p.8 , The Search for Letitia Carson, II p.9 and 3 more .

Jane Blevens

David Carson’s sister, of Ashe County, North Carolina

Read at: Oregon probate transcriptions, p. 1.

Named on 10pages of the reproduced text — Estate sales transcriptions p.5 , Estate sales transcriptions p.30 , Estate sales transcriptions p.47 , Estate sales transcriptions p.51 , Oregon probate transcriptions p.1 , Oregon probate transcriptions p.34 , Missouri probate transcriptions p.9 , Missouri probate transcriptions p.15 and 2 more . Named in 2 documents in the registers — 18580926_Power_of_Attorney , 18591022_Estate_Payment-Blevins .

Letitia Carson ca. 1814–1888

The subject of the series

Born enslaved in Kentucky between 1814 and 1818; came over the Oregon Trail in 1845; sued Greenberry Smith twice and won both times; proved a homestead claim on South Myrtle Creek in 1868; died in February 1888 and was buried in the Stephens graveyard.

Read at: Zybach 2015, BlackPast entry, p. 2; Zybach 2014, Umpqua Trapper, pp. 4–10.

Named on 123pages of the reproduced text — Estate sales transcriptions p.1 , Estate sales transcriptions p.2 , Estate sales transcriptions p.3 , Estate sales transcriptions p.4 , Estate sales transcriptions p.5 , Estate sales transcriptions p.6 , Estate sales transcriptions p.7 , Estate sales transcriptions p.8 and 114 more . Named in 16 documents in the registers — 18540227_Complaint_L_Carson-1 , 18540227_Complaint_L_Carson-2 , 18540313_Statement_L_Carson-1 , 18540313_Statement_L_Carson-2 and 12 more .

David Carson ca. 1800–1852

Letitia Carson’s partner; the estate the suits were about

Born in County Antrim; came to America about 1818 with his brothers and sisters; held a farm and a town lot in Platte County, Missouri, and became a citizen in October 1844; claimed 640 acres in Soap Creek Valley in 1845, reduced to 320 in 1850; died in September 1852 after a short illness.

Read at: Zybach 2014, Umpqua Trapper, pp. 4 and 6.

Named on 139pages of the reproduced text — Estate sales transcriptions p.1 , Estate sales transcriptions p.2 , Estate sales transcriptions p.3 , Estate sales transcriptions p.5 , Estate sales transcriptions p.6 , Estate sales transcriptions p.8 , Estate sales transcriptions p.9 , Estate sales transcriptions p.12 and 130 more . Named in 8 documents in the registers — 18411216_D_Carson_Land_Deed , 18530304_Billing_D_Carson , 18530408_Receipt_D_Carson , 18531002_Receipt_D_Carson and 4 more .

Adam Andrew Jackson (“Jack”) Carson 1849–1922

Letitia and David Carson’s son

Born in Soap Creek Valley in 1849. He stayed on South Myrtle Creek when the Lavadour families moved to the reservation, took the land from his mother, never married, and was buried beside her in 1922.

Read at: Zybach 2014, Umpqua Trapper, pp. 6 and 10.

Named on 31pages of the reproduced text — Estate sales transcriptions p.2 , Estate sales transcriptions p.17 , Estate sales transcriptions p.33 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.8 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.10 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.11 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.17 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.18 and 22 more . Named in 14 documents in the registers — 18530404_Billing_AJ_Carson , 18530508_Receipt_AJ_Carson , 18591022_Estate_Payment-A_Carson , 18540301_Subpoena_A_Carson and 10 more .

Mathew Carson

David Carson’s brother, of Ashe County, North Carolina

Appointed attorney in fact by several of the Carson heirs to collect their shares of the Missouri estate.

Read at: Missouri probate transcriptions, pp. 3–4.

Named on 18pages of the reproduced text — Estate sales transcriptions p.5 , Estate sales transcriptions p.43 , Estate sales transcriptions p.47 , Estate sales transcriptions p.49 , Estate sales transcriptions p.50 , Estate sales transcriptions p.51 , Oregon probate transcriptions p.1 , Missouri probate transcriptions p.3 and 10 more .

Martha Josephine Carson Lavadour 1845–1911

Letitia and David Carson’s daughter

Born 9 June 1845 on the Oregon Trail, near the crossing of the South Platte; married Narcisse Lavadour on 19 January 1868; moved to the Umatilla Reservation in 1887; buried in Umatilla County in 1911.

Read at: Zybach 2014, Umpqua Trapper, pp. 6 and 8; the creator’s section index, chapter 9.

Named on 17pages of the reproduced text — Estate sales transcriptions p.2 , The Search for Letitia Carson, I p.3 , The Search for Letitia Carson, I p.6 , The Search for Letitia Carson, I p.8 , The Search for Letitia Carson, I p.10 , The Search for Letitia Carson, I p.12 , The Search for Letitia Carson, I p.15 , The Search for Letitia Carson, I p.16 and 8 more . Named in 1 document in the registers — 18680119_M_Carson_Marriage_Certificate .

Mary Alice Bigham Lavadour born 1864

Letitia Carson’s eldest granddaughter

Born 26 November 1864, Martha’s daughter; married the younger Joseph Lavadour. The creator publishes a photograph of the two of them dated 1938, and notes that she kept her father’s surname until she married. When she died is not stated on any page in this series.

Read at: Zybach 2015, Umpqua Trapper II, p. 8; Zybach 2014, Umpqua Trapper, p. 17.

Named on 7pages of the reproduced text — The Search for Letitia Carson, I p.8 , The Search for Letitia Carson, I p.10 , The Search for Letitia Carson, I p.17 , The Search for Letitia Carson, II p.8 , The Search for Letitia Carson, II p.10 , The Search for Letitia Carson, II p.14 , The Search for Letitia Carson, II p.18 . Named in 1 document in the registers — 19220925_Probate_AC_Carson-1 .

Narcisse Lavadour 1840–?

Martha Carson’s husband

Born 1 January 1840, son of Joseph Lavadour and Lisette; married Martha Carson on 19 January 1868 and became stepfather to Mary Alice Bigham.

Read at: Zybach 2015, Douglas County Pioneer, September 2015, p. 56; Zybach 2015, Umpqua Trapper II, p. 9.

Named on 11pages of the reproduced text — The Search for Letitia Carson, I p.3 , The Search for Letitia Carson, I p.8 , The Search for Letitia Carson, I p.10 , The Search for Letitia Carson, I p.12 , The Search for Letitia Carson, I p.17 , The Search for Letitia Carson, II p.3 , The Search for Letitia Carson, II p.9 , The Search for Letitia Carson, II p.12 and 3 more . Named in 2 documents in the registers — 18680119_M_Carson_Marriage_Certificate , 19220925_Probate_AC_Carson-1 .

Joseph Lavadour

Narcisse Lavadour’s father

A Red River Métis from Quebec who fished and trapped for the North West Company and the Hudson’s Bay Company; the family settled a few miles south of the Carsons, near present-day Milo.

Read at: The creator’s section index, Appendix C; Zybach 2015, Umpqua Trapper II, p. 9.

Named on 3pages of the reproduced text — The Search for Letitia Carson, I p.3 , The Search for Letitia Carson, I p.12 , The Search for Letitia Carson, II p.3 .

Benjamin Young

Carroll County, Virginia; heir by marriage

Read at: Missouri probate transcriptions, pp. 3–4.

Named on 5pages of the reproduced text — Estate sales transcriptions p.43 , Estate sales transcriptions p.46 , Missouri probate transcriptions p.3 , Missouri probate transcriptions p.4 , Missouri probate transcriptions p.8 . Named in 2 documents in the registers — 18570302_Power_of_Attorney , 18580621_Estate_Payment .

Asahel Bush

Printer of the Oregon Statesman

Paid five dollars at a time out of the estate for advertising it.

Read at: Oregon probate transcriptions, p. 1.

Named on 9pages of the reproduced text — Estate sales transcriptions p.3 , Estate sales transcriptions p.8 , Estate sales transcriptions p.16 , Estate sales transcriptions p.17 , Estate sales transcriptions p.25 , Oregon probate transcriptions p.1 , Oregon probate transcriptions p.6 , Oregon probate transcriptions p.23 and 1 more . Named in 4 documents in the registers — 18530000_Receipt_Bush , 18540926_Billing_Statement_Bush , 18541010_Receipt_Bush , 18560307_Receipt_Bush .

Julius Cardwell

Served process in the second suit

Read at: The creator’s 2013 index to the documents; Zybach 2015, Umpqua Trapper II, p. 20.

Named on 21pages of the reproduced text — Estate sales transcriptions p.17 , Estate sales transcriptions p.27 , Estate sales transcriptions p.30 , Estate sales transcriptions p.31 , Estate sales transcriptions p.33 , Estate sales transcriptions p.34 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.33 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.67 and 13 more .

Joseph Hughart

Surety on the administrator’s bond; appraiser

Read at: Oregon probate transcriptions, pp. 2–3.

Named on 15pages of the reproduced text — Estate sales transcriptions p.5 , Estate sales transcriptions p.6 , Estate sales transcriptions p.12 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.7 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.17 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.18 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.27 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.29 and 7 more . Named in 6 documents in the registers — 18521125_Administrator_Smith-2 , 18521207_Appraiser_Statements , 18530104_Hughart_Appraiser_Bill , 18541005_Subpoena_Hughart_et_al and 2 more .

John Kelsay

Greenberry Smith’s attorney

Entered for the defendant in March 1854 and argued the demurrer.

Read at: Carson v. Smith transcriptions, p. 3.

Named on 18pages of the reproduced text — Estate sales transcriptions p.33 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.3 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.4 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.5 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.6 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.22 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.26 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.27 and 10 more . Named in 12 documents in the registers — 18540300_Kelsay_Statement-1 , 18540300_Kelsay_Statement-2 , 18540300_Kelsay_Statement-3 , 18540300_Kelsay_Statement-4 and 8 more .

A. N. Locke

Probate judge, Benton County

Read at: Oregon probate transcriptions; the creator’s 2013 index to the documents.

Named on 20pages of the reproduced text — Estate sales transcriptions p.15 , Estate sales transcriptions p.18 , Estate sales transcriptions p.25 , Estate sales transcriptions p.26 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.6 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.7 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.8 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.10 and 12 more . Named in 7 documents in the registers — 18541107_Receipt_Locke , 18550603_Receipt_Locke , 18550605_Receipt_Locke_(1) , 18550605_Receipt_Locke_(2) and 3 more .

David Logan

Attorney billing the estate

Read at: The creator’s 2013 index to the documents.

Named on 8pages of the reproduced text — Estate sales transcriptions p.17 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.22 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.25 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.26 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.32 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.43 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.46 , Oregon probate transcriptions p.24 . Named in 1 document in the registers — 18541012_Billing_Logan .

Jacob Modie

Appraiser of the estate; witness

Read at: Oregon probate transcriptions, p. 3.

Named on 11pages of the reproduced text — Estate sales transcriptions p.6 , Estate sales transcriptions p.7 , Estate sales transcriptions p.12 , Estate sales transcriptions p.18 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.34 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.62 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.64 , Oregon probate transcriptions p.3 and 3 more . Named in 8 documents in the registers — 18521207_Appraiser_Statements , 18521207_Estate_Appraisal-1 , 18521207_Estate_Appraisal-2 , 18530104_Modie_Appraiser_Bill and 4 more .

John Robinson

Administrator of the Missouri side of the estate

Administered David Carson’s Platte County land and made the settlements of 1853, 1855 and 1857.

Read at: Missouri probate transcriptions, pp. 1–3.

Named on 16pages of the reproduced text — Estate sales transcriptions p.5 , Estate sales transcriptions p.30 , Estate sales transcriptions p.36 , Estate sales transcriptions p.41 , Estate sales transcriptions p.43 , Estate sales transcriptions p.45 , Estate sales transcriptions p.46 , Oregon probate transcriptions p.1 and 8 more . Named in 5 documents in the registers — 18530000_Property_Taxes_1850-1852 , 18530006_Robinson_Receipt , 18550000_Estate_Expenses , 18570000_Estate_Settlement and 1 more .

Greenberry Smith

Administrator of David Carson’s estate; defendant in both suits

Born in Virginia, raised in Indiana, farmed in Clay County, Missouri, and came west in 1845. Appointed administrator in November 1852; held that Letitia and the children were property and not heirs; lost to her twice.

Read at: Zybach 2014, Umpqua Trapper, pp. 6–7.

Named on 101pages of the reproduced text — Estate sales transcriptions p.5 , Estate sales transcriptions p.6 , Estate sales transcriptions p.8 , Estate sales transcriptions p.12 , Estate sales transcriptions p.17 , Estate sales transcriptions p.18 , Estate sales transcriptions p.25 , Estate sales transcriptions p.26 and 93 more . Named in 50 documents in the registers — 18521125_Administrator_Smith-1 , 18521125_Administrator_Smith-2 , 18530000_Receipt_Bush , 18530110_Doctor_Billing and 46 more .

A. J. Thayer

Letitia Carson’s attorney

Filed the February 1854 complaint for her and appears throughout the case file.

Read at: Carson v. Smith transcriptions, p. 2.

Named on 26pages of the reproduced text — Estate sales transcriptions p.34 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.2 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.9 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.10 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.11 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.13 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.14 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.15 and 18 more . Named in 16 documents in the registers — 18540227_Complaint_L_Carson-1 , 18540227_Complaint_L_Carson-2 , 18540313_Statement_L_Carson-1 , 18540313_Statement_L_Carson-2 and 12 more .

John Wiles

Surety on the administrator’s bond; took the inventory

Read at: Oregon probate transcriptions, pp. 1–2.

Named on 5pages of the reproduced text — Estate sales transcriptions p.5 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.7 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.8 , Oregon probate transcriptions p.2 , Oregon probate transcriptions p.20 .

James G. Clark

Witness to Letitia Carson’s homestead proof, 1868

Read at: The creator’s 2013 index to the documents.

Named on 2pages of the reproduced text — The Search for Letitia Carson, II p.10 , The Search for Letitia Carson, II p.20 .

Hardy Elliff

Upper Cow Creek settler

Married Melvina Baker on 15 November 1853; the following month the two filed a 320-acre donation land claim along the Territorial Road. Letitia Carson worked for the Elliff family.

Read at: Zybach 2014, Umpqua Trapper, pp. 8 and 15.

Named on 7pages of the reproduced text — The Search for Letitia Carson, I p.13 , The Search for Letitia Carson, I p.14 , The Search for Letitia Carson, I p.15 , The Search for Letitia Carson, I p.16 , The Search for Letitia Carson, I p.17 , The Search for Letitia Carson, II p.4 .

Peter Groslouis

Swore to Narcisse Lavadour’s age in January 1868

Read at: The creator’s 2013 index to the documents; Zybach 2015, Umpqua Trapper II, p. 20.

Not named on any page the Library reproduces; the citation above is to a work the Library links but does not copy. Named in 1 document in the registers — 18680118_Testament_Grauslaus .

John Kelly

Signed the 1863 homestead application and the 1868 certificate

Read at: Zybach 2015, Umpqua Trapper II, pp. 11 and 13.

Named on 5pages of the reproduced text — The Search for Letitia Carson, II p.6 , The Search for Letitia Carson, II p.11 , The Search for Letitia Carson, II p.12 , The Search for Letitia Carson, II p.13 , The Search for Letitia Carson, II p.20 .

Peopeomoxmox ?–1855

Walla Walla leader

Killed and his body mutilated by Oregon Territory militia on 7 December 1855. The creator records, without endorsing, a family tradition that Lisette Wallawalla was his daughter.

Read at: Zybach 2015, Douglas County Pioneer, September 2015, p. 55.

Not named on any page the Library reproduces; the citation above is to a work the Library links but does not copy.

Stephen Staats

Oregon emigrant of 1845; recalled David Carson on the trail

His 1876 recollection is reprinted in the creator’s 2014 article.

Read at: Zybach 2014, Umpqua Trapper, pp. 18–19.

Named on 1page of the reproduced text — The Search for Letitia Carson, I p.18 .

Benjamin Stephens

Held the donation land claim the graveyard stands on

Read at: Zybach 2014, Umpqua Trapper, p. 10.

Named on 2pages of the reproduced text — The Search for Letitia Carson, I p.9 , The Search for Letitia Carson, I p.10 .

Joel Thorn

Swore to Martha Carson’s age in January 1868

Read at: The creator’s 2013 index to the documents; Zybach 2015, Umpqua Trapper II, p. 20.

Named on 2pages of the reproduced text — The Search for Letitia Carson, II p.9 , The Search for Letitia Carson, II p.20 . Named in 3 documents in the registers — 18530500_Land_Survey_Hathorn , 18530500_Survey_Receipt_Hathorn , 18680115_Testament_Thorn .

Joshua Wright

Witness to Letitia Carson’s homestead proof, 1868

Read at: The creator’s 2013 index to the documents; Zybach 2015, Umpqua Trapper II, p. 20.

Named on 7pages of the reproduced text — Estate sales transcriptions p.25 , Carson v. Smith transcriptions p.19 , Oregon probate transcriptions p.26 , The Search for Letitia Carson, II p.9 , The Search for Letitia Carson, II p.10 , The Search for Letitia Carson, II p.12 , The Search for Letitia Carson, II p.20 . Named in 2 documents in the registers — 18550622_Receipt_Wright , 18680619_Proof .