Rev. 10 Jan. 2008, Gen. 7
DESCENDANTS OF HENRY GRAVES AND ANN ------ OF TN, VA & DUBOIS CO., IN
GENERATION 1
Henry Graves (1) was born about 1812 in TN. He was a farmer. He married Ann ‑‑‑‑‑‑. She was born about 1804 in VA.
They were in the 1860 census for Columbia Twp., Dubois Co., IN, Ludlow P.O., dwelling 730, page 107. John Graves was living next door and is presumed to be a son. There may have been other children.
The 1850 censuses for IN, TN and VA were also searched for Henry Graves. The only household that may be this Henry Graves was in Essex Co., VA, page 91, household 449, which showed Henry Graves, 35, manager, born VA, Sarah Graves, 45, born VA, and Mary Graves, 4, born VA. Considering the different name for the wife of Henry, perhaps her name was actually Sarah Ann. Regarding the lack of John Graves in the household, we could speculate that they moved to VA when Henry got a job as manager and left John (and perhaps other children) in the care of relatives in TN, since John would have been old enough by that time. Because the 1860 census showed son William as born in VA about 1810, it does seem reasonable that they would have been in the 1850 VA census.
Since the name Henry was used almost exclusively in the branch of the Capt. Thomas Graves of VA family descended through John2, Ralph3, Ralph4, and many members of that part of the family lived in TN, it is believed that this may be the ancestry of this family.
Children - Graves
+2. John Graves, b.c. 1838, m. Mary A. ‑‑‑‑‑‑, prob. d. by 1870.
3. Mary Graves, b.c. 1843 (TN).
4. William Graves, b.c. 1850 (VA).
GENERATION 2
CHILDREN OF HENRY GRAVES (1) AND ANN ------
John Graves (2) was born about 1838 in TN (or possibly VA),
and probably died by 1870, since he was not in the 1870 census with his
family. He married Mary A. ‑‑‑‑‑‑. She was born about 1834 in IN, and probably
died in 1873 or 1874, since the family story is that George was left an orphan
at age 13 or 14. They were in the 1860
census for Columbia Twp., Dubois Co., IN, Ludlow P.O., dwelling 731, page 107,
living next door to the household of Henry and Ann Graves. The family was in the 1870 census for
Columbia Twp., Dubois Co., IN, Ireland P.O., dwelling 58, page 37, but John was
not in the household in that census.
All their children were born in IN.
Children - Graves
+5. George Luther Graves, b. 15 or 16 Oct. 1859, m. Julia Effie Hull, 15 March 1882, d. 1938.
6. Amelia Graves, b.c. 1866, m. George Hill.
7. John Graves, b.c. 1868.
GENERATION 3
CHILDREN OF JOHN GRAVES (2) AND MARY A. ------
George Luther Graves (5) was born 15 or 16 Oct. 1859 in
Dubois Co., IN, and died in 1938. He
married Julia Effie Hull, daughter of George Henry Hull and Caroline T.
Parmenter, on 15 March 1882 in St. Catherine, MO (or in Hardtner, Barber Co.,
KS[1]). She was born about 1860.
George supposedly moved to Illinois with his mother and
siblings, but this must have been after 1870, since they were still living in
Columbia Twp., Dubois Co., IN in 1870.
After both parents had died by the time George was 13 or 14, George had
completed six months of schooling. He
finished raising his sister and brother.
After marriage, they established their home in Raton, NM,
where George was employed by the Santa Fe Railroad as conductor. Their first 3 children were employed in
Raton. He homesteaded 160 acres of land
in Barber Co., KS, five miles northeast of Hardtner, KS. He moved his family there in 1889, and
George and Julia lived there until their deaths, with the exception of 8 years
when they lived in Alva, OK, so their children could continue their education. They moved back to the farm in 1916. The last two children were born on the farm
near Hardtner.
As homesteaders moved on after staking claims, George would
purchase the land for taxes. To the
north he bought the Burnha land as he did in the west. Eventually his Crown Point Ranch consisted
of 2200 acres, where he raised quality Galloway cattle and other breeds.
Besides being a rancher and railroad engineer, George was the
first person in the nation to get spotted channels (fish) to reproduce in
ponds. The Bureau of Fisheries claimed
he was the first to induce catfish to spawn in captivity. Mr. Clapp, the game warden from the Pratt
Hatchery, said they found that the fish were reproducing in barrels that George
had put in the Graves Lake for such purposes.
This article was published in the Pratt Tribune and Wichita Eagle around
1919.
When George Graves first moved his family to Hardtner, they
lived in a dugout (a sod house). Later
on they built a one and a half story frame house.
In the early days before the country was surveyed, there was
just a trail leading from Medicine Lodge to Alva, OK. Their homestead was just about halfway between. So anyone going from one of these towns to
the other would drive to their land the first day, camp overnight, aand go on
the next day. There was a tall pole in
the yard and a lantern would be hung on it at night so that travelers could
find their way. Carrie Nation stopped
there many times. (R‑1, R‑2)
Children - Graves
8. Mable Graves, b. 1882, d. 1887 (age 5, of typhoid fever). Oldest child.
+9. George Luther Graves, Jr., b. 17 Feb. 1883, m. Vera Zella Blunk, 1908.
+10. William Columbus Graves, b. 18 Jan. 1888, m. Agnes Schumm, 1917.
+11. John Leroy Graves, b. 9 Oct. 1890, m. Luella DeMott, 1911.
12. Blanche Graves, b. 13 Oct. 1896, m. George Sterling, 1919. No children.
GENERATION 4
CHILDREN OF GEORGE L. GRAVES (5) AND JULIA E. HULL
George Luther Graves, Jr. (9) was born 17 Feb. 1883 in Raton,
NM. He married Vera Zella Blunk, called
Zella, daughter of John William Grandvill Blunk and Martha Alice Shake, in
1908. She was born 7 June 1889. They lived at the old homestead for 2-4
years until George, Sr. and family returned from Alva, OK where they lived
while having their children educated.
George, Jr. then built a home located 1 mile west of the homestead,
where he raised his family. They were
in the 1920 census for Elwood, Barber Co., KS.
He was a farmer, and all their children were born in KS. (R‑1, R‑2, R‑4)
Children - Graves
13. Glenna G. Graves, b.c. 1910.
14. Gerald I. Graves, b.c. 1914.
15. Afton L. Graves, b.c. 1915, m. Edward Nusser.
16. Eloise Graves
17. John Graves
18. Billy Max Graves
19. child, died in infancy
20. child, died in infancy
William Columbus Graves (10) was born 18 Jan. 1888. He married Agnes Schumm in 1917. They lived in Alva, OK for two years, where
he worked at the First National Bank, later moving to Hardtner, KS to work at
the Hardtner State Bank. (R‑1)
Children - Graves
21. Robert Eugene Graves
22. William Graves
John Leroy Graves (11), called Leroy, was born 9 Oct.
1890. He married Luella DeMott in
1911. Leroy was the Superintendant of
the Guymon, OK school. (R‑1)
Children - Graves
23. Jean Graves, b. 1925. Twin of John.
24. John Graves, b. 1925. Twin of Jean.
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