Monday, February 22, 2021

CFH First Draft: Minerva Callin Smith Robinson Daggett

 This post is part of an ongoing series, sharing the first draft of my Revised Callin Family History

Minerva Callin is the 36th person in a descendant report beginning with the earliest known ancestor of our Callin family, (1.) James Callin. This descendant report uses the Register Style of the New England Historic and Genealogical Society. 

Please use the Contact Form (at right) to send questions or corrections.

Fourth Generation

36. Minerva Callin (George-3, James “2nd-2, James “1st”-1) was born about 1834 in Ohio, and she grew up on her father’s farm in Peru, Huron County, Ohio. Minerva and John N Smith were married on 8 Dec 1852 in Huron County, Ohio and they moved to Harrison, Winnebago County, Illinois by 1860.

John N Smith was a blacksmith, born on 5 Mar 1830 in Ohio. The couple most likely moved to Illinois in 1856, after the birth of their son, Franklin. John enlisted in the 74th Illinois Infantry on 6 Aug 1862 and served until he mustered out on 10 Jun 1865 in Nashville, Davidson, Tennessee. He died on 29 Jul 1867 at the age of 35 and was buried in Phillips Cemetery in Rockton, Winnebago County, Illinois.


John N Smith and Minerva Callin had five children:


i. Franklin Smith was born about 1856 in Ohio. He appeared on the census with his parents in Harrison, Winnebago County, Illinois in 1860, and with his mother and stepfather in Burlington, Coffey, Kansas, in 1870.

ii. William J "Willie" Smith was born about 1857 in Illinois. Like his older brother, he appeared on the census with his parents in Harrison in 1860. He remained in Harrison where he appeared in the household of John and Martha Scott in 1870.

iii. Helen A Smith was born about 1859 in Illinois, and she appeared on the census with her family in Harrison, Winnebago County, Illinois in 1860. 

iv. Flora Smith was born about 1862 in Illinois. She appeared with her mother and stepfather in Burlington, Coffey County, Kansas, in the 1870 Census and lived with her mother and second step-father in Silver Creek, Cowley County, Kansas in 1880.

v. Mary Smith was born about 1866 in Illinois. She lived with her mother in Burlington, Coffey, Kansas in 1870 and in Silver Creek, Cowley, Kansas in 1880.


Minerva Callin Smith and Dana A Robinson were married on 14 Feb 1870 in Winnebago County, Illinois. Dana was the son of Austin D and Ann Robinson, was born about 1818 in Ohio. He had married his first wife, Sarah McKibbon, in Seneca County, Ohio, in 1845, and they had a daughter, Adelaide, in 1846. Dana and Adelaide were living with Dana’s parents in Harrison, Winnebago County in 1860. It is unclear whether he and Sarah divorced, or she died.

After marrying Minerva, she and Dana appeared in the home of Austin and Ann Robinson in Burlington, Coffey County, Kansas on 21 Jul 1870, along with three of Minerva’s children. Dana was living with his mother and daughter, Lark, in Liberty, Coffey County, on 1 Mar 1875, suggesting that he and Minerva divorced about 1874, after the birth of their son, Frederick. Dana remained in Liberty with his mother and daughter in 1880 (listed as “divorced”) and 1885 (listed as “widowed”). The last record available with Dana’s name on it is a 1891 land record in Kiowa, Kansas; he would have been 73 years old.


Dana A Robinson and Minerva Callin had two children:


117 vi. Lark (Laura) Robinson, born 15 Dec 1870, Gridley, Coffey, Kansas; married Jeremiah Luther Cook, 1891; died 1 Dec 1954, Independence, Jackson, Missouri.

vii. Frederick Robinson was born about 1872 in Kansas. After his parents divorced, he lived with his mother in Emporia, Lyon County, Kansas (under the name Frederick Smith) and later with his mother and step-father in Silver Creek, Cowley, Kansas in 1880 (under the name Frederick Robinson). 


After leaving Dana Robinson, Minerva lived in Emporia, Lyon County, Kansas, under the name Minerva Smith, along with Flora and Mary, and Frederick (who was listed as “Frederick Smith”). At some point she  married William Daggett IV, and took her remaining children to live with him in Silver Creek, Cowley County, Kansas in 1880.

William Daggett IV, son of William and Rebecca Daggett, was born on 22 Aug 1823 in Tisbury, Dukes County, Massachusetts.  He lived in Tisbury in 1850 with his parents, new wife, Harriet Merry, and daughter, Ida.  He took his family west about 1852, and they lived in Cambridge, Henry, Illinois in 1860.  William and Harriett had six children before she died in 1871 and was buried in the Wilmot Cemetery in Cowley County, Kansas.

After they married, Minerva and William raised their blended family in Silver Creek, Cowley County, Kansas. In the 1890s, William and Minerva moved to California, where she died in Fresno on 3 Sep 1895.  William returned from California in 1896 to live with his son, George, in Richland, Cowley, Kansas in 1900. He died on 9 Apr 1901 at the age of 77 and was buried in Wilmot, Cowley County, Kansas.



No comments:

Post a Comment