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Archiver > CAALAMED > 2001-06 > 0993942974


From: "Linda L. Clements" <>
Subject: [CAALAMED] PARSONS: George Washington and Lucena PFUFFER
Date: Sat, 30 Jun 2001 16:16:14 -0700


The Dayton Historic Society in Dayton, NV, is searching for descendents of
George Washington PARSONS and Lucena PFUFFER PARSONS. They were pioneers
who left Janesville, WI, in 1850 to join the Gold Rush in California. They
did indeed find their fortunes there -- but in the lumber business in
Oakland, California rather than in the gold fields of the Mother Lode.

George was a native of New York state, from an English farm family. He had
spent most of his life on a prairie farm in Illinois. He was farming in
Walnut Grove, Henry County, IL, on the west-bound emigrant trail, when news
of the gold strike in California came through. George caught gold fever.

Late in 1849 he went to Janesville, WI, to outfit a wagon and make
preparations to leave for California the following spring. He accepted as a
partner in his outfit a citizen of Janesville, Daniel WILCOX, who introduced
him to his cousin, Lucena PFUFFER. Lucena and George were married March 18,
1850, and left the next day with a wagon train of 50 wagons under the
command of Captain FOOTE to California. Lucena was 28 years old and had
been a school teacher in Rock County, WI.

Lucena was the oldest daughter of the nine children of Thomas PFUFFER
(originally PFEIFFER) and Lucy TRUMAN (name originally TREMAINE). They were
natives of New Your state. Thomas was of Dutch-English stock, and had been a
miller on Crystal Creek in New York, a small tributary of the Black River,
on the Herkimer side of Mohawk Valley. He was also a trapper and trail
blazer. After Thomas died, Lucy moved the family to Wisconsin where
relatives of hers had emigrated. She and her sons farmed near Menasha,
Winnabago County, WI. Lucena became a teacher and later moved to southern
Wisconsin to teach.

Lucena started a diary on the first day of her journey. When they passed
through the territory that was to become Nevada, they were stopped by
reports of snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains and stayed and placer mined
for gold for a couple of weeks in May 1851 near the mouth of Gold Canyon --
in an area later to be known as Dayton. Lucena documented a large number of
miners staying and placer mining there. She was staying in this area when
the REESE wagon train came through the area on their way to become the first
permanent settlers in Genoa, which until the recognition of the importance
of Lucena's diary had been considered to be the first settlement in Nevada.

George and Lucena did not find instant wealth in California, but rather
settled on a farm in Oakland on San Pablo Road near the San Francisco Bay --
among the first non-Hispanic settlers in the area. According to the 1860
census they had three children: Ellen 7, Margaret 4, Charles 2. In 1870 they
had Ellen 17, Mary 13, Martha 10, George Washington 7. Fortune was to come,
however, with the lumber business they started and worked together.
Eventually they built a big white mansion or 20 rooms at 44th St. and San
Pablo Avenue in Oakland. Their youngest daughter, Mrs. Wm. H. BROWN still
lived there in 1928.

George's obituary in the Oakland Tribune says that he died on August 6,
1882, of "fearful injuries" after being thrown from his wagon against a car
of the East Berkeley train.

Their children were:
Ellen Marie Parson (b. 22 Sept. 1852, Oakland, CA), married Charles METZGER
Margaret or Mary (b. c1856, Oakland)
Charles (b. c1858, d bef. 1870 Oakland)
Martha (b. c1860, Oakland), married William H. BROWN
George Washington, Jr. (b. c1863 Oakland, d. 1926 CA) -- he was a pioneer
telegrapher in San Francisco.

Lucena Parsons remained active until she died suddenly on June 23,1905, at
the age of 80. She was known for her excellent memory for dates and
topography, and helped to settle many land disputes. She was also widely
known for her philanthropy in school, church and patriotic work -- and her
lovely garden.

Over Memorial Day weekend Dayton celebrated the 150th anniversary of its
settlement -- based on the documentation provided by Lucena Pfuffer Parsons'
diary. The Dayton Historic Society would love to locate George and Lucena's
descendents to honor them for their documentation of the origins of our
community -- the first settlement in Nevada!

Please contact me at if you have any information about
this family.

*******************************************************
Linda Clements
P.O. Box 1089
Dayton, Nevada 89403

Surnames (through great grandparents):
Linda Clements (KY, TN, VA, NC, AL) : CLEMENTS,
GREENWOOD, KNOX, HIGHERS/HIRES,
TOOLEY/TULEY, WARMAN, WEAVER
others: ADCOCK, BASS(E), BYRD, CARVER,
DUKE(S), LINK, MORTON, WOODSON

John Crowley (WI, Ireland, Germany):
AVERBECK, CROWLEY, DONAHUE,
DORE, FRIEDRICK, GUENTHER,
MAGDEFRAU, ROCHE/ROACH
others: DONNELLY, MOCHLER

GEDCOM:
http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=llclements-clem

*******************************************************

Dayton, Nevada
>>Nevada's first permanent non-Indian settlement<<
>>Site of Nevada's first gold discovery<<
www.dayton-valley.org




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