Pioneer Calhoun Family

Jefferson County, NY Pioneers

PIONEER CALHOUN FAMILY

1. CHAUNCEY CALHOUN (fifth child of EBENEZER & DOLLY MARILLA (FOOTE) CALHOUN) was born 15 Jun 1776 Washington, Litchfield Co. CT. Before 1800 several members of the Ebenezer Calhoun family removed to Frankfort, Norwich Corners, Herkimer Co NY. The 1800 census of Frankfort NY lists their surname as CAHOON. (It has never been listed as Cahoon in this line before or since, to our knowledge).

Chauncey had a sister ABIGAIL MIRIAM CALHOUN who married JOHN HATHAWAY as his second wife.

Chauncey is said to have moved to Watertown NY about 1802. However his first two children were born in Frankfort NY in 1801 and 1803. His third child was born in Watertown in 1806.

According to a Watertown Daily Times newspaper article by David Lane (12 Dec 1940) Chauncey was a carpenter by trade, and was employed as a mechanic in the construction of the Madison Barracks in 1815-16. A newspaper excerpt from the 07 Aug 1863 issue of the Daily New York Reformer, entitled "A Link in the Chain," mentions Chauncey as follows: "In 1810 [Jabez Foster] erected the first class mansion now occupied by L. Paddock, Esq. on Washington Street. The work was done by Chauncey Calhoun."

Chauncey is recorded as an early Trustee of the Village of Watertown and of Watertown's Universalist Church. He died on July 31, 1856. More information on the descendants is available from the contact listed below, but this sketch centers on the Jefferson County families.

He married in Frankfort on 28 Jan 1801
SARAH EDWARDS PADDOCK, who was born 11 Jan 1782/3 in Middletown, Middlesex Co. CT. Sarah, whose parents are buried at the Norwich Corners cemetery in Herkimer county, died on February 10, 1860, and is buried at Watertown's Arsenal Street cemetery with her husband. They had eight children; three removed to Chicago.

Children, CALHOUN:

+ 2 i EBENEZER CALHOUN married REBECCA LYON

+ 3 ii ALVIN CALHOUN married OLIVE MIRANDA COOLEY

+ 4 iii MARY CALHOUN married JOHN GUINN YOUNG

+ 5 iv JOHN CALHOUN married PAMELIA CAROLINE HATHAWAY

+ 6 v NANCY CAROLINE CALHOUN married SAMUEL McCLURE

+ 7 vi CHAUNCEY CALHOUN Jr. married (1) PHILENA ADSIT;

- 8 vii CHARLES CALHOUN

+ 9 viii SARAH ELIZABETH CALHOUN married CHARLES SHELDON BURT

2. EBENEZER CALHOUN, (son of CHAUNCEY & SARAH EDWARDS (PADDOCK) CALHOUN) was born Frankfort NY 13 Nov 1801 d. Watertown NY 01 Mar 1854.

He married 06 Aug 1826 at LeRay, Jefferson County NY.
REBECCA LYON, who was born 28 Apr 1805 at Fairfield NY and died 22 Oct 1865 at Watertown.

Children, CALHOUN:

- 10 i GEORGE DAVID CALHOUN

+ 11 ii JAMES MURRAY CALHOUN married MARY ANN McDONALD

+ 12 iii CHARLES CALHOUN married JOSEPHINE JENAREUSE MALLIARD

+ 13 iv EBENEZER CALHOUN married (1) SUSAN CATHERINE LANE; (2) MARY JANE BALL

- 14 v WILLIAM CALHOUN d.y.

- 15 vi SOPHIA REBECCA CALHOUN

3. ALVIN CALHOUN (son of CHAUNCEY & SARAH EDWARDS (PADDOCK) CALHOUN) was born 27 Nov 1803 Frankfort, Herkimer Co. NY d. 28 Jun 1849 Chicago IL. Alvin worked as a mechanic and builder. In the summer of 1834 he followed his younger brother John to Chicago. There he served among the first group of "Fire Kings" and in 1836 was elected foreman of Engine Company Number 1. He was commissioned as captain in the 60th Regiment of Illinois Militia in 1843, and in the Flood of 1849 distinguished himself by rescuing several ships on the shore of Lake Michigan. He died of cholera in Chicago on June 28, 1849. (By the end of that summer 314 had died of this epidemic).

He married
OLIVE MIRANDA COOLEY, who was born 28 Aug 1807 at W. Bloomfield, Ontario Co. NY. She died in 1868. They had 9 children, including Civil War soldier Sgt. WILLIAM ALVIN CALHOUN, IL Infantry.

Children, CALHOUN:

16 i SARAH CALHOUN

17 ii HARRIET ELIZA CALHOUN married ROBERT PETTIS KENYON

18 iii FREDERICK PERCY CALHOUN d.y.

19 iv SARAH PADDOCK "Sadie" CALHOUN married JOSEPH KING CUMMINGS FORREST

20 v WILLIAM FREDERICK CALHOUN d.y.

21 vi WILLIAM ALVIN CALHOUN married (1) MARIE ANTOINETTE GANNETT; (2) ANNIE JEFFREYS

22 vii FRANCIS CORNWALL SHERMAN CALHOUN married ELLEN JEFFREYS

23 viii CHARLES DWIGHT CALHOUN d.y.

24 ix MARY MIRANDA CALHOUN married LIONEL JOHN COOPER

4. MARY CALHOUN (daughter of CHAUNCEY & SARAH EDWARDS (PADDOCK) CALHOUN) was born 31 Jul 1806 at Watertown NY and died 23 Aug 1881 at Chicago IL.

She married
JOHN GUINN YOUNG, who was born 4 Feb 1805 Galway NY. They had 6 children including Civil War soldier Senior 2nd Lt. Frederick William YOUNG, IL.

Children, YOUNG:

25 i CHARLES CALHOUN YOUNG married JANE MARTIN CROSS

26 ii JOHN HENRY YOUNG married (1) SARAH MARIA BENSON; (2) ANN ELIZABETH STRICKLAND

27 iii FREDERICK WILLIAM YOUNG married REBECCA SOULE STONE

28 iv CHAUNCEY T. YOUNG married HELEN LUCINDA BURBANK

29 v SOPHIA PADDOCK YOUNG d.y.

30 vi EMMA CAROLINE YOUNG married SAMUEL DENNIS LELAND

5. JOHN CALHOUN (son of CHAUNCEY & SARAH EDWARDS (PADDOCK) CALHOUN) was born 14 Apr 1808 at Watertown NY. He founded the Chicago Democrat, the first newspaper in Chicago. He died 20 Feb 1859 Chicago IL. For more details on John, {click here. Obit on bulletin board} In 1833 John removed to Chicago where on November 26, 1833 he issued the village's first newspaper, the Chicago Democrat, which was later absorbed by the Chicago Tribune. Pamelia followed him there in July 1834 and assisted him greatly in his work. At various times John served as assessor, treasurer, collector and alderman in Chicago, as well as an early clerk of Fire Engine Company No. 1. He died on February 20, 1859. His father-in-law James HATHAWAY died at John's Chicago home a few weeks later, on April 9, 1859. Pamelia, who was named an honorary member of the Chicago Historical Society, died on August 14, 1889 at the home of her nephew, Francis C. S. CALHOUN, in Oak Park, Cook Co. IL. Her funeral was held at St. Paul's Universalist Church in Chicago, where she had arranged for the dedication of a memorial window in honor of John. She is buried at Rose Hill cemetery.

He married
PAMELIA CAROLINE HATHAWAY who was born 20 Mar 1811 in the Town of Hounsfield, Jefferson County. Their 2 children died in infancy. She died 1889.

Children, CALHOUN:

31 i LEWIS WAITE SMITH CALHOUN d.y.

32 ii Infant CALHOUN d.y.

6. NANCY CAROLINE CALHOUN (daughter of CHAUNCEY & SARAH EDWARDS (PADDOCK) CALHOUN) was born 2 Jul 1810 at Watertown. They had seven children, including Civil War soldier Lt. Col. William Henry MCCLURE, IA Artillery. She died 15 Feb 1869 at Rochester, NY.

She married
SAMUEL McCLURE who was born 19 Jun 1797 Somers, Tolland Co. CT;

Children, McCLURE:

33 i WILLIAM HENRY McCLURE, Sr. married (1) MARY ANN OVERMAN; married (2) OLIVE REBECCA MERRILL

34 ii SARAH McCLURE d.y.

35 iii JOANNA McCLURE married (1) STEPHEN MILES SHURTLEFF; (2) HIRAM WOOD

36 iv JOHN CALHOUN McCLURE

37 v JAMES WILLIS/WILLIAM McCLURE married MELISSA SMITH

38 vi AUGUSTA McCLURE married GEORGE WASHINGTON ARCHER

39 vii MARY McCLURE married HENRY CURTIS WHITE, Sr.

7. CHAUNCEY CALHOUN Jr. (son of CHAUNCEY & SARAH EDWARDS (PADDOCK) CALHOUN) was born 14 Jun 1816 Watertown. He died 21 May 1862 at Watertown.

He married (1)
PHILENA ADSIT who was born 23 Jan 1819 at Canajoharie, NY.

Children, CALHOUN:

40 i BYRON CALHOUN

41 ii PAMELIA ADSIT CALHOUN married CHARLES HENRY WILBER

42 iii SARAH EVELINE CALHOUN married JULIUS FERDINAND STALLMAN

43 iv ALVIN EDGAR CALHOUN married (1) SUSAN SHERIDAN ROBBINS; (2) MARY HANNAH MAWSON

He married (2)
MARGARET ADSIT who was born 18 Feb 1834 at Canajoharie, NY.

Children, CALHOUN:

44 i MARY FRANCES CALHOUN

45 ii HATTIE CAROLINE CALHOUN

9. SARAH ELIZABETH CALHOUN (daughter of CHAUNCEY & SARAH EDWARDS (PADDOCK) CALHOUN) was born 4 Nov 1822 at Watertown, Jefferson Co. NY. She died 15 May 1850 Watertown NY.

She married at Watertown 4 JAN 1843
CHARLES SHELDON BURT, who was born 15 Nov 1819 at Town of LeRay NY

Children, BURT:

46 i CHARLES CALHOUN BURT

47 ii MARY ELIZABETH BURT

48 iii JAMES CAIRD BURT married KITTIE PERONE WILSON

11. JAMES MURRAY CALHOUN (son of EBENEZER & REBECCA (LYON) CALHOUN) was born 9 Feb 1831 at Watertown, Jefferson County. He built circular staircases for Watertown residences. He died 19 Oct 1902 and was buried at Brookside Cemetery, Watertown.

He married 16 Sep 1868 Watertown
MARY ANN McDONALD, who was born 16 Nov 1849 at Rome, NY. She died 3 Jun 1926.

Children, CALHOUN:

49 i GEORGE BYRON CALHOUN married ELIZABETH CATHERINE SEIPEL

50 ii STEWART ALVIN CALHOUN

51 iii ELIZABETH (BESSIE) LOUISE CALHOUN

52 iv ANSON FREDERICK CALHOUN married MABEL SOPHRONIA DeYOUNG

12. CHARLES CALHOUN (son of EBENEZER & REBECCA (LYON) CALHOUN) was born 4 Jan 1834 Watertown. He died at Rochester NY?

He married
JOSEPHINE JENAREUSE MALLIARD who was born 28 Apr 1833 at Dell, France.

Children, CALHOUN:

53 i CHARLES MALLIARD CALHOUN

54 ii CLARA LOUISE CALHOUN

55 iii SOPHIE JOSEPHINE CALHOUN

56 iv EDWARD EUGENE CALHOUN married LOTTA F. (---)

13. EBENEZER CALHOUN Jr. (son of EBENEZER & REBECCA (LYON) CALHOUN) was born 22 Aug 1836 Ebenezer, Jr. served in the Civil War as a sergeant, Co. I, 94th Regiment of NY Volunteers. He enlisted on November 6, 1861 and was discharged November 20, 1862 at the convalescent camp near Alexandria, VA. He died 1912 and was buried at Arsenal St. Cemetery.

He married (1)
SUSAN CATHERINE LANE

He married (2) 2 Feb 1874
MARY JANE BALL who was born 15 Aug 1854 at Watertown NY

He married (3)
JENNIE S. DEMPSEY

Children, CALHOUN:

57 i EBENEZER CHAUNCY CALHOUN married EMMA MOTHERSELL

58 ii CATHERINE (KATIE or KITTIE) CALHOUN

For further information, contact:
Roberta Calhoun

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