Oren Briggs

Oren (also spelled Orren, Orrin or Orin) Briggs is one of my brick walls ancestors. Many thanks to Chris G, my half 4th cousin once removed, for the research he has shared with me.

Oren's story is fascinating. Starting with the facts, Oren was born about 1797 in Massachusetts or Maine, according to his and his children's various census records. However, prior to 1839, there is no record of him that has been idenfied yet. Two potential matches have been found - see below. Oren Briggs married at least three times, and it is his third wife, Susan BOWDER, that I descend from.

The Boone County, Iowa years

The earliest known confirmed record for Orrin is in a Boone County, Illinois deed entry book, with the entry dated July 16, 1840. "Orin" purchased Lots 1 & 2 on Block 2 on Mechanics Street in the Crosby Addition to Belvidere, Boone County, Illinois, from Frederick W. Crosby and wife.

On the 1840 federal census, Oren is listed as one male age 30-40 (he should actually be 43) and one female 15-20. A smudge is present in the female "under 5" box but it's difficult to tell if it's meant to indicate a child or not. Enumerated just under Oren is Ralph Rix, a shoemaker born in Connecticut but lived in Herkimer County, New York for many years.

On February 23, 1842, Oren's son Ralph Rix Briggs is born. He was named after Oren's friend Ralph Rix. Additional land deed entries are recorded for "Oren Briggs and wife" on Sept 20, 1842, and several in 1843 for Oren Briggs, wife & Lucy Crosby. "Oren Briggs & wife" was last recorded on November 28, 1844, when they sold their sawmill, land and water rights to Guildford D. Hammond.

The identity of this wife remains a mystery. Distant cousins refer to her as "Mary" though I do not know what proof exists for this name. "Mary" is last recorded in the deed book, this is not proof that she died before 1845. She is out of the picture prior to 1847, however.

Oren married Sarah Hedges/Hodges in Boone County, Illinois on July 29, 1847 by J Lawrence, Justice of the Peace. This wasn't a long marriage, as they divorced in 1848. She filed for divorce citing Orrin's "impotence" as the cause for divorce.

Oren then married Susan TITTLE (nee BOWDER) in Belvidere on May 24, 1848. He was nearing 50 years old now. It was Susan's second marriage, and she had at least two children by her first husband, named Jonathan (born Dec 1841) and Elizabeth Ann (born March 1846). Jonathan and "Lizzie" were listed as TITTLE's in the 1850 census, but were Briggs for the remainder of their lives.

Susan filed for divorce against John Tittle citing a 2 year absence of her husband. A John Tittle was enumerated in the 1850 Boone Co census, living with Ayer family. Next door was Jacob Bowder Jr. and his wife Mary who was the oldest daughter of the Ayer family.

The 1850 census of Boone County shows Oren and Susan living with Jonathan and Elizabeth, and Ralph. All of the children were born in Illinois. On October 08, 1851, daughter Mary Emogene (aka Emma) was born.

I have looked up some land records at the library in Belvidere, Boone, Iowa and distant cousin and fellow research Chris G. has as well. I've Chris' here and will add mine as time allows.

Chris G.: "Just reviewed the land transaction records I transcribed in Belevidere, Ill some years ago. It sure looks like Oren A. Briggs and his father in law, Jacob BOWDER, did a lot of land business with each other. (Jacob is the father of Susan BOWDER Briggs, Oren's 3rd wife)"

5 Oct 1848 pg 22: Orrin Briggs purchased from Jacob Bowdell (as spelled in record) piece of dam
15 Mar 1849 pg 194: Orrin Briggs, trustee Jacob Bowder, sold SE 1/4 sec 35 township 45 range 3 to A. Hotchkiss to Briggs and Crosby
Oren Briggs and wife Mary sold a saw mill located on Beaver Creek on Dec 10, 1845.
Mary on deeds as wife @ Belvidere, Ill Dec 10,1843; Nov 28, 1844; and Dec10, 1845

The last Oren Briggs entry in the deed book was dated July 26, 1852 - a bond for a deed to Milo Smith. Sometime around 1852, Oren and the family moved to Stevens Point in Portage County, Wisconsin.

The Portage County, Wisconsin years

From about 1852 to 1858, Oren and family are living in Stevens Point, Portage County, Wisconsin. On August 13, 1853, Milo Smith (through his attorney A. B. Crosby), Oren Briggs and John Phillips created the "Smith, Briggs and Phillips Addition" of Stevens Point. This extended Main Street eastward and added added several city blocks to the north of Main Streets. The new streets running parallel to main were called Beazns(?) (now known as College Avenue) and Briggs, and the streets running across Main were Smith, Prentice, Green(?) (now known as Rogers Street) and Phillips.

I have a photocopy of the original document officially showing the new platted addition. I've scanned it and page one and page two. are available. A transcription of the Addition document is also available.

A complete transcription of Oren's land transactions will be posted here asap.

in the The 1855 Wisconsin state census lists Oren as head, with 3 white males, 5 white females, and 1 foreign born. Susan, Elizabeth, Mary and Lida only account for 4 females. The foreign born person may be a servant, or perhaps a child of theirs was born in Canada, as they moved around a lot. (Later, on the 1900 census, Susan reports having six kids, two of which are living in 1900. We know that Lida and Mary died before 1900, and the other two probably died as infants, and we don't know their names.)

Oren built a house in 1856 in the Greek Revival style, clapboard, at 701 Main Street, Stevens Point, Portage County, Wisconsin. This house is still standing but was moved to a location on College Avenue. Some suspect this is the oldest standing house in Stevens Point. A picture appears to the right.

The Vernon County, Missouri years

From about 1858 to 1861, the family was in Missouri (although who knows if they stopped off anywhere along the way). On the 1860 census, Oren and Susan are living in Drywood, Vernon County, Missouri. Children listed are Jonathan, Elizabeth, r.r., Imogene and Lida on the census, though Imogene is really Mary Emogene. This mention of "r.R" is significant evidence that Ralph Rix Briggs was a son of Oren's (as there has been some debate). It also appears that the enumerator wrote "twins" in the margin next to Ralph and Jonathan, who were both 18 but whose occupations are not legible. Perhaps Oren and Susan felt it best to pass the boys off as brothers rather than deal with the subject of divorce.

On November 6, 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected the 16th President. His views opposing slavery were well known. The Civil War was brewing and in January 1861 the South seceded from the United States, starting with South Carolina.

It is presumed Oren knew there was unrest coming and decided to pack up his family and move them to a safer, more established location. On Sept 12, 1861 the Dry Wood Creek battle took place in Vernon County, and was a Confederate victory.

The Buchanan County, Iowa years

Oren and Susan moved to Buchanan County, Iowa sometime prior to January 1861. On January 27, 1861, Susan's daughter Elizabeth Ann (aka Lizzie) married Warren Bouck, a native of Illinois. Later that year, on December 14, 1861, Ralph married Sarah Jane Bouck in Independence.

Oren settled in Jefferson Township to farm. Oren and Susan supported her parents, Jacob BOWDER and Rebecca WETTERS or WALTERS. In 1864, Jacob BOWDER deeds the farm to Oren and Susan in return for lifetime care - a year later he died. In 1868, Oren and Susan sell her son Jonathan Briggs 4 acres of land.

In May of 1865, Ralph r. Briggs moved to Elk Point, Union County, Dakota Territory, where he homestead a farm. The area is on a piece of land that is bordered by Nebraska on one side, and Iowa on the other.

On April 06, 1866, Elizabeth Briggs (she is Elizabeth Bouck from the source, the online IGI, as she was previously married to Warren Bouck, who died during the Civil War) married John S. Coats.

Susan and Oren sold land to her son, Jonathan Briggs (who was really a Tittle) on Apr 21, 1868 in Independence, Buchanan Co, Iowa.

On May 03, 1868, Mary Emogene married John Torrence, a native of neighboring Linn County, Iowa.

On the 1870 census, Oren is living in Jefferson, Buchanan County with Susan, daughter Lida, and daughter Mary Emogene along with her husband John Torrence and their son Oscar.

On April 21, 1872, Lida Briggs married George W. Elliott, who was born in Indiana.

Sadly, Mary, my 3x great grandmother, died in 1875 most likely due to childbirth complications, and Elizabeth, wife of John Coats, died in 1877.

The Cherokee County, Iowa years

On the 1880 census, in Silver Twp, Cherokee County, Iowa, Orrin and Susan are living with their widowed son-in-law, John Coats, and grandchildren Minnie age 12, and Wilbur, age 9. I found Susan Briggs and George Elliott on an 1879 delinquent tax list for Silver Twp, Cherokee Co. Susan's land is at the south half of the SE quarter of section 33 and George's is the north half. Section 33 is on the Ida County line, and in fact Susan's land is on the county line. I visited the location in August 2005, and there is a ramshackle wooden house on George's land. You never know -- it might be the house they lived in!! I tracked down the owner, who lives on the eastern half of section 32. I got the permission to get a closer look at the house. We explored inside and around the house, but it was very overgrown outside and the house was literally falling down.

Oren Briggs died June 5, 1882 age 83 and was buried in the Aurelia Cemetery. To find where he was buried: At the Aurelia cemetery, enter at the 2nd gate from the north. He is 7 rows in on the north. (Michael Grohe stone is just next to Oren's and there's Wharton's around it). His is the small, broken stone. No writing is readable. The rest of the stone might be sunken in the ground. I have been told that it is a plot for 5 purchased by "Susan Briggs", but only one other person is buried in it. No name was entered for this burial. Perhaps this is Nellie, daughter of Oscar Torrence and Mary Emogene Briggs, who was raised by Lida and George?

Susan remaried just under two years later to David Watts, a farmer originally from New York, but had lived in Iowa since before 1860.

The details on the marriage entry are:

David Watts (47 NY) F- Joseph M- Ann Eliza Winfield
Susan Briggs (60 PA) F-Jacob Bowder M-Rebecca Walters
30 May 1884 J. B. Chase (Congregational Church, Cherokee & Aureila)
Book 2 p. 125

By the time of her third marriage, Susan was 61 years old!

Susan died 1 June, 1902 at the home of Lida & George, at Conrad, Grundy County, Iowa at the age of 79. She had lived with her daughter for the six years after her husband David Watts died.

Susan, Jonathan, Mary, Elizabeth, and Lida are all buried in Brandon Cemetary, a treeless cemetary near the tiny town of Brandon, in Jefferson Township, Buchanan County, Iowa.

Notes:

My research has turned up other people with the name Oren Briggs on the East Coast that could be the same as mine, or related.

An Oren Briggs was found on the 1830 Federal Census for Blakesburg Plantation, Penobscot County, Maine. Contact with another researcher showed this Oren married Betsey FORBES, widow of John, in Blakesburg (known Bradford after 1831) on July 2, 1821. Betsey died April 6, 1854 and is buried in Bradford, with no record of Oren's death. It appears they had two children: Caroline born Feb 1822 and Charles born March 1824. She said she would check tax records to see if this Oren is still there in 1840, but I haven't received a reply. UPDATE: I visited the Penobscot County Courthouse myself and found some additional information. Oren is reasonably well documented in county records (even helping to administer the estate of John Forbes) and in a history of Bradford, but there is no mention of him after 1832. One theory is that he went out in the winter to hunt/trap and didn't return. So, did he die or did he start a new life in Illinois?
I have also found an Orrin BRIGG in Lenox, Berkshire County, MA in 1830 age 30-40, who is living with a woman age 20-30, 4 younger males age 20-30, and 1 male age 15-20.
The Orrin Briggs of Grafton Co, NH has been eliminated as a descendant has written to say this man stayed in NH his entire life.