1859 Sauk County Plat Map


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Smith Family Genealogy

When did our ancestors move to Wisconsin?  In 1850 our Smith ancestors were living in Brooklyn, New York, and by 1860 they were living in Wisconsin.  “Irish” John Smith’s mother, Catharine Rooney, was living in Sauk County with her husband William.  “Irish” John was living near Cross Plains, Wisconsin, working and living with the John Bryan family.  Many Irish New Yorkers were moving to Wisconsin around 1857, and we suspect our own ancestors moved to Wisconsin about the same time.  Plat maps show us who owned farmland at a point in time.  In 1859 Sauk County published a plat map showing all landowners living in Bear Creek Township, Sauk County.  This map would have shown who lived on this land by 1858. 

Although none of our ancestors appear on this map, it is interesting to note the names that do appear – McCarvell, Phelan, Sullivan and King.  From old documents we know the Phelan and McCarvell families had close ties to our own family.  The John King family ties in with the Aberdeen King family.  The Sullivan family married into the Patrick Smyth family of Bear Creek.  We suspect the McCarvell family was related to “Irish” John’s family.  James McCarvell’s son, Frank, attended both John and Susan Smith’s funerals.  This family appears to have had a close relationship with our own.  Perhaps the McCarvell family was the ‘magnet’ that drew our own family to Wisconsin in the first place.  The McCarvell family one of the earliest settlers in this region, perhaps living there as early as 1847.  This was the same year the McCarvell family immigrated from Ireland. 

“Irish” John’s step-father, William Rooney, was a Civil War veteran.  He enlisted in the 49th Regiment with other Bear Creek residents - Dennis Phelan, Frank McCarvell, Dennis Cummins and John King. 

Below you will see three maps of Bear Creek Township and its early land owners.  

Northern Bear Creek Township

 

Middle Bear Creek Township  

 Southern Bear Creek Township 

 

1906 Plat Map – Bear Creek Township (partial) 

This map shows land owned by John Smyth.  This was ‘Irish’ John’s land that he owned in Wisconsin.  Next door lived the McCluskey family, who were related to John through his mother’s side of the family.  The land above the McCluskey farm was owned by Peter F. Smith.  Peter bought this portion of land from Patrick Smyth.  Patrick is another one of our distant relatives, and we suspect Peter was also related to own family as well.

 

 

1860 census

1880 census

1870 census

1910 census - McClosky in prison

History of the Census data (Click on sheets to enlarge) -

We can only guess how our ancestors lived their lives, so information contained in census documents becomes important to us.  In these census documents we find the following:

THE CENSUS STORY

  • The 1860 census tells us that William and Catherine (Smith) Rooney were married within the previous 12 months. 
  • The 1860 census also tells us that John, Owen and Bridget were not living within the Rooney household.
  • John Smith was living with living with John Bryan as a farm laborer near Cross Plains, Wisconsin.
  • Based on census records, the best match for Owen Smith, based on age and origin, has him living in Buffalo, NY.  Initially this was confusing but now realize that there were many Greenan relatives living in western New York state.
  • Surrounding the Rooneys were other relatives such as Patrick Smyth and Bernard McClosky.  In addition, John King was also a neighbor - whose family would eventually tie into our own through marriage.
  • In 1870 John and Owen were again living with the Rooneys.  John was a farm laborer with more assets than his step-father, William Rooney. 
  • Owen Smith, John's brother, had a debilitating disease, but not described.
  • By 1880, John Smith had married and moved into a place of his own.  Living in the household was his wife Susan, along with three sons - Peter, Michael and William.
  • Also living with the John Smith family was his brother, Owen.
  • In this census, it states his medical condition - spinal disorder.  They also describe him as mentally challenged.  The census tells us that he had this condition for 12 years.
  • In 1880, there were a number of families associated with ours living around the John Smith farm.  They included the Bernard McCloskys, John Kings, Patric Smiths, the Peter Smyths, and the William Smiths.

 

1906 Sauk County Fair