James Wheeler Blain

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[Page] 280 BLAIN #644 “JAMES WHEELER BLAIN, son of Nathaniel and Polly (McCamley) Blain, gson of John and Jane Blain, was born at Warwick, NY 17 Sep 1822, died 25 Mar 1917 Deep Creek, Riley Co, [KS]; bur Pleasant Valley Cem, Zeandale Twp. He married [in] Paulding Co, OH 23 Feb 1846 Martha C[aroline] Osborne, born [May 31, 1829, Oxford, New Haven Co.,] CT, died 30 Nov 1897, MHK [Manhatten, KS]. James Blain was the 11th child in a family of 12, all of whom survived. His childhood was spent in Warwick and Goshen NY. His first work away from home was carrying chain for the survey of the NY and Erie RR. After his mother's death the family moved to NY City where he was bundle boy for a store. When about 20 years old he joined his 2 older brothers in OH. He came under the influence of Oberlin College and rapidly became sympathetic with the abolitionist and temperance movements. In 1856 he started to KS with his wife and small sons. In St. Louis [MO] they met a family belonging to the New Haven Comp. They traveled to KC [Kansas City?] by steamboat where they purchased an ox team and wagon and journeyed along with the New Haven Comp to Wabaunsee arriving 20 Apr 1856. From Wabaunsee he started west on foot following the Indian trail which led to Deep Creek where he selected a claim. [Page] 281 In Territorial days he was district judge by appointment, and he spent 1878 to 1886 in the Co Treasurer's office in MHK [Manhatten, KS]. Children [of James Wheeler Blain and Martha Caroline Osborn]: 1- Rodman Price BLAIN, b 23 Aug 1847, d 7 Jun 1930 Monrovia, CA; m 24 Aug 1873 Lamar [KS?], Addie BOWMAN. 2- Ransom O[sborn] BLAIN, b 26 Aug 1849, d Los Angeles, CA. 3- Chester BLAIN, b 10 Jul 1852. 4- Julia BLAIN, b 26 Sep 1856; m 24 Nov 1881 William H. MARVIN, (d 17 Nov 1897 Manhatten, Riley, KS) 5- Arthur T. BLAIN, b 26 Mar 1860, m 8 May 1883 Henrietta A. CAMPBELL. 6- Charlotte BLAIN, b 23 Jan 1863, d 1943. 7- Alice BLAIN, b 1870, dy [died young]. Cora Parker, MHK [Manhatten, KS], gniece-in-law. Bruce Wood 2216 W. Sunnybrook, Wichita, [KS], gggson.” ========================================================================== Received and transcribed courtesy of L. McCoy of AZ, 3/1999. Brackets [ ] inserted by Gloria Odom. Additional Notes by Gloria: The paragraph with the names of the children has been rearranged in a numbering order, and the surname BLAIN was added. Pictures of the family, found in History of Riley County, KS include: 1- Blain Family - Standing: l. to r., Chester, Charlotte, Authur; Seated: Ransom & Judge Blain (page 280) 2- Rodman P[rice] Blain (page 281) 3- Judge Blain’s house on Deep Creek (page 281) One descendant states Rodman Blain, with his long beard, looked much like his grandfather Ransom with a long beard. Martha Caroline OSBORN(E) was the daughter of Ransom OSBORN & Sarah HURD. Ransom, and his children were born in Oxford, New Haven Co., Connecticut; then the parents moved to Ohio, which is where Martha apparently met her husband James Wheeler BLAIN. The birth record of Martha Caroline OSBORN and her siblings, can be found in Oxford Vital Records, Vol. 2, Page 85. A reprint of the original town records, also containing the births of the children, can be found on page 67 of The History of Oxford, CT, 1885-1910, compiled by William Carrosa Sharpe, c 1885, Seymour, Conn. [OSBORN CT1 - Gloria’s records] ========================================================================== From the records of L. McCoy: [Book source unknown]: Pleasant Valley Cemetery [Riley Co., KS] - This cemetery is also known as the Deep Creek or Zeandale Cemetery. It is located a half mile south of Zeandale, Kansas, then west 1 1/2 miles, turning off the blacktop road to a gravel road. Continue south 1.3 miles on a winding road. It was read in October 1985 by Dick and Alice Soldan. Those inscriptions which were found in 1971 reading but not in 1985 are indicated by (1971:...) [Page] 87 BLAIN, Charlotte, 1863 - 1943 BLAIN, James W., d. 25 Mar. 1917, ae 94-6-8 BLAIN, Martha G [should be C.]., mother, w/o James W., d. 30 Nov. 1897, ae 68-6-0 BLAIN, Carrie, d/o R. P. & A. V., 14 Jan. 1875 - 15 Aug. 1875 BLAIN, (1971: Alice, d/o J. W. & M. G., d 6 Nov. 1870, ae 10 days) A photograph of a tombstone at the Pleasant Valley Cemetery (or Zeandale Cemetery) “a beautiful, rural cemetery on a hill” as noted above, which had: JAMES W. BLAIN DIED MAR. 25, 1917 AGED 94Y. 6M. 8 D.