1555 HARVEY BENJAMIN OATMAN

1555 HARVEY BENJAMIN⁷ (Harry B.⁶, Lyman⁵, George⁴, George³, John², Johannes¹), son of Harry B. and Matilda (Knapp) Oatman, was born 13 October 1828 in Cortland, Cortland County, New York, and died in Oregon, probably in the Portland area.

He married Lucy Jane Hadley in 2 October 1849; she was from Ogle County, Illinois, and was born about 1835 in Ohio (England, per son Elmer's death certificate). Lucy died in childbirth after her son Elmer was born. After Lucy died the family fell apart and Harvey left the family. He was reported to have remarried several times, but never really settled down.

Harvey moved with his parents, first in Cortland, New York, then in Bellevue, Ohio, until 1838, and then in Rockford, Illinois, from 1838 to 1842. His whereabouts are unknown until 1853, when he and his family crossed the plains in a covered wagon and arrived in Jackson County, Oregon, in September. He and his brother Harrison filed adjoining donation land claims near Phoenix in Jackson County, Oregon (Section 11, Township 38 South). Harvey later exchanged his claim for a hotel and livery stable in Phoenix. Harvey and his wife cared for Olive and Lorenzo Oatman in their Jackson County home for a year after Olive's release from Indian captivity, as did his brother Harrison.

In the Jackson County, Oregon, census for August 1860, town of Phoenix, is a Harvey Oatman, age 9. This is probably James Harvey, son of Harrison B. Oatman, since he is listed just after Harrison B., whereas Harvey Benjamin, Lucy, Burtis, Homer and Frank are listed together. Harvey, #3779, may have died young.

True to the family occupation, Harvey Benjamin is listed as a hotel keeper, whereas his brother Harrison is listed as a miner.

From Marriage Index of Yreka, California:

Ina Oatman, resident of Talent, Oregon, and "native of Oregon" age 22 years, married Wesley Kennedy of Medford, Oregon, on June 7, 1909, in Yreka, California. [This is close to Jackson County, Oregon.]

It is not known whether Ina was a descendant of either Harvey Benjamin or Harrison B. Oatman.

Children of Harvey Benjamin and Lucy Jane (Hadley) Oatman:

3779 Harvey, b. ca 1851, IL

3780 Burtis Franklin, b. 25 Dec 1852, Des Moines, IA; d. 14 Apr 1913, Silver Lake, Lake Co., OR; m. Elizabeth Ann Burton, 21 Sep 1879, in Salt Lake City, UT

3781 Homer M., b. 19 Oct 1854, Jackson Co., OR; d. 15 Jan 1938, Portland, OR; m. Ida Dement, daughter of George and Elizabeth (Weaver) Dement. Ida d. 5 Oct 1915, age 44, at Roseburg, Douglas Co., OR. In the 1920 census, Homer and his family were living in Myrtle Creek, Douglas Co., OR, with their daughter, Burnita. Known children, surname Oatman:

A Madeline, b. 20 May 1901; d. 24 Jun 1909, Myrtle Creek, OR, after stepping on a nail.

B Burnita A., b. 1906, OR

3782 Frank Benjamin, b. 3 Feb 1859, Phoenix, Jackson Co., OR; d. 4 Feb 1917, in Talent, OR; m. Nida Jane Sheets, 12 Feb 1901

3783 Elmer R., b. 6 Feb 1862, Phoenix, Jackson Co., OR; d. 13 Jun 1931, Medford, Jackson Co., OR; m. Segourney Ann Talent.

Sources: Research by Barbara Hawthorne

Records of Hancock Co., IL

Hines, H. K. (Rev.), Illustrated History of the State of Oregon, 1893

Hodgkins, Frank & Galvin, J. J., Pen Pictures of Representative Men of

Oregon, 1882

The Oregonian, 8 Jul 1948, Sec. 1, p. 17, Portland, OR

Archive records submitted by Nellie Oatman McCall from Family History

Library, Salt Lake City, UT

San Diego Union, 6 Jan 1985

Marriage Index of Yreka, California

The Oregon & Applegate Trail Diary of Welborn Beeson in 1853 (Reprint

1987)

International Genealogical Index

1860 census, Phoenix, Jackson Co., OR

1920 Soundex, OR

Oregon Historical Quarterly, Vol XLIII, No. 3, Sep 1942, p. 248

Death certificates of Elmer R., Segourney, Homer, Ida and Madeline Oatman

Mail Tribune, Medford, OR, 29 May 1913; 8 Feb 1917

Richard R. Nolan of Milwaukie, OR (Printed in Oatman Links, May 1, 2005, Vol. 6, No. 5 [Larry L. Oatman, Editor]

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