William Boone Douglass

William Boone Douglass was a lawyer, engineer, surveyor, genealogist, and founding President of the Boone Family Association. He was a Boone descendant through his mother, Queen Victoria Boone. He and Mrs. Hazel Atterbury Spraker were very active in Boone research, and in the founding and operation of the Association. Earlier in his engineering career, he was active in New Mexico both as an engineer and as an anthropologist.

Below is a short account of his work in New Mexico, and a picture of him with the surveying crew.

In the early twentieth century, U.S. Surveyor William Boone Douglass recognized ... the shrine on top of Redondo Peak during his restorative cadastral survey of the Baca Location’s boundaries. In a subsequent publication of his observations of the shrine, Douglass (1917:358) reports that the Río Grande Pueblos of Jémez, Cochití, Santa Domingo, Zía, Sandia, San Ildefonso, San Juan, and Santa Clara make ritual pilgrimages to Redondo Peak. His account, therefore, stands as the first substantive statement of the traditional association of Native American peoples with the lands contained within the VCNP.

Expedition party seated below Rainbow Bridge, August 13, 1909. Back row, left to right: John English, Dan Perkins, Jack Keenan, Francis Jean Rogerson, Neil M. Judd, Donald Beauregard. Front row, left to right: Jim Mike (Mike's Boy), John Wetherill, Byron Cummings, William Boone Douglass, Malcolm Cummings (Stuart M. Young Collection, NAU.PH.643.2.9 Cline Library, Northern Arizona University)

His work with the Boone Family Association can be seen, in part, in the pages linked to below. He was active in encouraging Boone descendants to join the Association, and in promoting meetings and field trips. He continued in this until the mid-1930s, when he was about seventy years of age.

See an article about the 1934 Daniel Boone Bi-Centennial. Douglass was named an honorary member of the Commission that planned and oversaw this event in Kentucky.

Reference: Jonathan Truman Dorris, A Glimpse At Historic Madison County and Richmond, Kentucky. Richmond, KY: Richmond Daily Register Co., 1934

The following is a brief descendant report for his family.

Modified Register for William Boone Douglass

First Generation

1. William Boone Douglass was born on 30 Jun 1864 in Corydon, Harrison County, Indiana. He died on 7 Jul 1947 in Sullivan's Island, Charleston County, South Carolina. He was buried on 11 Jul 1947 in Washington, Washington, District of Columbia.

William married Alvira S. Luckett daughter of Hiram Luckett and Amanda Smith on 28 Nov 1889 in Corydon, Harrison County, Indiana. Alvira was born on 19 Feb 1863 in St. Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri. She died on 16 May 1947 in Charleston County, South Carolina.

They had the following children:

+ 2 F i. Marguerite Douglass was born on 28 Jan 1891.

+ 3 F ii. Dorothy Douglass was born on 26 May 1893. She died on 15 Jan 1932.

4 F iii. Maude Alvira Victoria Douglass "Dora" was born on 30 Aug 1895 in Corydon, Harrison County, Indiana. She died on 3 Mar 1932.
Maude married (1) Wilmer Wallace Hubert on 25 Oct 1916.
Maude married (2) ? Kelly .

5 M iv. William Boone Douglass Jr. was born on 7 Apr 1898 in Washington, Washington, District of Columbia. He died on 17 Apr 1981 in Charleston, Charleston County, South Carolina.

Second Generation

2. Marguerite Douglass (William Boone) was born on 28 Jan 1891 in Washington, Washington, District of Columbia.
Marguerite married George Sparr Luckett on 18 Sep 1912. George was born about 1886 in Indiana.

They had the following children:

6 F i. Margaret Luckett was born about 1925 in New Mexico.

3. Dorothy Douglass (William Boone) was born on 26 May 1893 in Washington, District of Columbia. She died on 15 Jan 1932. She was buried on 18 Jan 1932.

Dorothy married Joseph Claiborne Zirkle on 10 Oct 1916. Joseph was born on 13 Feb 1886 in Virginia.

They had the following children:

7 M i. Joseph C. Zirkle was born about 1918 in Washington, District of Columbia.

8 F ii. Alvira Douglass Zirkle was born on 6 Nov 1921 in Washington, District of Columbia. She died in Jan 1988 in Charleston, Charleston County, South Carolina.

Link to a complete register report, with sources. (pdf format)

Link to Douglass' pedigree report. (pdf format)

Douglass' papers are in the archives at Duke University. Here is the library's summary:

Summary: Correspondence, memorandum books, daybooks, notebooks on the Pueblo Indians, and other papers of Douglass and of various members of the Boone and Douglass families, especially of William’s father, Benjamin P. Douglass, Indiana State Representative, and his son, William Boone Douglass, Jr., an official of the United States consular service. The letters pertain to the Kansas-Nebraska question, the passing of the first overland mail from California through Cassville, Mo., in 1858, elections to be held in Indiana in 1860, Douglass’ surveying activities, establishment of a national park of the cliff cities of New Mexico, the securing of power from Boulder Dam, and other matters. Civil War letters from both Union and confederate soldiers are included; also an emancipation document for some slaves in Indiana Territory, designs submitted to the Patent Office, a biographical sketch of Douglass, and genealogical data on the boone and related families.

Link to Duke University archives.

Following are four titles of works by William Boone Douglass which are found in the Library of Congress:

Outline of the ancestry and life of Daniel Boone
Lineage book ...
Lineage book; lineages no. 1-
Notes on the shrines of the Tewa and other Pueblo Indians of New Mexico

Return to Boone Family Association page.

Link to BFA 1925 Reunion page.

Link to my Boone page.

This file was last updated on 11/21/2007.