A Boone Family

James Thomas Boone

Samuel Lewis Boone

James D. Boon

This is the story of my Boone family, beginning with my Great-Grandfather, James Thomas Boone. I've attempted to include not only the evidence and facts about this family, but also some of the background and history of the times. At the end of this page, there are links to other Boone-related sites which may be of interest.

I didn't develop an interest in genealogy and family history while my Grandmother was alive, so I missed an opportunity to hear from her own lips about her father and his ancestors. But I grew up hearing that she was a Boone, and that we were related in some way to the famous Boone family. When I found my interest in genealogy, I began trying to discover what that relation was.

However, recent DNA testing results indicate that my Boone ancestors were not from the George Boone (Daniel Boone) line. In fact, the results showed no matches with any of the Boones tested so far. This leads me to think that this Boone line is from one of the other Pennsylvania Boone lines, especially the German Boons. I plan to focus my research on these other lines, based on this new DNA evidence.

With that as background and introduction, here is what I've found about my Boone ancestors.

James Thomas Boone

James Thomas Boone

My Great-Grandfather was James Thomas Boone, born 25 September 1861¹ in Virginia. He married Margaret J. Mock, daughter of Frederick Mock and Nancy Helvie, in Delaware County, Indiana on 8 March, 1883 ² and had five children by her. Their children were Walter, Belle (my Grandmother), Ernest, Hazel, and Nannie. His first wife, Margaret, died on 4 January, 1896 and he married a second time to Ella Paxton. He had one son, George B. Boone, by her. He married a third time to Bertha Miller, and apparently had no children with her. He married a fourth time to Alice J. Warmoth after Bertha died. James died on 27 March 1951 at Altadena Lodge, Los Angeles County, California.

¹ Death Certificate, State of California, Reg. Dist. 1970, Registrar 74, File 4889,
Filed 9 May, 1951
² Returns of Marriage, W-1, p 39, Delaware County, Indiana. Marriage License,
8 March, 1883, Book C8, page 88.

I spent several years trying to find the answers to two questions:

• Who were James Boone's parents? and
• What happened to him after his second marriage?

To answer the first question, I first began a search of Census records for a James Thomas Boone, whose parents were Samuel Boone and Sarah Bobo (as given in his marriage license application, shown below). I eventually found a marriage between a Samuel Boone and a Sarah Bobo that seemed to fit the time frame, if not the location shown in the marriage license application. They lived in Hardy County, Virginia, where they married in 1857. This seemed to answer the first question, although I didn't find a record of James' birth. Finding James in the 1880 Census was the best confirmation I'd found until I discovered his death record.

Delaware County, Indiana, Marriage License.

Delaware County, Indiana, Returns of Marriages, W-1, p 39.

1880 Census, Stonewall District, Shenandoah County, Virginia

SURNAME	NAME	AGE	SEX	REL	S/M/W/D	OCCUPATION	BORN	FATHER	MOTHER
Link	Jasper N.	27	m	Head	m	Black Smith	WV	WV	WV
Link	Eliza C.	25	f	Wife	m	Keeping House	VA	VA	VA
Link	Omer N.	3	m	Son	s	VA	WV	VA
Boone	Jas. T.	19	m	Tenant	s	App to Blacksmith	OH	WV	WV

James was listed as an apprentice blacksmith, probably to Jasper Link, whose family he lived with. Jasper was the son of Isaac Link and Mary Landacre. After Isaac died, Mary married Samuel Boone, James' father. In 1880 the Link family was living in Shenandoah County, Virginia, just across the state line from Hardy County, West Virginia. There were several iron furnaces in that region, and a sizable number of people had emigrated to that area to work in the iron industry there. That's how James Boone became a blacksmith, the same trade that his grandfather James D. Boon had practiced. Note that he was said to be born in Ohio, and that his parents were both born in West Virginia, none of which is correct.

There is an interesting history of the iron furnaces in Shenandoah County at this link.

The second question was harder to answer. James' second wife, Ella, was referred to as his widow^* in the 1900, 1910 and 1920 Censuses, and in the 1910 Ft. Wayne City Directory, so I searched for a record of James Boone's death. There was no mention of him in the WPA death index or the cemetery indexes for Delaware County. I found no obituary or death notice in the newspapers I scanned on microfilm. The Probate Court Order Books were silent about Boones during the period of September 1897 to 1901. In his father's 1906 will (see below), James isn't mentioned, which lent further support to the theory that James had predeceased his father.

^* Note: My grandmother, James and Margaret's daughter, was listed as a widow in the 1930 Census, even though her husband was alive and living in another place. He was listed in the Census as being married. It seems that for a woman to be living without her husband in those times was only respectable if he were dead, so the wife called herself a widow rather than separated or divorced.

One of my Boone cousins told me a story that has been passed down in the family regarding James Boone's death. The story is that James didn't die in 1899 or 1900. He had just found life with his new wife intolerable and had left. Divorce was almost unthinkable then, but desertion was not uncommon. The story says that James stayed near his family to see that his children were all right. His wife had referred to herself as his widow, no doubt to save face.

It seemed that James had either died without a record, or in another locality, or that he had left his second wife and gone away. I searched the indexes to the 1910 and 1920 Censuses, as well as the Social Security Death Index, without success. When the 1930 Census became available, I did a search for James Boone, and found someone in California who was a possible match. He was said to be 67 years old, born in Virginia, and living with his wife Bertha, who was 50 and born in Illinois. His age was off by about 2 years, and he was said to be born in Virginia, not Ohio, as was claimed in his marriage license application and in the 1880 Census.

This is the data from the 1930 Census record for James and Bertha Boone:

California, Los Angeles County

Twp	ED	Sht	Surname	Name	Age	Age 1st M	Born	Father	Mother	Occupation
San Dimas	19	5B	Boone	James T.	67	45	Virginia	Virginia	Virginia	Poultry farm
San Dimas	19	5B	Boone	Bertha	52	20	Illinois	Germany	Germany	None

Then I did a search in the California Death Index, and found the following records:

Last Name	First Name	Middle	Birth Date	Mother Maiden	Father Last	Sex	Birth Place	Death Place	Residence	Death Date	SSN	Age
Boone	James	Thomas	09/25/1861	Bobo	Boone	M	Virginia	Los Angeles		03/27/1951		89 yrs
Boone	Bertha	M	02/06/1880	Westfall	Miller	F	Illinois	Los Angeles		06/16/1943		63 yrs

This confirmed that this was indeed the correct James Thomas Boone. The year of birth was right, the place of birth was right, and the maiden name of his mother was the clincher. I sent for the death certificate, shown at the left, which gives his birth date and place, the names of his parents, his occupation, and his address at the time of his death. It gives the cause of death and further details, but which does not indicate whether James and Bertha had children. This information matches closely the information on his first marriage license application, and the other data about him from other sources. Abstracts of James' certificate, and of Bertha's, follow:

Death Certificate, State of California

Reg. Dist. 1970, Registrar 74, File 4889, Filed 9 May, 1951

First Name: James	Middle: Thomas	Last: Boone	Date of Death: March 27, 1951	Hour: 1:30 pm
Sex: Male	Color: White	MS: Widowed	DOB: Sept. 25, 1861	Age: 89
Occupation: Blacksmith	Business: Forging	Birthplace: Virginia	Country: USA
Father: Samuel Boone - Birthplace Unknown		Mother: Sara Bobo - Birthplace Unknown		Spouse: Bertha Boone
Military Service: No	SSN: None	Informant: L. A. County General Hospital
Place of Death: Rural - Altadena		Length of Stay: 7 days	County: Los Angeles
Institution: Altadena Lodge		Address: 2735 E. New York Dr.
Residence: 512 East 2nd Street		City: Pomona	County: Los Angeles
Cause of Death: Coronary Heart Disease		Antecedent Causes: General arteriosclerosis
Underlying Cause: In coma for week		Other Significant Conditions: Senile Psychosis
Physician Attended from: 3-20-51 to 3-27-51		Physician: Thomas Leonard	Address: 522 Westminster, Alhambra	Date Signed: 3-27-51
Date: April 6, 1951		Cemetery or Crematory: Specimen - Univ. of Southern Calif.		Embalmer: Not embalmed
Date Received by Registrar: Apr 6, 1951		Registrar Signature: Roy O Gilbert Mgr by Barbara R. Cozad	Funeral Director: Los Angeles County General Hospital, 1200 North State Street, Los Angeles

Date Certificate Issued: Mar 12, 2003

Death Certificate, State of California

Reg. Dist. 1971, Registrar 81, File 6750, Filed Jul 14 1943

Full Name: Bertha M. Boone
Place of Death: County: Los Angeles City or Town: (San Dimas) Pomona Rural 438 W. Allen Length of Stay: In this community, 18 yrs   In California, 18 yrs		Usual Residence: County: Los Angeles City: (San Dimas) Pomona Rural Street No: 438 W. Allen Date of Death: June 16, 1943 Hour: 9:00 am
Veteran: No   SSN: None Sex: Female   Color: White  MS: married Spouse: James T. Boone   Age: 83 Birthdate: Feb. 6, 1880 Age: 63 Yrs 4 Mos 10 Days		Medical Certificate: Physician Attended from: June13, 1943 to June 16, 1943 Last Saw Patient: June 15, 1943 Cause of Death: Cardiac Failure Mitral Regurgitation & General dropsy Duration: 3 wks Due To: Toxemia & Nephritis Duration: 6 mos Due To: and Pulmonary Fibrosis Duration: 4 yrs Autopsy: no autopsy
Birthplace: Naperville, Ill. Occupation: housewife Business: own home Father: Charles Ferdinand Miller Birthplace Liepseig Germany Mother: Henrietta Westfall Birthplace Unknown Germany Informant: Mrs. Rose M. Brewster Address: 327 W. Allen San Dimas, Calif.
Date: 6-19-43 (cremation) Cemetery or Crematory: Pomona Crematory Embalmer: G R Blackman Funeral Director: Blackman Funeral Home, 1020 W. 5th St. Pomona, Cal.
Date Filed: Jun 19 1943   H. O. Swartout MD by Gertrude M Springer		Physician: J. F. Adams M. D. Address: San Dimas, Calif. Date Signed: 6-18-43

Date Certificate Issued: May 30, 2003

I requested a search of the index to the probate records in Los Angeles County around the time of James' death. The clerk of the Superior Court told me that there was no mention of James Thomas Boone in the index between 1950 and 1960. The San Dimas library did a search for an obituary for either James or Bertha, but found nothing.

Bertha's death certificate gave me the detailed information I needed to research her parents. Here is their record from the 1880 Census for Napierville, DuPage County, Illinois, Roll 204, p. 317D:

Recently I found a marriage record for James and Bertha on the new FamilySearch.org site. They were married on 17 Feb 1904 in Dubuque County, Iowa. Both sets of parents were listed in the record:

groom: James Boone
marriage: 17 Feb 1904, Dubuque, Iowa
age: 36
father: Samuel Boone
mother: Sarah Boho
spouse: Bertha Miller
spouse's age: 25
spouse's father: Ferdinand Miller
spouse's mother: Henrietta Westfall

The Pomona librarian sent me some information from the 1930s in San Dimas. James was listed in the city directories covering San Dimas in 1931, 1934, and 1937-38:

1931 Boone J T r rt 1 Allen
1934 Boone J T r W Allen rt 1
1937-38 Boone Jas T r W Allen av rt 1

At the present, West Allen Avenue runs parallel to California highway 30 between San Dimas Avenue and North Amelia Avenue. It looks like the street might have run further west previous to the construction of Interstate 210. There is an Allen Avenue west of there that ends at the San Dimas Wash.

James married for a fourth time after Bertha's death. A lookup volunteer transcribed the marriage record for James and Alice Josiephine Tapscott:

Marriage License: #106, Book 2348, p. 24, City of Pomona
James Thomas Boone, naive of Virginia, white, age 75 residing at La Verne, and
Alice Josiephine Tapscott, native of Illinois, white, age 73 residing at La Verne
21 Mar 1945     J. F. Moroney, County Clerk

Certificate of Marriage: I hereby certify that on the 21 Mar 1945 at Pomona city, Los Angeles, California under authority of a license issued by L. E. Lampton (sic) County Clerk, as a Police Judge of the City of Pomona, joined in marriage James Thomas Boone and Alice Josiephine Tapscott, in the presence of Madge Johnson, residing at Pomona CA. Signed: Harry B. Westgate, Police Judge of the City of Pomona, CA.     Recorded: 26 Mar 1945.

Marriage License Application:

Groom's address: 2271 2nd Street, La Verne, CA
Father: Samuel Lewis Boone, Virginia	Mother: Sarah Bobo, Virginia
Bride's Address: 2053 4th Street, Laverne, CA
Father: Able K. Warnath (sic), Kentucky	Mother: Nancy Roach, Kentucky
Maiden Name of Bride: Alice Josiephine Warnath (sic)

Here are two listings from the city directories for La Verne, California:

City Directory Listings for James Boone:
1945    [Alice]  2053 4th Street, La Verne, California
1948    [Alice J.]  2053 4th Street, La Verne, California

The lookup volunteer also transcribed Alice Boone's death record for me:

Full Name: Alice Josephine Tapscott Boone	County Registration No. 17354
Date of Death: 21 Dec 1948	Time of Death: 4:00 pm	Age at Death: 76y 10m 16d
Born: 5 Feb 1872, Greenview, Illinois	Father: Able Warmoth, Illinois	Mother: Nancy (unknown), Illinois
Name of Spouse: James T. Boone, age 87
Place of Death: 2053 Fourth Street, La Verne, Los Angeles, CA	Informant: James H. Tapscott, 2053 Fourth Street, La Verne, CA
Burial Date: 23 Dec 1948 Evergreen Cemetery, La Verne, CA	Funeral Director: Todd Memorial Chapel
Attending Physician: C. W. White MD	Years in County: 25; Years in CA: 25

I also found this indication of James' political affiliation. Having come from West Virginia, and lived in Indiana for a time, his party membership is no surprise.

Index to Register of Voters, 1950:
Pomona City, Pct. 22 James T. Boone, 446 N. Reservoir Street, Republican

I contacted the Pomona Public Library to ask for copies of the pages of the phone book or city directory for 1951 for the Boones, hoping to discover whether James and Bertha had any children. They kindly sent me the Boone listings for the city directory, and also the page from the crisss cross directory, which shows who was at that address (512 E. 2nd). This is the information I received:

Telephone Directory, Pomona, Chino, Claremont, Laverne and San Dimas (August 1950):

Boone, Abbott Col 2807 Indian Highway, Claremont
Boone, Jack M 296 W Artesia, Pomona
Boone, V L 1258 N Park, Pomona
Boone's Fifth Avenue Market

Householders' Directory (1951):

2d, East, between Palomares and Linden
512 Cowan R O

Criss Cross Directory:

Cowan Robt O (Katie C) rooming hse 512 E 2d h same Pomona

So it appears that James was living in a rooming house at the time of his being taken to the Altadena Lodge, where he died. He wasn't listed in the 1950 phone book for either San Dimas or Pomona, or in the 1951 Pomona city directory.

James Boone's Children

Hazel, Walter & Belle

Nannie Boone

Earnest Boone

Pauline & George, Hazel Paulson

After his first wife died, James put some of his children out to other families to raise. Ernest was adopted by Oscar and Rosa Harrison. My Grandmother, Belle, was adopted by Joel Green, a Baptist minister, and his wife Marilla. He had been the family's minister in Muncie. She lived with the Greens in Wells County, Indiana until her marriage to my Grandfather, Arthur Howard Hopkins. Nannie, the youngest child, also lived with the Greens for a time. After James married Ella, his eldest son, Walter, went to live with John and Amelia Campbell. He was described in the 1900 Census as their nephew. Amelia (Minerva) was a sister of Margaret Mock Boone. Walter later married, lived in Nebraska for a time, then moved to Houston, Texas. Hazel continued to live with her step-mother, both in Muncie and Ft. Wayne, for several years, along with James and Ella's son George. Hazel married Irwin Paulson, and lived with him in Maine and near Buffalo, New York, and in Florida after his retirement.

The photo at the right of George Boone and his wife Pauline was taken with Hazel Boone Paulson near Buffalo, New York in 1942. In the 1930 Census, I found George and Pauline Boone living in Lakeland, Polk County, Florida. He was listed as being 30 years of age, and working as a labor foreman.

These are scans of two pages of records that have come down to me about this Boone family. They are torn from having been folded and unfolded so many times, and there is a residue of an earlier attempt to tape one of the tears. But they are fairly legible, even at reduced size.

Samuel Lewis Boone

On his marriage license application, James's father and mother were given as Samuel Boone and Sarah Bobo. ³ After an extensive search, I found a couple by those names who married in Hardy County, Virginia on September 1, 1857. Samuel L.* Boone was 26 when he married Sarah, and was recorded to be the son of Jas. D. & Cath. Boone and a native of Frederick County, Maryland. Sarah was 21 and was said to be the daughter of Thomas Bobo of Hardy County, and was a native of that county. The wedding was performed by Thomas Cottrell in Hardy County. ⁴

* In the other records I've found pertaining to Samuel Boone, his middle name was either left off, or his initial only was given.
But in the marriage record of his son James to Alice Tapscott (see above), his middle name was given as Lewis.

³ Returns of Marriage, W-1, p 39, Delaware County, IN. Marriage License, March 8, 1883, Book C8, page 88.
⁴ Clerk of the Court, Hardy County, WV, letter of June 22, 1999 and copy of original marriage record, Book 1, page 5.

1850 Census Virginia, Hardy County, Dist 23, p 36A

SURNAME	NAME	AGE	SEX	OCCUPATION	BORN
Bobo	Thomas	66	m	Farmer	VA
Levy	Maria	54	f		MD
Levy	Susan R.	13	f		VA
Levy	Sarah E.	14	f		VA
Levy	Amanda F.	12	f		VA

Marriage Record, Samuel Boon and Sarah Bobo

Groom Surname	Groom Name	Groom Location	Groom's Parents	Bride Surname	Bride Name	Bride's Father	Date	Source	Other Names
Boon	Samuel L.	Hardy County VA	Jas. D. & Cath. Boon	Bobo	Sarah	Thomas Bobo	9/1/1857	Hardy County Virginia Marriage Records Book 1 page 5	Married by Thomas Cottrell

Samuel Boone married a second time, which indicates that Sarah Bobo probably died while still a young woman (no more than 27). Samuel and Sarah weren't in the 1860 Hardy County Census. Samuel married Mary C. Baldwin, daughter of Harrison and Evaline Baldwin, on May 1, 1863. They had no children.

Marriage Record, Samuel Boone and Mary Baldwin

Groom Surname	Groom Name	Groom Location	Groom's Father	Bride Surname	Bride Name	Bride's Father	Date	Source	Other Names
Boone	Samuel L.	Hardy County VA	Jas. D. Boone & Catherine	Baldwin	Mary C.	Harrison Baldwin & Evaline	5/31/1863	FHL #1846255 Hardy County Marriage Records 1787-1887	Samuel (widower) b. Frederick Co MD; Mary b. Hardy Co VA.

Samuel married a third time to Mary Landacre Link, widow of Isaac W. Link, and daughter of Joseph and Lydia Landacre. James Thomas Boone was not listed as part of their family in the 1870 Census. Mary died in 1893 and Samuel 16 years later in 1909. He is buried in the Lutheran Ebenezer Cemetery in Rio, Hampshire County, West Virginia.

Death Record, Mary Boone

Surname	Name	Date	Age	State	County	Source	Page	Comments
Boone	Mary	6/1/1893	64	West Virginia	Hardy	FHL #818673 Hardy County Deaths 1853-1970	51	w of Samuel Boone; d of Jos & Lydia Landacre; b Hardy Co

Cemetery Record, Samuel Boone

Surname	Name	Birth Date	Death Date	State	County	Township	Cemetery	Source	Page
Boone	Samuel	1831	1909	West Virginia	Hampshire	Capon	Lutheran Ebenezer Cemetery Rio WV	Triplett: Cemeteries of Hampshire Co WV V2	87

1860 Census Virginia, Hardy County, Dist 1, p 62

SURNAME	NAME	AGE	SEX	OCCUPATION	BORN
Link	Isaac W.	34	m	Farmer	VA
Link	Mary	31	f		VA
Link	George	10	m		VA
Link	Jasper	8	m		VA
Link	Victoria A.	6	f		VA
Link	Lydia F.	5	f		VA
Link	Abraham	2	m		VA
Link	Samuel	3/12	m		VA

1870 Census Virginia, Hardy County, Capon Dist, p 20

SURNAME	NAME	AGE	SEX	OCCUPATION	BORN
Boon	Samuel	41	m	Shoemaker	VA
Boon	Mary	50	f	Keeping House	VA
Boon	Harriet	7	f		VA
Boon	Catherine	4	f		WV
Boon	Sarah	8/12	f		WV

1880 Census Virginia, Hardy County, Capon Dist, Sht 29

SURNAME	NAME	AGE	SEX	REL	OCCUPATION	BORN	FATHER	MOTHER
Boone	Sam'l L.	49	m	Head	Shoemaker	MD	PA	MD
Boone	Mary	50	f	Wife	Keeping House	WV	---	WV
Link	Harriet B.	15	f	Step Dau		WV	MD	WV
Boone	Mary C.	13	f	Dau		WV	MD	WV
Boone	Marada M.	8	f	Dau		WV	MD	WV
Boone	John W.	5	m	Son		WV	MD	WV
Link	Samuel	20	m	Step Son	Farm Labor	WV	WV	WV

I have yet to find a birth record for James that would tie him to Samuel and Sarah. I did find James in the 1880 Census, though, living in Stonewall Twp, Shenandoah County, Virginia, just across the state line from Hardy County, West Virginia. He was apprenticed to Jasper Link, a blacksmith, who was James' step-brother. The Census data follows:

1880 Census Virginia, Shenandoah County, Stonewall Twp, p 378D

SURNAME	NAME	AGE	SEX	REL	S/M/W/D	OCCUPATION	BORN	FATHER	MOTHER
Link	Jasper N.	27	m	Head	m	Black Smith	WV	WV	WV
Link	Eliza C.	25	f	Wife	m	Keeping House	VA	VA	VA
Link	Omer N.	3	m	Son	s	VA	WV	VA
Boone	Jas. T.	19	m	Other	s	Appt. To Blacksmith	OH	WV	WV

1900 Census, Hardy County, McCauly Pct, ED 34, Sheet 1B

Ln	Surname	Name	Rel	Birth Dt	Age	Yrs Mar	Children	Born	Father	Mother	Occupation
51	Smith	Ephraim	Head	July 1859	41	6		WV	WV	WV	Farmer
52	Smith	Maud	Wife	May 1872	28	6	1-1	WV	WV	WV
53	Smith	Bessie	Dau	Dec 1898	1	s		WV	WV	WV
54	Boone	Samuel L.	FL	1830	70	wd		WV	WV	WV

Note: In the 1900 Census data (above), Samuel Boone's birth state, and those of his parents, were said to be West Virginia, but they were written more faintly than the others on the page, as though they had been left blank and filled in later. In fact, Samuel was born in Maryland, his father in Pennsylvania, and his mother in Virginia.

Samuel Boone's will was filed in Hampshire County, West Virginia. The will was signed on 10 Sep 1906 and probated on 10 Jul 1909. He describes himself as a shoemaker living in Rio, Hampshire County. In his will he mentions three children: John M. Boone, Mary C. Conrad, and Maudie M. Smith, wife of Ephraim Smith. He says he wishes to be buried in the cemetery in Rio. He makes no mention of his other children, including James Thomas Boone.

S. L. Boone's Will

In the name of God, Amen: I S. L. Boone, of Rio, in the County of Hampshire, Shoemaker, being mindful of my mortality, do this 10th day of September, in the year of our Lord, 1906, make and publish this my last will and testament in manner following: First, I desire to be decently and privately buried in the Church yard at Rio, with as little expense as may be. Also, I give and bequeath unto my three children, John W. Boone, Mary C. Conrad, and Maudie M. Smith all my estate remaining at my decease after defraying necessary expenses in manner following, To John W. Boone, one third, to Mary C. Conrad, one third and to Maudie M. Smith one third, provided however, that if Ephraim Smith shall execute & fulfill the latter clause pf a verbal agreement between himself and me, Viz: That at my death, he, the said Ephraim Smith was to have my body decently buried at his own cost and expense. Now in case the said Smith shall perform his part of said agreement, then shall the bequests remain as above, but should he fail or refuse to comply then so much as is necessary to defray said expense shall be deducted from the portion of Maudie M. Smith and the balance if any paid to her. I give and bequeath to Mary C. Conrad One large portrait & frame of myself & wife forever. Any money paid by me to either of the legatees & not returned shall be computed in the settlement of the estate. I do hereby constitute and appoint my son John W. Boone sole Executor of this my last will and testament, without bond or security. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year first above written.

S. L. Boone (seal)

The above instrument consisting of one sheet was now here subscribed by S. L. Boone, the testator, in the presence of each of us; and was at the same time declared by him to be his last will and testament, and we, at his request, sign our names hereto as attesting witnesses.

S. L. Boone (Testator)

J. W. Wise, Rio, W. Va.
L. A. Whitmire, Rio, W. Va.

West Virginia To-Wit:

In the Clerk's Office of the County Court of Hampshire County on the 10th day of July, 1909 the last will and testament of S. L. Boone decd. was presented to said office and proven by the oath of J. W. Wise a subscribing witness thereto (L. A. Whitmire the other subscribing witness being out of State) and said will is ordered to be recorded.

Teste C W Haines Clk. Cty. Ct.

Source:
Hampshire County, West Virginia Wills, vol 23 1907-1928, p 17 (FHL film #0815339)

James D. Boon

James D. Boon was a blacksmith by trade, and was Postmaster of the Baker's Run Post Office in the Capon district, Hardy County in 1851. He was born in Pennsylvania,⁵ moved first to Maryland, where he married and the first eight children listed below were born, then moved to Virginia. After several years in Virginia, the family moved (prior to 1860) to Fairfield Township, Tuscarawas County, Ohio, where James was a blacksmith, and a Justice of the Peace in 1862.⁶ He died there in 1869.

⁵ 1860 Census, Fairfield Twp, Tuscarawas County, Ohio, page 375.
⁶ History of Tuscarawas County, Ohio p. 549

James Boon's Census Records

1830 Census, Maryland, Frederick County, District 11, p. 161, ln 23

Surname	Name	Males/Females
Boon	James H.	1M Under 5, 1M 30-40; 1F Under 5, 1F 20-30

The 1830 data fits James and his family at that time. The middle initial H may be a recording error by the enumerator. There was a Thos. J. Boon in the 1840 Census for Frederick County, but the counts of males and females don't fit James D. Boon's family.

1850 Census, Virginia, Hardy County, District 23, p. 35B, lns 18-25

Surname	Name	Age	Born	Occupation
Boon	James D.	51	PA	Blacksmith
Boon	Catherine A.	43	VA
Boon	John H.	23	MD	Tanner
Boon	Mary Ann	21	MD
Boon	Robert A.	18	MD	Blacksmith
Boon	Jane A.	13	MD
Boon	Catherine	5	VA
Boon	Elizabeth	3	VA

Thomas Bobo's family, including Sarah, was listed on the following page of the Census (see above under Samuel L. Boone). Samuel Boon wasn't listed along with the rest of James and Catherine's family, and I haven't been able to find him in the 1850 Census.

1860 Census, Ohio, Tuscarawas County, Fairfield Twp, p. 375B, lns 18-24

Surname	Name	Age	Born	Occupation
Boon	James D.	60	PA	Blacksmith
Boon	Catherine	52	VA
Boon	Mary A.	32	MD
Boon	Catherine	16	VA
Boon	Elizabeth	13	VA
Baker	Sarah C.	9	VA
Baker	Isaac N.	3	VA

James D. Boon's Will

James D. Boon's Will

In the name of the Benevolent Father of all; I James D. Boon of Fairfield Twp., Tusc. County, Ohio do make and publish this my last will and testament:

After payment of my just debts and charges I dispose of my real estate and chattels as follows I give and devise all the residue of my estate both personal and realty to Catherine A. Boon my beloved wife during her natural life and that Mary A. Boon, my daughter, shall have her home with the said Catherine A. Boon and after the decease of the said Catherine A. Boon if my said daughter shall survive her, to the use of my said daughter.

I do hereby nominate and appoint Hiram Williams executor of this my last will and testament, hereby authorizing and empowering him to compromise, adjust, release and discharge in such manner as he may deem proper, the debts and claims due me.

I do also authorize and empower him, (with the consent of the said Catherine A. and Mary A. Boon) if it shall become necessary in order to pay my debts, or the better accomodation of the said heirs to sell, by private sale or in such manner, upon such terms of credit or otherwise, as he may think proper, all or any part of my real estate or chattels, such deed to purchase to execute, acknowledge, and deliver in fee simple, and that this court do not exact a bond of the administrator of this my last will and testament. I do hereby revoke all former wills by me made. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this     day of June AD 1869.

James D. Boon {Seal}

Signed and acknowledged by said James D. Boon as his last will and testament in our presence and signed by us in his presence.

Barnhart Casper
N. S. Heminger

Note: This will was filed with the probate court on 29 Oct 1869.
The reference is Will Record 5, page 326, Tuscarawas County, Ohio

James D. Boon Estate Documents

Court Charges A 2410	$1.25	Will of James D. Boon
Record & Copy	$2.15	1869 October 29 Will admitted to Probate and filed
Citation to of Widow	.35	"        "            "    Citation to widow is issued
	$3.75	November 3 Citation returned. Service acknowledged
Letters Testamentary	$2.50	1870 January 10 = Letters Testamentary granted and issued to Hiram Williams
Notice July 21/71	.10	Testamentary Bond dispersed with the issuance of bequest of the Will
		1871 August 9th Final account filed & Recorded FAR 19/251

By the will of Testator all his Personalty and Realty passed to Widow Catharine without administration with power to Executor to sell any portion to pay debts.

There being debts owing by Said James D. Boon the Executor under the will Sold the land being 12 acres to Moses A. Cordery for $600.00 and received proceeds as follows.

1870 Febr 28th	Received of Moses A. Cordery on sale of land	$200.00
"       March 27th	(ditto)	400.00
"       "         "	Recd interest on $400.00 on loans to W. Smith & L. Herinyer[?]	24.72
		$624.72

. . .

Schedule of Distribution

Executor reports that by the time of the will the estate passed at death of Widow to the Daughters. Executor having surplus left after paying of debts and being without power to pay it to the Widow except for her support invested $400.00 in purchasing 3 acres as a homestead for her use during life. He further reported that he took title to said 3 acres to himself as Executor and held the Same in trust for Said Widows use and her Daughters. He further reports that he expended $4.63 for Widows support and paid her $5.00 in money in support And herewith attaches Voucher for $43.63 thus expended for Widows support and use Said Vouchers being marked ABC&D.

[Note: The foregoing is a partial transcription of the estate documents for James D. Boon. Note that none of James' sons were mentioned in his will or in these documents. His widow and daughters were provided for, but not the sons. I'm guessing that he had passed property to the sons prior to his death.]

Descendants of James D. Boone

I've prepared a pdf file that contains a register report for the descendants of James D. Boone. This file stops short of the living generations to protect their privacy. If you have anything to add to this report, or can offer corrections to the information in it, please contact me.

I've been unable to find a record of James D. Boone earlier than his marriage to Catherine Smith, or to determine who his parents were. He is not listed in Spraker's history of the Boone family. I've also found no evidence that he's related to the English Boone family in Frederick County and vicinity, or to the German Bohun/Boone family of Frederick County. I'm now trying to trace him back to his birthplace in Pennsylvania, where the Censuses say he was born, and to find out who his parents were.

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Other Boone Information

Information from Scharf's History of Western Maryland relating to the Boone family. Some of these Boones are included in the Boone-L database, while others have yet to be researched and included.

The Isaiah Boone family of Maryland and their descendants.

Joseph Boone, son of William and Susanna (Parks) Boone of Washington County, Maryland.

Samuel Boone, Jr., Gunsmith of Frederick County, Maryland

The Smiths of Frederick County, Maryland, possible relations of the Catharine Smith who married James D. Boone.

Richard Boone of Anne Arundel County, Maryland and Ohio County, Virginia/West Virginia (pdf)

The Isaiah Boone family of Kentucky. This includes Census records from 1830 to 1870.

George Boone Documents and History links

The founding of Georgetown, Frederick County, Maryland (now D.C.)

The Boone Family Association

The Boone Society
Join us on our family journey as we explore the Boone/Boon name, with many heroic members!

Information about Boon Families

Dr. Peter Stebbins Craig wrote an article titled Anders Svensson Bonde and his Boon Family. His collected writing are available for a fee at the Swedish Colonial Society Web site. Bonde was an immigrant to New Sweden on the Delaware river, in what is now Chester County, Pennsylvania.

There is a copy of the genealogy of Thomas Boon of Isle of Wight, Virginia at the Seattle Public Library. The following is the catalog listing for this book.

Boon genealogy, 1984 / as compiled by Rupert Farnham Thompson ;
assisted by Arthur Bunton Jones.
Studio City, Calif. (P.O. Box 1217, Studio City 91604-0217) : R.F.
Thompson, 1981-1984.
Other Authors: Jones, Arthur Bunton.
Added Title(s): Thomas Boon, immigrant, died 1723, Isle of Wight Co., Va., and 1,000 of his descendants.
Call#: R929.2 B6445T
Description: 2 v. ; 28 cm.
Notes: Vol. 2 has title: Thomas Boon, immigrant, died 1723, Isle of Wight Co., Va., and 1,000 of his descendants.
"Draft"
Includes indexes.
Vol. 2: 2nd mimeographing, 1986.

URL: https://catalog.spl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?profile=dial&where=Catalog&term=boon+isle+wight&menu=search&aspect=power&index=.GW

I understand that the authors gave this book to a large number of libraries on the condition that they catalog it under the surname Boon, not Boone. You can also see details about this book at Google Books.

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This file was last updated on 7/9/2019.

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