"John Wesley Powell was born in 1834 in Mount Morris, New York, theson o f Joseph Powell, a Methodist preacher and avid abolitionist.Reverend P owell's vigorous stand against slavery was met withhostility by many o f the townspeople. He and his family moved toJackson, Ohio when John W esley was a small child. Young Powell wasfrequently stoned by his clas smates and had to be removed from publicschool and placed under the tu telage of a neighbor, George Crookham,a farmer and self-taught scienti st."
His obit also speaks of his family;
"Joseph Powell, his father, had a strong will, deep earnestness, andin domitable courage, while his mother, Mary Dean, with similar traitspos sessed also remarkable tact and practicality. Both were Englishborn, t he mother well educated, and were always leaders in the socialand educ ational life of every community where they dwelt. Especiallywere they p rominent in religious circles, the father being alicensed. exhorter in t he Methodist Episcopal Church. Both wereintensely American in their lo ve and admiration of the civilinstitutions of the United States and bo th were strenuously opposedto slavery, which was flourishing in Americ a when they arrived in1830. For a time they remained in New York City a nd then removed tothe village of Palmyra whence they went to Mount Mor ris, LivingstonCounty, New York, where, on March 24, 1834, the fourth o f their ninechildren, John Wesley, was born. Because of the slavery qu estionJoseph Powell left the Methodist Episcopal Church on the organis ationof the Wesleyan Methodist Church and became a regularly ordained preacher in the latter. It was in this atmosphere of social,educational , political, and religious fervor that the future explorergrew up.
When he was four or five years old the family moved to Jackson, Ohio,a nd then, in 1846, went on westward to South Grove, Walworth County,Wis consin, where a farm was purchased. They were in prosperouscircumstanc es....
In 1851 his family removed to Bonus Prairie, Boone County, Illinois,wh ere a larger farm had been purchased. About 1853 the WesleyanCollege w as established at Wheaton, Illinois, and the family removedthere in or der to take advantage of the opportunities afforded. Thefather became o ne of the trustees and Powell entered the preparatoryclasses."
Residences & events:
Abt 1832 America Son John's obit says they arrived in 1830 but sinced aughter Mary was born in England in 1831, it had to have been aftertha t. Joseph arrived with his wife and 2 daughters.
Bef 1834 Livingston Co, NY where 3 more children were born.
Bef 1836 Jackson (Jackson, Morrow or Wayne Co?), OH
1840 OH There were 8 Joseph Powells in the state at census time inva rious counties. Which was this man?
1846-1849 WI
7/22/1850 Town of Sharon, Walworth Co, WI. Before census time thatye ar the family had moved west across IL, landing just over thenorthern s tate line. Joseph and Mary were both 42 years old with alarge family: M artha, 20, Mary P, 19, Jno W, 16, Wm B, 14, Eliza D,12, Ellen 8, Walte r H, 7, and Julietta T, 4. Living with them weretwo 22 year old men a lso born in Eng, Nathaniel Maplebeck, and JnoHarding, both labourers. J oseph was a tailor with $2000 in realestate which son John, farmer, pr obably worked. Neighbors were abunch of New Yorkers.
7/30/1860 Wheaton, DuPage Co, IL. Still on the move, the census thaty ear recorded John and Mary at age 53 with children: John, 36,Eliza, 2 2, Helen, 19, Walter, 17, and Juliet, 14. Joseph'soccupation was cler gy W.M. but he also have a fair amount of propertyvalued at $7000/1500 . Son John was a "naturalist," daughters Elizaand Helen were school t eachers. Again neighbors were from NY.
