Taking another look at the pension records of my husband Jeff’s 5th great-grandfather, and transcribing the affidavit for richer biographical and wartime service analysis.
#52Ancestors: 2nd Great-Grandfather Leonard Jackson Harless Homesteaded in California
Taking a California Homesteading class at the SoCal Genealogy Jamboree leads me to discover that my husband’s California pioneer 2nd great-grandfather received a homestead patent in Mariposa County.
#52Ancestors: George Walter Harless Plowing Through 1940s Yosemite
All my husband knew about his 1st great grand uncle is that he drove a snow plow in Yosemite. My father-in-law confirmed this, and told me that he thought his grandfather’s brother George had also been a miner in Madera. So when I saw the “plowing through” theme for this year’s 52 Ancestors project, I decided to try to find out a bit more about 1st great rand uncle George.
Finding the Gravesite of 2nd Great Grandparents Leonard Harless Jackson and Pauline Adeline Gann
By 1880, Jeff’s Harless ancestors moved from Stanislaus County, California to Mariposa County. This July, we traveled to old town Mariposa to visit more family history spots and find the headstone of Jeff’s 2nd great grandparents.
#52Ancestors: Looking for 3rd Great Grandmother Margaret Gann Harless’s 26 Mile House 1870 Census Home
Our family history road trip to the 1870 US Census location of Margaret Gann (1830-1919), husband Miles Harless, and son Leonard Jackson Harless. Learning the meaning and history behind 26 Mile House in Stanislaus County, California.
#52Ancestors: Chasing 3rd Great Grandfather Miles Washington Harless to Historic Castoria (French Camp)
The 1860 U.S. Census is the first federal census that records the family living in California (16 June 1860), roughly two years after following the old emigrant route through Ebbetts Pass. The Harless household resided in Castoria Township (San Joaquin County), also known as French Camp. Jeff and I recently visited French Camp.
#52Ancestors: Retracing Leonard Jackson Harless’s 1858 Ebbetts Pass Trans-Sierra Route into California
This July, my husband and I took a road trip retracing the high Sierras pass and emigrant route that his 2nd and 3rd great grandfathers (and 3rd great grandmother) took in 1858 when the family emigrated from Missouri to California. We got to actually walk on stretches of the old route.
