- O. Judson Farnsworth and his wife Sophronia C. Farnsworth were 1st cousins.
- Information about O. Judson and Sophronia C. Farnsworth is from C. Judson Bloyd's records that he gave to Judson Evan Bloyd and from newspaper clippings C. Judson Bloyd had saved. Copies of clippings in this book. Information also from Phrona Bloyd Wyrick in 1974. Marrage data of Judson and Sophronia from Buchanan County, Iowa, District Court. Also data from Farnsworth family Bible which is in the possession of W. Harlow Farnsworth of Ponca City Oklahoma. W. Harlow Farnsworth is the sone of Asher.
- O. Judson and Sophronia were married in Buffalo, Iowa, also known as Buffalo Grove, by James B. Ward, Justice of the Peace. Buffalo G5rove no longer exists but was near Aurora, Iowa.
- According to Asher Judson Farnsworth, his father O. Judson Farnsworth was born in Vermont on Lake Champlain. He went to Illinois and was in Chicago before the great fire. From there he went to Iowa, where he married Sophronia. From there they went to Lincoln County, Kansas in 1870 and then to Oklahoma at the time of the land rush. They farmed and hauled freight to Osage County by wagon as there were no railroads there at that time. later they returned to Kansas. Sophronia died there in 1888. Judson lived until 1906, and at the time of his death lived with his daughter Miranda Montgomery in Salina, Kansas.
- The following incidents involving O Judson Farnsworth were related by Judson and Sophronia's son, Asher Judson Farnsworth, to his son, Harlow Farnsworth of Ponca City Oklahoma and Harlow shared them with me.
Asher always said that his father, a freighter could unhitch a six-hourse team and take care of them as quick as most good men could care for a pair of horses. Judson never carried a gun while freighting and alwasy told his children, "A gun will only get you into trouble." He never liked it when Asher wore a six-shooter, as was the custom of nearly everyone in that country then.
Judson always claimed he could swim farther than he could walk. One story that Asher told happened while the family lived at Atchinson, Kansas. One Sunday, stakes were set in a bayou in the Missouri River bottoms, 1/2 a mile apart. Asher saw his father swim 10 times around the stakes--10 miles.
Another incident happened while the family lived about six miles west of Ponca City, Oklahoma. they raised corn on Salt Creek near Fairfax, Oklahoma. Fairfax is in Osage County, 30 miles east of Ponca City and across the Arkansas River. In those days the river ran full all summer and wasn't considered crossable then, as there were no bridges. One 4th of July morning, Judson said, "Asher, go hitch up the team to the buggy. We'll go see the corn today." Asher replied that the river was up too high to cross, but Judson told him, Z"I never said anything about the river. I said we were going to see the corn. Now go hitch up." Asher did as he was told and when they came to the crossing, his father didn't hesitate any more than we would crossing a river bridge today. They turned the seat cushion up on edge and sat on the back of the buggy seat with their feet on the seat and across the river they went.
One year, soon after Sophronia's death, Judson hired out to a circus to help haul them overland from town to town. While they were with the circus, Asher remembered a lawyer from Chicago visited Judson to get him to sign papers to start a lawsuit over land in Chicago. Judson would have nothing to do with it.
- O. Judson and Sophronia's second child, Cora, was born in Iowa. Before she was born, Judson left with a wagon train which was headed for California. He went along because he was the only one who knew how to drive a six-horse team on the train. He was to be gone only 2 or 3 days--long enough for him to teach someone else how to drive the team. But they talked him into going with them the whole distance. So he sent word back home that he was going on, not knowing that Cora was expected.
There wasn't a gun on the entire wagon train, and they were never molested by Indians. However, Judson believed that they might all have been killed one night if they had had a gun. The horses were frightened by something moving around in the dark out on the prairie. They would have shot at this object if they had possessed a gun. Judson always believed that the object on the prairie was an Indian in a buffalo robe, and if they had killed him, there would have been an Indian attack. As it was, they kept control of their horses and after awhile, the object left.
This happened in 1864 and Judson returned home by ship via the Isthmus of Panama to New York City and then overland by train to Iowa. He was gone nearly two years and Cora was over a year old when he got home.
The family moved to Oklahoma in 1893 when Oklahoma was opened to settlement. Judson freighted in Oklahoma and never carried a gun even then, although nearly everyone else carried guns in those days.
The above story was related to me by W. Harlow Farnsworth, the son of Asher Farnsworth and the grandson of O. Judson and Sophronia Farnsworth. Harlow remembers both his father and Aunt Cora telling him about these incidents.
Source: Dee Ann Harman Bishopp
- Salina Union
J. Farnsworth, 75 Years of Age
Died Last Evening
J. Farnsworth, one of the oldent settlers of Lincoln County, died in this city yesterday afternoon about 4 o'clock at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Russell Montgomery, Gypsum Avenue, East Side.
The cause of death was cancer. He suffered much with this dread disease but his death was quiet and he passed away as thought he had just fallen asleep.
The deceased was 75 yhears and 5 months old. He moved to Lincoln County in 1870 and at this time there was little else save the hut of the pioneer who trapped the buffalo and other wild game which abounded in Kansas in the early days. He remained there facing the hardships until the county changed from a wild stretch of buffalo grass to a fertile country with rich farms and dotted with thriving towns. His wife prceeded him to the better land in 1888.
He leaves to survive him five children, namely Mrs. R. E. Bloyd, of Beverly; Mrs. Phillip Snyder, of Oklahoma; Mrs. Russell Montgomery, of Salina; Asher Farnsworth and Ed Farnsworth. He is also survived by his sister, Mrs. E. H. Doolittle, of Lincoln. All of these relatives were present at his bedside when death came.
The remains were sent to Lincoln this afternoon where they will be laid to rest.
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Obituary
Judson Farnsworth died at the home of his daughter, Mrs.
Russell Montgomery, Salina, Kansas, September 11, 1906--aged 75 years. He was born in Franklin County, Vermont and came to Lincoln County, Kansas in 1870, and settled near BVashan. He went to Oklahoma at the time of "The Run" and has lived there. The deceased is survived by five children--three daughters and two sons. The daughters are Mrs. R. E. Bloyd of Beverly, Kansas; Mrs. Philip Snyder of Oklahoma; and Mrs. Russell Montgomery of Salina. The sons are Asher and Edgar of Ellsworth and his sister, Mrs. E.H. Doolittle of Lincoln.
Rve. C.C. Woods conducted the funeral services at his daughter's home in Salina, and Revs. Smith and Bradbury at the M.
E. church, Lincoln. Text, "Whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward." Judson Farnsworth was a man of few words and very kind and hospitable. H.C.B.
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Our Family History
1830 - 1906 (76 years)