Rachel Amelia Root

1. Rachel Amelia Root b. 12 Aug 1842 of parents Zelotes Root and Mary Cole; d. 13 Nov 1923 at Estacada, Clackamas county, OR and is buried at the Philip Linn Pioneer Cemetery at Estacada, Clackamas county, OR. Rachel married:
Jacob Andrew Jackson Campbell probably in Minnesota – their first child was born at Oronoco – near Rochester, MN

2. Zelotes Root, b. 1806, NY, parents – names unknown – from Connecticut. First wife unidentified, m2. Mary Cole in Canada… they trekked slowly across the USA and finally settled on the coast at what is now called Oceanside near the town of Tillamook, Tillamook county, OR. Zelotes died 3 June 1885 and is said to be buried in an unmarked grave near the fire station in Oceanside.

Notes: From Middlesex county, Ontario, Canada; Deeds #1054-1755 (1829 – 1933) “Book C” page 286: a Memorial of an Indenture of Bargain and Sale bearing date the first day of May in 1830… David Millard sold to Zelotes Root of Sherbrook Forest in the County of Haldimand, District of Niagara and Province of Upper Canada sold for the sum of twenty Pounds to Zelotes Root land lying and being in the Township of Lebo, in the County of Middlesex, in the district of London and the Province of Upper Canada, containing one hundred acres… lot number three in the thirteenth concession of the said Township of Lebo…

From Middlesex county, Ontario, Canada; deeds #4973-5569 (1841 – 1842) “Book K page 2: A Memorial of an indenture of Bargain and Sale bearing the date the third day of March in the year 1840… Zelotes Root of the Township of Adelaide, County of Middlesex District of London and Province of Upper Canada, yeoman ….. wife of Zelotes Root… sold to Charles Adolphus Schwieger for the sum of two hundred Pounds of lawful money… that tract of land and premises situate lying and being in the Township of Lobo County of Middlesex in the District of London in the said Province of Upper Canada containing one hundred acres, being composed of Lot number three on the thirteenth concession of the said Township of Lobo… An additional relationship clue may be extracted from a property sale recorded 2 Jan 1841 where Zelotes Root is selling property in Adelaide Township, County of Middlesex, District of London and the Province of Upper Canada. Austin Root of the township of Adelaide District and Province of Upper Canada witnessed the indenture…

From the IGI we find an Austin Root with a birthdate of 17 Feb 1831 of Plainview, Nassau, New York, father Norman Van Renseller Root and mother, Isabel Austin. It is also interesting to note that William Root, son of Zelotes Root named his first son Austin O. Root. While it hardly seems likely that a ten year old would be used as a witness the coincidence is remarkable.

3. Mary Cole; b. 1823 in Canada; d. 4 Jan 1902; Houlton (now St. Helens), Columbia County, OR; bonded to marry Zelotes Root in Canada, 22 Apr 1840

Notes: A marriage bond, dated 20 April 1840 pledged by Benona Cole: “As a marriage has been contracted between Zelotes Root of Adelaide and my daughter Mary, I xxx to request that you will grant license for that purpose as it is with my free will and consent.”

(Mary Cole Root died January 4, 1902 St. Helens, Columbia county, OR, no grave has been located but Violet Pine Zimmerman recalled going to the funeral and the burial – she was about 12 then – she said the procession went out to Bayview, then known as the IOOF cemetery.)

A treasured family tradition is that Mary Cole Root walked up the coast following Indian trails from Tillamook to Seaside and then followed the railroad track to St. Helens where her daughter Rachel Amelia Campbell was living. The railroad was completed in 1898 and she died early in 1902 so it is possible that she accomplished the feat. If Zelotes died in 1885 though, what happened to Mary Cole Root during those 17 years? She is not on the 1900 Federal Census taken 8 June 1900 with Rachel Amelia Campbell in St. Helens, nor with Elizabeth and John Downing at Marble, Stevens county, WA… she should be on the Tillamook census but I haven’t found her… that census is too thin to read entirely. ldr

Possibly countering the treasured tradition is an article dated 22 June 1900 that appeared in the “Mist”, a St. Helens newspaper: “Mrs. McCormack (McCormick), Mrs. Root, and Mr. Hill of Tillamook, OR, relatives of Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Downing, arrived on the midnight train last Saturday (June 16, 1900) Mrs. McCormack (McCormick) and Mr. Hill returned to Portland Sunday morning while Mrs. Root was taken to the home of her daughter Mrs. John Campbell at Houlton. The old lady is 90 years old and is getting very feeble.” [1823 – 1900… she would have been 77 not 90… according to the 1900 Census of Tillamook county, OR Mr. Hill’s ancestry wasn’t determined and he was listed as a hired man.]

Comment: Mary Cole Root may have just missed the Census in St. Helens (taken just before she arrived… and then the Census in Tillamook may have been taken after she moved to St. Helens…) …ldr

Children of Zelotes Root and his first wife:

i. William Root, b. 27 Feb 1836 at Middlesex, Ontario, Canada; d. April 1900 Elizabeth City, Pasquotank county, NC

ii. Elizabeth Root b. Feb 1842 at Middlesex, Ontario, Canada; d. 14 January 1910 [?] at Marble, Stevens county, WA; m1 William Davis, probably Colorado City, CO although their only known child was born at Ruby Valley, , Nevada; m2 John F. Downing probably Ruby Valley, Elko county , Nevada as their first three children were born there.

Children of Zelotes and Mary Root:

i. Rachel Amelia Root, born 12 Aug 1842 Adalaide Twp. Middlesex Co., Ontario, Canada; d. 13 Nov 1923 Estacada, Clackamas county, OR; married Jacob Andrew Jackson Campbell
ii. Samuel D. Root b. 3 Jul 1845 Adalaide Twp. Middlesex Co., Ontario, Canada; d. 19 May 1913 LaGrande, Union county, OR
iii. Joseph C. Root b. 12 May 1848 Bruce Twp, Macomb, Michigan ; d. 22 Apr 1931 Pierre, SD
iv. Lafayette Root b. 1854 Macomb county, Michigan; d. Tillamook, Tillamook county, OR
v. Roseanna Root, b. 1858 Chickasaw, Iowa; d. 8 June 1933 Mitchell, Wheeler county, OR; married William Hiram Thacker 12 Oct 1873 in Tillamook
vi. Armada Ida May Root b. 13 Nov 1861 El Paso, Colorado; d. 5 Mar 1935 Tillamook, OR; married first Tillman H. McCormack 30 June 1877 in Tillamook, Tillamook county, OR; m2 John N. Pesterfield 18 Nov 1904 in Tillamook.

Notes:

1850 Census, Macomb county, Michigan

Zelotes Root 44
Mary 27
William 14 Canada
Betsy 10 Canada
Rachel 8 Canada
Samuel 4 Canada
Joseph 2 Michigan

1856 Census Chickasaw county, Iowa

Zelotes 49
Mary 33
Betsy 15
Rachel 13
Samuel 11
Joseph 8
Lafayette 2 MI

1860 Census Chickasaw county, Iowa
Zelotus 50
Polly 46
Rachel 21
Betsy 19
Samuel 17
Joseph 14
Lafayette 8
Susan 3 Iowa

1870 Census Tillamook county, OR

Zelotes 64
Mary 47
Lafayette 16
Rosanna 12 (Susan ?)

1880 Census Tillamook county, OR

Zelotes Root 73
Mary 57