Individual Details
Francis Criswell Kirkpatrick
(4 Feb 1803 - 3 Jun 1877)
Francis was the eldest son of James Gillham and Sarah (Pettyjohn) Kirkpatrick; and was usually called "Frank". He was born in Jackson Co., GA, 4 Feb 1803. He came west with his family to Bond Co., Illinois, in 1818. He married Frances "Fanny" Sparks, daughter of Abel and Sarah Sparks, in Bond Co., Illinois, 10 Oct 1821. Fanny was born in Tennessee 27 Oct 1804.
After their marriage they lived for a time in Washington Co., MO, a lead mining district. Here their first surviving child, James Cochran Kirkpatrick, was born on 24 Dec 1824.
On 10 Apr 1827 Francis arrived in Galena, Illinois, and moved into the southwestern corner of then Michigan Territory (later Wisconsin), which was a lead mining area. Francis apparently lived for a time in various parts of present-day Iowa, Grand and Lafayette Counties, Wisconsin. He engaged in lead mining until about 1838 when he sold his lead mine to Thomas J. Parrish for $10,000.
One account of the man reads this way:
"In 1827 Francis C. Kirkpatrick, father of the subject of this sketch, with his family, located at Galena, Ill. The Indian title to southwester Wisconsin, then part of Michigan Territory, having been extinguished, the following year he came to Iowa County and engaged in smelting in what is now the town of Lima, Grant County. With a wooden-plow he broke up the first ground ever cultivated in the county, though he gave but little attention to agriculture for some years; this plow was made from a crotched tree, combined with a miners pick. As most of the provisions for the lead region were brought to Galena by steamer, supplies sometimes became very scarce before the opening of spring navigation, and at one time he and his family were without food for three days. He took part in the Winnebago War (1827), and with his brother William served under Capt. Strode throughout the Black Hawk war during which time he sent his family to Galena for protection. He was one of the commissioners appointed to locate the seat of Grant county, and also one of the first commissioners of Iowa county. He departed this life in Lima Grant Co., at the age of seventy-six years, most of which had been spent upon the frontier. His wife was born in 1804, near Nashville, TN, and died at Lima, Grant Co., 15 Jan. 1881. Her father Abel Sparks, came in 1838 to Iowa county, where he attained the age of nearly one hundred years. her mother, whose maiden name was Sarah Cochran, was born in New Jersey. Mr. and Mrs. Kirkpatrick were the parents of seven sons and four daughters." *
Kirkpatrick served under Captain Strode in the Winnebago Indian disturbance of 1827, a minor frontier fright. In a bounty land claim made by Kirkpatrick he states that he volunteered at galena and was put in the company commanded by Captain Mudd about 4 Jul 1827. This unit, the Galena Volunteers, was commanded by Colonel Henry Dodge. Kirkpatrick avers that he was transferred to the company of Captain William S. Hamilton and subsequently to the company commanded by Captain James Strode. This unit was discharged at Galena in September of 1827.
In 1832 he joined the company commanded by Captain James Craig, Regiment of Illinois Mounted Volunteers, commanded again by Colonel Henry Dodge, for service in the Black Hawk War, as a private. Illinois records describe the company as "an Illinois company attached to Michigan Territory Volunteers", "attached to the command of Col. Henry Dodge, now mustered by Lt. Gardenier, by order of General Atkinson." Mustered in May, the company was discharged 14 September 1832. Kirkpatrick was in the company with a good many of his relatives.
Francis C. Kirkpatrick was one of the first members of the Iowa County Board of Commissioners which held its first meeting at Mineral Point, Wisconsin, 2 Apr 1836. He was one of the Grand Jurors of the first term of the U.S. District Court in Mineral Point in May 1837. Francis was also appointed one of the commissioners for the division of land setting off Lafayette County. From 1852 to 1855 he was chairman of the town officers of Mifflin. In later years the Kirkpatrick's lived at New California, Clifton Township, Grant County, Wisconsin, after that county was erected.
In 1844, Dr. Edward Cronin came to the area from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after completing his medical education. Kirkpatrick took him in and assisted him in getting located at Platteville and gave him a horse with bridle and saddle to ride.
By one report, Kirkpatrick was a sturdy, strong man who lift a bar of lead in each hand at the same time above his head.
Francis C. Kirkpatrick died 3 Jun 1877 at the age of 74 years. The Grant County Witness, published at Platteville, Wisconsin, had this to say in its June 21 Obituary:
"Deceased was born in the State of Georgia and emigrated from that state to what is now Iowa County in the spring of 1827, nine years before Wisconsin was organized into a Territory. He was in the Black Hawk and Winnebago wars, and endured all the privations and hardships of a pioneer life. When he first arrived in the West, the country which is now dotted over with school houses, churches, cities, towns and villages was then but a howling wilderness. He took an active part in all the public and political questions of the day, and he held several offices of public trust, both in Iowa and Grant counties. He at one time was the owner of several very rich lodes of lead ore and owned 1600 acres of the richest and best lands in the west. He was a man that was endowed with an extraordinary memory, in fact he was a walking history of his time; he could give time and place, day and date of events that came under his observation accurately. He would entertain his friends by hours telling of his and others' early experience, of their privations, hardships and hairbreadth escapes. He delighted to talk about his Revolutionary sires, and the active part they took to obtain the Independence of this country. He was very firm in his convictions and would earnestly contend for whatever he deemed to be right. He delighted to call himself an old '76 Whig although he identified himself with the Democratic party when the old Whig party was dissolved. He was free from deception of any kind, what he said he meant. He would go farther to serve his friends and help them out of difficulties they might be placed in than most men. If he had anything against you, he did not deceive you, he would tell you. He despised the man that pretended to be a friend and deceived you. He was kind hearted and charitable, so much so that from being a man of large possessions, he has left but little worldly wealth behind him, from his large giving and becoming responsible for others, and having to pay their debts, which he did do. He was honest from an inbred principle, and always paid his honest debts not because he was compelled to do so, but because it was right. he has left an aged wife and 7 children to mourn him. The funeral services were conducted in a beautiful grove adjoining his residence in New California. Rev. Wm. Oliver delivered a very impressive discourse to a large concourse of relatives, friends and neighbors, who followed his remains to their last resting place."
New California today is a ghost town in Grant County. Where once Francis C. Kirkpatrick ran a hotel with lively stage stops, there are now only a few foundations and one broken stone building resting in a pasture cut by a quiet brook. The only sound comes from a few grazing cattle. It was from his home in this place that his funeral was held. We have this picture of the passing from some correspondence of his sister-in-law, Caroline (Newman) Kirkpatrick, wife of his brother, James Gillham Kirkpatrick, who described the scene:
"Belmont, June 11, 1877 -- Dear Daughter: After a long time I will answere your most welcome letter. Things were in quite a whirl these times and I thought until they were more settled I would not write. We were at your Uncle Frank's considerable, in his sickness. He died Sunday a week ago. We went Saturday morning and stayed until after he died. His death has thrown quite a gloom over New California. Who would have thought he would of went before Aunt Fanny. Oh, she looked so feeble and she made me thing of your Grandmother Newman. Mr. Oliver preached the funeral at the house and out at the grave. They were such a large congregation the procession was over a half mile long. I did not go. We couldn't well both go and I had been there several days and nights and Ellen had not been there at all and your papa and her went. He had been troubled all winter with the gravel and was fearful bad on Monday night and died next Sunday morning a week. He suffered terrible. I don't think he thought from the first he would get well. He has a beautiful garden and lots of black and raspberries and strawberries and he told me I must come over when they get ripe and I said I would if I could and I will I think if I am able to get there. I supposed he would arrange all his affairs, but he did not and I think likely there will be trouble in the family concerning the property. He has gave some of them considerable and some nothing. Much love, Mother."
Kirkpatrick died intestate. Papers recorded at Grant County state that he died leaving personal property that did not exceed $500 in value and real estate in the amount of $1000. The records say that surviving him are his wife, Frances and nine children: James C., William D., Vance L., Elizabeth Jones, Ellen Bull, Alvino (sic) Pauley, Frances Gunsaulis, Frank N. , and Frederick C. and two minor children of George W. Kirkpatrick, deceased.
Frances "Fanny" Kirkpatrick, who died 19 January 1881, and Francis "Frank" Kirkpatrick were buried in the Kirkpatrick Cemetery near Rewey, Wisconsin. The land where the cemetery is located was purchased by Francis Criswell Kirkpatrick from John Gillham in 1839 and it stayed in the family until 1922. The land around the cemetery was sold at that date.
===============
* Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette, Wisconsin, 1901, J.H. Beers & Co., Chicago.
Obituary not found at chroniclingamerica.loc.gov, genealogybank.com or newspaperarchive.com, May 15, 2018.
After their marriage they lived for a time in Washington Co., MO, a lead mining district. Here their first surviving child, James Cochran Kirkpatrick, was born on 24 Dec 1824.
On 10 Apr 1827 Francis arrived in Galena, Illinois, and moved into the southwestern corner of then Michigan Territory (later Wisconsin), which was a lead mining area. Francis apparently lived for a time in various parts of present-day Iowa, Grand and Lafayette Counties, Wisconsin. He engaged in lead mining until about 1838 when he sold his lead mine to Thomas J. Parrish for $10,000.
One account of the man reads this way:
"In 1827 Francis C. Kirkpatrick, father of the subject of this sketch, with his family, located at Galena, Ill. The Indian title to southwester Wisconsin, then part of Michigan Territory, having been extinguished, the following year he came to Iowa County and engaged in smelting in what is now the town of Lima, Grant County. With a wooden-plow he broke up the first ground ever cultivated in the county, though he gave but little attention to agriculture for some years; this plow was made from a crotched tree, combined with a miners pick. As most of the provisions for the lead region were brought to Galena by steamer, supplies sometimes became very scarce before the opening of spring navigation, and at one time he and his family were without food for three days. He took part in the Winnebago War (1827), and with his brother William served under Capt. Strode throughout the Black Hawk war during which time he sent his family to Galena for protection. He was one of the commissioners appointed to locate the seat of Grant county, and also one of the first commissioners of Iowa county. He departed this life in Lima Grant Co., at the age of seventy-six years, most of which had been spent upon the frontier. His wife was born in 1804, near Nashville, TN, and died at Lima, Grant Co., 15 Jan. 1881. Her father Abel Sparks, came in 1838 to Iowa county, where he attained the age of nearly one hundred years. her mother, whose maiden name was Sarah Cochran, was born in New Jersey. Mr. and Mrs. Kirkpatrick were the parents of seven sons and four daughters." *
Kirkpatrick served under Captain Strode in the Winnebago Indian disturbance of 1827, a minor frontier fright. In a bounty land claim made by Kirkpatrick he states that he volunteered at galena and was put in the company commanded by Captain Mudd about 4 Jul 1827. This unit, the Galena Volunteers, was commanded by Colonel Henry Dodge. Kirkpatrick avers that he was transferred to the company of Captain William S. Hamilton and subsequently to the company commanded by Captain James Strode. This unit was discharged at Galena in September of 1827.
In 1832 he joined the company commanded by Captain James Craig, Regiment of Illinois Mounted Volunteers, commanded again by Colonel Henry Dodge, for service in the Black Hawk War, as a private. Illinois records describe the company as "an Illinois company attached to Michigan Territory Volunteers", "attached to the command of Col. Henry Dodge, now mustered by Lt. Gardenier, by order of General Atkinson." Mustered in May, the company was discharged 14 September 1832. Kirkpatrick was in the company with a good many of his relatives.
Francis C. Kirkpatrick was one of the first members of the Iowa County Board of Commissioners which held its first meeting at Mineral Point, Wisconsin, 2 Apr 1836. He was one of the Grand Jurors of the first term of the U.S. District Court in Mineral Point in May 1837. Francis was also appointed one of the commissioners for the division of land setting off Lafayette County. From 1852 to 1855 he was chairman of the town officers of Mifflin. In later years the Kirkpatrick's lived at New California, Clifton Township, Grant County, Wisconsin, after that county was erected.
In 1844, Dr. Edward Cronin came to the area from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after completing his medical education. Kirkpatrick took him in and assisted him in getting located at Platteville and gave him a horse with bridle and saddle to ride.
By one report, Kirkpatrick was a sturdy, strong man who lift a bar of lead in each hand at the same time above his head.
Francis C. Kirkpatrick died 3 Jun 1877 at the age of 74 years. The Grant County Witness, published at Platteville, Wisconsin, had this to say in its June 21 Obituary:
"Deceased was born in the State of Georgia and emigrated from that state to what is now Iowa County in the spring of 1827, nine years before Wisconsin was organized into a Territory. He was in the Black Hawk and Winnebago wars, and endured all the privations and hardships of a pioneer life. When he first arrived in the West, the country which is now dotted over with school houses, churches, cities, towns and villages was then but a howling wilderness. He took an active part in all the public and political questions of the day, and he held several offices of public trust, both in Iowa and Grant counties. He at one time was the owner of several very rich lodes of lead ore and owned 1600 acres of the richest and best lands in the west. He was a man that was endowed with an extraordinary memory, in fact he was a walking history of his time; he could give time and place, day and date of events that came under his observation accurately. He would entertain his friends by hours telling of his and others' early experience, of their privations, hardships and hairbreadth escapes. He delighted to talk about his Revolutionary sires, and the active part they took to obtain the Independence of this country. He was very firm in his convictions and would earnestly contend for whatever he deemed to be right. He delighted to call himself an old '76 Whig although he identified himself with the Democratic party when the old Whig party was dissolved. He was free from deception of any kind, what he said he meant. He would go farther to serve his friends and help them out of difficulties they might be placed in than most men. If he had anything against you, he did not deceive you, he would tell you. He despised the man that pretended to be a friend and deceived you. He was kind hearted and charitable, so much so that from being a man of large possessions, he has left but little worldly wealth behind him, from his large giving and becoming responsible for others, and having to pay their debts, which he did do. He was honest from an inbred principle, and always paid his honest debts not because he was compelled to do so, but because it was right. he has left an aged wife and 7 children to mourn him. The funeral services were conducted in a beautiful grove adjoining his residence in New California. Rev. Wm. Oliver delivered a very impressive discourse to a large concourse of relatives, friends and neighbors, who followed his remains to their last resting place."
New California today is a ghost town in Grant County. Where once Francis C. Kirkpatrick ran a hotel with lively stage stops, there are now only a few foundations and one broken stone building resting in a pasture cut by a quiet brook. The only sound comes from a few grazing cattle. It was from his home in this place that his funeral was held. We have this picture of the passing from some correspondence of his sister-in-law, Caroline (Newman) Kirkpatrick, wife of his brother, James Gillham Kirkpatrick, who described the scene:
"Belmont, June 11, 1877 -- Dear Daughter: After a long time I will answere your most welcome letter. Things were in quite a whirl these times and I thought until they were more settled I would not write. We were at your Uncle Frank's considerable, in his sickness. He died Sunday a week ago. We went Saturday morning and stayed until after he died. His death has thrown quite a gloom over New California. Who would have thought he would of went before Aunt Fanny. Oh, she looked so feeble and she made me thing of your Grandmother Newman. Mr. Oliver preached the funeral at the house and out at the grave. They were such a large congregation the procession was over a half mile long. I did not go. We couldn't well both go and I had been there several days and nights and Ellen had not been there at all and your papa and her went. He had been troubled all winter with the gravel and was fearful bad on Monday night and died next Sunday morning a week. He suffered terrible. I don't think he thought from the first he would get well. He has a beautiful garden and lots of black and raspberries and strawberries and he told me I must come over when they get ripe and I said I would if I could and I will I think if I am able to get there. I supposed he would arrange all his affairs, but he did not and I think likely there will be trouble in the family concerning the property. He has gave some of them considerable and some nothing. Much love, Mother."
Kirkpatrick died intestate. Papers recorded at Grant County state that he died leaving personal property that did not exceed $500 in value and real estate in the amount of $1000. The records say that surviving him are his wife, Frances and nine children: James C., William D., Vance L., Elizabeth Jones, Ellen Bull, Alvino (sic) Pauley, Frances Gunsaulis, Frank N. , and Frederick C. and two minor children of George W. Kirkpatrick, deceased.
Frances "Fanny" Kirkpatrick, who died 19 January 1881, and Francis "Frank" Kirkpatrick were buried in the Kirkpatrick Cemetery near Rewey, Wisconsin. The land where the cemetery is located was purchased by Francis Criswell Kirkpatrick from John Gillham in 1839 and it stayed in the family until 1922. The land around the cemetery was sold at that date.
===============
* Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette, Wisconsin, 1901, J.H. Beers & Co., Chicago.
Obituary not found at chroniclingamerica.loc.gov, genealogybank.com or newspaperarchive.com, May 15, 2018.
Events
| Birth | 4 Feb 1803 | Jackson Co., Georgia | |||
| Marriage | 10 Oct 1821 | Bond Co., Illinois - Frances K. Sparks |  | ||
| Death | 3 Jun 1877 | New California, Grant Co., Wisconsin | |||
| Burial | Kirkpatrick Cemetery, Rewey, Iowa Co., Wisconsin | |
Families
| Spouse | Frances K. Sparks (1804 - 1881) |
| Child | George A. Kirkpatrick (1823 - 1823) |
| Child | James Cochran Kirkpatrick (1824 - 1910) |
| Child | George W. Kirkpatrick (1826 - 1864) |
| Child | Sarah Jane Kirkpatrick (1828 - 1832) |
| Child | William Dennis Kirkpatrick (1831 - 1903) |
| Child | Elizabeth Ann Kirkpatrick (1831 - 1914) |
| Child | Vance Lust Kirkpatrick (1834 - 1902) |
| Child | Martha Ellen Kirkpatrick (1836 - 1919) |
| Child | Elvira "Vie" Kirkpatrick (1839 - 1934) |
| Child | Frances Kirkpatrick (1840 - 1917) |
| Child | Francis "Frank" Marion Kirkpatrick (1843 - 1910) |
| Child | Frederick C. Kirkpatrick (1845 - 1890) |
| Father | James Gillham Kirkpatrick (1769 - 1846) |
| Mother | Sarah Pettyjohn (1780 - 1863) |
| Sibling | Sarah Kirkpatrick (1805 - ) |
| Sibling | William M. Kirkpatrick (1806 - 1898) |
| Sibling | Elizabeth Louisa Kirkpatrick (1808 - 1889) |
| Sibling | Susannah Caroline Kirkpatrick (1811 - ) |
| Sibling | James Gillham Kirkpatrick Jr. (1813 - 1897) |
| Sibling | John J. Kirkpatrick (1816 - 1880) |
| Sibling | Mary Ann Kirkpatrick (1820 - 1876) |
Endnotes
1. Illinois Marriages On-line, Vol. A, Page 110.
2. Grant County Genealogical Society, Platteville, Wisconsin.