Individual Details

On the 1850 U. S. Census of 12th District, Callaway Co., Missouri, Joel Ham appears with his wife Mary and children William E., George B., Mary J. and John. Joel is a farmer.

On the 1870 U. S. Census of Pittsfield Township, Pike Co., Illinois, Joel C. Ham appears with his wife Mary S. and children Margaret C., Isaac Samuel, and mother Hannah Ham age 72. Joel is keeper at the county poor house. Many of the people in his charge were noted as having fits, insane or idiotic.

On the 1880 U. S. Census of Elkfork Township, Pettis Co., Missouri, Joel C. Ham appears with his wife Mary, granddaughter Laura Dorrance age 6 and a male worker on the farm. Joel is a farmer.

From: Ham - James and Related Families Genealogy, Descendants of Stephen Ham Sr. and Thomas Emmett James, Prepared by Bonnie Erskine Heetland, January 14, 1995 page 7: Joel Campbell Ham, born November 23, 1818 in Montgomery County, Missouri. He died April 22, 1887 at 69 years of age. He is buried in the cemetery that belonged to Walnut Branch Baptist Church in pettis County Missouri [or La Monte]. Joel married Mary Susan Counts on June 29, 1839, in Callaway County, Missouri. She was the daughter of Joseph Counts, born in Virginia and Elizabeth (Groom) County, born in Kentucky. Mary, a native of Pennsylvania, was born June 27, 1820, in Staunton Township, Miami County, Ohio. [This is confusing born in Pennsylvania and Ohio??]. Later in life Mary went to Lamond, Alberta, Canada to live with her daughter, and that is where she died in April 1915 at the age of 95. Her burial place is unknown.

Joel was a farmer, wagon maker and did other mechanical work. He was also a justice of the peace and church clerk at the Walnut Branch Baptist Church in LaMonte, Pettis County, Missouri. He moved from Montgomery County, Missouri to Callaway county in 1835 and to Pettis County, Missouri in 1872 where he purchased land from J. M. Pembleton near Elk Fork, Missouri. He was in Callaway County, Missouri in 1850.