Individual Details
Dr John Starr Cummins
(6 Jun 1812 - 26 Jan 1900)
ohn was born in Pennsylvania, and raised in Jefferson County, Ohio. He was the eldest of at least three children of Joseph Samuel Cummins and Mary Starr. Little is known of his history before his marriage.
On 14 Mar 1833 in Steubenville, Jefferson County, Ohio, when John was 22, he married Abigail Maple, daughter of George Maple and Nancy Ann Brown.
After they were married, he attended the medical school of New Athens College in New Athens, Harrison County, Ohio. During this time, he established his home a short distance away at Short Creek, Here Abigail bore nine of their ten children, and here he established his practice.
In 1850, John left his family in Ohio, and struck out to California for the gold rush. He spent a short time in the areas of Placerville, Coloma, and Auburn, where he wasn't having much luck. Then news of the strikes in the Yreka area came and he went there.
In Yreka, John soon tired of prospecting, and became interested in civic affairs. He was a charter member and assisted with the organization of St. John's Lodge No. 37, F&AM, which received its fharter in 1853. He was the Tiler of the lodge for several years. He also assisted in the formation of Cyrus Chapter No. 15, RAM. and signed as a charter member.
During these years John established his medical practice at Yreka, and in partnership with A.M.C.Smith, established the first hospital in Yreka. This was not a paying investment and was soon abandoned. In 1854 he was one of the signers of a petition for the incorportation of the city of Yreka.
John spent 7 years in California. In October 1857, he went south to Columbia, and from there travelled by Wells Fargo Stage to Salt Lake City, Utah, and from there on home to Ohio.
John then moved his family to Indiana, where the last of his children was born. Leaving his family there, he went to Texas to look at a piece of property he had purchased while in California. He liked the looks of it, returned to Indiana, and moved his family via river boat to Shreveport, Louisiana and then overland to Honey Grove, Fannin County, Texas.
John and his family spent three years in Texas. In 1861, events that would affect the Cummins family were happening at a rapid pace. On Feb. 1, Texas seceeded from the Union and on Mar. 2 this became effective. On Mar. 4, Texas joined the Confederate States of America, and shortly, Sam Houston was removed from office. John and his family wanted no part of the Confederacy. On April 1 he put his property up for sale. It didn't clear escrow until May 1. On that day, John put his family and all their belongings on a flat boat, and they started down the Red River to Shreveport, where they outfitted with all the supplies needed for an oveland trip west. They reached Californis in the late fall, spending rhe winter in El Monte, then going on to Los Angeles in the spring.
John bought a dairy farm in Los Angeles, but sold it in a little more than a year. They didn't like the atmosphere there, which was very sympathetic to the Confederacy.
This time they headed north, settling in Sonoma Country. They lived in Mendocino Township during much of the 1870s, then moved to Mendocino County. John had a ranch in the Anderson Valley, about 8 miles south of Yorkville. By 1880, the family had moved to Covelo, where son, George was the U.S. Agent on the Round Valley Indian Reservation. Son David was teaching school on the reservation, and John was the local physician.
Later John returned to Healdsburg ro practice medicine. He was the physician in attendance at the birth of three of his granddaughters there. Still later he bought a ranch on the Russian River.
In 1898, when he registered to vote in Sonoma County, John was 84 years old. He was described in the Great Register, as 5 feet 10 inches tall, fair complexion, blue eyes, grey hair, occupation gardener.
In October 1899, Abigail, his wife of 66 years passed away. Exactly three month later, he joined her in death, at the home of his son-in-law, George Farmer, at Dry Creek.
On 14 Mar 1833 in Steubenville, Jefferson County, Ohio, when John was 22, he married Abigail Maple, daughter of George Maple and Nancy Ann Brown.
After they were married, he attended the medical school of New Athens College in New Athens, Harrison County, Ohio. During this time, he established his home a short distance away at Short Creek, Here Abigail bore nine of their ten children, and here he established his practice.
In 1850, John left his family in Ohio, and struck out to California for the gold rush. He spent a short time in the areas of Placerville, Coloma, and Auburn, where he wasn't having much luck. Then news of the strikes in the Yreka area came and he went there.
In Yreka, John soon tired of prospecting, and became interested in civic affairs. He was a charter member and assisted with the organization of St. John's Lodge No. 37, F&AM, which received its fharter in 1853. He was the Tiler of the lodge for several years. He also assisted in the formation of Cyrus Chapter No. 15, RAM. and signed as a charter member.
During these years John established his medical practice at Yreka, and in partnership with A.M.C.Smith, established the first hospital in Yreka. This was not a paying investment and was soon abandoned. In 1854 he was one of the signers of a petition for the incorportation of the city of Yreka.
John spent 7 years in California. In October 1857, he went south to Columbia, and from there travelled by Wells Fargo Stage to Salt Lake City, Utah, and from there on home to Ohio.
John then moved his family to Indiana, where the last of his children was born. Leaving his family there, he went to Texas to look at a piece of property he had purchased while in California. He liked the looks of it, returned to Indiana, and moved his family via river boat to Shreveport, Louisiana and then overland to Honey Grove, Fannin County, Texas.
John and his family spent three years in Texas. In 1861, events that would affect the Cummins family were happening at a rapid pace. On Feb. 1, Texas seceeded from the Union and on Mar. 2 this became effective. On Mar. 4, Texas joined the Confederate States of America, and shortly, Sam Houston was removed from office. John and his family wanted no part of the Confederacy. On April 1 he put his property up for sale. It didn't clear escrow until May 1. On that day, John put his family and all their belongings on a flat boat, and they started down the Red River to Shreveport, where they outfitted with all the supplies needed for an oveland trip west. They reached Californis in the late fall, spending rhe winter in El Monte, then going on to Los Angeles in the spring.
John bought a dairy farm in Los Angeles, but sold it in a little more than a year. They didn't like the atmosphere there, which was very sympathetic to the Confederacy.
This time they headed north, settling in Sonoma Country. They lived in Mendocino Township during much of the 1870s, then moved to Mendocino County. John had a ranch in the Anderson Valley, about 8 miles south of Yorkville. By 1880, the family had moved to Covelo, where son, George was the U.S. Agent on the Round Valley Indian Reservation. Son David was teaching school on the reservation, and John was the local physician.
Later John returned to Healdsburg ro practice medicine. He was the physician in attendance at the birth of three of his granddaughters there. Still later he bought a ranch on the Russian River.
In 1898, when he registered to vote in Sonoma County, John was 84 years old. He was described in the Great Register, as 5 feet 10 inches tall, fair complexion, blue eyes, grey hair, occupation gardener.
In October 1899, Abigail, his wife of 66 years passed away. Exactly three month later, he joined her in death, at the home of his son-in-law, George Farmer, at Dry Creek.
Events
| Birth | 6 Jun 1812 | Pennsylvania, United States | |||
| Marriage | 14 Mar 1833 | Steubenville, Jefferson, Ohio, United States - Abigail Maple |  | ||
| Death | 26 Jan 1900 | Sonoma, California, United States |
Families
| Spouse | Abigail Maple ( - 1899) |
| Child | George Washington Cummins (1845 - 1928) |
| Child | David Brown Cummins (1850 - 1916) |
Endnotes
1. Brown, Florena (Wisely)., Family history on Brown, Cummins, English, Lovejoy, and related families. (Tryon, OK: Florena Brown, 1994).