Mariah McKoon Fults (Brick Wall Work)

Mariah (sometimes Maria) Mckoon Fults Thornton was the mother of John Chauncey Fults, my 5x great grandfather (by following the link you can read his biography from History of Montcalm, MI Vol.II 1916, which includes all I knew about John’s parents).

John C. Fults, successful farmer and pioneer citizen of Sidney Township, Montcalm, MI was born in Herkimer Co., NY on July 11, 1830 son of William Fults and Mariah Mckoon, natives of NY state, the former of German descent and the latter of Scottish descent. William died shortly after his marriage. Following which, Mariah and only child John, came to MI in 1835 settling in Romeo, Macomb, MI then moving to St. Clair County where Mariah married Benjamin D. Thornton, a union to which 2 daughters were born; Hulda and Esther (Sally) both of whom and the mother are deceased.

Knowing the above information, I didn’t think of one huge detail: What widow in the 1830’s moves to a new state alone? I’m sure it happened, but it must’ve been rare. “Michigan Fever” had began and settlers from the east were making their way into the territory but even so the land was a mosquito ridden wilderness with long, harsh isolating winters. A popular chant in the East went: “Don’t go to Michigan, that land of ills / The word means ague, fever, and chills.” Michigan did not gain statehood until 1837 (Side note: Funny that I would have ancestors here two whole years before Michigan became a state when I always felt so detached from my home state’s history).

Mariah Mckoon Fults married B.D. Thornton of Berlin, St Clair Co October 3, 1843 she was 31 and living in Ray TWP, Macomb. Her surname was given as “Collins”… I assume she may have married a Collins after arriving in Michigan, but I could find no record for that marriage and no children confirming that she had married a Collins. But I find it unlikely that she would have lived as a widow in such a harsh state for seven years during the her prime. Together, the couple had two documented children: Hulda A. Thornton Snell and Esther Sally M. Thornton Hamner.

John C. Fults petitioning the estate of Mariah/Maria Thornton as a heir along with his two half sisters, Hulda and Esther Thornton.

So with that, let’s talk about widows who don’t move to a new state with their 4 or 5 year old son alone… So recently, while revisiting my brick walls as I do about once a month to once every two months, I tried something I should’ve done a long time ago: I looked for other McKoons living in Macomb County in 1835-1850 (Duh, right?!). And I found one: Morgan Lewis McKoon of Bruce, Macomb, Michigan in 1850. In May of 1837, Morgan McKoon of Macomb County purchased 40 acres in Michigan. This matches the timeline I have for Mariah and J.C. Fults. James was born in 1817 and Mariah McKoon Fults was born around 1811, were they siblings?

Morgan’s parents were James McKoon and Huldah Cummings. At first, the only children I could locate for them were: Thana McKoon Cummings (1801-1865), Huldah McKoon Gillet (1803-1883), Polly McKoon Johnson (1805-1884), A child that died in 1807 at 11 months old, Zadoc McKoon (1815-1850), Morgan Lewis McKoon (1817-1907), Esther McKoon Ward (1819/1820-1903), and another infant buried with Huldah Cummings McKoon in 1821.

Esther McKoon Ward’s obituary states she was the youngest of eight which implies that at least the infant buried with her mother was not counted in the eight children, possibly because the child was stillborn. The gap between the child who died in 1807 and Zadoc McKoon is quite big. Mariah would’ve been born in about 1811, making her roughly 19 when she had her son and fitting right into that gap. The names of her daughters Hulda and Esther are also both names of her sisters, and Hulda her mother’s name as well.

Guardianship records for James McKoon’s minor children, 1831.

James McKoon died in October of 1830, the guardianship of his minor children was decided in May 1831. Esther, Marcia, and Morgan L. all went to live with Polly McKoon Johnson and her husband Thayer Johnson in Richfield, NY. Ladoe went to live with Thana McKoon Cummings and George Cummings of Erie, Erie, New York.

If Esther’s obituary was not including the infant siblings that passed away Marcia and Ladoe would make eight children, but because Zadoc would have had to have been about 15 at the time of his father’s passing, Ladoe may have been him. Marcia is awfully close to Mariah/Maria and in census records Mariah’s son J.C. Fults’ birth year varied from 1830-1832.

Because I can’t locate a marriage for Mariah McKoon and William Fults, or a birth record for John Chauncey Fults I don’t know if Marcia McKoon and Mariah are the same person. I also have nothing more to connect Mariah to James McKoon and Morgan Lewis McKoon besides a few very ironic coincidences… But in a few months, I’ll try looking again.