CLAPP FACTORY BIOS
CLAPP FACTORY BIOS |
|
Clapp Factory History |
Cemetery |
Family Bios |
Photos |
Community Info |
Sources
BIOS of Families of Clapp Community
[Following the Civil War, one of the leading stockholders was a Mr.
Todd, brother-in-law of General R. H. CHILTON, who had been General R.
E. LEE's Adjutant General. General CHILTON was president, and Robert B.
GUNBY, secretary and treasurer. This mill was still in operation in
1878, with R. H. CHILTON as president and A. ILLGES as secretary. The
office of the company was in town at 32 Randolph Street (12th Street).
In 1880, Clapp's Factory (the Columbus Manufacturing Company) had 4,296
spindles and 134 looms. The officers were: J. Rhodes BROWNE, president;
A. ILLGES, secretary; R. B. GUNBY, treasurer. Directors: J. Rhodes
BROWN, C. E. DEXTER, Charles PHILLIPS, T. M. N. PHILLIPS, John PEABODY,
A. ILLGES, Joseph KYLE.
CLAPP, Julius R. - m. 05 SEP 1839 Muscogee Co, GA to Eleanor HOWARD
FONTAINE, William D. - m. 21 OCT 1839 in Muscogee Co, GA to Nancy BATES
I did not find marriage records for MEIGS, or STEWART/STEWARD/STUART
men. There were several marriages for HOWARD men, but none connecting to
FONTAINE, MEIGS or STEWART.
The online index to the 1850 federal census of Muscogee Co, GA shows:
According to my assessment, the section of the 1850 census in which p.
410A falls is not posted. I would guess it is within the enumeration of
the 8th Dist, which I have not found online (the 9th Dist. appears
twice). Does anyone know if it is available anywhere, or if there are
plans to add it to the online posting of the 1850 Muscogee Co. census
data? I would imagine we will find our J. R. CLAPP, for whom CLAPP's
Factory, community and cemetery are named, with his family on that page
of the 8th Dist. The only MEIGS household indexed is also on p. 410A.
The only FONTAINE indexed appears in the transcription as follows
(probably our man):
The STEWARTS indexed do not appear to include our founders (Charles D.
and George). I found four entries, plus one for STEWARD (but no STUART):
I picked up some records on some of these individuals in the 1880 census
of Muscogee Co, which I'll post when I have time. Any input appreciated.
Indexed on the 1860 federal census of Muscogee Co, GA, I find:
p. 511C in Nances Dist, Muscogee Co, GA: George CLAPP, married male,
age 23, b. GA (fa b. MA, mo b. GA), a farmer, with his family. No
direct evidence tying him to Julius R. CLAPP, but the MA connection may
indicate some link.
p. 571D in Columbus, Muscogee Co, GA: John PEABODY, married male, age
46, a lawyer, with wife and ten children, plus a cook in the household,
all individuals and parents b. GA. He is likely the same John PEABODY
named in the 1880 Board of Directors. Next door is M. M. MOORE, a
married male, age 46, clerk for the city council, with wife Sallie MOORE
(age 36) and four children, plus sister-in-law Mary PEABODY, a single
female, age 46, a teacher, and two servants. So Sallie and Mary are
probably kin to John PEABODY.
p. 629D in Columbus, Muscogee Co, GA: John BROWN, married male, age 60,
b. MA [Massachusetts], both parents also b. MA, a banker. He is likely
J. Rhodes BROWN(E) named as president of the company in 1880. He is
with his wife and four children (including a son Rhodes), plus five
servants. One of his sons, Henry BROWN, age 30, b. NY, is only four
years younger than the wife, so she is evidently a second wife and Henry
a son by the previous wife; Henry is listed as a manufacturer of cotton
goods.
[Clapp's-related BELCHER and NEWSOM families appear on p. 634D of Columbus]
p. 647A in Columbus, Muscogee Co, GA: Catharine KYLE, a widowed female,
age 37, b. AL (fa b. AL, mo b. NC) appears with four children Annie,
Elisabeth, John, and Joseph, (all b. GA, as was their fa). Next door,
in the household of Frances McDOUGALD are three DEXTER individuals:
Amory (married male, age 50, b. MA, as were his parents), with evident
wife Helen (married female, age 31, b. GA, as were her parents), and
apparent son Amory (single male, age 3, b. GA); no occupation given for
Amory, Sr., but another couple is present, Tom & Sarah BLANCHORD, he
being a broker. Is Amory kin to Charles E. DEXTER (see below)? Note
also that there is a McDOUGALD family next door to a STEWART couple on
p. 336 of the 1850 census of the City of Columbus, Muscogee Co, GA.
p. 687C in Columbus, Muscogee Co, GA: Charles E. DEXTER, married male,
age 57, b. MA (as were his parents), a merchant, with wife and six
servants in the household. He is likely the C. E. DEXTER listed in the
1880 Board of Directors
p. 688A in Columbus, Muscogee Co, GA: Joseph KYLE, married male, age
68, b. Ireland (as were his parents), a merchant, with wife Nameza, age
54, b. SC, a step-daughter Rosa CROOK (age 19, b. AL), a granddaughter
Elizabeth NUCKOLLS (age18, b. GA), and three servants. He is likely the
Joseph KYLE listed on the Board of Directors. See notes for 1850 census
of City of Columbus, Muscogee Co, GA, p. 300
p. 689C in Columbus, Muscogee Co, GA: Julius J. CLAPP, single male, age
40, b. Greece (fa b. Austria, mo b. Prussia), a music teacher, heads a
household including Ella A. CLAPP, single female, age 14, b. GA (as were
her parents) and Horace J. CLAPP, single male, age 12, b. GA (as were
his parents) - their relationship to Julius is not given. There are
eleven other individuals in the household, with no indication of
relationship to Julius given. Surnames include LEWIS, MILLER, SMITH,
SALAMON, BLOOM, BALDWIN, LOBB, WAGNER, and FREDERICK. Most are born
outside of GA (four abroad). Don't know if/how this Julius CLAPP is kin
to our Julius R. CLAPP, but it seems likely; note that Julius R. m. in
1839, and this Julius was b. ca. 1840 (birthplace info may be incorrect).
When I'm in Columbus, I plan to do some courthouse research. I hope to
look for tax returns, incorporation documents and other business-related
filings pertaining to Clapp's Factory and the Columbus Manufacturing Co.
Some of these records may be indexed under the name of the officer
submitting the information to the county, so I thought it would be good
to be familiar with who these folk were.
Candis Dorinda NEWSOM was born at Clapp's Factory on 29 JUL 1869, the
daughter of Henry M. & Permelia A. (PAGE) NEWSOME Dorinda's father had been
married previously on 16 DEC 1855 in Muscogee Co, GA, to Mary Ellen ABNEY
(1837-1863, dau. of Absolom P. & Rosanna (HALL) ABNEY), and none of Henry's
five children by her are known to have survived. It's quite possible that she
and at least some of the children from this first marriage are buried at the
Clapp's Factory cemetery, although I don't have a record of this
John Land
Richard Ivy (also Ivey) MORRIS, b. 28 FEB 1818 in Elbert Co, GA, d. 16
APR 1888 in Phenix City, Russell Co, AL, buried APR 1888 in Clapp's
Cemetery, Columbus, Muscogee Co, GA
I believe I have located Louisa J. HELMS (1816-1880) on the 1880 federal
census of Nances Dist., Muscogee Co, GA, p. 510A. She evidently died
between 01 JUN and 31 DEC in 1880, since the census data are *supposed*
to be based on circumstances as of Census Day, which in 1880 was 01 JUN.
Also, Louisa does not appear on the Mortality Schedule for 1880 (which
covers deaths within 1 year prior to Census Day, 01 JUN1880) in Muscogee
Co. Evidently, she was not well at the time of the census, as she was
at home, but her daughter was keeping house. Also, some portions of
Nances Dist. were farming community, but this household is in a section
of cotton mill workers, so it is probably in or near the Clapp's
village. The household appears as follows:
George W. may be kin in some way to a Sampson Dawster HELMS, b. 1824
Mecklenburg Co, NC, who m. 1846 in Muscogee Co. to Missouri Caroline
PARKER. Sampson served in Company D of the 32nd Georgia Infantry, CSA,
along with five other HELMS men, four of whom were brothers and sons of
Charles & Holly HELMS, who moved from Mecklenburg Co, NC to Muscogee Co,
GA in 1836. One G. W. HELMS is among the men who served. Charles &
Holly had a son George W. HELMS, b. 1836, so they apparently are not the
parents of Louisa's husband George W. b. ca. 1814. (Info on Sampson
from a descendant of his, Gene HELMS.) The following was posted by
Sandra LUNSFORD in a message about the AUSTIN family on the Muscogee Co.
board:
John M. Land [email protected] - Author
Founders
Those who governed the Columbus Factory, a.k.a. Clapp's Factory, as named by Etta
(BLANCHARD) WORSLEY in "Columbus on the Chattahoochee" (1951):
The very earliest mention of a mill location was the "Columbus Mercant
Mills" completed in1834. It was run by James SHIVERS and Co., and was
three miles above Columbus. How long this factory continued is not
known, but in 1849 the "Columbus Factory" was incorporated, "the
location of the Factory to be three or four miles above Columbus on the
river." The leading incorporators were Charles D. STEWART, John
FONTAINE, Henry D. MEIGS, J. R. CLAPP and George STEWART, brothers and
brothers-in-law....
In the online index to Muscogee Co, GA, Marriage Books A & B (posted by
Lea DOWD), I find the following:
CLAPP 297A-410A
City of Columbus, p. 297A:
36 BACKER family
37 CLAPP William C. 36 NY
37 CLAPP Martha 34 MA
37 CLAPP Isabella W. 4
37 CLAPP G. S. 1 Male
37 ANDREWS William B. 28 CT
38 GRAY family
City of Columbus, p. 308A
239 PATTERSON family +
239 DAWKINS John 19
240 FONTAINE John 58 SC
240 FONTAINE Mary 42
240 FONTAINE John 17
240 FONTAINE Mary 15
240 FONTAINE Benjamin 10
240 FONTAINE Theophilus 7
240 FONTAINE Francis 4 Male
240 FONTAINE George 1
241 PHELPS family
City of Columbus, p. 310:
277 BAUGH Hampton S. 2
277 LEVY John B. 50 VA
278 STEWART John D. 42
278 STEWART Mrs. O. C. 37
278 STEWART James A. 14
278 STEWART Sarah E. 12
278 STEWART E. G. 11 AL Male
278 STEWART Virginia E. 10 AL
278 STEWART Emily D. 9 AL
278 STEWART Hampton S. 6 AL Male
278 STEWART Frances M. 3 AL Female
278 STEWART John B. 1 AL
278 DELANNAY? St. John
City of Columbus, 321A:
424 MADDOX family
424 WILLET Josiah 26 NC
424 WILLET Sarah 16
425 STEWART Jeremiah 40
425 STEWART Nancy 30
425 STEWART Mary A. 13
425 STEWART Charles W. 11
425 STEWART L. J? (I?) 10 Male
425 STEWART John T. 5
425 STEWART Jeremiah T. 2
426 JONES family
City of Columbus, 324B:
477 WADSWORTH/HUTSON/MOORE family
478 CAMPFIELD family
478 STEWART Malinda 18
479 PEABODY George 43 CT
479 PEABODY Mrs. Elizabeth 35 NY
479 PEABODY Edward R. 16 CT
479 PEABODY Ruth 7
479 PEABODY Mary L. 5
479 PEABODY John 3 AL
479 PEABODY Callie 1 Female
480 PERKINS
[Note PEABODY family - there is a John PEABODY listed on the Board of Directors in 1880.]
City of Columbus, p. 336:
686 HOLSTEAD family
687 STEWART Theophilus S. 32
687 STEWART Susannah 28
688 McDOUGALD family
McNorton Dist., p. 395A:
44 McKENZIE Mary [widow of Henry?] & family
45 STEWARD Ishmael 50
45 McKENZIE A. J? (I?) 22 Monroe Co., GA Male
45 McKENZIE Cathorine 18 mo.
46 BUCKNER
Regarding the founder of the first mill, I find indexed SHIVERS
359B-384B-385A (I don't find anything in the online transcriptions
corresponding to pp. 384B and 385A - our James SHIVERS may be enumerated
there, if this is not he):
p. 359A - Russell Dist. - SHIVERS
115 DAWSON family
116 SHIVERS Thomas J. 40 Hancock Co., GA
116 SHIVERS Sarah H? 40 Greene Co., GA
116 SHIVERS Robert M. 12 Muscogee Co., GA
116 SHIVERS Charles A. 10 Muscogee Co., GA
116 SHIVERS Mary C. 9 Muscogee Co., GA
116 SHIVERS Lucretia A. 7 Muscogee Co., GA
116 SHIVERS Mary E. 5 Muscogee Co., GA
116 PLANE William T. 22 AL
116 ISHAM John 30 VT
116 HURT Benjamin K. 11 AL
116 HURT William 8 AL
117 MUNROE family
Regarding the officers and directors mentioned in the 1878-80 timeframe [see also PEABODY above]:
City of Columbus, p. 299A:
77 JOHNSON Mary Jane 5
78 KYLE David 45 Ireland
78 KYLE Mrs. L?B. 34 NC
78 KYLE E. M. 13 VA Female
79 BARNETT
City of Columbus, p. 300:
99 CHAFFIN
100 KYLE John 32 Ireland
100 KYLE Ann E. 23
100 KYLE Lucy E. 6 AL
100 KYLE Sarah E. 3 AL
101 KYLE Joseph 35 Ireland
101 KYLE Elizabeth 30 VA
101 KYLE John H. 10 AL
101 KYLE Elizabeth 8
102 WESTMORELAND
[The second family in this household above could be our Joseph KYLE.]
City of Columbus, p. 317B:
392 CUNNING/JOHNSON family
393 GUNBY Robert 39
393 GUNBY Jane L. 33
393 GUNBY Raenna 6 Female
393 GUNBY Robert 3
393 DANIEL Robert 6 AL
393 DANIEL William E. 4 AL
393 BOSTWICK
City of Columbus, p. 332B:
621 CHISHOLM family
622 ILLGES J? (I?) P. 35 PA Male
622 ILLGES Lucinda 20
622 ILLGES Abraham 20 PA
622 ILLGES C. F. 1 Female
623 GUNN family
I did not find TODD, CHILTON or DEXTER indexed and did not research
BROWN(E) or PHILLIPS. I found a record in the LDS Ancestral File stating
that Brigadier General Robert Hall CHILTON was b. ca. 1820 in Richmond,
VA, d. ca. 1900 in Richmond, VA, and m. ca. 1847 in Richmond, VA (wife's
name not given).
CLAPP, Julius R. - p. 363
CLAPP, T. J. - p. 174
CLAPP, Z. H. - p. 200
GUNBY, M. - p. 297
ILLGES, J. P. - p. 307
MEIGS, H. V. - p. 245
MEIGS, Wm. - p. 281
STEWART, Calvin - p. 209
STEWART, Chalres - p. 258
STEWART, F. - p. 203
STEWART, John D. - p. 184
STEWART, Joseph - p. 348
STEWART, Thomas - p. 191
STEWART, Walter - p. 223
no FONTAINE or FOUNTAIN
In 1880, I find the following:
p. 502A in Nances Dist, Muscogee Co, GA: Robert B. GUNBY, married male,
age 33, employed in the treasury department of a manufacturing company
[Clapp's Factory], with wife, two children, and one servant - all
individuals and parents b. GA. So far he is the only executive I've
found who seems to be residing near the mill - the rest are in Columbus.
There are CLEGG families on p. 489C and VINSON/CHURCH/MORRIS families
on p. 508A
Son of Joseph & Nancy (ALLGOOD)
MORRIS, Ivey was a lay Methodist preacher in Troup, Harris and Muscogee
Cos, GA, and Russell, Chambers and Clay Cos., AL. The source credits
him with founding the Methodist Church at Langdale "on the west bank of
the Chattahoochee River" in Chambers Co, AL. He m. 03 MAR 1839 in
Meriwether Co, GA to Mary Joice CHRISTIAN (15 FEB 1814 Madison Co, GA-17
MAY 1862 Randolph Co, AL), daughter of Obed Mask & Joanna (BARNES)
CHRISTIAN; Mary is buried in Flat Rock, AL. Ivey and Mary were still in
Meriwether Co, GA, in 1840; in Harris Co, GA, ca. 1842; and in Muscogee
Co. by ca. 1844. They appear with children in household #22 on p. 353A
of the Russell District on the 1850 federal census of Muscogee Co, GA.
Their eldest child, Nancy Elizabeth J. MORRIS (1840-1920) m. 12 DEC 1863
in Muscogee Co. to James Carter NEWSOM (1846-1921), son of John &
Talitha C. (PIKE) NEWSOM. John is brother to Penelope NEWSOME (ca.
1833-1890) and James NEWSOME (ca. 1834-NOV 1897) who are buried in
Clapp's Cemetery, and also brother to my gg-gf Henry M. NEWSOM (1836-1899).
HELMS, George W. /head/married/male/White/66/NC/Works in Cotton Mill/NC/NC
HELMS, Louisa/wife/married/female/White/64/GA/At Home/SC/GA
HELMS, Sarah/dau./single/female/White/39/GA/Keeping House/NC/GA
HELMS, Ellen/dau./single/female/White/31/GA/Works in Cotton Mill/NC/GA
HELMS, George/son/single/male/White/29/GA/Works in Cotton Mill/NC/GA
HELMS, Nancy/dau./single/female/White/21/GA/Works in Cotton Mill/NC/GA
GARDNER, Benjamin/other/married/male/White/50/RI/Works in Cotton Mill/NC/GA
GARDNER, Chalres/other/[NR]/male/White/17/RI/Clerk in Store/RI/RI
[Perhaps this was a Clapp's Factory store]
HIGHTOWER, James/other/widowed/male/White/72/GA/Works in Cotton Mill/GA/GA
HIGHTOWER, John/other/single/male/White/22/GA/Works in Cotton Mill/GA/GA
HIGHTOWER, Robert/other/[NR]/male/White/15/GA/Works in Cotton Mill/GA/GA
JENKINS, Mariah/other/widowed/female/Black/40/FL/Wash & Iron/FL/FL
Thursday, September 1, 1836
NOTICES
Lost or mislaid, one] promissory note given by S. J. Austin, Bellord
Sanders, James Nickson and George W. Helms and made payable to myself
for seventy dollars. (Signed) J. C. Austin
It is my understanding that the given name George W. recurs throughout
the HELMS family, many of whom settled in Barbour Co, AL, so we may have
a time of it determining more about Louisa's husband's family
connections, but perhaps we can at least locate a marriage record and
determine her maiden name, and from that her parentage. The eldest
child present in the 1880 household, Sarah, was b. ca. 1841 GA; this
family does not appear among the HELMS households indexed on the 1850
census of Muscogee Co, GA:
p. 371A:
31 BROWN family
32 HELENS [= HELMS] Uriah C. 28 NC
32 HELENS Martha E. 22 Washington Co., GA
32 HELENS Elonzo D. 2 Muscogee
32 HELENS Malessa D. 1 Muscogee
33 HARRIS family
p. 373B:
62 LAWHON & RICH?
63 HELMS Elizabeth 58 Mecklenburg, NC
63 HELMS Wilson 25 Mecklenburg, NC
63 HELMS Wade H. 20 Mecklenburg, NC
63 HELMS Harriett E. 14 Muscogee
64 HELMS Williams 23 NC
64 HELMS Nancy 22 NC
64 HELMS Lafayett 2 Muscogee
65 HELMS Robert B. 28 NC
65 HELMS Lousa? J. 25 Laurens Co., GA
65 HELMS Walter T. 9 mo. Muscogee
66 THOMPSON family
pp. 394A-394B:
25 McGOWIN & MILSAP
26 HELMS Charles 56 Mecklenburg, NC
26 HELMS Holley 49 Mecklenburg, NC Female
26 HELMS Elbert 33 Mecklenburg, NC
26 HELMS Sarepta 28 Mecklenburg, NC Female
26 HELMS Turissa 24 Mecklenburg, NC Female
26 HELMS Milus R. 20 Mecklenburg, NC Male
26 HELMS Nancy S. 18 Mecklenburg, NC
26 HELMS Eliza D. 16 Mecklenburg, NC
26 HELMS George W. 14 Muscogee Co., GA
26 HELMS Noah 12 Muscogee Co., GA
26 HELMS Judge W. 9 Muscogee Co., GA
27 HASTINGS family
Seeking information on the descendants and background of George W.
HELMS, age 66, b. NC (both parents b. NC), who heads a household on p.
510A of the 1880 census of Nances Dist, Muscogee Co, GA. His wife Louisa
J.(1816-1880) is buried in Clapp's Cemetery in (now Columbus) Muscogee
Co, GA. Their children include (all b. GA): Sarah (b. ca. 1841), Ellen
(b. ca. 1849), George (b. ca. 1851), and Nancy (b. ca. 1859). Also
present are two GARDNER men from Rhoda Island and three HIGHTOWER men,
all laborers at the cotton mill where George W. worked (evidently
Clapp's Factory), as well as a black domestic named JENKINS. There is an
effort under way to restore Clapp's Cemetery and mark the graves there.
Any information on this family and their kin would be appreciated, and
I'll be glad to share further details.
GAGenWeb Project
is part of the USGenWeb Project.
Send comments about GAGenWeb Project to, Kemis Massey, County Coordinator.
Page last updated: Thur 1 Jan 2009 23:45:04 EST
Copyright, the GAGenWeb Project, 2005 - Present
All materials contained on these pages are furnished for the free use of those engaged researching their family origins. Any commercial use, or, other electronic posting of any files/pages without the consent of the host/author of these pages is prohibited. All images used on these pages were obtained from sources permitting free distribution, or generated by the author, and are subject to the same restrictions /permissions. All persons contributing material for posting on these pages does so in recognition of their free, non-commercial distribution, and further, is responsible to assure that no copyright is violated by their submission.