Part III: Isaac J. Dawson of Kosciusko Co, Indiana
After the birth of their son, Francis A.
Dawson, in Ohio in 1841, Isaac J. & Anna Riley Dawson moved
to Kosciusko Co., Indiana. On March 18, 1842, Isaac purchased 80
acres in Kosciusko County from James Jarrett. [1a] In 1843, their daughter, Isabella,
was recorded on the 1850 Census as having been born in Indiana. They settled near Isaac's
son David & his wife Nancy Losure Dawson in Harrison Township. [1b]
Isaac J. Dawson had moved back & forth between Ohio & Indiana as shown by
the birthplace of his children: Joseph & Andrew Dawson were born in
Indiana, while Elizabeth Ann, George
W., and Francis A. Dawson were born in Ohio.
[1c] When the family settled permanently in northern Indiana, the children of the
second marriage settled in Kosciusko Co. or in nearby Indiana counties after marrying into
neighboring families. [Appendix A]
A convincing document for Dawson family of Indiana was located by John
L. Dawson involving a lawsuit in the circuit court probate records dated March 25, 1854: John
Bridenstine vs. Andrew J. Dawson. The suit was over Isaac J. Dawson's
bequest to his son, Joseph Dawson. Joseph Dawson died and his brother, Andrew J. Dawson,
sold 16 acres of the Dawson farm to John Bridenstine. More importantly, the law suit named
the "heirs of Isaac J. Dawson" - Andrew J. Dawson of Marshall Co, Ind.,
Elizabeth Ann, George W., Francis A.,
and Isabella Dawson of Kosciusko Co., and Mary Dawson
Rose, wife of Aaron Rose, non-resident status; Elizabeth Dawson Webb
of Illinois; Nancy Dawson Kyle, wife of Isaac Kyle, of Ohio; and finally Daniel
Dawson of (assumed) Wabash Co, and William Dawson of Marshall
Co. Neither of the last two named "heirs at law" were located in counties named
in law suit because Daniel Dawson was living in Brown Co, Ohio,
while William Dawson also may have been residing in Ohio. [2 &
Appendix extension: Lawsuit text]
An interesting side-light to the Dawsons of Indiana is the naming
pattern of David & Nancy Losure Dawson's children on the 1850 Indiana
Census : first daughter, Ruhama, named for her maternal grandmother;
second daughter, Priscilla, perhaps named for paternal great-grandmother;
first son, Jacob Losure Dawson, named for maternal
grandfather; third daughter, Mary S., named for paternal
grandmother; second son, Isaac W., named for his grandfather, Isaac J.
Dawson. Naming patterns like those in the David Dawson family were quite common in the
mid-West as a way to remember & honor ancestors. [Appendix A]
Isaac J. Dawson & his
second wife, Anna Riley Dawson, lived on a farm in northern Indiana
engaging in agricultural pursuits. Isaac J. Dawson died Sept. 18, 1851,
as inscribed on his tombstone in Pleasant View Cemetery, Prairie
Twp. His tombstone gives his age as 63 years, 5 months & 5 days making
birthdate April 13, 1788.
Anna Riley Dawson, widow, married, thirdly, James Mason on
July 24, 1853 in Kosciusko Co, Indiana. Soon after her remarriage, the couple removed to
Pleasantville, Marion Co, Iowa. Joseph Dawson, s/o Isaac & Anna
Dawson, and his wife Martha E. Reed Dawson, plus Francis A. "Frank"
Dawson, s/o Isaac & Anna Dawson, accompanied their mother and step-father to
Iowa. Joseph and Martha Dawson were buried in Pleasantville Cemetery, Pleasant Grove Twp.,
Iowa. According to Joseph Dawson's tombstone, he was born 1830, and died August 19, 1916.
Anna Riley Dawson Mason and her third husband, James Mason, are also buried in
Pleasantville Cemetery. Anna was born 1806, and died December 20, 1873; while James Mason
was born 1800 and died March 7, 1872. [Appendix B]
Ann Shields household #45 on the 1850 Kosciusko Co Ind. Census shows Ann
Shields, b. 1806 in Ohio, widow, living with Jane Dawson, age
23, b. 1827 in Ohio. Others in the household: Isham Shields, b. 1838 Ind.; William Shields
b. 1840 Ind. ; and Joseph Huff, b. 1854 Ind. It is the belief of Mary Alice Cope, Oliver
Springs, Tenn., the Shields family were originally from Clermont/Brown Cos., Ohio,
and Green Co, Tenn. Mary Alice Cope recently located a deed between Job Shields of
Kosciusko Co Ind. and Isaac J. Dawson, same county, dated Sept. 7, 1846
for 30 acre tract
in n.w. section of Harrison Township.[3]
Two important deductions may be made from the Shields-Dawson census
data: first, Levi Riley, neighbor of Isaac J. Dawson on 1820 Brown Co.
Ohio Census, was probably kin to widow Anna Riley, who married Isaac J.
Dawson in 1830 in Ohio; and second, Jane Dawson residing in Ann Shields
household #45 in the 1850 Kosciusko Co Ind. Census may be the daughter of
Isaac J. & Mary Dawson. Mary Dawson died in 1827 in Brown Co Ohio, the same
year Jane Dawson was born.
More evidence supporting the movement of Isaac J. and Joanna Riley
Dawson may be found in "Biographical & Historical Record of Kosciusko Co,
Ind." The county history contains a biography of William Riley, son of Anna &
John Riley of Brown Co., Ohio. The biography sheds further light on Isaac J. Dawson
on the Ohio-Indiana frontier. [4] The biography of William Riley,
son of Joanna Riley Dawson, follows; but note the widow had remarried Isaac J. Dawson in
1830 in Brown Co, Ohio:
William Riley, an old settler of Kosciusko Co., was born in Brown
Co, Ohio, on April 25, 1827, a son of John and Joanna Riley.
John Riley was born in Ohio, while Joanna Riley was born in Ky. When the son was nine
months old [1828], his father John Riley died. The widow, Joanna Riley [Dawson], moved to South
Bend, Madison Co. Ind. When Wm. Riley was six years old [1833], Joanna Riley
[Dawson] moved to Fayette Co., Ohio, and remained there till the son was
fourteen. [1841] William Riley with Isaac Dawson [step-father] moved to Kosciusko
Co, Ind., settling on the Tippecanoe River, where Joseph Pellett
now resides. Isaac Dawson cleared the farm, and there William
Riley grew to manhood. On Feb. 3, 1850, Wm. Riley married Susan Yarnall [b.
Oct 26, 1826 Wayne Co Ohio]. Susan had come to to Ind. with her parents, Samuel
& Rachel Jones Yarnell, from Wood Co, Ohio. where they had lived for two
years. The Yarnall family settled two miles west of Warsaw. Wm. & Susan Yarnall Riley
had six children, three alive in 1887: James M. Riley, Joseph
T. Riley, and Rachel E. Riley. The couple settled on a
farm in Harrison Twp. in 1886. They united with the United Brethren church.
Part IV: Sons of Isaac J. Dawson in Indiana 
David and Nancy Losure Dawson of Kosciusko Co, Indiana
The following biography is taken from "Biographical & Historical Record of
Kos. Co. Ind," pp. 316-317:
Nancy Losure was born Feb 1, 1823. She died after remarriage to
John Linn on August 23, 1893. She was born in Wooster, Wayne Co.
Ohio, where she lived until age twelve. She removed with her parents, Jacob
& Ruhama Losure to Warsaw, Kosciusko Co, Ind. arriving Sept.
6, 1836. The Losures were one of the earliest families of Warsaw.
Nancy's father, Jacob Losure, built the first
double-hewed log structure within the town limits as shown on a town plat
located on a corner lot south of Oram's Wagon Shop. Nancy Losure married David
Dawson on Feb. 1, 1838. The Losure-Dawson marriage was
one of the first in Harrison Township. David Dawson died April 1, 1852. The
widow remarried John Linn on Feb. 16, 1863. Mrs. Nancy Dawson Linn had six children. Her
two deceased children [by 1887] were Jacob L. Dawson and Mary
S. Dawson. The rest were Ruhama Harter, wife of Henry Harter of
Kansas; Priscilla Rarick, wife of Andrew Rarick of Prairie Twp, Kos. Co
Ind; Isaac Dawson of Plain Twp, Kos. Co Ind; David S. Dawson of
Prairie Twp, Kos. Co Ind. Nancy Dawson Linn had a son by John Linn, William M.
Linn. She is buried at Pleasant View Church, Prairie Twp,
Kosciusko Co, Ind. Isaac J. Dawson d. 1851, Nancy's father-in-law
by David Dawson, was also buried in Pleasant View Cemetery in Prairie Twp., Kos. Co, Ind.
[5 & 6]
Jacob Losure, one of the old pioneers living in Wayne Township,
was still alive in 1879. There was a young man living with and working
for William J. Pope named David Dawson. In Feb. of 1838, David Dawson and
Miss Nancy Losure were married, the first resident couple married in the town of
Warsaw, Ind. David and Nancy Losure Dawson settled in Harrison Twp where he died.
The first store in Warsaw was owned by William J. Pope. The one-story
high structure was built of tamarack poles. Situated on the northwest corner of Lake &
Market St., the store opened in the fall of 1835. Opposite to
Pope's store was Jacob Losure's Warsaw tavern, a
two-story hewed log building (20 x 30 ft.) built in 1836 on the s.w. corner of Lake &
Center St. [7] It is not surprising Nancy, daughter of Jacob Losure, met the young
store clerk, David Dawson!
George and Mary Chambers Dawson of Harrison Twp., Kos. Co, Indiana
Obituary: Mary Chambers Dawson, daughter of P. and E. Chambers, was
born Sept. 12, 1838 and died May 22, 1895, age 57 years, seven months and 20 days. She was
married Aug 1, 1863 to George Dawson who survives with two brothers and
two sisters. She was a member of the Christian Church. [8]
Return to First Page Ohio and Indiana Dawson Documentation
Bibliography & Footnotes
1a. Deed in Kos. Co Ind. dated March 28, 1842: James Jarrett to Isaac J. Dawson,
80 a. for $150. Deed Bk. 4, pg. 428.
1b. Deed in Kos. Co Ind. dated Sept. 7, 1850: David & Nancy Dawson to Isaac
J. Dawson, 16 a. for $80. Deed Bk. 9, pg. 266.
1c. 1850 US Census of Kosciusko Co, Ind., Harrison Township, Household #62 &
#65, page 805; LDS Film No. 0129696.
Note: On-line access to Kos. Co, Indiana Home Page by Gene
Andert: 1840 & 1850 Census and Marriages Books 1 - 3:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~inkosciu/
Click on 1840 & 1850 Census, then on alphabet letters "D" for
Dawson "L" for Losure and "Sh" for Shields to access census data for Jacob
Losure & David Dawson in 1840 Kos. Co Ind. Census;
Isaac J. & David Dawson; and Job Shields on p. 400b,
line 29, in 1850 Kos. Co Ind. Census. Also check Sarah A. & Solomon Shields
in Franklin Co, Ind. 1850 census on page 393a.
2. Kosciusko Co, Ind. Circuit Court Probate Records, Vol 2 pp. 615-620 on LDS
Film No. 1311151.
3. Kosciusko Co, Ind., Deed Book 6, p. 166. Note: Job Shields was in error
transcribed John Shields last line of deed.
4. "Biographical & Historical Record of Kosciusko Co. Ind," Lewis
Publishing Co, Chicago, IL., 1887, pp. 316-17, 496, 689.
5. David Dawson mar. Nancy Losure on Feb 2, 1838 in Kos. Co. Mar. Book 1:13
6. "Obituary of Nancy Losure Dawson Linn" apr'd in "Northern
Indianian" dated Aug 31, 1893. Kos. Co. Hist. Soc.
7. "Combined Atlas Map of Kos. Co Ind.," 1879 by Kingman Brothers.
8. "Obituary of Mary Chambers Dawson" apr'd in "Northern
Indianian" dated May 30, 1895. Kos. Co. Hist. Society.
Appendix A
Dawson Documentation:
1840 Census Kosciusko Co Ind. for David Dawson: 1WM
20-30; 1WF 15-20; total 2 in agriculture; neighbor Jacob Losure 1WM
30-40, 1WF 30-40.
Residence of William Dawson named in Kos. Co, Ind., lawsuit Jno.
Bridenstine vs. Andrew J. Dawson:
William Dawson, 1850 Butler Co, Ohio, Census
records : William Dawson, age 44 b. 1806 in Ohio, with wife Margaret Dawson,
age 30, b. 1820 Ohio, children: Henry b. 1837 Oh., Sarah, b. 1843 Oh, Thomas I./J.
Dawson, b. 1844 Indiana.; Wm Jr., age 6 mos b. 1850; Eliza A. Doty,
age 11, b. 1839 Ind. & Almira Doty, age 8, b. 1842 Ind. Note: family
residence in Ohio & Indiana.
Map left "Outline Map of Kosciusko Co, Ind. Townships"
Dawson Marriages - Indiana Website "Ind. State Library
Genealogy Division - Marriage in Ind. thru 1850" as follows:
(a) Franklin Co, Ind: William Dawson mar. Tabitha Simpson on Mar. 26,
1818; Mary Dawson mar. William Webb on Nov. 20, 1834; William Dawson mar. Margaret *Doty
on June 27, 1847.
(b) Fayette Co, Ind: William Dawson mar. Cynthia Randle Feb. 19, 1821.
(c) Tippecanoe Co, Ind: William Dawson mar. Nancy William Jan 29, 1850.
Andrew J. Dawson Deed in Coshocton Co. Ohio: John
& Mary Randles to Andrew J. Dawson s.w. quarter of N.E.
Section, No. 3 Twp, No. 5 Section, Range No. 19, 35 a. [Cosh. Co Oh Deed Bk 13:120]
Andrew J. Dawson Deed in Kos. Co Ind: Jan. 18, 1839:
Andrew J. Dawson of Coshocton Co OH from Harlen D. Springer, Wayne Co IN, p.o. Lot 198 in
Eastern Qtr., Section 8, Twp 32, Range 6. [Kos. Co Ind. Deed Bk 1:514]
Dawson Marriages in Fayette Co, Ohio:: William
Dawson mar. Eve Ann Hedrick July 21, 1844; Thomas
B. Dawson had wife Ann Wood in Fayette Co, Ohio; Sarah
Dawson mar. John Williams in Fayette Co Ohio.
Residence of David Dawson in Kos. Co. Indiana:
1850 Census Kosciusko Co, Indiana, page 403a, Schedule I, Free
Inhabitants in Harrison Twp, Household #62: David Dawson, age 31, b. 1819
in Ohio; Nancy (Losure) Dawson, age 27 b. 1823 Oh.; Ruhama Dawson, b.
1842 Ind; Priscilla, b. 1844 Ind; Jacob T. b. 1845 Ind; Mary S. b. 1846 Ind; Isaac W. 7/12
b. Ind.
Marriages of Isaac J. Dawson's children in Kos. Co. Indiana:
David Dawson mar. Nancy Losure on Feb. 2, 1838 [Mar. Bk I:3];
Andrew Dawson mar. Elizabeth S. Kelly on Mar. 8, 1854 [mar. Bk 3:341]; Joseph
Dawson mar. Martha E. Read on Dec. 5, 1852 [Mar. Bk. 3:259]; Polly E.
Dawson mar. Henry S. Bowen on Jan. 15, 1844 [Bk 2:60].
Marriage of Allied Families to Dawson in Kos. Co Indiana:
John Broadway mar. Elizabeth Losure on June 29, 1848 [Bk 3:35];
Jacob Losure mar. Dorcas Smith on Apr. 17, 1853 [Bk 3:423]; and Peter Losure mar. Eliz.
Jarrett on Jan 1, 1843 [Bk 1:225].
Marriage of Anna Riley Dawson, widow of Isaac J. Dawson: Anna
Dawson mar. James Mason: July 24, 1854 [Bk3:296]
Lawsuits in Kosciusko Co Ind. involving Isaac J. Dawson family by
John L. Dawson:
(a) Common Pleas Court action filed Jan, 1853 court term - Daniel
Dawson vs. Joseph Dawson & Elizabeth A. Dawson et. al. seeking partition of
Isaac J. Dawson's estate.
(b) Probate Court Jan 24, 1855 - Anna Dawson seeks guardianship of her children,
heirs of Isaac J. Dawson.
Appendix B
James Mason and Anna Riley Dawson Mason on 1860 Iowa
Census, Pleasantville, Pleasant Grove Twp, p. 466: 448-419: James Mason, age 60
(b. c1800) N.C.; Anna Mason, age 53 (b. c1807); James Mason Jr. age 26 b. Ind.; Isabel,
age 10?, b. Ind.
Joseph and Martha (Reed) Dawson on 1870 Iowa Census,
Pleasant Grove Twp, p. 217: Joseph Dawson, age 48, b. Ind. (b. c1822?) "farmer"
worth 1200/400 and Martha Dawson, age 38, b. Ind.
Pleasantville Cememtery, Marion Co, Iowa: Joseph Dawson b. 1830 - d.
August 19, 1916. Wife: Martha Dawson
Kosciusko Co Ind. Marriages: Joseph Dawson m. Martha E. Reed on December
5, 1852.
Frank Dawson on 1870 Iowa Census, Pleasant
Grove Twp, p. 217: Frank Dawson, age 27 (b. c1843) Ind. "farmer" worth 1000/530;
A. Dawson, age 25, b. Ind.' M.E. Dawson, age 9, b. Iowa; R.B. Dawson, age 6, b. Iowa;
Joseph Dawson, age 5, b. Iowa; Baby Dawson, age 2, b. Iowa; Wm Freeman, age 27, b. Ind.