Source: Written by submitter, Art & Gail Knight, gknight@bak.rr.com GEORGE WASHINGTON MEEK During the past several years as we have been researching George Washington Meek, we have found some answers, but also some mysteries yet unsolved. This is the story as we understand it. George Washington Meek was born 1827, Belmont Co., Ohio. He was son of Samuel Meek, b. 1792, and Sarah______b1796. In Bureau Co., IL, he married MARGARET RENNER, 20 Feb 1851, daughter of George Renner and Agnes Cowell. They left Illinois, going across the Oregon Trail, and arriving in OR in 1854. Along with George and his wife Margaret, apparently came a lady named LYDIA JOHNSON. The three of them settled in Lane Co., OR, near Junction City. Both Margaret and Lydia continued to have children once they got to OR. George and his older brother Samuel both got land from donation land claims. Brother Samuel may have married Lydia's sister Sarah Johnson Hicks, but Samuel does not appear to have left any children, but was close with his nieces and nephews. George and his family seem to have prospered, then at the summer of 1864, he left to drive his cattle to market at the Canyon City mines; after selling his cattle, he had his pockets full of gold, and he was murdered on the way home. This occurred 1 Sept 1864. Following a trial in Oregon City, Henry Dedmond was hung for the crime 17 Feb 1865 at the Dalles in OR. There were more than 1000 spectators and 90 soldiers in attendance. This may have been the first official execution in OR territory. Margaret gave birth to her last Meek child in November 1864, two months after her husband was murdered. She named him George Washington Meek Jr. For a while, it seems that Margaret and Lydia stayed together with their children on the DLC near Junction City, then 28 Jan 1870, Margaret married William P. Ferris/Farris. Margaret and William moved together with her children to the Applegate area in southern OR. She had more children with Mr. Ferris. Lydia Johnson stayed on the property after George's demise and changed her name and that of her children's from Johnson to Meek according to census records, her birthplace is recorded as NY or Canada, depending on census. She continued to have Meek children after George's death. We have not found any kind of record of marriage for her, but at the time George was murdered, he was legally married to Margaret, so don't know when it would have happened. Lydia died in 1900. The child Arlington Meek is usually listed with Margaret, but in the 1870 census, he is with Lydia. It may be that as the oldest son, he stayed with Lydia to help manage the farming operation on the property, rather than moving with his mom and stepdad. Margaret Renner Meek 1833 PN children Arlington 1851 Isabel 1855 Emily 1856 Samuel 1858 Sarah 1860 Alice 1862 Amanda 1863 George Jr 1864 Lydia Johnson 1835 NY or Canada Harriett 1855 Schuyler 1856 var. spellings Cyrus, Squire John 1859 Jefferson 1861 Clarissa 1864 Eveline 1869 Sources: Census records of OR 1860 Lane Co. 1870 Lane Co. 1880 Lane Co. OR State library at Salem -newspaper accounts OR DLC 2920 & 3946 Lane Co., Historical Society Josephine Co., Historical Library Research of other Meek researchers Springfield OR genealogical library DAR library Washington DC Submitted by: Art & Gail Knight, gknight@bak.rr.com