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Ronald Aaron Noble Phelps / Sarah Jerushe Adams

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Ronald Aaron Noble Phelps / Sarah Jerushe Adams

Husband: Ronald Aaron Noble Phelps
Born: 9 Sep 1819[3288] [3290] [3291] [3292] at: Westfield, Hampden Co., Massachusetts, USA
Married: 29 Mar 1847at: Painesville, Lake, Ohio
Died: 16 Jun 1881[3293] [3295] at: Wataga, Knox, Illinois, USA
Father: Aaron Noble Phelps
Mother: Clarissa Root
Notes: [3301]
Sources: [3297] [3298] [3299] [3288] [3290] [3291] [3292] [3293] [3295] [3296] [3300] [3302] [3303]
Wife: Sarah Jerushe Adams
Born: 5 Apr 1823[145] at: Painesville, Ohio
Died: 10 Sep 1890[146] at: Wataga, Knox, Illinois, USA
Father: Sebastian Cabot Adams
Mother: Eunice Harmon
Notes: [148]
Sources: [145] [146] [147] [149] [150]
Children
Name: Alfred Aaron Phelps [154] [152] [153] [151]
Born: 14 Feb 1849at: Wataga, Knox, Illinois, USA
Married: at:  
Died: BEF 1930[151] at:
Spouses: Addie Mary Cable
Name: Emma Ella Phelps [215]
Born: 23 Dec 1850at: Wataga, Knox, Illinois, USA
Died: 7 Aug 1852at: Wataga, Knox, Illinois, USA
Spouses:
Name: William 'Willie' L. Phelps [221]
Born: 7 Jul 1853at: Wataga, Knox, Illinois, USA
Died: 3 Apr 1857at: Wataga, Knox, Illinois, USA
Spouses:
Name: Thadeus Merrill Phelps [234] [231] [227] [228] [229] [230] [232]
Born: 4 Oct 1856[227] [228] at: Wataga, Knox, Illinois, USA
Married: at:  
Died: 13 May 1932[229] at: Glendale, Los Angeles, California, USA
Spouses: Helen 'Nellie' Lindsay Bartle
Name: Ernest Harmon Phelps [226] [222] [224] [225]
Born: 3 Mar 1859at: Wataga, Knox, Illinois, USA
Married: at:  
Died: AFT 1930at:
Spouses: Mary Butler
Name: Frederick W. Phelps [10473] [10470] [10471] [10472] [10469]
Born: 1861[10469] at: Wataga, Knox, Illinois
Married: at:  
Died: at:
Spouses: Amanda M. -----
Name: Oliver N. Phelps [13409] [13404] [13405] [13402] [13403] [13407] [13408]
Born: 1866[13402] [13403] at: Wataga, Knox, Illinois
Died: at:
Spouses:
Name: Ada M. Phelps [13400] [13401] [13398] [13399]
Born: Jan 1870[13398] [13399] at: Wataga, Knox, Illinois
Died: at:
Spouses:

Pedigree Chart for: Ronald Aaron Noble Phelps 

      /--Aaron  Phelps 
   /--Aaron  Phelps  Jr.
   |  \--Rachel  Bagg 
/--Aaron Noble  Phelps 
|  |  /--Moses  Noble 
|  \--Mary  Noble 
|     \--Mary  Grant 
|--Ronald Aaron Noble  Phelps 
|     /--Thomas  Root 
|  /--Thomas  Root  Jr.
|  |  \--Abigail  Collins 
\--Clarissa  Root 
   |  /--Thomas  Root 
   \--Princess  Noble 
      \--Hannah  Sacket

Pedigree Chart for: Sarah Jerushe Adams 

      /--James H.  Adams 
   /--Aaron  Adams 
   |  \--Sarah  Callender 
/--Sebastian Cabot  Adams 
|  |  /--
|  \--Sarah  Hard 
|     \--
|--Sarah Jerushe  Adams 
|     /--Reuben  Harmon 
|  /--Oliver  Harmon 
|  |  \--Eunice  Parsons 
\--Eunice  Harmon 
   |  /--Reuben  Harmon 
   \--Mary  Plumb 
      \--

[3301]

Aaron, his mother Clarissa Root Phelps, and his wife Sarah Adams Phelps were founders of the religious community established at Galesburg, Illinois. In 1870, the census reports the value of his real estate as $15,000, and his personal effects as $500. -- "History of Knox County" The "Phelps Family in America" gives his name as "Roger." His grandson, Harold "Bart" Bartle Phelps, penciled this out and inserted "Ronald". Bart also corrected Ronald's birth year from 1812 to 1819. The book also gives his death at Wataga, Illinois, which Bart crossed out, but did not correct. "Mr. Phelps was born in Westfield, Mass., September 8, 1819. He came, with his mother and two sisters, to Galesburg in 1836. They were among a group of 25 initial settlers." According to the Knox College history, "On June 2, the first colonists arrived in a wagon train and settled temporarily at Log City [near current Lake Storey], three miles northwest of the present site of Galesburg." They later founded the pioneer First Church of Christ. "At the time of Mr. Phelps' arrival in Illinois, the amount of his worldly possessions at that time was enough to buy a box stove and a cow, valued at $30. The eldest daughter [Seraphina Princess Phelps] became Mrs. G. Avery, of Galesburg, and the youngest [Sybelana Phelps] the wife of B. Killbourn, of Wisconsin. The mother died at Galesburg, November 29, 1855. The father, Aaron Noble Phelps, had died previous to the family's moving west, at Westfield, Mass., in March 1830. He and his wife (Miss Clarissa Root) were married in 1814. Their only son, A. N. Phelps and Mrs. Sarah J. Adams were married March 29, 1847, and moved to their present home in 1856, which has since taken the premiums already mentioned." ("History of Knox County," p. 489) Galesburg was home to the first anti-slavery society in state of Illinois founded in 1837, and was a stop on the underground railroad. Railroads play a key role in Galesburg -- the first railroad came to Galesburg in 1854. The Family Farm in Knoxville, Illinois "Section 8 also includes the premium farm owned by A. N. Phelps, Esq., and contains 200 acres without a foot of waste land. This farm was granted the first premium by the Illinois State Agricultural Society in 1868, and again in 1870. It had been awarded the first premium by the Knox County Agricultural Society previously for five successive years. [The "premium" was a silver coffee service, described below.] "As an indication that Sparta [Township -- later Knox County -- ] is a rich agricultural locality, capable of producing a great quantity as well as a great variety of crops and having in it many enterprising stock-raisers, besides being well watered by natural streams and springs, may be noted the fact that A. N. Phelps' two-hundred acre farm now owned by William Robson on Section 8, took three first prizes from the State Agricultural Society." (p. 836) -- "History of Knox County" "The canal around the rapids at Louisville had just been com­pleted, so they were able to get by where formerly travellers by steamboat had been transferred to another vessel. Between Louisville and the Mississippi lay the bottom lands of Egyptian Illinois with their dreary water-logged deadly towns, Shawnee­town, Ft. Massac, Golconda, lawless, disorderly, and inhospitable, hardly safe for such unworldly pilgrims to stop at. In caves along the river lurked bands of pirates who robbed and murdered de­fenseless travellers by water." In the Mississippi there was constant delay. Even experienced river pilots are often fooled by this treacherous stream. The pro­peller refused to work. Parts of it continually dropped off into the river, and Noble Phelps acquired such experience in diving that when Captain Smith lost his watch over the side, he went in and recovered that also. At St. Louis they refused an offer of $1000 for their boat; it would have been wiser to have accepted. Slowly they worked north while the sick lay in their bunks and longed for land." --"They Broke the Prairie: Being some Account of the Settlement of the Upper Mississippi Valley by Religious and Educational Pioneers, Told in Terms of One City, Galesburg, and of One College, Knox." Published 1937 C. Scribner's Sons. 451 pp The 1850 Census shows Ron Phelps, age 31, residing with Sarah J. age 27, and Alfred A, age 1. The "History of Knox County" was published in about 1870, so by this time Ronald was no longer farming, as the history indicates William Robson now owned that land. His name is given as "Ron," and his occupation is carpenter. "Noble Phelps, as he grew to mature manhood, acquired large landed interests and developed them so skillfully, scientifically and successfully that his extensive farm, a few miles north of Galesburg, successively took the first prize as being the most highly cultivated and perfectly kept farm in Knox County, and in 1869 he had the satisfaction of owning the State Premium Farm of Illinois." -- History of Knox College 1837-1912 By Martha Farnham Webster. Galesburg, Ill, Wagoner Printing Company 1912 p. 36-37 About The Phelps Family Silver Coffee Service For many years, it graced the top of the buffet in my grandmother's formal dining room, usually wrapped in plastic to ward off tarnish. The center piece of the collection was the intricately engraved coffee server with the delicate spout. It had been won as a prize, I was told. As a child, I could only stare curiously and wonder about the shiny pot with the elephant-ear handles. When first Grandpa and then Grandma Phelps passed on, the silver service was passed to me by my father. Up close, I finally read the engraving: "Table Sett Awarded by the Illinois State Agricultural Society to Mrs. A. N. Phelps 1871." "A. N. Phelps?" I wondered. A quick check of my family history files turned up Roger Aaron Noble Phelps, of Wataga, Knox County, Illinois, my fourth great-grandfather, and his wife, Sarah Jerusha Adams of Painesville, Ohio. He was born in 1819 and they were married in 1847, so we can assume Sarah was at least 44 years old at the time she won this prize. A continuing puzzle is why a prize for the farm was apparently given at least in name to Thadeus' wife. About the Pieces Themselves The pieces appear to be stamped by two different manufacturers. The fact that the pieces were given as prizes and are silver plated suggests to me that the pieces may have been manufactured in quantity. The engraving is date 1871. The pieces are stamped on the bottom 1881, which refers to the style. The two stamps are: "Quadruple Plate Wilcox Silver Plate Co. 1881 W" encircling crossed hammers "New Haven Conn. Rogers Smith & Co. 1881" The pieces have been appraised as being "Egyptian Revival" style. According to the "History of Knox County (p. 489)," the farm "had been awarded the first premium by the Knox County Agricultural Society previously for five successive years." The coffee service has seven pieces. Each is silver-plated; the base metal appears to be nickel and lead, as it is visible on a couple of pieces where the silver plate has worn away. Each piece is engraved with a vine or ivy motif. The tops of the handles and legs are decorated with what appears to be an Indian-head. The pieces are: A large bowl 8" high and 10" across. This bowl is different from the others in that there is no vine design on the bowl, and the lid is engraved with clusters of leaves. The side of the bowl has what appears to be a holder for the lid. A sugar bowl, 4 1/2" by 7" The coffee pot, 15" tall, 11 1/2" across, with a spigot and kerosene warmer A creamer, 4 1/2" by 7", with a hinged lid A small bowl, 6" tall and 5" across, with a lid and handles A matching small bowl 6" tall and 5" across A medium bowl 7" high and 9" across, with a lid and handles The Next Part of the Story While these are the facts about the service, there is an interesting story behind them and how they survived through the generations of our family. During World War II, many Californians feared they would be invaded by the Japanese. This fear was so strong within our family that they buried the table set at their cabin in the mountains outside Los Angeles. They remained hidden there for a number of years until after the war, around 1953. My parents were visiting my father's Aunt Helen. A single piece of the silver service was in the house. My mother admired the piece, and Aunt Helen told of the remaining pieces were buried in the Los Angeles forest. She told Annabeth that they ought to be hers now. My mother passed on this story to her mother-in-law, Betty Phelps. The next year, as my parents prepared to visit Aunt Helen again, Betty asked Annabeth to please do her a favor and pick up a box that Aunt Helen wanted Betty to have. The box contained the silver service. Thus it remained in my grandparent's home for the next 40 years, until they both passed away and my father gave it to me.

[148]

BIOGRAPHY: In the family possession today is a 7-piece silver-plate coffee and tea service. An engraving on the coffee server reads, "Table set awarded by the Illinois State Agricultural Society to Mrs. A. N. Phelps 1870." On the bottom of the pieces are two stamps: "Quadruple Plate Wilcox Silver Plate 1881" and Rogers Smith & Co. New Haven Conn 1881" See DAR Number #102838 for more family information.

[154]

1860 Census: Knox County, Sparta Township, p 472 1870 Census, Alfred is living with his father. 1880 Census: Census Place: Sparta, Knox, Illinois Source: FHL Film 1254220 National Archives Film T9-0220 Page 350A Relation Sex Marr Race Age Birthplace Alfred A. PHELPS Self M M W 31 IL Occ: Farmer Fa: MA Mo: OH Addie M. PHELPS Wife F M W 25 IL Occ: Keeps House Fa: NY Mo: IL Aaron PHELPS Son M S W 5M IL Fa: IL Mo: IL Ernest H. PHELPS Brother M S W 21 IL Occ: Telegraph Operator Fa: MA Mo: OH Emma A. KEFFER Other F M W 23 IL Occ: Servant Fa: OH Mo: OH William KELLY Other M W 23 OH Occ: Servant Farm Labor Fa: OH Mo: OH

[234]

"The Phelps Family in America" gives his name as "Thomas." Harold B. Phelps Sr. crossed this out and wrote in "Thaddeus." However, Thadeus' printed wedding invitation gives the spelling of "Thadeus" with a single "d", as does his death certificate. We have deferred to the printed wedding announcement's spelling. His death certificate reveals that he was in California "33 years" at his death in 1932. However, according to family records, Thadeus left Peoria, Illinois in 1897 and arrived with his family in San Diego later that year. There was, according to his son Harold B. Phelps Sr., a local depression in the Los Angeles area at the time. The family moved several times, to Pasadena, Altadena, Los Angeles, and Glendale. There is also a family photograph of his children from a studio in Peoria, Illinois. If we can guess the children's age, the youngest, Harold, appears to be around 5 years old. That would date the photograph to early 1889.

[226]

His occupation in the 1880 Census, where he is living with his brother Alfred, is Telegraph Operator. In the 1910 census, the family is living in Lincoln City, Nebraska. They are renting a home. Ernest occupation is "Accounting Adjustor, General." In the 1920 and 1930 censuses, Ernest is living in the National Soldier's Home in Malibu Township, Los Angeles, California. He is widowed and is shown as a veteran of the Spanish-American War.

[10473]

In the 1870 census, his name is spelled Fredrick. Later census spell the name Frederick. According to the 1920 census, Fred and Amanda had 7 roomers. In the 1930 census, they are shown to own a home worth $15,000 and had four roomers.

[13409]

In the 1910 and 1920 censuses, an Oliver N. Phelps (b. abt 1866 in Illinois, with parents from Massachusetts and Ohio) is shown as an inmate of San Quentin Prison in San Rafael, California.

[14159] [S40]

  • Page: p. 489
  • Data: Date: 13 Jul 2002
[14160] [S565] [3297] [S474] [3298] [S474] [3299] [S542] [3288] [S186]

    [3289]

    Some notes about Ronald Phelps are found on p1373 of the Phelps & Servin books.

[3290] [S39]
  • Page: p1373
[3291] [S463]
  • Page: FHL Film 1254366; National Archives Film T9-0366; Page 185B
[3292] [S722] [3293] [S39]
  • Page: pp 1373, 1433

    • [3294]

    Someone has used a pencil in the book to cross out Wataga, Ill as the home and final resting place of Ronald, possibly written by Ronald's grandson Harold Bartle Phelps, They also corrected the name given for him in the book from Roger to Ronald, and his birth date from 1813 to 1819.

[3295] [S35]
  • Page: p. 36
[3296] [S35]
  • Page: page 36
[3300] [S463]
  • Page: FHL Film 1254366; National Archives Film T9-0366; Page 185B
  • Data:
    Extract: 1880 United States Census Census Place: Douglas, Union, Iowa Source: FHL Film 1254366; National Archives Film T9-0366; Page 185B Household: Rel Sex Marr Race Age Birthplace Aaron PHELPS Self Male M W 61 MA Occ: Farmer Fa: MA Mo: MA Sarah PHELPS Wife Female M W 58 OH Occ: Keeping House Fa: VT Mo: VT Thaddeus PHELPS Son Male S W 23 IL Occ: Farmer Fa: MA Mo: OH Fredrick PHELPS Son Male S W 19 IL Occ: Telegraph Operator Fa: MA Mo: OH Oliver PHELPS Son Male S W 14 IL Occ: At Home Fa: MA Mo: OH Ada M. PHELPS Dau Female S W 10 IL Occ: At Home Fa: MA Mo: OH Ann O'GRADY Other Female W W 67 IRE Occ: Housekeeper Fa: IRE Mo: IRE
[3302] [S5] [3303] [S41] [145] [S35] [146] [S35] [147] [S35]
  • Page: page 36
[149] [S36]
  • Page: Batch #: M537812, Sheet #: , Source Call #: 1411909
[150] [S37]
  • Page: Film #: 170677, Page #: 336, Ordinance #: 8757
[152] [S552] [153] [S552] [151] [S551] [215] [S35]
  • Page: page 36
[221] [S35]
  • Page: page 36
[231] [S542] [227] [S39] [228] [S463]
  • Page: FHL Film 1254366; National Archives Film T9-0366; Page 185B
[229] [S50]
  • Data:
    PHELPS, Thadeus Merrill Male/Caucasian/Widowed Deceased Spouse: Helen Phelps Age: 75 years-7 mths-10 days Date of Death: 5-13-1932 at 2 PM Place of Death: 1133 Melrose Ave., Glendale Usual Residence: [same as above] Length of Time in City of Death: 5 years Length of Time in CA: 33 years Date/Place of Birth: 10-3-1856/Wataga, IL Fa: Aaron A. Phelps, born Unknown Mo: Sarah Adams, born Unknown Informant: Miss Helen Phelps, 1133 Melrose, Glendale Physician: Charles I. Dunnage, M.D., 217 N. Central, Glendale Attended: 3-15-31 to 5-13-32 Immediate Cause of Death: Cirrhosis of liver/since 2-15-31 Other Significant Conditions: Peritonitis/since 5-10-32; carcinomatosis/since 5-12-32; cirrhosis of liver/since 3-32 Reported to Coroner: No Autopsy: No Operation: No Disposition: Cremation on 5-16-32 at Inglewood Cemetery Mortuary: E.B. McCormick, 4601 Crenshaw Blvd.
[230] [S463]
  • Page: FHL Film 1254366; National Archives Film T9-0366; Page 185B
  • Data:
    Extract: 1880 United States Census Census Place: Douglas, Union, Iowa Source: FHL Film 1254366; National Archives Film T9-0366; Page 185B Household: Rel Sex Marr Race Age Birthplace Aaron PHELPS Self Male M W 61 MA Occ: Farmer Fa: MA Mo: MA Sarah PHELPS Wife Female M W 58 OH Occ: Keeping House Fa: VT Mo: VT Thaddeus PHELPS Son Male S W 23 IL Occ: Farmer Fa: MA Mo: OH Fredrick PHELPS Son Male S W 19 IL Occ: Telegraph Operator Fa: MA Mo: OH Oliver PHELPS Son Male S W 14 IL Occ: At Home Fa: MA Mo: OH Ada M. PHELPS Dau Female S W 10 IL Occ: At Home Fa: MA Mo: OH Ann O'GRADY Other Female W W 67 IRE Occ: Housekeeper Fa: IRE Mo: IRE
[232] [S51]

    [233]

    County of Los Angeles

[222] [S552]

    [223]

    Shown as living with his brother Alfred Aaron during the census period.

[224] [S544] [225] [S543] [10470] [S474] [10471] [S542] [10472] [S546] [10469] [S474] [13404] [S542] [13405] [S723]

    [13406]

    Head of the household was L. B. Powell, 26 years old, with his wife Lillie, and his mother Rachel, aged 70.

[13402] [S474] [13403] [S542] [13407] [S536] [13408] [S562] [13400] [S474] [13401] [S542] [13398] [S474] [13399] [S542]

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