User talk:Starrkicker

NEHEMIAH FRANCIS ORDWAY
Mr. Ordway resided in Oakdale, Stanisclaus county, and was a native of Franklin county, New York. Born July 23, 1834 and died Feb 10, 1909 78 years old Burried: Oakdale Citizen Cemetery, Oakdale, Stanislaus, Ca Back D Lot 2 Grave 1

Nehemiah was 16 years old when he arrived in California among the '49ers. His father Jonathan Ordway, was born, reared and married in the Green Mountain State. Sarah(Sally)Green also a native of Vermont, becoming his wife. Jonathan Ordway was a Physician by profession and also an owner of a farm. Removed to Franklin County, New York, becoming one of the pioneer medical practitioners and farmers of his locality. Jonathan Born: 1784 Died Dec 13, 1856 wife Sarah Born:1791 Died July 12 1849 ( Her Grave Marker reads: In memory of Sally, Wife of Doct. Jonathan Ordway) Married about: 1809 in Swanton Franklin Co, Vermont

Children Born: to Jonathan and Sarah Ordway In Fort Covington, NY, Franklin., Co

1. Sarah Ordway Born: March 25, 1810 2. Lucy Ordway Born: Jan 20, 1815 3. William Ordway Born: March 7, 1816 4. Mary Ordway Born: June 17,1818 5. Fidelia Ordway Born: Oct 4, 1819

6. Roswell B Ordway Born: May 15, 1822 Died 1893

Married: Elizabeth Born: 1833 Died 1900

7. Alonzo Ordway Born: Oct 18, 1823 Died December 1, 1884 8. Lovisa Ordway Born: ABT 1828

9. Jonathan Ordway Born: ABT 1833

10 Nehemiah Francis Ordway Born: July 23, 1834 Died Feb 10, 1909 **

11. Bridget Ordway Born: ABT 1834 in New York

Nehemiah's education was limited however he was self taught in experience. As a youth he started out for California, making his journey through the isthmus of Panama. His passage expenses amounted to $210.00, that was high prices at that time. Nehemiah travel to San Francisco, Placer mines in Tuolume county engageing in mining in Jackass Gulch, where he had a little claim, he gold mine, securing about $600.00 a month. That mine subsequently yielded fifteen thousand dollars. The food supply was limited during the following winter and incunsequence the prices were very exorbitant. In the spring Nehemiah went to Stockton on horseback, and later on proceeded to San Francisco where he boared a ship to Australia, which were one hundred and sixteen passengers. After they left the port it was discovered that two of the passengers had smallpox. All of the other passengers were then vaccinated and the progress of the disease was thus impeded. At the equator they were becalimed for two weeks. At that time they reached the Sandwhich Island it was found that their supply provisions was inadequate and there they purchased hogs and cocoanuts, and soon they were out of food again and this time supplied the deficiency by obtaining crackers from another ship. They subsided on these. together with some arrowroot which they had on board. Before reaching the harbor the ship was struck by a typhoon and the were ina gale for 6 weeks, the sea lashing in great fury. At lenght the wind changed, blowing from another directions, but that merely added to the roughness of the sea. When the storm subsied they saw near them a ship turned bottom side up and knew that all of its passengers must of been lost. The Vessel on which Nehemiah sailed had been blown two hundred miles off course, but they finally landed at Gelong and obtained food there. The passengers again boareded the ship and at last reached Melbourne in safety after a very stormy voyage of six months. On the Voyage Nehemiah formed the acquaintance of a little Dutchman and they decided to travel together. They made their way to Bendigo, where Nehemiah worked for 2 days for $7.50 per day, and then got a claim of his own, twelve by twelve feet. He sunk a hole in the middle and struck a vein of pure gold and was worth $19.50 per ounce. He and his partner took out three thousand dollars in a week, worked out the claim and then started to Bendigo. The Dutchman stopped at White Sand Hill but Nehemiah proceeded on his journey and connected with others he purchased a claim on which a shaft had not yet been sunk to dept where gold could be obtained. The new owners, however, worked it for two days and secured fifteen thousand dollars, the streak of gold only crossing pne corner of the claim. Nehemiah's Dutch friend was fortunate in his venture and took out gold to the weight of two hundred pounds from the White Sand Hill. There ere many convicts from van Dieman's Land and the miners were in constant dread of being killed and robbed. Nehemiah had purchased horses and was hauling and wood. In this way he made considerate money, but at night his horses had to be fasten with heavy chains in order to keep them from being stolen. One night he awoke and heard talking outside his tent in the direction of his horses. He fired a shot and the robbers escaped; but not relishing such a existence, he a little later decided to returned to Melbourne. It was his intention to buy a stage-coach and engage in running it, as the fare for the passage of sixty miles was fifty dollars; but he could not secure a stage-coach at any price, and accordingly left Australia, taking a ship for South America. Desiring to prospect on the Amazon, he obtained a pass from the American consul, for at that time there was a rebellion in the land and there was a considerable trouble in getting through the army lines. Nehemiah and his companions crossed the mountains that were sixteen thousand and six hundred feet above the sea level. when they were at that altitude the blood burst from their eyelids and the ends of fingers and they became stupefied. They succeded, however, in getting to the top of the mountain and to where some Englishmen were working a mine, and there they lay for twenty-four hours not knowing or wanting anything, and their horses were in the same condition! They found gold all through that country on the tributaries of the Amazon river, but they also saw unpleasant sights, for in the jungle there were boa constrictors and wild animals that rendered life unsafe. The Indians, too, were a constant menace, being very hostile, and the lives of the white men were continually endangered. They saw bridges made of hay, rope and sticks, but the monkeys did not have to resort to any such means to cross the rivers, as they would spring across wide streams, one holding the other in his mouth untill they formed a chain long anoth to bridge the water! Nehemiah and his party returned to Callao, and as there was no passenger ship at the port they asked for passage on an American man of war. During the voyage Nehemiah formed a high opinion of the ability of the American navy, noting the excellent marksmanship and splendid training. At length Nehemiah arrived in San Francisco and made his way to Gold Springs, Tulumne country, where he constructed a water race and again met with success in his mining ventures. Subsequently he came to Stanislaus county, where he purchased two hundred and fifty acres of rich land at langworth on the river bottom, where he raised melons and pumkins so large that one could hardly hold them. At first he made a great deal of money, for the products brought good prices. In one season he raised over two hundred tons of wheat having in the meantime purchased additional tracts of land until he had about one thousand acres. Through adverse circumstances, however, he lost all this. Married: Miss Elizabeth Helen Kennedy,(Lizbeth) Marriage: Dec 31, 1857 Born: Died: Sept 21, 1914 a native of Pennsylvania, a daughter of John Kennedy whose ancestors were from the north of Ireland. She came to California in 1857. Seven children were born of their marriage;

Children:

Clara D. Born: Oct 1858 Died: June 15, 1918

Walter K. was a baggagemaster and car inspector at Oakdale; Born: 1860 Died: 1939

James E. Born: Aug 6, 1859 Died Aug 6, 1926 ** Married: Daisy Bell Franklin Aug 28, 1887 Born: Sept 27, 1871 Died: Dec 8, 1962

William A. who was involved in Railroading Born: Oct 1866

Fanny M. Born: 1867 Married: William H. Shipman

Frank M. Born: Dec 1875

Lizzie Born: Oct 1878

Nehemiah and Elizabeth were value members of the Methodist church and so were several of their children. They were one of the earliest members of the church in Oakdale. For many years Nehemiah was a trustee in their church. During the intervening years Nehemiah he had been loyal and true to its teachings, doing all in his power to advance its work. He was a strong temperance man and is a member of the order of St. Paul, a church society whose members make it a principle of their lives to do good to everyone.