Hiram Shackford the son of Thomas H and Polly (Mead) Shackford was most likely born about 1829 in Eaton, New Hampshire. We find him in the 1850 census with his parents and siblings James M and Laura A.
On September 17, 1853 Hiram married Lovina Stone, the daughter of Alfred and Phebe (Hathaway) Stone in Laurence, Massachusetts but interestingly he was listed in the 1855 census as living separately working as a mill watchman while we believe Lovina was living with her sister in the same town and in 1860 we find Hiram living at home with his father and siblings working as a miller – we’re not sure where Lovina is recorded.
On August 31, 1864 Hiram enlisted in the 1st Regiment, New Hampshire Heavy Artillery, Company G for 1 year. He mustered in on September 6th as a Private and was mustered out on June 15, 1865.
In 1870 Hiram is found living with Lovina in Bartlett, New Hampshire working as a farmer but traveled to Minnesota by January 9, 1872 where he is listed as the chairman of the twenty men founding Miltona Township in Douglas County. On March 12, 1872 the town’s first town meeting was held with thirteen voters – Hiram was voted chairman of the town. In 1875 he is listed in the Miltona census with Lovina and a child named Cora, age 8 – since Cora is not in any other records, and based on input from another researcher of Hiram, she was most likely adopted.
On January 25, 1877, the Advent Review and Sabbath Herald published a list of paid subscribers mentioning that Hiram paid $150 for his subscription. Later that year on April 25. 1877 he obtained his land grant.
The United States of America,
To all to whom these presents shall come, Greeting:RVR553
Whereas, In pursuance of the Act of Congress, approved July 2, 1862, entitled “An Act
Donating Public Lands to the several States and Territories which may provide Colleges for the benefit of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts,” there has been deposited in the General Land Office Scrip No 438, for one quarter section of Land in favor of the State of Virginia, duly assigned by the proper authority of the said State to Hiram Shackford
with evidence that the same has been located upon the South East quarter of the North East quarter, the Lot numbered three, and the North half of the South East quarter of Section twenty three in Township one hundred and thirty of Range thirty seven in the District of Sands formerly subject to sale at Alexandria now Fergas Falls Minnesota containing one hundred and sixty three acres and seventy hundredths of an acre (Excess paid) according to the Official Plat of the Survey of the said Land returned to the General Land Office by the Surveyor General:
Now know ye, That there is therefore granted by the United States unto the said Hiram Shackford as assignee as aforesaid, and to his heirs the tract of Land above described: To have and to hold the said tract of Land with the appurtenances thereof, unto the said Hiram Shackford as assignee as aforesaid and to his heirs and assigns forever.
In testimony whereof, I Rutherford B Hayes, President of the
United States of America, have caused these Letters to be made Patent, and
the Seal of the General Land Office to be hereunto affixed.
Given under my hand at the City of Washington, the twenty
fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and seventy seven, and of the Independence
of the United States the one hundred and first.
BY THE PRESIDENT: R. B. Hayes
By D. D. Cone, Secretary
S. W. Clark, Recorder of the General Land Office
In 1880 we find Hiram working as a farmer in Miltona with his wife and Lovina who is listed with a spinal complaint and daughter Cora. Hiram acquired 160 more acres in Fergus Falls – the south half of the north west quarter and the north half of the south west quarter of section 24 in township one hundred and thirty north of range thirty seven west of the Fifth Principal).
Sometime before Feb 18 1885 they moved to Battlecreek, Michigan where Hiram applied for and received a pension for his civil war service. We find him living at 109 W Main in 1886 working as a porter and at 209 1/2 Champion in 1889 working in a Health Home. In Aug 6, 1889, The Detroit Free Press listed him as receiving a pension increase and on July 25, 1890 the Marshall Statesman listed he was receiving a pension.
Our only record of Hiram’s death is found in Find A Grave listing his death as Jan 24, 1892. He was buried in the Oak Hill Cemetery in Battle Creek in Lot 1033, Rt 5. When I requested a copy of a picture of his headstone, I received a note that there is no headstone. Hiram’s wife Lovina applied for his pension on Jan 19, 1892 but according to the FindAGrave record, she died on Feb 1, 1892.
CHILDREN (possibly adopted)
Edward (abt 1865-1876) – Listed as the first death recorded in Miltona, age 11, son of Hiram Shackford
Cora (abt 1867-????) – only find her in the 1875 and 1880 censuses.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS:
Is there a probate for Hiram? – do not find him in the Michigan Probate Records, 1797-1973 Calhoun Probate Index 1835-1976
Does Fold3 have military records for Hiram? – have not yet checked.
Is there an obituary for Hiram in Michigan newspapers? – we contacted the Willard Library in Battle Creek which replied that no Shackfords were listed in 1892.
Would Oak Hill Cemetery have more information about Hiram’s death? – have contacted them but no reply as of yet
Would it be possible to get a gravestone for Hiram? We’re researching the process of obtaining a gravestone for military veterans and will be contacting the local veteran’s organization to see if they can help
All posts on this website are a work in progress. We’d love to learn of any corrections or additions to the information shared. Also we’d love it if you’d like the post here or at http://www.facebook.com/shackfordgenealogy) as that helps share the post with others. Thanks!
SOURCES:
1850 United States Federal Census, Carroll County, New Hampshire, population schedule, Albany, page no 235 (penned), 118 (stamped), dwellling 66, family 69, Thos H Shackford; digital images, Family Search (http://familysearch.org : accessed 16 January 2015).
1855 Massachusetts State Census, Essex County, population schedule, Lawrence, page 6, dwelling 11, family 13, Hiram Shackford; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com : accessed 2 May 2015).
1860 United States Federal Censu, Carroll County, New Hampshire, population schedule, Albany, Page No 87-88, dwelling 667, family 661, Thomas Shackford; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 16 January 2015).
1870 United States Federal Census, Carroll County, New Hampshire, population schedule, Bartlett, Page No 14, dwelling 113, family 121, Hiram Shackford; digital image, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : accessed 2 May 2015).
1875 Minnesota State Census, Douglas County, population schedule, Militona, page 561, Hiram Shackford; digital images, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : accessed 19 February 2014).
1880 United States Federal Census, Douglas County, Minnesota, population schedule, Miltona, enumeration district (ED) Enumeration District No 10, Page No 3, dwelling 30, Family 33, Hiram Shackford; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 May 2015).
Ayling Augustus D., Adjutant General, Revised Register of the Soldiers and Sailors of New Hampshire in the War of the Rebellion 1861-1866. (Concord: Ira C Evans, 1895), page 954; digital images, Google Books (https://books.google.com/books : accessed 3 May 2015.
Battle Creek City Directory 1886, with a Compendious Street Directory (Battle Creek Mich: W. F. Curtis & Co., 1886), page 193, Hiram Shackford; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 May 2015).
Battle Creek City Directory for 1889-90, with Map and Complete Street Directory (Battle Creek Mich: Wm C Gage & Son, 1889), page 198, Hiram Shackford; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 May 2015).
“Business Department Receipts,” The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald (Battle Creek, Michigan), 25 January 1877; digital images, Adventist Archives (http://documents.adventistarchives.org/ : accessed 2 May 2015).
The Detroit Free Press (Detroit, Michigan), 6 August 1889; digital images, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed – OCR only 30 October 2016).
Douglas County Historical Society, Douglas County Album of the Ages (N.p.: Taylor Publishing Co, 1982), page 368.
Footnote: Find A Grave, Find A Grave, digital images (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 18 July 2014), Hiram Shackford, Find A Grave Memorial# 15636506.
The Marshall Statesman (Marshall, Michigan), 25 July 1890, OCR only; digital images, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 30 October 2016).
Massachusetts, Massachusetts Marriages, 1841-1915, MARRIAGES registered in the City of Laurence for the year, 1853 page 180, Hiram Shackford m Lovina Stone, 17 September 1855; database with images, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 30 March 2014).
“Miltona Township History Compiled by Mr and Mrs Herbert E Hartfiel and Luella Erickson,” , page 1, Douglas County Genealogy Society, Alexandria, Minnesota.
Miltona Township Compiled and written by Ginny Swartz (http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mndougla/townships/miltona.html : accessed 3 May 2015), Hiram Shackford, land.
“Land Patents – Minnesota,” database, My Heritage Library Edition (http://myheritagelibraryedition.com : accessed 20 January 2015), Hiram Shackford.
“United States Civil War and Later Pension Index, 1861-1917,” database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : accessed 29 March 2016), Hiram Shackford
“U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865,” database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 14 May 2013), Hiram Shackford, 1st Regiment, New Hampshire Heavy Artillery; citing M549 roll 11.
Copyright 2017 Joanne Shackford Parkes (sharing a link to this post is appreciated but please do not just copy this material and paste it elsewhere)
SHACKFORD Family History 