Frontier Currents

Although I was unable to complete my family history of Charles and Margaret Blakely during my Genealogy and Family History course at the University of Washington, I did make a start. I organized the material by telling a different individual's "story" in each chapter. The over-arching theme is of Frontier Currents -- referring to a key geographical element, the Holston River, the historically significant changes to which the family bore witness (and sometimes contributed), and the pioneering migrations of the family. Below is the introduction as written for my class project:

Introduction

James' Story: Pioneer Memories

History is the essence of innumerable biographies. (1)

A common migration pattern of many Oregon pioneer families began in Ireland and flowed through southwestern Virginia, Tennessee, Missouri, and directly on to Oregon. This path from Ireland to Oregon spanned mulitple generations and each move along the way typically included extended family. As some family members moved on to the next frontier, others remained behind, resulting in a trail of cousins leading to the west. This was the path of my ancestors, the Blakely, or Blackley, family. In their case, it took three generations to move from Ireland to Oregon beginning with Charles Blackley, who is said to have been born in Ireland and who died in Tennessee; continuing with his son, Joseph, who was born in Virginia and died in Missouri; and culminating with Joseph's son, James, who was born in Tennessee and died in Oregon.(2)

When James Blakely and his uncle, Hugh Brown, arrived in Oregon, they founded a town called Brownsville and became well-respected citizens. In part because of James' stature and, in part, because of his longevity, stories of his life were widely reported in publications of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Included in some of those stories was information about his parents, Joseph and Jensia, and his grandparents, Charles and Margaret. Adding to the information available on James and his ancestors are interviews and other accounts reported by family historians. These reports did not, unfortunately, provide corroborating evidence concerning the elder Blackley's. This paper is the result of my attempt to find additional documentation and delve into the origins and lives of James' grandparents.(3)

The Blackley's lived in 18th century America. They lived through periods of colonial growth, revolution and the formation of an independent government. They were not leaders in the revolutionary cause and played, at most, a limited role in political plans and military operations. They are not remembered for extraordinary, heroic deeds, for persuasive speeches, or for political or military genius, but their names were recorded in the courthouses of a fledgling nation as they acquired land, paid taxes, pledged their loyalty, served in the militia, built roads and interacted with neighbors. These ordinary activities secured their place in history.

While government records provide glimpses into the Blackley's lives, the color of their lives (their physical characteristics, personalities, and family origins) are not found in these records. These coveted personal descriptors remain elusive. Although family histories and abstracted records have added some information such as children's birthdates and marriages, they tell little about the elder Blackley's physical traits and personalities. The family histories were written by fourth and later generations of Blakely's and allied families more than a century after Charles' death. The stories they relate were handed down by children, grandchildren or other family members and may have passed through several interpretations before reaching the authors. With no first-hand knowledge of the elder Blackley's, no photographs to study and, most likely, no family Bibles or other family records to reference, it is not surprising that the authors did not report on the couple's personal traits. It is, however, a disppointment that the color of their eyes and hair, their height, mannerisms and idiosyncrasies are unavailable to fill in the outline of their lives. (4)

To tell the story of Charles and Margaret Blackley is to tell the story of ordinary people living in a time and place of historical significance. Their history is interwoven with the history of the founding of our country. Their power to change history lay not in their individual traits, but in the collective strength of common dreams and desires shared among so many. Although individual goals may have differed among the colonists, they shared a common desire to improve their lives. As they claimed land for their families, they advanced the boundaries of the nation. As they engaged in warfare with Indians, they subdued the indigenous people's claim to their native land and resources. As they made improvements in crops, roads and buildings, they began the infrastructure that would support the new nation. Their rebellion against perceived injustice, contributed to the larger rebellion that secured their independence. In this way, the course of individual lives directed the course of American history.

Just as individual stories combined to form the history of our nation, her history provides a framework for personal biographies. In the pages that follow, the settlement of colonial frontiers, the struggles of the French and Indian War and the American Revolution, and the formation of a new government, provide the context for the story of the Blackley family as they built their lives along the Holston River on the American Frontier.

... to be continued in part 2...

Endnotes

1. Thomas Carlyle quote from his Critical and Miscellaneous Essays found in: Webster's Compact Dictionary of Quotations. (Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 1992.), 160.
2. Blakely is the spelling used by my great, great, great, great grandfather, James Blakely. Blackley was the spelling used most often in reference to Charles (James' grandfather and the subject of this paper.) Other surname variations include: Blakeley, Blakley, Blackly, Bleakley, Bleakly, Blaikley, and Blakesley.

Descendants of Charles Blackley stated Charles was born in Ireland and came to America with his parents and siblings: "Capt. James Blakely", Portrait and Biogaphical Record of the Willamette Valley, Oregon, (Chicago, Illinois: The Chapman Publishing Company, 1903.), 1213-1214.

Dates, locations and the given names of his parents and siblings were not included in the information passed down and proof of these claims still needs to be found.

3. "Capt. James Blakely", Portrait and Biogaphical Record of the Willamette Valley, Oregon, 1213-1214.

4. Family Bibles or other family records are not cited as sources in the family histories, but it is possible they were referenced and not mentioned since very few source citations were provided.

Wright, George William, The Wright Family. (Albany, Oregon: Privately printed, 1929.), 88-89.

Williams, Carl, Sidelights on the Williams Family History, (Fort Pierce, Florida: Privately printed, 1940), 41-42.

Bjs