KANSAS PIONEER - LINCOLN / OTTAWA COUNTIES, KANSAS

NEW ENGLAND ANCESTRY

Born of virtually 100% Puritan ancestors on Long Island, New York from the 1630's, Morris Wells Hallock claims ancestry to over 30 of the early immigrants from England to Long Island, New York - either directly or through Mass, Conn and Vermont.

His ancestors include well known Long Island immigrants with surnames of Hallock, Horton, Corwin, Wells, Aldrich, Tuthill, Youngs, Owen, Keyser, Sherrill, Howell, Penny, Swezey, and more.

GO WEST, YOUNG MAN, GO WEST

Morris Wells struck out west approximately 1878-9. Family stories say because of a doctor's recommendation due to lung or asthma problems. It is said that his father gave him his inheritance in cash before he left and told him to hide it well - as he might encounter robbers on the way. He was leaving into the unknown from an area where his family had lived for over 200 years and several generations - Mattituck, Long Island, New York.

He came west with his brother Lowell Mason Hallock, who died very soon after arrival and is buried in Spring Creek Cemetery in Lincoln Co, KS. He traveled by railroad to Omaha, then walked into the area (several hundred miles) where homesteads were being given in Kansas and ended up in Lincoln / Ottawa Counties (house in Lincoln Co, pasture in Ottawa Co). He soon became familiar with the family of William Wallace and Armelia Elizabeth (Alger) Pollock, especially their oldest daughter: Harriet Loetta Pollock. They were married on Jun 5, 1881, in one of the earlier marriages in Ottawa, Co, Kansas.

HOMESTEAD

Morris Wells settled on his homestead on 24 Mar 1876, proved 10 Mar 1886, Patent issued 27 May 1886, and final patent approval on 30 Dec 1887. Application 15701 and Certificate 12724. Applied to Land Office, Concordia, Cloud, Kansas. There were two parcels, one in Ottawa County (used for pasture) and one parcel in Lincoln County (where the home was). Aggregate acreage was 123.71 acres. (The two parcels were in close proximity, split by the county line road.) He listed improvements as: frame house 16'x24', with "wing?" 6'x6', cellar, stone slab 16'x22', 2 granaries, windmill. His 1886 patent application showed he was native-born, never served in military, and had wife and 2 children, had 45 acres "in crop" for six years, and had resided on the homestead for 7 years. His homestead fee was $13.09. He stated in his application that he had raised wheat, corn, rye, and potatoes and other produce over six growing seasons.

He was shown in the 1880 census as Marace or Morse Hallack, 23 yrs old, boarder in house of Charles Moony, farmer, born New York, both parents born New York, 1880 residence in Salt Creek Twp, Lincoln Co, Kansas. (If there was a blood relationship between Morris and the Moony's, I haven't yet discovered it.)

CONFUSION LINCOLN COUNTY VS ADA, OTTAWA COUNTY, KANSAS

Morris and wife were shown in their home in Salt Creek Township, Lincoln County, Kansas in censuses from 1880 through 1930. But, the family considered their "home" to be Ada, Ottawa, Kansas. They went to school and church in Ada, high school in Minneapolis, Ottawa County, and Morris and Harriet are buried in Ada, Ottawa, Kansas. Their homestead was split in two parcels One on the Lincoln County (west) side of the county line road where the home was and the other the pasture, on the east side of the county line road, in Ottawa County. The town of Ada, in Ottawa County was a closer "social center" for this family than any other town in Lincoln County. (Although the town of Milo in Lincoln County was close to where they lived; but it apparently didn't have the "social" acitivities (church, etc) that the Hallocks preferred.)

In technical terms, one parcel for abt 80 acres was in Range 6 West, Section 13, which was in Salt Creek Twp, Lincoln County, KS. The other parcel for abt 40 acres was in Range 5 West, Section 18, which was in Fountain Twp, Ottawa County. KS.

Researchers will note that many of the children show their birthplace as Ada, Ottawa, Kansas (or the grandchildren will show their parents born Ada) in later records for which they were the source; even though that is not technically true. They were all born at home in Salt Creek Twp, Lincoln Co, Kansas. Unfortunately, Kansas didn't have birth certificates until after the last Hallock in this family was born.

MARRIAGE AND FAMILY

Harriet Loetta's mother died months before Morris and Harriet Loetta were married on Nov 8, 1880. Soon after their marriage, Harriet Loetta's dad left his youngest daughter, Fannie, with Morris and 16 year old wife Harriet Loetta, and took the remaining 7 Pollock children to Adair County, Missouri, and then on to Anadarko, Oklahoma Territory, where he lived the rest of his life.

Morris Wells and Harriet Loetta (Pollock) Hallock had 11 children and today have many descendants across the American landscape.

Morris and Loetta lived from the days of covered wagons to trains to cars to airplanes, from the Civil War to World War II, from the Gunfight at the OK Corral to attack on Hawaii at the beginning of World War II. From sod houses to insulated houses with running water, electricity, and radio.

A count of descendants through about 1960 (incomplete in latter generations) is 429 individuals - including spouses.