Jonas Carsner was the fifth of twelve children of Henry and Jincy Jane (Fields) Casner. While the headstone of Jonas reflects he was born in 1825, family records show he was born 9-24-1827. Henry, the father, was born in KY but the Casners were one of the earliest settlers in what was Ray Co., MO arriving there circa 1818.

Henry, the father of Jonas, married Jincy Jane Fields on 4-6-1822 in Ray Co., MO and moved the family intermittently between MO and IA because of all the difficulties he had with the law. Henry died in IA in 1847. The widowed Jincy Jane Casner joined a wagon train to OR in 1852.

Jonas Carsner married Sarah Anna Jane Parkinson on 3-7-1847 in Polk Co., IA. They also joined the wagon train in 1852 bound for OR. However, Sarah was in fear of the Indians, so they turned back to IA. Eventually, they settled in Franklin Co., KS. Jonas and Sarah had seven children. KS in the late 1850s and early 1860s, in addition to the Civil War strive from both sides, had Indian uprisings. Additionally, there were severe droughts and insect explosions. With the children now older, Jonas and his family began again the trip to OR in 1862. One of their children died while they lived in Franklin Co., KS. It is unknown if Jonas reunited with his mother and other family members after he reached OR.

Jonas died in 1864 after reaching OR. Sarah would remarry to a John Shelly. Sarah and John had no children.

Note: Members of the family that settled in the Pacific Northwest spelled the name Carsner. Those that settled in AZ, NM and TX spelled the name Casner. Those that settled in CA spelled the name Carsoner. Most of the children of Henry and Jincy Casner were illiterate and generally signed their name with an 'x'.

The following was submitted by:
Daniel K. Higginbottom, Archaeologist, Iowa State Historic Preservation Office - Des Moines

From "The History of Early Fort Dodge and Webster County, Iowa" by Major William Williams, edited by Edward Breen. KVFD-KFMY, 1950, Fort Dodge,pp.13-14. "When the first settlers came into Webster County they found that the notorious Henry Lott had squatted at the mouth of Boon River. Lot was a bad man, a refugee from justice, and kept on the outskirts of all settlements. He was charged with being one of a gang of horse thieves, headed by the notorious Carsner, who figured in the neighborhood of Fort Des Moines. When the military garrisoned that Post, the troops there hunted them down and succeded in capturing the leading spirit Jonas Carsner. Captain Allen delivered Carsner over to the Indians, who took him out, tied him to a tree and gave him a most unmerciful whipping. After that occurrence these outlaws established their headquarters further north, at the mouth of the Boon river where Lott built his cabin."

From "Annals of Polk County" by Will Porter. Geo. Miller Printing Co., Des Moines, pp.126-27. "One of the chief rascals of that early day, and he remained about here for several yeaars, was one Jonas Carsner, who in some ten years made a long record as a criminal in Polk and other counties of central Iowa. Turrell says of him in his first history of Des Moines: 'Some renegade white men had penetrated into the reserve, sold whiskey to the Indians, and after gaining their friendship abused it by stealing their horses. Incidents of this kind caused Captain Allen to send out detachments of dragoons to capture the thieves and restore the stolen horses to their legal owners. This was a difficult task, the illimitable wilderness around affording an ample retreat for the miscreants. But finally one of them was captured and brought into the Fort. This was Jonas Carsner, since notorious in the criminal records of this and other counties for felonies of every description. He was tried by the officers of the Fort, and, although there was no doubt of his guilt, no direct proof of it could be obtained. Captain Allen, therefore, thought it best not to sentence him under the law, but knowing he was deserving of some punishment, turned him over to the Indians (some say white men disguised as Indians). They took him out, tied him to a tree, and gave him a most unmerciful whipping. This certainly should have had a benefical effect, but subsequent events proved otherwise. One of the horses stolen by Carsner had been found. The same night Carsner was rewarded with a cat-o'-ninetails two horses were stolen from a man by the name of Fish, who was bringing supplies to the Fort and had encamped for the night a few miles from the settlement. The Indians kindly lent Fish the horse they had just reclaimed and he started in search of his own. But while following their trail through a lonesome strip of timber suddenly Jonas Carsner appeared, and coming abruptly up, he dextrously cut the saddle girth with a huge knife, hurled Fish to the ground, and bore away at full speed the twice-captured horse. The discomfitted man now felt 'like a Fish out of water.' No course was left him but to trudge doggedly back to his Indian friends whose curses, when the fully comprehended Carsner's coup de etat, may be imagined, but not recorded."

From "History of Poweshiek County, Iowa", Union Historical Company, 1880. "It will doubtless be of intest to the reader to peruse the following synopsis of the first docket disposed of. The first case on the docket was that of The State of Iowa v. Jonas Carsner. The record is as follows: "State of Iowa" v. Jonas Carsner. Indictment for obtaining money under false pretense. "This case came on to be heard, and the said defendant, though three times solemnly called, came not, but made default; and John M. Parkinson and Jonathan Parkinson, sureites upon the bond of the said defendant, were three times solemnly called and came not, but made default, and were required to bring into court the body of said defendant and failed to do the same. There were two other indictments against Carsner, both for larceny, and the record in each is the same as in the foregoin. This man Jonas Carsner was one of themost notorious characters who figured in Iowa at early times. We shall speak of him further elsewhere."

Also on the docket was "Henry R. James et al v. Jonas Carsner; debt, appeal.

"Jonas Carsner, the man who figures as defendant in the first three cases on the docket, was probably the most notorious man in the State in early times. [This is followed by a retelling of Turrell's account in Porter 1898]"