Family History Writing Challenge Day 13

Thompson Hightower

The previous posts have illustrated the extent to which I have tried to find information about the parents of Thompson Hightower. It does not include all the online avenues that I have utilized, nor the trip I took to Richmond, Virginia back in 2014 as that trip involved looking at Hightowers and affiliated family lines from George Hightower, Jr. back. Thompson was born in Kentucky, so until I can ascertain if or how they are related to Thompson, it makes no sense to cover that information here.

As I stated on the beginning of this writing challenge, I am confident of the direct tie between myself and Thompson Hightower. It is getting beyond him that is the problem. My brother and I have taken DNA tests, and I am hopeful that someday a George Hightower, Jr. (or any Hightower, for that matter) descendant will reach out to me as a match. Until then, here is summary of what I know.

Thompson Hightower was born in Campbell County (which became Kenton County in 1840), Kentucky around 1815. He remained in the Covington area until his death from cholera in 1866.

George Hightower was born in Virginia in 1770, but moved to Kentucky with his wife Frances and children, Mary Polly and Austin, by 1800. By the 1830 census he was living in Adams County, Illinois with his wife. He sold his land in Kentucky to his son Austin in March of 1836. What is odd is that the deed indicates that both George and Austin are residents of Campbell County. That could have been an error on the recording clerk’s part. There were no other George Hightowers living in Campbell County at that time, and none that show up on the 1830 census for Campbell County.

Austin then sold the land to a non-family member in October of 1838. By the 1840 census, Austin was also living in Adams County, Illinois with his wife and children. George, Mary Polly and Austin, along with their spouses, all died in Adams County and are buried in the Denson Pioneer Cemetery in Ursa.

If George moved his family in 1830, Thompson would have only been 15 years of age. Would they have left him behind in the Covington area? Or if he went with them and is indeed the one male ages 15 thru 19 on that census record, would he have gone back to Covington on his own as an adult when all of his family remained in Adams County? That doesn’t seem likely to me.

Family History Writing Challenge Day 9

Another avenue that might provide a link between Thompson Hightower and George Hightower, Jr. is the existence of probate records or a will. Probate records are court records created after an individual’s death regarding the division of the estate to the heirs or creditors, and also the care of dependents. This process normally takes place when there is not a will, but sometimes even with a will the estate can go into probate. To begin the probate process, a petition must be filed with the court. Typically this is done by one of the heirs of the deceased. It often includes names, relationships, and residences of the heirs.

Quincy Public Library

Many resources for researching probates records are available online. But of course George Hightower does not appear in any of them. I visited Quincy, Illinois, which is the county seat of Adams County last year on the way back from visiting my in-laws in Iowa. I met with a local history librarian at the Quincy Public Library to discuss my Hightower family from the area. Ursa, where the Hightowers lived, is just 10 miles north of Quincy. The librarian was helpful, letting me know which websites to look at in the library, and showing me the local books which might be of assistance.

Unfortunately, I found no new information on any of the Hightower families. Before I totally give up finding any leads in Adams County I will need to contact the Adams County Clerk of the Circuit Courts office in Quincy. They have court records dating back to 1825, and probate records back to 1826. In this day and age of the computer, it is easy for genealogists to forget that not everything is online, nor has every document been indexed and placed neatly into a book for us to find at a library.

Family History Writing Challenge Day 5

Today I want to recap my lineage back to Thompson Hightower.

Kimberly Kubler to my father, LeRoy C. Kubler. Source: my birth certificate

LeRoy C. Kubler to his mother, Lillian Hungler. Sources: LeRoy’s birth certificate; marriage certificate; death certificate; 1920 and 1930 censuses; his father’s death notice

Lillian Hungler to her father, Albert M. Hungler. Sources: Lillian’s birth record and marriage record; 1900 census

Albert M. Hungler to his mother, Anna Hightower. Sources: Albert’s marriage record to second wife Matilda Stritzinger in 1906; 1870 and 1880 censuses; Albert’s death certificate

Anna Hightower to her father, Thompson Hightower. Sources: 1850 and 1860 censuses

A working theory is that Thompson Hightower, b. 1815, was the youngest son of George Hightower, Jr. and Frances Ann (Hall) Hightower. There are literally hundreds of family trees online that have Thompson placed in this family, along with Mary Polly b. 1797, Austin b. 1799, Rolla b. 1802, Richard b. 1812, and Archibald b. 1814.

The problem is that each of these family trees lists only one source linking Thompson to George Hightower. The source is a Find A Grave memorial for George, who was buried in the Denson Pioneer Cemetery in Ursa, Adams County, Illinois. The Find A Grave website is totally volunteer-driven. People upload information and photos from graves they have visited. The man who originally set up the memorial for George is now deceased, so I have no way of knowing how he came up with the information he listed for George. The online memorial gives quite a bio on George and his wife, Frances Ann. It further indicates that the couple had the following children: Polly b. 3 September 1797, Austin b. 15 December 1799, Rawleigh b. 1802, Richard born 6 August 1812, Archibald b. about 1814, and Thompson b. about 1815.

George and Frances Ann stones in Denson Pioneer Cemetery

The Hightower online memorial is a very tenuous tie, at best. My future posts will illustrate the steps I have taken to prove and/or disprove Thompson’s parentage.