To: chb@bucknam.com
Subject: BUCKNAM, Ezra Taylor

Hello there,

After months of searching, I'm embarassed to say that only tonight did I
do a general search for the name Bucknam and found your site!  I'm very
excited to find others researching this name.  My name is Kathlene Clark
and I have been searching for the parents of Ezra Taylor BUCKNAM (my gg
grandfather) for many years.  I have a tremendous amount of information
about him, but hit the proverbial 'brick wall' when it comes to his
parents.  Here is what I know (and I have attached a photograph of him).

1830 - I know he was born in New York in February 1830 (from 1900 Fed
Census & other census)

1850 - He is listed in Pike County, IL at 20 years old living with John
and Charlotte Tooley family.
           He is listed as a Cooper, born in NY.  Charlotte is also
listed as being from NY (perhaps a
           sister or relative)

1858  Ezra Taylor Bucknam is listed as being some sort of Indian agent
or trader in Zuni, NM
         when the wagon train of John Udall passed.  I have the journal
of Udall which tells the
         story of how the group was attacked by a band of Indians and
that Mr. Bucknam assisted
         the survivors.  Wagon master Udall also records he performed a
marriage between Mr.
         Bucknam and the daughter of one of the emigrating families, my
gg grandmother, Isabelle
         Adeline Daly on 1 Nov 1858.

1862  First child Celia Elizabeth Bucknam born 18 Dec 1862 in Oakville,
Live Oak, TX
1864  Second child Mary Frances Bucknam born 2 Dec 1864 in Oakville,
Live Oak, TX
1867 Third child Samuel Daly Bucknam born 26 Feb 1867 in Oakville, Live
Oak, TX
1869  Fourth child Amanda Maria Bucknam born Sept in Summerville,
Tuolomne County, CA
1871  Fifth child Phoebe Sarah Bucknam born Sept. 1871 in Soulsbyville,
Tuolomne County, CA
1875  Sixth child John Dwain Bucknam born 4 Aug 1875 in Tuolomne County,
CA

1880 Federal Census finds Ezra T Bucknam, aged 50,  living in Tulare, CA
occupation agent of life &
         fire insurance and living with a male named W. F. Douglas.
[born in NY; father born ME,
         mother NJ]

1880  Divorced wife #1 21 Jun 1880 in Visalia, CA.

1880  Ezra married Sarah M. Ketchum Tulare County, Mariage Lic Book B,
page 448 on 12 Oct 1880.
          (mentions E. T. Bucknam was native of NY aged 50 years)]

1890 listed as living in Tulare at age 60 [born in NY] in Tulare County
Great Register of 1890

1898  listed at age 68 in Tulare at age 68 [place of birth NY] in Tulare
County Great Register of 1898

1900 Federal Census shows Ezra living alone on "L" Street in Tulare, CA,
aged 70. Birth NY,
         father born ME, mother NJ.

1901  Ezra T. Bucknam buried 20 Feb 1901 in Tulare Cemetary, Grave 1,
lot 3, block 14
          (section reserved for Lodge No. 68 Order of the Knights of
Pythias]

Obituary in Tulare, California Advance Register Feb. 18, 1901 "An Old
Citizen Gone"
Judge Ezra Taylor Bucknam has gone to his final resting place.  [article
says he was 71 years old,
was born in NY, but went west at an early age.  It lists his two wives,
number of children, etc.]

Probate records for Ezra T. Bucknam, Sr., deceased includes patents for
"new and useful improvements in conveyor chains" in both U.S. and
Canada.   I have a copy of these records.

Ezra was a poet, a wheelwright, an inventor, a judge, and served on at
least one county committee.  I obtained copies of the  patent and
diagram for a conveyor chain referred to in his will;  dated 19 March
1901.  I also have two small self-published pamphlets which contain two
of his poems, one a tribute to Yosemite, and the other to Pythianism, a
fraternal order to which he belonged.  I also have an original  letter
in his own beautiful penmanship written to my great grandfather, Samuel
Daly Bucknam dated 1891.

I have found the information on the New York Bucknam family (the
inventor of the Winter Street Screw Docks in NY)
whose family lists a son named Ezra T Bucknam whose birthyear is close
to my Ezra, however it says he died at an early age.
I wonder if this is an error.  It seems a great coincidence that they
were both inventors.

I would be more than happy to share my collection of information with
any other family members researching this interesting man.  I would very
much like to know which Maine Bucknam family member  he descends from.

Kathlene Clark
Placerville, CA
sfclark@calweb.com