Please allow me to introduce you to my great-grandfather John Charles Wesley Ingram. Though he was a man who shared in our common grace from God, he was not to me a very common man. Its my hope to one day give the fullest telling of his story, but for now, I share a brief biographical sketch from a book of history.
“INGRAM, J. C. W. Is a native of Gallatin County, Illinois, and was born April 4, 1829. Here he received his education, and resided on a farm until 1844, when he went to Missouri, where he spent about two years. The next two years were spent in Iowa and Wisconsin; after which he returned to Missouri, and in the spring of 1849 he turned his face towards Oregon, where he arrived, after a six months’ journey with ox teams, the last of October. Here he followed lumbering until the spring of 1851, when he came to California and followed mining at different places until September, 1857, when he came to Lake County and located in Big Valley, where he followed farming and stock raising until 1867, when he settled on his present place, consisting of two hundred acres, located in Scotts Valley, where he is engaged in farming and stock raising. Mr. Ingram, during the years 1858-9, held the office of Constable, and in the fall of 1873 was elected Sheriff of Lake County, which office he held four years. He married, August 28, 1858, Miss Mandana A. Musick, a native of Missouri They have six children: Luella C., John L, Mary R., Sarah A., Ruth and Maud. Have lost two: William R. and Preston.”
The History of Napa and Lake Counties, California
Slocum, Bowen & Co., Publishers San Francisco, California 1881 pp. 250, 251
Source: Google Books online as of August 17, 2015
https://books.google.com/books?id=8skOAAAAYAAJ
To my children, this is your great great grandfather. To my grandchildren, this is your 3 x great-grandfather. He leaves you a rich heritage. Learn his life well.
Next time we’ll consider some facts about J.C.W. that may change the way history has been recorded.
BACKTRACKING THE COMMON 