Elizabeth claimed an American birth (NY) in the 1850 census and from the 1870 census through 1910, the year of her death. Her son, George Gilmer, towards the end of Elizabeth's life and afterward listed his mother's place of birth as Canada. Considering the Canadian baptism as well as marriage record in 1848 and the residence and death locations of her parents being Canada, it is likely that Elizabeth claimed an American birth in order to establish citizenship, as her first husband Joseph Bradshaw was also foreign-born.
Elizabeth and Joseph were counted in the 1850 census living in Detroit, Michigan, still with no children. Daughter Sarah was born at Maumee, Ohio near Toledo in 1854 shortly before Joseph enlisted in the U.S. Army at Buffalo, NY. Joseph was assigned to the 9th Cavalry under Colonel George Wright and stationed at Fortress Monroe in Virginia. Elizabeth must have been there in November/December of 1855 as she became pregnant with their second child who was born in August of 1856. The 9th was deployed to the Pacific Northwest in December, sailing to Panama and crossing the isthmus and then sailing to Puget Sound, arriving in January of 1856.
Elizabeth, pregnant with her son, traveled to Oregon Territory over the Oregon Trail with infant daughter Sarah. It is not clear with whom she travelled. Joseph Jr. was born in Oregon Territory in August 1856. .
According to Elizabeth's obituary, she worked as a cook for the U.S. Army at Fort Dalles in the late 1850s. Joseph Sr. re-enlisted for another 5 years there in 1859. For unknown reasons, Joseph and Elizabeth parted ways around this time. Family lore claimed that Joseph had "died soon after arriving" at The Dalles, but this is demonstrably not true. He was counted in the 1860 census with the 9th at Fort Walla Walla, mustered out of the Army in California in 1864, and was remarried to a woman named Johanna Aylwood and the pair would live in the Wilmington neighborhood of Los Angeles until his death.
Elizabeth next took the name of new husband William Gilmer, probably in 1860 (Gilmer is living alone in 1860 in The Dalles and Elizabeth and her children cannot be found in that census). This union was likely not official at the time, but their first child together, George, was born in 1861.
After the death of William Gilmer she remarried to Stephen Whitcomb. They built a log cabin for a home which still stands today, the Whitcomb-Cole cabin, at the Conboy Lake Wildlife Refuge headquarters.
Elizabeth and Joseph were counted in the 1850 census living in Detroit, Michigan, still with no children. Daughter Sarah was born at Maumee, Ohio near Toledo in 1854 shortly before Joseph enlisted in the U.S. Army at Buffalo, NY. Joseph was assigned to the 9th Cavalry under Colonel George Wright and stationed at Fortress Monroe in Virginia. Elizabeth must have been there in November/December of 1855 as she became pregnant with their second child who was born in August of 1856. The 9th was deployed to the Pacific Northwest in December, sailing to Panama and crossing the isthmus and then sailing to Puget Sound, arriving in January of 1856.
Elizabeth, pregnant with her son, traveled to Oregon Territory over the Oregon Trail with infant daughter Sarah. It is not clear with whom she travelled. Joseph Jr. was born in Oregon Territory in August 1856. .
According to Elizabeth's obituary, she worked as a cook for the U.S. Army at Fort Dalles in the late 1850s. Joseph Sr. re-enlisted for another 5 years there in 1859. For unknown reasons, Joseph and Elizabeth parted ways around this time. Family lore claimed that Joseph had "died soon after arriving" at The Dalles, but this is demonstrably not true. He was counted in the 1860 census with the 9th at Fort Walla Walla, mustered out of the Army in California in 1864, and was remarried to a woman named Johanna Aylwood and the pair would live in the Wilmington neighborhood of Los Angeles until his death.
Elizabeth next took the name of new husband William Gilmer, probably in 1860 (Gilmer is living alone in 1860 in The Dalles and Elizabeth and her children cannot be found in that census). This union was likely not official at the time, but their first child together, George, was born in 1861.
After the death of William Gilmer she remarried to Stephen Whitcomb. They built a log cabin for a home which still stands today, the Whitcomb-Cole cabin, at the Conboy Lake Wildlife Refuge headquarters.
Elizabeth claimed an American birth (NY) in the 1850 census and from the 1870 census through 1910, the year of her death. Her son, George Gilmer, towards the end of Elizabeth's life and afterward listed his mother's place of birth as Canada. Considering the Canadian baptism as well as marriage record in 1848 and the residence and death locations of her parents being Canada, it is likely that Elizabeth claimed an American birth in order to establish citizenship, as her first husband Joseph Bradshaw was also foreign-born.
Elizabeth and Joseph were counted in the 1850 census living in Detroit, Michigan, still with no children. Daughter Sarah was born at Maumee, Ohio near Toledo in 1854 shortly before Joseph enlisted in the U.S. Army at Buffalo, NY. Joseph was assigned to the 9th Cavalry under Colonel George Wright and stationed at Fortress Monroe in Virginia. Elizabeth must have been there in November/December of 1855 as she became pregnant with their second child who was born in August of 1856. The 9th was deployed to the Pacific Northwest in December, sailing to Panama and crossing the isthmus and then sailing to Puget Sound, arriving in January of 1856.
Elizabeth, pregnant with her son, traveled to Oregon Territory over the Oregon Trail with infant daughter Sarah. It is not clear with whom she travelled. Joseph Jr. was born in Oregon Territory in August 1856. .
According to Elizabeth's obituary, she worked as a cook for the U.S. Army at Fort Dalles in the late 1850s. Joseph Sr. re-enlisted for another 5 years there in 1859. For unknown reasons, Joseph and Elizabeth parted ways around this time. Family lore claimed that Joseph had "died soon after arriving" at The Dalles, but this is demonstrably not true. He was counted in the 1860 census with the 9th at Fort Walla Walla, mustered out of the Army in California in 1864, and was remarried to a woman named Johanna Aylwood and the pair would live in the Wilmington neighborhood of Los Angeles until his death.
Elizabeth next took the name of new husband William Gilmer, probably in 1860 (Gilmer is living alone in 1860 in The Dalles and Elizabeth and her children cannot be found in that census). This union was likely not official at the time, but their first child together, George, was born in 1861.
After the death of William Gilmer she remarried to Stephen Whitcomb. They built a log cabin for a home which still stands today, the Whitcomb-Cole cabin, at the Conboy Lake Wildlife Refuge headquarters.
Elizabeth and Joseph were counted in the 1850 census living in Detroit, Michigan, still with no children. Daughter Sarah was born at Maumee, Ohio near Toledo in 1854 shortly before Joseph enlisted in the U.S. Army at Buffalo, NY. Joseph was assigned to the 9th Cavalry under Colonel George Wright and stationed at Fortress Monroe in Virginia. Elizabeth must have been there in November/December of 1855 as she became pregnant with their second child who was born in August of 1856. The 9th was deployed to the Pacific Northwest in December, sailing to Panama and crossing the isthmus and then sailing to Puget Sound, arriving in January of 1856.
Elizabeth, pregnant with her son, traveled to Oregon Territory over the Oregon Trail with infant daughter Sarah. It is not clear with whom she travelled. Joseph Jr. was born in Oregon Territory in August 1856. .
According to Elizabeth's obituary, she worked as a cook for the U.S. Army at Fort Dalles in the late 1850s. Joseph Sr. re-enlisted for another 5 years there in 1859. For unknown reasons, Joseph and Elizabeth parted ways around this time. Family lore claimed that Joseph had "died soon after arriving" at The Dalles, but this is demonstrably not true. He was counted in the 1860 census with the 9th at Fort Walla Walla, mustered out of the Army in California in 1864, and was remarried to a woman named Johanna Aylwood and the pair would live in the Wilmington neighborhood of Los Angeles until his death.
Elizabeth next took the name of new husband William Gilmer, probably in 1860 (Gilmer is living alone in 1860 in The Dalles and Elizabeth and her children cannot be found in that census). This union was likely not official at the time, but their first child together, George, was born in 1861.
After the death of William Gilmer she remarried to Stephen Whitcomb. They built a log cabin for a home which still stands today, the Whitcomb-Cole cabin, at the Conboy Lake Wildlife Refuge headquarters.
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