Pioneers of St. Clair County, Michigan - Person Sheet
Pioneers of St. Clair County, Michigan - Person Sheet
Census
• 1850 Census: Wyoming District, Bath, Kentucky. Age 22, b Scott County, KY. Enumerated as Margaret A. Ormsby.5776
Spouses
Individual Notes
• In one of the histories of Utah there is an article prepared by Dr. Oliver Ormsby, who passed through Sessions Settlement when he was twelve years old, on the way to California. Quote from history: “Major William Ormsby and his brother John S. Ormsby, left Pennsylvania in 1849 and went to California. Early in 1852 Major Ormsby went back to Pennsylvania to bring his and his brother’s families to California. There were about one hundred souls in the company and they were fitted out with the finest horses and equipment. However, when they reached Salt Lake, they had lost all of their horses and carriages and remained in Salt Lake two weeks to rest and recruit.”5747
• [excerpts] Major William Ormsby joined his two brothers, Dr. John and Lemuel, and his brother-in-law, J. K. Trumbo, in an overland expedition to California in 1849, leaving his wife and daughter with her parents in Kentucky. The brothers traveled west, leaving St. Joseph, Missouri, by wagon train on April 14th, 1849. On May 20, they joined the Newton-Boston Company near Independence, Missouri, and arrived in Sacramento in late September or early October. He became a partner with his brother in the J. S. Ormsby and company, the first private mint in Sacramento for gold coinage, at No. 140 K Street, near Front Street, beneath the Golden Eagle Saloon. He engaged in the real-estate business as a partner of Horace Culver. He also had a horse auction, livery stable, and hauling business at 140 K. Street in Sacramento. He operated a mail and passenger stage line from Sacramento to Hangtown and Coloma in 1850.
The brothers returned to their former home in Pennsylvania in 1852 and brought their families back to Sacramento, also bringing with them a sister Annabelle.
In 1853 Major William Ormsby operated a mail and passenger stage line from Marysville to Sacramento. He spent a year or two in the Grass Valley-Nevada City area, where he acquired shares in the Empire Mine, which later became the oldest, richest, hard rock gold mine in California. He must have returned to Pennsylvania one more time because a newspaper account of his death, states that he crossed the plains, from the east, for the last time in 1855 (three times total).
He moved to Genoa, Nevada in the Carson valley in April of 1857, as an agent for the Pioneer Stage Company, a freight line he and his brothers operated between Placerville, California and Genoa. Moving to Carson City from Genoa, he operated a general merchandise store and hotel. There he took a leading part in efforts of the settlers to secede from the Mormon Territory of Utah, and to form a new territory of Nevada, serving as a commissioner in submitting memorials to the President and Congress. In fact, according to the Territorial Enterprise, “He was the first man who conceived and carried into execution the plan of applying to Congress for a separate Territorial organization.”
He and a partner named Abram Curry founded and laid out the future capitol, Carson City, and he built there the first hotel named Ormsby House, which became the overland stage headquarters, and the home of Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) during part of the period described in “Roughing It.” Mark Twain also wrote for The Territorial Enterprise newspaper while living in the area.
After the discovery of the famed Comstock Lode had brought the great rush of silver seekers at Washoe in 1859, Major Ormsby took part in the feverish speculation in mining claims, which followed. In 1860, he owned a fifth share of the Crown Point Mine, a mine which some years later was to yield some Twenty-Million dollars in silver, after discovery of the “great bonanza” underground in the depths of the Lode.
Major William M. Ormsby died in Nevada’s bloodiest Indian war during a battle on May 12, 1860 near Pyramid Lake.5778
• Maj. William M. Ormsby is remembered as the man who led a contingent of untrained volunteers against the Indians in the Pyramid Lake massacre. His death, which occurred during the fracas, cut short a promising career and deprived Carson City of one of its most prominent and well liked pioneers.5778
• Ormsby County, created by an act of the territorial legislature, was named in honor of Maj. Ormsby on Nov 2, 1861.5778
• [excerpts] Major William Ormsby joined his two brothers, Dr. John and Lemuel, and his brother-in-law, J. K. Trumbo, in an overland expedition to California in 1849, leaving his wife and daughter with her parents in Kentucky. The brothers traveled west, leaving St. Joseph, Missouri, by wagon train on April 14th, 1849. On May 20, they joined the Newton-Boston Company near Independence, Missouri, and arrived in Sacramento in late September or early October. He became a partner with his brother in the J. S. Ormsby and company, the first private mint in Sacramento for gold coinage, at No. 140 K Street, near Front Street, beneath the Golden Eagle Saloon. He engaged in the real-estate business as a partner of Horace Culver. He also had a horse auction, livery stable, and hauling business at 140 K. Street in Sacramento. He operated a mail and passenger stage line from Sacramento to Hangtown and Coloma in 1850.
The brothers returned to their former home in Pennsylvania in 1852 and brought their families back to Sacramento, also bringing with them a sister Annabelle.
In 1853 Major William Ormsby operated a mail and passenger stage line from Marysville to Sacramento. He spent a year or two in the Grass Valley-Nevada City area, where he acquired shares in the Empire Mine, which later became the oldest, richest, hard rock gold mine in California. He must have returned to Pennsylvania one more time because a newspaper account of his death, states that he crossed the plains, from the east, for the last time in 1855 (three times total).
He moved to Genoa, Nevada in the Carson valley in April of 1857, as an agent for the Pioneer Stage Company, a freight line he and his brothers operated between Placerville, California and Genoa. Moving to Carson City from Genoa, he operated a general merchandise store and hotel. There he took a leading part in efforts of the settlers to secede from the Mormon Territory of Utah, and to form a new territory of Nevada, serving as a commissioner in submitting memorials to the President and Congress. In fact, according to the Territorial Enterprise, “He was the first man who conceived and carried into execution the plan of applying to Congress for a separate Territorial organization.”
He and a partner named Abram Curry founded and laid out the future capitol, Carson City, and he built there the first hotel named Ormsby House, which became the overland stage headquarters, and the home of Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) during part of the period described in “Roughing It.” Mark Twain also wrote for The Territorial Enterprise newspaper while living in the area.
After the discovery of the famed Comstock Lode had brought the great rush of silver seekers at Washoe in 1859, Major Ormsby took part in the feverish speculation in mining claims, which followed. In 1860, he owned a fifth share of the Crown Point Mine, a mine which some years later was to yield some Twenty-Million dollars in silver, after discovery of the “great bonanza” underground in the depths of the Lode.
Major William M. Ormsby died in Nevada’s bloodiest Indian war during a battle on May 12, 1860 near Pyramid Lake.5778
• Maj. William M. Ormsby is remembered as the man who led a contingent of untrained volunteers against the Indians in the Pyramid Lake massacre. His death, which occurred during the fracas, cut short a promising career and deprived Carson City of one of its most prominent and well liked pioneers.5778
• Ormsby County, created by an act of the territorial legislature, was named in honor of Maj. Ormsby on Nov 2, 1861.5778
Census
• 1850 Census: Sacramento, Sacramento, California. Age 36, b PA. Head. Livery Stable. $35,000. Listed as W. M. Ormsby. Living with his brother, J. S. Ormsby.5769
Military
• He became a Major in the Pennsylvania Militia.5778
ChildrenElizabeth Jane (1848-)
Olive Cynthis (-1851)
Marriage5 Feb 18635778