Ann’s Adventures—Part 3

By Eilene Lyon

Part 1

Part 2

1857–1863

Ann’s brother, Billy Jenkins, left San Francisco in the spring of 1857 to rejoin his daughter, Lizzie, and his parents in Jay County, Indiana. He purchased his parents’ farm and they all lived together there. Billy spent a year learning new skills at the Indiana School for the Blind. His hopes of regaining the sight he lost in the mining accident never came to fruition.

Emma and Bob Ransom canceled their plans to return to California. Bob had lost half his savings in the collapse of Adams Express Co. of California in 1855. Plus, his mother, Elizabeth Ransom, really needed his help. With William out in California, Bob was her eldest son at home. Her husband, James, was an incorrigible drunk and too much for her to handle alone.

Now knowing that family would not be coming to join them out West, William, Ann and the children said goodbye to their friends in the Sutter Creek and Jackson area, including the livery owner, Frank Hoffman. Given his skills with horses and other livestock, it’s probable that William had worked for Hoffman during their two-year stay in Amador County.

They moved directly west to Solano County, settling in Vacaville, the second oldest community in the county. The Vaca valley had been established as a 44k+ acre Mexican Land Grant, issued to Manuel Cabeza [de] Vaca in the late 1840s. Vaca sold a portion to William McDaniel to plat a townsite, on the condition it would be called Vacaville.

Cattle ranching had dominated the land grant, but as settlers moved in, the valley became home to a thriving fruit orchard industry. Perhaps William worked as a cowboy for the ranchers; maybe they all planted and harvested fruit in season.

No records exist for their time in Vacaville, except that their daughter, Indiana Henrietta (nicknamed “Nannie”), was born there on May 28, 1857, just as Billy Jenkins arrived home in Indiana. Nannie’s middle name honored Ann’s father, Henry Z. Jenkins. This was probably because William had preferred not to name their son after either of the boy’s grandfathers.

Vacaville would also be the scene of Ann’s heartbreak: little Sherman Day Ransom died on September 15, 1858 at the age of two and a half. The location of his grave is unknown. In mid-1859, Ann was pregnant again. By early 1860, the family had relocated, this time to Jackson County in southern Oregon. They had another son born in March, named Lewis Clark Ransom after the famous Voyage of Discovery explorers. No doubt Ann was wearying of the frequent moves.

As in Solano and Amador Counties, William did not own any land, but he did own livestock, as evidenced by the recording of his brand in Jackson County, and farmed, per the 1860 census. Though they lived a couple miles east of Jacksonville, it was the center of their social life.

William, along with 14 other men, established Lodge No. 10 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows on June 30, 1860, and he served as Noble Grand for the first year. This didn’t exactly please Ann, though.

She wrote her mother in May, “I suppose I ought to feel proud of it but I cant really say that I do. It takes him away from home to much, but he would not have taken it if I had not told him that I was perfectly willing but his time will be out on the first of july and I shall be glad of it. We have got our school house finished and school commenced last week and we had church last Sunday and there will be next and we expect before long to have it every Sunday as we have the promise of several preachers.”

She added a bit more about their home and farm: “my health is quite poor but not more so than it generally is in the spring, every thing is beautiful and green now. Our grain bids fair to be a good crop and our trees look well. Four of my rose bushes will bloom this year. The buds are bursting now. How I do love flowers.”

Ann had one last child, another son, in January 1862. They named him Frank Hoffman Ransom, after their Amador County friend. Cordelia, age 11, corresponded with her cousin, Lizzie Jenkins, in October: “We are all well but Ma and the baby and he is getting better…I am studying, reading, writing, spelling, geography, grammar, and arithmetic…Lewis is a great big boy. Ma says he looks like uncle John Ransom except his hair is dark.”

Cordelia also corresponded with friends in Rogue River, where they appear to have lived while William grazed cattle there. She helped out the family by preparing breakfast and supper. Then she did school work in the evenings, as did Marietta. By year’s end, baby Frank may have been a bit better, but Ann’s health steadily worsened.

Tuberculosis carried Ann away from her family on January 2, 1863. Per the Oregon Semi-weekly Sentinel on January 3, “The funeral procession will start from the house at 12 o’clock to-morrow (Sunday) and will pass through town about 1 p.m. Funeral services will be had at the grave. The friends of the family are respectfully invited to attend.”

Year-old baby Frank followed her to the grave on May 18. Their burial sites in the Jacksonville Cemetery are unknown. William, having lost his wife and a second son, had grieving to do, but his three daughters and Lewis still needed him to step up and care for the family. Cordelia also shouldered responsibility for all her younger siblings. Life for the Ransom children changed dramatically without their mother to be their steady guiding light.

The End

Feature image: Roses for Ann Jane (Jenkins) Ransom (Paras Frendi on Unsplash)

Coming in 2026: Cordelia’s Story

Sources:

Many of the sources used to compile Ann’s story can be found in my book, Fortune’s Frenzy: A California Gold Rush Odyssey. Additional sources, such as the family Bible and Cordelia’s letter to Lizzie, came from the collection of my late cousin, Mary Gill, one of Cordelia’s descendants. County histories, census records, newspapers, and records from county historical societies also added detail to the lives of Ann and her family.