West Family Tree

Galatia Gorden was the first white baby born in Michigan City, Indiana according to a newspaper clipping from an early Michigan City newspaper. He married Maria Ann Coffman who was ½ Indian, perhaps from the Blackfoot tribe. They are both buried at the Greenwood Cemetery in Michigan Township, LaPorte, Indiana.

This information courtesy of one of Israel Gorden's children.

Maria Ann was Galatia's second wife. His first wife remarried a Wheeler After Galatia was reported missing.

~Gorden, [Private]

News clipping 1912

hoosierbettyadded this to her ancestry.com data on 16 Jan 2012

Galathia Gorden, who perhaps has lived longer in Michigan City than any of the present residents of the City, celebrated his 75th Birthday Wednesday. Although at an advanced age Mr. Gorden is possessed with fairly good health and until this winter was regularly employed as watchman by the Michigan Central at its Franklin Street crossing. Mr. Gordon was born January 3, 1987, in a log house just off the Michigan road at a point now known as Phillips Avenue, his father being James Gordon and his mother Sarah Ann Quick. His mothers father was Henry Quick who came to the trading post at the mouth of Trail Creek early in the thirties. He accompanied Isaac C. Elston, who came here from Crawfordsville to lay out the City of Michigan City, which was the beginning of the development of a city from a frontier settlement. Mr. Gordon recalls that M.C., in his boyhood, consisted of a collection of buildings, mostly all lying north of Michigan Street, with a few scattered south of that street and a few homes on and contiguous to what is now east Michigan street, these being strung along the main thoroughfare leading into the city at that time, the Michigan state road. Mr. Gorden served his country 3 years during the civil war from 1862 until he was honorably discharged. He was never wounded but was once a prisoner for 13 days. He was in Coloniel Straight's brigade in a celebrated raid thru Alabama and Georgia which ended in disaster when the whole command of 1300 men were taken prisoner by a superior rebel force as they were about to effect the capture of Rome, Georgia. The command was placed on Belle Island and kept there until an exchange of prisoners was made and thereafter the regiment was detailed to guarding prisons and railway lines.

Seventy-third Indiana Volunteers in the War of 1861-65
Compiled and Published by a committee of the Seventy-third Indiana Regimental Association

1863 ; wounds.
Gordon, Galathia, Michigan City ; mustered out July 1,

U.S. Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles about Galathia Gordon
Name: Galathia Gordon
Residence: Michigan City, Indiana
Enlistment Date: 16 Aug 1862
Rank at enlistment: Private
State Served: Indiana
Survived the War?: Yes
Service Record: Enlisted in Company K, Indiana 73rd Infantry Regiment on 16 Aug 1862.
Mustered out on 01 Jul 1865 at Nashville, TN.
Sources: Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Indiana

1850: Living with parents James and Sarah in Michigan City. Also siblings James and Keziah.
1860: Living with 17 year old wife Mary (First wife?) in Pleasant, Steuben, Indiana. Listed as a "Sailor" and her occupation is "Housework."
1870: Living with with wife Maria and 2 year old daughter Sarah in Michigan City, La Porte, Indiana.
1880: Living with wife Maria in Custer, Mason, Michigan. Also children Sarah, William, and Albert. Name written as "Elisha." Listed as a "Farmer."
1900: Living with 49 year old wife Maria in Michigan City, La Porte, Indiana. Also children William(28), Albert, and Daisy and his mother "Sarah Pettie."
1910: Living with wife Maria in Michigan City, La Porte, Indiana. Also daughter Daisy. (Son Albert and wife Effie are listed as separate household immediately below.)
1920: Living with wife Maria in Michigan City, La Porte, Indiana. Occupation of both, "None."

August 1923 , Michigan City, Indiana
GLATHIA GORDEN
Funeral services for Glathia Gorden were h eld this afternoon at 1:30 o'clock in the home 502 Cleveland Avenue and at 2 o'clock in the Salvation Army Hall. Many friends of teh venerable gentleman attended the last sad rites.

GLATHIA GORDEN 86, DIED TODAY CITY'S OLDEST RESIDENT BORN HERE ON JANUARY 3, 1837.
Glathia Gorden, 86, 502 Cleveland Avenue, Michigan City's oldest resident, closed his tired eyelids over tired eyes this morning and fropped off into dreamless sleep. The decendent, a Civil War veteran, had been feeble some months and his death was due to old age.
Born in Michigan City January 3, 1937 when this city was but a village on the lake. Mr. Gorden has seen it grow, slowly but surely to its present eminence. With the exception of three years, when Mr. Gorden anwered the call of the North in the civil War, he had always lived here. He served with the 73rd Indiana Volunteers.
Besides a widow, Mrs. Maria Gorden, five children remain as follows; Mrs. George Butler, R. R. 1; Mrs. Fred Wheeler, Newago, Michigan, William Gorden, Waterford; Albert Gorden, Michigan City and Mrs. Valentine R. R. 2. One sister, Mrs. Albert Staunacher, also mourns the passing of Mr. Gorden.
Glathia Gorden's passing marks the end of a useful and Christian life. For many years both Mr. and Mrs. Gorden had been active in the work of the Salvation Army.
Friday, 31 August 1923
Michigan City News
Michigan City, Indiana
typed by Diane Heim as the obit is written.

During the 1870 United States Federal Census for Michigan City, LaPorte, Indiana, Agnes was 72 years old and living in the household of a John Myer, farmer. Also in that household was her daughter, Sarah A. Pettis, 56. The next entry down is for the household of Galatia Gordon, who was 33 at the time. In his household were his wife Maria, 20, and 2 year old Sarah J.

Medical notes from ancestry.com user Diane Heim:

19 Oct 1862 Galatia Gordon-diarrhea 8 Sept 1863 G Gordon-boil 1 Oct 1863 G Gordon-boil 13 Feb 1864- gonorrhea 15 March 1864-boils 23 March 1964-Intermitt. 21 Oct 1964-Intermant 8 Nov 1864-boil 10 Dec 1864-diarrhea 23 Dec 1864-diarrhea

Obituary information for Galatia and Mary's daughter Theodosa posted on ancestry.com by user Diane Heim:

obit of Belle T WheelerTheodosa Belle Gordon was adopted by her stepfather, Mr. Giles, and went by that name in Ashland Twp., Newaygo County.BY HER DAUGHTER, MAUDE WHEELERBorn in Michigan City, Indiana, April 8, 1863, she was named Theodosia Belle, but, preferred to sign her name Belle T. Her father, Galicia Gordon, did not return promptly from serving in the Civil War, and, when Belle was three years old, her mother, Mary Ann Kope Gordon, came to Michigan to visit her oldest brother, Andrew Kope, at Fremont. She brought Belle with her, but left her older daughter, Hattie, with relatives in Indiana. Her mother then married a Mr. Giles who adopted Belle and they lived at Ashland Center.Belle married Fred L. Wheeler at Ashland Center on March 25, 1880. She bore many children and was a very lovely person. Belle and Fred Wheeler spent their lives on their farm in North Ashland. It was a place of peace, quietness, cooperation, love, concern, joy, fun, hard work and happiness. They were a close, self-sufficient family and never remember any harsh words. The children were never forced to mind. They were asked and that was it. A "I guess you better not," or "I don't believe I would," meant that it was not a good thing to do and since it was their opinion the children heeded it.Belle died June 5, 1947, at the age of 84. Resting place at Ashland Center Cemetery, Grant, Michigan.BY HER GRANDDAUGHTER BERNIECE SEAMAN HANSEN: My Grandmother Belle Wheeler was a very sweet person. She had a nice laugh and soft, kind ways. Only one daughter, Eva, was at all like her.When we use to stop by when we were at "the other place," she seemed always to be baking bread or looking over white beans to cook for Gerald. She was always busy.Going to her house for Christmas was the highlight of the winter. We would go by sleigh and put in hot flat irons to keep our feet warm and have a wonderful dinner. I would have such fun playing with all my cousins.Grandma was very slim and quite tall, although she always seemed small to me. I never knew her to say or do an unkind thing. She was a fine person.*********************************************NEWSPAPER - MRS. WHEELER, 84, ASHLAND, DIES; WAS PIONEERGrant, June 5 - (Special) - Mrs. Belle T. Wheeler, 84 years old, former resident of Muskegon and pioneer resident of Ashland township, died Wednesday evening at the home of her daughter, Mrs. John Linkens, of Ashland, following a long illness.Born in Angola, Ind., on April 8, 1963, she moved to Muskegon with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Giles, in 1871. They moved to Ashland in 1871 and she was married to Fred Wheeler on March 25, 1880. They cleared the land, built a house and barn and burned the extra logs. The Wheeler farm is about one mile from the Muskegon river and Mrs. Wheeler would ake her small children several times a week to catch fish for the family dinner. She often recalled how the Indians would make baskets for her and others in the area.Mrs. Wheeler, who leaves 78 lineal descendants, lived on the same farm 67 years. She had been at the home of her daughter for the past several weeks.Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler observed their 50th wedding anniversary in 1930. The Rev. Frederick Pinch, who officiated at the golden wedding anniversary, also officiated at the weddings of their four daughers and the funeral of Mr. Wheeler, who died on Nov. 3, 1933.The Rev. Pinch will conduct the funeral rites for Mrs. Wheeler at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Ashland Center Baptist Church. The body will lie in state at the Linkens home from Friday to Sunday noon, when it will be taken to lie in state at the church for one hour preceding the rites.She leaves five daughters Mrs. Linkens, Mrs. Martin Seaman and Mrs. Sam Wildfong, all of Grant, Mrs. Floyd Crandell, Newaygo, and Maude Wheeler, a teacher, at Adrian; three sons, Fred, Sand Lake, Jerald and Rolland, both of Grant, one brother, Albert Jordon (Gorden), Allegan; one sister, Mrs. Clarence Valentine, Michigan City, Ind.; 25 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren.NOTE: (Mrs. Clarence Valentine - Aunt Daisy who came up to visit.)------------------------------------------------------Obit: (Muskegon Chronicle or Grand Rapids Press ?)BELLE T. WHEELERGrant - Funeral services for Mrs. Belle T. Wheeler, 84, of Ashland Township, will be held Sunday at 2 p.m. from the Ashland Center Baptist Church with burial in Ashland Center Cemetery.Mrs. Wheeler died Wednesday night at the home of her daughter, Mrs. John (Mary) Linkens. She was born April 8, 1863 in Angola, Ind., and was married to Fred Wheeler March 25, 1880. Surviving are five daughters and three sons; a brother and a sister, 25 grandchildren and 40 great-grandchildren.

Note from Diane Heim on the marriage of James Oscar Gordon (brother of Galatia) and Ellen W. Enright, "Witnesses for their marriage were Galathia Gorden and Susan Westbury."

HERE’S THE STORY OF CITY’S 1st BABY

With the pages of Michigan City history being thumbed for the Centennial celebration, new facts were revealed today on Michigan City’s first white child.

Glathia Gorden, better known as “Grandpa” Gorden, who died about 10 years ago was that child, according to information given by his children.

He was born in a little log cabin on the site of the old Michigan Central depot and as a child ran foot races with the old Indian squaws and played and shot birds with the Indian children. His parents sold whiskey for three cents a quart. As a youth he shot deer in the woods where the Elston School now stands.

Glathia never learned to read or write. But he fought in the Civil War and spent all his days in Michigan City where he became a venerable old man of general characteristics.

The Gorden relatives have protested the fact that Sarah Flint, later Mrs. W.F. Miller, was credited with being the first white child born here. According to General Jasver Packard who wrote an early history of the town, Mrs. Miller was credited with this fact. But General Packard went on to say that Mrs. Miller thought she was five years old when she came to Michigan City.

Away back in 1830 James Gorden came to this little Indian trading post from Ohio with a man named Dan Hildreth. After looking over the place he went back home. After that he went to what was called Muncietown, now Muncie, Indiana, with his parents.

There they met Isaac C. Elston and came to Michigan City with him in 1832. James Gorden helped Elston plat this town. Soon after that he met Sarah Anne Quick and they were married.

The story continues that James and Sarah Anne were the first white couple married here. A traveling minister on horseback performed the ceremony.

In 1836 or possibly 1835, Glathia Gorden was born. He was the oldest of a family of four children. One of his sisters was Mrs. Allen B. Stalnaker, who recently passed away. Her husband, Allen Stalnaker, one of the few Civil War Veterans in Michigan City, is the only one who can remember much of this very early history. He, however, did not come to live in Michigan City until after the Civil War.

Glathia continued to grow into manhood and in about 1859 he married Mary Anne Cope. Their child was born two years before he enlisted in the Company K of the 73rd infantry, in 1861. He served throughout the war. Later he was married to Maria Anne Coffman.

After the war he occupied his time with commercial fishing. And in his later years he was a railroad crossing watchman for both the Michigan Central and the Monon Companies. He was retired at the age of 75.

Glathia Gorden was a charter member of the Salvation Army here and was active in the organization for more than 30 years. He was well known and beloved for his genial personality and his kind way.

Glathia Gorden never drank, never smoked, never chewed, never cursed after he grew to manhood. And his name is revered by his many descendents.

Mr. Gorden was the father of nine children of which three are living, Harriet, who was Mrs. George Butler has been dead three years. Belle, Mrs. Fred Wheeler lives in Grant, Michigan. Mrs. Edward Parker, of Chicago, who was Jane Gorden, is dead as is William L. Gorden, of Waterford. Phoebe Anne Gorden died when she was two years old. Albert L. Gorden lives in LaPorte. Edward Gorden died when he was 12 and Robert Gorden when he was six months old. Daisy Gorden now Mrs. Clarence Valentine, R.R. 1 Michigan City.

There are 31 grandchildren, a number of great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren living. When Mr. Gorden died their were five generations present in the house that night.

The author of this article is unknown. It appears to have been copied from a historical book. Since Harriet Gorden Butler died in 1929, this article is believed to have been written in 1932. A hand written note on the photo copy of the original article states:

“ The 5 generations were: Helen Coursel, her mother Mrs. Jumche(Grace), her father, Albert Butler, his mother, Mrs George Butler(Harriet), and her dad, Galathia Gorden.”

Record of Glathia Gorden for Long Continuous Residence Here Glathia Gorden, who perhaps has lived longer in Michigan City than any of the present residents of this city, celebrated his 75th birthday anniversary Wednesday. Although at an advanced age Mr. Gorden is possessed of fairly good health and until this winter was regularly employed as watchman by the Michigan Central at its Franklin street crossing. Mr. Gorden was born January 3, 1837, in a log house just off the Michigan road at a point now known as Phillips avenue, his father being James Gorden and his mother Sarah Ann Quick. His mother's father was Henry Quick who came to the trading post at the mouth of Trail creek early in the thirties. He accompanied Major Isaac C. Elston, who came here from Crawfordsvile to layout the City of Michigan settlement. Mr. Gorden recalls that MC in his boyhood consisted of a collection of buildings, mostly lying north of Michigan street with a few scattered south of that street and a few on and what is contiguous to that street, those being strung along the main thoroughfare leading into the city at that time, the Michigan State Road.

Gish( Galathia) Gordon, for years a mainstay of the (Salvation) army. It is said that Gordon is now a backslider. The captain, so a member says, was berating everybody for backbiting, backsliding, and various other offenses and he laid down the law to his flock in terms of extreme severity. A member of the army says that the captain "lambasted people scandalously." It was while the captain was talking that Gish Gordon strode to the door, which he opened, and summoned Mrs. Gordon to follow. The captain said to Gordon: "If you open that door again I will throw you out." Gish replied with an epithet, and then the captain threw off his coat, followed Gordon to the sidewalk and struck at him. Gish struck back, but did no harm. Then the captain blew a police whistle and Patrolman Weiler went to the scene of trouble, but would not consent to arrest Gordon until the captain should file a complaint. No affidavit was filed.