Notes:

BRASFIELD

Posted by Lee Gentemann on Tue, 21 Jul 1998

Surname:

BRASFIELD, James W.--was born in Platt county, Missouri, 16 January 1840. His father Thomas W. R. BRASFIELD, was a pioneer of 1821 to Missouri. At the age of 14 our subject entered his father's store where he received his early education in the mercantile business. In 1860 he went to St. Joseph, where he clerked for 2 years; he then joined a
part of young men to seek their fortune in the Golden State, but on arriving near Fort Hall their route was changed and they came to Oregon. In 1863, Mr BRASFIELD went to Harrisburg and entered the employ of Hon. Hiram SMITH, and one year later was admitted as a partner under the firm name of SMITH & BRASFIELD. This firm continued for 10 years, when Mr. B sold out and started a store in Junction City where he did business until 1881, when he sold out and selected Yaquina Bay as his future home and at that time opened his present general store in Newport. In 1883 he purchased the well known Seal Rock property, one of the most delightful places to be found on the Pacific Coast, a description of which will be found in its proper place in this work. Mr
BRASFIELD was married in Harrisburg, Linn county, 1 January 1865 to Miss Lydia OWENS, a native of Kansas, and a daughter of Col Henry OWENS of Topeka; by this union they have an interesting family of 5 children, Arthur S., Hiram, Thomas W. R., Sank O., and Sadie.
Source:
HISTORY OF BENTON COUNTY, OREGON
Pub. By: David D. Fagan
Portland, Oregon, 1885

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The completion of the Oregon Pacific Railroad opened to capital many profitable investments, but it was speculated that "probably none, considering the outlay required, would prove more remunerative than the erection of a hotel and the improvement of grounds near Seal Rock," a challenge took up 1887 by Lydia Owens and James W. Brassfield who attempted to develop the area.

Seal Rocks Resort 1887

South of Highlands and For Far, which were developed in 1888 by William Grant, a Scotsman who was described in a newspaper of the day as a hard working tailor from Corvallis, was Seal Rock Resorts, developed by Lydia Owens and James W. Brassfield in 1887. Brassfield was born in Platt County, Missouri, January 16, 1840. His father, Thomas W. R. Brassfield, was a Missouri pioneer in 1821. At the age of 14, Brassfield entered his father's store where he received his early education in the mercantile business. In 1860, he moved to Saint Joseph, where he clerked for two years. He then joined a party of young men on their way to California, then known as the Golden State. Upon arriving at Fort Hall, their route changed, and they ended up in Oregon.
In 1863, Brassfield moved to Harrisburg, where he was employed by Judge Hiram Smith, a pioneer of 1853, and one year later he was admitted as a partner under the firm of Smith & Brassfield.
January 1, 1865, he married Lydia Owens, a native of Kansas and a daughter of Col. Henry Owens, of Topeka, in Harrisburg, Kansas, January 1, 1865. The couple had five children: Arthur S., Hiram, Thomas, W. R., Frank O. and Sadie.
The firm of Smith & Brassfield continued for ten years, after which the Brassfields sold out and started a store in Junction City where they did business until 1881.
In 1887, Lydia and James Brassfield sold out again and moved to Yaquina Bay where they opened a general store. They purchased the well known Seal Rock property—one of the most delightful places on the Pacific Coast—and filed a plat map showing their holdings divided into 600 lots.
In 1885, historian David Fagan wrote that the place, together with a large tract of land adjoining,

was then the property of James W. Brassfield, a merchant of Newport, who erected a fine residence near the beach and a short distance south of Seal Rock, where his family in the summer months resided and enjoyed the beauties of nature and the ceaseless roar of the surf, which at this place is truly magnificent; and, fortunate indeed is he who is permitted to enjoy the hospitality of the Brassfields. At this point are shell beds, indicating that it had been the home of the Coastal Indians for generations, as the beds are numerous and range in depth of one to six feet.

Three entire blocks were dedicated for hotel construction. A year later, two additions to Seal Rocks Resort were mapped.
The couple managed to build a hotel and sell a few lots before getting into financial trouble. Many of their lots were deeded to a Portland creditor. Of the few lots they sold, most were abandoned by their purchasers and sold at auction by the county for as little as $9 a piece.
The post office was established April 25, 1890, with Brassfield postmaster. Now a community post office out of Waldport, Seal Rock is on US-101, the Oregon Coast Highway. It was named for the several smaller rocks, but is called Seal Rock for the one large rock at the shoreline.
In the past, a pedestrian-friendly community with well-organized streets, parks, and public gathering places was, for the most part, a sales pitch. The vision of developers is being rekindled in many Lincoln County communities, and people are now actively working to make such improvements a reality.
Today, the chainsaw sculptures of Ray Kowalski and Brian McEneny are featured prominently at Seal Rock.

James married OWENS, Lydia on 1 Jan 1865 in Harrisburg, Linn, Oregon, USA. Lydia (daughter of OWENS, Henry and SMITH, Missouri Ann) was born on 30 Jan 1848 in Smithville, Clay, Missouri, USA; died on 26 Jan 1930 in Berkeley, Alameda, California, USA; was buried in Oakland, Alameda, California, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. BRASFIELD, Sanford Owens was born on 19 Dec 1877 in Junction City, Lane, Oregon, USA; died on 29 Feb 1944 in San Francisco, San Mateo, California, USA.
2. BRASFIELD, Hiram Smith was born on 29 Jul 1869 in Harrisburg, Linn, Oregon, USA; died on 23 Apr 1945 in Berkeley, Alameda, California, USA.
3. BRASFIELD, Thomas Wiley Roy was born on 19 Feb 1872 in Harrisburg, Linn, Oregon, USA; died on 8 Dec 1944 in Alameda, California, USA.
4. BRASFIELD, Arthur S was born on 1 Jun 1867 in Harrisburg, Linn, Oregon, USA; died on 23 Oct 1936 in Berkeley, Alameda, California, USA; was buried in Sunset Mausoleum.
5. BRASFIELD, Guy was born on 17 Jun 1868 in Harrisburg, Linn, Oregon, USA; died on 1 Oct 1868 in Harrisburg, Linn, Oregon, USA; was buried in Muddy Creek).
6. BRASFIELD, Sarah Alberta was born on 24 Dec 1873 in Junction City, Lane, Oregon, USA; died on 25 Mar 1958 in Alameda, California, USA.

Thomas married BRECKENRIDGE, Elizabeth on 17 Nov 1837. Elizabeth (daughter of BRECKENRIDGE, Eddy Lynn and DUNCAN, Eleanor) was born on 15 Apr 1819 in Kentucky, USA; died on 15 May 1883 in Clay, Missouri, USA; was buried in Platte County, Missouri, United States of America. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

James Brasfield - 1835 Pension Roll Posted by pb on Sat, 17 Oct 1998 Surname: BRASFIELD Private Kentucky Militia $48.00 annual allowance $54.66 amount received December 13, 1831 pension started Kentucky Pension Roll of 1835 *************** Some Famous Pioneers of Platte County, Mo. (By George J. Remsburg) Major James Brassfield, one of the old-timers of Platte county, lost an eye in the War of 1812. He was a skilled surveyor and fixed the northern line of Platte county. One of his sons, John S. Brahhfield [sic], was one of the California "Forty-Niners," who became lost in Humboldt Desert, and came near perishing. He afterwards became circuit court judge in Platte county.

Buried:
Brasfield Cemetery (aka Fleming Graveyard)

James married LAFFERTY, Jane on 6 Jun 1816 in Clark, Kentucky, USA. Jane (daughter of LAFFERTY, Thomas and STRODE, Eleanor Lafferty) was born on 5 Feb 1799 in Kentucky, USA; died on 15 Jan 1880 in Platte, Missouri, USA; was buried in Hoover (north of), Platte County, Missouri. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

A newspaper article in the Topeka Daily Capital, dated 26 May 1941. In that paper 93-year old Armilda Benning Williams was being interviewed about her childhood as a slave. One paragraph of the article states that "...The now-aged woman was the first of fourteen children born to slave parents, who were owned by a Kentucky woman, Mrs. Jenny Lafferty Brasfield, ("Miss Jenny" to her "people"), who moved with her husband and slaves to Platte County, Missouri, some time before the Civil War. As soon as she was old enough, Armilda served as a housemaid in the big Northwestern Missouri farm home... Miss Jenny had been "raised" by Armilda's mother..." The article indicates that Armilda's grandfather was from Winchester, KY where he "... had saved enough money to buy the freedom of four of his eight children ... but the money to free the other four never came..." The article makes many references to events and locations that were near their home in Missouri. For instance, ".... she (Armilda) remembers hearing the sound of gunfire of the battle -- or skirmish -- of Bee Creek, which was near their Missouri home...."

Buried:
Brasfield Cemetery (aka Fleming Graveyard)

Eddy married DUNCAN, Eleanor on 23 Sep 1817. Eleanor (daughter of DUNCAN, James and STRODE, Elizabeth) was born on 1 Jan 1795 in Bourbon County, Kentucky, United States of America; died on 3 Feb 1879 in Clay County, Missouri, United States of America. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Atha Gregory Hudson Posted by Ginette VandenOever on Wed, 15 Dec 1999 Surname: Hudson, Lander, Brasfield, Warner, White History of Hickory, Polk, Cedar, Dade and Barton Counties, Missouri The Goodspeed Publishing Co. 1889, p. 657 Atha Gregory Hudson, a harness manufacturer, is a Virginian born in Halifax County, November 25, 1813, and is a son of Daniel and Sallie Hudson, but was left an orphan when about seven years of age, and was reared in Kentucky. When about fourteen years of age he began learning the harness-maker's trade in Hopkinsville, Ky., and, after becoming thoroughly acquainted with the details of the business, worked in that State for a number of years. In October, 1851, he came to Cedar County, Mo., where he made his home until 1877, when he located in Humansville. During the war he worked in Sedalia, Mo. He was married in Kentucky in 1835 to Miss Catherine Ann Elizabeth Lander, a daughter of Henry Lander, and granddaughter of Maj. Brasfield, of Clark County, Ky. They have two sons and two daughters living: Charles William, a farmer, of Vernon County, Mo., a substantial citizen of the county, and a soldier in the late war. John, the other son; Ophelia Kate, wife of Cicero Warner; and Mollie, wife of E. P. White, a railroad contractor of New Orleans, La. Mr. and Mrs. Hudson have been members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, from youth. ******************************************************************** Will Records of Clark County, Kentucky Volume II 28 August 1809-April 1826 Will Records of Clark County, Kentucky Book 5 OSPage: 452 Name: Thomas Berry My son, John My son, William My daughter, Mary Hudson My son, Thomas My daughter, Sally Harris, wife of John Harris Elizabeth Brassfield, wife of Wiley R. Brassfield My son, Thomas, Wiley R. Brassfield and John Harris, Exe. Witnesses: John W. Hinde, Richard Chiles, Anddrew Wardlow Written: 18 January 1812 Probated: October 1824 Will Records of Clark County, Kentucky Volume II 28 August 1809-April 1826 Will Records of Clark County, Kentucky Book 5

Wiley married BERRY, Elizabeth on 21 Dec 1789 in Clark, Mercer County, Kentucky. Elizabeth (daughter of BERRY, Thomas and UNKNOWN, Wife) was born on 4 Nov 1771 in Mecklenburg County, Virginia; died on 21 Oct 1837 in Clark, Kentucky, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Thomas married STRODE, Eleanor Lafferty on 27 Dec 1797 in Franklin County, Kentucky. Eleanor (daughter of STRODE, John and BOYLE, Mary Polly) was born on 27 Aug 1763 in Fleetwood, Culpeper, Virginia, USA; died on 17 Apr 1868 in Platte, Missouri, USA; was buried in Platte, Missouri, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Buried:
Brasfield Cemetery (aka Fleming Graveyard)

Alexander married GAMBLE, Magdalene. Magdalene was born on 10 Jan 1746 in Blount County, Tennessee, USA; died about 1805 in Bourbon County, Kentucky, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

James married STRODE, Elizabeth. Elizabeth was born about 1759; died about 1825. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]