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Fourth Generation
90. James CURRENT
, III112,113,114,115,116 was born
on 26 Oct 1809 in Monongahela, Virgina/West Virginia. He had a middle
name and it could be Alfred as some have suggested. He was a black
smith and a farmer. He and his brother Peter and sister Nellie set
out for Indiana to find a new home in 1833.117
He patented 40 ac. (Doc #23971) in 1837 in Henry, Indiana. He patented
80 ac. (Doc. #18908) in 1838 in Jay, Indiana. He & Mary move to Minnesota
after children J.Q.A., William Jackson & Jacob moved there in about 1864.
He and wife Mary Powers move to Home Twp to join their sons in 1869.
He bought land abutting his sons in section 1. - where the Current Cemetery
of Brown Co., IN is in 1870. He appeared in the census in 1880 in
Home, Brown, Minnesota. He died on 30 May 1895 in Home Township,
Brown, Minnesota. He was buried at Current Cemetery, Sleepy Eye,
Minnesota.
From the Taylor County History Book under the Blue family name:
"John Blue gave three acres to open the cemetery [Bluemont] and his sister
Nancy was the first burial in 1838 ca. John came to Blueville on June 9, 1835;
took a room with board at Current's home. This family moved to Indiana in 1836
selling their holding of 300 acres to John [Blue] and his brother Isaac, for
$900. By 1838 the Blues moved into the old Current home ... it was a ten room
house, and they turned it into the Blue Tavern, stage coach and mail stop with
horses relay."
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"So the Currents were at Blueville, which is now incorporated into Grafton."
From another source about John Wolverton Blue there is another slant on the Current
departure;
"Stopping overnight with the hospitable family of James Current, a settler
of land now occupied by the present suburb of Grafton, Blue, upon awakening the
next morning, heard the wife of Current sobbing bitterly.
"Asking the cause of her grief, Blue was informed that she was saddened
because the right-of-way, as surveyed by the engineers, would destroy their cabin
home, cause the destruction of her vegetable and flower garden, and would cause
them to rebuild and re-seed elsewhere.
"Mr. Blue, a Virginian of the old school, was greatly moved by the woman's
grief and made the Currents an offer of $300 for the 900 acres of land and their
ruined home. His offer was quickly accepted and this one-day beautiful suburb
of Grafton was transferred to Mr. Blue.
"In the following year, 1834, the Northwestern Turnpike was completed to
the banks of the Tygart Valley River."
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[Note: John Wolverton Blue was a cousin of Susannah Blue who married Daniel
Malott. Daniel Malott was a nephew of Peter Malott who married Polly Jones -
the niece of Mary Powers, the woman sobbing - i.e. It's all in the family.]
"Taken from the Day Book of James Current - Smith by Trade year of 1844."
"Things he did in his Blacksmith Shop:"
"Made hatchets for 691/2 cents
Made shovels for 50 cents
Fixed horse harness for $1.00
To point and sharpen plow - 37 1/2 cents
Mend chains - 12 1/2 cents
Mend cradle - 25 cents
Mend screw for plow - 10 cents
Work on sled - 40 cents
This is how he got paid:
A quart of whiskey - 12 1/2 cents
Meat - 2 1/2 cents paid
Coffee - $1.00 worth
12 to 20 cents in cash of one days work for 50 cents
Here is some of the receipts he gave out:
Receipt for hair oil
Sugar of head dram 1/2
Hac sulphur dram 1/2
Bay rum dram 7
Glycerine pure of 2
Rain water quart 1
Boil the water before adding other ingredients, when cold add 2 oz. of rose water.
Shake before using, use two times a week.
To tan fur skins:
One gallon soft water
12 oz. of salt
1 oz. Borax
4 oz. Sulphuric acid
1 oz. Saltpetre
To color furs:
Take equal parts of litherage and unslacked lime mixed with water into a thin
past and apply it with a brush until you accomplish the right color.
For making varnish:
Take one quart of alcohol
5 oz. of gum shelac
1/2 oz. of gum arabie
1/2 oz. of gum benzoin
Take these three articles of gums and put them in the above named alcohol then
let it in hot water and shke it a little until it is dissolved. and then you
have varnish! To color this varnish fill a quart bottle half full of red launders
and then fill the bottle up with alcohol and shake it well. and mix this with
the varnish to make it red. To darken use dragons blood.
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*1870s
"The blacksmith shop of James Current was built in the 70's. "Pitching
horseshoes" was a favorite sport at this meeting place. Grandfather James
Current, the smithy, used to prescribe home remedies for ailing people and even
pulled teeth. The Current Cemetery was part of the James Current land. Alonzo
Current, son of Israel Putnam Current, was the first to be buried there."
James CURRENT , III and Mary POWERS were married on 18 Dec 1834 in Henry,
Indiana. Mary POWERS118 (daughter of William POWERS and Rebecca JONES) was
born on 14 Oct 1810 in Virginia. She died on 11 Sep 1899 in Home
Township, Brown, Minnesota. She was buried at Current Cemetery, Sleepy
Eye, Minnesota.
1899
Mary Powers Current, wife of James III, died in the home of her daughter Rebecca
Ann Case, in Home Township. She was nearly 89 years of age. Two of her children
preceded her in death; she left 27 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren.
James CURRENT , III and Mary POWERS had the following children:
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