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Goff, David
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| LAST NAME: Goff
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FIRST NAME: David
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MIDDLE NAME:
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NICKNAME:
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| MAIDEN NAME:
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AKA 3:
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| GENDER: M
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TITLE:
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| BORN: 26 Jun 1795
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DIED: 6 Feb 1875
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BURIED: ~ Burch Family Cemetery
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| OCCUPATION: Farmer
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| BIRTH PLACE: Bedford Co., Virginia
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| DEATH PLACE: Rickreall, Polk Co., Oregon
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NOTES:
MARRIAGE - to Kezziah Ford, 1819
CHILDREN - Samuel, Martha (died in Missouri), Mary Vidue (died in Missouri), Francis Marion Peltis, Pauline, and Caroline.
1850 OR CENSUS - David Goff, age 55, occupation farmer, b. Virginia, is enumerated with Kesiah, age 52, b. Virginia. Also enumerated with the family are Isaac Flint, age 30, b. New Your, and Purdy Flint, age 8, b. Wisconsin.
BIOGRAPHICAL (Source - Polk County Historical Society, Historically Speaking, Vol. I (1967) pg 24):
"Nathaniel Ford, who with his brother-in-law, David Goff, was a Wagon master of 1844, settled at Rickreall in 1845. In 1848 he built the first frame house north of California."
BIOGRAPHICAL (Source - "The Applegate Trail" www.webtrail.com/applegate/biography via Douglas County Museum in Oregon):
David Goff was born in Virginia in 1795. When he was 17 years old, he enlisted in a company that served in the war of 1812. He moved to Kentucky in 1814 and married Kezziah Ford. Shortly after marriage he moved to Missouri. He migrated to Oregon in 1844 and settled in Polk County in 1845. On the South Road Expedition, Goff was the Lt. of the company (2nd in command). Levi Scott gave credit for much of the success of the expedition to Goff. His good sense and wise decision making often saved the day. David Goff was the father-in-law to James Nesmith, Oregon's US Senator during the Civil War.
BIOGRAPHICAL (Source - Childress, Sarah, "David Goff" by Harriet McArthur, Polk County Oregon Pioneers (1927) via www.genealogytrails.com/ore/polk):
"The subject of this sketch was of Scotch Irish descent, his ancestors, having emigrated to Virginia, about the middle of the eighteenth century, and settled in Bedford County where David was born June 26, 1795. They were tillers of the soil as he was to the end of his days, together with the breeding of good horses.
David was of robust physical stock, tall and of great strength, being one of a large family bearing good old scripture names. He must have been of a more adventurous spirit than his brothers and we find him a lad of seventeen serving a year in the War of 1812.
In 1814 he emigrated to Kentucky near Lexington, where he met and married Kezziah Ford in 1819. Kezziah was a sister of Col. Nathaniel Ford and was born in Buckingham county, Virginia, April 28, 1798. The Fords were of French extraction, descendants of the Hugenots. They emigrated to Kentucky.
Again the spirit of adventure seized David Goff and again he turned his face westward. He and his wife in the covered wagon, setting out for Missouri, then an outpost of civilization. They settled in Howard county where five children were born. Later a sixth was born in Chareton county. David told interesting stories of those early days in Missouri, of wild turkey shooting and other incidents of pioneer life.
Early in the century the far west was agitating the minds of explorers, scientific men, fur traders, and a few devoted ones looking to the christening of the Indians. In the first year of the forties families began to abandon their homes, gather up their household gear, and join emmigrant trains organized for the long journey. It is not surprising that in 1844 David Goff responded to the call, settled his wife, their children and meager belongings in the covered wagon, yoked the oxen and struck out into the unknown, hoping for a better country. Then came the six months trek across the plains, short rations, days of weariness and hardship patiently endured. Fear of Indians, crossing of streams, the wild onrush of countless buffalo in solid mass, a menace to the train only to be averted by prompt and fearless action.
If there were regrets and longings for the homely comforts they left, the gardens, wild turkey shooting and old occupations and amusements, they just pushed on. Now and then a trusty old rifle added a buffalo or other game to their meager fare. There were no well preserved fresh fruits and vegetables as we have in this day of abundance. Once in the six months they got green vegetables at an isolated station.
Today the tourist in the Pullman gazes indifferently upon the great fields of corn, where the emigrants suffered from such terrible sandstorms, and in the early fifties two emigrations were attacked by cholera, and fresh new mounds marked their passage.
In the Blue Mountains, David Goff’s oxen became too exhausted to travel so he called a halt for himself and family, begging the train to proceed as he was unwilling to expose them to a delay so late in the season. They were alone and without food until some Indians met them in their sad plight and gave them dried salmon. The train had gone on and David Goff continued on his way after the oxen were rested. They reached Whitman Station in Walla Walla county too late to go on to the Willamette Valley. The good doctor and his wife took them in, placed the children in school and shared their store of food the Goffs gratefully rendering willing service in return and always loved and venerated the Whitmans whose tragic fate ended their unselfish and devoted lives two years later.
In the spring of 1845 the old wagon and oxen were on the trail again headed west. This time their way led them over the Cascades by what was later known as the Barlow Route. Later that year Samuel Barlow made a passable road over the mountains, over the south shoulder of Mt. Hood. Today, when rolling smoothly over the “Loop” one gazes with awe and admiration upon the splendid forests, deep canyons and gorges. It is not the same as getting through and over and into and out of the same. No previous bit of road or experience as this presented such incredible hardship.
They arrived in Oregon City in that spring 1845, lived a short time across the river at Linn City and later the old wagon and oxen were on the last lap of the journey. They settled on the Rickreall, on the donation claim selected by Col. Ford, build a weatherboard log house and here David and Kizziah Goff lived out their days.
Some of the prominent emigrants 1843 left their wagons and stock with the Hudson’s Bay Company at old Ford Walla Walla now Wallula. They made boats and rafts of driftwood and came down the Columbia, losing two little children and a soldier of 1812 by drowning. Not only were they, but those of two succeeding emigrations were so impressed by the difficulties ahead of these weary trains they devised a plan to meet and succor the train of 1846. Of these Jesse Applegate, Nathaniel Ford, Levi Scott and others, volunteered to go. They left their home and affairs for six months and went in all good faith and willingness as far as what is now Winnemucca. The expedition was not a success, the train of 1846 was already late. The country was a terra incognita and early rains fell. Much suffering ensued and the rescuers only received unkind criticism and hard feeling, cherished to this day by their descendants.
David and Kezziah Goff “Uncle Davy and Aunt Kizzy,” as they were affectionately known were kind neighbors and never neglected an opportunity to lend a helping hand. Mrs. Goff was a dignified retiring woman, who followed the fortunes of her husband with patience and Christian fortitude. She died Feb. 22, 1866.
David Goff died February 6, 1875.
Samuel, the eldest of their family married Nancy Virgin in Kentucky, came to Oregon and settled in the Rickreall Valley in 1847. Two daughters of David and Kezziah Goff were laid to rest in Missouri. They were Martha and Mary Vidue.
Francis Marion Peltis was born in Howard county, Missouri, in 1828. He died at Rickreall in 1895. He came to Oregon with his parents and little sisters, Pauline and Caroline . He followed the more or less varying fortunes of a miner and prospector, more likely less successful fortune. He served in the Rogue River war in 1853 and in the Yakima war in 1855 and 1856. He was at the battles of Burnt River, Grand Ronde and Walla Walla. Much of his service was scouting duty, in which he was distinguished for his bravery and courage. At one time he was Lieutenant Colonel of the Polk County Militia. He went to Idaho in 1862 living in Florence and the Weiser country. He returned to Rickreall in 1886 and died there in 1895. He was never married.
Pauline was born in Howard county, Missouri, April 7, 1831. She died at Rickreall December 20, 1889. She and J.W. Nesmith were married in 1846.
Caroline was born in Chareton county, Missouri April 13, 1835 and died in August, 1892. She married C.D. Burkhart in 1850 and lived all her married life in Albany."
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DEATH CERTIFICATE:
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OBITUARY:
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INSCRIPTION:
David Goff
Born
in
Bedford Co., Virginis
June 26, 1795
Died
Feb. 6, 1875
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SOURCES:
Branigar Survey
Saucy Survey & Photographs
1850 OR CENSUS (Polk Co., FA #111)
Historically Speaking, Vol. I, pg 24
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