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flag male ancestor  John Wesley  HARPER

Born
29 August 1806 ,  Tennessee, USA
Died
28 January 1889 ,  Crider,Caldwell County, Kentucky, USA

Age: 82
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Parents & Family of John Wesley HARPER

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Born: 29 August 1806 in Tennessee, USA

Father: Unknown
Mother: Unknown


Spouse(s)/Partner(s) and Child(ren):

John Wesley  married  Elmina STEPHENSON abt. 1836 .  The couple had (at least) 5 children.
Elmina STEPHENSON  was born 16, August 1807 in Livingston, Kentucky, USA.  Elmina died 18 April 1850 in Caldwell County, Kentucky, USA. 

John Wesley HARPER died 28 January 1889 in Crider,Caldwell County, Kentucky, USA.
Details of the family tree of John appear below.

A Glimpse into the Everyday Life of the Average American Man in the Mid-1800s

Spouse & Children of John Wesley HARPER

John Wesley HARPER married flag female ancestor Elmina STEPHENSON
Marriage date: abt. 1836
Marriage place:

Children of John Wesley HARPER and Elmina STEPHENSON

flag male ancestor Linford Lessington HARPER
Born: 20 September 1832, , Kentucky, USA
Died: ,


flag female ancestor Martha Polina HARPER
Born: 10 December 1836, Caldwell County, Kentucky, USA
Died: abt. 1910, , Kentucky, USA

Married: William Joab SULLIVAN 1872

flag male ancestor William H HARPER
Born: 25 June 1840, Caldwell County, Kentucky, USA
Died: ,


flag boy ancestor Thomas Melzer HARPER
Born: 20 December 1841, Caldwell, Kentucky, USA
Died: 22 October 1844 , , Kentucky, USA


flag female ancestor Almedia Henrietta HARPER
Born: 4 October 1845, , Kentucky, USA
Died: ,




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Life & Records

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Records about John Wesley HARPER and family appear alongside historical events from the same years. Each item is labeled so you can quickly tell family records from historical context.
BirthBirth — 1806
29 August 1806
Tennessee, USA
U.S. President1809 - James Madison becomes President of the United States
NewsThe War of 1812 was a conflict between the United States and Great Britain, lasting from 1812 to 1815. It was primarily fueled by issues such as trade restrictions due to Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American sailors into the British Navy, and British support of Native American tribes against American expansion. The war ended with the Treaty of Ghent, restoring pre-war boundaries but resolving few of the initial disputes.
Invention 1817 - The bicycle is invented (Baron Karl de Drais de Sauerbrun, Germany)
U.S. President1817 - James Monroe becomes President of the United States
Invention 1824 - Portland cement is invented (Joseph Aspdin, England)
Invention 1825 - The locomotive is invented (George Stephenson, England)
U.S. President1825 - John Quincy Adams becomes President of the United States
Invention 1826 - The gas stove is invented (James Sharp, England)
News1826 - Former U.S. Presidents Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both die on the 50th Anniversary of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence.
Invention 1827 - Matches are invented (John Walker, England)
News1827 - The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad is incorporated, becoming the first railroad in America offering commercial transportation of both people and freight.
Invention 1829 - The sewing machine is invented (Barthélemy Thimonnier, France)
U.S. President1829 - Andrew Jackson becomes President of the United States
News1830 - The Indian Removal Act marks the beginning of the forced relocation of five tribes of native Americans, known as Trail of Tears
1832 Birth of Child
Linford Lessington HARPER was born 20 September 1832, , Kentucky, USA

John Wesley was 26 years old.
1836 Birth of Child
Martha Polina HARPER was born 10 December 1836, Caldwell County, Kentucky, USA

John Wesley was 30 years old.
U.S. President1837 - Martin Van Buren becomes President of the United States
Invention 1839 - February 24 - Steam shovel patented by William Smith Otis (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA)
News1840 to 1860s - French-Canadian emigration to the United States
NewsFrom the 1840s through the 1880s, thousands trekked westward, carrying only a few belonging and supplies for the journey, and settling on the western frontier, forever changing the American West.
1840 Birth of Child
William H HARPER was born 25 June 1840, Caldwell County, Kentucky, USA

John Wesley was 33 years old.
U.S. President1841 - William Henry Harrison becomes President of the United States
U.S. President1841 - John Tyler becomes President of the United States
1841 Birth of Child
Thomas Melzer HARPER was born 20 December 1841, Caldwell, Kentucky, USA

John Wesley was 35 years old.
Invention 1843 - The Christmas card is invented (Sir Henry Cole and John Callcott Horsley, England)

Artificial Freezer Patented (Nancy M. Johnson, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA)
1844 Death of Child
Thomas Melzer HARPER died 22 October 1844 , , Kentucky, USA

John Wesley was 38 years old.
Invention 1845 - The rubber band is invented (Stephen Perry, England)

The refrigerator is invented (John Gorrie, United States)
U.S. President1845 - James Knox Polk becomes President of the United States
1845 Birth of Child
Almedia Henrietta HARPER was born 4 October 1845, , Kentucky, USA

John Wesley was 39 years old.
Invention 1849 - The safety pin is invented (Walter Hunt, United States)
U.S. President1849 - Zachary Taylor becomes President of the United States
1850 Death of Spouse/Partner
Elmina STEPHENSON died 18 April 1850, Caldwell County, Kentucky, USA
U.S. President1850 - Millard Fillmore becomes President of the United States
U.S. President1853 - Franklin Pierce becomes President of the United States
Invention 1857 - Toilet paper is invented (Joseph Gayetty, United States)
U.S. President1857 - James Buchanan becomes President of the United States
News1857 - March 6 – Dred Scott v. Sandford: The Supreme Court of the United States rules that Blacks are not citizens and slaves can not sue for freedom, driving the country further towards the American Civil War.
Invention 1858 - March 30 - H. L. Lipman, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, patented the first pencil with eraser
News1861 - February 8 – American Civil War: The Confederate States of America are formed, comprising the first six break-away states.
U.S. President1861 - Abraham Lincoln becomes President of the United States
News1863 - January 1 - President Lincoln issues Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves.
News1863 - October 3 – President Lincoln proclaims a national Thanksgiving day to be celebrated the final Thursday in November in the United States
News1863 - November 19 – American Civil War: U. S. President Abraham Lincoln delivers the Gettysburg Address at the military cemetery dedication ceremony in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
Invention 1864 - Pasteurization is invented (Louis Pasteur, France)
U.S. PresidentApril 14, 1865 - President Abraham Lincoln was mortally wounded by John Wilkes Booth at in Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. He died the next day. Andrew Johnson becomes President of the United States.
Invention 1868 - The typewriter is invented (Christopher Latham Sholes, United States)

Thomas Edison applies for his first patent, the electric vote recorder.
U.S. President1869 - Ulysses S. Grant becomes President of the United States
News1870 - June 26 - Christmas becomes a Federal holiday in the United States. It was still illegal in some states.
Invention 1876 - March 7 – Alexander Graham Bell is granted a United States patent for an invention he calls the telephone.
U.S. President1877 - Rutherford B. Hayes becomes President of the United States
Invention 1877 - November 21 - Thomas Edison announces his invention of the phonograph, a machine that can record sound.
Invention 1879 - Incandescent light bulb is invented (Thomas Alva Edison, United States)
News1881 - The American Red Cross is established by Clara Barton.
U.S. President1881 - March 4 - James A. Garfield becomes President of the United States
U.S. President1881 - July 2 - James A. Garfield was shot at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station in Washington, D.C., at 9:30 am on Saturday, July 2, 1881. He died in Elberon, New Jersey, two months later on September 19, 1881. The shooting occurred less than four months into his term as president. Charles J. Guiteau was convicted of Garfield's murder and executed by hanging one year after the shooting. Chester Arthur becomes President of the United States.
Invention 1884 - Photographic film is invented (George Eastman, United States)

The first gravity roller coaster amusement ride (LeMarcus A. Thompson, United States)
U.S. President1885 - Grover Cleveland becomes President of the United States
News1886 - October 28 - Statue of Liberty is Unveiled
DeathDeath — 1889
28 January 1889
Crider,Caldwell County, Kentucky, USA
He died at the age of 82.
FINAL RESTING PLACE

Burial & Cemetery

Burial details for John:

Flat Rock , Kentucky
RECORD HISTORY

Record added: 8/27/2025 6:09:49 PM
Last updated: 8/28/2025 12:53:08 PM

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BIRTHPLACE

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Tennessee, USA

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