John T. Tryon

     John T. Tryon was born on 21 February 1824 at Clarenceville, Missisquoi Co, Quebec; obit in the Onaga Herald, [n.d.a.]clip from Tim Maskil 8/98. He was the son of David Tryon Jr and Jane Crawford. John T. Tryon married Adelaide Ann Billings, daughter of Walter Billings, on 9 February 1848 at Clarenceville, Missisquoi Co, Quebec.¹ John T. Tryon married Miranda Reginalda Billings, daughter of Lewis Billings and Lucy Wheeler, on 27 January 1863 at Christian Unitarian Church, Montreal, Montreal Co, Quebec.² John T. Tryon died on 3 June 1899 at Onaga, Pottawatomie Co, Kansas, at age 75; Onaga Herald, 8 June 1899:
The obituary of John Tryon tells that he was an early and respected settler to Kansas, arriving in May, 1869. It also chronicles his two marriages, his first wife "dying March 12,1861, leaving five children - four boys and one girl. His second wife, by whom he had four children, now lives in Sacramento, Cal., where the family moved about fourteen years ago. Mr. Tryon's health failing him there, he returned to Kansas about four years ago, and being so benefited in health he remained here. Eight children survive him. He was an old member of the Masonic fraternity, and was well respected by all who knew him."
It tells that his illness was one of only several week's duration, and that his children by his first wife were all with him during his last hours and in attendance at the funeral. He died at the house of his son, C.J. Tryon, who lived 5 miles northwest of the city. The obituary also referred to John as "Uncle" John Tryon, which this writer would take as a term of endearment used by others in that community.³ He was buried at Onaga Cemetery, Onaga, Pottawatomie Co, Kansas.
     He appeared on the census of 1851 at Clarenceville, Rouville Co, Quebec; John Tryon, farmer, b. Canada, Methodist, 25, Delia Ann, 25, Cyprian P., 4, Benjamin, 3, Walter Billings, b. US, Methodist, 56, and his wife Delia Ann, B. US, Unitarian, 52, Oscar F. Billings, teacher, b. Canada, 30, Margaret Walker, b. England, Episcopalian, 14, and Miranda Billings, teacher, b. Canada, Episcopalian, 22.⁴ He appeared on the census of 23 June 1870 at Lancaster, Atchison Co, Kansas; John, 46, Miranda, 40, Benjamin 20, Oscar 16, Cordner and Clarabella 17, Harriet 6, Martha 5, Clarence 3, and Clarendon 1, all shown as born Canada.⁵ As of 1880, John T. Tryon was also known as John T. Tryan. He appeared on the census of 1880 at Lone Tree, Pottawatomie Co, Kansas; John Tryan, 56, b. Canada, Meranda, 55, Hattie, 17, "Mata", 15, Clarence, 13, and Fandan, 11.⁶ John Tryon, a resident of the city of Sacramento, was born in the Province of Quebec, Canada, in February, 1824. His father, David Tryon, was a boy at the time of the Revolutionary War, grandfather Tryon at the time living in Vermont, United States, but his sympathies were with his mother country, and he with his family moved across the line, going 200 miles by ox teams into the timber and settling on “rent lands,” at Clarenceville, Province of Quebec. David Tryon grew up there and married Jennie Crawford, a native of Scotland; the subject of this sketch was their only son. He grew to manhood, and at the age of twenty-three was married to Adelia A. Billings. She having died in 1861, he was again married, to Miranda R. Billings, a Canadian, her father being a Vermonter, but not near related to his first wife. By this second marriage there were four children. In 1869, he with his family removed to Atchison County, Kansas. After six years they took up a homestead in Pottawatomie County, living thereon seven years, then removed to the southern part of the State, within fifty miles of Indian Territory. Falling heir to the estate of Ephraim L. Billings, who had come to California in the early day and settled in Sacramento, and died in January, 1883, they removed to this city, where they have made their home ever since.⁷